The article examines the parent-teacher partnership, stressing the importance of both parent and teacher input. Five suggestions for involving parents of handicapped students in the Individualized Education Program meeting are offered and include asking parents before the meeting to think of short- and long-term goals for the child. (DB)

Special educators are urged to prepare for the increasing numbers of children disabled due to maternal drug use. Encouraged are interagency coordination, increased data collection, personnel preparation, renewed emphasis on "child find" and individualized education programs, and overcoming political resistance to service expansions. (DB)

The article explores alternative ways of scheduling orientation and mobility instruction for visually impaired students receiving training on an itinerant basis. Recommended are summer training programs, inclusion of training needs in individualized education programs, and short-term attendance in residential schools. (Author/DB)

The article argues that students with severe intellectual disabilities should be educated in their local "home school" so all children can prepare for a pluralistic society, so families can have easy access to schools and services, and so social relationships with nondisabled persons can be developed and maintained over long periods of time.…

Case studies of two children illustrate the ways in which an overemphasis on functional goals stressing efficiency through categorization and specialization has made special education in the United States a bureaucratic patchwork that should be disassembled and rebuilt. The relevance of current practices to student needs must be evaluated. (SLD)

The Individualized Education Program of an 11-year-old boy with severe disabilities was written to emphasize development of social skills and friendships. Opportunities to develop friendships were created, classmates examined their feelings about the meaning of friendship, and parents' and teachers' reactions were assessed. (JDD)

This analysis of parents' procedural due process rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act examines the 1982 case of Hendrick Hudson Central School District Board of Education versus Rowley and reviews principles concerning parental rights, parental notification, procedural errors, the Individualized Education Program conference…

This article reviews literature on experiences with the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). It identifies IEP problems (such as poorly written objectives) and positive features (such as better teacher-family relations). The article suggests that IEP/IFSP development flaws may indicate problems…

The Education TECH Point system can be used by school districts as a tool to develop effective federally required assistive technology delivery systems for students with disabilities. The technique involves the systematic analysis of questions concerning: initial referral, evaluation, extended assessment, plan development, implementation, and…

Presents an overview of both the federal statute governing the education of children with disabilities and the "Burlington" decision that requires, under certain circumstances, public school districts to reimburse parents for private educational expenses. Examines the leading cases involving parental placement of disabled children in…

Providing additional academic challenges to gifted middle schoolers can be demanding, considering their involvement in multitudinous activities. A Pennsylvania school developed a three-prong approach that provides more rigorous curricular content and adopts the group instruction method favored by music departments and the one-on-one technique used…

Twelve special education teachers in rural Kentucky were trained to use a computer software program to create individualized education programs (IEPs). After 18 months, teachers' initially positive attitudes toward IEP generators had deteriorated; teachers cited problems such as hardware malfunctions and time constraints. (Author/SV)

Transporting infants, toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities to provide early intervention services is part of this nation's commitment to young children. Explains relevant federal statutes; lists acronyms and public laws affecting school transportation; and summarizes training issues to provide safe transportation for this diverse…

The Eleventh Circuit ruling in "Greer" establishes relatively clear guidelines for making choices regarding mainstreaming in considerations of appropriate programing. Only when mainstreaming in a regular class is not appropriate may a determination be made as to how the child can be placed in a special-education setting in the least…

This paper focuses on goal setting in instruction of exceptional students. Goals types and such properties as specificity, proximity and difficulty are discussed, along with additional factors including feedback, commitment, participation, and student ability. Goal setting guidelines for reading, writing, mathematics, assignment completion, and…