Individual education programs (IEPs) are the cornerstone of special education programs. The persistence of poor in- and post-school outcomes for students with significant disabilities highlights the importance of developing well-designed IEPs to address their multifaceted needs. We conducted a content analysis of IEPs for 150 high school students…

This qualitative study examined the experiences of parents who sought inclusive education for their children with intellectual disabilities or extensive support needs. Data were collected from 33 participants in the form of narratives that emerged through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a phenomenological methodology. Findings…

In Turkey, educational opportunities available for students with special needs are increasing day by day, and recently, more and more students have been benefiting from these opportunities. The preparation of an individualized education program is considered as a fundamental element for individuals with special needs to benefit from these…

This was a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study that sought to determine parents' perceptions regarding the extent to which districts involved them in the IEP transition plan, inclusive practices, provided opportunities in training and obtaining integrated employment, preparation for adult life after graduation, and parent satisfaction with…

Family involvement is an essential component of the special education process for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In addition to the legal requirement that parents should be equal partners in the decision-making of the student's IEP program (IDEA, 2004), a bulk of empirical research demonstrates the positive impact of…

In this article, we describe the exploration of the content and quality of annual goals included in the Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) of students with disabilities in one rural U.S. school district. We utilized content analysis to understand the district's service delivery model comprehensively. Findings revealed disparities between…

The individual education plan (IEP) is an essential part of special education and is used widely in Western countries for documenting both the learning goals and support measures for children with special needs. This study focused on the documentation of support measures in the IEPs of Finnish students with intellectual disability (ID) (N = 21).…

This mixed methods study on postsecondary outcomes for individuals with disabilities focused on the experiences of young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and significant disabilities from their perspective. The research questions include understanding their overall quality of life (QOL), the supports, services, and…

Inclusive post-secondary education (PSE) for students with intellectual disabilities (IDs) is becoming increasingly common in colleges and universities. A majority of these inclusive PSE programs focus on academic enrichment, socialization, independent living skills, integrated work experiences, and career skills. Thus, in inclusive PSE programs,…

Since the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 there has been an ongoing debate in the field of special education on the relative importance of students with significant cognitive disabilities participation and progress in the general education curriculum. Some researchers have argued that the core…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) (IDEIA) requires practitioners to use educational evaluations to assess students in K-12 schools that are suspected of having a disability. The resulting data provides the basis for determining whether students qualify for special education services, their precise educational…

Background/Context: Federal laws require equitable access to education for students with disabilities through educational placement in the least restrictive environment (LRE). However, research has determined students with significant support needs (SSN) are overrepresented in segregated educational placements. Focus of Study: This study explores…

This study used longitudinal special education record data from a large urban southwestern U.S. school district to review classroom placements of students in Grades 5 to 9 educated in traditional public schools (N = 21,314). Results indicated that half of the students were educated primarily in general education classrooms (n = 10,658), 9% of…

Family involvement is an essential component of the special education process for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In addition to the legal requirement that parents should be equal partners in the decision-making of the student's individualized education program (IEP) program (IDEA, 2004), a bulk of empirical research…

This report presents the findings of a survey of states that examined the policies, practices, and procedures State Education Agencies (SEAs) used to monitor IEPs for participation decision making in alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). It is imperative that only students with the most significant…