Video games have become a mainstream form of entertainment that are played regularly by many around the world, including a large number of youth with disabilities (YwD). Video games' popular presence in our society has created exciting new opportunities for student learning that educators who work with YwD can leverage for both skill acquisition…

Researchers in special education and educational leadership have engaged in collective efforts to highlight the critical role of the principal when it comes to creating inclusive schools for students with disabilities. Primarily, research and prescriptive writings have focused on a set of school improvement practices tailored to creating systems,…

Advocacy is often an expectation for parents of children with disabilities. However, little is known about the process and products (i.e., outcomes) of parent advocacy experiences. Without understanding parent perceptions of their advocacy experiences, it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of parent advocacy. To this end, the purpose of…

The present study was conducted to determine whether the problem characteristics of U.S. students school-identified with emotional disturbance (ED) have changed over two decades. We used data from a teacher rating instrument designed to measure the five problem characteristics of ED, as stated in its Individuals with Disabilities Education Act…

Rural school leaders encounter an array of complex issues that require legal counsel. Student discipline, contract disputes, employee conduct, special education, and a host of other topics require school boards and superintendents to utilize school attorneys. This descriptive phenomenological study explored the daily experiences of ten school…

Purpose: Administrative support and accurate perceptions are believed to facilitate the use of speech-language services that are integrated into the classroom (i.e., integrated classroom-based services [ICBS]). The purpose of this study was to compare elementary principals' and speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') perceptions of ICBS in three…

This document, from the Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Emotional and Behavioral Health (DEBH), provides clear and compelling support for the abolishment of solitary confinement with incarcerated youth and young adults in juvenile and adult correctional facilities. This is the first position statement from DEBH on the topic, and the…

Young children birth to 6-years of age and their families were each studied for 6 months to identify the everyday family and community activities that were sources of informal everyday learning opportunities. The participants included 115 children with identified disabilities or developmental delays and 91 children without disabilities or delays.…

College and Career Readiness (CCR) is broadly defined as the ability of an individual to be successful in postsecondary education and employment. Although the definition of CCR continues to develop within policy and research, scholars suggest that both academic and nonacademic skills are crucial components. Recently a CCR framework for students…

Youth with special education-related disabilities are drastically overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. However, the education services needed to support these students are often inadequate in detention and correctional facilities. Issues pertaining to communication between agencies, access to student records, and collaboration among…

Self-advocacy is linked to the success and retention of students with disabilities in college. Self-advocacy is defined as communicating individual wants, needs, and rights to determine and pursue required accommodations. While self-advocacy is linked to academic success, little is known about how students with disabilities in science, technology,…

In 2014-2015, children with delays or disabilities who received services under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) showed greater than expected developmental progress. Many children exited the program functioning within age expectations, and most made progress. States' Part C and Part B Preschool programs report data annually on three…

Special education teachers have a professional obligation to advocate for students with disabilities to ensure students receive a meaningful, individualized education. However, there are potential risks teachers may face when attempting to advocate. Given that effective strategies for advocacy are not always included in special education…

Federal and state laws exert an important influence on the education of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. The most important of these laws is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. States and school districts must adhere to the requirements of IDEA when educating students with disabilities in special education programs.…

This technical report synthesizes the process and information used by National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) in the development of a consistently applied definition of intervener services. It addresses challenges and questions, provides comparisons between interveners and paraprofessionals, and offers definitions, roles and concepts used by…