Instructors use prompts to assist learners in acquiring skills and then fade those prompts until responding occurs under the appropriate stimulus control conditions. Cengher et al. "Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities," 30, 155-173 (2018) reviewed studies that compared two or more different prompt-fading procedures. The…

This book provides an overview of systematic instructional strategies and is written in a format so that teachers and other service providers can immediately put the information to use. It specifically focuses upon systematic instruction for individuals with disabilities (school age and adults) and is generic across age groups as well as…

Residential Immersive Life Skills (RILS) programs are unique programs for youth with disabilities. Situated, experiential, psychoeducational and strengths-based learning approaches expose youth to opportunities and experiences that can facilitate the development of adaptive behaviours. This study examined the pedagogy of RILS programs to…

Researchers have linked the promotion of skills associated with self-determination with positive school and post-school outcomes for students with disabilities, and there is an ongoing need to promote greater access to instruction that enhances student self-determination. To that end, curricula were developed that provide teachers with content and…

In this commentary, the authors present disability studies in education (DSE) as an alternative way to reframe, understand, and teach students who are positioned as struggling in literacy classrooms. As the authors detail, a DSE perspective changes the relationship between teachers and students to a more reciprocal one, and in doing so, it…

Reports show that only 40% of 4th-grade students are proficient in math and American students are failing to demonstrate proficiency in key areas of mathematics (National Center for Educational Statistics 2011). Improving students' fluency of basic math multiplication facts has been recommended as a way to increase math proficiency…

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;…

Social skills instruction (SSI) provides a promising avenue for teaching and promoting positive social interactions to students with high-incidence disabilities. Within SSI, a distinction can be made between social skills and social competence. Social skills are specific behaviors one must perform correctly within a specific social context or…

This article calls choreographers and educators alike to continue building an awareness of methodologies that support a disability aesthetic. A disability aesthetic supports the embodiment of dancers with disabilities by allowing for their bodies to set guidelines of beauty and value. Principle-based work is a methodology that supports a…

Special education teachers report lack of time and a shortage of appropriate curricula as reasons impeding implementation of transition education in their classrooms. However, research indicates school and postschool outcomes of students with disabilities improve significantly with transition instruction. The ME! Lessons for Teaching…

One essential way to support students with autism is to "show up" for them. Showing up means connecting and building relationships with learners and trusting students to show us what they most need to boost their learning and social growth. Snow shares scenarios from her years as a special educator that showcase ways educators can…

Evidence based reading instruction and intervention are essential for students with disabilities. The authors recommend that elementary special education teachers emphasize both code-based and meaning-based skills as part of delivering intensive reading interventions, including providing explicit and systematic decoding and vocabulary instruction.…

The nature of bullying and the proliferation of bully prevention programs for schools is well-documented. Research indicates that the most effective programs are those that are implemented school-wide. Forty-nine states have passed some type of legislation that deals with bully-prevention in schools. Clearly, schools throughout the country are…

Early learning programs impact students, especially those with developmental delays. These formative years play a vital role in the overall development of the students' skills. School districts want to reach these special education students during these crucial years to help close the developmental delay gap. This quantitative study examines the…

"Self-Determination" concept is based on the simple assumption that human beings ought to be in a position to intrinsically influence their life outcomes. The concept as well avails people with the right to control positive life outcomes by managing the Decisions and Choices they make. Typically, the concept revolves around the approach…