In spring 2021, I taught a synchronous online course in disability studies, communing with young people struggling with their present and future as educators. The students not only felt empowered to introduce themselves with their preferred pronouns, but they were also empowered to disclose their disabilities. One-third of the students identified…

Purpose: Family Peer Advocates (FPA) are used in healthcare broadly to facilitate engagement and address disparities in care. We previously reported on the benefit of FPAs in the care of autistic children on caregiver stress. Caregivers of autistic children report significant levels of caregiver stress, in particular when associated with…

Research has shown the importance of diversity representation in education both in PK12 and in higher education, but disability and neurodiversity have often been left out of the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) conversations in higher education. Disabled and neurodivergent faculty members in higher education face barriers and stigma, and…

Enactment of the "Rehabilitation Act of 1973" and the "Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990" expanded and clarified the rights of students with disabilities in higher education (Connor, 2011; Pena, 2014; Troiano, 2003). In the past three decades, the enrollment rate of students with learning disabilities (LD) in higher…

Recent studies have focused on predictors of exclusionary practices in early childhood, but few have examined what happens after a child is removed from care. Families' difficulty finding new care is complicated by the shortages of convenient, affordable and quality childcare in the United States. Using online surveys, we gathered data from…

There has been a long-standing history of segregation and exclusion of students with disabilities from receiving a quality education in public school districts throughout the country. In response to the growing outcry for equal opportunities for students with and without special needs, Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act…

Despite evidence for the usefulness of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for young children with complex communication needs (CCN), several barriers prevent children from accessing AAC intervention. This qualitative study is focused on understanding the lived experiences of parents accessing and learning how to use speech-generating…

A pervasive and widespread shortage of early intervention (EI) teachers is preventing vital services from reaching infants and toddlers with disabilities during their most critical period of brain development. To better understand the EI teacher shortage, this qualitative study examined the career decision-making of 11 EI teachers from the…

The purpose of this study was to investigate employer perspective on augmenting work experiences for individuals with disabilities in the workplace through a qualitative case study approach. This study utilized two specific workplaces that are structured, have core values, are mission-driven and support individuals with differing abilities. The…

The purpose of this study is to examine Internet-based disability services information within the City University of New York (CUNY). The evaluation included exploring the CUNY university system disability services websites for information availability, language and nomenclature presence, ease of access, range of services, types of assistive…

Qualitative data were gathered, via surveys and interviews, from students with disabilities enrolled in undergraduate and graduate professional preparation programs, with the intention to learn about their reasons for not disclosing their disability status or not pursuing relevant accommodations. Findings indicate their primary motivations are to…

Purpose: This study explored the acceptability and practicality of implementing a Direct Skills Teaching (DST) approach to increase job interview preparation for individuals who were receiving state vocational rehabilitation (VR) services in four states. Method: Counselors-in-training facilitated a four-session curriculum teaching "Presenting…

About 13 percent of children aged 3 through 21 enrolled in public schools received special education services in school year 2015-16, and about 3 percent of children from birth through age 2 received special education services. Concerns about the difficulties identifying and evaluating children for special education have been raised by the media,…

Evidence consistently reveals that taking part in an inclusion classroom does not guarantee that children with disabilities will be accepted, valued, or included (Lindsay & Edwards, 2012; Rillota & Nettelbeck, 2007; Ison et al., 2010). Children with disabilities have been reported to have significantly less friendships and overall social…

Promoting the Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE), a study of 13,444 randomly assigned youth and their families, includes six model demonstration projects and a technical assistance center funded through the U.S. Department of Education and a national evaluation of the model demonstration projects funded through the…