A survey of state educational agencies on criteria for providing related services as mandated by Public Law 94-142 and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

The related services component of P.L. 94-142 has been one of the most difficult features in providing a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for eligible handicapped students and it continues to be a persistent challenge. Related services have been a fertile area of disagreements between school personnel and parents because of the high cost of providing some services, and because of parents\u27 requests for a variety of services, not necessarily within the intent of the law, to be provided at public expense. Issues involving related services have primarily focused on availability, service delivery models ensuring fiscal efficiency, compliance and legality. One area which has yet to be examined is the availability of criteria to guide school personnel in determining whether special education students are eligible for specific related services.;The purpose of this study is to investigate the availability of criteria for providing related services to special education students by surveying all state educational agencies and the District of Columbia. Directors of special education were requested to complete a survey instrument and provide a copy of their state eligibility criteria for related services.;The analysis of survey responses and the examination of selected eligibility criteria resulted in the following findings: (a) only one state has developed eligibility criteria for all related services as defined under P.L. 94-142; available criteria were most prevalent for speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy, (b) variations exist among states in the practice of providing related services and (c) available eligibility criteria differ from state to state in terms of specificity. Recommendations for consideration by educational agencies on the issue of eligibility criteria are also provided

Characteristics and Attitudes of Pre-Service Teachers toward Individuals with Mental Illness

Mental health in children and adults has always been a controversial topic, however, recent mass shootings in schools have heightened the concern of many and raise questions for how to interact with the mentally ill.  Schools, have the capacity to be one of the key stakeholders in delivering services to students with mental health concerns, therefore it is critical to understand the dispositions of teachers toward these students to ensure that they understand the needs of these students. The purpose of this study is to examine specific characteristic of preservice teachers’ attitudes towards individuals with mental illnesses. The study sample consisted of 173 preservice teachers enrolled in a four-year teacher education program at a public research university located in the southeastern United States.  Results indicated that four demographic variables contributed to preservice teacher’s attitudes on the Community Attitudes toward Mental Illness (CAMI) measure and its various subscales: political orientation, knowing someone with a mental illness, and believing ADHD and ASD were mental illnesses.  Implications for future research are discussed. Keywords: Mental health, teacher preparation, emotional disturbance, EB

Individualized Education Programs and Special Education Programming for Students with Disabilities in Urban Schools

This Article examines the individualized education program (IEP) requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and presents a method for improving the education of students with disabilities in urban settings by appropriately developing IEPs. Part I considers the unique problems facing special education in urban school districts. Part II presents an overview of the IDEA and its requirement that school districts provide students with a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Part III examines the components of an IEP and the process for developing students’ IEPs------the key vehicle for providing a FAPE. Part IV outlines a process for developing educationally meaningful and legally sound IEPs for students with disabilities. Finally, Part V discusses the important issues in professional development for ensuring that urban school district personnel understand their responsibilities in crafting IEPs

Using Smart Phone Technology to Improve Daily Living Skills for Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities

Background Individuals with intellectual disabilities need continued supports in completing daily living tasks to increase the likelihood of achieving independence. Fortunately, research has shown that assistive technology, and particularly video prompting helps support independent living for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Aims This study investigated the efficacy of a highly customizable task analysis smartphone application in assisting three young adults with intellectual disabilities learn how to cook three different multistep recipes. Materials & Methods Three young adults with intellectual disabilities enrolled in a four-year postsecondary education program (PSE) participated in a multiple probe design across participants to examine the effect of a Task Analysis app on the participants\u27 completion of three cooking tasks. Results In this present study, the use of video prompting to teach a daily living skill resulted in large and meaningful effect size gains of 99%–100% for all three participants, as measured by Tau-U. Discussion Video prompting is an effective instructional strategy which allows the user to self-prompt and manage their ability to successfully complete daily living skills. In this current study, video prompting made a substantial difference in the safety of participants. Conclusion The use of video prompting can decrease the reliance on others (e.g., teachers and caregivers), improve self-confidence of the user, and improve the user\u27s level of autonomy

Feature Article Recovery of Attorney's Fees in Prehearing Settlements: A Legal Update

Congress amended the Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA) with the Handicapped Children's Protection Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-372) to allow parents to recover attorney's fees in certain circumstances. The purpose of this article is to review the case law regarding the recovery of attorney's fees for counsel services prior to holding a hearing within the legal parameters of P.L. 99-372. Considerations for practice are provided

EPSY Distinguished Speaker Series: Recent Trends in Litigation and Disciplinary Issues in Special Education

FALL 2016 DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER Antonis Katsiyannis, Ed.D. Recent Trends in Litigation in Special Education Date: October 4, 2016, 1:30 pm - 3:30pm Location: Memorial Student Center room 1400 IDEA 2004 and Disciplining Students with Disabilities Date: October 5, 2016 9:00am - 11:30am Location: Memorial Student Center, Room 1400 *This event is exclusive to SPED faculty and students and those who have interests related to behavior and discipline in schoolsAntonis Katsiyannis, Ed.D., is a Distinguished Alumni Professor of Special Education at Clemson University, where he teaches courses in assessment, applied behavior analysis, and legal and policy issues. He has published numerous articles in the areas of legal and policy issues associated with special education, delinquency, and issues involving students with emotional or behavioral disorders. He serves on several editorial boards and as the co-editor of the Journal of Disability Policy Studies. He is also actively involved in the field of behavioral disorders by serving in national boards, including as the current president of the Council for Exceptional Children.Department of Educational Psycholog

Using Video Prompting and Modeling on Mobile Technology to Teach Daily Living Skills: a Systematic Review

Objectives The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the effectiveness of video prompting and modeling with handheld devices/mobile technology to increase the ability of individuals with ID to engage in daily living skills. Methods A comprehensive systematic search in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standards to identify relevant experimental studies utilizing video prompting or modeling on handheld devices to teach daily living skills for individuals with ID was conducted. Results Twenty-four SCRD studies met criteria for inclusion involving 64 participants with varying levels of ID with 79% (N = 19) of studies involving domestic skills (e.g., cleaning, cooking, doing laundry), and 21% (N = 5) involving community skills; 75% (N = 18) used video prompting, 21% (N = 5) used video modeling, and 4% (N = 1) used both. Conclusions Effect sizes and visual analysis indicated that video prompting or modeling through handheld devices were effective in teaching daily living skills to individuals with ID. Future research for this population should include studies to teach personal skills (e.g., dressing, grooming, toileting) as there were no studies in this domain

Transition supports to students with mental retardation: an examination of data from the national Post-School Outcomes for Students with an Intellectual Disability longitudinal transition study 2. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities

Abstract: Effective transition planning is of paramount importance in maximizing pos