Presents an overview of both the federal statute governing the education of children with disabilities and the "Burlington" decision that requires, under certain circumstances, public school districts to reimburse parents for private educational expenses. Examines the leading cases involving parental placement of disabled children in…

Providing additional academic challenges to gifted middle schoolers can be demanding, considering their involvement in multitudinous activities. A Pennsylvania school developed a three-prong approach that provides more rigorous curricular content and adopts the group instruction method favored by music departments and the one-on-one technique used…

Twelve special education teachers in rural Kentucky were trained to use a computer software program to create individualized education programs (IEPs). After 18 months, teachers' initially positive attitudes toward IEP generators had deteriorated; teachers cited problems such as hardware malfunctions and time constraints. (Author/SV)

Transporting infants, toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities to provide early intervention services is part of this nation's commitment to young children. Explains relevant federal statutes; lists acronyms and public laws affecting school transportation; and summarizes training issues to provide safe transportation for this diverse…

The Eleventh Circuit ruling in "Greer" establishes relatively clear guidelines for making choices regarding mainstreaming in considerations of appropriate programing. Only when mainstreaming in a regular class is not appropriate may a determination be made as to how the child can be placed in a special-education setting in the least…

This paper focuses on goal setting in instruction of exceptional students. Goals types and such properties as specificity, proximity and difficulty are discussed, along with additional factors including feedback, commitment, participation, and student ability. Goal setting guidelines for reading, writing, mathematics, assignment completion, and…

A review of the literature on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) from 1975 to 1989 identifies three phases (a normative phase, an analytic phase, and a technology reaction phase), and reveals a history of IEPs' inadequacies and passive compliance, in contrast to the original intent of Public Law 94-142. (Author/JDD)

Principles of planning for the transition of students with special needs into postsecondary educational programs include incorporation of postsecondary objectives into the secondary school individualized education program, use of the team approach, comprehensive program planning, interagency collaboration, and identification of resources and…

Proposes nine guidelines for school staff working with students who have special health care needs. The guidelines are child related, family related, and school related. Discussion of each guideline includes illustrations of issues arising from the guideline and considerations for implementing it. (SM)

Describes the services of the Career Education and Vocational Department at the California School for the Deaf, including providing career counseling and transition activities for students, encouraging parents and teachers to become involved in transition planning, and training students to take ownership of their own Individualized Transition…

Presents the legal requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in disciplining students with disabilities, describes IDEA's requirement that school officials address student problem behavior in the Individualized Education Program, and offers recommendations regarding the formation of school district policies and…

A survey completed by 69 special educators examined their perceptions of the benefits of self-determination for individuals with disabilities, the characteristics associated with self-determination, and the strategies used to achieve it. Results indicated strong support for self-determination instruction. However, few teachers included…

This article discusses methods for more fully including parents in the development of a child's individualized education program (IEP). It summarizes what the law and research say about parental participation and decision making, identifies barriers to such participation, and offers suggestions to teachers to facilitate meaningful parental…

A study examined 149 urban and rural school psychologists' abilities to use formal and informal assessment data to diagnose autism and plan an effective educational program for a student with high-functioning autism. Respondents had difficulty recognizing autism but were able to select appropriate Individualized Education Program goals for the…

This article discusses the concept of professional/parent partnerships and the legal, attitudinal, and logistical barriers to providing an appropriate education for many gifted learners. A parent describes her role as an instructional partner in the development of an individualized program for her gifted child. (Contains references.) (CR)