Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate difficulty communicating with others, and this may impact the extent to which they can engage in language during play. Previous researchers have used interventions to increase commenting during play with caregivers, siblings, and adult play partners. In these previous studies,…

This study tells the story of first-grade teachers as they have experienced the return to the school building after year-long building closures. It identifies changes needed to support students' social-emotional needs having missed their kindergarten school year of face-to-face instruction in the school building. This study also explores teachers'…

Language is one of the hallmarks of intelligence, demanding explanation in a theory of human cognition. However, language presents unique practical challenges for quantitative empirical research, making many linguistic theories difficult to test at naturalistic scales. Artificial neural network language models (LMs) provide a new tool for studying…

Young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) demonstrate behavioral deficits and excesses that can adversely affect their play skills. Teaching children with ASD to use activity schedules with embedded scripts have led to increased appropriate game play with other children with autism and typically developing peers; however, there is sparse…

Adolescents have the highest rate of internet use, when compared to any other age group. The debate about adolescent social media use and its impact on their mental health has sparked research; however, there is a gap in the literature associated with adolescents diagnosed with depression and their use of social media. The purpose of the…

American higher education is at a unique point in its history. Current calls for accountability, transparency, cost control and results through gainful employment permeate the industry. Additionally, the movement known as the Completion Agenda has gained momentum and forced institutions of higher education to turn their attention from enrollment…

This quasi-experimental mixed methods study investigated the interaction between social emotional competencies and mathematics performance for students in grades 9-12 in the 2020-2021 academic year. An intervention was designed to bolster specific social emotional competencies, and a corresponding survey was designed to measure them. Nine high…

Today, millions of high school students are taking the opportunity to gain higher education credits as well as a sample of the college experience through dual or concurrent enrollment, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or middle and early colleges. Essentially, dual or concurrent enrollment, as well as AP and IB courses,…

Social (pragmatic) communication disorder (SPCD) is a new diagnostic category (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) that describes individuals with severe deficits in social communication who do not also meet the criteria for repetitive, restricted behaviors and interests (RRBI) that would qualify them for a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum…

This study examined the difference between parents, teachers, and administrators' perspectives of intellectually disabled students' academic and social performance. The study's importance comes from the performance of students with exceptional needs who were unable to effectively communicate their social and emotional needs. The population…

Social skills and academic competence are key factors influencing children's development and functioning across early childhood and through adolescence. There is a great need to understand the longitudinal patterns of growth in social and academic skills in order to further inform intervention, particularly for at-risk groups such as individuals…

Preschool special education students' lack of personal-social skills is affecting their kindergarten readiness and placing them at risk for exposure to school discipline in a large school district in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the quality of school discipline…

The purpose of this study was to explore and to compare the programs at two Pennsylvania Universities for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). The study explored how each university began the program from idea to implementation, including why and when it was started. The first university in this study was a four-year private school that…

Along with the deinstitutionalization movement, supports for persons with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) have shifted to promotion of person-centered supports inclusive in the community. Although successes have occurred regarding physical inclusion, skill building and social inclusion have not fared as well for those with more significant…

The incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased during the past decade. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 88 births in the United States will result in ASD. Since social skills deficits are among the most prominent deficits in children on the spectrum, it is crucial that intervention occur early in…