One obstacle in advocating for a child with a disability is finding the time to do research. We spend hours collecting information so you can spend your time learning, not searching.
From this page, download free publications about IEPs, special education, transition planning, reading, children's mental health, harassment, high-stakes testing, retention and social promotion, zero tolerance and discipline. The contents of this page change often as we add new publications.
Bibliography: p. A selected list of free and inexpensive pamphlets and booklets: p. Books to Borrow. Physical and health education for elementary and secondary schools, 1940. DOWNLOAD OPTIONS. An Ecological Perspective on Health Promotion Systems, Settings and Social Processes Free Samples. Open Access (Free to download), 0. Check our section of free e-books and guides on nursing now! This page contains list of freely available E-books, Online Textbooks and Tutorials in nursing. Nursing Books: Nature of Nursing. Acute Care Setting, The Nursing Process In Public Health Nursing, Health Education In Public Health Nursing, Establishing Health Team And The Role. The book - the textbook 'Health promotion and health education' was prepared by a multidisciplinary team of experts, teachers of the subject from three higher educational institutions in the. The Health Education test is designed to measure the professional knowledge of prospective teachers of health education in elementary schools, junior high schools, and senior high schools. Examinees typically have completed, or are about to complete, a bachelor’s degree program in health education, health and wellness, or similar program of. All materials are available in Adobe PDF form and are free for download and noncommercial use. (Click on a thumbnail below to access the downloadable PDF. Free Health Education Materials. As part of its mission, Children's Health Fund produces a series of Health Education Materials on subjects critical to the good health of children.
While you are here, be sure to check our list of free online newsletters about legal, special education law and advocacy, disabilities information, and education. Each newsletter has a link to subscribe.
Accommodations and Modifications
Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities (U. S. Department of Education). Five-page booklet answers questions about admissions, accommodations & academic adjustments, documentation, evaluations, and discrimination under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Accommodations Manual: How to Select, Administer, and Evaluate Use of Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of Students with Disabilities. (in html) Developed by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards Assessing Special Education Students. (pdf format)
The Accommodations Manual presents a five-step process for individualized educational program teams, 504 plan committees, general and special education teachers, administrators, and district-level assessment staff to use in the selection, administration, and evaluation of the effectiveness of the use of instructional and assessment accommodations by students with disabilities. The guidance in the manual pertains to students with disabilities who participate in large-scale assessments and the instruction they receive.
Improving Accommodations Outcomes: Monitoring Instructional and Assessment Accommodations for Students with Disabilities.Third in a series of three CCSSO publications for states addressing accommodations and students with disabilities. This publication provides a comprehensive professional development guide for states to establish or improve quality accommodations monitoring programs. (PDF Format)
Assistive Technology
Accessible Instructional Materials: Ensuring Access for Students with Learning Disabilities - Policy Brief: National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). (PDF,22 pages)
Assessing Students' Needs for Assistive Technology (ASNAT) 5th Edition - complete version.
WATI Assessment Package. Assessing a Child's Need for Assistive Technology: Where to Start? This WATI Assessment process provides an overview of the assistive technology consideration,
assessment and planning process that has been implemented throughout Wisconsin. The package includes
Accessibility: A Guide for Educators - Empowering students with accessible technology that enables personalized learning.This guide from Microsoft provides information about accessibility and accessible technology to help educators worldwide ensure that all students have equal access to learning with technology. In English and Spanish.
The Essential Guide to Assistive Technology. Marshall Raskin, Ph.D. provides an overview of assistive technologies and advice about selecting appropriate tools for children with learning problems. Free download (21 pages).
Autism & Child Mental Health
Autism Speaks 100 Day Kit. Specifically for newly diagnosed families, to make the best possible use of the 100 days following the diagnosis of autism. The kit contains information and advice collected from trusted and respected experts on autism as well as from parents of children with autism. There is a week by week plan for the next 100 days, as well as organizational suggestions and forms that parents/caregivers can use to help with the paperwork and phone calls, as they begin to find services for their child. Newly diagnosed families (within six months of diagnosis) can order a kit which will contain personalized information specific to the child's age and location.
Request a kit (click here) and an Autism Speaks Autism Response Team coordinator will contact you by phone, to get some additional information so that a kit can be personalized for you and your child.
Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Best Practice Guidelines for Screening, Diagnosis and Assessment. This publication provides professionals, policymakers, parents and others with 'best practice' recommendations and rationale for screening, evaluating and assessing individuals suspected of having autistic spectrum disorders. These guidelines are the product of nearly a year's work by experts in the field of autistic spectrum disorders and are based on validated scientific evidence, clinical experience and clinical judgment.
My Brother Has Autism (PDF). This book, written by an 8-year-old girl, explains the ups and downs of being the sibling of a child with Autism. This book is now available in print.
Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development's Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development: AUTISM (PDF). This 40 page, PDF document includes a Synthesis on autism, Autism and its impact on child development, The impact of autism on child development, Autism and its impact on young children’s social development, Autism and its impact on child development, Autism intervention, The effect of early intervention on the social and emotional development of young children (0-5) with autism, and Autism intervention.
Educating Children with Autism (National Academy Press). This 276 page publication from National Science Academy is used as evidence in due process hearings on behalf of children with autism. Includes research about effective educational programs for children with autism; early intervention; recommends one-on-one therapy or direct instruction a minimum of 25 hours a week, 12 months a year; more. Download this publication for free from National Academy Press.
Special Education: Children with Autism. The Government Accountability Office published this report to answers questions submitted by Congress about special education for children with autism.
Report on the Surgeon General's Conference on Children's Mental Health - A National Action Agenda (Office of the Surgeon General). 1 in 10 children and adolescents suffer from mental illness that is severe enough to cause impairment; fewer than 1 in 5 children receive needed treatment. Report stresses need to use science-based prevention and treatment services. To order bound copies, contact National Institutes of Mental Health: (301) 443-4513
Children and Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General (Office of the Surgeon General). This publication describes normal child development; risk factors and prevention; mental disorders in children, including ADHD, depression, anxiety disorders, autism, disruptive disorders, substance abuse, and eating disorders and effective treatments for these disorders. Download Full text of Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General
Behavior & Discipline
If you are the parent or teacher of a child with behavior problems, you need to learn about Functional Behavioral Assessments, Positive Behavior Intervention Plans, and IEP teams. You need to identify the underlying causes of child's behavior (what the child 'gets' or 'avoids' through the behavior) and effective strategies to tackle behavior problems.
Bully Prevention in Positive Behavior Supports. Giving students the tools to reduce bullying behavior through the blending of school-wide positive behavior support, explicit instruction, and a redefinition of the bullying construct from the National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
An IEP Team's Introduction to Functional Behavioral Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plans. (Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice) Download in pdf
Conducting a Functional Behavior Assessment (Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice) Download in pdf
Addressing Student Problem Behavior: Creating Positive Behavioral Intervention Plans & Supports.(Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice) Intro/chapters-html
Prevention Research & IDEA Discipline Provisions: A Guide for School Administrators - (U. S. Department of Education) Describes research-validated practices for safe, effective learning environments for all children.
Suspending Disbelief - Moving Beyond Punishment to Promote Effective Interventions for Children with Mental or Emotional Disorders (Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law). Prevention and early intervention for children with emotional disorders; functional behavior assessments; positive behavioral interventions; how this works in real life.
Zero Tolerance & Alternative Strategies: A Fact Sheet for Educators & Policymakers (National Association of School Psychologists) Prevalence of; problems associated with zero tolerance policies; impact on students; alternatives including violence prevention, social skills training and positive behavioral supports, early intervention strategies.
Discipline Flow Chart. Protections in the IDEA apply to students who have been found eligible for special education. They also apply to students for whom the school is deemed to have knowledge that the child might have a disability. These are students who have not yet been found eligible, but the school had a basis of knowledge of a disability, including students who have been referred for initial evaluation.
Bullying & Harassment
Disability Harassment in the Public Schools (Word format) by Mark C. Weber, published in the William and Mary Law Review (Vol. 43, Issue 3, Feb 2002). Mark Weber, author of the Special Education Law and Education Treatise, wrote this excellent article that will help you understand the legal issues of disability harassment. Pdf format
Schoolwide Prevention of Bullying (Northwest Regional Educational Library). 30 percent of American children are involved in bullying, as bullies, victims, or both. Approximately 15 percent are “severely traumatized or distressed” by bullies . . . Despite these numbers, bullying behavior is rarely detected by teachers, and is even less frequently taken seriously.This booklet provides an overview of what is known about bullying behavior and successful efforts to address it; profiles anti-bullying programs and offers resources. Download in pdf (28 pages)
Protecting Students from Harassment and Hate Crimes: A Guide for Schools (U. S. Department of Education & Office for Civil Rights & National Association of Attorneys General). Many children experience sexual, racial and ethnic harassment at school. This Guide provides step-by-step guidance about how to protect students from harassment and violence. Download
Preventing Bullying: A Manual For Schools and Communities. This document addresses the problem of bullying in schools and defines bullying, discusses the seriousness of this behavior and the effectiveness of a comprehensive approach, and presents strategies for teachers, students, and parents to use when dealing with bullying situations. It also provides examples of innovative and successful approaches used by schools in different parts of the country.
College & Continuing Education
Preparing for College: The Online Guide for Students with Disabilities. Preparing for college is a challenge. If you have a disability, the process can be more complicated. This online guide offers sound advice about factors to consider when choosing a college, financial aid, understanding your rights, disability organizations, and information about colleges and universities that offer special programs for students with disabilities.
Early Intervention
Accessing Programs for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers With Disabilities: A Parent's Guide. (National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities) Publication is designed to help families obtain help for young children with special needs (birth through 5 years); answers commonly asked questions about early intervention services and related services; identifies early intervention policies and contacts are in your state and area. (20 pages)
High-Stakes Tests
Do No Harm: High Stakes Testing and Students with Learning Disabilities (Disability Rights Advocates). Describes accommodations, alternate assessments, appeals, procedures, and other safeguards that should be implemented for statewide assessment systems to comply with the law and guarantee educationally sound opportunities to students with learning disabilities.
State High School Exit Exams: A Baseline Report (Center on Education Policy). Report includes data collected from all states with exit exams; case studies of five states; reviews major research; makes recommendations to ensure that exit exams are implemented well and lead to learning.
Assessments and Accommodations (National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities) by Stephen D. Luke, Ed.D. /garageband-free-download-for-android.html. & Amanda Schwartz, Ph.D. Accommodations play an important role in educational settings for students with disabilities. But what accommodations are Appropriate for which students? How do accommodations affect students’ learning and their performance on tests? This Evidence for Education addresses these and other questions and explores the research base in this area.
IDEA & Special Education
Legal Rights of Children with Epilepsy in School & Child Care: An Advocate's Manual (PDF) Advocate's Manual published by The Epilepsy Foundation that provides detailed practical guidance to help parents and non-attorney advocates understand the rights of children in the special education process.This new manual is not limited to children with epilepsy, it's reach is far broader. It provides excellent information about how to effectively advocate to secure the rights of all children with disabilities.
Minority Students in Special and Gifted Education (National Academy Press). Recommends that schools use comprehensive reading assessments to identify students at risk of academic failure and provide high quality instruction; urges states to raise teacher certification and licensing requirements to include effective intervention methods. Share this report with school board members so they understand how research-based teaching methods will reduce the number of children who are not learning to read. Download
Children with Disabilities Placed By Their Parents in Private Schools: An IDEA Practices Toolkit (the Council for American Private Education and the IDEA Local Implementation by Local Administrators Partnership). Provides explanations of the procedures regarding the education of students with disabilities voluntarily placed by their parents in private schools. This toolkit will help anyone involved in the process - parents, staff and administrators of public and private schools. Toolkit Update Page and CAPE's analysis of the reauthorized IDEA 2004.
Back to School on Civil Rights: Advancing the Federal Commitment to Leave No Child Behind. The National Council on Disability found that all states were out of compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Act law and that ' . . . efforts to enforce the law over several Administrations have been inconsistent, ineffective, and lacking any real teeth.' Download
Order bound copies from National Council on Disability, 1331 F. Street, NW, Suite 1050, Washington, DC 20004-1107. Phone: 202-272-2004