This article describes the usefulness of a scientific approach to improving knowledge and practice in special education. Of four approaches to knowledge (superstition, folklore, craft, and science), craft and science are supported and implications for special education drawn including the need to bridge the gulf between research knowledge and…

A scientific, rule-governed approach to solving problems suggests the following assumptions: we need different rules for different purposes; rules are grounded in values; the origins and applications of rules are often misunderstood; personal experience and idea popularity are unreliable; and all truths are tentative. Each assumption is related to…

This paper addresses issues in the utilization of research by special educators. It urges researchers to do better research and policymakers to make better choices. Criteria for good research-based procedures are offered. Discussion is organized around common frustrations of special educators, strategies for improving the link of research to…

Six issues in special education are analyzed: the erosion of science; the decline in the worth of special education; the lack of attention to prevention; the lack of primacy of academic instruction; the erosion of government programs; and the new racism that erodes the centrality of our common humanity. (Contains 3 references.) (CR)

Describes functional assessment, discusses the need to translate research findings into formats and processes that can be used efficiently in applied settings, and stresses the need for research to continue to build a technology of functional assessment that meets the range of situations faced in schools and communities. (Author/CR)

This article examines the social skills training research-to-practice process and argues that a logical and attendant line of rigorous study is lacking. Areas of social inquiry are drawn from to discuss the need for conceptual frameworks to guide investigation and offer a way for research to be designed and interpreted. (Contains references.)…

This article discusses the poor services students with educational, emotional, and behavioral needs are receiving and advocates for the use of research-based practices. Recommendations for the field of emotional and behavioral disorders include making prevention appealing, embracing a collaborative approach, and advocating for science. A…

This paper identifies specific classroom management strategies for children with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) that have been supported by research, and offers evidence that these strategies are not being effectively implemented in classrooms. It suggests that classroom management strategies in experimental studies may not match the…

This article reflects on the gap between research and practice and three approaches that might be used to promote evidence-based strategies: increasing awareness; improving teacher training; and mounting a focused research agenda. A response echoes the need for research-based practice and discusses the benefits of teacher education programs…