Students with disabilities trail behind their peers without disabilities while in school, as well as in post-secondary outcome areas. Given that self-determination and enhanced academic skills are associated with improved post-school outcomes, one possible solution is to identify interventions that teach self-determination and academic skills…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex group of disorders that present numerous challenges within the inclusive classroom setting. This book provides guidelines for meeting the level 1 support needs of the child with ASD in your class, from elementary to high school. Specifically, the guide contains information on: (1) Understanding common…

Having a disability can be one of the most marginalizing factors in a child's life. In education, finding ways to meet the learning needs of children with disabilities can be challenging, especially in schools, districts, regions, and countries with severely limited resources. Inclusive education--which fully engages all children in quality…

Response to Intervention (RTI) or Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) is beginning to be implemented in preschool programs to improve outcomes and to reduce the need for special education services. The proportions of children in programs identified as struggling learners through universal screening have important implications for the…

Individual Education Program (IEP) teams are composed of diverse individuals, each bringing a unique set of experiences, knowledge, and skills to the table. Given this, it is not uncommon for team members to have different views on the special education and related services needs of the student whose plan is being developed. When divergent views…

It is now estimated that 1 in 88 children have autism. As children diagnosed with this disorder continues to increase, so does the demand for appropriate educational programs that meet the diverse needs of the students on the autism spectrum. Results of this basic qualitative study, which included 15 instructional designers who create online…

The study presented here examines the efforts of one principal and the team she relied upon to create a more inclusive and high-performing school in a large urban school district. The goals, actions, and responsibilities of the team are described, as well as the daily challenges associated with school administration and special education. In doing…

Self-advocacy occurs when deaf or hard of hearing individuals explain to hearing teachers, classmates, bosses, and officemates the nature of their hearing loss, their language skills, and the accommodations they require in order to effectively do their work, participate in conversations, and get involved in other activities. Self-advocacy may be…

In this study, the researcher analyzed survey responses from 67 Pennsylvania attorneys with experience in special education litigation and reviewed one year of Pennsylvania special education due process hearing decisions to determine the issues that prompt parents to seek legal counsel in special education disputes, the issues that counsel…

Beginning special education teachers have been shown to experience attrition at an increasing rate. The literature has identified many factors contributing to special education teachers leaving the profession. Some of those factors include lack of knowledge regarding special education laws, the special education referral process, individualized…

With the increased emphasis on standardized testing from state and federal mandates, the need for reading remediation has intensified. Programs directed toward increasing student test scores have been put in place nationwide with mixed results. These initiatives include response to intervention (RTI), direct instruction, and individualized…

Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) and SRI International conducted an independent study of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) KIDS "Play & Learn Science" app, which includes in-app and direct hands-on science explorations for children ages 3 to 6 and their parents. This study explored the impact of the PBS KIDS "Play…

In 2007, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) law was passed in Minnesota mandating newborn hearing screening. Recognizing that a number of state-level agencies and statewide advocacy and direct services organizations share responsibility for serving deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children and youth, the Minnesota Commission…

Special education is the most highly litigated area within the field of education. Therefore, the purpose of the current article is to highlight cases (court decisions, Office of Civil Rights rulings, and State Educational Agency hearings) involving students with disabilities in 2015. Highlights from the case law point to the need for school…

The literature seems limited in what is known about conceptual processes that underlie evolution of students with learning disabilities (SLD) conceptions of fractions. This exploratory study examines how a foundational scheme of unit fractions (1/n) may evolve through the mathematical activity of two fifth grade girls. We analyze data segments…