CEC Policy Overview
Purpose The Council for Exceptional Children is an association of professional and other persons whose principal purpose is to obtain optimal educational opportunity for all children and youth with exceptionalities. These children's needs differ sufficiently from other children's so that they require special educational and related services in addition to those presently available through regular education programs and other human service delivery systems. While the legal criteria that define children and youth with exceptionalities vary greatly from one governmental jurisdiction to another, The Council for Exceptional Children is primarily concerned about children and youth having sensory deficits, physical disabilities, mental retardation, behavioral disorder s, communication disorders, special learning disabilities, multiple disabilities, gifts and talents, and children who are developmentally delayed or abused and neglected. Children and youth with exceptionalities are found in all communities regardless of socioeconomic or cultural factors. (Chapter 01, Para. 1) Governmental Relations Public policy legislation, litigation, appropriation, regulation, and negotiated agreements are the means by which children and youth with exceptionalities have been guaranteed the educational opportunities of our society. The Council is deeply committed to the effective implementation of existing public policy in the interest of children and youth with exceptionalities. In addition, The Council seeks extension and creation of public policy in a manner which will encourage and augment quality service pr ograms at all governmental levels. To provide the scope and kind of services needed, The Council endorses public policies that strengthen and enhance instructional programs for all children and youth. While such general provisions should benefit the exc eptional child, The Council believes that specific policy provisions are necessary to offer those children and youth with exceptional needs the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential. In carrying out its governmental activities, The Council will be guided by the policies adopted by its members and by the directives Advocacy by Members The Council believes that all persons concerned about the education of children and youth with exceptionalities must initiate and maintain efforts to ensure that appropriate public policy is adopted, fully implemented, and enforced. The Council recognizes that the provision of public services to children and youth with exceptionalities is a function of the governmental process. For this reason, The Council urges and supports the active involvement of its members in activities that w ill build greater awareness on the part of parents, communities, and governmental officials regarding the needs of children and youth with exceptionalities and will extend appropriate information to such bodies in their efforts to carry out the objectives of this policy statement. The Council believes that it is the responsibility of all persons concerned about the needs of children and youth with exceptionalities to continually seek to improve government provisions for their education. In this regard, The Council pledges its assistance in providing needed information and in helping to develop the necessary strategies to attain improvement of educational services for children and youth with exceptionalities. In our democratic societies, we have created systems of law to protect the individual from the abuses of society, particularly from abuses of the agencies established by society to serve its needs. In the attempt to provide what appear to be needed servi ces, the rights of the individual may be overlooked. For this reason, The Council urges constant vigilance on the part of all persons engaged in the education of children and youth with exceptionalities to assure that the rights of these individuals and their families are understood and observed. The Council further suggests that all public programs and private programs utilizing public funds be open to review and that flexibility be provided to allow for judicial consideration of such matter. (Chapter 01, Para. 3) Accessibility The Council for Exceptional Children provides a physical and emotional environment that is sensitive to the needs, feelings, and opinions of persons with varying mobility and communication needs. CEC makes special efforts to encourage the participation o f members with exceptionalities in its activities and the utilization of its services. The Council for Exceptional Children: a.Identifies CEC members and other professionals with exceptionalities who would make use of communication, accessibility, and mobility resources. b.Facilitates communication between professionals with exceptionalities and CEC headquarters staff. c.Orients CEC members and headquarters staff to the needs of professionals with exceptionalities. d.Informs professionals with exceptionalities about the resources available through CEC to enable their equitable participation in all CEC activities. e.Guarantees that all CEC-sponsored activities are conducted in accessible and usable facilities and communication modes to ensure full and equitable participation of professionals with exceptionalitites. (Chapter 01, Para. 4) The Council for Exceptional Children.
(1993). CEC Policy Manual, Section Three,
part 1 (p. 2).
Reston, VA: Author.
Originally adopted by the Delegate
Assembly of The Council for Exceptional
Children in April 1983.
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