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NDSS strives to maximize the use of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework in order to raise expectations and improve educational outcomes for students with Down syndrome from early childhood through postsecondary education. According to the National Center on Universal Design for Learning, UDL is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn.
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A major goal of the NDSS is to support the development of postsecondary options in a state with the coordinated support of state agencies, colleges and universities, and individuals with disabilities and their families.
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The harmful use of restraint and seclusion is a pervasive problem in our nation’s schools. NDSS is a member of the Alliance to Prevent Restraint, Aversive Interventions and Seclusion (APRAIS), a national coalition advocating for federal legislation to protect children from these dangerous techniques, a cultural shift toward preventive, positive intervention strategies and training for teachers on positive interventions.
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Former President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) into law in January of 2002. NCLB was not a new concept, it actually amended or “revised” Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which requires school accountability (especially for disadvantaged students).
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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a critical piece of civil rights legislation that details the rights of a child with a disability to a “free, appropriate, public education” (FAPE) in the “least restrictive environment” (LRE) and provides a mechanism for due process if a violation of these rights has taken place.