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Are we there yet?

Article Excerpt
Changes in laws are reflected--even foreshadowed on occasion--by the field's scholarship. In the 1980s, there were few who recognized that adults with disabilities were an important resource in the education of students with disabilities or that issues of race and culture had consequence for identifying and delivering services to these children. It is striking that this special issue of the Learning Disability Quarterly gives attention to both of these topics.

As we reflect on education reform efforts, we cannot help but wonder, "Are we there yet?" This exercise is somewhat akin to Alice in Wonderland, but in reverse, wondering if the road(s) taken mattered. Perhaps, it is as Kirkegaard said, "Life can only be understood backwards but must be lived forward."

Unfortunately, any road did not do. We learned through practice, research, litigation, small and gross mistakes, and from parents, advocates, and colleagues that some directions proved less costly to children and to school districts while achieving more effective outcomes.

In reviewing our work over the past several decades, we identified three major foci: (a) access to free appropriate public education; (b) achievement of quality academic, behavioral and social outcomes; and (c) establishment of a unitary inclusive education system to prepare all students for a full and productive adult life.

Let's take a look at each of...

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