September 2010 In Spanish | En español The education of children with disabilities is a top national priority. Our nation's special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), sets high standards for their achievement and guides how special help and services are made available in schools to address their individual needs. More than 6 million children with disabilities receive special education and related services … [Read more...]
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PDFSupports, Modifications, and Accommodations for Students
September 2010 For many students with disabilities—and for many without—the key to success in the classroom lies in having appropriate adaptations, accommodations, and modifications made to the instruction and other classroom activities. Some adaptations are as simple as moving a distractible student to the front of the class or away from the pencil sharpener or the window. Other modifications may involve changing the way that material is … [Read more...]
10 Basic Steps in Special Education
September 2010 PDF version In Spanish | en español Children can have all sorts of difficulties growing up. Sometimes problems are obvious right from the start; and sometimes they don't appear until a child is in school. Some children have trouble learning to read or write. Others have a hard time remembering new information. Still others may have trouble with their behavior. For some children, growing up can be very hard to do! When a child is … [Read more...]
Special Education Services for Preschoolers with Disabilities
September 2010 Special education is instruction specifically designed to meet the educational and developmental needs of children with disabilities, or those who are experiencing developmental delays. Services for preschool children (ages 3 through 5) are provided free of charge through the public school system. These services are available through the same law—the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act—that makes available: early … [Read more...]
Special Education
Updated March 2013This info in Spanish | Esta información en español The IEP must also contain a statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child. That's three separate, distinct, and critical elements--special education, related services, and supplementary aids and services--and each is worthy of a book on its own.Don't worry! We won't write a book-length … [Read more...]
Effective Practices in the Classroom and School
October 2011 A critical part of improving educational results for children with disabilities is using effective practices in the classroom and across the school. Special educators have built an impressive knowledge base across 30 years of experience individualizing instruction for children and administering special education and related services in our schools. NICHCY is pleased to make that knowledge base available to you, in the following … [Read more...]
Connecting with the Expertise of Special Education
Updated July 2012 Links checked, January 2013 Special educators have a tremendous amount of expertise to share, especially about individualizing instruction for students with specific kinds of disabilities and taking into account each child's special needs. Take advantage of the knowledge base that's built up over years of providing special education services to children with disabilities, starting with the section below on Special Education Websites. … [Read more...]
IDEA—the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
November 2012 In Spanish | En español IDEA was originally enacted by Congress in 1975 to ensure that children with disabilities have the opportunity to receive a free appropriate public education, just like other children. The law has been revised many times over the years. The most recent amendments were passed by Congress in December 2004, with final regulations published in August 2006 (Part B for school-aged children) and in September … [Read more...]
Key Terms to Know in Special Education
October 2010 En español | In SpanishSpecial education is full of terms that people constantly use in writing and in conversation, and it's important to know what those terms mean. NICHCY is pleased to provide this handy reference to special education terminology, and hopes it helps our readers quickly connect with the meaning of pivotal words and phrases in the field.Quick-Jump Index to the TermsPoint of Reference: IDEAChild with a disabilityFAPE … [Read more...]
Disability & Special Education Acronyms
October 2010 The disability community is full of acronyms that people constantly use in writing and in conversation, and it's important to know what those acronyms stand for. Acronyms are used in order to abbreviate names or phrases. NICHCY is pleased to provide this list special education and disability related acronyms, and hope it helps our readers quickly connect with the meaning of pivotal acronyms in the field. _____________________________________ A … [Read more...]
