The Turnbull's, who co-founded and co-direct the Beach Center on Families with Disability at the University of Kansas, take the cumbersome legal process that is special education and turn it into a powerful reader friendly guide to understanding special education advocacy. The book has three parts, Introduction to the Law, the six principles of IDEA, and enforcing the law. The 5th edition is updated to include the 1997 IDEA amendments.

The first part of the book places the special education struggle into an historical context, preparing the reader for the principles at the heart of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA]. The Turnbull's tell the reader where the law comes from, why it is needed and explains its power in the special education process. The reader learns what law is and how to make it work for individual students. A reader who understands why IDEA was needed in the first place will be better armed to advocate for a free appropriate public education for all students. This historical framework alone makes the book invaluable.

The second part of the Turnbull's book focuses on the six principles of the IDEA: zero reject (including discipline); nondiscriminatory evaluation; appropriate education (including positive behavior support); least restrictive environment (access to general education); due process (including mediation); and parent participation. The Turnbull's leave no stone unturned in detailing what families of children with disabilities have a right to expect from school administrators and teachers. The first time reader is thoroughly educated to the law and children with disabilty. The return reader and practicing advocate is given sophisticated information directly applicable to specific issues. The Turnbulls color each prinicple with the ink of history and the script of practical reality.

Rud and Ann Turnbull's final section tells parents how to use the law to obtain a truly free appropriate education for children with special needs. They give the reader a straightforward, no nonsense discussion of how IDEA is enforced. The authors give equal emphasis to hardball legal mechanisms and emerging alternative dispute resolution practices. A parent or advocate who understands how the law really works is better able to weigh specific choices for specific children.

Free Appropriate Public Education includes comprehensive resources. This 400-page hard cover book includes the 1997 IDEA amendments; glossary; a table of important cases; and extensive excerpts from the three landmark educational rights cases.

This book is ideal for the parent who for whatever reason cannot take advantage of opportunities to attend or participate in special education trainings or conferences. It also is an invaluable resource to those parents and advocates who present training opportunities or direct advocacy to other parents and families. The book is easy to use to refresh one's understanding of specific concepts or procedures. Finally, Free and Appropriate Public Education constantly reminds its readers and users that IDEA belongs to the families and not to the schools. It is not unreasonable for families to ask that IDEA be followed. The Turnbull's have given families a brief case resource which lets them put reason into practice. We heartily recommend this book.

5 of 6 found the following review helpful:


Every Parent and Educator Should Read This Book  Apr 26, 2001 By Laura Riffel
This book is a must have for regular education teachers, special education teachers and especially parents of children with any disability or who suspect their child has a disability. It is written with the wisdom, compassion, and insight that only a parent of a child with disabilities could muster.

This book is the LAW for special education and it clearly defines what should be happening in America's schools. I highly recommend it.

0 of 4 found the following review helpful:


Free Appropriate Public Education: The Law and Children With Disabilities  Jul 07, 2005 By Brian J. Kiser
Fast delivery was needed, and they did it.