Students with disabilities in college and beyond face numerous barriers to seeking out and receiving supportive services or disclosing that they have a disability. Research indicates that they are vulnerable to stigma, lack of support, and discrimination resulting in inequities in educational outcomes. Less is known about the challenges medical…

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across the United States transitioned to some form of emergency remote instruction. Preliminary research suggests that special education services may have been disjointed and many caregivers assumed a primary role in service provision during emergency remote instruction. To extend this work with a…

This dissertation examines the integration of behavior analytical procedures into teaching performing arts dance skills to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), mainly the innovative use of song-lyrics self-instruction. Individuals with ASD often face unique challenges, including social communication delays, limited play interests, and…

Autistic students demonstrate poor academic performance which may be related to challenges in learning behaviors such as organization, planning, study skills, and so forth. Most studies report on summary scores; however, there may be value in understanding specific strengths and challenges to better inform assessment and intervention efforts. The…

We investigated the observations and experiences of k-12 teachers and school counselors with twice-exceptional students. For this purpose, we used the phenomenological research design. The study group consisted of nine teachers and two counselors who had working experiences with twice-exceptional students. We prepared and used an interview form to…

School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is an inclusive multi-tiered system of behavioral supports that has been widely adopted by K-12 schools in the United States. SWPBIS focuses on creating safe, equitable, and inclusive school environments and has been linked to both positive behavioral and academic outcomes for…

This article presents a structured blueprint for school psychologists to assess and intervene in cases of automatically maintained self-injurious behavior (SIB) while adhering to the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) mandate. We outline a six-step process for conducting Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) of automatically maintained SIB,…

The purpose of this study was to understand the difficulties encountered by special education teachers while dealing with students who had dyslexia and demonstrated challenging behavior. The topic was the experiences associated with teaching dyslexic students. There is a lack of research centering on special education teachers' experience teaching…

This study aimed to enhance leadership abilities among special education teachers using Behavioral Skills Training (BST). It highlights the issue of staff burnout and lack of support within the workplace among special education professionals working in self-contained classrooms with individuals with disabilities. This study aimed to bridge the gap…

Teachers must have an understanding of dyslexia, including characteristics, assessments, and interventions, but also an understanding of the reactions the students may display when faced with these learning difficulties. In addition, teachers need to be aware of how their typical classroom practices may cause even further disruptions and…

Currently more than 400,000 youth are placed in foster care across the United States. Between 33% and 50% of these children receive special education services. Nearly half of foster care youth with disabilities are identified as having emotional and behavioral disorders, in part due to their exposure to maltreatment including neglect, substance…

Since the start of the full inclusion movement, K-2 general education teachers have been overwhelmed with their behavior management due to the increased numbers of students with disabilities in their classroom who display emotional/behavioral challenges. This basic qualitative study aimed to explore K-2 teachers' perspectives on having a broad…

This dissertation examines the factors influencing the self-efficacy of PreK-8th grade educators in supporting students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in southeastern Louisiana. This qualitative phenomenological study analyzes the lived experiences of educators to identify critical influences, such as classroom experience,…

Problem behavior, such as non-engagement, impacts academic outcomes (McIntosh et al., 2008; Morgan et al., 2008; Nelson et al., 2003; Roberts et al., 2015). Theories examining the relationship between problem behavior and academics suggest the following regarding the directionality of the relationship: (a) academic challenges lead to problem…

The primary purpose of conducting a structured interview as part of a functional behavior assessment (FBA) is to assist teams in generating a hypothesis about the reason for a student's problem behavior based on specific information. Although the use of an interview can be beneficial in identifying the function of a student's behavior, it often…