The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is an essential component in providing a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to individuals with disabilities. The 2004 amendments of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) have attempted to reduce the paperwork requirements of the IEP, while simultaneously ensuring that the goal of FAPE is met. Furthermore, the legislation attempts to bring the requirements of IDEA and NCLB into better alignment. Legislative changes to the IEP are described, and possible implications are discussed.
Abstract:The presence of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) impairs social, emotional and academic functioning. Individuals with OCD may have co-morbid disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, oppositional defiant disorder, or Tourette syndrome. Challenges occur when students with OCD become a part of the general education classroom. This article provides an overview of OCD and presents information to assist teachers and school staff to successfully meet the needs of students with OCD.
Niemann-Pick Disease (NPD) is a group of rare inherited disorders that are both systemic and degenerative. Knowledge of the disease, its characteristics, and its progression are essential for the teacher and related service personnel to provide an appropriate educational experience for the student. For the teacher who has a student with NPC 1 in his/her classroom, the focus is two-fold: first to provide a supportive academic environment for the student with NPC 1 and her/his classroom peers; and, second, to provide emotional support for the student and the family. Included in this manuscript are suggested accommodations for the teacher and other therapists and related service personnel to use in providing an appropriate education for a student with NPC 1 .
As elementary teachers engage their students in scientific inquiry, they often turn to the internet as a resource for rapidly locating scientific activities to use in an inclusive classroom. In these circumstances, however, how can the elementary level teacher know whether the science activities are safe? Even if safety is included within the activities, how does the elementary level teacher know if all safety issues have adequately been addressed? The purpose of this article is to highlight potential safety concerns involving elementary science activities and to provide a checklist to use when evaluating the safety of science activities prior to implementing these activities within the inclusive classroom. If the use of the checklist calls attention to a safety concern in a particular activity, we suggest trying to modify the activity first to make it safe. If the activity cannot be modified to eliminate all safety concerns, then it is recommended that the elementary level teacher search for a different activity that does not pose any hazards. The checklist and supporting background information provided within this paper is intended to help teachers confidently provide a positive learning environment in which all students can safely learn science through inquiry and exploration.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.