Higher Education Policy Changes Take Center Stage

Students With Disabilities May Be Collateral Damage in College Admissions Scandal Earlier this month, Americans were made aware of a number of wealthy families allegedly abusing the college admissions process by faking disabilities, cheating on admissions tests, and bribing college officials. The alleged scheme is incredibly discouraging and does a serious disservice to students who have real disabilities and rely on accommodations in school. Many disabilities rights advocates, including some who advocated on behalf of […]

Varied State Criteria May Contribute to Differences in Percentages of Children Served

What GAO Found Differences in states’ eligibility criteria and the difficulty of identifying and evaluating some children suspected of having disabilities may contribute to differences in the percentages of children receiving special education services across states. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the primary federal special education law, requires states to have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all children with disabilities residing in the state who need special education services are […]

The Endless Fight for Help: Yesterday and Today

by Maxine Rosaler When I was looking for schools for my son twenty years ago, private special education schools were the only schools equipped to give autistic children anywhere near the kind of help they needed. The competition for these schools was very stiff: it was not usual to find out that there were fifty applicants for every spot. And if a parent was lucky enough to have her child accepted at one of these […]

My Tips for Homeschooling a Child with Autism

Education can be a challenge for any child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. In response, there are many parents who turn to homeschooling1 rather than traditional education means. However, to unlock your child’s full potential, you have to make the most of your homeschooling lessons. In this article, we are going to take a look at some of the ways that you can help your child thrive in their early education and beyond. With these […]

4 Ways Tech is Improving Special Needs Education

Special needs children represent a significant portion of the public school population. As of 2013-14, there were 6.5 million children and young adults ages 3-21 who were receiving these services in the United States. Although they have to overcome challenges their peers don’t, these kids can and do thrive, especially as educational technology has improved. In the past, special needs kids typically didn’t have a chance at a level playing field when it came to […]