special+education

www.fcsn.org Federation for Children with Special Needs: A statewide organization that advocates on behalf of children with special needs. Has a very good pamphlet for parents on understanding the SPED referral and evaluation process; it’s a good read for teachers looking to understand how the whole thing works.

www.ncld.org National Center for Learning Disabilities: Great site with articles and strategies for educators. Also a good place to recommend for parents to educate themselves. Has materials directed to teenagers with LD. You can sign up here for LD News, an e-journal with concise information on a different topic each month.

www.ldonline.org This site bills itself as “the world’s leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD.” It does indeed have a large amount of well-organized, easy to read information. Includes sections for parent, kids, and teachers. A good place to go for a quick review of what different kinds of disabilities involve and how to remediate for them.

www.ldanatl.org Learning Disabilities Association of America: Many articles organized by type of disability, for different kinds of audiences, plus links to other sites and organizations. Good for some educational browsing.

www.teachingld.org You can download articles here from Teaching Exceptional Children, a journal about special education.

www.doe.mass.edu/sped Mass Department of Education: Has all the legal documents you want to let you inner policy wonk be happy. Plus links to good organizations.

www.schwablearning.org: “A parents’ guide to helping kids with disabilities.” Another place to get answers with a healthy dose of common sense. www.schwablearning.org/articles.aspx?r=306&g=2 Page with a simple, clear explanation of the difference between modifications and accommodations, along with basic info about the implications for assessment.

http://2enewsletter.com A monthly publication directed to the parents and teachers of kids with disabilities who are also gifted in some way. My personal take is that we have many more of these kids in our classrooms than we have traditionally thought. You can read a few sample issues of the newsletter for free – well worth the time. The Sept. ’06 newsletter focuses on helping kids stay organized – good tips for all kids, not just those who are twice exceptional (hence the ‘2e’ title).