The Special Educator’s Survival Guide

This practical volume is designed to help school practitioners and educators build stronger connections with families and enhance student achievement in grades K-12. Beyond simply getting parents involved in schoolwork, the book describes how positive family-school relationships can socialize and support children and adolescents as learners throughout their academic careers. Identified are key pathways by which professionals and parents can develop common goals for learning and behavior, a shared sense of accountability, better communication, and a willingness to listen to different perspectives. The focus is on assumptions, goals, attitudes, behaviors, and strategies that professionals can draw on both to assess school-home connections that are currently in place and to implement new, more productive practices. Grounded in theory and research, the book features case examples, self-reflective exercises, and discussion questions in every chapter.

This book helps school-based practitioners develop a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation for a child. The book has: a) a clear framework for assessment and evidence-based intervention planning under the revised IDEA guidelines; b) empirically supported treatments for each problem; and c) discussion practical issues involved in Response to Intervention models. LD is discussed as an administrative rather than clinical category. Conditions are described that often result in referrals for learning disabilities. A step-by-step flow chart and 12 detailed case studies explain patterns that identify specific learning problems related to IQ, information processing, and classroom performance.

This text presents IDEA, other pertinent federal laws, and federal cases in a clear, well-organized manner in order to help educators understand and apply their knowledge in concrete situations. This practical book emphasizes students’ understanding at a conceptual level rather than mere memorization of the detailed provisions of these laws. Educators are thereby prepared to adjust to future amendments to IDEA and other laws and to apply statutory provisions to specific situations. The four sections of the text address the Constitutional Frameworks of education laws, IDEA, RA and ADA, and other legal issues such as No Child Left Behind, tort liability, and high stakes testing.

The Complete Guide to Special Education, Third Edition, explores the special education process from testing and diagnosis to IEP meetings and advocating for special needs children. The stages of identification, assessment, and intervention are explained step-by-step to help you better understand special needs students’ legal rights and how to become an active, effective member of a child’s educational team. This third edition has been revised throughout and discusses Response to Intervention (RTI); provides updates on new laws and regulations; expands coverage of autism spectrum disorders and bipolar disorder; and includes a revamped Resources section for teachers and parents.

As a teacher in a typical classroom, there are two things you know for sure: Your student… and you’re responsible for helping every one attain the same high standards. This book is the first comprehensive presentation of the principles and applications of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) — a practical, research-based framework for responding to individual learning differences and a blueprint for the modern redesign of education.

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.