The college experience described in this paper created normative opportunities for exploration and development on a university campus for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). This project was one of 27 Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) model demonstrations to receive a five-year…

Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) is an outgrowth of Response to Intervention (RtI). The various systems of support for students and school communities provided through these programs are integral to modern education and embedded in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004. While there are many benefits to…

Implementation of evidence-based practices for autistic students must be informed by robust research literature. Randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) are often considered a "gold standard" methodology for determining the effectiveness of interventions. However, the complex nature of schools presents challenges for implementing successful…

The adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2006 and, in particular, Article 24 was a landmark in the struggle of people with disability for recognition of their fundamental human rights, including their right to education. As a legally binding treaty under international law, imposing…

This brief examines California's Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), which is a framework designed to identify and assist students performing below grade level. MTSS involves at least three tiers of support; Tier 2 includes personalized assistance. Unfortunately, Tier 2 services are not adequately resourced so it is not surprising that…

The 2017 Supreme Court ruling in "Endrew vs. Douglas County" charged educators to provide evidence toward the attainment of Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals beyond "de minimus" educational benefit. The purpose of this article is to present two methods that may be useful for supporting IEP teams in evaluating progress…

Special educators are relying more heavily on computer assisted instruction (CAI) programs to teach academic content to students with intellectual disability (ID) than ever before. Research in this area is growing; however, no formal review of the literature has been conducted to examine the efficacy of using CAI to teach academic content to…

Relative to peers without disabilities, students with disabilities are more likely to experience exclusionary discipline. Specifically, students with disabilities experience disproportionate levels of restraint, seclusion, out-of-school suspension, expulsion, and contacts with law enforcement. Further, after controlling for race (Black/African…

This article provides a systematic and impartial analysis of the law, including hearing and review officer as well as judicial decisions, specific to the intersection of response to intervention (RTI) and school districts' ongoing affirmative obligation of child find. The results reveal that this intersection has not been the subject of…

About 13 percent of children aged 3 through 21 enrolled in public schools received special education services in school year 2015-16, and about 3 percent of children from birth through age 2 received special education services. Concerns about the difficulties identifying and evaluating children for special education have been raised by the media,…

This article delineates the four successive dimensions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act's (IDEA) central obligation of "free appropriation public education" that the courts have developed thus far: (a) procedural, (b) substantive, (c) incomplete implementation of the last Individualized Education Program (IEP), and (d)…

This article examines current technology-aided instruction and intervention (TAII) available for autistic transition-age youth (TAY) in the United States and existing policies that may support or hinder the delivery of these interventions. Specifically, we focus on policies that might influence the delivery of TAII to autistic TAY. After a careful…

This is a response to Bonfiglio and Kroh's "Inclusion in Catholic Schools: From Inception to Implementation." Bonfiglio and Kroh identify three primary barriers to inclusion: (1) Lack of culture; (2) lack of resources; and (3) lack of knowledge and skills. In Karen Hopson's experience, lack of culture can be one of the most challenging…

A training package for the Collaborative Model for Promoting Competence and Success (COMPASS), a multilevel consultation and coaching intervention for improved educational outcomes of students with autism, was developed and evaluated. Using a Hybrid Type 3 design with emphasis on implementation and a multidimensional approach to evaluating…

State aid for special education shapes local decisions about identifying students for special education, the programs and services to which students have access and in which students with disabilities are educated, and how local educators structure and administer their special education programs. The connection between state funding for special…