Writing is considered the most arduous academic task in school. Many students struggle with motivating themselves to engage in text production due to the enormous cognitive load it requires. In this pilot study, we used a simple electronic device that emits silent vibration signals at programmed intervals to help five sixth graders to stay focused…

Homework enables students to practice what they learn from classroom instruction. However, students' off-task behavior may negatively impact their engagement and performance during homework activities. Self-monitoring is an evidence-based intervention associated with improved engagement and decreased off-task behavior. Compared to traditional…

Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have difficulty maintaining their focus during class lessons and often require reminder prompts from an adult including a teacher or instructional assistant. This study used goal setting paired with a technology-based application and Smartwatch to explore increases in elementary student…

Students who are not academically engaged spend less time mastering material, are less likely to be successful in school, and are more likely to be disruptive. The purpose of the current brief report was to investigate the effects of a technology-based self-monitoring intervention on elementary students' academic engagement during independent work…

The current study assessed whether four 15- to 17-year-old individuals diagnosed with autism would remain on-task for more intervals and complete tasks independently as a function of using self-reinforcement or teacher-delivered reinforcement. An adapted alternating-treatments design with teacher-delivered reinforcement, self-reinforcement, and a…

Self-monitoring interventions are well supported within the empirical literature as improving classroom engagement for students with disabilities. However, studies implementing self-monitoring interventions in high school settings are rarely conducted despite their potential to improve student academic and behavioral outcomes. In an investigation…

Technological innovations offer promise for improving intervention implementation in secondary, inclusive classrooms. A withdrawal design was employed with two high-school students in order to assess the effectiveness of a technologically delivered, self-monitoring intervention in improving on-task behavior in a science classroom. Two students…

Giving iPads to first graders is a leap of faith that many teachers are understandably hesitant to take, especially if their students need immediate reading intervention and school leaders want guaranteed results. This article discusses how the authors took on the challenge of improving elementary reading using iPads, found surprising success for…

This study examined the use of the Apple iPad for learning by children with developmental disabilities (DD), including those on the autism spectrum. A single case design was used to record the participation of four students with DD when taught with their standard computer at baseline, followed by the introduction of the iPad. A six-component…