Researchers examined stigma attached to people with disabilities, focusing specifically on stigma regarding individuals with intellectual disabilities. The study involved focus groups with undergraduate college students in a major South Florida University, who did not self-identify as having any disabilities. We performed content analysis to…

Over the last decade, the number of SWIDs interested in postsecondary opportunities has increased. This is partially in response to the HEOA of 2008, which opened the door to more educational opportunities and supports for SWIDs; SWIDs can now consider college an option, not just a dream. As a result, the demand for new programs continues to grow…

The number of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) attending institutions of higher education continues to increase while typical accommodations provided by campus disability service offices often remain unchanged. Based on the unique characteristics associated with ASD, the need for supports and "soft accommodations" continues…

Fewer than half of all students across the nation qualify as proficient readers. Compounding this problem are the underlying challenges to students and their teachers of learning disabilities and dyslexia. Professional development courses can help teachers address these deficiencies. The purpose of this study was to determine how graduates of the…

Researchers explored patterns of significance in students' reflective writings before and after interviews with individuals unlike themselves. To determine changes in cultural attitudes or beliefs, the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC) program and QUAN [right arrow]qual sequential mixed methods model was used. Seven factors explained 66.49% of…

The role of gender, race/ethnicity, and disability category in the relationship between student perceptions of family support of personal growth and school facilitation of student involvement and the development of self-determination was examined in a sample of 190 diverse high school students with disabilities. Results indicated that both school…

Project Panther LIFE is an inclusive postsecondary transition program for students with intellectual disabilities providing university access and participation with the primary goal of employment at program completion. Students in the program receive support from their academic mentors and peer coaches during the academic year. This study examines…

The purpose of this study was to examine college students' perceptions of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and identify contributing factors that influence perceptions and reactions to students with ASD. Participants included 1,185 college students who responded to a survey in class or online. Trends in responses suggested that…

The federal definition of emotional disturbance (ED) provides limited guidance to educational professionals charged with making Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act eligibility determinations. Despite calls to revise the definition, the ED category remains largely unchanged nearly four decades after being codified into…

A qualitative exploration of a service-learning program for high school students with disabilities is presented. Focus groups with (n = 15) students and interviews with (n = 3) service-learning teachers at multiple service-learning sites were conducted to explore the perceptions of students and service-learning teachers regarding the impact of the…

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of structured note-taking compared to traditional note-taking on the acquisition of scientific knowledge for students with and without learning disabilities (LD) and students with reading difficulties (RD). An additional purpose was to examine whether the two note-taking methods…

We used the Student Friendship Perception Survey (SFPS) (Hamre-Nietupski, Hendrickson, Nietupski, & Shokoohi-Yekta, 1993; Hendrickson, Shokoohi-Yekta, Hamre-Nietupski, & Gable, 1996) to examine the opinions of 656 American and 289 Iranian high school students (13-18 years old, M = 15.0 and 15.5, respectively) in inclusive settings…

The present study evaluated the utilization and perceived usefulness of recommendations made to college students as the result of an evaluation and subsequent diagnosis of a specific learning disability. Participants were 47 college students who had received a diagnosis of learning disability within the previous two semesters at a university…

This study assessed the perceptions of high school students with learning disabilities about the suitability or preference of an academic or vocational curriculum. Students were administered the Vocational Academic Choice Survey (VACS), designed to measure students' perceptions of which curriculum is more suitable for them. Results revealed that a…

Troubled by students' attitudes toward disabled children, a Florida elementary school principal asked special education teachers to brainstorm some awareness activities. The resulting program, Handicapped Awareness through Stimulation (HATS), had four objectives: sensitizing students, providing interaction opportunities, developing empathy, and…