The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) recognizes the importance of special education teachers in the education of all children and youth. Special educators have always believed that children's individual learning needs should drive instruction; indeed, pedagogy is the heart of special education practice. One way to judge a special education…

In this article, the author identifies and answers questions related to IDEA eligibility issues and the Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) regulation. The author's answers to several questions concerning legal issues are presented.

In this article the author provides legal explanations to the following concerns: (1) Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs); (2) Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs); (3) Manifestation Determinations under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);…

This article presents questions regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) and its 2006 regulations. The author's answers to these questions are presented.

Discussion of due process rights for children with disabilities considers common issues leading to due process requests, due process procedures, hearing officers, procedural violations, effects of due process meetings, and areas for improvement (i.e., accountability, paperwork). Tables list categories of procedural violations with examples and…

A special education teacher describes how she used dialogue journals both to communicate with her emotionally disturbed students and improve the students' writing skills. An inset summarizes the research on dialogue journals. An analysis of topics written about by students including requests, feelings, hopes, family, school, peers, and wishes is…

This article presents an interview with a mother using a new mobility curriculum with her 4-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy. The physical supports or prompts used in the MOVE curriculum are designed to facilitate the use of mobility skills, not to replace them. An overview of the curriculum is provided. (Contains references.) (CR)

Discussion of applying strategies of cooperative learning offers five principles and reflections of one teacher. The principles are: (1) teach what you preach; (2) accountability counts; (3) mediation versus aggravation; (4) publish or perish; and (5) create or satiate. Suggestions for evaluation include encouraging student feedback and moving…

Discussion of transition planning in the area of physical activity and recreation/leisure for students with disabilities considers notes the increased opportunities of students transitioning into community-based programs and offers two case studies. Emphasis is on exposing students to a variety of activities at a young age and integration into…

An itinerant special education teacher talks about her changing role in the development of social skills in young children with disabilities. A continuum of social skills interventions is explained and the importance of matching types of interventions to children and settings is stressed. The special challenges of the itinerant teacher role are…

Questions and answers address: (1) connections between access of students with disabilities to the general curriculum and Universal design for Learning; (2) the changing role of the special educator; (3) differences between assistive technology and Universal Design for Learning; and (4) guidelines for increasing curricular accessibility. (DB)

Discussion of digital versions of traditional curricular materials notes ways they can effectively reduce barriers to learning for students with a variety of disabilities. Testimony before a Senate committee by David Rose, from the Center for Applied Special Technology and the National Center for Accessing the General Curriculum, urges passage of…

This article describes the quest of an elementary special educator to create an effective reading program that would motivate students, as well as one that would address the students' Individualized Education Programs. Allowing the students to help select books and integrating writing activities had a positive effect on the students. (Contains…

This article argues that teachers need instructional techniques that do not simply water down content learning for students with disabilities, but are effective. It describes one research-based teaching technique, Content Enhancement and the Unit Organizer Routine, and illustrates instructional procedures, offers practical tips, and cites…

This report of the Council for Exceptional Children's Bright Futures initiative identifies barriers to high-quality special education and lays out an agenda for ensuring that every student with an exceptionality has a highly qualified teacher who is able to practice under optimal professional conditions and in suitable settings. The agenda is…