Special Education
- The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC):
http://www.cec.sped.org
An international organization that is dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. - Disability Rights, Education and Defense Fund (DREDF):
http://www.dredf.org
A national law and policy center dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities. - Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC):
http://www.ericec.org
ERIC EC (Gifted Education) gathers and disseminates the professional literature, information, and resources on the education and development of individuals of all ages who have disabilities and/or who are gifted. - IDEA PRACTICES:
http://www.ideapractices.org
An organization that provides teachers, school administrators and related services professionals in implementing recent changes to the nation's primary special education law. - National Parent Information Network (NPIN):
http://www.npin.org
Provides access to research-based information about the process of parenting, and about family involvement in education. - Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS):
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/
Administering programs and projects relating to free appropriate public education of all children, youth and adults with disabilities, from birth through age 21. - PACER Center:
http://www.pacer.org
A nonprofit organization that provide workshops, individual assistance and disseminates materials to help parents become informed and effective representatives for their children with disabilities in early childhood, school-age and vocational settings. Excellent site for publications on support services. - The HEATH Resource Center of the American Council on Education:
http://www.acenet.edu/programs/HEATH/home.html
A national clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities. - The National Information Center for Children and Youths with Disabilities (NICHCY):
http://www.nichcy.org
A national information and referral service that provides information on disabilities and disability-related issues for families, educators, and other professionals with a special focus on children and youth (birth to age 22). - The National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS):
http://www.sri.com/neils
Is a study of infants, toddlers, and their families receiving early intervention services. - The National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2):
http://www.nlts2.org
NLTS2 is a study begun in 2001 that is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Over the next several years, NLTS2 will document the experiences of a national sample of students as they move into adult roles. NLTS2 is focusing on a wide range of important topics, such as high school coursework, extracurricular activities, academic performance, postsecondary education and training, employment, independent living, and community participation. - The Special Ed Advocate:
http://www.wrightslaw.com
This organization provides parents, educators, attorneys, and other helping professionals with the information they need to be effective advocates for special needs children. This site contains current articles, cases, and links relating to special education. - The Special Elementary Educational Longitudinal Study (SEELS):
http://www.seels.net
SEELS is a study of school-age students funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in the U.S. Department of Education and is part of the national assessment of the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 97). From Year 2000 to 2006, SEELS is documenting the school experiences of a national sample of students as they move from elementary to middle school and from middle to high school.