The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law that secures special education services for children with disabilities from the time they are born until they graduate from high school.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs
A valuable resource educators of children with ADHD. The U.S. Dept. of Education shares and easy-to-read outline of tips and legal considerations. Causes, legal requirements for evaluations, treatment options, and hints for effective educational performance are included.
As a research-based model for improving reading achievement, Response to Intervention (RTI) has demonstrated dramatic results in elementary and middle schools. This practical guide provides a clear vision of what RTI looks like in practice and illustrates how educators can use this highly effective approach to help students acquire grade-appropriate reading skills or make sure students receive the support they need through special education services.
Some children can master decoding and still be poor comprehenders. Learn what interventions have been found to help these children read narrative and expository texts more strategically.
Many students assume there’s a “normal” way to learn and study. They don’t know that people use various approaches to gain understanding and demonstrate what they have learned. Helping students understand their individual learning processes is one of the most important steps we can take as teachers.
Suggestions for fostering independent reading include: (a) Give children books that are not too difficult. (b) Help them find books they will enjoy. (c) Encourage them to try many kinds of material. Although independent reading cannot substitute for teaching decoding, it improves reading comprehension and the habit of reading.
Practical and comprehensive, this book focuses on the nuts and bolts of designing positive behavior support plans for students with such disabilities as mental retardation, autism, learning disabilities, and emotional/behavioral disorders. Strategies are provided for addressing individual behavioral problems at all levels of severity. Filled with illustrative examples, the book shows how to conduct a functional assessment and develop an overall support plan, using a team-based approach.
Susan Lafond is a long-time educator and parent of a child with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She’s been on both sides of the parent-teacher table and shares her experiences on how teachers, administrators, and support staff can better understand how to support children with learning differences in the classroom.
National Center for Technology Innovation, Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd)
The International Dyslexia Association is an international, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and treatment of the learning disability, dyslexia. The International Dyslexia Association actively promotes effective teaching approaches and related clinical educational intervention strategies for dyslexics. IDA supports and encourages interdisciplinary study and research, facilitates the exploration of the causes and early identification of dyslexia and is committed to the responsible and wide dissemination of research-based knowledge.
