Knowra Special education Special education Special education is specially designed instruction and related services that address the individual learning needs of students with disabilities. It may be provided in general education classrooms, separate settings, or both.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act : A United States federal law guaranteeing eligible children with disabilities special education and related services. It establishes the central U.S. framework for eligibility, services, and educational planning.
Individualized instruction : Teaching adapted to a learner's assessed needs, strengths, pace, or goals. Specially designed instruction changes teaching methods or content to address individual disability-related needs.
Accommodation : A change to access, presentation, or response conditions that does not fundamentally alter what is taught or assessed. Accommodations support access, while special education may also change how instruction is designed.
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania : A 1971 federal court case that challenged Pennsylvania's exclusion of children with intellectual disabilities from public schools. Its settlement helped establish enforceable educational access before federal special education legislation.
Disability rights : The civil and human rights of people with disabilities, including equal access and protection from discrimination. Special education is one arena where broader disability rights become concrete school obligations.
Individualized Education Program : A written plan specifying a student's special education, related services, goals, and supports under U.S. federal law. It translates an eligible student's assessed needs into measurable goals and services.
Inclusive education : An approach in which students with and without disabilities learn together with appropriate supports. It is a common setting for delivering special education while maintaining access to general classrooms.
Modification (education) : A change to the content, complexity, or expectations of what a student is taught or assessed. Modifications alter learning expectations; accommodations generally preserve them.
Mills v. Board of Education of District of Columbia : A 1972 federal court ruling that required Washington, D.C., to educate children with disabilities and provide due process protections. It rejected lack of funding as a justification for excluding children from public education.
Educational inclusion : The practice of ensuring all students can participate meaningfully in shared educational settings. Special education policy shapes whether supports enable membership in general school communities.
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