The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds programs providing services designed to assist children with a range of delays and disabilities in achieving individualized developmental and functional goals. There are two types of programs. Part C Early Intervention is for children ages birth-2, and Part B Preschool is for children…

Through educational research over the last decade, effective practices have been identified for dealing with difficult and challenging behavior in schools. Still, in too many cases, the results of this research and the practices it suggests have not reached educators at the district or building level. The purpose of this booklet is to offer…

A review of 29 juried journal articles from 2009-2022, among other sources, found that autistic students face numerous systemic barriers to success in postsecondary settings. Despite autistic students being academically prepared, many are not persisting and completing a postsecondary program. Major findings from the literature include the benefits…

The purpose of this study was to determine if self-advocacy and social skills were targeted areas of instruction on a collected sample of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). We also measured student attendance at IEP meetings as a potential step towards self-avocation. Utilizing secondary analysis with data collected from 170 IEPs, we…

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effect of teacher professional development for working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and teacher (N = 56) self-efficacy in the general education classroom. A pretest/posttest quasi-experimental research design was implemented. Teachers in one randomly assigned school received…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify effective teaching strategies used with students with autism to enhance social skill development. With the growing need for teachers to address students with autism, viable strategies are needed to be implemented effectively to ensure social outcome success for students. The Individuals with…

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) III, the purpose of this commentary is to describe school-based and school-relevant interventions and instructional approaches for children and youth with autism that have been developed and employed during that time period. The commentary begins with a brief…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that schools assist students with disabilities to develop independent living skills and abilities essential to succeed in most of their life's endeavors. According to the law, each student with a disability must have an individualized education program (IEP), and the IEP must address…

This is the executive summary for the policy brief, "Expanding the Definition of Student Success under ESSA: Opportunities to Advance Social-Emotional Mindsets, Skills, and Habits for Today's Students." Signed into law on December 10, 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) presents education leaders with a unique opportunity to…

Pam Shanks describes Raintree Montessori School, an exemplary inclusion school, and gives credit to the legacy of Dr. Montessori. An inclusive Montessori community begins with "physical integration of all children, progresses to functional inclusion, and finally culminates in the highest level, social inclusion." Each of these levels is…

The Supported Higher Education Program (SHEP), administered by the Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky, was one of the funded Transition Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSIDs). SHEP's central goal was to support students with intellectual disabilities toward a meaningful post-secondary education…

In 2017, the National Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Neglected or Delinquent Children and Youth (NDTAC) released its first in a series of professional development briefs that focus on the professional development needs and interests of neglected or delinquent (N or D) State coordinators, correctional educators, and providers of…

Since 1998 there has been a dramatic increase in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), resulting in an estimated prevalence of 1 in 150 children. Federal law requires schools to educate children with ASD in the least restrictive environment, increasing the number of children with ASD in regular classrooms. Teacher preparation…

Although few educators, youth development practitioners, and student support services personnel question the importance of helping children to develop the skills necessary to be successful in the workplace, make ethical decisions, and be engaged and contributing citizens, these skills are rarely taught explicitly and effectively. The pressures of…

National concern about the growing number of identified children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased efforts in the research field (National Research Council, 2001; Odom et al. 2003; Simpson, 2005) and the U.S. federal government (U.S. House of Representatives, 2005) to provide specific recommendations regarding appropriate…