Educating Students with DisabilitiesWebsites
Valuing Life, Disability or Not -- a radio commentary by Ben Mattlin, who has been quadriplegic since birth. At the memorial service for a friend with a disability, who passed away, he came to realize the world needs to expand its definition of what it means to live a successful life, disability or not.Special Education -- a very useful overview site by Education Week with a good summary statement and lots of articles and good links -- very current.
Kids as Self Advocates -- an organization of and for youth with special needs to give them voice to speak on their own behalf -- an excellent source of information and perspective about issues of education, culture, transportation, media, athletics, technology, dating, health, and much more -- highly recommedned for educators.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 -- a government site with information about this important legislation.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004: The Document -- the actual document that is a public law -- very informative and helpful, particularly in its akcnowledgement of the over-representation of students of color in special education and in its presentation of the connection between this law and No Child Left Behind policies.
IDEA Data Website -- data about the Individual with Disabilities Act.
The Illusion and Broken Promises of Special Education -- a 2005 article in Education Week about current and longstanding issues in special education.
IDEA Partnerships -- a website for four organizations that address the Individuals with Disabilities Act.
National Disability Policy: A Progress Report -- a 2002 report by the National Council on Disability that suggests, among other things, that the No Child Left Behind Act fails to address a number of important issues affecting students with disabilities.
The Road to Nowhere:The Illusion and Broken Promises of Special Education in the Baltimore and Other Public Schools -- a 2004 report about the failure of the the educational system to provide appropriate resources and treatment for many special education students.
Disparate Measures -- a compelling 2002 article about the disproportionate number of youth of color, especially African American males, placed in special education.
A Ghetto Within a Ghetto -- a 2003 article about the research of Gary Orfield and Daniel Losen documenting that African American children, especially males, are overrepresented in special education programs.
Racial Inequity in Special Education -- a site with information about and selections from a new book about this issue by Gary Orfield and Daniel Losen.
Minority Students in Special and Gifted Education -- a 2002 report that presents research by the National Research Council documenting the disproportionately high number of minority students in special education and the disproportionately low number of minority students in gifted programs.
Addressing Over-Representation of African American Students in Special Education -- a 2002 report that presents data documenting this problem and things educators and community members can do to address it.
Report Offers Solutions to Special Education Disparities -- recommendations for how to address the disproportionate number of youth of color, especially African American males, placed in special education.
Answers to Questions Frequently Asked about Inclusion -- an excellent article that addresses many of the issues and questions central to the discussion of and debate over inclusion.
Students with Disabilities Who Drop Out of School: Implications for Policy and Practice -- a 2002 study that looks at this issue in the context of "new school accountability policies and stiffer promotion and graduation requirements."
Policy and Practice Implications for Secondary and Post-Secondary Education and Employment for Students with Disabilities -- statistics about and recommendations for improving high school completion rates for students with disabilities.
Wrightslaw -- a site of advocacy for and information about education for students with disabilities.
Project CHOICES -- an organization devoted to supporting inclusive education. CHOICES stands for: Children Have Opportunities In Inclusive Communities, Environments, and Schools.
Inclusion -- a University of Northern Iowa site with good resources for educators and parents.
Effective Practices for Inclusion -- information and links about effective practices of inclusive educational programs.
Planning for Inclusion -- a good article by the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities.
Disabilities Fight Grows as Taxes Pay for Tuition -- an article in the NYTimes about parents bringing cases against school districts in order to have private school tuition paid for their children with disabilities, in cases where they feel the school district has not provided adequate education.
Special Education Resources on the Internet -- lots of good links.
Count Me In: Special Education in an Era of Standards -- a report discussing the ramifications of the No Child Left Behind Act requiring that students with disabilities take the same standardized tests as typical students and achieve at the same minimum level of proficiency.
Special Education in the 21st Century: Issues of Inclusion and Reform by Margaret A. Winzer and Kas Mazurek -- an online book that takes a look at the emerging discourses of disability and integration in the inclusion movement, and assesses the technological revolution in special education.
Enveloping Expectations -- an article about the challenges for educators of preparing students with disabilities for acceptable performance on standardized tests.
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities -- good online publications and other resources and links.
Early Childhood Research Institute on Inclusion (ECRII) -- lots of useful information about specific issues and effective programs.
National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center -- lots of good resources -- this organization supports the implementation of the early childhood provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Their mission is to strengthen service systems to ensure that children with disabilities (birth through five) and their families receive and benefit from high quality, culturally appropriate, and family-centered supports and services.
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services -- U.S. Government Office offering support, resources, history and more.
U.S. Office of Special Education Programs -- government programs and resources.
Special Education Expenditure Project -- a 2003 report about the costs associated with educating students with different types of disabilities.
National Council on Disability -- "an independent federal agency making recommendations to the President and Congress on issues affecting Americans with disabilities."
Council for Exceptional Children -- an excellent website with information about various disabilities and ideas on how to educate children with special needs.
National Organization on Disability -- a good advocacy organization -- good information and links.
Institute on Disability Culture -- an organization that serves "to promote pride in the history, activities, and cultural identity of individuals with disabilities throughout the world. The purpose of this site is to provide information about disability culture and to share examples of our culture."
Disability History and Culture Resources -- "real life stories told by youth and young adults with disabilities about disability history & culture."
Disability in Media -- a good discussion of damaging media stereotypes about people with disabilities.
Disabilities in the Media: The Movies -- an article that poses the question, "After decades of stereotyped, often demeaning portrayals, has Hollywood gotten any better at showing the complexity of living with a disability?"
Women with Disabilities On Media Issues -- good material concerning stereotypes in the media about people with disabilities.
Teaching Tolerance Magazine Resources on Issues of Equity, Respect, and Opportunity for Students with Disabilities -- a number of articles and links presenting some very good programs and information.
Guidelines for Writing about Disability -- a set of guidelines primarily for journalists that has clear relevance for educators and others.
Links to Disability Resources -- good links for e-zines, media and periodicals.
More Students with Disabilities Graduating -- a 1999 report about improved graduation rates of students with disabilities as a consequence of legislation and change over the preceding 25-30 years.
Advancing the Dialogue on Inclusion -- history, information about legislation, and good links.
Inclusion Resources -- good general information about inclusion and related issues -- click on "Special Needs/Inclusion" and "Special Needs/ADD-ADHD."
Circle of Inclusion -- approaches to inclusion, online articles, and good links.
Conditions Necessary for Desirable Outcomes in Inclusive Classrooms -- a summary of a study.
Inclusion, Children Who Learn Together, Learn To Live Together -- a site for all teachers, general and special ed, as well as parents to help build successful inclusive education -- also provides links to other good sites about inclusive education
The Fingerlakes Independence Center -- an organization in Ithaca, NY with the following mission statement: "We believe that a society which is inclusive of people with disabilities is beneficial to all of its members. Furthermore, we believe that individual and group attitudes toward people with disabilities often create closed social structures and architectural barriers which are detrimental to all members of society. The mission of the Finger Lakes Independence Center is to work toward the elimination of these obstacles, to empower people with disabilities, and thereby create an inclusive society."
Inclusion in Science Education for Students with Disabilities -- a wide range of useful information.
Resources to Support Individual Learning Needs -- a British site that provides links to educate teachers, parents, and care takers about successful inclusion classrooms.
Multicultural Pavilion re Educating Students with Disabilities -- an excellent resource with lots of good links to other sites.
Communicating with Culturally Diverse Parents of Exceptional Children -- an article about the importance of cultural awareness, knowledge, and sensitivity in working with the parents/caregivers of culturally diverse students with disabilities.
Co-Teaching: Are Two Heads Better than One in an Inclusion Classroom? -- a good article about co-teaching in inclusive classrooms.
Special Education Inclusion -- a good online article by the Wisconsin Education Association.
Finding a Better Way to Play For Students With Disabilities -- a good article about a movement to more fully include students with disabilities in active play with other children.
Adapted Physical Education -- information and resources about accommodations in physical education.
Adapted Physical Education Advocacy -- another good site about adapted physical education.
The Palaestra Organization -- a forum of sport, physical education & recreation for those with disabilities.
National Center On Physical Activity and Disability -- good information and resources about the value of people with disabilities staying physically active.
Project Inspire -- adapted physical education.
The Special Olympics -- the home page of this great organization.
Yahoo.com Directory of Resources -- useful links.
LD Online -- a good site dedicated to learning disabilities.
SparkTop -- a site that provides games and online learning experiences for youth "who learn differently" -- a site "where no two brains think alike" -- a site where youth who "learn differently" can "connect with other kids and discover new ways to succeed in school and in life."
National Attention Deficit Disorder Association -- information and resources in support of people with ADD/ADHD.
Teaching Children with Attention Deficit Disorder -- good practical strategies for teachers.
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder - a national organization addressing the important issue.
ADD/ADHD Links Page -- a wealth of useful links and topics.
Teaching Students with ADHD -- good strategies and techniques.
ADHD.com -- a very full page with lots of resources and links.
ADD.About.com -- more good articles and links.
Attention.com -- information and resources related to increasing attention, focus, and motivation.
A Guide to Children's Literature and Disability -- books indexed by reading level, age, and different disabilities.
Inclusion.com -- books, videos, workshops, and links.
Prelude Therapy -- music therapy and the special needs student.
Apraxia Kids -- a good website directed at parents, teachers and speech specialists -- lots of articles, research and links.
Center for the Study of Autism -- extensive links and resources, including video clips and much more.
Educating the Student With Asperger's Syndrome -- presents learning and behavioral characteristics of Asperger's Syndrome students and teaching strategies.
Very Special Arts -- a site about integrating the arts into the education of students with disabilities.
Stretching the Senses in "Touch the Sound" -- a radio piece about a documentary film that focuses on Evelyn Glennie, an great percussionist and composer who has been deaf since she was twelve.
National Arts and Disability Center -- a site that promotes the inclusion of people with special needs into the visual, performing, media, and literary arts communities.
Educating Jewish Children with Special Needs -- a website that talks about teaching children with special needs.
Homeschooling Children with Special Needs -- this site discusses how to home school children with special needs.
Soundbeam -- this is a revolutionary means of giving students with disabilities a new way to express themselves.
Music Therapy and Music Education -- this is an informative article, which discusses some recent developments in these fields, and descriptions of what is available.
Science of Music -- this site offers some unique ways to educate children about music.
Grants Center -- this site offers several suggestions of ways and places to get grants for new music equipment written and accepted.
Music and Special Education Needs -- this web site offers some great tools to help develop and plan out inclusive music education into the classroom.
Strategies for Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities -- this site offers a brief description of the problems faced by students with learning disabilities and offers teaching strategies on different areas of education including strategies on writing tests and exams.
Learning Disabilities Association of America -- the Learning Disabilities Association of America website offers information about learning disabilities organized into different sections relevant for teachers, parents, adults, professionals.
Five Homework Strategies for Teaching Students with Disabilities -- this website states that not only are special accommodations needed in the classroom but on homework as well for students with learning disabilities.
Learning Disabilities -- this site uses a personal story to show an example of a learning disability in real life and then offers tips for parents and teachers.
Teaching for Inclusion -- this site discusses the warning signs of different learning disabilities and explains the effects these disabilities have in different academic areas.
Inclusion :Children Who Learn Together, Live Together -- a great site to learn about what inclusion is and all the different benefits that come from it. It is designed for parents with children who have disabilities, without disabilities, and students to look at and learn.
Palaestra: Forum of Sport, Physical Education & Recreation for Those with Disabilities -- this site is a great way to learn about Physical Education and helping children with disabilities.
The Circle of Inclusion -- this site provides insight onto all the different topics of inclusion. It gives a teacher the ability to find lessons to use to teach their classes with.
Parents for Inclusion -- a great informational site that offers a lot of comfort to parents with children who have disabilities.
The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability: Disabilities and Conditions -- a resource on how to adapt activities for students with disabilities.
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired -- educational services for the blind and visually impaired for students in Texas.
U.S. Department of Labor: Teacher-Special Educations -- a resource for teachers that describes the working conditions, training, and qualifications for special education.
Wisconsin Education Association Council: Special Education Inclusion -- an article that gives an overview of special education concerning the inclusion of students with disabilities.
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory: Inclusion: The Pros and Cons -- an educational article discussing the pros and cons of inclusion, as well as a brief history.
Disabled Sports USA: The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability -- information on a variety of topics related to physical activity and disability.
Some Good Books and Articles
Affleck, J., Madge, S., Adams, A. and Lowenbraun, S. 1988. Integrated Classrooms Versus the Resource Model: Academic Viability Effectiveness. Exceptional Children, 54(4).Alvin, J. and Warwick, A. 1991. Music Therapy for the Autistic Child. Oxford University Press.
Apache, R., and Goyakla, R. 2004. A Developmentally Appropriate Lesson Supports an Inclusive Physical Education Class. Teaching Elementary Physical Education, v 15 n 5: 42.
Artiles, A. & Zamora-Duran, G. 1997. Reducing Disproportionate Representation of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students in Special and Gifted Education. The Council for Exceptional Children.
Bennett-Walker, D., Dyal, A., & Flynt, S. 1996. Schools and Inclusion: Principal's Perceptions. Tthe Clearing House, v. 70, p.32.
Blenk, K. 1995. Making School Inclusion Work: A Guide to Everyday Practice. Cambridge, MA : Brookline Books.
Dangel, H., Keel, M. & Owens, S. 1999. Selecting Instructional Interventions for Students with Mild Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms. Focus on Exceptional Children, 31(8): 1-16.
Davern, L. 1996. Listening to Parents of Children with Disabilities. Educational Leaderhsip, April.
Dodge, E. & Mallard, A. 1992. Social Skills Training Using a Collaborative Service Delivery Model. Langauge, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, v. 23, p.130-135.
Donovan, M. & Cross, C. (Eds.), 2002. Minority Students in Special and Gifted Education. Committee on Minority Representation in Special Education, Washington DC: National Academy Press.
Elliot, D. & McKenney, M. 1998. Four Inclusion Models that Work. Teaching Exceptional Children, March/April, p. 54-58.
Fitzgerald, M. 2006. I Send My Best Matthew to School Every Day: Music Educators Collaborating with Parents. Music Educators Journal, Vol. 92 No. 4: 40-45.
Gallagher, J. 2002. Giftedness and Asperger's Syndrome: A New Agenda. Understanding Our Gifted. Winter 2002.
Gerrard, L. 1994. Inclusive Education: An Issue of Social Justice. Equity and Excellence in Education, v. 27: 58-67.
Giangreco, M. 1996. What Do I Do Now? A Teacher's Guide to Including Students with Disabilities. Educational Leadership, Feb.
Haager, D., and Vaughn, S. 1993. Observations of Students with Learning Disabilities in General Education Classrooms, Exceptional Children: Vol. 60.
Haas, W., Hall, B., & Oyer, H. 2001. Speech, Language, and Hearing Disorders: A Guide for the Teacher. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Harry, B. 1992. Cultural Diversity, Families, and the Special Education System. New York: Teachers College Press.
Harry, B. & Klingner, J. 2006. Why Are so Many Minority Students in Special Education? Understanding Race and Disability in Schools. Teachers College Press.
Heacox, D. 2002. Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom: How to Reach and Teach All Learners, Grades 3-12. Free Spirit Publishing.
Holcomb, T. 1997. Development of Deaf Bicultural Identity. American Annals of the Deaf, Vol. 142: 89-93.
Holcomb, T. &Kreeft, J. 1992. ESL Literacy for a Linguistic Minority: The Deaf Experience. National Clearinghouse on Literacy Education.
Hoover, J. & Patton, J. 2005. Differentiating Curriculum and Instruction for English-Language Learners with Special Needs. Intervention in School and Clinic: 231-235.
Howe, K. & Welner, K. 2002. School Choice and the Pressure to Perform: Deja Vu for Children with Disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 23(4): 212-21.
Hunt, P., Farron-Davis, F., Beckstead, S., Curtis, D., & Goetz, L. 1994. Evaluating the Effects of Placement on Students with Severe Disabilities in General Education Versus Special Classes. The Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, Vol. 19, Issue 3: 200-214.
Jones, C. 1991. Sourcebook for Children with Attention Deficit Disorder: A Guide for Early Childhood Professionals and Parents. Tucson, AZ: Communication Skill Builders.
Lavay, B. & Rizzo, T. 2000. Inclusion: Why the Confusion? Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. 71(4).
Lipsky, D. and Gartner, A. (eds.) 1989. Beyond Separate Education: Quality Education for All. Baltimore: Paul Brookes.
Lipsky. D. and Gartner, A. 1996. Inclusion, School Restructuring, and the Remaking of American Society. Harvard Educational Review, 66(4): 762-797.
Losen, D. & Orfield, G. 2002. Racial Inequity in Special Education. Harvard Education Press.
Lowe, R. 1993. Speech Language Pathology and Related Professions in the Schools. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
McCord, K. & Fitzgerald, M. 2006. Children with Disabilities Playing Musical Instruments. Music Educators Journal, Vol. 92 No. 4: 46-52.
McCord, K., & Watts, E. 2006. Collaboration and Access for Our Children: Music Educators and Special Educators Together. Music Educators Journal, Vol. 92 No. 4: 26-33.
McDonnell, L. 1997. Educating One & All: Students with Disabilities and Standards-Based Reform. National Academy Press.
McLaughlin, S. 1998. Introduction to Language Development. Sinclair Publishing Group.
McLeskey, J. & Waldron, N. 1996. Responses to Questions Teachers and Administrators Frequently Ask About Inclusive School Programs. Phi Delta Kappan, 78: p. 150-6.
McLeskey, J. & Waldron, N. 2002. School Change and Inclusive Schools: Lessons Learned from Practice. Phi Delta Kappan, 84(1): 65-72.
Meath-Lang, B. 1997. Dramatic Interations: Theater Work and the Formation of Learning Communities. American Annals of the Deaf, Vol. 142: 99-101.
Montgomery, W. 2001. Creating Culturally Responsive, Inclusive Classrooms. Teaching Exceptional Children, March/April, p. 4-9.
Mudgett-DeCaro, P. and Hurwitz, T.A. 1997. Classroom Dialogues and Deaf Identities. American Annals of the Deaf, Vol. 142: 96-99.
National Association for Music Education. 2003. Readings on Diversity, Inclusion, and Music for All.
Nielsen, L. 1997. The Exceptional Child in the Regular Classroom: An Educator's Guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Oswald, D. et al., 1999. Ethnic Representation in Special Education: The Influence of School-Related Economic and Demographic Variables. The Journal of Special Education, 32: 194-206.
Owens, R. 1996. Language Development. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Parasnis, I. 1997. Cultural Identity and Diversity in Deaf Education. American Annals of the Deaf, Vol. 142: 72-79.
Patton, J. 1998. The Disproportionate Representation of African Americans in Special Education. The Journal of Special Education, 32(1): 25-31.
Pfiffner, L. 1996. All About ADHD: The Complete Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers. Jefferson City, MO: Scholastic Professional Books.
Putnam, J. 1993. (ed.) Cooperative Learning and Strategies for Inclusion: Celebrating Diversity in the Classroom. Baltimore: Paul Brookes.
Reick, W. and Wadsworth, D. 2005. Assessment Accommodations: Helping Students with Exceptional Learning Needs. Intervention in School and Clinic:105-109.
Reid, G. 2005. Chapter 7 - The Inclusive School: Characteristics and Challenges. in Learning Styles and Inclusion. Paul Chapman Publishing. (p.. 97-110).
Rizzo, T. 2003. Factors Affecting Social Experiences in Inclusive Physical Education. Adapted Physical Education Quarterly, v20 n3: 317.
Rizzo, T. & Lavay, B. 2000. Inclusion: Why the Confusion. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 71(4): 32-36.
Safran, J. 2002. Supporting Students with Asperger's Syndrome in General Education. Teaching Exceptional Children, 34, (5): 60-66.
Sailor, W. (Ed.) 2002. Whole-School Success and Inclusive Education: Building Partnerships for Learning, Achievement, and Accountability. Teachers College Press.
Salend, S. 1998. Effective Mainstreaming: Creating Inclusive Classrooms. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Salend, S. 2001. Creating Inclusive Classrooms: Effective and Reflective Practices. Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Schaberg, G. 1988. TIPS: Teaching Music to Special Learners. Reston, VA: Music Educators National Conference.
Schleien, S. 1997. Community Recreation and People with Disabilities: Strategies for Inclusion. Baltimore: Paul Brookes.
Shore, K. 1998. Special Kids Problem Solver. Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Smith, J.D. 1998. Inclusion: Schools for All Students. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Sobol, E. 2001. An Attitude and Approach for Teaching Music to Special Learners. Pentland Press.
Spotlight on Making Music with Special Learners. 2004. The National Association for Music Education. Reston, VA.
Stainback, S., Stainback, W. and Forest, M. (eds.) 1989. Educating All Students in the Mainstream of Regular Education. Baltimore: Paul Brookes.
Williams, K. 1995. Understanding the Student with Asperger's Syndrome: Guidelines for Teachers. Focus on Autistic Behavior,10(2).s
Wilson, B. 1996. Models of Music Therapy Interventions in School Settings: From Institution to Inclusion. National Association for Music Therapy.
Wood, J. 1998. Adapting Instruction to Accommodate Students in Inclusive Settings. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Zinar, R. 1987. Music Activities for Special Children. West Nyack, NY: Parker Publishing Company, Inc.
Some Good Videos
Regular Lives, 1988 -- great examples of effective inclusion in Syracuse, NY.How Difficult Can This Be? Learning Disabilities Workshop -- a workshop for educators, parents, psychologists, social workers and others that, among other things, provides effective simulations of what it's like to have a learning disability -- an excellent source of information and strategies for working effectively with youth who have learning disabilities..
The Inclusion Dilemma, 1993 -- strategies for effective implementation of inclusion.
Educating Peter, 1993, Program Development Associates (800-543-2119) -- presents the complexities and rewards of including children with all disabilities in general classrooms -- follows the inclusion of Peter, a boy with down syndrome and his eveloving relationships with his classmates.
Sean's Story, 1994 -- compares the school experiences of two students with Down's syndrome, one who is fully included in typical classroom education, and another who is separated in special education preparation for vocational work.
ADHD: Inclusive Instruction and Collaborative Practices, 1995, Council for Exceptional Children (888-232-7323) -- presents techniques teachers can use, in typical classrooms, with students who have ADHD.