Special education has been the subject of many rulings in federal courts. These rulings have greatly affected the practice of special education. The most important of these cases have come from the U.S. Supreme Court, which thus far has heard 12 cases directly affecting special education. This article examines the most important of these special…

In 2004, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act outlined specific considerations for students with individual education programs in relation to their needs and application of assistive technology (AT) devices and services used to access school curriculum. Teachers will interact with a variety of assistive technologies during their career…

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe and analyze how three principals attempting to establish effective inclusive schools for students with disabilities identified and learned from failure, with a specific focus on how failure was used to drive school improvement efforts. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative study involved…

A 2017 landmark case with the United States Supreme Court, Endrew vs. Douglas, would fundamentally change the provisions for a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for students with disabilities. Under Endrew vs. Douglas, special education services must confer academic and functional benefit. Emotional Impairment (EI) is one of 13…

As mandated by federal law, all students with a disability who qualify for special education and related services must be provided a free appropriate public education (FAPE). With ongoing changes to statutory definitions and legal interpretation of what constitutes a FAPE under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), it can…

An IEP is an Individualized Education Program. When a child is identified with a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) a child has a right to a Free, Appropriate, Public Education (FAPE). For a child to receive FAPE there has to be an IEP developed in order for the child to progress in the general education…

The problem of the applied dissertation was parents who have children with disabilities at the target middle school are not fully involved in their child's IEP educational planning. The purpose of the qualitative study was to understand Hispanic parents' experiences with participating and contributing to the education of their children who are in…

Inclusive education is "a process that helps overcome barriers" to presence, participation, and achievement in school (UNESCO, 2017, p. 7) for all youth, including students who have been historically marginalized and students with disabilities. For youth with disabilities specifically, inclusive education is the provision of necessary…

In 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court provided a ruling regarding what constitutes an appropriate education for students with disabilities in "Endrew v. Douglas County." The case concerned a student with autism, and we use it to offer schools and families autism-related recommendations for practice and policy. We analyze the legal history of…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates parents' participation as a necessary component of providing an appropriate education to students with disabilities. Despite these guidelines, parents report challenges with joining and contributing to the individualized education program (IEP) team as equal and valuable educational…

Special educators are responsible for a myriad of roles as part of their responsibilities as teachers. In addition to developing and monitoring individualized education programs (IEPs), co-teaching with general education colleagues, and engaging in direct instruction, they often also support students with behavioral needs. Although not all…

As states, districts, and schools plan to return for the 2021-22 school year, questions are raised about whether and how to test children with disabilities, including children with the most significant cognitive disabilities and English learners with disabilities. This FAQ addresses some common questions and provides links to useful resources.

The audit objective for this report was to determine whether the Ohio Department of Education (Ohio Education) and selected Ohio local educational agencies (LEAs) have sufficient internal controls to ensure that individualized education programs (IEPs) are developed in accordance with Federal and State requirements for children with disabilities…

Chronic health conditions (CHCs) impact approximately 20% of youth under the age of 18 years. Youth with CHCs are at a greater risk for poor outcomes across domains of development including behavioral, academic, cognitive, physical, and social-emotional than peers without CHCs. Advances in medical treatments make it possible for youth with CHCs to…

Even though special education law is covered in most teacher and administrative certification programs, it is an area that is continually evolving. The results of the 2017 U.S. Supreme Court case "Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District" will have a lasting impact on the future of special education guidelines; the outcomes of this…