The purpose of this study was to explore the need for an individualized curriculum within special education for students living with autism spectrum disorder. Previously conducted research disclosed a need for further research to understand the differentiation of curriculum for students living with autism spectrum disorder. The research question…

Education is a salient tool and a process that begins in childhood, continues into adulthood, and is meant to be an impactful experience to all, no matter the student and their disability. Students with disabilities in special education undergo struggles, such as negative stigma, high rates of suspensions/expulsions, racial disparities, poor…

Millions of children in the United States struggle with reading acquisition, many of whom are identified with developmental dyslexia (DD). Although experimental research indicates that evidence-based reading interventions can bring many of these children to average-range reading skills, such promising outcomes are not commonly achieved within K-12…

ADHD is a behavioral cognitive correlate of achievement associated with lower reading performance. The externalizing and internalizing symptoms that characterize ADHD behaviors negatively impact the engagement of students experiencing reading difficulties and the ability to regulate attention and behavior during the reading acquisition process.…

This research study involved the use of participatory action research to examine perspectives of a group of special education teachers regarding the feasibility of implementing inquiry-based teaching strategies with students who have disabilities in the social studies classroom. The study occurred at a therapeutic day school catering to students…

This quantitative, ordinal logistic regression study aimed to explore the relationship between the implementation of personalized learning and special education students' progress measures on STAAR. Another purpose was to determine if teachers' perceptions of implementation, using Olofson's survey, can predict the growth on STAAR. The conceptual…

There are currently many students with disabilities being placed in a more restrictive educational math setting which is hindering the future of these students. This study was conducted to understand how Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) are written to support students with disabilities in the general education setting. The IEPs of students…

Special education teachers' varying levels of awareness of evidence-based practices (EBPs) leads to personalizing practices that can be either positive or negative for student learning outcomes. There is a gap in practice in the research literature regarding special education teachers' perceptions of why and how they personalize EBPs to teach…

In a multi-year randomized control trial, paraeducators received targeted coaching and professional development to implement an individualized intervention for elementary or middle school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Paraeducators in the study's two treatment conditions delivered an early literacy intervention…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive designed study was to explore how special education teachers from a private special education school with self-contained classrooms describe their experiences teaching and how they identify and select instructional strategies based on student's individual instructional and cognitive needs when teaching…

Trends in inclusive education signify a shift in educating students with disabilities (SWDs) in exclusively special education settings to more appropriate placements with access to the general education curriculum. However, general education teachers in the workforce may perceive themselves as unprepared to provide high-quality, evidence-based…

For students with special education needs, blended learning is a promising method to increase engagement and improve outcomes. The problem that was addressed in this study was the minimal understanding of teachers' perceptions of a blended learning environment for children with special education needs. The purpose of this study was to explore…

This study examined secondary band directors' practices and attitudes about accommodating students with cognitive or behavioral exceptionalities in middle and high school band programs. The research questions were: 1. What are band directors' practices for including students with cognitive or behavioral exceptionalities in a middle or high school…

Autistic students are faced with ableism and oppressive practices daily in their school environments. Special educators can mitigate this problem by celebrating the neurodiversity of the students in their classroom. Utilizing a critical disability theory lens, I conducted an instrumental case study through observations and interviews with six…

School choice is a long-standing tradition in the United States. New to the options available to K-12 parents are full-time virtual schools, and this option is an even more recent development for parents of students with disabilities. Very little research exists on why parents are choosing full-time virtual education for their school-aged…