Special Education Resources

A curated directory of statutory databases, intervention clearinghouses, accessibility evaluation utilities, and practical implementation toolkits for self-directed study and practical reference in Special Education.

Statutory Frameworks, Special Education Law & Case Guidance

Covers primary legal repositories, regulatory policy letters, procedural safeguard manuals, and case law databases governing special education rights and compliance.

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Portal (U.S. Department of Education) - The official federal statutory repository containing IDEA Part B and Part C regulations, policy letters, state performance plans, and federal guidance.
• Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy (Peter W. D. Wright & Pamela Darr Wright) - A searchable legal database providing case law analyses, procedural safeguard breakdowns, and statutory compliance articles for educators, advocates, and families.
• Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) - An OSEP-funded clearinghouse offering comprehensive, plain-language guides to IDEA rights, IEP meeting procedures, and state-level parent training resources.

Evidence-Based Intervention Clearinghouses & Progress Monitoring

Provides searchable databases and evaluation matrices that assess the empirical validity, effect sizes, and implementation fidelity of academic and behavioral interventions.

• What Works Clearinghouse (Institute of Education Sciences) - A searchable federal database reviewing experimental and quasi-experimental educational research to rate the effectiveness of instructional and behavioral interventions.
• Intervention and Assessment Tools Charts (National Center on Intensive Intervention) - An interactive evaluation chart rating the technical rigor of academic screening, progress monitoring, and Tier 3 intensive intervention programs.
• Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM / Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute) - An open clearinghouse providing implementation checklists, data sheets, and planning tools for 28 vetted evidence-based practices for autistic learners.
• Evidence-Based Intervention Network (University of Missouri) - A repository of empirically supported academic and behavioral intervention briefs, assessment protocols, and integrity checklists for school practitioners.

Universal Design for Learning & Digital Accessibility Tools

Features interactive design frameworks, accessibility evaluation utilities, and alternate media repositories for eliminating barriers in curriculum and instructional design.

• Universal Design for Learning Guidelines (CAST) - An interactive reference matrix detailing concrete checkpoints across engagement, representation, and action/expression to eliminate instructional barriers.
• National Center on Accessible Educational Materials (AEM Center at CAST) - A technical assistance portal offering decision-making trees, procurement rubrics, and quality indicators for accessible digital learning materials and NIMAS compliance.
• WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools (WebAIM / Utah State University) - A browser-based evaluation suite that analyzes digital classroom materials, learning management systems, and websites against WCAG accessibility standards.
• Bookshare (Benetech) - The world's largest accessible online digital library providing over one million titles in audio, braille, and highlighted-text formats for individuals with qualified print disabilities.

Assistive Technology & Augmentative Communication Repositories

Encompasses national assistive device directories, open-source communication symbol systems, and practical toolkits for implementing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

• National Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance and Training Center (AT3 Center) - A national directory and resource hub providing device loan databases, state assistive technology program directories, and implementation toolkits.
• Project Core (Center for Literacy and Disability Studies / UNC Chapel Hill) - An open implementation repository offering downloadable Universal Core 36-location communication boards, instructional routines, and classroom modeling guides for emergent communicators.
• OpenAAC (Open Source AAC Initiative) - An open resource collective establishing open technical standards, symbol libraries, and clinical principles to ensure augmentative communication tools remain accessible and interoperable.

Positive Behavioral Supports & Multi-Tiered Systems

Supplies operational blueprints, visual supports, tiered fidelity assessments, and inclusive planning templates for school-wide and individual behavioral systems.

• Center on PBIS (U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs) - The primary federal technical assistance portal for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, featuring tiered fidelity inventories, blueprint manuals, and behavioral tracking resources.
• National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI) - A resource hub containing visual scripts, emotional regulation tools, problem-solving storyboards, and preschool-to-elementary behavioral supports.
• TIES Center (University of Minnesota) - A national technical assistance center providing practical scheduling tools, collaborative planning templates, and inclusive placement guides for students with extensive support needs.
• Understood (Understood for All, Inc.) - A multimedia resource center providing practical symptom explainers, accommodation decision guides, and simulation tools for ADHD, dyslexia, and executive function differences.