The number of autistic students educated in general education classrooms in the United States has increased over recent decades. To ensure meaningful participation and learning for this population, there is a critical need to identify evidence-based, inclusive practices. Through systematic review, the authors examine characteristics and…

Employment outcomes have long been emphasized as a primary transition outcome for individuals with extensive support needs. To develop appropriate annual individualized education plan (IEP) goals for transition, appropriate transition assessments must be administered to guide the process (Prince et al., 2014). As such, transition assessment is a…

Despite challenges educators face when assessing needs of students with significant cognitive disabilities, providing a fair and accurate assessment of skills is crucial to a student's future success. Dismal outcomes for these students indicate the current transition planning process is weak and not appropriate. Research suggests meaningful…

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…

General educators are crucial players in efforts to support inclusive education for students with intellectual disability. In this systematic review, we examined the roles of general educators within interventions delivered and evaluated in their middle and high school classrooms. Among these 40 intervention studies, the involvement of general…

A set of schools located across the United States partnered with a federally funded inclusive schools systems approach to improving outcomes for "all" students--both general and special education students, including students with extensive support needs stemming from intellectual and developmental disabilities. Two years of data from the…

Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004 established procedural mandates and accountability requirements ensuring all students with disabilities participate and progress in general education curriculum. Broadly speaking, improvements toward greater access have been found for many students with disabilities;…

The least restrictive environment (LRE) mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has long been questioned as to whether it has fulfilled the original intent of the law. This advocacy brief provides an updated analysis of the flaws underlying the principle of LRE, a mandate that exists at the nexus of cultural beliefs about…

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…

Sections 616 and 642 of the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) required states to develop a State Performance Plan (SPP) to (a) evaluate their efforts in implementing the requirements of IDEA and (b) describe their plan for implementation of IDEA through determination of "measurable and rigorous" goals. In this…

Since the passage of the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, educational services for students with extensive support needs (e.g., intellectual disability, autism, multiple disabilities) have been constantly evolving, with at least three overlapping waves of inquiry and practice. In this article we describe extant research, debate,…