To ensure students with disabilities receive the services they need to support their learning, the U.S. Congress reauthorized the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004. IDEA requires that each state: (1) implement IDEA with fidelity; (2) sustain special education programs that meet IDEA's educational standards; and (3) monitor…

Early detection efforts have been shown to vary greatly in practice, and there is a general lack of systematic accountability built into monitoring early detection effort impact. This article reviews current early detection practices and the drawbacks of these practices, with particular attention given to prevalent issues of mismeasurement,…

Over the past 20 years, tremendous strides have been made in establishing and strengthening early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. Although EHDI programs have become more robust, considerable work remains to ensure that all children who do not pass a hearing screening receive the…

State coordinators of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs were asked to complete a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, or SWOT, analysis that consisted of 12 evaluative areas of EHDI programs. For the interdisciplinary area, 47 coordinators responded with 224 items, and themes were identified within each SWOT…

State coordinators of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs completed a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, or SWOT, analysis that consisted of 12 evaluative areas of EHDI programs. For the EHDI program infrastructure area, 47 coordinators responded with a total of 292 items, and themes were identified in each…

"Part C Updates" is a compilation of information on various aspects of the Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (Part C) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This is the eleventh volume in a series of compilations, which included two editions of Part H Updates, the former name of the…

Designed to assist Alberta (Canada) school authorities in preparing applications for special education funding, this handbook describes the types of special education funding available, how to apply for special education funding, and how applications for special education funding are monitored. An introduction explains that school boards and…

This book highlights 10 preschool education programs for children with autism, focusing on each program's structure and content, diagnosis and assessment, staffing and administration, curriculum, integration, use of aversive behavior modification techniques, family involvement, and outcomes. The book consists of 11 chapters, the first of which is…

The article describes the current public policy environment and its impact on efforts to refine the system for identifying and serving mildly handicapped students. Areas requiring attention are cited for discussion, including revisions in the service delivery system, personnel preparation, administration of programs and funding structures, and…

This guide provides background information to help interpret Iowa state and federal rules as they apply to occupational therapy (OT) for students with disabilities (birth to age 21) in educational settings. The first section is on personnel and provides definitions and statements of licensure for the positions of occupational therapist and…

This document presents excerpts from Chapter 388 of the Nevada Administrative Code, which concerns definitions, eligibility, and programs for students who are disabled or gifted/talented. The first section gathers together 36 relevant definitions from the Code for such concepts as "adaptive behavior,""autism,""gifted and…

This document presents guidelines for evaluation of early childhood special education programs in North Dakota. Following an introduction, a section considers six general program goals including the significance of families, the need for developmentally appropriate and individually appropriate practice, preference for service delivery in…

This guide provides background information to help interpret Iowa state and federal rules as they apply to physical therapy (PT) for students with disabilities (birth to age 21) in educational settings. The first section defines professional personnel requirements and statements of licensure for the positions of physical therapist and physical…

This document provides guidance to parents, educators, and health care providers in serving Utah students with special health care needs. An introduction defines special health care needs, outlines legal responsibilities, and notes the importance of transagency collaboration. Guidelines are then offered for the identification and placement…

This paper presents selected findings from a three-year research investigation of general and special education reform initiatives implemented in five local school districts across the United States (including a large urban, predominately minority system; two suburban districts; a small independent city district; a large county-wide system; two…