In the United States, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) mandates functional assessment based behavioral support plans for all students with disabilities who display challenging behavior. However, very few studies have been undertaken to examine the effectiveness of the functional assessment-based behavioral plans with high…

This guide and accompanying audiotape are intended to be used as part of a series of lessons to involve students in participating in the development of their own Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The guide begins with answers to nine basic questions which address the IEP's purpose, the IEP meeting, and reasons for student participation.…

The booklet is composed of columns that have appeared in each issue of "PACESETTER," a newsletter published by PACER Center, a coalition of 18 Minnesota disability organizations focusing on appropriate education for handicapped students. Columns are intended to address topics of interest to parents, including changes that may be made in students'…

Requirements for individualized plans of instruction for special education students are discussed separately and a description of a combined plan is offered. The individualized education program (IEP) is reviewed in terms of identification and referral, development of the assessment plan, assessment, development and implementation of the IEP, IEP…

Intended for special education directors responsible for managing preparation of individualized education programs (IEPs), the booklet suggests ways to streamline the IEP process by using computers. An initial chapter suggests ways to reduce the IEP paperwork, such as preselecting goal areas and proposed objectives in advance of the IEP meeting.…

Teachers serving children with disabilities in the regular preschool environment face challenges working within the typical small group instructional framework while systematically targeting specific skill acquisition goals. This paper describes a model integrated preschool/daycare program that uses a matrix-type process for determining the most…

The paper addresses the issue of access by disabled persons to the world of work, independence, and adulthood by defining the concept of least restrictive employment and presenting a framework for incorporating it into the public schools. Least restrictive employment is viewed as the placement of disabled youth in paid, integrated employment with…

Six years of studies on assessment and identification issues for learning disabled (LD) students are summarized, and implications for instructional intervention are noted. In chapter 1, findings on four topics are highlighted (sample findings in parentheses); instruction prior to referral (only about one-half of the school day is instructional…

Ways in which parents of handicapped children can learn their rights under P.L. 94-142, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act, are considered. Specific areas of rights include prior notice (parental consent and content of the notice), record review, independent educational evaluation, parental involvement with Individualized Educational…

More than 50,000 New York City special education students in self-contained classes and resource rooms in grades 2-9 were tested in reading on the California Achievement Test, Form C. Students who had testing modifications recommended on their individualized education programs were tested with the appropriate modification. Among the moderately…

The inservice training sections of annual program plans of 49 states were reviewed to determine states' responses to specific regulations. All states indicated needs for training, most frequently specifying the individualized education program as the area in which training was needed. Other high priority areas reported were least restrictive…

The intent of this booklet is to stimulate interest in individualized education, to promote study of it, and to encourage educators to experiment with the idea in ways appropriate to their local situations. Chapter 1 analyzes the concept of individualization. The chapter includes paradigms that may be helpful for examining some of the current…

Comparison of the family characteristics and maternal knowledge of parents who never attended or had attended all their children's individualized education program planning meetings indicated that nonattending families tended to have lower incomes, less parental education, more single parent representation, and more nonwhite representation.…

Evaluation of the Social Integration Program (SIP) which provided mainstream services to 31 preschool handicapped children in Utah during its first three years found that SIP children made significant gains on educational and developmental tests and mastered a high proportion of individualized education program objectives. (Author/DB)

Reports on a study involving 12 industrial educators who were provided case studies describing two disabled students and asked to write an individualized educational program for one student based on a nonobjective curriculum and for the other using an objective curriculum. The latter programs matched more closely the established criteria. (CH)