The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975), PL-94142, mandated parent participation as a required component of the provision of special education services to children with disabilities. It is widely recognized that a collaborative teaming approach is the most effective strategy to foster parent participation (Friend & Cook, 2010; A.…

This case study uses an institutional ethnography approach to investigate the experiences of the parents of a son who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as they engaged in meetings related to his progress and placement with school personnel over the course of one school year. Through an analysis of the discourse used in these meetings and…

It has been nearly four decades since the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975), yet some of the most fundamental issues still remain. Reauthorized in 1997, and again in 2004, as the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), this act requires all children with disabilities be offered educational opportunities in the…

Gifted students with coexisting disabilities, also known as twice-exceptional, are increasingly recognized in America's schools. This increasing awareness needs to be met with equal enthusiasm for empirical investigation into the identification and treatment needs of this group of students. In this article, a 20-year review of the empirical…

This qualitative case study examined how educators collaborate and coteach within an inclusive classroom. The reauthorization of the original federal disabilities education law, Public Law 94-142, known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act as well as the No Child Left Behind…

Special education as practiced today remains firmly anchored in the original logic of the Amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act (PL 94-142). Subsequent reauthorizations of the statute have included language designed to increase access to the general curriculum by special needs students but have not addressed the underlying…

Presents a case study which illustrates the difficulties surrounding the diagnosis and placement of autistic children. Demonstrates the importance of independent mediation and professional assessment and examines free appropriate public education in the context of Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District vs. Rowley (1982).…

A representative excerpt of the information presented at a special education due process hearing is offered to acquaint parents, educators, and hearing officers with the nature of a hearing and the potentially serious consequences of a hearing officer's decision. Material traces the proceedings from initial correspondence regarding the hearing for…

The report, over half of which consists of appendixes and lists of resources, discusses the educational and related life experiences of six disabled women. Focus is on their early experiences with school and family, their high school years, their college years, and their work. Their disabilities include blindness, osteogenesis imperfecta (fragile…

To adequately prepare preservice teachers to implement inclusive classrooms, teacher preparation programs must encourage professional interaction, collaboration, and knowledge about inclusion. Although some of these skills can be presented in coursework, prospective teachers must be provided with opportunities to practice these skills in classroom…

Results are provided from a longitudinal study of 16 local education agencies (LEAs) implementing P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) over the past four school years. Findings are based primarily on interviews with LEA personnel and community professionals. Results are presented according to the following general topics…

Interviews in eight school districts in six states were conducted to examine the consequences of using civil justice procedures to allocate instructional services (as in P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act). The study sought to determine consequences of P.L. 94-142 in three areas: (1) the effects on the legal system; (2)…

This paper addressed the need for continued awareness on the part of Educational Administrators as to their legal responsibilities as instructional leaders and custodians of the students under their supervision. Research revealed that school administrators unknowingly are violating the law everyday. Courts are keeping a close eye on school…

To better understand the nature of problems in math learning, a case study was conducted of the specific strengths and weaknesses of a child with a severe math-learning disability. The subject, Adam, was nearly 11 years old when interviews began and had been officially classified as learning disabled due to organic brain dysfunction. A…

Three case studies of severely disabled children initially denied the right to a free, appropriate education demonstrate the importance of the way the nature of the disability is presented when the decision is being made about educational service provision. (CB)