Collaboration is an expected responsibility of special education teachers in the United States because they coordinate their efforts with others, including paraprofessionals, service providers, administrators, and families (Pfeiffer et al., 2019). Collaboration is also an integral facet of student success. High-quality collaboration improves…

Students with chronic and complex medical conditions often require assistive technologies in order to accommodate both physical and cognitive needs. Survivors of childhood cancer who are eligible for special education offer a lens through which to examine barriers to assistive technology assessment, acquisition, use, and support for students with…

Early-career special education teachers (SETs), often report feelings of role ambiguity and being marginalized from their administrators (Billingsley & Bettini, 2019). Dissatisfaction with administration is a leading cause of SET attrition (Bettini et al., 2020; Fowler et al., 2019). Special educators who leave teaching report feeling…

For all children and youth, language underpins success in academic, social, and behavioral interactions. For students with language deficits, even seemingly simple tasks can be challenging and frustrating. Perhaps not surprising, children with language deficits often exhibit high rates of problem behavior, and children with behavior disorders tend…

Students with learning disabilities are often educated in inclusive classrooms alongside their typically developing peers. Although differentiated small-group instruction is ideal for students with learning disabilities, whole-group instruction continues to be the predominant instructional model in inclusive classrooms. This can create major…

Most schools have crisis plans to support student safety, but few plans address the complex needs of students with disabilities. School supports should include analysis of school plans and student strengths and needs to ensure that students with disabilities have the best opportunity to be safe in school crises. Recommendations include developing…

Knowing that paraprofessionals can be prepared to work effectively with students is an important finding, yet, how do teachers prepare paraprofessionals to work most effectively with students with disabilities? Teachers who supervise paraprofessionals must use basic communication skills, which is the first step in both the preparation of and the…

Students who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) represent a heterogonous group with complex communication needs. AAC--including aided communication means (e.g., pictures, devices) and unaided (e.g., signs, gestures)--is often used to support students who have difficulties with speech production, language comprehension, and…

Children with complex and severe communication impairments often cannot meet their communication needs with their natural voice and may require the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). There are many communication and learning challenges facing children who use AAC; however, using AAC for social communication is especially…

Families choose to enroll their children in fully online schools for many reasons. Online schools offer the possibility of flexible schedules and the potential to learn at a pace and in a manner that is not available to students in their brick-and-mortar schools (Cavanaugh & Clark, 2007). Because online education can allow for individualized…

The purpose of this paper is to support school professionals in their work with parents as they meet IDEA (2004) requirements during IEP meetings. The authors share tools to help recognize when IDEA principles are violated and provide alternative responses that school professionals and parents can offer. Definitions and brief explanations of the…

One goal parents and educators should have is to help children become assertive and emotionally intelligent individuals. In furthering this goal, it helps to have an understanding of the three basic communication styles: (1) passive; (2) aggressive; and (3) assertive. Because communication is most effective when a message is delivered assertively,…

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was created to ensure that students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education. One hallmark of IDEA is the promotion of collaboration between school districts and parents of children with disabilities. The letter and spirit of IDEA encourages a working relationship…

Photovoice is an educational action research tool that embraces visual communication through photography and allows for individualization. In this article, the author describes how a visual teaching method known as photovoice led to improved engagement with peers and learning materials for two young boys with autism. The author also describes how…