One of the characteristics of individuals on the autism spectrum is the restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities which have been considered the result of a direct deficit in self-regulation skills. Peer-mediated intervention (PMI) is one of the ways to support young children on the autism spectrum for following school…

Students with extensive support needs often require intensive individualized instruction across domains. Research suggests that students with extensive support needs can achieve greater independence when evidence-based practices are used to teach independent transitioning skills. This study investigated the effects of video self-modeling (VSM) and…

This brief addresses two evaluation questions: (1) What are the effects of supporting educators to intentionally intensify their practice on their overall implementation of targeted classroom practices (i.e., prompting, engaging, and praising)? and (2) What are the effects of educators intentionally intensifying their classroom practices on the…

Peer support has demonstrated promise in promoting inclusive practices and initiating relationships between students with and without disabilities. This support has resulted in friendships, but also academic, social, vocational, and communicative growth by students with and without disabilities. Yet, little research has focused on how to teach…

Calls for interventions in early childhood that best prepare children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to have inclusive school experiences have been numerous. Although there is a developing literature on the efficacy of interactive book reading (IBR) for this population, it is still unclear which aspects of IBR benefit these children and in…

This paper presents information from a comprehensive review of 28 experimental studies that investigated the effectiveness and efficiency of the simultaneous prompting procedure with individuals with autism. Twenty of the 25 variables examined across the 28 studies are reported on in this paper. The results reported across the studies indicated…

Rates of inclusion for children with disabilities continue to increase. Schools are also experiencing an increase in culturally and linguistically diverse students. As such, the diversity of children in classrooms across the country continues to dramatically shift and teachers are challenged to implement culturally responsive and relevant…

Having intense or "special" interests and a tendency to focus in depth to the exclusion of other inputs, is associated with autistic cognition, sometimes framed as "monotropism". Despite some drawbacks and negative associations with unwanted repetition, this disposition is linked to a range of educational and longer-term…

As public schools respond to calls to provide inclusive and equitable education for all students, teachers must possess positive attitudes towards disability and diversity in addition to content and pedagogical knowledge. It has become, therefore, a common expectation that teacher education programmes encourage candidates to engage in critical…

As the number of students with autism included in general education (GE) increases, researchers highlight the impact of attitudes, knowledge, and experiences of GE teachers on successful inclusion. One way to support teachers is to link evidence-based autism practices to existing training initiatives. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an…

Rehabilitation professionals working with students with disabilities and the families of those students face unique challenges in providing inclusive services to special education student populations. There needs to be a focus on adaptive teaching methods that provide quality experience for students with varying disabilities to promote student…

Research suggests that young children with disabilities often fall victim to bullying because of a lack of social competence and social skills necessary for consistent engagement with peers. This article focuses on a comprehensive approach to classroom management and offers important strategies for a multi-level positive behavioral support plan.…