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December 1, 2002
Understanding Disabilities and Special Education
By Cheryl Irish, Ed.D.
Parents, educators, and professionals working with exceptional individuals often seek reliable information related to disabilities. The following websites were designed to provide information, assistance, and advocacy to persons with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who provide services for them. There is a wealth of information, including research articles, fact sheets, caselaw, chats, stories, and teaching strategies, available at these sites.
LD Online
Calling itself "the leading website on learning disabilities for parents, teachers, and other professionals," this site offers a host of valuable resources. You can find answers to questions; post your own questions, review recent research, and even shop in the LD Store. Sections include: "LD In Depth," with information on many topics related to learning disabilities and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; "ABCs of LD/ADD," providing information about definitions, diagnosis, and remediation; "First Person," with stories by individuals (some celebrities) suffering learning disabilities; and "Kid Zone," helping kids understand their own or others' learning disability. The site also provides a space for readers to ask Dr. Silver, a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, their own questions related to LD and ADD. Teaching strategies, assessment issues, and suggestions for using technology are all included on the Teachers' Home Page.
CHADD - Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Like LD Online, the CHADD site provides a plethora of valuable information about Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The site provides answers to frequently-asked questions, fact sheets and up-to-date research. The CHADD site can be read in English or Spanish. CHADD is an excellent resource for parents seeking to know what services and supports are available in public schools for their children with ADHD. Federal legislation related to special education (IDEA) and supports available in the regular classroom (ADA & Section 504) is explained and reviewed.
IDEA Practices
For those interested in the federal legislation pertaining to individuals with disabilities, the IDEA Practices site provides the full text of the law and regulations, a free newsletter, and professional development resources. Parents or professionals seeking to investigate the legal provisions of IDEA will find this site helpful.
CEC - Council for Exceptional Children
By its own definition, The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is "the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted." Information about conferences, publications, and career options is available at the CEC site. Discussion forums are also available and include chats on behavior and discipline, lesson swaps, recent articles in CEC journals, and much more.
NICHCY - The National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities
NICHCY is a national information and referral center providing information on disabilities and disability-related issues for families, educators, and other professionals. Their special focus is children and youth up to age 22. The NICHCY site offers information about disabilities including fact sheets, posters, publications, and training materials. The Frequently Asked Questions page provides answers to parents and professional who must interact with individuals having disabilities, such as inclusion, discipline, ADD, dyslexia, IDEA, and Section 504. The material available on this site may be read in English or Spanish.
Family Village - A Global Community of Disability-Related Resources
Family Village calls itself "a global community that integrates information, resources, and communication opportunities on the Internet for persons with cognitive and other disabilities, for their families, and for those that provide them services and support." From the home page readers can access a host of other disability related sites, enter chat rooms on disability-related topics, or research specific disability areas in the "Library." The Family Village also provides resources related to community, worship, recreation and leisure.
PACER Center - Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights
PACER Center claims its mission is "to expand opportunities and enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families, based on the concept of parents helping parents." If you are a parent knowledgeable in the area of disabilities who desires to help other parents with children who have disabilities OR if you are a parent who is seeking assistance to learn about your child's rights and protections, PACER is the site for you! PACER provides a wealth of information including workshops and individuals assistance to parents of children with disabilities. Materials (from articles to videos) are also available at this site.
CAST - Center for Applied Technology
CAST calls itself "an educational, not-for-profit organization that uses technology to expand opportunities for all people, especially those with disabilities." Key to CAST's mission is Universal Design for Learning (UDL). To increase access to the general curriculum by students with disabilities, UDL uses the latest in brain research and media technologies to design curricula that are flexible, and thereby accessible to different learners. Teaching and learning strategies that allow students to access the curricula are reviewed in the section on effective classroom practices and include explicit instruction, differentiated instruction, curriculum-based evaluations, and peer mediated instruction and intervention.
IRSC - Internet Resource for Special Children
SERI - Special Education Resources on the Internet
Both of these sites provide a directory of links to other helpful sites in the field of disabilities. The sites are well organized and direct the user to specific information on areas of interest. IRSC breaks categories into subsets for easy access to related information. For example, from the page on learning disabilities the reader may select from dyslexia, dysgraphia, hyperlexia, or others, or may scroll down the general listings related to LD. Both sites are user-friendly and loaded with helpful information!
OSEP - Office of Special Education Programs
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is dedicated to "improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts." For example, statistics related to outcomes in special education programs across America and a list of federally funded parent centers are provided. Also included is information on federally funded programs, grants, national studies, and publications.
WrightsLaw
Wrightslaw provides accurate, up-to-date information about effective advocacy for children with disabilities. Parents and educators will find the free publication section valuable. It offers no-cost articles on autism, behavior and discipline, bullying, high stakes testing, retention and social promotion, and zero tolerance! There's also a law library offering legal news, caselaw, statutes and regulations, and articles and reports. Scholars of the law will find significant case decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Courts of Appeals, and U.S. District Courts available in full text. Along with the law library, Wrightslaw provides an Advocacy Library, featuring the Advocate Center, where advocates share their ideas to help readers become more effective advocates for their children/students. The library also accepts new ideas and tips from current readers.
CADRE
Parents or teachers who become involved in disagreements over appropriate education for children with disabilities will find this site extremely valuable. CADRE, the National Center on Dispute Resolution, says it "encourages the use of mediation and other collaborative strategies to resolve disagreements about special education and early intervention programs." Resources for training are available as are answers to frequently asked questions about disputes and mediation. CADRE provides a database to assist the user in finding special education conflict resolution professionals in their home area.
Kodak Lesson Plans
This is a fun site for teachers! Each of the lesson plans provided use photography or photographs to achieve the desired outcomes for learners with special needs. Objectives focus on a wide variety of areas including speech and language, functional academics, art, and community involvement.
Email: Cheryl Irish
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