Course:
Required Textbook:
Special Education: Contemporary
Perspectives for School Professionals,
IDEA 2004 Update Edition
by Marilyn Friend
Why you need this textbook:
• You will be tested from this book
• Reading Assignments
• Homework Assignments
• Quizzes
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2006
Chapter 1
Understanding Special Education
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Special Education Defined

Specially designed instruction, at no cost to
parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a
disability, including –

Instruction conducted in the classroom, home,
hospitals and institutions, and other settings

Instruction in physical education
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2006
Related Services
Transportation
Psychological services
Physical and occupational therapy
Speech-language pathology services
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Supplementary Aids and Services


Aids, services, and other supports provided
in regular education classes or other
settings
Allow children with disabilities to be
educated with their nondisabled peers to
the maximum extent appropriate
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2006
Disability Litigation Begins
Case
Date
Importance
Brown v. Board
of Education
1954
Basis for future rulings that
children with disabilities cannot
be excluded from school
PARC
1972
Guaranteed special education for
children with mental retardation
Mills v. Board of
Education
1972
Extended the right to special
education to children of all
disabilities
Larry P. v. Riles
1972
Tests used for eligibility for
special education must be nondiscriminatory
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2006
Federal Special Education Laws

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1965 - Elementary and Secondary
Education Act
1974 – Education for All Handicapped
Children Act (EAHCA)
1975 – EAHCA amended as P.L. 94-142,
Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA)
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2006
Refinements to EHA

Amendments in 1986, 1990, 1997 and 2004
resulted in –

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
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Services to infants and young children
New name – IDEA
Autism and traumatic brain injury added
Parent participation increased
Increased consistency with other federal education
laws
Paperwork reduced
Options added for identifying students with learning
disabilities
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2006
Accomplishments and
Disappointments

Development of
inclusive practices

Overrepresentation of
some ethnic groups

Continued
improvement needed
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2006
Core Principles of IDEA

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Zero Reject
Free Appropriate Public Education
Least Restrictive Environment
Nondiscriminatory Evaluation
Procedural Safeguards
Parent and Family Rights
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2006
Other Legislation Related to Special
Education

Section 504 – Rehabilitation Act of 1973


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Civil rights for all people with disabilities
Prohibits discrimination based on disability in
all programs which receive federal funds
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Extends protections to both public and private
sectors, regardless of federal funding
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2006
Who Receives Special Education?
Autism
Deaf-blindness
Deafness
Emotional disturbance
Hearing impaired
Mental retardation
Multiple disabilities
Orthopedic impairment
Speech or language
impairment
Other health
impairments
Visual impairment
Specific learning
disability
Traumatic brain injury
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2006
Prevalence
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Students Not Served by IDEA

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
Gifted and talented
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(may be served under other health
impaired)
At risk for school failure
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Recommended Practices

Inclusion

Accountable and Accessible Instruction
Positive Behavior Supports
Collaboration

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Barriers to Parent Participation

Time

Language

Transportation
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Encouraging Parent Participation

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Use family-centered practices.
Respect the uniqueness of families.
Recognize that families have different
understandings of their child’s disability.
Match your strategies and resources to
family needs.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2006
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

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Accountability for results
Flexibility related to budgetary matters
Options for parents and children
Proven teaching methods
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Discipline Issues

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Can students with
disabilities be held to the
same standards of
discipline as other
students?
Have disciplinary
procedures been used as
tools to discriminate
against students with
disabilities?
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2006
The Cost of Special Education

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Increasing numbers of students with
disabilities = increasing costs
Federal funding has never exceeded 14% of
the additional cost of educating students with
disabilities
Results:


Make eligibility more restrictive
Eroding support for special education programs
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2006