The purpose of this paper is to trace the historical trajectory of special education and how societal perspectives influenced the special education movement. It aims to answer if special education and inclusion have achieved their goals for all individuals, especially those with disabilities. A review of historical trends, special education laws,…

Teachers and parents often find special education law complex and confusing. As one step for a basic foundation in special education law, a previous "TEACHING Exceptional Children" article (Zirkel, 2005) provided a snapshot of the "top five case concepts" based on 10 decisions from the Supreme Court. Each of these decisions…

Inclusion advocates support heterogeneous programs where special education students are educated within the confines of a regular educational classroom. An array of services are provided that are coordinated across educational and community agency personnel. Districts must make sure the students are ready to be included, the staff is trained, and…

Career and technical education (CTE) can provide significant benefits to students with disabilities. Research shows that students with disabilities in secondary CTE programs were less likely to drop out and more likely to be employed, to have paid competitive jobs, and to work full time after high school, especially if they were mainstreamed and…

As public school personnel struggle to provide preschool-age children with disabilities with high quality, normalized or inclusive preschool experiences, there is an increased need for collaboration with community-based early childhood providers. This paper addresses the federal legal requirements for public school, Head Start, and community-based…