The feasibility of a pedagogical approach--MultiSensory Music Drama (MSMD)--was investigated in collaboration with a teacher and a student with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (S/PIMD). Educational research for this group of learners is scarce, but research has suggested the potential of integrating music and multisensory…

Virtual Reality is an emerging technology that has not been widely adapted to teach science concepts to students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) in part due to teachers' lack of understanding and technical competence. This narrative case study aimed to recount the experiences of teachers of students with SCD as they engage in…

This qualitative phenomenological study focused on determining and describing teachers' lived experiences in implementing inclusion for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Inclusion as an educational practice entails that special education students are provided access to the general education curriculum. While progress has been noted…

The problem that was addressed in this study was that students with severe intellectual disabilities (SwSID) enrolled in life skills settings are not receiving adequate transition planning services at local rural public schools in a southwestern state. The purpose of this study was to investigate special education teachers' (SET) perceptions about…

Teachers' perceptions play a critical role in defining and giving meaning to new initiatives and policies in schools. However, very little is known about the perceptions of self-contained special educators responsible for students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) pertaining to the inclusion of students with SCD in general education…

This study investigates South African teachers' attitudes in schools for learners with special educational needs specifically learners with severe intellectual disability (SID) using a quantitative and descriptive online survey. The questionnaire includes the Modified Teachers' Attitudes Scale. The theory of planned behaviour is used as an…

During the generic qualitative research, a system for facilitating collaborative lesson planning for teachers of students with significant cognitive disabilities was developed and studied. The collaborative model allowed teachers to meet both school and district expectations for lesson plans. The purpose of the study, however, was to focus on the…

This article reports on a small-scale, school-based enquiry regarding the views and reflections from practitioners working with children and young people who have complex learning needs (termed 'Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties' (PMLD) in England). The study was built around a series of key questions which enabled the participants to…

Supporting children and young people's mental health and well-being is central to UK Government policy, with statistics suggesting post-16 students and those with learning difficulties are vulnerable. This case study explored how practitioners at a special school for students with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties promote…

A high-quality education in the social studies is recommended by the National Council for the Social Studies to promote civic competence and democratic participation for school system graduates. Currently, limited empirical information exists to inform social studies instruction for students with significant intellectual disability (SID),…

The present study investigated the requirements for teaching students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities in inclusive and special education settings, emphasising the skills, knowledge and attitudes that teachers need. Drawing on investigative group discussions with teachers and principals, qualitative content analysis was used to…

Research indicates a connection between successful outcomes for students with significant intellectual disabilities and the individual education program (IEP) team's efforts in the IEP development process. However, little research has been conducted on the perceptions of parents and teachers of students with significant disabilities about parent…

In light of the growing complexity of schoolwork, researchers and practitioners have highlighted the critical importance of transforming schools into learning organizations (Mulford & Silins, 2011). In such organizations, teachers continuously deliberate with one another as to how to solve problems that relate to teaching and learning (Fullan,…

Research is needed to better understand the academic instruction needs of students with significant cognitive disabilities who are English learners and the classroom practices of their teachers. In this qualitative study, we interviewed 10 teachers to learn how they identify and meet the unique needs of this student subpopulation. Our findings…

While federal policies such as NCLB, IDEA, and ESSA have placed increased accountability on states to deliver instruction aligned to the grade-level mathematics standards for all students, teaching functional skills to students with significant intellectual disabilities remains a predominant practice. The purpose of this study was to explore…