A parent who is also an education major offers guidelines to classroom teachers involved in parent-teacher conferences to discuss individualized education programs. Emphasized are: the teacher's role as coordinator and moderator of the conference, preparing parents for the meeting, providing support for them, and making clear explanations during…

The Supreme Court's decision in "Honig v. Doe" indicates that a suspension of a dangerous handicapped student of up to 10 school days is valid. Decisions regarding the disciplining of handicapped students will have to be made on a case-by-case basis. Legal counsel should be sought. (MLF)

Discusses barriers to integration of handicapped youngsters into school systems: historical legacy of special education; community attitudes; lack of trained educators; disincentives in state funding formulas. Describes regional resource centers providing technical assistance to state agencies, grants for projects on transition from school to…

Observation of 26 initial placement/individual education plan (IEP) conferences for elementary age learning-disabled children found minimal parent participation during the conferences, but parents reported, in postconference interviews, satisfaction with the conferences. Results are related to the intent of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All…

Analysis of Down Syndrome children's (N=41) Individualized Education Programs (IEP) revealed that parents and special educators most regularly attended planning conferences. Frequently included domains were basic academics and language and motor skills. Objectives often lacked specificity, suggesting that school personnel need better training in…

The use of vocational evaluation recommendations for 71 disabled students in three public schools was studied. Predictive (placement-oriented) recommendations were implemented more frequently than prescriptive (preparation-oriented) recommendations, and prescriptive recommendations were rarely incorporated into individualized education programs.…

A checklist was developed to assess congruence between needs identified by psychoeducational assessment and instructional goals of the Individualized Education Program. Use with records of 106 behaviorally disordered students (K-12) suggested lack of diagnostic-intervention congruence and dissimilarity between IEP goals and diagnostic/assessment…

One hundred forty-five special education teachers, of all disability categories and from six states, were surveyed about their perceptions of parent involvement in the individual education plan (IEP) process. Results showed a diversity of opinion over practices, processes, and attitudes regarding the IEP process, despite their purported…

Distinctions between performance and learning are made in a discussion of databased instructional planning and decision making for handicapped students. Implications for IEP objectives are noted and the importance of continuous assessment stressed. (CL)

Many school districts have adopted minimum competency tests as part of the requirements for high school diplomas. It is important that the needs of special education students are included when planning and implementing competency testing. Included are three levels of options to consider for modified testing of special students. (MD)

The DURABLE (Discussing, Understanding, Reinforcing, Adapting, Building, Learning, Evaluating) Approach, an organizational intervention that is designed to facilitate implementation of individualized evaluation program (IEP) evaluation, is presented. The need for school psychologists to become actively involved in organizational-level matters in…

Microcomputers can be an asset for the physical educator in dealing with special education students. Factors to keep in mind when exploring the use of computers in the classroom are offered. (DF)

Proper documentation of strategies and results is crucially important for identifying problems and benchmark successes in the education of special needs students. In this article, the author shares the guidelines he provides to teachers at his school in the hopes of minimizing administrative tasks while ensuring that educators are familiar with…

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance for assessment and individualized education program (IEP) planning teams regarding the consideration of assistive technology. The guidelines provide recommended practices that will assist teams in making decisions about an individual student's need for assistive technology and a decision-making…

This guide for parents of children with disabilities in Florida is intended to answer common questions about the exceptional student education program. The first chapter provides an overview of exceptional student education including laws about the education of children with disabilities, parents' records, planning a child's education, continuing…