This booklet summarizes the rights and responsibilities of Minnesota parents of children with disabilities and offers guidelines on how best to advocate for their child. Introductory material briefly describes the Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER) Center and its programs. The booklet then summarizes federal court decisions,…

This manual is a guide to recommended practices and procedures for meeting the special educational needs of young children with disabilities, especially those ages 3 through 5 in Illinois. Chapter 1 provides a brief history of national and Illinois state mandates in early childhood special education, notes the critical role of the family, and…

This book provides strategies for working within the educational system and going outside the system, when appropriate, to get learning assistance for a struggling student. Part 1, "Identifying the Problem," discusses communicating with the teacher and getting vital information, focusing observations and impressions, and communicating…

This paper presents results of a survey of Massachusetts parents of children with disabilities concerning implementation of the child's Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Survey respondents (N=400) addressed the following issues: quality of educational and related services; access to the general curriculum in the least restrictive environment;…

This manual incorporates the Delaware State Board of Education's rules and regulations governing the education of exceptional children and is intended to provide guidance and information to educators, administrators, parents, and the public. The section on handicapped children covers the following areas: access to special education and related…

This guide to the transition of special education students to less restrictive environments or from school to work stresses the importance of planning and communication during the entire process, from initial plans through implementation and follow-up. Section 1 consists of a "Transition Process Checklist" to aid in the organization and follow…

The manual's purpose is to serve as a tool to help parents and advocates to secure an appropriate education for handicapped children in New Mexico. Provisions of the federal and New Mexico laws and regulations which protect the rights of handicapped children are described. Funding for special education is explained, focusing on the state funding…

This booklet delineates the educational rights of Texas parents, their handicapped children, and adult handicapped students. Twenty key terms used in the booklet, such as surrogate parent, adult handicapped student, and mediation, are defined in the first section. Rights of parents and students are described in each of the areas covered in the…

Written for parents of handicapped children, the handbook describes the process for obtaining a free, appropriate public education for such children as set forth in Public Law 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. An initial explanation of terms (such as "least restrictive…

This paper explores Canadian educational services offered to severely and profoundly handicapped children and comments on their cautious welcoming into the regular education system. School administrators must become familiar with the needs of severely handicapped students, and must become much more involved in the planning, support, and…

This booklet was developed in response to input from six regional forums held in Missouri in the spring of 1996. The purpose was to solicit public perceptions about inclusive school practices in public schools for students with and without disabilities, as well as to obtain stakeholder input on how to increase and improve inclusive education in…

A panel of four education experts selected the 15 most important court cases of 1990 in the field of special education, based on review of approximately 100 reported decisions. The cases deal with attorney's fees, the need to exhaust administrative remedies before taking discipline cases to court, least restrictive environment, reimbursement for…

The integrated model at Westwood Secondary School (Ontario) involves the combination in a single school of vocational programs and regular secondary school programs. The model was implemented in fall 1981 with the entry of vocational students in grades 9 and 10 and will be phased in until all 4 years of vocational programming are offered. Data for…

Westwood Secondary School (Ontario) has integrated two grades of vocational students with regular secondary students in one school. A summary of findings from surveys and student records indicates that students in the vocational program are integrated with the other students to a considerable extent. At least one regular course is being taken by…

The guide is intended to be a practical tool for screening and identifying Wisconsin students suspected of being emotionally disturbed (ED). It contains information on the legal requirements for the identification and placement of ED students as well as the definition of emotional disturbance and techniques for screening and evaluation. Sample…