Developing strong transition-focused IEPS using labour market data

Employment rates and post-school transition outcomes for individuals with disabilities remain alarmingly low compared to peers without disabilities. Transition-Focused Individualized Education Plans (TF-IEPs) often centre on skills associated with employment experience opportunities that are immediately available to the individual with a disability. While the transition plans focus on the student's strengths and areas of interest, less attention is paid to the guidance and support a student might need in choosing a sustainable career. We contend that teams must develop transition plans with specific attention to projected labour market data. Using this information will ensure that we are preparing students with disabilities for long-term success. This article describes how school teams can use an in-depth labour market analysis to develop robust transition plans. These plans will prepare students for careers that will last far into the future.     

美国个别化教育计划的立法演进与发展

1975年,美国颁布的<所有残疾儿童教育法>首次提出要为每位接受特殊教育的特殊儿童制订个别化教育计划(简称IEP).随后,该法案经过了几次修订.每次法案修订时都根据当时的问题或需要调整IEP的要求,然而,这些要求的实现要受到多种因素的影响.本文回顾了30多年来美国IEP相关立法的演变进程,分析了IEP随之发生的变化以及对提供有效的特殊教育及相关服务的影响.     

自闭症视障儿童的个别化教育的案例研究

针对自闭症视障儿童个案测评结果 ,宁波盲校多重障碍儿童教育 训练 康复小组集体制定了个别化教育计划 (IEP) ,确定了长期目标、短期目标、教学要点等 ,分析了IEP执行、总结和评定情况。个案经过教育康复 ,改善了自闭症状 ,身心有了发展 ,初步适应了学校生活     

What Influences the Quality of Research: Findings from an Editorial Management Database

Abstract

This paper details the use of the Internet by educators and parents of students with disabilities, software tools that make the Internet accessible to students with special needs, and the state of Web-based instruction for these students. Issues are discussed that relate to current research with students with various disabilities as well as the scarcity of research with special education students using the Internet.     

How individualised are the Individualised Education Programmes (IEPs): an analysis of the contents and quality of the IEPs goals

The Individualised Education Programme (IEP) is a fundamental document that describes all educational responses to the additional support needs of students, setting up the guideline for their learning and developmental experiences. Specifically, the IEP goals represent the personal destination translated into desirable behaviours and skills that will enable students with additional support needs to meet their educational and functional needs. This paper analysis the quality of the 2497 IEP goals established for 135 Portuguese students with additional support needs and their fit to the students’ level of severity and educational level. The quality of IEP goals was measured using the Revised IFSP/IEP Goals and Objectives Rating Instrument and the content was categorised in reference to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, version for Children and Youth. Findings showed that goals are generally poorly written, particularly in terms of their measurability and that their quality decreases as students’ progress in education. Results also showed that IEP goals for students with a highly individualised curriculum do not attend to their needs of more functional contents. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for teacher training.     

Constructing the Individual Education Plan: confusion or collaboration?

The Special Education Needs Code of Practice (2001) states that both parents and children should be actively involved in the decisions that surround the child's special educational need. In particular, it acknowledges the ‘unique knowledge’ that children have of their own needs and advocates that they should take part in the setting and evaluating of Individual Education Plan (IEP) targets. This small‐scale research project, involving Year 6 students in a mainstream junior school, investigates to what extent there is common agreement between the teacher, parent and child with regard to the nature of the child's need. Additionally, it examines to what extent partnership is expressed through the targets shown on the IEP and in particular whether the voice of the child is heeded. This article concludes by suggesting that while some children may be willing to engage with IEP targets that are teacher‐initiated, children whose voice is overlooked are in danger of becoming disengaged from learning.     

Parent perspectives on student IEP involvement

As key members of the Individualised Education Program (IEP) team and strong child advocates, parents play a critical role in special education. In this study, we sought to understand a crucial, yet underexamined, aspect of special education – parent perceptions regarding student participation in IEP development. Specifically, we asked parents how schools could better support student involvement in the IEP process, including IEP meetings. Participants included 646 parents of students with disabilities aged 5–21 years currently receiving special education services across the United States. Constant comparative analysis was used to code data. Qualitative coding revealed four major themes, including: (1) promoting an active student role, (2) supportive school staff, (3) making changes to IEP meetings and (4) considerations and concerns regarding student participation. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.