Evidence-based strategies for play, such as the application of systematic prompting techniques, require education and collaboration between occupational therapists and classroom educators to support implementation and carryover. Educating teachers and paraprofessionals regarding systematic prompting strategies to increase play within the classroom…

Background: Supported Employment has been advocated for by successive governments and policymakers alike as the "best" approach to employment inclusion for people with an intellectual disability who are in receipt of social care. Yet only 5.2% of this demographic are in any form of work and these numbers have been persistently stagnant…

This quantitative study of 90 higher education special education faculty members in 20 institutions of higher education in Saudi Arabia explored their perspectives related to preparing preservice teachers to implement evidence-based practices for elementary students with ID and ASD. Results revealed that faculty reported a number of concerns…

Preverbal communication means any social behavior that occurs before children communicate verbally. Generally, these communicative behaviors are categorized into two ways: as behavior regulation (BR) or joint attention (JA) skills. BR, also referred to as requesting, involves the use of behaviors to gain something or receive assistance (Mundy et…

There are longstanding calls for inclusive education for all regardless of student need or teacher capacity to meet those needs. Unfortunately, there are little empirical data to support full inclusion for all students and even less information on the role of data-based decision making in inclusive education specifically, even though there is…

In 2008, Browder and colleagues published a meta-analysis on mathematics instruction for learners with significant cognitive disabilities and found that most skills taught to these students were only from two of the five strands recommended by the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (i.e., Number and Operations, and Measurement). A review…

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a framework for organizing and providing a tiered instructional continuum to support learning for all students. MTSS has the potential to meet the academic and behavioral needs of all students. However students with the most significant cognitive disabilities often are not included in this framework even…

Person-centered positive supports are about empowering people with disabilities to live lives that fully reflect their individuality and their humanity. They're about using evidence-based positive practices in the service of the needs, values, and goals of the person receiving the support. And they're about promoting quality of life for people in…

Students with intellectual disability are often served in community-based services to promote effective adult outcomes in employment, community inclusion, and independent living (Gaumer, Morningstar & Clark (2004). "Beyond High School" (Wehmeyer, Garner, Lawrence, Yeager, & Davis, 2006), a multi-stage model to promote student…