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Some legislative changes have included expanding definitions of handicapped children. For example, Clark (1996) reports that very recent changes in federal law have now paved the way for students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) to receive special educational services.
Although not all students with TBI need special education, many will need careful planning for reintegration into the classroom. This means that educators need to now focus on the range of services needed by these students and the problems that can affect students' academic and social functioning.
Huefner (1991) states that in California, courts are helping to redefine special education residential placements for students with severe emotional disturbances. This redefinition was said to be due to two 1990 Ninth Circuit appellate court cases ("Clovis Unified School District v. California Office of Administrative Hearings" and "Taylor v. Honig") which interpreted residential placements for students with severe emotional disturbances under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education act (IDEA).
According to Drew, Logan and Hardman (1994), one of the current trends in special education concerns a new and innovative look at the use of assessment. The authors state that until the last decade or so, most researchers and special educators were almost exclusively focused on how to precisely measure handicaps or disabilities (e.g., level of retardation, level of physical functioning, etc.).
However, recently, there has been increased focus on whether tests are being used appropriately. This focus has been much needed since, over the years, many authors have pointed out that specialists in the field have not been prone to ask themselves why they are testing these children (see: Anastasi, 1950; Drew, 1973; Ysseldyke & Algozzine, 1982). This concern is no small matter since logic dictates that concepts must be in place before evaluative metho...