EDUCATION
This page provides information on IDEA and other educational programs and resources for students with disabilities and their families, including:
News
Please Let NCIL Know: Have You Been Informed by Your State Education Agency About ESEA Waivers?, From the NCIL Weekly Advocacy Monitor, January 18, 2012
Through the Looking Glass 2012 Scholarship Announcement, From Through the Looking Glass’ National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families, January 07, 2012
College Entrance Exams Run Afoul Of ADA Requirements, Report Finds, By Shawn Heasley, Disability Scoop, January 03, 2012
New Effort Emerges To Curb Restraint, Seclusion In Schools, By Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, January 03, 2012
Study: Bullying More Common Among Students With Disabilities, By Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, July 29, 2010
Feds To Offer Schools Guidance On Restraint, Seclusion, By Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, May 19, 2010
Group Offers Advice To Parents On Restraint, Seclusion, By Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, May 13, 2010
New Bill to Allow Parents to Recover Expert Witness Fees in IDEA cases, By Jessica Butler, Autism National Committee, March 18, 2011
States Expected to Seek Special Ed. Funding Waivers, By Nirvi Shah, Education Week, February 09, 2011
What’s Next For Special Education, By Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, February 08, 2010
Congress Requires Study of Military Students with Disabilities; Will Study Impact of Frequent Mobility on Special Education & Obstacles to FAPE, By Jessica Butler, January 06, 2011
From Coercion to Compassion: Ending Seclusion and Restrain, By Kirstin Blank, SAMHSA News, November/December 2010, Volume 18, Number 6
Statement by the President on the 35th Anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, From The White House Press Office, November 29, 2010
Marking IDEA Anniversary, Education Secretary Vows Department ‘Won’t Rest’, By Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, November, 19, 2010
Disability Advocates Split On Restraint, Seclusion Reform, By Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, November 02, 2010
Disability Group Comes Out Against Restraint, Seclusion Bill, By Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, October 26, 2010
Education Department Staying Out Of Restraint, Seclusion Debate, By Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, October 22, 2010
Advocacy Organizations and Informational Resources
DisabilityInfo.gov is the federal government's one-stop Web site for information of interest to people with disabilities, their families, employers, service providers and many others. This section of DisabilityInfo.gov offers information on educational programs and resources available throughout the federal government, including Individualized Education Programs; college opportunities; school-to-work transition and tools for educators.
The Disaboom Scholarship Directory for Students with Disabilities describes more than 125 financial aid programs geared toward college students or those seeking to attend college. Some of the awards are for amounts up to $20,000, while most are not less than $1,000. The directory includes scholarships and financial aid programs in three categories:
- Comprehensive disability-related scholarships - for students with any type of disability;
- Condition-specific scholarships - (e.g., autism, vision and hearing impairments, cystic fibrosis, learning disabilities, lupus, wheelchair use); and
- Group-specific disability scholarships - (e.g., scholarships for caregivers or disabled veterans).
Families Together is the Parent Training and Information Center serving Kansas families who include a son or daughter with disabilities. We train and inform parents and professionals, help families obtain appropriate education and services for their children with disabilities, work to improve education results for all children, resolve problems between families and schools or other agencies and connect children with disabilities to community resources that address their needs.
The Gallaudet University Regional Center at Johnson County Community College offers extension courses, training workshops and technical assistance to address the educational, transition, and professional development needs from birth through adulthood of deaf and hard of hearing people, their families and professionals who work with them.
The Kansas State School for the Blind (KSSB) empowers students with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to assume responsible roles in society and to lead fulfilling lives. KSSB strives to establish partnerships with parents, school districts, and community resources to promote access to a high quality education for all Kansas students with visual impairments, regardless of where they attend school.
The Kansas School for the Deaf provides a barrier-free communication environment which fosters early, fluent communication and on-going fluent communication as a means of broadening horizons and maximizing possibilities.
The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) provides essential information to parents, professionals and individuals with learning disabilities, promotes research and programs to foster effective learning and advocates for policies to protect and strengthen educational rights and opportunities.
The National Disabled Students Union (NDSU) is a national, cross-disability, student organization dedicated to social justice for all. Our mission is to mobilize and organize students with disabilities throughout the nation in order to continue the legacy of empowerment and community solidarity that is our heritage.
The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY), provides information on topics regarding children and youth with disabilities, birth through 22. This includes research-based information about effective practices for educating and providing services to children with disabilities, information about how the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) affects children with disabilities, and information about educational research programs and initiatives involving children with disabilities.
NavigatingCollege.org - To augment their Navigating College handbook, a first-of-its-kind resource written by autistic adults for autistic college students exploring the various aspects of the higher education experience, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) has launched this website on autism and college issues to provide a ongoing resource for college students on the spectrum, family members, disability services professionals and others. Through regular blog posts from autistic college students detailing first-hand experiences, NavigatingCollege.org will offer original content that will extend and elaborate upon the handbook. In addition, many of our upcoming projects dealing with Autism and College will be featured on the site going forward.
NICHCY, the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, offers a vast repository of information on disabilities in children and youth; programs and services for infants, children, and youth with disabilities; IDEA, the nation’s special education law; and research-based information on effective practices for children with disabilities.
Our Children Left Behind is a group of volunteers who operate an online forum that focuses on IDEA and other special education issues.
TASH is an international leader in disability advocacy. Founded in 1975, TASH advocates for human rights and inclusion for people with significant disabilities and support needs – those most vulnerable to segregation, abuse, neglect and institutionalization. TASH works to advance inclusive communities through advocacy, research, professional development, policy, and information and resources for parents, families and self-advocates.
Think College! College Options for People with Intellectual Disabilities - Doors to colleges are opening for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in many different ways all over the country. This website is designed to share what is currently going on, provide resources and strategies, let you know about training events, and give you ways to talk to others. The information is for transition aged students as well as adults attending or planning for college. It provides resources and tools for students, families, and professionals.
At Wrightslaw, our mission is to provide parents, advocates, educators, and attorneys with accurate, up-to-date information about special education law and advocacy so they can be effective catalysts.
Publications
NICHCY's Building the Legacy: A Training Curriculum on IDEA 2004 provides authoritative information about, and training materials on, IDEA and its final Part B regulations to help you become a better special education advocate.
The George Wolf Open Opportunity Resource Booklet, Created by the 2010 George Wolf Youth Interns this resource guide contains information to help young adults with disabilities transition from high school to college or college to work.
Impairing Education: Corporal Punishment of Students with Disabilities in US Public Schools is a August 2009 report by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Human Rights Watch which finds that students with disabilities are subject to corporal punishment at a disproportionately higher rate that other students in our public school system.
Navigating College - This handbook by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) is a first-of-its-kind resource written by autistic adults for autistic college students exploring the various aspects of the higher education experience. From traditional topics like classroom accommodations and dorm life to hot-button issues such as disclosure and sexuality, Navigating College provides first-person insights from current and past college students on the autism spectrum. Along with the Navigating College handbook, ASAN has launched a dedicated website on autism and college issues: NavigatingCollege.org.
A Parent's Guide to Response to Intervention (RTI) from Wrightslaw.com - created by Susan Bruce, Regional Education Coordinator for PRO*Parents of South Carolina, Inc., the Guide explains the RTI process and what IDEA requires, parent concerns and important questions about RTI, and what RTI means for our kids.
Seclusion and Restraint: Selected Cases of Death and Abuse at Public and Private Schools and Treatment Centers, Statement of Gregory D. Kutz, Managing Director Forensic Audits and Special Investigations, May 19, 2009. United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) testimony before the House Committee on Education and Labor regarding the the use of restraints and seclusions on children and teens in public and private schools and selected treatment centers.
School is Not Supposed to Hurt: Investigative Report on Abusive Restraint and Seclusion in Schools by the National Disability Rights Network, January 2009 - identifies the abusive use of restraint or seclusion in our nation's schools, which has resulted in injury, trauma and death to children with disabilities. The report is divided into two sections. The first identifies the problems attributed to restraint or seclusion. It outlines the problems and details the proven risks to children associated with the use of these aversive techniques. The second section proposes solutions to the use of restraint or seclusion by highlighting the best practices in education and the use of positive behavioral supports.
Shouldn’t School Be Safe? - This TASH publication was developed by parents and for parents in response to repeated requests for a practical guide to keeping our school children safe from restraint, seclusion and other aversive practices. While this problem has been most acute among children with disabilities, it is an issue of school safety that has the potential to affect ALL students, directly or indirectly, and one that all parents should know and care about.
The Special Ed Advocate Newsletter is a free online newsletter about special education legal and advocacy topics. Subscribers learn about new cases, articles, seminars and training, special offers on books, and other useful information about special education law and advocacy.
Unsafe In The Schoolhouse: Abuse Of Children With Disabilities, The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc.(COPAA), May 27, 2009 - This report details 180 incidents of the use of abusive interventions against children with disabilities in school. The report also includes suggested legislative remedies.