special

Parents are often overwhelmed by the number of acronyms that are used in special education. Here are some of the most frequently used acronyms, even though this is not an exhaustive list, these cover some of the ones that are commonly used. Adaptive Behavior-AB Applied Behavioral Analysis-ABA American Disability Act-ADA Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-ADHD APE… Read more

The following is a list of terms used in special education.  The definitions of these words are helpful to parents when reading reports, attending meetings, conferences, and/or talking with staff members who work with your child. Academic – Refers to subjects such as reading, writing, math, social studies, and science. Accommodations – Changes in format… Read more

Since 1974, federal legislation has provided the right for children with disabilities to receive an appropriate public education.  The Individuals with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004) reaffirmed these rights.  Under the federal law, special education means specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parent, to meet the unique needs of individuals with exceptional… Read more

NOW LIVE! Free Introduction to UCS Course Series for Educators We are so excited to share the new Unified Champion Schools (UCS) training created especially for educators is now live on our learning platform SO Learn! This series includes four courses that will increase educators understanding of the Unified Champion Schools strategy and demonstrate its… Read more

Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools is a program for schools Pre-K through university that intentionally promotes meaningful social inclusion by bringing together students with and without intellectual disabilities to create accepting school environments.  SOUCS utilizes three interconnected components: Special Olympics Unified Sports®, inclusive youth leadership, and whole school engagement. In October 2021, Unified Champion Schools across the U.S. participated in… Read more

Founded by two youth leaders in 2009 as Spread the Word to End the Word, the campaign focused its first 10 years on addressing a particularly powerful form of exclusion: the word ‘retard(ed)’. In 2017, 70% of teens said they vocalized the wrong and demeaning use of the R-word when it used in conversation, up nearly 50% since 2009.  Over 10 years, leaders and self-advocates collected millions of digital and physical… Read more

Special Education Paraeducators: How Do You Document Support You Provide Students? How do we know students who are expected to receive curricular and personal supports recommended in Individual Education Programs (IEP’s) are not only receiving them—but that these supports are actually working to improve student learning. What We Collaboratively Designed In recent work with a… Read more