This article covers current trends in disability rights and raises questions about how society's views of disability influence the music education of students in need of special education services. Brief overviews of the disability-rights movement in the United States and of federal laws pertaining to disabilities and education are included. Next,…

Special education as practiced today remains firmly anchored in the original logic of the Amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act (PL 94-142). Subsequent reauthorizations of the statute have included language designed to increase access to the general curriculum by special needs students but have not addressed the underlying…

The four P's of policy (philosophy, principles, procedures, and performance) are discussed within a framework for developing special needs policies in British schools. Elements of a special educational needs policy are listed, and examples of statements which might be included in a school's special needs policy are provided. (DB)

The purpose of this document is to suggest guidelines for the identification and assessment of children who should participate in programs related to the infant-toddler (Part H) and the preschool (Part B, Section 619) components of Public Law 99-457, the Education of the Handicapped Amendments of 1986. The guidelines integrate information from the…

This guide is designed to provide teachers in King County, Washington, with a single resource for much of the information needed to help students with disabilities transition from school to adult life and to make informed employment decisions. It begins by providing an overview of federal and state regulations that affect students with…

As one of a series of topic papers assessing federal laws and programs affecting persons with disabilities, this paper reviews the issue of transportation services. In the area of urban mass transit, four relevant pieces of legislation and public transportation accessibility regulations are cited, and cost issues are explored. Paratransit systems,…

This report presents samples of models and strategies for determining professional development needs of special education personnel. The following areas are covered: definitions of needs and the needs assessment process; personnel needs assessment regulations under the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development, the Individuals with…

This paper provides a synopsis of issues and recommendations regarding school reform, based on discussions held at the 1990 Forum on Emerging Trends in Special Education and Implications for Training Personnel. The paper calls for schools to adopt a collaborative model that infuses special education policies and practices into general education.…

Although cooperation between high school vocational education for the handicapped and state vocational rehabilitation programs had been common during the 1950s and 1960s, increased emphasis on special education, third-party funding falling under disrepute, and "similar benefits" provisions of vocational rehabilitation legislation has made…

The report of the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education followed 13 hearings and meetings throughout the nation on ways to strengthen the education of students with disabilities. An executive summary summarizes nine findings and the resulting three major recommendations: first, focus on results, not process; second, embrace a…

This paper highlights specific issues surrounding implementation of Titles I and II of Public Law 99-457, and illuminates how federal rules and regulations and the states' positions on the law should reflect the needs of rural and remote communities. The issues include: legislative planning and appropriations to meet the needs of rural handicapped…