This qualitative study included eight special education teachers all of whom work in self-contained classroom environments for student with autism. The study was conducted in two public elementary schools within one suburban school district. During data analysis five major themes identified as being important in gaining perspective into the…

COVID-19 has presented new challenges for all teachers, especially teachers of students with special needs. Students have struggled with online learning environments with limited opportunities for social interaction and resources for these disruptive times. The study examined the effect of a professional development (PD) intervention, guided by…

This study examines the purpose and practice of "adjustment rooms" established in special education classes in Los Angeles public schools in the early twentieth century. The establishment and practices associated with adjustment rooms are a local example of broader international trends related to the classification and streaming of…

East High School was opened in 1926 to over nine hundred students from the surrounding neighborhoods. At that time, East High School was an all-White suburban school in comparison to its identity today as the most diverse high school in the state with over forty languages and countries represented in its population. During the first decades of its…

This study employed a descriptive correlational design to investigate the collaborative role of teachers' profiles, assistive technology utilization, and their impact on teaching exceptional learners in public schools. A convenience sample of 63 teachers who had experience teaching exceptional learners in self-contained and inclusive classrooms in…

The landscape of public education has felt a severe impact from the COVID-19 global pandemic. As schools and educators move into this new normal, educators and students will have to come together to reverse the damage caused over the past 3 or 4 years. To complete this goal, educators must understand the perception of students regarding building…

Empirical research has identified many factors that contribute to feelings of burnout among special education teachers. Few studies, however, have examined the influence of varying responsibilities on burnout among special education teachers. The "Maslach Burnout Inventory Educator Survey" was distributed to a sample of special education…

Teacher-paraprofessional collaboration plays an important part in the daily functioning of self-contained classrooms serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Unfortunately, few training opportunities are provided to teachers on how to supervise and collaborate with paraprofessionals in the classroom setting. In this article, we…

Background/Context: The 1960s open space school removed partitions between classrooms in part to alleviate teacher isolation. The model was long ago deemed a failure. Years later, teachers in surviving open space facilities continue to navigate the reform. Despite wide dismissal of the model, components of teachers' work that open space schools…

This study investigated the effects of a method to support higher levels of independent performance and generalization of skills using a structured work system with a visual schedule when teaching online task completion skills to high school students with ASD and intellectual disabilities. Students with ASD and intellectual disabilities are…

Teachers' instructional language is often described as key in facilitating the learning of children with disabilities. This article explored two teachers' instructional language as used in interactions with children with mild and severe language difficulties in one-on-one instructional sessions. The results showed that teachers used more…

Students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) often display externalizing behaviors (e.g., aggression and defiance) and experience internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression). When left untreated, these difficulties can result in negative outcomes for students in school and beyond. Cognitive-behavioral interventions (CBIs) offer…

Student engagement in the primary school classroom has major implications for academic achievement, school dropout rates, later adolescent delinquent behavior, and adult psychopathology and incarceration (Broidy et al., 2003; Greenwood et al., 2002; Fredricks et al., 2004; Schaeffer et al., 2003). "Soles of the Feet" (SOF; Felver &…

The co-teaching movement began in the late 1960s when educators felt that students with special education needs could be incorporated successfully with their general education peers in a general education classroom. While the mainstream perception is that all students have the capacity to learn, when tasked with personal beliefs, coupled with…

The problem of this basic qualitative study explored whether there is an underrepresentation of information surrounding strategies, systems, and programs special education teachers use to support students using augmentative alternative communication (AAC) and the impact said information has on student behaviors. The purpose of this basic…