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 Special
Education Information for Teachers
This section provides teachers and other education professionals
with information and resources about teaching students with disabilities.
Some of the content will be of use to any classroom teacher. Other topics
may be more appropriate for special education teachers or specialists
working with disabled students.
This site is about effective
teaching:
The federal IDEA statutes specify the procedures for identification and
program planning for students who have a disability that interferes with
their learning. While this section includes a discussion of these procedures,
our primary focus is on providing teachers with strategies to meet the
individualized instructional challenges these students present. Some of
these are extensions of good teaching practices you may already be using.
Other strategies are specific to particular disabilities or situations.
Go where you wish:
This is not a linear presentation. Feel free to jump to the sections that
will be most directly helpful to you and your students. We have included
some general information on differentiating instruction as a starting
point. You will also find more detailed information on specific disabilities
and their instructional implications, as well as listings of appropriate
print and web resources that may also be useful in specific situations.
Our goal is to help you quickly find the resources that will help in your
classroom.
Here are some starting points for your visit:
Basics - Hints to make the
student and yourself comfortable. These suggestions are particularly
useful for teachers working with special education students for the
first time.
Case Studies - Examples of
specific strategies that can make a difference in outcomes for special
education students.
Differentiated Instruction
- Strategies for modifying instruction to help accommodate special needs
students.
Disabilities Defined
- A collection of definitions, explanations, teaching strategies, and
resources sorted by disability and, in some cases, by specific disorder.
We have placed special emphasis on conditions found in schools and mixed-setting
classrooms.
An introduction to IDEA
regulations and provisions - An overview of the process by which
schools determine and deliver special education services.
Dealing with Stress in Special
Education - Tips from the field to reduce stress at work and at
home.
Special Education Assessment
Strategies - Methods for evaluating special education students.
Special Education
Lesson Plans - A collection of lessons adapted or created for special
education students.
Transition
and Vocational Planning - Ways in which teachers and parents can
help students plan their futures
Programs
for preschoolers - Tips on assessing preschoolers and preparing
them for school.
Using Assistive Technologies
- A look at ways to use technology in special education.
A Glossary, containing
definitions of many special education terms
Listings of National
Organizations - A collection of general resources. Disability-specific
resources are listed as part of the Disabilities
Defined section.
Don't forget the parents:
Remember that this site has a companion Parents'
Section. Information in the parents' section is keyed to the contents
of this section. Effective special education is a partnership among the
student, the student's family, and all the teachers and specialists who
work with that student. The resources in the parent section can help build
the common understandings that will make this partnership work. We hope
you will suggest these resources to the parents whom you encounter.
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