The largest group of students receiving special education services in the United States qualify under the category of Specific Learning Disability (SLD) (Cottrell & Barrett, 2015). The most recent reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) was the first time that federal special education…

The ability for students with visual impairments to perform independent living skills is essential for the successful transition from youth to adulthood. Although independent living skills are required to be taught by the teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) in the expanded core curriculum (ECC), many of these skills are introduced as…

An IEP is an Individualized Education Program. When a child is identified with a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) a child has a right to a Free, Appropriate, Public Education (FAPE). For a child to receive FAPE there has to be an IEP developed in order for the child to progress in the general education…

Although varying among and within the states, the percentage of students with 504 plans is steadily and significantly increasing as a national average. Although the professional literature addresses the legal standards for eligibility for 504 plans, it has not provided up-to-date information to practitioners as to the legal standard for the…

The adult outcomes of youth with disabilities continue to lag behind those of their peers without disabilities, especially for youth living in rural communities. Interdisciplinary teaming is identified as an important component of effective transition planning. Transition planning and collaborative teaming are challenged further in rural…

Central to positive learning outcomes for students with disabilities is the ability of the individualized education program (IEP) team to work collaboratively. Within the IEP team, effective service delivery involves direct and related service providers working in an interdisciplinary capacity as they share professional responsibilities to…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) be developed utilizing a team-based model. This study examined how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) make service delivery decisions for students with language disorders. Four hundred thirty-nine SLPs participated in a national online survey…

The Center for the Integration of IDEA Data (CIID) Data Integration Toolkit is designed to support SEA [state education agency] efforts to integrate Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) data with their statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) and includes: (1) A sample road map articulating typical steps and tasks required for…

Emerging trends and advancements in technology allow educators to develop dynamic learning environments to support their students' academic and behavioral needs. The study documented the lived experience of special educators using assistive technology (AT) to support behavioral challenges in students with disabilities and the environmental factors…

Exclusionary discipline practices in the United States are used disproportionately in the punishment of Black students with a disability compared to White and Black students with or without a disability. One potential mechanism leading to the disproportionate use of exclusionary discipline is a process called 'manifestation determination reviews'…

The demand of providing adequate services for students with disabilities has evolved over the years requiring districts to provide free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. As districts are held increasingly accountable for meeting these demands, the roles and responsibilities of the school principal has become…

This book will provide school personnel with functional information and the necessary academic tools to manage the instructional needs of children with auditory disorders -- either peripheral hearing loss or auditory processing disorders. Treatment strategies to help mitigate the detrimental effects of hearing disorders in the classroom are…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires local education agencies to include parents as equal team members in the cultivation of their child's individual education plan (IEP). Despite law, studies have shown that parents experience barriers to being included in the process. Barriers such as a lack of information, lack of…

This report presents the findings of a study aimed to address the gap between policy and practice for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who serve students identified with a speech-language impairment, including other co-existing disabilities. The following research questions were addressed: (1) What factors influence how SLPs make accessibility…

This article synthesizes policy and intervention options for youth with disabilities based on recent reports from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy. To frame findings from both reports, we utilize a life course approach. This approach is important as…