Students who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are impacted by ADHD in their academic pursuits in higher education. The purpose of this study was to investigate, explore, understand, and offer a voice to the students directly affected by ADHD. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight students,…

One in 59 children are diagnosed on the autism spectrum and approximately 728,000 autistic youth in the United States turned 18 years old in 2018. Although larger numbers of autistic students are entering postsecondary institutions, fewer than 40% completed their program. The literature suggests that academic challenges are often not the culprit…

In the United States, students with disabilities are protected by federal and state law, with rigorous learning standards mandated for all students. Research on the education of students with severe disabilities has focused on students on the upper end of the severe disability spectrum, but few studies in the United States have addressed the…

The unprecedented school closures in response to COVID-19 have been associated with a number of negative impacts on students and their families. In addition to these difficulties, parents of student with disabilities are faced with pre-pandemic stresses and challenges that may be exacerbated by the school closures. This qualitative study aimed to…

Although called by our vocation and the mission of Catholic schools, students with disabilities (SWD) are underserved in Catholic education. Only approximately 1% of the nation's SWD population (67,000 students) attend private schools with 40% identified as Catholic (U.S. Department of Education, 2018a). Despite the small number, SWD and peers…

Current U.S. federal special education policy under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) allows states to define their own criteria to identify young children with nonspecific delays for special education using the disability category option of developmental delay (DD), or similar terminology. Arizona is the only state to…

More than half of the students with visual impairment (VI) have an additional developmental disability (DD) in the United States. Young children with VI and DD are at risk for language delay and these children need planned learning experiences to increase their language skills. Teachers of students with VI (TVI) have received training and special…

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused uncertainty in major aspects of national and global society. This pandemic has had an extreme impact on education. Since March, 2020, the education system has changed drastically. Schools, educators, families, and students are experiencing unprecedented times and are finding a way to navigate and determine the best…

Children with developmental disabilities and complex communication needs who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) have limited opportunities to communicate and few trained conversation partners to interact with. Research literature on interventions utilizing AAC devices and systems to increase communication skills overwhelmingly…

Children with emotional and behavioral disabilities who would potentially benefit from Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) with therapy dogs do not have consistent access to this type of intervention in school settings due to a lack of defined policies and processes at both individual school and district levels. The focus of this qualitative…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to compare perceptions of preparedness to teach students with emotional disabilities (ED) between teachers with a mild intervention license and teachers with an ED license. The study examined the perceptions of five teachers with a mild intervention license and five teachers with an ED license as derived…

Virtual, mixed, and augmented reality, termed "extended reality," or XR, have great potential for classroom-based learning. Yet many questions about the use and widespread adoption of these emerging technologies remain. To share insights, opportunities, and challenges, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and the XR Association…

This brief is part of the Affirming Equity, Ensuring Inclusion, and Empowering Action initiative. This brief summarizes the research on dual enrollment programs--programs which allow high school students to enroll in college coursework through a partnering college or university--and offers policymakers a strategy to increase college enrollment and…

Students with disabilities (SWD) in general education science classes are expected to engage in the scientific practices and potentially in the writing of arguments drawn from evidence. Currently, however, there are few research-based instructional approaches for teaching argument writing for these students. The present article responds to this…

Parent-to-Parent individualized mentoring is an understudied strategy that has potential for supporting parents of children with disabilities as they learn to navigate the special educational planning process. Preliminary findings from a formative evaluation of individualized, intensive parent-to-parent mentoring services are shared. Data were…