Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is a prominent component in the development of support services for individuals with disabilities, especially those with severe disabilities. In this article we provide an overview of the historical development of AAC services, tracing their evolution over the past half-century through four specific themes: social change and legislation, assessment, intervention, and family and cultural issues.

Cooperative teaching, in which a general educator and a special services provider (e.g., a special educator, Chapter 1 teacher, speech and language therapist) teach together simultaneously in a general education classroom composed of academically heterogeneous students, has rapidly emerged as an effective way to facilitate the inclusion of students with diverse curricular and instructional needs. In this article we provide an overview of cooperative teaching, note problems experienced by some participants moving into cooperative teaching, and offer practical suggestions for enhancing the effectiveness of cooperative teaching.

This article is the first in a series of special invited manuscripts from leaders in the field of special education technology. jSET has invited experienced researchers and practitioners to share their current projects and speculate on important trends for the future. This forum will provide a distinct opportunity for sharing ideas and generating new directions for research and practice in special education technology.

A variety of social and educational forces are resulting in significant changes in the traditionally dichotomous relationship between general and special education. One service delivery model that may be especially useful for reducing the gap between the two delivery systems is cooperative teaching, in which general and special educators work in a systematic and coordinated fashion in educationally integrated settings. This article describes cooperative teaching and outlines various arrangements through which it might be implemented.

Outlines a family-centered, culturally sensitive approach to working with young children with disabilities and their families.

In terms of cultural and linguistic diversity, the state of California may be the best example of what America will look and sound like in the future. As of 1997, students with limited English proficiency composed 25 percent of California’s total school population, up from 15 percent less than ten years earlier (California Department of Education 1997). Such growth in diversity is increasingly common throughout the nation’s schools. By the mid-1390s, of the nation’s ten largest central city school districts, white enrollment ranged from a high of 31 percent (San Diego) to a low of 6 percent (Detroit) (Orfield et al. 1997). In fact, in several states, including California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Texas, and Mississippi, so-called minority students actually constitute a majority of the school populations (U.S. Department of Education 1396).

IDEA remains the primary funding source for assistive technology that is identified as an educational necessity. However because funding of AT devices and services through IDEA remains limited, school administrators, parents, and IEP team members need information on other funding resources. Alternative options and guidelines for accessing these possible additional funding resources often are not well known by school professionals. This article provides an overview of several AT funding resources, notes basic requirements for eligibility, and offers suggestions for making successful claims.