The problem of dropouts among special education students is summarized. After a brief overview of the problem, various studies are cited indicating a substantially higher incidence of dropping out of high school prior to program completion for handicapped than for non-handicapped students. Implications and recommendations for educational policy…

The paper briefly describes Public Law 99-457 (The Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments, 1986) with emphasis on implications for families, service providers, and early childhood educators. Among the law's components are the following: all the rights and protections of Public Law 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act) are…

Adaptive behavior instruments that are environmentally relevant can be used effectively in intervention planning for physically handicapped students. Five desirable characteristics in such instruments are listed, selected instruments are reviewed, and a systems approach to assessing adaptive behavior is described in the context of developing…

Interviews with 16 teachers and parents of 9 children with motor disabilities in special instruction groups at Swedish schools suggested that parents, although generally reporting satisfaction with their children's education, had very little influence on contents and methods of their children's school activities. Intervention goals dominated over…

Although the number of students with behavior difficulties has increased, it has not been matched by a comparable increase in developing educator competencies to meet their needs. Educators must be given the necessary training, supported by solid research in best practices and quality schools. Individualized student plans involving family members…

The Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers (P.L. 99-457), now known as Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), was established by the federal government in 1986 "to encourage states to expand opportunities for children less than 3 years of age who would be at risk of having substantial developmental…

The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) was assigned the task of compiling, analyzing, and summarizing the data for Indicator 1--Graduation--from the FFY 2008 Annual Performance Reports (APRs) and amended State Performance Plans (SPPs), which were submitted by States to the Office of Special Education…

Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) specifies that a behavioral intervention plan (BIP) must be developed for students with disabilities under certain disciplinary exclusions. IDEA, however, does not provide details as to what should be included in BIPs, and this lack of specific guidance often results in…

Understanding the criteria and process for determining a student's eligibility for special education services is critical for any educator in an inclusive school environment. Based on the current reauthorization of IDEA 2004, this timely resource offers teachers and administrators an overview of each eligible disability and clear, specific…

The first of five handbooks developed by Project HAPI (Handicapped Achievement Program Improvement), a multimedia staff development program to help teachers and specialists write effective individualized education programs (IEPs), is in looseleaf workbook format and focuses on children with severe disorders of language, including aphasia and other…

This monograph discusses development and implementation of positive behavioral intervention plans with students who have emotional and/or behavioral disorders. It focuses on four steps of a 10-step methodology using functional behavioral assessment and intervention. Emphasis is on the use of positive behavioral intervention plans and supports as…

This manual presents an assessment instrument designed to help teachers, educational specialists, speech-language therapists, psychologists, and other service providers evaluate the communication skills of children, adolescents, and young adults who have multiple disabilities, including severe or profound mental retardation and deafblindness. It…

Student behavior problems have been found to be the most significant and frequently addressed concern of rural educators. A model was developed in response to the needs of rural educators in West Virginia for planning, documenting, implementing, and monitoring behavior plans for students with emotional and behavior problems. The first step…

Informed consent is required from a child's parent or guardian before use of some types of behavior modification for severe behavior problems, such as tantrums, self-abuse, aggression, stealing, destruction of property, etc. Behavior modification procedures that produce physical or psychological discomfort or pain require informed consent because…

This manual is designed to help school personnel conduct functional behavior assessments (FBAs) and to develop effective behavior intervention plans (BIPs). The manual begins by providing background information on FBAs including: (1) the four-stage model of collaborative problem solving that is used to conduct FBAs and develop subsequent BIPs,…