Instructions are given for conducting a workshop to enhance communication between parents of exceptional children and educators. Ten activities, designed for a day long workshop, are broken down in terms of time, description, purpose, setting, materials, and methods. Among suggestions are activities to identify and prioritize areas of common…

The digest addresses, in question-and-answer format, ways to promote peer acceptance of handicapped students. Topics covered include the effects of first impressions on nonhandicapped students and the impact of physical proximity, and the nature of interdependence among students' learning goals and rewards as structured by the teacher. A…

The digest explores the rights as well as the responsibilities of parents of handicapped children in the special education process. Rights include a free appropriate public education, notification regarding evaluation or change in placement, informed consent, independent evaluation, review of all records, participation in the Individualized…

This digest, based on a larger document titled, "Homeless and in Need of Special Education," by L. Juane Heflin and Kathryn Rudy, focuses on educational aspects of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. Briefly discussed are: the effects of homelessness on children (e.g., increased health problems); the educational implications…

Teachers and other professionals providing education-related services to exceptional children from different cultural backgrounds need to be aware of unique perspectives or communication styles common to those cultures, and need to be sensitive to the different values, experiences, and beliefs about special education that may be held by members of…

The document provides a collection of 33 previously published articles on implementing special education services in the least restrictive environment. Articles are divided into five sections (models for delivery of special education services in the least restrictive environment, training of professionals, individualized education programs,…

The generally accepted concept of inclusion is that students with disabilities attend classes with their general education peers with direct support from special educators. This digest, written in Spanish, discusses the rationale for inclusion in middle schools, explores recent research on inclusion, and discusses barriers to implementation. It…

This information sheet summarizes requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act regarding inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms and lists activities and support systems that have been found successful in fostering such inclusion. Suggestions are given in the areas of attitudes and beliefs,…

This issue discusses homework issues related to students with disabilities and how to ensure that students with disabilities benefit from homework. It addresses communication problems teachers face in assigning homework to students with disabilities and recommendations for overcoming these communication barriers. Strategies are provided for…

Part of a volume which explores current issues in service delivery to infants and toddlers with handicapping conditions (ages birth to 3), this chapter treats the subject of competencies needed by the early childhood special educator specializing in infancy. First, the following context variables are discussed as they relate to definitions of…

This digest discusses the problems that service providers and family members from different cultural backgrounds may encounter when planning for students with disabilities. It begins by identifying the following assumptions that underlie a clinical perspective of disability: disability is a physical phenomenon, disability is an individual…

The generally accepted concept of inclusion is that students with disabilities attend classes with their general education peers with direct support from special educators. This digest discusses the rationale for inclusion in middle schools, explores recent research on inclusion, and discusses barriers to implementation. The digest notes that the…

School-to-work transition helps at-risk youth secure and maintain employment and an adult life-style. Transition focuses on individual characteristics, training needs, and choices that result in the development of realistic long-range goals and selection of appropriate programs and services. Effective school-to-work transition necessitates a wide…

Part of a volume which explores current issues in service delivery to infants and toddlers with handicapping conditions, this chapter discusses the nature of parent involvement in early childhood special education. Acceptance of the basic axiom of parent involvement needs to be accompanied by an understanding of individual differences in family…

The report outlines areas of policy convergence between agencies providing services to adjudicated handicapped youth and suggests policy arrangements to encourage interagency agreements necessary to carry out P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Research is cited showing…