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Special Ed Kids in the Justice System: How To Recognize and Treat Young People with Disabilities That Compromise Their Ability to Comprehend, Learn, and Behave

NCJ Number
210025
Editor(s)
Lourdes M. Rosado
Date Published
June 2000
Length
91 pages
Annotation
This fifth of six modules of a Juvenile Court Training Curriculum instructs participants in how to identify and help children in the juvenile justice system who have disabilities that limit their ability to learn how to behave appropriately in various social contexts.
Abstract
Participants in the module will be able to identify the learning/behavioral/emotional disabilities that are most prevalent among youth who come into the juvenile justice system, such as attention deficit disorder, language and speech disorders, mental retardation, and serious emotional disturbances. Such identifications require the use of diagnostic tools and checklists, which are introduced in this module. A link is drawn between various disabling conditions and delinquent behavior, including a discussion of the attributes of special-education children that may predispose them to delinquent behavior. Six sections of the module address Federal and State law that applies specifically to the legal rights of children with disabilities. One section provides an overview of Federal and State law that bears upon a child's right to education generally, followed by an overview of Federal special education law, i.e., The Individuals With Disabilities Act (IDEA). The module then provides instruction in the referral, evaluation, and development process for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) under IDEA. Legal rights and proceedings under the IDEA are then addressed, followed by sections on disciplinary actions under the IDEA and the right to education in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. A 16-item bibliography and 14 appendixes with supplementary instructional material and aids for instructional exercises