SEASET Resources

• Student Access: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (document download; Oregon Department of Education)
• In this document, the Oregon Department of Education provides information about who is protected under Section 504 and what protections they have under the law. The document also includes sample 504 meeting checklists, discrimination complaint forms, and a comparison of Section 504, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• The document mentions outdoor school as a specific example on page 10, saying, “A school district may be found to be engaging in illegal disability discrimination if the district:...Does not make necessary arrangements for a child with a disability to attend a field trip, outdoor school, or other similar school activity.”
• Thirty-five Years of Progress in Educating Children With Disabilities Through IDEA (U.S. Department of Education)
• This document provides a history of special education services in U.S. schools, with a particular focus on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
• Comparison of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504), and The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Iowa Department of Education)
• This table compares requirements, definitions, accommodations, and more between three major laws that outline protections for people with exceptional needs.

• Special Education Acronyms (Parenting Special Needs Magazine)
• This list includes many of the acronyms you might read or hear related to supporting students with exceptional needs. 
• Special Education Toolkit [for Families] (FACT Oregon)
• The resources in this document - geared towards parents/guardians - may be useful as you interact with families to support their children at outdoor school. See, for example, the one-page, person-centered profile on pages 12-13.  
• Etiquette for Working with Students with Disabilities (Best Colleges)
• This guide offers some general tips for working with students with disabilities as well as etiquette for specific disabilities (e.g., blindness and visual impairments, cognitive disabilities).
• Note: Though the introduction section of this guide focuses on college students, many of the tips are relevant to children and adults.
• Communicating About People with Disabilities (National Disability Rights Network)
  • This short article offers suggestions for writing, reporting, and speaking to or about people with disabilities.

• OSU Extension Service Outdoor School Budget Categories and Fiscal Policies (OSU) 

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• Using Measure 99 Funds to Support Students with Exceptional Needs (OSU)
• Information about allowable and prohibited outdoor school expenses can inform discussions between outdoor school providers and district special education teams as districts/ESDs determine what to request in their outdoor school applications.
• Please see the Governance and Management tab above for additional resources about IEP and Section 504 teams.

• Equal Access: Universal Design of Physical Spaces (Sheryl Burgstahler, University of Washington)
• This article offers guidelines about a range of issues that affect how people with exceptional needs interact with a physical space, such as entrances and routes of travel, fixtures and furniture, and information resources and technology.

• Common Accommodations and Modifications in School (Amanda Morin, Understood)
• This article provides dozens of examples of accommodations students might receive in the classroom. Many of them are directly applicable to outdoor school settings.
• Possible Classroom Accommodations For Specific Difficulties (adapted from the publication called, “How to Get the Best Education For Your Chronically or Seriously Ill Child” by Phoenix Children’s Hospital)
• This list offers potential accommodations for students who struggle with impulsiveness, mood, socialization, and other challenges.

• Assistive Technology in Action (PACER’s National Parent Center on Transition and Employment)
• This video series (4-6 minutes per video) highlights specific examples of how assistive technology can support students with exceptional needs.

• Inclusion Resources Database (Inclusive Schools Network)
• This resource database includes resources organized into categories like Culturally Responsive Instruction, Inclusion Basics, and Student Engagement. There’s a specific category dedicated to Social Inclusion.
• Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (Massachusetts Department of Education)
• This two-page document summarizes Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The second page includes a table with specific examples of what PBIS looks like at various levels of implementation.
• This article is associated with the more comprehensive Guidebook for Inclusive Practices document from the Massachusetts Department of Education.

• Beyond IEPs and 504 Plans: Why You Should Consider Asset-Based Accommodations (Jules Csillag, Noodle)
• This article offers suggestions for using students’ strengths to guide accommodations.

• Instructional Resource Self-Evaluation Tool (OSU Extension Service Outdoor School)
• This tool is designed to support the review, development and improvement of the range of instructional resources that make up curriculum used in Oregon’s outdoor school programs. 
• Universal Design for Learning: Creating a Learning Environment that Challenges and Engages All Students (IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University)
• This self-paced online course explores aspects of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), including specific sections on incorporating UDL into the curriculum and curriculum design.

• What is Differentiated Instruction? Examples of How to Differentiate Instruction in the Classroom (Cathy Weselby, Resilient Educator)
• This article describes differentiated instruction and offers four approaches to differentiating instruction (content, process, product, learning environment).

• The Difference Between Accommodations and Modifications (Understood)
• This article offers examples of what accommodations and modifications look like in different contexts (e.g., in the classroom, in music/art/PE class). It also includes a video of educators explaining the difference between accommodations and modifications.