Students with an intellectual disability encounter challenges throughout their educational journey and as they transition to adulthood. Securing and maintaining competitive employment for individuals with an intellectual disability is harder for them than for their non-disabled peers. The problem addressed in this qualitative, phenomenological…

Parental engagement is often used interchangeably with terms such as parental involvement and parental participation. Research has indicated that active parental engagement was less evident in culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The problem addressed in this study was that although culturally and linguistically diverse parents…

Understanding the needs of students who are English learners (ELs) and are also students with disabilities has become an area of policy and research in recent years. Uncovering the needs of this student group requires a closer examination and understanding of the Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP is a foundational process and…

The world is full of parents of special education students who do not know how to support their children through the individualized educational program (IEP) process. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was designed to create a shared decision-making process whereas parental involvement is at the forefront of the IEP process. This…

American public schools must allow parents the ability to be involved in the collaboration and planning aspects of their child's individualized education program (IEP). However, many parents have reported feeling like an outsider in IEP meetings. Historically, families from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds have reported…

Special education case managers experience barriers to community and vocational resources when writing Individualized Education Plan (IEP) transition plans. Lack of procedural information and coordination of transition services create obstacles that impact the quality of IEP planning and postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities.…

Annual goals are an essential component of Individual Educational Programs (IEP), which are developed for students with disabilities, and which are informed by data. However, the methods and practices that special educators use to make sense of data to inform the annual IEP goals represent a gap in research literature. This qualitative study was…

The qualitative research study was guided by the following research questions: What factors impede how parental advocacy works in collaboration with the IEP team, and what motivates parents to be involved and/or engaged with their child? The qualitative study examined the everyday experiences of parents and school personnel as they collaborate to…

The Family Expert Survey aims to provide school psychologists and other school-based mental health professionals with a research-based data collection tool that focuses on family perception of, and satisfaction with, the current IEP procedures that are in place. At its core, this survey's focus is to provide a low cost, valid way to collect data…

The purpose of this study was to examine parents' lived experiences when considering the impact of their parental involvement and parenting styles on their ethnic minority youth with disabilities, transition outcomes, and mental health. Specifically, the research sought to explore how parents' levels of engagement in their children's education may…

This study applies the gap analysis model to understand barriers facing teachers to differentiate instruction for special needs students in the general education setting. The purpose of this study was to conduct an evaluation gap analysis for implementing differentiated instructional strategies to improve outcomes of special needs students in the…

Organizations invest billions annually in the form of Tuition Assistance Programs (TAP) with little knowledge as to the reasons why employees choose to participate. The purpose of this multiple exploratory case study was to explore the perceptions of employees with access to a TAP of at least $5,250 per year. Interviews were conducted with 17…

In March of 2020, with COVID-19 cases rising above 3% for the entire population entered a pandemic and mandated schools move their instruction to online learning. The problem addressed in this study was students with a current IEP were not receiving the support and resources needed to meet their IEP goals in a virtual setting, leading to teachers…

Parent engagement in the transition planning process for students with IEPs is an essential indicator for positive post-school outcomes for students with disabilities graduating from high school. Barriers to parent participation include lack of communication, trust, and knowledge of the process in which they are participating. Educators must seek…

Students with disabilities (SWD) are participating in supplemental online programs (SOP) and through the provisions of special education must receive specialized instruction to meet their academic potential. These students have a group of individuals, including educators, specialists, school leaders, and their own parents, collaborating to…