Twenty-nine high school students with mild disabilities were interviewed concerning their perceptions of their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Analysis showed that most students were unfamiliar with the IEP process and contributed little to it and that most IEPs were not individualized. Suggestions are presented for encouraging students…

The individualized education programs (IEPs) of 107 junior high students with behavioral disorders were reviewed. An average of 2.4 behavior problems and 4 goals were noted per student, with a low correlation between problems and goals. (Author/DB)

An understanding of the role played by specific centers of the brain will help special education instructors develop appropriate individualized instructional programs for the learning disabled. Neurobiological learning makes it clear that teaching the learning disabled should be based on the principles of learning strategies instruction,…

This paper reports on a home-based intervention project piloted with preschoolers with emotional disturbances (N=30) including family services from an intervention team. The program emphasizes interactive planning for the Individual Family Service Plan. Two case studies are included. Results from a descriptive evaluation survey completed by…

Summarizes a case involving a district's alleged violation of a neurologically impaired student's rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504). The Third Circuit Court ruled that IDEA's "stay-put" rule did not excuse the district from developing a timely individualized…

Highlights strategies that enable physical education teachers to help students with disabilities achieve their individualized education plan (IEP) goals within the general physical education setting, focusing on: curriculum design, class organization, writing inclusive IEP goals, and communicating with special educators on the IEP team. (SM)

Describes how one elementary school implemented a plan to involve students with moderate learning disabilities in writing their own IEP programs. Asserts that process of student self-advocacy results in more active learners. (PKP)

The Council for Exceptional Children conducted an online Web survey to obtain information on the instructional practices and attitudes of educators as they relate to self-determination and student involvement in the individualized education program (IEP) process. We obtained 523 usable responses from teachers, administrators, and related services…

In September 1997, the Ridgewood, New Jersey, school district placed J.N., then age 11, in the Windsor School, per the IEP (individualized education program) team's identification of his special needs for structure, safety, and security. As a state-approved private special education school, Windsor signed an agreement with Ridgewood for the…

Adapted physical education is a mandated service, whereas therapeutic recreation and traditional recreation are considered related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. In this article, the authors describe the distinctions between the services, recognition of need for referral, methods of assessment, sample…

This investigation analyzed goals from the Individual Educational Programs (IEPs) of 54 high school students with diagnosed reading disabilities in basic skills (decoding and/or word identification). Results showed that for 73% of the students, the IEPs written when they were in high school failed to specify any objectives regarding their acute…

The purpose of this article is to analyze parental use of an online support group about their children with disabilities. A content analysis was conducted of 1718 emails from a listserv support group for parents of children who have been diagnosed as eligible for special education services. Key topics included the following: How to deal with…

In the United States, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) mandates functional assessment based behavioral support plans for all students with disabilities who display challenging behavior. However, very few studies have been undertaken to examine the effectiveness of the functional assessment-based behavioral plans with high…

This text was written as an outgrowth of 6 years' work with children aged 3-5 in the Child Development Center at Western Oregon State College, Monmouth, Oregon. The children attending this program included typically developing children as well as children with disabilities. A primary purpose of this book is to share the experiences and learnings…

This handbook supplement, for administrators and supervisors, is part of a packet intended to aid educators, families, and adult service providers to facilitate the transition from school to adult life in the community for students with both cognitive disabilities and visual or dual sensory impairments. Emphasis is on preparation of students for…