Despite a myriad of linguistic and cultural barriers, immigrant parents of children with disabilities in the United States have adopted a variety of advocacy strategies. Drawing upon the frameworks of Community Cultural Wealth and Ecological Systems Theory, this study explores how Korean immigrant mothers of children with disabilities advocate for…

The Individual with Disabilities Education Act specifies that families should be include in the special education process and they must provide informed consent. However, families from Spanish-speaking backgrounds, often report barriers to participation. In this study, we provided a forum for Spanish-speaking families to tell their stories using…

Students of color and students with disabilities are two underserved populations in our educational systems. At the intersection of these groups is a new subgroup: special education students of color (SESOC), who are highly underserved in schools. The experiences and perspectives of teachers of color who serve special education students of color…

This study reports on a randomized controlled pilot intervention study examining the effectiveness and feasibility of a low-intensity (i.e. three sessions), low-cost, parent advocacy intervention. The intervention study employed community-partnered research methods and targeted a low-income community of mostly Latinx, immigrant-origin parents of…

Legislation and policy lead to action. In the absence of law or policy, situations are addressed on a case-by-case basis or they are sometimes ignored. Legislation and policy become extremely important when they relate to groups that have traditionally been marginalized, such as students with disabilities or students with gifts and talents, and…

The aim of this descriptive study was to examine the perspectives of first generation Asian American parents of children with disabilities regarding causes, meaning of disabilities, level of educational involvement and self-advocacy in their children's special education school programs. Using convenience sampling, 18 Asian American parents from…

Preparing teachers for special education in the United States is a reflection that is not merely another attempt to reinvent the wheel. Rather, it is an investigation to learn from the past, use applications today in order to secure concrete and measurable goals in the diversified future of special education in America. Several historical figures…

Since the establishment of educational rights for children with disabilities in the 1970s, special education in the US has included a growing share of students and has constituted an ever-growing share of education budgets. Previous research has focused on the disproportionate assignment to special education of low-income and minority students,…

The book defines functional and categorical approaches to needs of developmentally disabled citizens, compares the current with the ideal service delivery system, describes approaches for effective advocacy efforts, and includes a resource guide for Californians. Seven functional definitions of such terms as self care, mobility, and capacity for…

This manual has been developed to assist local California education agencies, placing agencies, and providers in the implementation of the revised requirements for the appointment of surrogate parents for special education pupils, ages 0 through 21. Also included is an explanation of state and federal mandates for parent involvement, educational…

This resource notebook presents samples of training materials and local policies and procedures and is intended to accompany an overview document which provides information on California legislation concerning surrogate parents in special education. Part 1 provides a summary of special education laws, services, and parent and student rights. Part…

This compilation of four journal issues on gifted education in California focuses on the following topics: (1) literacy for the 21st century; (2) technology; (3) reflections on gifted education; and (4) politics. Major articles include: "English Language Arts in California's Schools: A New Beginning" (Diane Levin and Catherine Barkett);…