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__**Public Law 94-142**__
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 * As the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, the law was originally enacted in 1975, but amended several times since. Since 1990, it is known as "IDEA" (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).
 * Only applies to schools that accept federal funding.
 * Students with disabilities are evaluated to determine if disability necessitates different or additional services for the student to participate in school. If the student qualifies, then by law, those different or additional services must be met by the school.
 * evaluations only occur at the request of or by consent of the parent/guardian
 * The law requires that students with disabilities have equal access to education.
 * In the interest of equality, any Individualized Education Program (IEPs) for disabled students is required to come as close to the experience of non-disabled students as possible.
 * The law requires that students with disabilities be educated in the "least restrictive environment" allowed by their particular handicap. This means that, to the greatest extent that is appropriate, disabled students should be integrated with their non-impaired peers, given the maximum opportunity to learn, work, interact and socialize with the other students.
 * Separate classrooms or separate schools are ONLY used when the severity of the disability would preclude the meeting of instructional goals in the standard classroom.
 * The 2011 update to the law, Part C included "early intervention" for children from birth to age 3 in programs called " Individualized Family Service Plans" or IFSPs, which address the developmental needs of he child as prioritized with the family's needs.

__**IEP**__
IEP stands for Individualized Education Program and is used in New York State public schools to help educators better aid a student in their educational process. A teacher fills out the extensive form to help specialize a student's instruction in order for the student to perform better in the classroom.

An IEP includes many things to ensure the child, teachers, administration, and parents or guardians are all on the same page in terms of the child's education and choices. Every IEP will include the following:
 * A description of the student's abilities and needs, including how the student's disability affects their participation in the general curriculum of the school.
 * Student specific goals and objectives for the school year.
 * Information about the special education programs available to ensure the student's success within the general curriculum. If a student is in need of a teacher's aide or teaching assistant, that information would be included as well.
 * Program and test modifications, if applicable.
 * Supports, such as technology in the classroom or a behavior management program, to help the student's teacher implement the IEP.
 * How and when parents or guardians will receive progress reports.
 * The next review date of the IEP.
 * The students' recommended placement.

A committee of the student's teachers (a Special Education teacher and one regular educator), the head of the Special Education department, the school psychologist, and the student's parents or guardian advocate (someone who has a classified child within that district) come together once the IEP is complete to discuss the details. A guidance counselor, the child (the child is by law required to be invited once the child enters middle school), any professionals in the related areas the child may need accommodations within (such as speech therapist, counselor, occupational therapist, etc.) may be invited to the meeting but cannot vote. There is a law that requires the parents be given seven days notice to this meeting, despite the parents being unable to vote. This ensures that all members of the committee are on the same page and are properly prepared to implement the IEP, both at school and at home. (Information found [|here]).

IEPs are mandated through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). If a parent/guardian or a teacher feels that the school is not properly implementing the IEP, a complaint may be filed. If the parent does not agree with the IEP, they may challenge what the committee recommends and an impartial hearing is then scheduled. The State is involved with this meeting, but the parents or guardians have the final say on all services that could be provided.

A sample IEP form may be found [|here].

__**Technology Applications for Students with Disabilities**__
As the 21st Century continues to see growth in technological advancements, it has produced more options for students with disabilities. Apple and other technology moguls have provided many applications to help these students succeed in the classroom.

The iPad or iPhone seem to be the most accessible means of obtaining many different applications to assist students with disabilities build independence and self-esteem in their learning. Their popularity and growth in popular culture, and their fame amongst the up and coming generations grant these tools a lot of prestige. They help students get organized, productive, and communicative on a high functioning level.


 * Calendar and agenda apps such as Calengoo or InClass are extremely helpful at getting students to organize their obligations and homework. The color coding feature of Calengoo allows for those with visual needs to excel and gives reminders of things they must do, while the InClass app works to help students organize their schedules.


 * Note taking apps like [|NotesPlus] help students maintain organized notes that are available to them anytime without the fear of losing their papers, and most importantly it allows students to set up a folder for each class.

For Communication Skills, //Tech&Learning// has provided an article that lists all of the best apps that are geared towards younger students with disabilities:


 * " [|Proloquo2Go] . It is expensive but well worth the investment if you have a student who does not have speech or has difficulty-answering WH questions. It is a PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System), which can be customized for the child.


 * [|Story Builder] is a WH app that records the child’s voice when answering questions. It can be leveled based upon the child’s needs.


 * [|IQuestion] is a game in which the student answers WH questions. You can focus on just one or make it random. It also has the ability to be leveled.


 * [|Look Cars] is a basic app that has the student look into the eyes of the picture. The student has to identify the number.


 * [|Kindergarten.com] has a wide variety of Autism Apps from //Emotions// to //What Does not Belong//. It is an excellent site and resource.

A lot of these technologies are available for parents to use as well, which creates a necessary on-going learning dynamic between the home and school.

The [|AssistiveWare] website provides some of the most up to date technological advancements to assist special needs learners. They provide updated examples of the latest products, downloads, and news.

__**Collection of Sources (websites, blogs, social media)**__

 * Education Week on Special Education - This is Education Week's blog on Special Education. Here you can find a ton of posts on a variety of topics in the special education area, and it is on a national level.


 * Do2Learn - This is a website with thousands of resources to better the community for special needs children in their personal lives with family and their educational lives with teachers. It offers a variety of categories, which makes it easy to navigate, including disability overviews and definitions, educational services, social skills, etc. The resources are not only informational, but there are "hands-on resources to implement suggestions" (do2learn) and it is all free and open to the online community. Not to mention, the site is fun, colorful, and user-friendly!


 * Disability Scoop - This website offers the latest news about disabilities in a variety of areas (medical/science, family, education, money, politics, jobs, etc.). It offers a variety of stories, especially on the constantly changing home-page, to engage the community in recent occurrences and it allows the online community to connect in tons of ways (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.).


 * Inclusion - This website offers resources to foster inclusive education. It provides previews into a series of videos (toolkit), but evidently it requires the resources be purchased. The website offers a great contact to a well-known public speaker, any questions or concerns for more information can be directed further, and it provides promotional quotes from individuals or groups that have purchased and used these resources.


 * Special Education Resources - A list of compiled resources with links to each.


 * Special Education Video - This is a ten-minute video created by the Wisconsin Statewide Parent Educator Initiative that explains Special Education and basically how it works. It is a very simple and informative video, and although it may be slightly focused for the state of Wisconsin, it can be generalized to fit the idea of Special Education throughout school systems nationwide. It focuses on the school system, federal laws, and meeting the needs of special needs children through the 5-step process (referral, evaluation, individualized education program (IEP), placement, and annual review).


 * Special Needs Neighborhood - This is a collaborative blog that receives posts from admins in the community. The focus is educational, with a minor focus on parenting, so there are a variety of resources, tips, and news shared on this blog that can all be beneficial in implementing in the classrooms with special needs children (i.e. blogs including travel plans with special needs children and writing improving reading) and their parents/guardians/families.


 * Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs - This is an individual's blog that focuses on fostering educational growth in special needs children. It also explores technology ideas that benefit special needs children. The great part is that this author incorporates many images/visuals into his posts to better understand the ideas he mentions. The author provides information about himself, his credentials, and there is even great information on upcoming workshops and what not.

**Extra Credit Interviews with Special Education Teacher**

 * **Greg**
 * **Megan**
 * **Sam**
 * **Caitlin**