Schoolwide peer-mediated programs have long been advocated as an avenue for promoting inclusion, friendship, and learning for students with autism and other developmental disabilities. Such interactive programs faced complexities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed representatives of 91 elementary and secondary schools implementing a…

Opportunities and experiences for all students, including students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, to build self-determination abilities and skills are critical to enable positive postsecondary outcomes (e.g., competitive and integrated employment, community access participation). However, racially and ethnically marginalized…

The initial transition to high school is challenging for any student, but adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience increased difficulties. This population, often characterized by significant limitations in their social and emotional development, experience limited access to inclusive…

There is very limited research on inclusive mathematics instruction for students with extensive support needs (i.e., moderate to severe intellectual disability, autism, multiple disabilities) and this is a critical area of need. The purpose of this article is to propose a framework for mathematics instruction for students with extensive support…

Students with intellectual disability are among the least likely to gain competitive employment, live away from their families, or attend college following high school. While family-professional partnerships can facilitate positive transitions from school into adult life among students with disabilities, professionals report being unsure of how to…

Qualitative analysis of three discipline-specific focus groups (graduate students in educational leadership/educational administration, curriculum and instruction, and counseling) revealed that these participants are largely unprepared to serve students with extensive and pervasive support needs. Rather, these professionals reported relying upon…

For most students with intellectual disability (ID), education in the least restrictive environment has been determined to be separate special education classrooms. One means to promote greater participation in general education classrooms is for educators to identify and arrange individualized supports that students need to be successful. We…

Although there is widespread agreement among both special education experts and general classroom teachers that students with significant cognitive disabilities should participate in inclusive classrooms, most teachers report that they do not know how to do this effectively. One of the challenge teachers face is figuring out how to focus on…

Families should be an active part of educational decision making for their children, and they can be particularly influential in advocating for inclusion for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Yet, significant research has shown that parents do not feel schools effectively collaborate with them. We interviewed 19 parents of…

The trend of educating students with disabilities in inclusive general education settings is expanding. Consequently, teacher preparation for inclusive practices is a necessary consideration for teacher educators. An important component of shaping preservice teacher dispositions comes from school experiences and interactions with mentor teachers.…

Although access to general curriculum content is most likely to occur in general education contexts, teachers and educational personnel are often challenged to implement the practice. In this instrumental case study, we examined the ways that a team of educational personnel in a district, which was identified as an exemplar of inclusive education,…

College programs for students with intellectual disability frequently engage peer mentors to promote students' social connections on campus. The qualitative study discussed in this article was conducted to explore, from mentors' perspectives, how mentor/mentee relationships developed, how mentors offered supports, and how mentors facilitated…

This article expands on 10 critical actions within the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and The Arc's 2018 joint position statement on the right of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to have a free and appropriate public education (FAPE): (a) zero reject; (b) nondiscriminatory…

Inclusion of students with disabilities in general education settings is often contingent on teachers' liberties to use inclusive instructional strategies. The current qualitative investigation used focus group, observation, and interviews of 9 special education teachers to understand their attitudes and beliefs concerning challenges with…