A primer on special education law in the United States—Part 3: remedies for misdiagnosis or misplacement of special education students

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the everyday life of many individuals across the globe. The school closures across the majority of the United States have presented administrators, educators, and behavior analysts with the unprecedented task of deciding how best to teach and support our students, especially those accessing special education services. The current paper describes the steps our program took, in light of school closures, to advocate for and ultimately create and implement a model that allows special education students to access the behavior analytic educational supports they had received on campus (e.g., BCBA and paraprofessional support) in a novel and remote manner. We share details regarding the advocacy and collaboration process as well as the distance special education support model itself in hopes that similar processes and models can be implemented across geographical locations to assist special education students in accessing their educational and behavioral supports in a meaningful way throughout current and future school closures.

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Original sin(s): lessons from the US model of special education and an opportunity for leaders

Journal of Educational Administration ◽

10.1108/jea-10-2019-0175 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 58 (5) ◽

pp. 507-520

Author(s):

Jake Cornett ◽

Kimberly M. Knackstedt

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Special Education ◽

Inclusive Education ◽

Policy Development ◽

The United States ◽

Education Law ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Persons With Disabilities ◽

Content Type ◽

The Us

PurposeThe United States (US) system of special education committed three original sins that perpetuate inequities between children with disabilities and their peers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of the US system, contrast this history against international disability law and identify opportunities for leaders to transform policy and practice for inclusive education.Design/methodology/approachThis paper explores the development of the three sins in US special education law: (1) weaving throughout it a medical model of disability, (2) failing to mandate inclusion and (3) hampering meaningful enforcement. The paper contrasts the US system with the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), an international law adopted by 180 nations that requires inclusion of people with disabilities at all levels of systems.FindingsThis paper finds that the United States has not embraced inclusion in education, but has permitted a continuum of segregation and integration. After a discussion of the three sins and the CRPD, the authors describe opportunities for international and US leaders to learn from the original sins of the United States and develop a system of true inclusion for all students through the transformation of policy and practice.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature on policy development and implementation, with implications for future amendments to US education law and international public administration of education.

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Speech-Language Pathology in the Peace Corps: Necessity and Sustainability

Perspectives on Global Issues in Communication Sciences and Related Disorders ◽

10.1044/gics2.1.11 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 11-18

Author(s):

Melissa A. Pierce

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Special Education ◽

Peace Corps ◽

People With Disabilities ◽

Communication Disorders ◽

The United States ◽

Speech Language Pathology ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

Language Pathology

In countries other than the United States, the study and practice of speech-language pathology is little known or nonexistent. Recognition of professionals in the field is minimal. Speech-language pathologists in countries where speech-language pathology is a widely recognized and respected profession often seek to share their expertise in places where little support is available for individuals with communication disorders. The Peace Corps offers a unique, long-term volunteer opportunity to people with a variety of backgrounds, including speech-language pathologists. Though Peace Corps programs do not specifically focus on speech-language pathology, many are easily adapted to the profession because they support populations of people with disabilities. This article describes how the needs of local children with communication disorders are readily addressed by a Special Education Peace Corps volunteer.

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