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Siener van Rensburg

Nicolaas Pieter Johannes ("Niklaas" or "Siener") Janse van Rensburg (3 August 1864 – 11 March 1926) was a Boer from the South African Republic – also known as the Transvaal Republic – and later a citizen of South Africa who was considered by some to be a prophet of the Boers. Consequently, his nickname became "Siener" (Afrikaans for "seer"). Van Rensburg's visions were typically wrapped in a patriotic, religious format, and have been interpreted by believers as predictions of future events. During the Boer War he became a trusted companion, if not advisor to General de la Rey and President Steyn. The extent of his influence with these figures is disputed, though the devoutly religious de la Rey seemed to have considered him a prophet of God.

Early life
Van Rensburg was born on the farm Palmietfontein in the Potchefstroom district, the son of Willem Jacobus Janse van Rensburg and Anna Catharina Janse van Rensburg. He only received 20 days of formal school training at the Rooipoort farm school, and spent much of his youth as a cattle herder. He could never write, but assisted by his mother, he learnt to read from the Bible. He never read anything else.

At age 16, he participated in a government expedition against the rebellious tribal leader Mabhogo. He contracted and survived malaria on the expedition and afterwards settled near Wolmaranstad in the then western ZAR. At age 21 he was an elected elder for the Hervormde Kerk, perhaps due to his scriptural knowledge. He married Anna Sophia Kruger in 1884.

Boer war
Van Rensburg and his brother Pieter were commandeered to participate in the second Anglo-Boer War under General Sarel P. du Toit. Van Rensburg however remained unarmed and never fired a shot. His contribution was to be a stream of visions and prophesies for the duration of the war. As the seer would later explain, he believed that a nightly visitor woke him only a day before the outbreak of the war, with a message that his work was dedicated to God.

Following this vision, van Rensburg was beset with a fear that would not dissipate. When this disturbed state continued into their sojourn in Kimberley, his superiors sent him home. Experiencing no relief, he returned to the Siege of Kimberley, where he believed a new vision had revealed to him the defeat and loss of life that the war would bring about. Shortly afterwards, possibly at Graspan, his disturbed state lifted permanently as a soldier was wounded on his side, as, according to van Rensburg, another vision had forewarned. Van Rensburg then travelled with general Piet Cronjé but escaped the encirclement by British forces at Paardeberg. Subsequently, he travelled with different commandos, where a number of apparently accurate predictions established his reputation.

A report of his visions attracted the attention of General de la Rey, who recruited Van Rensburg for his commando. On 7 December 1900, General de Wet found himself cornered against the Caledon River, which was in flood, while British forces were assailing his position. When his surrender appeared imminent, a message from De la Rey was delivered by a Boer scout. Van Rensburg had allegedly foreseen the situation and the message outlined an escape route, which was duly followed, leaving the pursuers to flounder in the torrent which De Wet had just traversed. De la Rey, also hard pressed by his enemy, dispatched Van Rensburg to accompany President Steyn to Roodewal, De Wet's safe retreat in the northern Free State. Here Van Rensburg advised them to wait upon two horsemen which he described, who arrived the next day with a message from acting President Schalk Burger.

On 13 September 1901, van Rensburg found himself in the camp of Commandant Roux at Rietkuil near Vredefort. Sensing imminent danger, he advised those present, who had just retired for the day, to depart from the camp at once. Roux was slow to take heed, and his men even more so, as scouts had not observed enemy units. Van Rensburg, his wife and children escaped on a cart, shortly before the greater part of the camp was captured in a surprise attack.

Flight from the enemy
In January 1901 Van Rensburg had a vision indicating the flight of three Boer women, who were soon found and rescued by his host Willem Bosman. Days after rejoining De la Rey's commando he had visions of members of his own family being captured, and asked for leave to assist them. The Van Rensburg family fled from their farmhouse as British forces approached, but the wagon train carrying the elderly, women and neighbours was surprised and captured by traitors the following morning. Van Rensburg's parents, eldest daughter Hester and four younger children were subsequently interned at the Mafeking concentration camp.

Van Rensburg, his wife, eldest son Willem and two daughters travelled with a group which managed to evade their pursuers, and Van Rensburg once again joined De la Rey's commando. Upon meeting his wife again in mid October 1901, they found their farmhouse destroyed. Van Rensburg's ominous premonition concerning their daughters, Anna and Maria, was confirmed when news arrived that they and two relatives had died during an outbreak of measles in the concentration camp.

Closing stage of war
Van Rensburg was present when Commandant Van Aardt's company returned from the action at Yzerspruit on 25 February 1902. Van Aardt was in a despondent state as his brother was missing in action. Van Rensburg however assured him that his brother was neither dead nor captured, but alive, though in great pain. The wounded soldier was returned to camp the same evening, carried on the horse of a burgher who found him.

Before the Battle of Tweebosch, Van Rensburg gave a number of predictions indicating how the enemy would approach along the Harts River, and when he deemed them most vulnerable. He also envisaged how the victory would enhance De la Rey's reputation. Methuen's force collapsed in the face of De la Rey's sudden attack on 7 March 1902, and Methuen was captured.

On 17 March 1902, President Steyn, in the company of De Wet and Hertzog, arrived at Zendelingsfontein, De la Rey's headquarters near Klerksdorp, to consult De la Rey's physician about an eye ailment. Van Rensburg was once again dispatched to guard the president. Around the 23rd he had a vision of English troops arriving, but the president was unwilling to heed his warning, until De la Rey intervened urgently on Van Rensburg's behalf. The president departed for the safety of the Molopo River on the evening of the 24th. British troops arrived at Zendelingsfontein during the early hours of the 25th and captured two of De la Rey's adjutants.

Gaining entry to General Kemp's war council in the bushveld region, he soon warned them against attacking a retreating enemy, which would leave them vulnerable to encirclement. At the subsequent Battle of Hart's River on 31 March 1902, some British units did fall back, though some Canadians stood their ground until overpowered by burgher forces. Kemp, though partially or grudgingly heeding the seer's visions, was generally reluctant to give him credit.

World War I rebellion
When the Union of South Africa came out in support of the Allied Powers in World War I, Van Rensburg allied with the rebels. The rebellion received a fatal blow even before it started, when the influential general Koos de la Rey was killed at a police road block on 15 September 1914.

De la Rey, when killed, was en route to General J. G. C. Kemp, who subsequently organised the rebellion in western Transvaal. On 2 November, Kemp addressed a public meeting at Vleeskraal, near Schweizer-Reneke, with the locally influential Van Rensburg at his side. Van Rensburg also addressed the assembly, and assured them that his visions indicated they had little to fear. 610 men then joined the rebel cause, and with conscription imminent, the number of rebel volunteers grew to 1,800.

General Kemp decided on a company of 720 men, mostly farmers, which included Van Rensburg and his son. They departed immediately on a journey to join Manie Maritz in German South-West Africa. After a desert trek and much hardship they linked up with Maritz's company on 29 November. Rebels under De Wet and Beyers were rounded up by South African forces in the days that followed.

Returning to South Africa, Maritz and Kemp engaged government forces at Nous, Lutzputs and finally at Upington, on 3 February 1915. Van Rensburg's son Willem was mortally wounded in the Upington clash, and the whole rebel force captured, with the exception of Maritz who fled via German South-West Africa to Angola, and thence to Portugal. Van Rensburg, like his comrades, received a prison sentence. He however served about a year, first in Boksburg, then in the Old Fort, Johannesburg.

Post-war years
After his release Nicolaas van Rensburg returned to his farm Rietkuil, near Wolmaranstad. Some of his visions were then recorded by reverend Dr Rossouw. Van Rensburg's daughter Anna Badenhorst also recorded a set of visions up to his death at age 61. The latter set is considered to be difficult to interpret and not very coherent.

With the outbreak of World War II, the collections of visions were considered inflammatory. Distribution was prohibited and some copies seized on orders of prime minister Jan Smuts. Upon Anna's death her handwritten documents were transferred to Lichtenburg museum's archives, where they were rediscovered in 1991. The farm and van Rensburg family cemetery are located 11 km from Ottosdal, in the North West Province.

Visions
His mother commented on his visual hallucinations as a toddler, and said that these seemed to disturb him. General Hertzog described him as someone continuously distracted by a maze of imagery and symbolism. 700 visions have been documented.

Van Rensburg interpreted his hallucinations as visions that were usually connected to the welfare of the Boere, the Netherlands and Germany. For example, a vision of the sisal plant was interpreted as a portent of an important meeting, assembly or parliament. Van Rensburg's visions have been described by some as predictions of local events, such as the death of general Koos de la Rey and the political transition of South Africa. Van Rensburg and his followers have also interpreted his visions as being connected to international events, such as the start of World War I and the rise of Communism. He did not interpret all of his visions, and some have been posthumously applied to more recent events as prophecies.

Reitz's assessment
Boer soldier Deneys Reitz's account of the Boer War contains a colourful objective account of one of the seer's predictions (shortened):

... a prophet, a strange character, with long flowing beard and wild fanatical eyes, who dreamed dreams and pretended to possess occult powers. I personally witnessed one of the lucky hits while we were congregated around the General's cart. Van Rensburg was expounding his latest vision to a hushed audience. It ran of a black bull and a red bull fighting, until at length the red bull sank defeated to its knees, referring to the British. Arms outstretched and eyes ablaze, he suddenly called out: See, who comes?; and, looking up, we made out a distant horseman spurring towards us. When he came up, he produced a letter from General Botha, hundreds of miles away.

General de la Rey opened it and said: "Men, believe me, the proud enemy is humbled". The letter contained news that the English had proposed a peace conference. "Coming immediately upon the prophecy, it was a dramatic moment and I was impressed, even though I suspected that van Rensburg had stage-managed the scene. Of the general's sincerity there could be no doubt as he firmly believed in the seer's predictions."

Contemporary relevance
The Suidlanders, an ethnonationalist Afrikaner survivalist group, are heavily influenced by the prophecies of Van Rensburg.

title: Siener van Rensburg


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Mission president

Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A mission president presides over a geographic area known as a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission. Depending on the particular mission, a mission president may also be the presiding priesthood leader of some or all Latter-day Saints within the geographic boundaries of the mission. Mission presidents are ordained high priests of the church.

Selection
Mission presidents are assigned to a mission by the leadership of the LDS Church and typically discover the location a few months before their departure. Mission presidents are men typically between 40 and 65 years old. In the past some mission presidents have been much younger; LeGrand Richards and Stephen R. Covey both served as mission presidents while in their 20s and Thomas S. Monson became a mission president at age 31. In more recent years younger mission presidents have been more rare. In 2005, there were 130 new mission presidents, the youngest of them, Norbert Ounleu, was 35. The only mission president called under the age of 30 since 2005 was Kerving H. Joseph, who was 29 when he became president of the Haiti Port-au-Prince Mission in 2009.

Mission presidents are generally assigned to areas other than where they reside at the time of their call. There are exceptions, such as Richard G. Hinckley, who presided over the Utah Salt Lake City Mission. In 2009, at least two of the newly called mission presidents resided within the boundaries of the missions over which they served: Kerving H. Joseph (who was then still the president of the Haiti Port-au-Prince mission at the time of the 2010 Port-au-Prince earthquake) and Claude R. Gamiette, a native and resident of Guadeloupe, who was appointed president of West Indies Mission, which covered Guadeloupe. Tonga has also had a few men native to the country who were residing in the islands when called to serve as presidents of the Tongan mission. Effian Kadarusman, an Indonesian, served as president of the Indonesia Jakarta Mission for four years in the 1980s. With over 400 missions, there are few which have a president who was a resident in the mission boundaries at the time of his call at any given time. An example of an exception occurred in approximately 2005, when the church decided to have Venezuelan natives serve as presidents of all the local missions due to growing discord between the United States and Venezuela, but often the presidents were from areas of Venezuela other than where they were called to.

According to current policy, a mission president must be married. Typically, his wife and any dependent children accompany him on his mission. During the first 100 years of the church, there were some single mission presidents and several others who left their wives and children elsewhere while they served. On the other hand, when Wilford Woodruff presided over the Eastern States Mission in the 1840s his wife, Phoebe, was set apart to serve with him. Brigham Young, Jr., not only had his wife, Catherine Curtis Spencer Young, serving with him while he presided over the British Mission in the 1860s but one of their children was born while they were there. When Heber J. Grant brought his wife and six daughters with him when he came to preside over the British Mission in 1903, Francis M. Lyman looked unfavorably upon this new innovation.

Mission presidents are either retired or leave their vocations for three years to preside over their mission. They live in properties owned or leased by the LDS Church, which also covers basic living and household expenses for mission presidents. Prominent examples include former United States Congressman Wayne Owens, former Governor of Utah Norm Bangerter, two-time Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award recipient Dale Murphy, and Harvard Business School professor Steven C. Wheelwright. They usually receive training in late June and begin the service about the first of July, unless there are emergencies or medical conditions that require otherwise.

Candidates are typically interviewed in the last few months of each year, initially by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. If candidates are chosen, the First Presidency extends the call to serve. The official announcements of new mission presidents is typically done through the first few months of the subsequent year via the weekly Church News.

Unlike most positions in the church, when they are initially called, mission presidents are not subject to the common consent acceptance of any body of members. Once serving, they are subject to frequent votes of common consent in branches and districts over which the mission president presides.

Administrative responsibilities
Mission presidents generally supervise a group that ranges between 60 and 200 missionaries and direct their missionary labors. Missionaries are typically between the ages of 18 and 25, but can also include senior-aged couples and older single women.

Mission presidents are usually assisted by two counselors, who reside within the mission boundaries, in overseeing areas of the mission boundaries that are not organized into stakes; the three men together constitute the mission presidency and are each given the honorific title "President". The counselors serve in the mission presidency for varying periods of time while maintaining their regular employment. The responsibilities of the counselors are generally oriented towards the members of the church within the mission, often organized into districts and branches.

Additionally, mission presidents are assisted by two or more full-time missionaries under the title of "assistant to the president", whose duties are primarily directed toward supervision of the missionary work, under the direction of the mission president. These assistants lead an independent hierarchy that may or may not correspond with local church units.

The role of a mission president's wife varies depending on the age of her children and her background. She typically joins her husband in conferences or other major church gatherings, and is often invited to give remarks before as his companion. If she has extra time after taking care of the children, she may assist with mission supplementary works such as medical, transportation or catering.

Spiritual responsibilities
Mission presidents are assigned to train and watch over the missionaries who serve under their direction. Mission presidents are typically respected and admired by the missionaries they supervise. Obedience to the mission president is considered a vital part of missionary work.

In areas within mission boundaries where there are no stakes, the mission president is the presiding church authority. In those circumstances, the mission is divided into districts which are composed of branches. In that role, he serves in a capacity similar to that of a stake president.

While missionaries have responsibility for the spiritual progress of those investigating the church in their individual area, the mission president is responsible for all those investigating the church within the mission boundaries, and in special cases interviews those desiring to be baptized.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Mission president


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User:EatAlbertaBeef/American Influence

Actually I never got around to this.

title: User:EatAlbertaBeef/American Influence


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Zuko

Prince (later Fire Lord and Lord) Zuko, also known as the Blue Spirit, is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Created by Eric Coleman and designed by series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the character is voiced by Dante Basco in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Bruce Davison in The Legend of Korra, and portrayed by Dev Patel in M. Night Shyamalan's 2010 film The Last Airbender and Dallas Liu in the 2024 Netflix live-action remake series.

Zuko is the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation and a skilled firebender, meaning he has the ability to create and control fire. He is the eldest child of Fire Lord Ozai and the older brother of Princess Azula. Before the events of the series, Zuko is banished from the Fire Nation by his father and told he must capture the Avatar, a unique spiritually powerful individual who could end the 100 year war - the fire nation's conquest for world domination, in order to restore his honour and right to the throne. Zuko is accompanied and advised in his search by his uncle Iroh.

At the beginning of the series, he is the primary antagonist, opposing Avatar Aang and his allies as he seeks redemption for his father since he has been banished from the Fire Nation. Over time, however, Zuko loses faith in the Fire Nation's war, feels guilt for his crimes, and begins to sympathize with those the Fire Nation has oppressed through the time he has been in the Earth Kingdom along with his uncle, Iroh. In the later part of the animated series, Zuko redeems himself, and eventually joins Aang, helping him learn firebending and fight his father in order to restore peace in the four nations. Zuko also comes to realize that Iroh has been more of a father to him than Ozai.

In "The Tales of Ba Sing Se", his name was written as "蘇科" (sū kè) on his segment's title card.

Book One: Water
In the first season, Zuko is introduced as the main antagonist, the exiled son of Fire Lord Ozai who is attempting to capture Avatar Aang in hopes of reclaiming his honor. Throughout the season he pursues the Avatar, at times both helped and hindered by his uncle, Iroh. Zuko competes in his quest against Zhao, an ambitious Fire Nation admiral who is also attempting to capture the Avatar for political gain. When Zhao captures Aang, Zuko disguises himself as "The Blue Spirit" and rescues Aang from Zhao's fortress to prevent him from accomplishing his goal. Later, Zuko escapes an assassination attempt plotted by Zhao. During the invasion of the Northern Water Tribe, Zuko captures Aang, but both nearly die in a snowstorm before they are rescued by Aang's friends, Katara and Sokka. Zuko encounters Zhao and attacks him, but Aang, in the Avatar State, abducts Zhao before the fight is concluded. Zuko attempts to save Zhao from Aang, but Zhao is too proud to accept Zuko's help. Zuko survives the battle with help from Iroh, who betrayed Zhao to protect the ocean and moon spirits. In retaliation for Iroh's betrayal and Zuko's failure to capture the Avatar, Ozai assigns Zuko's younger sister Azula to capture Zuko and Iroh.

Book Two: Earth
In the second season, Zuko and Iroh travel the Earth Kingdom disguised as impoverished refugees, pursued by Azula. After briefly quarreling and parting ways with Iroh, Zuko reunites with his uncle against Azula. After Azula wounds Iroh, Zuko nurses Iroh back to health and Iroh teaches Zuko the rare firebending technique of redirecting lightning. Zuko and Iroh travel to the walled city of Ba Sing Se and find employment at a tea shop in the slums. Zuko reluctantly adapts to his new life until he learns of Aang's presence in Ba Sing Se and attempts to steal Aang's pet bison Appa. However, Iroh convinces Zuko to abandon his quest and let Appa go. Azula infiltrates the city to stage a coup and arranges a trap for Zuko and Iroh. Imprisoned together with Aang's friend Katara, Zuko is rescued alongside her by Aang and Iroh, only to be convinced by Azula to betray Iroh, Katara and the Avatar and finally regain his honor. In the resulting fight, Aang is mortally wounded, though later revived by Katara, Iroh is arrested for helping Aang, and Katara escapes from the conquered city with Aang.

Book Three: Fire
In the third season, Zuko returns to his country a hero thanks to Azula crediting him with killing the Avatar. Zuko suspects that Aang survived and hires an assassin to ensure Aang's death to cover up Azula's lie. He resumes his romantic relationship with his childhood friend Mai, but continues to feel guilty and uncertain of his decisions. After he learns that his mother's grandfather was Avatar Roku, Aang's predecessor, as well as Azula and Ozai's plan to burn the Earth Kingdom to the ground, Zuko decides to turn his back on the Fire Nation and help Aang overthrow Ozai. He confronts his father about his cruel treatment and the Fire Nation's destructive effect on the world, before leaving to join Aang. Although they initially reject him, Aang and his companions grow to accept Zuko as a member of the group after he proves his loyalty to them. He trains Aang in firebending, and the two journey together to meet the last dragons, from whom they learn that firebending can be powered by the energy of life, rather than rage.

When Zuko is finally reunited with Iroh in the series finale, he tearfully apologizes for his mistakes and gets his uncle's forgiveness. Refusing the throne himself, Iroh suggests that Zuko become the next Fire Lord, citing Zuko's "unquestionable honor." Arriving at the Fire Nation capital with Katara, Zuko duels Azula for the throne. When Azula faces defeat, she forces Zuko to place himself in the path of a lightning bolt aimed at Katara, wounding him. Katara defeats Azula and heals Zuko. After Aang defeats Ozai and wins the war, Zuko becomes the new Fire Lord, promising world order and harmony with the aid of the Avatar.

The Promise
In The Promise, following Zuko's crown ceremony, seventeen-year-old Zuko asks Aang to promise to kill him if he ever becomes like his father. Aang reluctantly agrees. One year later, Zuko is working with the other nations to return captured colonial lands to the Earth Kingdom as part of the Harmony Restoration Movement. Kori Morishita attempts to assassinate Zuko in retaliation for forcibly relocating the multicultural residents of the Fire Nation colonies. Zuko travels to Kori's hometown, and Fire Nation Colony, Yu Dao, where he meets people of Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom ancestry living and working together. Zuko becomes conflicted and consults with the imprisoned Ozai, who advises Zuko that whatever decision he makes is inherently the correct choice because he exercises the power of the Fire Lord. Zuko decides to break from the Harmony Restoration Movement. The Earth King responds with a military force of his own and Zuko is forced to lead troops to Yu Dao to protect the Fire Nation civilians. In the battle, Aang and Zuko clash. However, Katara convinces the Earth King that the colonies are neither Fire Nation nor the Earth Kingdom, but rather a multicultural people. Peace is restored, and Zuko realizes that forcing Aang to make the promise was a way of distancing himself from his responsibilities as Fire Lord. He releases Aang from the promise, and the two reestablish their friendship and trust.

The Search
In various flashbacks in The Search, it is revealed that Zuko's mother, Ursa, was previously engaged to a man named Ikem in her hometown of Hira'a, but had to leave him after being pressured into marrying Prince Ozai. Even after Zuko's birth, Ursa continued to write letters to Ikem, but Ozai intercepted the letters. Ursa, suspecting the interception, writes a letter claiming Zuko is Ikem's son rather than Ozai's. Ozai confronts her, and although he believes Zuko is truly his son, he retaliates by claiming to have ordered Ikem to be killed and stating he will treat Zuko as if he were actually Ikem's son.

A later flashback reveals that Ursa was responsible for creating an untraceable poison used by Ozai to kill Fire Lord Azulon in order to protect Zuko from Azulon. Ozai, fearing that Ursa would one day use the same poison against him, banishes Ursa from the palace the same night.

In the present, Azula reveals to Zuko she had access to the letters intercepted by Ozai. She uses her knowledge of their contents as leverage to be allowed to come with Zuko to find Ursa. Zuko and Azula travel with Aang, Katara, and Sokka to Hira'a. On the journey, Zuko tries to be more compassionate towards Azula, who suffers from erratic behavior and hallucinations following her mental breakdown. Zuko discovers the letter from Ursa stating that Zuko is Ikem's son, and begins to doubt if he is the rightful Fire Lord. Azula manipulates these doubts to weaken Zuko's resolve to be Fire Lord.

Zuko and Azula discover that Ursa is alive and married to Ikem, having had her memories erased and appearance changed by a spirit to relieve her of the pain of losing her children. Zuko is satisfied to know that Ursa is happy and is prepared to leave Ursa in peace, but with Ikem's encouragement, reveals to her that he is her forgotten son. Zuko also says that he is Ikem's son, but Ikem says that this is not possible, implying that he and Ursa never had intercourse before her marriage to Ozai. Azula attacks Ursa and Zuko and tries to persuade Zuko to give up the throne. Zuko reaffirms his commitment to his destiny as Fire Lord as well as their relationship as brother and sister. Azula's emotional and mental resolve breaks, and she flees into the forest.

Ursa chooses to have her memories and appearance restored by the spirit. Ursa reveals her past to Zuko, including that the letter claiming he was Ikem's son is false and that he is the rightful Fire Lord.

Smoke and Shadow
Weeks later, in Smoke and Shadow, Azula secretly manipulates Ozai loyalists into taking actions against Zuko, including an assassination attempt and kidnapping schemes that target Zuko's family and allies. In response, Zuko begins making harsher decisions in an attempt to preserve security and authority. Zuko's decisions are criticized by his allies and citizens as excessive. This leads to protesting and rioting within the Fire Nation capitol. Zuko and his allies eventually discover Azula's plot. Before escaping, Azula says she has accepted Fire Lord Zuko's claim as rightful Fire Lord, and has also accepted her own destiny to shape Zuko into becoming a stronger and more ruthless leader. In a speech, Fire Lord Zuko apologizes to his people and asks for their forgiveness, patience and trust as he tries to become a better leader.

Book One: Air
In The Legend of Korra, the multicultural region created in The Promise has developed into the United Republic of Nations. Lord Zuko, now eighty-seven years old, has abdicated the throne in favor of his daughter, Izumi, and travels the world on his dragon Druk as an ambassador for peace. He is commemorated by a statue at Republic City's Central City Station. His grandson Iroh (also voiced by Dante Basco) serves as a general of the United Republics' armed forces.

Book Three: Change
In Book Three: Change, it is revealed that Zuko worked with the Order of the White Lotus to keep major threats in check in the years before Avatar Korra was able. Most notably, he worked alongside Sokka, Aang's son Tenzin, and Korra's father Tonraq to thwart an attempt by the criminal Zaheer and his Red Lotus followers to kidnap Korra when she was a child. Fourteen years later, Zuko learns that Zaheer has become an airbender due to the harmonic convergence and escaped from prison. He enlists Tonraq and Korra's cousins Desna and Eska to keep Zaheer's partner P'Li from escaping, but fails to prevent P'Li from rejoining Zaheer. After Zaheer assassinates the Earth Queen, Zuko returns to the Fire Nation to protect Izumi. Zuko briefly counsels Korra before he departs and is surprised to learn that the Avatar has spoken to his long-deceased uncle in the Spirit World. After Korra defeats Zaheer, Zuko attends Jinora's airbending mastership ceremony and expresses concerns about the lingering threat of the Red Lotus.

Book Four: Balance
Zuko makes a final non-speaking appearance in Book Four: Balance, attending the coronation of Prince Wu along with Izumi.

Creation and conception
The addition of Zuko (voiced by Dante Basco) to the plot of Avatar: The Last Airbender came from executive producer Eric Coleman; during very early production, when Zuko's father Fire Lord Ozai was planned to be the main villain, Coleman suggested that they needed a character who would follow Team Avatar. Additionally, Zuko was initially to be portrayed as an adult. Coleman, however, suggested that the character be portrayed as a "really driven kid" chasing Aang. It was followed by Bryan Konietzko asking whether he could have a scar, to which Coleman agreed. As a result, Coleman was dubbed "the godfather of Zuko" by Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, the series' creators. In the Avatar Extras for "The Avatar Returns" it is stated that "Zuko was originally going to be the love interest for Katara", and in "The Ember Island Players" it is stated that "the creators and writers toyed with the idea of Zuko and Katara falling in love". Co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko deny that they ever considered Zuko and Katara getting together, and claim that Katara becoming a couple with Aang was planned from the start. However, these statements are contradicted by writer John O'Bryan, who said that the topic of Zuko and Katara becoming a couple came up a lot in the writer's room. This is corroborated by writer Joshua Hamilton who says that the staff argued about whether Katara should end up with Zuko or Aang. This is further evidenced by M. Night Shyamalan, director of The Last Airbender film, who has stated that during the production of Book Three: Fire, DiMartino and Konietzko were undecided, "At that time they hadn't even decided where things were going to end, even like who Katara was going to end up with." The initial proposal of the series as outlined in the I.P. Bible also does not have Katara enter a romantic relationship with anyone, countering the claims that Katara was always intended to end up with Aang.

Zuko was originally going to switch sides and join Team Avatar at the end of Book Two: Earth, but head writer Aaron Ehasz felt that he "still wasn't ready" at that point. According to the Avatar Extras of "The Cave of Two Lovers", Zuko was no longer a sheltered prince and was forced to experience life as a refugee, and thus his journey reflected the experiences of the Buddha.

The Blue Spirit design was inspired from a Dragon King Nuo mask from Chinese opera. His mask was made blue, because the creators thought that a red mask would give away the Blue Spirit's secret identity to the audience too easily.

Personality
Zuko as the crown prince of the Fire Nation has been saddled with great responsibility from a young age. He is traumatized by his mother's disappearance, and the abuse he experienced from his father Ozai and sister Azula. His uncle Iroh becomes the one stable source of support in his life. Zuko begins the series selfishly obsessed with regaining his honor and is in a near perpetual state of rage but he eventually learns to let go of this anger to become a much calmer, rational, and selfless person. Zuko is a complex character who demonstrates a number of contradictory traits, beliefs, and behaviors. As Fire Nation royalty, he has a superiority complex and considers many people to be inferior to him. Though at the same time he has a great sense of justice and refuses to view people as expendable. Zuko felt that he did not need luck so he could be the master of his own fate; but he also believed that he was "lucky to be born" in contrast to Azula who was "born lucky", and that his bad luck had turned the whole world against him. His journey parallels that of the protagonist Aang, and the two serve as foils for each other.

He is skilled in "Dao duel-wielding," as in the episode "The Blue Spirit" wherein he withstands a large number of adversaries. In "Avatar: The Lost Adventures," it was revealed that he studied under Master Piandao, his uncle's colleague and Sokka's master sword fighting instructor. Zuko has also demonstrated an ability in stealth and unarmed combat, as when able to infiltrate a Fire Nation fortress, the Northern Water Tribe's city, and the Dai Li's base in the Earth Kingdom without detection.

Firebending
Zuko is highly skilled in Firebending and is one of the most powerful firebenders by the end of the show. Firebending is mostly based on Northern Shaolin, with firebenders utilizing Chinese martial arts techniques of changquan, Shaolin kung fu, Southern Dragon kung fu and xingyiquan. The series' creators consulted a professional martial artist in the design of the show's fighting style. Firebending represents the element of power, and is categorized as the most aggressive of the "four bending arts." Firebender discipline stresses self-restraint and breath control as a means of directing and containing the fire manifested. Poor breath control means dangerously poor control of any fire generated. For this reason, breathing exercises are one of the most critical first steps for beginning firebenders.

Critical reception
Zuko's character development has received acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Tory Ireland Mell of IGN thought it was "painful" to watch Zuko try to win the trust of Team Avatar as he was "completely vulnerable, and no one cared." Mell found his reunion with Iroh to be "heartwarming." Zuko was listed by Zach Blumenfeld from Paste as the best character from the Avatar universe, with Blumenfeld noting his complex transformation and redemption story over the course of the series. John Maher of The Dot and Line stated that Zuko's character development throughout the series is "the best redemption arc in the history of television". Dante Basco received praise for his portrayal of the character.

title: Zuko


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User:Robert Merkel/tempStuff

This is a placeholder for a revised article on AIDS which can be developed in some semblance of peace.

title: User:Robert Merkel/tempStuff


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Talk:Vitasoy

This is all wrong — Preceding unsigned comment added by 116.48.9.78 (talk)

title: Talk:Vitasoy


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Southern Nazarene University

Southern Nazarene University (SNU) is a private Nazarene university in Bethany, Oklahoma.

History

The history of the institution is one of various mergers and, therefore, one of differing institutions. While SNU claims its founding date as 1899, that founding date refers to an institution that merged with what is now SNU: Texas Holiness University. As an Oklahoman institution, SNU dates back to 1906, with the founding of the Beulah Heights Academy and Bible School.

The roots of the original Southern Nazarene University are primarily in an orphanage of downtown Oklahoma City, founded by Miss Mattie Mallory. Mallory used her inheritance to buy property north of the city, which she named Beulah Heights, and relocated the orphanage there. Then, in 1906, the Beulah Heights Academy and Bible School opened. In 1909, the school was renamed Oklahoma Holiness College and new property was purchased to the west of Oklahoma City in Bethany. That same year the surrounding holiness community became Nazarene and, as its church base swelled, the school's financial problems "proved less threatening than those at other institutions". The school eventually changed its name in 1918 to Oklahoma Nazarene College, when the first Nazarene Educational Regions were established.

When Peniel College merged with Oklahoma Nazarene College in 1920, the name changed to Bethany-Peniel College. Peniel was the first of four fellow Nazarene institutions that would be absorbed by the Oklahoma school. The second institution was Central Nazarene College, another Nazarene school in Texas, in 1929. Two years later, Arkansas Holiness College was absorbed by Bethany-Peniel. The last merger was Bresee Theological College, in 1940. As historian Timothy L. Smith wrote, "It eventually outdistanced and absorbed the schools at Hutchinson, Kansas, Peniel and Hamlin, Texas, Vilonia, Arkansas, and Des Arc, Missouri. Bethany became the Nazarene center for the whole Southwest."

In 1955, the name changed again from Bethany-Peniel College to Bethany Nazarene College (BNC) to avoid confusion with the term "penal" or "penal colony", and again in 1986, from Bethany Nazarene College to Southern Nazarene University (SNU).

SNU was placed on the American Association of University Professors's list of censured institutions in 1987 after eight faculty members were irregularly terminated in 1986. Discrepancies in the reasons for their termination led the AAUP to investigate: the initial reason given was that of financial difficulty on the part of the institution, due to a decline in student retention and the resulting drop in enrollment, while the reason given later was one of unspecified performance deficiencies in the terminated faculty members. SNU eventually offered some of the terminated faculty members monetary compensation but remained on the list for 18 years, until its administration had drafted academic tenure procedures that met AAUP standards. In 2005, the American Association of University Professors took SNU off its censure list.

Southern Nazarene University was granted an exception to Title IX in 2016 which allows it to legally discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons.

Campus
The main campus is located in Bethany, Oklahoma. Since 1990, SNU has also maintained a presence in Tulsa, providing adult and professional programs. Buildings with excavated basements on the Bethany campus have a history of being opened up to shelter area locals during tornado warnings.

Affiliations
SNU is one of eight regional U.S. liberal arts colleges affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. SNU represents the "South Central Region." In terms of the Church of the Nazarene, the "South Central Region" comprises the North Arkansas, South Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Northeast Oklahoma, Southwest Oklahoma, Texas-Oklahoma Latin, North/East Texas, South Texas, and West Texas districts which cover Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Each college receives financial backing from the Nazarene churches on its region; part of each church budget is paid into a fund for its regional school. Each college or university is also bound by a gentlemen's agreement not to actively recruit outside its respective "educational region".

Southern Nazarene is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU). SNU has also been accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1956.

Academics

SNU provides students undergraduate degree options in several different fields of interest. It also offers three graduate degrees and seven professional programs for adults. Southern Nazarene is an open admissions college that does not require applicants to provide grades or standardized test scores; the 2007 acceptance rate for students who applied to the college was 47 percent.

Student life
There were 2,090 students at SNU in 2007, 1,656 of whom were undergraduates. SNU provides on-campus apartments and various dormitories. All students under the age of 22 must live on-campus, although exceptions are made for local students living with families. The housing options include Bracken Hall and Chapman Apartments for upperclassmen,

As at most Christian colleges, there is an emphasis on spiritual development at SNU. The Office of Spiritual Development is presided over by a Vice President (VP) of Spiritual Development and Chapel services take place each Tuesday and Thursday in Herrick Auditorium. Students are required to go to 25 of 30 chapels offered. There are also alternative chapel credit opportunities available to students: small groups, a student led testimony service, and community service. Chapel speakers and musical groups are arranged by the VP of Spiritual Development. The Office of Spiritual Development work with the SGA Campus Ministries leaders to provide special class chapels and spiritual life retreats.

The Student Government Association (SGA) coordinates events and services for students. The SGA is broken up into four councils executives: Campus Ministries, Athletic Relations, Publicity, Social Life, Finance, and Presidents, along with the editors for the two SNU publications the campus newspaper, The Echo, formerly The Reveille Echo, and the campus yearbook, The Arrow. Each SGA "exec", preside over sub-councils and have a representative on the class level. The SGA councils are responsible for hosting school activities, including the SNL (Southern Nazarene Live) talent contest, T.W.I.R.P., Heart-Pal Banquet, Junior-Senior Banquet, class chapels, and class parties.

SNU is listed among the "Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth" in the US by Campus Pride due to the previously mentioned partial Title IX exemption.

Motto
The motto of SNU is "Character, Culture, Christ". This was first used in 1931 in a student publication called The Reflector. In 1948, under the presidency of Roy H. Cantrell the motto was officially revised and adopted by the staff. This change is detailed in this excerpt from Dr. Cantrell's thesis The History of Bethany Nazarene College : "Character...Culture...Christ. These three words have ever been basic in the program and in the administration of Bethany-Peniel College. The noble founders of this college and their successors have consistently maintained that sound moral CHARACTER is the most insistent need in the world of men, that true CULTURE makes such moral character attractive and effective, and that the transforming power of CHRIST and the refining operation of the Spirit are indispensable in the building of the truest manhood and womanhood. This standard has ever required that the students in this college be provided with the best in educational procedure and the finest in spiritual atmosphere."

Alma Mater
The lyrics for SNU's current alma mater were written by a committee in 1940. This committee was composed of Alice Crill, Hoyle Thomas, Marjorie Crooks, Kyle Crist, Dave McKibbon, and Madge Posey. The lyrics were revised by J. Michael Crabtree, Class of 1972, in 1986 to reflect the university's name change from Bethany Nazarene College to Southern Nazarene University. The tune used to accompany the lyrics is Annie Lisle, an 1857 ballad composed by H.S. Thompson.

Athletics

The Southern Nazarene (SNU) teams are called the Crimson Storm. The university is a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Great American Conference (GAC) since the 2012–13 academic year. The Crimson Storm previously competed in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1978–79 to 2011–12; and in the Texoma Athletic Conference from 1972–73 to 1977–78.

SNU compete in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, equestrian, football, golf, rugby, soccer and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, equestrian, golf, rugby, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball.

History
The athletics program at SNU began in 1964, when it was still known as BNC, with the creation of a men's basketball team.

Equestrian
Southern Nazarene University also has an equestrian center where students can learn the basics of horsemanship or move into more specialized fields of study. The SNU Equestrian Center is "committed to furthering the education of men and women looking for a career in the Equine Industry", which they do by offering classes like Equine Anatomy, Introduction to Equine Studies, and Introduction to Equine Reproduction. Additionally, the SNU Equestrian Center offers students the opportunity to try out for the Equestrian Team. Both English and Western riders can try out, and those who make the team participate in events sponsored by the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association

Facilities
There are five facilities and sites for athletic competition and training, including the Sawyer Center (1998) for basketball, volleyball, indoor track, commencement, and other ceremonies, McFarland Park Stadium (2001) for football, the Claud & Betty Cypert Athletic Complex (2000) for baseball and softball, the Wanda Rhodes Soccer Complex (1978), and the tennis courts (1985).

Nickname
The mascot has been the "Thunder Cat" since 2003, the colors are crimson and white, and the athletic nickname is the Crimson Storm. Until 1999, the nickname was the Redskins, but SNU officials adopted the Crimson Storm as a response to concerns that the term "Redskins" as an athletic mascot was derogatory to Native Americans.

Notable persons
Several SNU alumni have become notable as academics, politicians, and leaders in the Church of the Nazarene.

 * Robert Hale, Class of 1955, American bass-baritone opera singer.
 * Gary Hart, Class of 1958, former United States Senator from Colorado (1975-1987), and former U.S. Presidential candidate.
 * Talmadge Johnson, Class of 1958, general superintendent emeritus, and former Nazarene general superintendents.
 * J. K. Warrick, Class of 1968, general superintendent emeritus, and former Nazarene general superintendents.
 * Boyd Matson, Class of 1969, an adventurer, and journalist.
 * Lupe Valdez, Class of 1970, sheriff of Dallas County, Texas, and the 2018 Democratic nominee for Governor of Texas.
 * Jerry D. Porter, Class of 1971, general superintendent emeritus, and former Nazarene general superintendents.
 * Vince Snowbarger, Class of 1971, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kansas (1997-1999), and deputy director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
 * Linda N. Hanson, Class of 1972, was the 19th president of Hamline University (2005-2015).
 * Kenny Marchant, Class of 1973, is currently a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas.
 * Howard Hendrick, Class of 1977, is a former Oklahoma Senator (1987-1998), and Oklahoma Secretary of Human Services (2003-2011).
 * Angelo Cruz, Class of 1985, was a professional basketball player who played for the Puerto Rican national basketball team.
 * David Busic, Class of 1988, the 40th general superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene.
 * Toby Rowland, Class of 1995, play-by-play Voice of the Oklahoma Sooners.

title: Southern Nazarene University


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El-Fish

El-Fish is a fish and fish-tank simulator and software toy developed by Russian game developer AnimaTek, with Maxis providing development advice. The game was published by Mindscape (v1.1) and later by Maxis (v1.1 + v1.2) in 1993 on 5 diskettes.

Each fish in El-Fish has a unique Roe, similar to the genome. This allows the user to catch fish and use selective breeding and mutation to create fish to their own tastes for placing them in virtual aquariums. Around 800 possible genetic attributes (fin shape, body color, size, etc.) are available, which can be selectively shaped into virtually infinite numbers of unique fish. Once fish are created, El-Fish will algorithmically generate up to 256 animation frames so that the fish will appear to swim smoothly around the tank.

The tank simulator is very customizable for this game's era. The player can select from a large number of backdrops and tank ornaments for the fish to swim between. The user can also import their own images to use as tank ornaments. El-Fish includes a fractal based plant generator for creating unique aquarium plants. There are several "moving objects" that can be added to the tanks which the fish will react to, such as a cat paw, fibcrab, and a small plastic scuba diver. The user can also procedurally generate background music for their tank using an in-game composer, or choose a separate MIDI music file to be played for each virtual aquarium, and feed the fish.

The tank simulator can run as a memory-resident program in MS-DOS, making it a screensaver. Multiple tanks can be displayed via El-Fish ' s slideshow feature.

Development
El-Fish was created by Vladimir Pokhilko, Ph.D. and Alexey Pajitnov (the creator of Tetris), who had backgrounds in mathematics, computer science, and psychology. They were attempting to create software for INTEC (a company that they started) that would be made for "people's souls". They developed this idea, calling it "Human Software", with three rules:

 * The software needs to be "aesthetically beautiful".
 * The software needs to be constructive.
 * The software needs to bring feeling to people that they would not otherwise enjoy.

Reception
Computer Gaming World called the graphics as state-of-the-art, but questioned whether there was enough substance to warrant its purchase. The reviewer, an aquarium owner, criticized the "software toy" on its "inability to sustain the player's interest. Once the aquarium has been created and viewed, there just isn't much else happening", with no simulation of an ecosystem needing ongoing maintenance as he had hoped.

In 1996, Computer Gaming World declared El-Fish the 13th-worst computer game ever released.

title: El-Fish


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619 (disambiguation)

619 is a year.

619 may also refer to:
 * 619 (number)
 * Area code 619 in San Diego, California, United States
 * Tiger feint kick or 619, a wrestling move used by Rey Mysterio
 * USCGC Confidence (WMEC-619), a United States Coast Guard cutter
 * Juneteenth (6/19)

title: 619 (disambiguation)


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Individualized Education Program

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a legal document under United States law that is developed for each public school child in the U.S. who needs special education. It is created through a team of the child's parent(s), the student and district personnel who are knowledgeable about the child's needs. IEPs must be reviewed every year to keep track of the child's educational progress.

An IEP outlines the special education experience for all eligible students with a disability. An eligible student is any child in the U.S. between the ages of 3–21 attending a public school and has been evaluated as having a need in the form of a specific learning disability, autism, emotional disturbance, other health impairments, intellectual disability, orthopedic impairment, multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, deafness, visual impairment, deaf-blindness, developmental delay, speech/language impairment, or traumatic brain injury. The IEP describes present levels of performance, strengths, and needs, and creates measurable goals based on this data. It provides accommodations, modifications, related services, and specialized academic instruction to ensure that every eligible child receives a "Free Appropriate Public Education" (FAPE) in the "Least Restrictive Environment" (LRE). The IEP is intended to help children reach educational goals more easily than they otherwise would. The four component goals are: conditions, learner, behavior, and criteria. In all cases, the IEP must be tailored to the individual student's needs as identified by the IEP evaluation process, and must help teachers and related service providers (such as paraprofessional educators) understand the student's disability and how the disability affects the learning process.

The IEP describes how the student learns, how the student best demonstrates that learning, and what teachers and service providers will do to help the student learn more effectively. Developing an IEP requires the team to evaluate the student in all areas of suspected disability, consider the student's ability to access the general education curriculum, consider how the disability affects the student's learning, and choose a federal placement for the student.

As long as a student qualifies for special education, the IEP is mandated to be regularly maintained and updated up to the point of high school graduation or prior to the 21st or 22nd birthday. If a student in special education attends university upon graduation, they are no longer "children with disabilities" under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 and are instead protected under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. They can apply for and receive Section 504 accommodations, but the process is very different. Placements in public schools often occur in "general education" classrooms. Other types of placements include RSP (within a resource room), Special Day Class, Self Contained Class, Co-Teacher and specialized classes, or sub-specialties taught by a special education teacher. Students can also be removed from an IEP if it is determined the student is no longer eligible upon reevaluation.

An IEP is meant to ensure that students receive an appropriate placement not only in special education classrooms or special schools. It is designed to give the student a chance to participate in regular school culture and academics as much as is possible for that individual student. In this way, the student is able to have specialized assistance only when such assistance is absolutely necessary, and otherwise maintains the freedom to interact with and participate in activities to the same extent of their non-disabled/general education peers.

IEP required components
In the US, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public schools to develop an IEP for every student with a disability who is found to meet the federal and state requirements for special education. The IEP must be designed to provide the child with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). The term IEP refers to both the educational program provided to a child with a disability and to the written document that describes that educational program. The IDEA requires that an IEP be written according to the needs of each student who is eligible under the IDEA; an IEP must also meet state regulations. The following must be included:
 * The student's present levels of academic and functional performance
 * Measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals
 * How the student's progress toward meeting annual goals is to be measured and reported to the parents
 * Special-education and related services, as well as supplementary aids to be provided to the student
 * Schedule of services to be provided, including when the services are to begin, the frequency, duration, and location for the provision of services
 * Program modifications or supports provided to school personnel on behalf of the student
 * Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) data which includes calculations of the amount of time to be spent each day by the student in general-education settings compared to special-education settings
 * Explanation of any time the student will not participate along with non-disabled children
 * Accommodations to be provided during state and district assessments that are necessary to measuring the student's academic and functional performance

The student should attend when appropriate. If the student is over fourteen, they should be invited to become a part of the IEP team. Additionally, when the student is sixteen years of age, a statement of post-secondary goals and a plan for providing what the student needs to make a successful transition is required. This transition plan can be created at an earlier age if desired, but must be in place by the age of sixteen.

An IEP must also include other pertinent information found necessary by the team, such as a health plan or a behavior plan for some students.

Procedural requirements for development
The outcome of the IEP development process is an official document that describes the education plan designed to meet the unique needs of a student with a disability.

Determination of eligibility for special education
Before an IEP is written for a student with a disability, the school must first determine whether the student qualifies for special education services. To qualify, the child's disability must have an adverse effect on the child's educational progress.

To determine eligibility, the school must conduct a full evaluation of the child in all areas of suspected disability. Based in part on the results of the evaluation, the school along with the parents meet to review the results—the child's current level of performance—and to determine whether special education services are needed. In some cases, people may go undiagnosed because of strong visual memories and oral skills they possess, which can mask symptoms of having an impaired learning disorder.

If the child is found to be eligible for services, the school is required to convene an IEP team and develop an appropriate educational plan for the child. The IEP should be implemented as soon as possible after the child is determined eligible. IDEA does not state specific time frames for each step, but each state determines its own laws for identifying the criteria regarding education and how it should be followed. States have added specific timelines that schools must follow for the eligibility, IEP development, and IEP implementation milestones.

As outlined by IDEA, students can receive free appropriate education under special education law if they fall under one of 14 categories:

 * 1) Autism
 * 2) Deaf-blindness
 * 3) Deafness
 * 4) Developmental delay (for children aged 3–9, varies by state)
 * 5) Emotional and behavioral disorders
 * 6) Hearing impairment
 * 7) Intellectual disability (formerly referred to as 'mental retardation')
 * 8) Multiple disabilities
 * 9) Orthopedic impairment
 * 10) Other health impairment
 * 11) Specific learning disability
 * 12) Speech or language impairment
 * 13) Traumatic brain injury
 * 14) Visual impairment, including blindness

Although teachers and school psychologists have the ability to initiate evaluations for special education service eligibility, they are unqualified to make medical diagnoses. Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and physical and developmental delays must be diagnosed by a clinician, whether nurse-practitioner or physician. Although most children with physical or developmental delays who have received consistent medical care are diagnosed at an early stage by their primary care providers, it is imperative to include a medical professional in the student's evaluation process if one of the aforementioned conditions is suspected but undiagnosed. When children are diagnosed early, they can start receiving services at earlier stages of development. State health and/or education departments offer early intervention services for children under the age of three years, while the public school system offers services for children from ages three through twenty-one.

Members of the IEP team
The IEP team includes the student, the student's parent(s) or legal guardian(s), a special education teacher, at least one general-education teacher, a representative of the school or of the school district who is knowledgeable about the availability of school resources, and an individual who can interpret the instructional implications of the results of the student's evaluation (such as the school psychologist).

The parent or school may also bring other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child. For example, the school may invite related service providers, such as speech and occupational therapists. The parent may invite professionals who have worked with or assessed the child or someone to assist the parent in advocating for the needs of their child, such as a parent advocate or an attorney.

If appropriate, the child may also participate in IEP team meetings. For example, some children begin participating in their IEP meetings when they reach middle school age.

A typical IEP team and team meeting includes:

 * At least one of the child's parents or legal guardians. Parents are expected to be treated as equal participants with school personnel in developing the IEP as IDEA's policy states.
 * A case manager or a representative of the school district (not the student's teacher) who is qualified to provide or supervise special education.
 * The student's teacher(s) and principal(s). At least one teacher is required to attend, though all are invited.
 * A general education teacher is required to attend if the recommended program includes activities with general education students, even if the child is in a special education class in the school.
 * Any provider of a related service to the child. Normally, services include speech therapy, occupational therapy, or adapted physical education.
 * Professionals who are qualified to explain the results of the testing. This usually requires at a psychologist and educational evaluator to attend if an assessment or report is reviewed. This usually occurs at the three-year review or triennial IEP.
 * The student's School Counselor may be needed in attendance to discuss courses that may be required for the student for his or her education.

The following people are invited, but not required to, attend:

 * Other persons involved with the child who they feel are important for the IEP team to hear; for example, the child's psychologist or tutor. They are invited to attend by the parent(s).
 * An educational advocate, a social worker, and/or a lawyer knowledgeable in the IEP process.
 * Related service personnel (in person or written recommendation), if the student is receiving related services (such as speech therapy, music therapy, physical therapy or occupational therapy). It is valuable for related service personnel to attend the meeting or at least provide written recommendations concerning the services in their area of specialty.

Role of the parents
Parents are to be considered full and equal members of the IEP team along with school personnel. Parents have the right to be involved in meetings that discuss the identification, evaluation, IEP development, and educational placement of their children. They also have the right to ask questions, dispute points, and request modifications to the plan, as do all members of the IEP team.

Although the IEP team are required to work toward a consensus, school personnel are ultimately responsible for ensuring that the IEP includes the services that the student needs. School districts are obligated by law to make a proposal for services to the parent. If an agreement cannot be reached, the school district cannot delay in providing the services which it believes are the best services to ensure that the student receives an effective educational program.

Most schools do not automatically provide parents a knowledgeable person to guide them through the IEP process. Parents usually have to do the research to know what their child's rights are and what the school can do to help their child. IEP's are not automatically given to children whose parents believe they need special education resources. The child will be put through multiple different tests provided by the school to determine if the child will need special education resources. For these tests, parents are not allowed to decide which test will be conducted on their child but are required to give consent to have the school test the child. After parents decide and consent to have their child tested by the school, the district will have no more than 60 calendar days to complete the assessment on the child and put an IEP plan meeting in place. Based on these test results, an IEP plan would be put together in a meeting by both the school and the parents in order to be sure the child's needs will be met in school.

Under IDEA Part D, the United States Department of Education funds at least one parent training and information center in each state and most territories to provide parents the information they need to advocate effectively for their child. Some centers may also provide a knowledgeable person to accompany a parent to IEP meetings to assist the parent in the process.

The school is mandated to make an effort to ensure that at least one parent is present at each IEP team meeting. If they do not attend, the school is required to show that due diligence was made to enable them to attend, including notifying the parents early enough that they have an opportunity to attend, scheduling the meeting at a mutually agreed on time and place, offering alternative means of participation, such as a phone conference.

The school is required to ensure that the parent understands the proceedings of IEP team meetings and to include an interpreter for parents who are deaf or whose native language is not English.

Developing the student's individualized educational plan
After the student is determined to be eligible for special education services, the IEP team is required to develop an IEP to be implemented as soon as possible after eligibility is determined. Using the results of the full individual evaluation (FIE), the IEP team works together to identify the student's present level of educational performance, as well as the student's specific academic and any related or special services that the child needs in order to benefit from their education.

When developing an IEP, the team must consider the strengths of the student, the concerns of the parent for their student's education, results of the initial or most recent evaluation of the child (including private evaluations conducted by the parents), and the academic, developmental, and functional needs of the student. The team must also consider areas of deficit. Corresponding annual goals and objectives should be created to improve these areas. In the case of a student whose behavior impedes their own learning or that of other children, the team is required to consider positive behavior intervention and support to address the behavior. A Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) may be required by the team to address the behavioral concerns. An FBA is conducted by a child psychologist with input from the IEP team.

The IEP team is required to consider the student's communication needs. For example, if a student is blind or visually impaired, the IEP is mandated to provide instruction in braille unless an evaluation of the student's reading and writing skills, needs, and future needs indicate that this instruction is not appropriate for the student. If a student is deaf or hard of hearing, the team is required to consider the child's language and communication needs, including the need to communicate with school personnel and peers, and the student's need for direct instruction in the child's language and communication mode. In the case of a child with limited English proficiency, the team is required to consider the language needs of the child as those needs relate to the child's IEP.

A matrix is drafted containing the student's present level of performance, indicators about ways the student's disability influences participation and progress in the general curriculum, a statement of measurable goals that include benchmarks or short-term objectives, the specific educational services to be provided which include program modifications or supports, an explanation of the extent that the child will not participate in general education, a description of all modifications in statewide or district-wide assessments, the projected date for services to begin and their expected duration, the annual statement of transition service needs (beginning at age 14), a statement of inter-agency responsibilities to ensure continuity of services when the student leaves school (by age 16), and a statement regarding how the student's progress will be measured and how the parents will be informed in the process.

IDEA requires a student's IEP to be developed solely based on their needs and not on pre-existing programs or services available in the district. Whether particular services are available in the district should not be considered when identifying the services a student needs to receive an appropriate education.

Determining the appropriate placement
After the IEP is developed, the IEP team determines placement—the environment in which the student's IEP can most readily be implemented. IDEA requires that the IEP is completed before placement decisions are made so that the student's educational needs drive the IEP development process. Schools may not develop a child's IEP to fit into a pre-existing program for a particular classification of disability; the placement is chosen to fit the IEP, which is written to fit the student.

IDEA requires state and local education agencies to educate children with disabilities with their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate. A child can only be placed in a separate school or special classes if the severity or nature of the disability prevents the student from receiving an appropriate education in the regular classroom, even with the use of supplementary aids and services. When determining placement, the starting assumption must be the student's current academic level and needs as evident by the disability.

Some of the more common placement settings include the general education classroom, an integrated class, a resource class, a self-contained class, and other settings, which include separate schools and residential facilities. A school system may meet its obligation to ensure that the child has an appropriate placement available by providing an appropriate program for the child on its own, consulting with another agency to provide an appropriate program, or utilizing some other mechanism/arrangement that is consistent with IDEA. The placement group bases its decision on the IEP and which placement option is appropriate for the child. The general education classroom is seen as the least restrictive environment. In addition to the general education teacher, there will also ideally be a special education teacher. The special education teacher adjusts the curriculum to the student's needs. Most school-age IEP students spend at least 80 percent of their school time in this setting with their peers. Research suggests students with special needs benefit from being included in general education and its curriculum.

An integrated classroom is made up of mostly neurotypical children and several children who have IEPs. These are typically higher functioning children with disabilities that require help in areas of social skills. This setting allows them to model the behavior of neurotypical children. Typically, there is an aide in this classroom setting to assist those children with IEPs.

The resource class is where the special education teacher works with small groups of students using techniques that work more efficiently with the students. This setting is available for students who spend between 40 and 79 percent of their time in the general education classroom. The term "resource" in this context refers to the amount of time spent outside general education, not the form of instruction.

Another setting option is the separate classroom. When students spend less than 40 percent of their day in the general education class, they are said to be placed in a separate class. They are allowed to work in small, highly structured settings with a special education teacher. Students in a separate class may be working at different academic levels. Other settings include separate schools and residential facilities. Students in these settings receive highly specialized training to address both special learning and behavioral needs and acquire both academic and life skills instruction. These schools have the highest degree of structure, routine, and consistency.

Implementation and review
After the IEP is developed and placement is determined, the student's teachers are responsible for implementing all educational services, program modifications, or supports as indicated by the individual education plan. Schools are required to have an IEP in effect at the beginning of the school year. Initial IEPs are required to be developed within 30 days after eligibility is determined, and the services specified in the child's IEP are required to be provided as soon as possible after the IEP is developed.

An initial IEP is required to be accepted and signed by a parent or guardian before any of the outlined services may begin. Formerly, parents had 30 calendar days to take the paperwork home for their consideration. Currently, the IEP must be signed or appealed within 10 days, or the school can implement the most recent version.

The IEP team is responsible for conducting an annual review to ensure that the student is meeting goals and/or making progress on the benchmarks specified for each objective. If an IEP is not helping the student in the classroom, an immediate revision is to occur.

The school's special education program is funded by the federal government. The funding is based on the overall student attendance. This means that the school's reaction is to automatically deny a child who is believed to need the special education program due to funding. The federal government needs to give more money to the school districts and the school districts need to allocate more money to the special education program. By doing this, more students would receive the services they need. Once a student has been tested and confirmed of such disability, an IEP plan would be put in place. The child will stay in special education unless their parents or legal guardians request removal or if the child met all their IEP goals and re-tests out. Some special education programs will slowly test the child out in general education classes. This is done in order to make sure the child will succeed without need of the special education program. If the child can be successful in a general classroom, then there is no more need for the child to be in special education. If the child is unable to be successful in the general education classes, the IEP participants will come back together to see why the child was not succeeding. The goal of the school is to have the child succeed in school no matter the resources needed to get them there.

Procedural safeguards
School personnel have an obligation to provide parents with a Procedural Safeguards Notice, which is required to include an explanation of all of the procedural safeguards built into IDEA. The information must be understandable and in the native language of the parent.

A copy of the Procedural Safeguards Notice is required to be present at an IEP meeting. The school must give the parent a copy of the child's IEP at no cost.

An extensive system of conflict resolution procedures are set out in the statutory provisions. They include the right to examine records, advance notification of intent to change the educational program, the right to engage in mediation, and a right to an impartial due process hearing.

Services that may be provided to a child with a disability

 * Specially designed instruction
 * Parental involvement
 * Related services
 * Program modifications
 * Classroom accommodations
 * Supplementary aids and services
 * Resource room

Specially designed instruction
Specially designed instruction affects the instructional content, method of instructional delivery, and the performance methods and criteria that are necessary to help the student make meaningful educational progress. This instruction is designed by or with an appropriately credentialed special education teacher or related service provider. Students may have better success with small-group instruction as presented in a resource room (mandated by program and placement outlined in the IEP) particularly with language-based instruction.

For some students, teachers may need to present information through the use of manipulatives. For other students, teachers may need to select and teach only important key concepts and then alter evaluation activities and criteria to match this content change.

The IEP team determines whether a specific type of instruction is included in a student's IEP. Generally, if the methodology is an essential part of what is required to meet the individualized needs of the student, the methodology is included. For instance, if a student has a learning disability and has not learned to read using traditional methods, then another method is used. When including such an IEP recommendation, the team describes the components of the appropriate type of methodology, as opposed to naming a specific program.

Parental involvement
Research has shown the importance of parental involvement in a child's education. James Griffith (1996) found that schools having higher levels of parental involvement and empowerment also had higher student criterion-referenced test scores. Although much attention has been focused on ways of involving the parent in school activities, little has been written on how to better involve parents of special education students. The U.S. Office of Education 1998 revisions to IDEA contained major changes designed to increase the parent's involvement in the educational process. These revisions required school districts to invite the parent to be involved in the diagnosis of the disability, determination of the need for special education programs and services and the extent to which the child would receive these services.

Program modifications
Modifications can be made to the program's content, such as lowering criteria for academic success, decreasing alternative state assessments, such as off-grade level assessments, or allowing the student to receive a "focused grade"—a grade that is recognized in a high school diploma, but is noted as "focused".

Classroom accommodations
Some of a student's educational needs may be met using class accommodations. Accommodations are typically provided by general educators within the general education environment. Accommodations do not involve modifying the material's content but rather allows students to receive information or to demonstrate what they have learned in ways that work around their impairment, thereby minimizing the likelihood of a significant disability. For example, a child may complete fewer/different parts of a homework assignment or an assessment than other students. They may also write shorter papers or be given different projects and assignments in replacement of the original task.

Accommodations may also include provisions such as preferential seating, providing photocopies of teacher notes, giving oral rather than written quizzes, extended time for tests and assignments, use of a word processor or laptop, taking tests in a quiet room, prompts and reminders for focus breaks for sensory needs, and assistance with specific subject areas.

Modifications in the curriculum can occur if a student needs to learn material that the class has moved on from, like working on exponents while the class is moving on to applying them in the order of operations. They also may occur in grading rubrics, where a student with an IEP may be assessed on different standards than other students.

Supplementary aids and services

 * Assistive technology
 * Teacher's aide in classroom that provides additional support for one or more specific students

Related services
If the child needs additional services to access or benefit from special education, schools are required to provide the related services, which include: speech therapy, occupational or physical therapy, interpreters, medical services (for example, a nurse to perform procedures the child needs during the day, for example, catheterization), orientation and mobility services, parent counseling, and training to help parents support the implementation of their child's IEP, psychological or counseling services, recreation services, rehabilitation, social work services, and transportation. If necessary a student is provided with specialized transportation. This can be the case if the student has a severe disability and requires a wheelchair, or is identified to have an emotional problem.

Other countries
In the United Kingdom, the equivalent document is called an Individual Education System.

Canada
Canada has similar documents called an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), a Special Education Plan (SEP), Individualized Program Plan (IPP), Student Support Plan (SSP), or an Individual Support Services Plan (ISSP), depending on the province or territory. The IEP system in Canada functions relatively similarly to the US, though regulations vary between provinces.

Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, the document is known as an Individual Education Program. In Saudi Arabia, all schools must provide an IEP for all students who have disabilities. The process of creating an IEP in Saudi Arabia may exclude the parents and other providers of services.

General and cited references

 * Katsiyannis, A., & Maag, J. W. (2001). "Educational methodologies: Legal and practical considerations". Preventing School Failure, 46(1), 31–36.
 * Lewis, A. C. (2005). "The Old, New IDEA". The Education Digest, 70(5), 68–70.
 * Patterson, K. (2005). "What classroom teachers need to know about IDEA '97". Kappa Delta Pi Record, 41(2), 62–67.
 * Pierangelo, Roger, & Giuliani, George (2004). Transition services in special education: A practical approach. Pearson Education. pp. 3–9. Print.
 * Ormrod, Jeanne Ellis. Educational Psychology: Developing Learners (fifth edition). Pearson, Merrill Prentice Hall, 2006.
 * Weishaar, M. K. (2001). "The regular educator's role in the individual education plan process". The Clearing House, 75(2), 96–98.
 * Pierangelo, Roger, & Giuliani, George (2004). Transition services in special education: A practical approach. Pearson Education. pp. 3–9. Print.
 * Ormrod, Jeanne Ellis. Educational Psychology: Developing Learners (fifth edition). Pearson, Merrill Prentice Hall, 2006.
 * Weishaar, M. K. (2001). "The regular educator's role in the individual education plan process". The Clearing House, 75(2), 96–98.

title: Individualized Education Program


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