Special education schools in China and other developing countries are increasingly adapting curricula and approaches developed in Western countries to serve young children with disabilities. Yet not enough is known about how effective these curricula are in different cultural contexts and what difficulties teachers may face in implementing them.…

In the autumn term of 2011, it was identified that a programme of support for developing science in the curriculum was required at a newly opened special school, Beacon Reach, in Lancashire, which caters to children with autism spectrum disorders. Staff wanted to provide a relevant and meaningful curriculum, accessible even to young people who…

With increasing numbers of students receiving gifted services every year, it is more important than ever to make certain we are meeting their unique learning needs in the classroom. Differentiated instruction for these learners must go beyond adjusting content levels, task complexity, or product choice--it must truly challenge and support learners…

For the thirty-ninth time, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the annual AECT Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two volumes.…

Despite frequent reports of academic success, individuals with high functioning autism or Aspergers Syndrome (HFA/AS) often manifest deficits in social abilities. These deficits can lead to daily difficulties, and negative long-term outcomes. Deficits in social competency are evident in this population from an early age, as children with HFA/AS…

Access to the general education curriculum is a critical component of special education today, yet many teachers struggle to implement practices that provide such access. The authors describe how teachers can draw on three levels of support--teacher-, student-, and peer-delivered strategies--to optimize access to the general education curriculum…

With rates of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) continuing to rise alongside improvements in early identification and treatment, service providers are in great demand. Providing undergraduate students with opportunities for education and applied experiences with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can help fill a valuable niche in the autism community.…

"Healthy Relationships & Autism" is a developmentally sequenced, manualized intervention intended for children and adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The curriculum is designed to facilitate healthy interpersonal relationships; three modules cover personal hygiene, sexual knowledge, and a variety of productive…

Finding suitable curriculum materials for Sexuality and Relationship Education for young people with autistic spectrum disorder can be a challenge for teaching staff. In this article, Sue Hatton and Angie Tector who both formerly worked at Coddington Court School discuss findings from their research project asking pupils with autistic spectrum…

For students with autism spectrum disorders, problems with flexibility and goal-directed behavior can be a major obstacle to success in school and in life. But flexibility and goal-setting can be taught just like any other skill--and this how-to manual equips professionals with simple, real-world ways to help students with ASD develop this…

The current study evaluated the effects of conditional discrimination (listener) training with coins on the emergence of novel stimulus relations, textual behavior, tacts, and intraverbals. Two preschoolers with autism were taught 3 relations among coins, their names, and values. After initial training, 4 relations emerged for the first…

Recently the National Reading Panel concluded that systematic and direct instruction in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension that is informed by ongoing assessments of student progress results in positive student achievement (NICHHD, 2002). For students with moderate to severe disabilities and students with…

Determining the most effective curricula for students with severe disabilities requires increased attention as legislation and curricular changes are being made in the field of special education. This article a) reviews the legislation mandates from the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) and the 2001 No Child Left…

Many parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have reported general discontent with the services offered by the education system and have advocated for increased ASD-specific services to better meet their children's educational needs. The elements of best practice offer an ideal model for educational support. There are, however,…

Autism is a spectrum of disorders which comprises Asperger's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Delay-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Rett's Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Autistic Disorder. It affects 1 in 110 children (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, [CDC], 2011), and it is a complex neurological disorder that is…