Distance education services are an effective way to meet the needs of students with disabilities, but few special educators get the preparation they need to conduct high-quality instruction remotely. All the fundamentals are in this one-of-a-kind guide, the first dedicated book on distance learning for special educators. With contributions from…

Although sometimes neglected, safety skills instruction should be considered as important a teaching area as others (e.g., self-care, academic, communication skills) because these skills can lead to more independence in a less restrictive environment. The researchers designed this study to reveal the opinions of Turkish parents, teachers, and…

Response-prompting procedures are a form of systematic direct instruction based on the principles of ABA. Researchers have identified six specific and distinct response-prompting procedures for teaching both academic and functional skills: (1) graduated guidance; (2) most-to-least prompting; (3) system of least prompts; (4) progressive time delay;…

Special education teachers have a unique set of skills and opportunities to become leaders in the field of education. Some rural special education teachers, however, may not see themselves as potential leaders or believe they have opportunities to be leaders. This article provides guidelines for rural special education teachers to consider in…

The field of special education's focus on moderate and severe disabilities (MSD) has undergone a number of changes in the past five decades. Some have been philosophical, some based on research, some based on mandated practices through U.S. law, and some based on the development of better technologies. While pioneers in the field first established…

The Education and Professional Standards Board (EPSB) is the governing organization for teacher certification in Kentucky. According to the EPSB (2013a), only three institutions of higher education in the state (i.e., Morehead State University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville) offer an approved alternate certificate program in…

Teachers of students with moderate and severe disabilities must possess the skills and knowledge to address a unique set of needs and challenges. These may include, but are not limited to, management of challenging behaviors, performance of health-related procedures, use of assistive technology, and instruction using evidence-based strategies.…

The purpose of this investigation was to add functional content during core content instruction of language arts, science, and math. The investigation involved three middle school students with moderate disabilities who participated in the state's alternate assessment. During instruction using a constant time delay procedure to teach required…

Special education teachers often search for effective strategies to teach a variety of skills to students with moderate to severe disabilities through small group instruction. The investigators examined the acquisition of academic skills as well as chained and discrete tasks presented as nontargeted information by a small group of students with…

Based on a review of the literature and the authors' experience, this article addresses issues in three aspects of the planning and delivery of online content: (1) online support services; (2) technology assistance; and (3) course content. Recommendations are given for administrators and instructors involved in the delivery of online coursework in…

Eight elementary special education teachers attending a graduate course described 48 critical incidents that highlighted the advantages or disadvantages of their rural Kentucky areas in the delivery of special education services. Incidents were categorized and served as the basis for discussion of solutions to local problems in service delivery.…

Describes a multi-university model for delivering a distance-learning special-education course by compressed video to eight undergraduate and graduate student sites in rural Kentucky. Evaluation indicated the model's effectiveness. Advantages and challenges of the approach are identified. (DB)

A series of U.S. Department of Education grants has enabled the University of Kentucky to deliver a graduate program on low incidence disabilities to students in rural areas via distance education. In 1989, the initial Training Rural Educators in Kentucky (TREK) project involved physically moving coursework to rural London, Kentucky. In subsequent…

The ability to conduct field-based research is a particularly valuable tool for special education teachers working in isolated rural areas. To address this need, the University of Kentucky's Developmental and Behavioral Disorders Program focuses on preparing graduate-level special education personnel to work in diverse settings; provide…

The history of rural special education delivery and teacher education in Appalachia over the last four decades is traced. Much progress has been made, but rural regions still have a shortage of special education teacher educators, certified personnel, employment opportunities for students with disabilities, and distance education capabilities. A…