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Visit college.hmco.com/PIC/hardman9eTaking a unique, human approach, this Introduction to Special Education text combines tools for cross-collaboration among professionals in education, psychology, counseling and human services, and allied health.

This introduction provides a context for the other articles included in this volume. The Learning Disabilities Initiative, a multiyear effort at the Office of Special Education Programs, has been focused on a more efficient and effective process for determining specific learning disability eligibility.

Improving the services for children with emotional or behavioral problems has been one of the priorities of the Department of Education for the last four decades. Since its implementation, the Office of Special Education Programs has been dedicated to funding and supporting research in the area of emotional disorders. Despite increased attention to students with emotional disorders, their educational, behavioral, and social outcomes continue to be the worst of any disability group. This article provides a national perspective on children with emotional disorders by looking at data provided by three federally funded studies, descriptions of current supported research and development activities, and future directions for investigation.

November 29, 2000, marked the 25th anniversary of the signing into law of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This seminal law has improved the educational opportunities for students with disabilities in the United States. In this article we briefly review the IDEA's first 25 years and speculate on the direction the IDEA may take in the future. Our purpose in this article is to (a) present the litigative and legislative developments that led to the passage of IDEA, (b) examine the law itself and the litigation interpreting the IDEA, and (c) discuss the direction that IDEA may take over the next 25 years..TDAY ! I JOIN MILLIONS OF AMERICANS in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)-a landmark law that opens the doors to education and success for more than six million American children each year. As we recognize this milestone, we know that education is the key to our children's future, and it is the IDEA that ensures all children with disabilities have access to a free appropriate public education. We have seen tremendous progress over the past 25 years-students with disabilities are graduating from high school, completing college, and entering the competitive workforce in record numbers-and we must continue this progress over the next 25 years and beyond.-Speech by President Bill Clinton,