Cerebral palsy--also known as CP--is a condition caused by injury to the parts of the brain that control the body's ability to use muscles effectively. Often the injury happens before birth, sometimes during delivery or soon after birth. The symptoms will differ from person to person and change as children and their nervous systems mature. This…

In 1997, the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandated that students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum. Access means more than being exposed to language arts, math, and science; access means academic progress. In addition, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 requires that all students have…

The paper focuses on trends in the areas of emotional disabilities (ED) related to identification, programming considerations, and general delivery issues. An increase in the number of children identified as ED has affected the need for more programs and personnel for this group and on public awareness of the disability. Other trends are the use…

Physical education programs, like other kinds of instruction, should individualize instruction to suit the interest and ability level of each student. A significant part of individualized programs is the use of behavioral objectives and criterion referenced tests, by which the student moves through a learning sequence at his own rate.…

With the passage of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, now the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and subsequent amendments, states and jurisdictions have made great strides in the provision of services to young children, ages 3 through 5 years, with disabilities. As of Fall 2009, America's…

As any parent of a child with autism knows, your life changes and you take on new roles after your child receives a diagnosis of autism. Ready or not, you are now expected to be an expert on interventions, support professionals, and special education. Suddenly, your concerns and worries are different from the parents around you. While they may be…

The report presents emerging trends, future outlook, and potential legislative provisions for career education. Two basic assumptions by the year 2000 are the recognition of education as a lifelong process with open entry/exit and the disappearance of traditional distinctions between learning in a formal setting and learning in the work place. The…

This guide to family-directed transition planning is intended to help parents and students with disabilities take leading roles in the process of transition from school to post-school activities. First, a letter to families examines the challenge of change and the transition process. Section 2 examines regulations that affect transition planning,…

How many times do teachers wander into their principal's office for advice, support, guidance, or recommendations, only to find that those books on the shelf are outdated or obsolete? How many times have principals attended individualized education program (IEP) meetings and wished they understood all the new provisions of federal laws? And when…

To raise the achievement of every student, Maryland designed "Achievement Matters Most," a plan for public schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. Achievement Matters Most supports Maryland schools' efforts to meet the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind…

Recently, federal legislation has been implemented requiring that public school students meet a specified performance level of academic proficiency by the 2013/2014 school year. This reform movement, known as "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB), was passed by Congress and incorporates many of President Bush's educational reform proposals…

The response of the Teacher Corps project schools to the mandates of P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) is reported. Changes in school based organization and management stemming from the legislation are divided into three categories: (1) general school types of procedures, including such areas as evaluation and assessment…

A series of 11 fact sheets giving basic information on specific subjects of interest to those working with handicapped and gifted children. The fact sheets, developed by the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children during fiscal year 1977, are designed in a question/answer format and have…

English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities are required to participate in all state and district assessments similar to their peers without disabilities. This includes assessments used for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I accountability purposes for demonstrating proficiency in academic content, assessments used…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between school-based organizational structures that support teachers' development of Personalized Education Plans (PEPs) and their quality as written for third through fifth grade students in each of two Title I schools. A causal comparative design was implemented. Teachers' responses…