How To Adapt Special Education To The Remote-Learning Reality

 As another period of distance learning dawns for many students across the nation, parents, educators and service providers are offering recommendations and advice for special education. Read More >

Special Ed, Disability Programs Spared In Government Budget Deal

The federal government will increase funding for special ed and allocate money to address the needs of caregivers as part of a spending bill that's expected to be signed by the president. Read More ;

Pediatricians Told To Bone Up On IDEA

The American Academy of Pediatrics is advising doctors to become involved with special-education services for their patients with special needs. In a 13-page report, doctors are encouraged to learn about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and to refer patients for and monitor school-based services
https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2015/12/08/pediatricians-bone-up-idea/21657/

College students adapt art lessons for students with disabilities

Some students taking art education at a college in Michigan learned about adapting lessons for students with disabilities through an assignment that took them into special-education classrooms at two local schools. The art students helped those with a range of disabilities create artwork that was later displayed on the college campus during a community reception. The Grand Rapids Press (Mich.) (12/3)   http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/12/special_needs_students_artwork.html

Survey: More than 80% of special educators say budget cuts have affected services

A majority of special-education teachers recently surveyed by the Council for Exceptional Children and the National Coalition on Personnel Shortages in Special Education & Related Services said budget cuts have affected special-education services in their districts. "To be successful in school, students with disabilities rely on a cadre of professionals who have expertise to address their complex academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs," said Christy Chambers, president of CEC. "Any further cuts would have a devastating impact on students who rely on special education services," she said. Disability Scoop (12/4)   http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2013/12/04/special-educators-strained/18937/

Top 10 resources on speech, language, and hearing.

Early language, listening, and speaking are very important to literacy development. If you suspect that your child or a student is struggling with speech, language, and/or hearing problems, learn more about testing and assessment, accommodations, and additional professional help. You'll also find tips on reading aloud with children who have speech and language problems or who are deaf or hard of hearing.   http://www.readingrockets.org/article/43079/

Supreme Court Steers Clear Of Special Education Dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court declined this week to weigh in on whether or not parents should have a say in deciding which school their children with disabilities attend.  http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2013/06/12/supreme-steers-clear-sped/18146/

Feds To Emphasize Student Performance In Special Education

Federal education officials are looking to reshape the way they evaluate each state's compliance with special education law to put a heavier focus on student performance.  http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2013/05/14/feds-emphasize-performance/17950/

How to close the achievement gap for students with disabilities

Adopting higher expectations for students with disabilities is a key way to help close the achievement gap, special-education teacher Elizabeth Stein writes in this blog post. Stein provides a list of strategies for closing the achievement gap, including developing meaningful individualized education programs for students and increasing the use of differentiated learning practices in the classroom. MiddleWeb/Two Teachers in a Room blog (4/3)  http://www.middleweb.com/6865/closing-the-disabilities-gap/

 

Congress Rewrites IDEA Funding Rule

A small change tucked inside a government spending bill this month may have big implications for special education. 
Lawmakers included language clarifying the penalties that states may face if they fail to adequately fund education programs for students with disabilities. The issue has become significant in recent years as states struggled financially in the recession and some sought to cut education spending.   http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2013/03/26/congress-rewrites-idea-rule/17581/

Commentary: Special education should focus on student strengths

There must be a paradigm shift in special education in which educators craft lessons for students with disabilities based on their strengths rather than their weaknesses, former special-education teacher and author Thomas Armstrong contends. In light of emerging research on neurodiversity, students' differences in cognition should be honored as much as students' differences in ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, he writes. "It's time to clearly acknowledge and fully integrate a strength-based approach to learning into special education research and practice." Education Week
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/02/06/20armstrong.h32.html?tkn=YUCEbRd0ZdEn8SskmdltaQIjdmLvUcVChzQE&cmp=clp-sb-cec
 

Report lists social-skills programs that improve classroom behavior

The federal What Works Clearinghouse has published a new report that looks at the role social-skills programs play in improving classroom behavior and social-emotional development in early childhood settings. Reporter Sarah D. Sparks highlights findings in this blog post, noting that three programs fulfilled clearinghouse standards for being of high quality. The programs include various techniques, such as modeling, direct instruction and role-play. Education Week/Inside School Research blog (2/6) http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2013/02/social_skills_training_boosts_.html

Are high special-education numbers related to poverty?

A disproportionate number of students from Maryland's lowest income districts are receiving special-education services, according to a recent review of state department of education data. Some say the numbers are higher in these areas because students come to school behind academically and in need of extra support, which sometimes can come only through special education. Officials from districts with lower numbers say early-intervention programming has helped them keep their numbers in check. The Washington Times/Capital News Service (12/20)  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/20/more-special-ed-in-poorer-school-districts-of-mary//

Sleep disorders in childhood may predict special-education needs

Children who had sleep-disordered breathing or other sleep problems in the first five years of life were more likely to need special education at age 8, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics. The findings, based on more than 11,000 children in southwest England, highlight the need for parents and daycare workers to monitor children's sleep. WebMD (9/4)   http://children.webmd.com/news/20120904/sleep-problems-linked-more-special-ed

Research projects aim to improve special education

The Institute of Education Sciences is providing approximately $50 million in funding for more than two dozen new research projects aimed at improving special education. Projects include a study on the accessibility of reading assessments for students with disabilities and another targets reducing special-education designations and reading deficiencies among urban students. Education Week/On Special Education blog (3/12) http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/speced/2012/03/more_than_two_dozen_research.html

Study finds parents are involved in the IEP process

A majority of parents of students in special education say they are satisfied with their level of involvement in the individualized education program process, a new study shows. Researchers surveyed the families of more than 10,000 students with special needs and found that most attended IEP meetings and were satisfied with their role. However, levels of satisfaction declined among families of older students and those with behavioral or social challenges. Disability Scoop (1/24)
http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/dsxtCammlKCcgEgtCidbaFCicNDbpD?format=standard

Percentage of students in special education differs across states

About 18% of Rhode Island students are in special education, compared with just 9% in Texas, and an average of 13%, nationwide, an analysis of federal government data show. Some say states with higher percentages could face added challenges if a proposed $1 billion reduction in federal aid for special education is realized. "It is going to be a huge cut," said Lindsay Jones, senior director for policy and advocacy at the Council for Exceptional Children. "It will be felt in every school in the nation." Stateline.org (1/24)  http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=626715

How You Can be Involved in School Improvement?

This article from the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities discusses the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004. It also explains how parents can better understand their rights under IDEA, how to work within the school system and how to become better prepared to help their children with learning disabilities.
http://www.rti4success.org/images/stories/learningDisabilities/Parent_Involvement2007.pdf