Special Education Resources

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Special Education - What is it and how does it work? Resources for parents, teachers & students.

I want to educate parents, teachers and students about Special Education services & resources.

I have my Master's degree in Special Education. I am a cross categorical special education teacher for 7th & 8th grade students. I specifically teach Language Arts, Reading, & Social Studies. I believe Reading and teaching it to students is the most important academic area!

Cross Categorical means I have students in my classroom with various disabilities such as; cognitive, emotional, learning, & physical.

The Resources here can be extremely helpful. Please add any resources you have used and found helpful to the lists.

Thanks!

Teddi

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“What is an IEP?

Read more about it below”

What is an IEP (Individual Education Plan)?

Each public school child who receives special education and related services must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Each IEP must be designed for one student and must be a truly individualized document.

The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel, and students (when appropriate) to work together to improve educational results for children with disabilities. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality education for each child with a disability.

To create an effective IEP, parents, teachers, other school staff and often the student must come together to look closely at the student's unique needs. These individuals pool knowledge, experience and commitment to design an educational program that will help the student be involved in, and progress in, the general curriculum. The IEP guides the delivery of special education supports and services for the student with a disability.

General Steps in the Special Education Process

Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services.
Child is evaluated.
Eligibility is decided.
Child is found eligible for services.
IEP meeting is scheduled.
IEP meeting is held and the IEP is written.
Services are provided.
Progress is measured and reported to parents.
IEP is reviewed.
Child is reevaluated.
Contents of the IEP

By law, the IEP must include certain information about the child and the educational program designed to meet his or her unique needs. This information covers topics such as current performance, annual goals, special education and related services, accommodations, participation in state and district-wide tests, needed transition services, and measured progress.

The IEP Team Members

The team that writes a child's Individualized Education Program includes the parent(s), regular education teacher(s), special education teacher(s), other individuals from the school and district, and the student when appropriate.

A meeting to write the IEP must be held within 30 calendar days of deciding that the child is eligible for special education and related services. Each team member brings important information to the IEP meeting. Members share their information and work together to write the child's Individualized Education Program. Each person's information adds to the team's understanding of the child and what services the child needs.

Writing the IEP

To help decide what special education and related services the student needs, generally the IEP team will begin by looking at the child's evaluation results, such as classroom tests, individual tests given to establish the student's eligibility, and observations by teachers, parents, paraprofessionals, related service providers, administrators, and others. This information will help the team describe the student's "present levels of educational performance" in other words, how the student is currently doing in school. Knowing how the student is currently performing in school will help the team develop annual goals to address those areas where the student has an identified educational need.

The IEP team must also discuss specific information about the child. This includes:

the child's strengths; the parents' ideas for enhancing their child's education; the results of recent evaluations or reevaluations; and how the child has done on state and district-wide tests.
Depending on the needs of the child, the IEP team also needs to consider special factors, which include behavioral issues, limited proficiency in English, blindness or visual impairment, communication needs, deafness or difficulty hearing, and assistive technology.

It is important that the discussion of what the child needs be framed around how to help the child:

advance toward the annual goals; be involved in and progress in the general curriculum; participate in extracurricular and nonacademic activities; and be educated with and participate with other children with disabilities and non-disabled children.
Based on the above discussion, the IEP team will then write the child's IEP. This includes the services and supports the school will provide for the child. If the IEP team decides that a child needs a particular device or service (including an intervention, accommodation, or other program modification), the IEP team must write this information in the IEP.

After the IEP is Written

When the IEP has been written, parents must receive a copy at no cost to themselves. Everyone who will be involved in implementing the IEP must have access to the document. This includes the child's:

regular education teacher(s);
special education teacher(s);
related service provider(s) (for example, speech therapist); or
any other service provider (such as a paraprofessional) who will be responsible for a part of the child's education.
Each of these individuals needs to know what his or her specific responsibilities are for carrying out the child's IEP. This includes the specific accommodations, modifications, and supports that the child must receive, according to the IEP.

Parents Permission

Before the school can provide a child with special education and related services for the first time, the child's parents must give their written permission.

Source: http://www.ncld.org/content/view/343/ as of September 11, 2008

Hold on...

There are a few more definitions you might need below.

Special Education Resources & Links for Teachers

CEC - Council for Exceptional Children
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides professional development, advocates for individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.
WebQuests
A WebQuest is a learning activity used by educators. During this activity learners read, analyze, and synthesize information using the World Wide Web. A a WebQuest is "an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet.
Book Adventure
Book Adventure is a FREE reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create their own book lists from over 7,000 recommended titles, take multiple choice quizzes on the books they've read, and earn points and prizes for their literary successes. Book Adventure was created by and is maintained by Sylvan Learning.
ZAC Browser - Zone for Autistic Children
You have found the best environment on the Internet for your autistic child. ZAC is the first web browser for Autistic children.
Teacher Student Loan Cancellation
The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program grants loan forgiveness of up to $17,500 for teachers in certain specialties and up to $5,000 for other teachers, who teach for five years in certain low-income schools and meet other requirements.
Bright Solutions for Dyslexia
Sharing the latest dyslexia research results, plus assessment and teaching methods
Education Page
Many helpful links for teaching writing, phonics, remediation & more. It is a must vistit for teachers and parents. It is extremely helpful
Free After School Kit
Young people face many choices - choices that can affect the rest of their lives, decisions that many are unprepared to make. Often unable or unwilling to turn to parents for guidance this kit can help!
TeacherXpress - The Education Web - All in One Place - For Busy Teachers: Welcome
The latest information to help teachers and educators make the most of the Internet in primary, elementary, middle, and secondary schools around the world, but especially in the UK and Europe.
Community for Teachers & Their Blogs/Sites
Here is my page with my profile.
Free Technology for Teachers: If You're a Special Education Teacher...
Great resource for technology in the classroom
Teacher Sol’s DEN Blog
A very good blog by a teacher
Flashcards, vocabulary memorization, and studying games
Quizlet is a lightning fast way to memorize vocabulary lists. It's like flashcards, but much more fun and interactive.
iPods help special-education students excel - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News
Interesting article about using iPods with Students who receive special education services.
Deborah Kerwood's Show & Tell Blog about Differentiated Instruction
She teaches in a middle school in Cairo, Egypt. My students are in pull out special education classes. Her blog is very interesting. I encourage other teachers to visit.
Word Walls and Pointers
Word walls are a collection of words for beginning readers to use to promote learning in reading and writing. WordWalls are most effective when the children help to generate them. This lens will point out various types of WordWalls used in classrooms, how they can be used to promote reading and writing.
Special Edition Spread the Word about Stopping Bullying
Bullying is an undeniably large problem. Help provide parents with tools they can use today to take an active role in reducing bullying.
Inclusive Schools- Information & Resources
Want to find out more about Inclusion this is a great place to start.
Blogs That Promote Unconventional Discussion : The Teaching Palette
Great resources for teachers
Teach Effectively!
Evidence-based teaching methods for helping students who are at risk for school failure or who have disabilities.
Free Resources from the Net for (Special) Education
Quick Links. Free Resources from the Net for (Special) Education
Educational and Assistive Technology to support Universal Access and Universal Design for Learning by Paul Hamilton.
iAbida - Individual Communication Management
Provides a 360 degree view of special needs individuals. See daily schedules, track daily behavior and graph the progress, receive alerts about any changes, share pictures, videos or audio files and allow parents or teachers to post quick notes to the team or individuals.
Using Technology to Differentiate Instruction - TheApple.com
One of the major benefits of using technology in the classroom is the ability to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of every student.
Schoolwide Fundamentals Teachers' Blog - An Excellent resource for teachers
The Schoolwide Fundamentals blog space is meant to facilitate conversation between educators across the country. A virtual workshop community for sharing and structuring ideas about learning. Our mission is not only to support the fundamentals of reading and writing so essential to academic success but also to make blogging easy and interactive for teachers unacquainted with today's social technologies.
Teaching All Students
Excellent blog for all teachers!!! Full of technology related stuff.
teachers tools
An awesome site for all sorts of teachers resources! EXCELLENT
Kathy Schrock's - Google Blooms Taxonomy
Great source for teachers who want to integrate more technology into their lessons and classrooms!
A.T.TIPSCAST: The Blog
Tips about assistive technology in your school.
EdReach- The Education Media Network
The Education Media Network. Ed Reach fills in the void left by main-stream media outlets by covering the innovative, provocative, relevant, and cutting-edge education news that happens every single day.
Special Education Advisor
Learn Your Special Education Laws, Special Education Rights, and Share IEP Goal Ideas

Free Stuff for Teachers Only!

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Resources to Help with Reading

Kids have fun at the same time!

Click N READ Phonics
is an online reading program that teaches kids to read with an animated character. Lots of fun for kids. Research on phonics indicates that kids are able to learn to read on there own...this program can help them do just that!

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Zoobooks Magazine for Kids 5-12
Zoobooks is the award-winning animal magazine for children ages 5-12. From elementary to middle school and beyond, Zoobooks magazines are skillfully designed to enhance your child's learning. Parents and teachers trust Zoobooks to educate kids... strengthening their vocabulary and reading habits. Kids just think the magazines are cool!

Zoobooks Magazine


Hooked on Phonics
The #1 trusted name for teaching kids to read! They offer over 100 products for ages 3 months through 10 years, helping kids learn important skills like reading, math, science, language.

Math Resources

Teaching Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication Facts
Excellent blog with helpful practical tips for learning basic-intermediate Math. It give lots of examples and explanations.
Top 12 Tips for Teaching Math Facts - Great Article!
As teachers of all grade levels know very well, it is extremely difficult to teach students higher order math algorithms when they are not fluent with their basic facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). If students are not automatic in responding to math facts, their attention is necessarily taken away from the multiple steps necessary to solve more complex problems.
Hands on Fractions Math Game
This is a real world math game that kids love to play.
WebMath - Solve Your Math Problem
Webmath is a math-help web site that generates answers to specific math questions and problems, as entered by a user, at any particular moment. The math answers are generated and displayed real-time, at the moment a web user types in their math problem and clicks "solve." In addition to the answers, Webmath also shows the student how to arrive at the answer. Composed of forms to fill-in and then returns analysis of a problem and, when possible, provides a step-by-step solution. Covers arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus and statistics.

Have a great resource?

Please add the link below...

Thanks!!

Resources for Teaching Students with Disabilities

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Does Your Child Need Help In School?

Is Your School System Giving You the Run Around? Or Do You Just Need Advice?

Ask the Advocates e-book

You will be better able to advocate for your child's much-deserved educational needs through this e-book.

Ask The Advocates is like having a personal advocate by your side, increasing your knowledge and confidence.

This e-book will help answer your IEP & special education questions. The Ask The Advocates 80+ page e-book covering both general IEP topics and very specific topics.

You can get the help you need at Ask The Advocates

More Resources for Parents & Students with Disabilities

Special Education and Disability Rights Blog
This blog is a place for those interested in special education issues. We hope to use this blog to share stories and ideas with the special education community. A2Z Educational Advocates is a team of southern California special education attorneys and advocates who represent parents of students with disabilities. DISCLAIMER: This blog is not intended as legal advice. If you need advice in this area, it's advisable to seek out an attorney.
Single Mother of Autism
Autism & Special Education resources online that the blog owner personally recommends. Very helpful list!
Bipolar Disorder: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment of Manic Depression
Guide to the signs, symptoms, and treatment of bipolar disorder (manic depression). Learn about causes, triggers, and how to help yourself or a loved one.
WebMath - Solve Your Math Problem
Webmath is a math-help web site that generates answers to specific math questions and problems, as entered by a user, at any particular moment. The math answers are generated and displayed real-time, at the moment a web user types in their math problem and clicks "solve." In addition to the answers, Webmath also shows the student how to arrive at the answer. Composed of forms to fill-in and then returns analysis of a problem and, when possible, provides a step-by-step solution. Covers arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus and statistics.

Great Video that explains Special Education & the IEP Process

Remember some of the deadlines and time frames may not be exactly as mentioned in this video as it was uploaded to Youtube in Nov. 2008 for the state of Wisconsin. For the most part the content is accurate and applies to all states. When in doubt please check with your local school districts special education department.
Introduction to Special Education
by WisconsinDPI | video info

54 ratings | 48,791 views
curated content from YouTube

Many Famous People have Disabilities

See for yourself who they are
Click Here

Attention Disorders

ADD/ADHD
ADHD-Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Introduction, Symptoms & Diagnosis. A great resource!
The Edge Foundation - Using personal coaches to help students with ADHD
Students: Find out how and Edge (ADD) ADHD Coach can help you academically and personally. Coaches: Find out how becoming an Edge (ADD) ADHD Coach can benefit your career. Institutions: The Edge Foundation will work with you to connect your students with professionally trained (ADD) ADHD coaches.
ADD Connect
ADHD Support Groups: ADD Symptoms, Diagnosis, Medication, Treatment, Behavior, Discipline | Attention Deficit Disorder Community from ADDitude
CHADD
CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is the nation's leading non-profit organization serving individuals with AD/HD and their families. CHADD has over 16,000 members in 200 local chapters throughout the U.S. Chapters offer support for individuals, parents, teachers, professionals, and others.

CHADD is a membership organization, produces the bi-monthly Attention! magazine (for members), and sponsors an annual conference. The National Resource Center on AD/HD (NRC) is the CDC-funded national clearinghouse for evidence-based information about AD/HD. Contact information for all local chapters is available online through the CHADD Chapter Locator. CHADD was founded in 1987 in response to the frustration and sense of isolation experienced by parents and their children with AD/HD.

Need help with your at risk, troubled or problem child?

Many of the resources that exist for teachers, counselors and other youth professionals to use with troubled students are utterly out-of-date and woefully inadequate when used with contemporary youth. Using yesterday's interventions with today's kids is never going to work. Teachers, social workers, psychologists and therapists are all starving for updated methods that work with today's troubled & problem children.

Click here for help with a problem child!

Educational Sites with Games for Kids

Light Up Your Brain
Childrens' Audio Stories & Games for Kids. It is about inspiration, creativity, and the fun of being a kid. Great audio stories, games and links to outside resources.
Starfall.com
Teachers around the world use Starfall.com and Starfall high-quality educational products as an inexpensive way to make the classroom more fun and inspire a love of reading and writing. Parents use Starfall to prepare their children for school, and to support them once they are there. Starfall is an educational alternative to other entertainment choices for children. Learn to read with comprehension & phonics.
Fun Brain
Great site for kids of all ages. Play games and learn at the same time.
Games on Book Adventure
These great games make learning fun. Parents can play along with kids.
Primary Games
Math, Science, Reading, English, Social Studies. Play games by ability or grade level. This site is fun, fun, fun for kids. Teachers & parents can find games and activies too.

Special Education

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Gotta love this kind of Story about .... Jason McElwain

I remember when this story broke all over the news in 2006. I was teaching 7th & 8th grade special education Math & Science. It touched me so that I remember going online and printing off the story and reading it & discussing it with my classes. Very inspirational. Brings tears to my eyes just watching it again. Kids with disabilities go through a lot and often don't get given chances to prove what they are capable of. This was unbelievable by anyones standards. 20 points in 4:19--Wow!
J Mac - A Hoop Dream
by prana9 | video info

3,084 ratings | 1,311,545 views
curated content from YouTube

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Special Education in the News

Updated daily so please check back

Nearly 20 percent of Indiana students in special education
Morton High School special education teacher Robert Hall passes out a test in his class Thursday. In Northwest Indiana, large school districts like Gary, Hammond, East Chicago and Crown Point provide their own special education services to students.
Special education gets fresh look in Minnesota schools
One of the largest individual costs to school districts is special education, which cost $1.8 billion in 2011 when federal spending is included, a $500 million increase from a decade earlier, when adjusted for inflation.
Pasco's special education director hired to lead state-level bureau
She turned in her resignation Tuesday as Pasco's special education director. The flowers and hugs followed. Verra-Tirado teared up as she reflected upon her love of all things Pasco, where she graduated from Gulf High, raised a family and created a ...
Alexia Bogdis, California Special Education Teacher, Probed For Child Abuse; 8 ...
Eight school district employees were placed on leave during an investigation of their handling of allegations that a special education teacher kicked and slapped students. Alexia Bogdis, the special education teacher, is facing nine misdemeanor battery ...

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Teddi14

I'm married & I'm a mother to a wonderful son! I teach 7th &... more »

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