Special Education

Selected Web Sites:

• U.S. Department of Education 
• Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
• DEDOE Special Education [Delaware Department of Education]  
• Education World - Special Education resources 

 Special Education Professional Organizations:

• Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (ASCD)
• Council for Exceptional Children 
• The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) 
• National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)
• The International Dyslexia Association 

U.S. Government Organizations:

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
  • Information about the federal act including laws, policies, reports, and current updates.
• Ideas that Work
  • Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) website for further information on IDEA (see link above) including resources and publications.
• NEA.org (National Education Association) - Special Education Advocacy 
  • Section of NEA website focused on current Special Education related legislation and advocacy.
• Disabilities - My Child's Special Needs 
  • Webpage of resources from Ed.gov (U.S. Department of Education)

Parent Advocacy websites:

The websites below were created by parents, or groups of parents, with a special interest in children with disabilities and special needs. Be aware that while many of the links they provide may lead to good resources, the owners of these sites can post information without peer-review. Therefore, use caution when citing these sources and double-check with scholarly sources! 

• ABA Therapy for Recovery from Autism 
  • Webpage of resources gathered by parent of child with autism. Last updated 2017.
•  ParentPals.com - Resource list
  •  Webpage of links to organizations fucsed on special education, disabilities, and accessibility issues. Last updated in 2002. Many links are still active and lead to other organizations' websites.

Evaluating Internet Sources

Accuracy
    ­Is the information reliable?
    ­Is there a bibliography or reference?
    ­Is the information fact or opinion?
    ­Are there grammatical and spelling mistakes?

Authority
    ­Is there an author?  Can the author be contacted?
    ­Who is the publisher?  Is it a recognized publisher?

Audience
    ­Whom is the author addressing?  Is the author addressing students or the general public?

Currency
    ­What is the date of the information?  How often is the site updated?

Coverage
    ­What materials are covered?  How in-depth is the information?

Objective
    ­Is the information biased?  Is there any advertisement?  What is the purpose of the web page?