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 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);…

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.

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.

The introduction to the special issue on preventive discipline in special education notes such themes as the importance of the teacher's affective behavior, focus on the child, helping students be involved in their own growth, group dynamics, and ecological factors of the physical setting. (DB)

The interview with Beth Langley, an award winning teacher of students with profound visual and multiply handicapping conditions, examined her choice of special education as a career, her classroom management techniques, personal rewards she receives from teaching, and trends in special education she has observed. (DB)

Four brief articles examine the implications of restructuring, a central element in the school reform movement, for special education. Major areas of focus include curriculum, organization, and school governance, academic standards, discipline, accountability, restructuring the teaching profession, and the relationship between special and regular…

Ways in which the resources of a university's special education, communication arts, and library services can be combined with those of special education consortiums or parent organizations to provide exceptional children and their parents and teachers with high-quality cable educational television programs that meet their varied needs are…

Hearing-impaired children in mainstreamed classes require assistive listening devices beyond hearing aids, lipreading, and preferential seating. Frequency modulation auditory training devices can improve speech intelligibility and provide an adequate signal-to-noise ratio, and should be incorporated into regular classes containing hearing-impaired…

The article defines punishment; describes types of punishers used with handicapped students (response cost, time out, overcorrection, contingent exercise, aversive conditioning); discusses the role of punishers; outlines policies and procedures; and gives guidelines for establishing priority levels of target behaviors and hierarchical levels of…

Asserting that the biggest mistake educators can make is to set themselves up as experts vis-a-vis parents as amateurs, Barbara and William Christopher emphasize the importance of continued education for the autistic individual and relate their experiences with the educational community as they sought help for their autistic son. (JC)

Two educators describe the changes in a severely retarded, multiply disabled 12-year-old resulting from a functional curriculum approach. Assessment of his life needs and skills produced a new curriculum with emphasis on age appropriate interests. (CL)

An interview with the winner of the 1985 Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year Award touches on her lack of burnout as a teacher of severely handicapped students, her approach to problem solving, and her relationships with administrators and other teachers. (CL)

The author presents case studies illustrating the importance of challenging special education students, of whom too little may be expected or demanded. Suggestions are made for appropriately challenging students through such approaches as emphasizing student independence and focusing on appropriate academic skill levels. (CL)

Problems involved in grading mainstreamed students are examined, and solutions are suggested, including communication between regular class and resource teachers, use of a combination of corrective feedback and quantitative scores, use of individualized education program performance objectives, and emphasis on intra-individual assessment. (CL)