This paper has been developed by the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children to serve as a companion document to the 2003 joint position statement "Early Childhood Curriculum, Assessment and Program Evaluation-Building and Effective, Accountable System in Progams for Children Birth through Age 8" of National…

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) recognizes the impact that Response to Intervention (RTI) can have on the education of all children, roles of special educators, as well as on the special education system. Special educators play an integral role and have a strong and clear identity in the RTI process. As such, this brief presents CEC's…

During the past year the Critical Issues Committee of the Division on Developmental Disabilities worked with Ms. Magi D. Shepley (member) and a group of professionals to structure an Issues Brief focused upon Secondary School Students with Significant Developmental Disabilities. This Issues Brief reflects the work of Ms. Shepley and seeks to…

As more students with autism, intellectual disabilities, and other developmental disabilities are placed in general education classes, an increasingly common practice is to assign these students one-to-one paraprofessionals as a primary support mechanism. Though offered with benevolent intentions, inappropriate reliance on one-to-one…

This article considers two policy initiatives that address the dilemma of increasing special education teacher numbers and improving quality: the No Child Left Behind law and the plan laid out in the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future policy blueprint. It then discusses teacher attrition and retainment strategies. (Contains…

This article discusses the Institute for Academic Access, created to study general education access for adolescents with disabilities, and the results of an accessibility study of nine high schools. Results found eight schools had no policy related to inclusion and seven had no designated services for providing student support. (Contains…

This article compares two educational approaches, intensive-explicit instruction and constructivist instruction, considering how both can affect instruction for students with disabilities. It concludes by urging the integration of these two approaches, possibly by using models focused on the transformation of explicit knowledge into tacit…

This article discusses supporting friendship formation in young children with autism. Strategies for facilitating friendships are discussed and include creating opportunities for displaying special talents and abilities; discovering common interests; adapting the curriculum and available materials; and recognizing the importance of school to home…

This article describes a 4-step protocol for selecting and facilitating production of a first vocabulary in children with specific language impairment using a focused language stimulation approach. Focused language stimulation includes general language stimulation techniques and, in addition, requires frequent, highly concentrated repetitions of…

This article describes specific steps educational teams can follow to embed individualized education program (IEP) goals and objectives into daily activities and routines and, therefore, enhance the likelihood that intervention efforts are effective, individualized, and developmentally appropriate for young children with disabilities. Strategies…

This article lists eight resources for providing effective services to very young children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and their families. Resources address communication options, early intervention, aural-oral and sign options for hearing families in early home programming, cochlear implants, and sharing the joy of storytelling with toddlers…

This article offers guidelines for determining equitable, accountable, and effective grading practices and policies for all students that balance the need for a common set of standards and the individual needs of the students. Purposes of grading, grading systems, and effective instructional practices that support grading processes are discussed.…

The similarities and differences of provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are discussed, including provisions relating to identification of students with disabilities, eligibility, evaluation procedures, the Individualized Education Programs, least restrictive environment…

A hypothetical case study is presented to show how a teacher might incorporate choice-making opportunities for a student with emotional and behavioral disorders who is failing math. Practical strategies are suggested that special and general educators may use in their academic curricula to encourage students to make appropriate choices. (Contains…

This article summarizes guidelines developed by the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Early Childhood Research Institute for selecting and adapting materials for young children and their families. Recommendations are provided that community teams should consider in collecting, selecting, and reflecting on materials. Tips are also…