In this article the author provides legal explanations to the following concerns: (1) Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs); (2) Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs); (3) Manifestation Determinations under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);…

An elementary school principal comments on the use of individualized education programs and notes problems to be resolved if IEP's become required for every child. (SS)

A student at Empire State College of the State University of New York studying under a mentor like Sharon Villines is likely to get college credit in a wider variety of subject areas than a candidate for a traditional bachelors degree. (MM)

Is it appropriate to write an individualized education program (IEP) for preschool students who are identified as gifted? In this article, the author shares that she does not condone the elimination of programs for truly gifted children. Her concern has to do with identifying 3-year-old children as intellectually gifted. Is the motivation for this…

In addressing the question of whether learner control of instruction can accommodate individual differences, this paper discusses some characteristics of learner control, including those conditions of learning which the student can control and those imposed by society and its institutions which are not under individual control. Studies of attempts…

In this article, a reader is asking for advice regarding her 10-year-old daughter who is having difficulty with her reading and focusing skills and social skills. The author recommends that her daughter should have a full evaluation of her academic skills and potentials inclusive of psychology, speech, and occupational therapy. The author also…

Several current approaches to evaluation stress the importance of making explicit the conceptual structure of a program--displaying the hierarchically related transactions which explain the program's movement from a set of "inputs" to a set of desired outcomes. However, individualized programs present particular difficulties in…

This paper suggests a variety of ways of assessing the curriculum and assessing pupils so that tasks can be matched to special needs learners in the process of curriculum differentiation. The emphasis is on formative and diagnostic assessment but summative assessment is also discussed. (Author/JDD)

Art teachers should create individualized learning programs for their students. Such art programs can assure personalized programs for disabled students and elevate the development of basic skills in art, artistic expression, and art appreciation. (Author/RM)

Students with disabilities should not only be members of general education classrooms, but must also be able to learn meaningful skills in those settings, not just socialize with peers. This article reviews effective teaching methods and their contextual fit with the working of a general education classroom. The response to intervention (RtI)…

Forest Grove School District v. T.A. involved a student with learning disabilities, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and depression (T.A.) whose parents had moved him to a private academy for students with special needs without first consulting with his public school. In the past, the school district had found T.A. to be ineligible…

Proposes the use of Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) for evaluating Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs) that must be developed for all students classified as educationally handicapped. Explains the use of GAS in constructing attainment or outcome estimate goals for identified problem areas, and discusses its usefulness in planning, record…

An attorney involved in Individualized Education Program (IEP) hearings and placement decisions for children with special needs proposes specific measures to ensure that the learning disabled child's strengths as well as deficits are diagnosed, communicated at IEP hearings, and productively used in subsequent educational planning. (JW)

The text of a conversation with a Florida special education administrator explores such aspects as the skills that are being tested, how standards were derived, the effects of testing on curricula, special diplomas, and the improvement in scores noted in the second year of the testing. (DLS)

Microcomputers can be an asset for the physical educator in dealing with special education students. Factors to keep in mind when exploring the use of computers in the classroom are offered. (DF)