Understanding the experiences of autistic high school students, including participation in social and vocational activities, has important implications for high school programming and links to postsecondary outcomes. The primary aims of this study are to describe these experiences and examine relationships with two aspects of educational programming: diploma status (standard and modified) and autism

Autistic youth demonstrate an overestimation of competencies when compared with neurotypical (NT) peers. Research has also shown NT males/boys tend to overestimate their competencies more than NT females/girls. This study assessed sex differences in autistic youth’s overestimations on academic self-perception variables. Notably, 127 (70 male) autistic youth aged 9–18 years completed two academic tasks

Autistic individuals face challenges in expressing their sexuality and understanding social norms, exacerbated by inadequate sex education. To improve the acquisition of sex education programs, this systematic review identified and synthesized the barriers and facilitators to addressing sex education for autistic learners. A comprehensive database search included five articles after screening the title

Very little is known about how unidentified dual sensory loss (DSL) may affect education and academic outcomes for students with extensive support needs (ESN). We used data from a teacher survey on over 100,000 students with ESN who take statewide alternate assessments to identify the number of students with known and suspected DSL and the differences in characteristics between those groups. Students

The prevalence of disability diagnoses among young children has risen significantly over recent decades. This growth has prompted inquiries into the identification processes, notably focusing on teachers who are the primary sources of referrals. While some studies have examined child age as a relevant predictor of disability referral, minimal attention has been paid to relative age—namely, if children

Guided by the Social Cognitive Career Theory, this study aimed to further explore factors associated with career readiness among college students with disabilities. Through online survey, students with disabilities were assessed with the Career Futures Inventory–Revised (CFI-R), a 28-item assessment tool that evaluates various aspects of career adaptability, such as positive attitudes toward career

For students with moderate and severe intellectual disability (ID), reading instruction has focused on teaching sight words. However, research supports a shift in focusing instruction on reading skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to focus on the research completed with students with moderate and severe ID, discuss the reading

While deaf children learning American Sign Language (ASL) from deaf caregivers generally develop along typical trajectories, some have been skeptical that deaf children who have hearing caregivers—the majority of deaf children—can similarly benefit from ASL exposure. This study tracked ASL fluency and academic achievement among a large sample of children for 4 years. Children with hearing caregivers

This scholarly review presents a case for transforming special education rather than reauthorizing special education law in its present form and, in doing so, reconceptualizing the inclusion movement to recognize marginalizing influences. A comprehensive review of research, policy reviews, and observations of praxis is undertaken to examine current special education law. Three unintended consequences

The 2015 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act placed a 1.0% cap on the participation of students with disabilities in the alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). U.S. Department of Education regulations clarified that states must develop participation guidelines and a definition of students with the “most significant cognitive disabilities

This study assessed the effectiveness of modified schema-based instruction (MSBI) in teaching students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) how to solve additive compare word problems. The study was conducted in Spain, and it involved three students with ASD aged 6, 7, and 9. A single-case, multiple-baseline across-students design was followed. Results indicated a functional relation between MSBI and

A sequential explanatory mixed methods study was conducted to determine Georgia special education teachers’ (SETs) pandemic experiences. We distributed a survey, held focus groups, and analyzed both data for complementarity. We found that SETs experienced challenges, benefits, and concerns when they returned to their classrooms. Although they reported feeling professionally supported during remote

Separate school placements persist for students with extensive support needs (ESN) despite longstanding federal mandates for all students with disabilities to be educated in the least restrictive environment. This study extends research on separate school placement for students with ESN to explore the potential impact of locale and charter school policy by determining (1) the percentage of separate

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) should include a summary of the student’s current skills and needs as well as annual goals that support their progress in the general education curriculum; however, IEPs for students with complex support needs may be missing required information. We investigated IEP goals and Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) statements

Despite the importance of writing skill development, we know very little about how writing instruction is provided to students with visual impairments (VI) with and without co-occurring disabilities (e.g., multiple disabilities, deaf-blindness). The purpose of this study was to survey a national sample of teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) on several important constructs, including

The Zones of Regulation is a widely implemented program for social-emotional regulation, including for students with autism. To date, there is very little empirical evidence to show efficacy for th...

Measurement concepts are an essential foundation for more advanced mathematical concepts. To address the challenges of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in learning measurement concepts,...

Students with disabilities experience differential levels of achievement in mathematics when compared with their nondisabled peers. Identifying and implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) is e...

Curriculum-based measures (CBMs), which allow educators to monitor progress over time and make instructional decisions based on student performance, represent a fixture of general approaches to rea...

Investigating the extent to which professional organization standards reflect family–professional partnerships can identify opportunities for professional organizations to enrich a focus on partner...

In this study, we examined the extent to which educators believe students with complex support needs (CSN) participate in and benefit from practices associated with school-wide positive behavioral ...

Paraprofessionals have increasingly served as a support service for students with disabilities. Yet, scholars have urged caution in the overuse of assigning paraprofessional supports. Furthermore, ...

The Nation’s Report Card reveals that lower performing students exhibited greater achievement decline than their average/high performing peers based on 2022 long-term trend mathematics assessments ...

Author-level bibliometrics are one way to measure scholarly contributions. Such metrics are often calculated from journals indexed in the Web of ScienceTM. Google Scholar more comprehensively refle...

Although functional behavioral assessments and behavior intervention plans (FBA-BIP) are standard practices for students with disabilities, the research base on the nature of FBA-BIPs is limited as...

Developmental disability rates may vary by the season or month in which children are born. However, the seasonal mechanisms, such as climate, underlying these variations are unclear. Previous studi...

Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) were particularly vulnerable to the school closures that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to obtain a baseline underst...

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires annual data collection to monitor the provision of special education services, yet federal reports rarely disaggregate trends for Eng...

We performed a scoping review of literature on schools’ transfer of rights practices under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) with respect to students with intellectual and deve...

Alternative education (AE) settings support students with significant social–emotional and behavioral needs. Such settings often implement individualized programming; however, this presents challen...

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the literature base of single-case research design studies using video analysis to determine its effectiveness on teacher outcomes. Primary, ancestr...

Individuals with disabilities often have limited access to school-based sexuality education (SE). This scoping review identified the characteristics of school-based SE intervention programs impleme...

This study examined the effects of rigid/ritualistic behaviors on special education teachers’ perception of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their readiness for supported employment...

School instruction and service delivery changed dramatically amid disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Children receiving special education services were especially vulnerable to the impact...

Self-monitoring encompasses observation of one’s own behavior that can be used by teachers to improve their performance in the classroom. In this systematic review, we searched three databases to d...

The present study was conducted to determine whether the problem characteristics of students school-identified with emotional disturbance (ED) have changed over two decades. We used data from a tea...

Propensity score matching was used to create intervention and comparison groups to compare academic outcomes of students with disabilities in Indiana placed in more inclusive settings with those pl...

School engagement is an important factor in academic success and social belonging for postsecondary education. Dually identified students receiving special education and English learner services ma...

This longitudinal study investigated bidirectional associations between pupils’ social competence and their interpersonal relationships and classroom climate in segregated special education schools...

Vocabulary is a prominent contributor to reading comprehension. However, little is known about how students with disabilities with lower vocabulary performance respond to Tier 1 instruction, or how...

The current study aimed to examine racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in the receipt of special education services for students with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from a healthc...

Most disability research is conducted in high-income countries, despite much of the world’s population living in low- and middle-income countries. Given the flexible nature of qualitative research,...

Research suggests that reading for understanding, especially narrative text, is difficult for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); yet research on how to effectively teach skills associated with reading comprehension is limited and has generally deemphasized vocabulary interventions. This single case research design study (i.e., a multiple probe across behaviors design) examined the effectiveness

Due to a variety of factors, many paraeducators receive little to no opportunities to advance their professional skills. Asynchronous online learning opportunities offer a flexible way for districts to provide paraeducators opportunities to advance their knowledge, although little is known about what online resources are available, their features, or their overall quality. A review was conducted of

The field of special education has made great strides in identifying interventions that work. These practices have been described as evidence-based because they were effective across numerous studies. However, scholars in the field are also acutely aware that not all evidence-based practices will be equally effective for all children. Because of this, we sought to gain a better understanding of just

We conducted this systematic literature review to summarize single-case intervention studies in which academic instruction incorporated assistive and instructional technology for students with complex support needs. Thirty studies, published between 2012 and 2019, were included in the review and valuated for methodological rigor. Of the 97 student participants across all studies, most received language

Most disability research originates from high-income countries, masking important cultural variability in how disability is conceptualized. Through 199 interviews with people living in Sierra Leone, we investigated the following research questions: (1) what are the experiences of community members with people with disabilities?; (2) what employment options or other resources are available for people

Students with disabilities (SWDs) are less likely to establish themselves successfully in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. Researchers have identified barriers to participation in STEM, including deficits in mathematics and science, executive functioning skills, self-efficacy, and lack of exposure to STEM experiences. Researchers found students who participate in STEM

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is a critical tool for accessing information and instruction among students with visual impairment (VI). This systematic review examined eight CAI intervention studies implemented with 92 school-age children with VI. The interventions were implemented with a diverse group of students across a variety of school types (e.g., neighborhood schools, schools for the blind)

Limited research has been conducted examining the relationship between paraprofessionals and teacher supervisors. This study examined 175 paraprofessionals of students with or at risk of disruptive behavior disorders who reported relationships with classroom teachers in 59 elementary schools. Overall, paraprofessionals rated their relationship with their classroom teachers as positive. Differences

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify and synthesize single-case research examining interventions used to increase the quantity and/or quality of participation by adolescents with disabilities during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. For studies meeting quality indicators, we used visual analysis, Tau-U, and standardized mean difference to synthesize

Classroom environments were analyzed to better understand adult language modeling rates and whether teacher certification practices contributed to differences with learners with deafblindness (DB). Student characteristics were also examined in relation to communication rates. When there is a dual sensory loss, access to tactile and visual communication forms (i.e., multimodal) in addition to verbal

Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) can be effective for supporting skill acquisition among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Few studies have followed children with ASD, who received EIBI, into schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate educational outcomes specific to instructional placement, standardized test proficiency, and special education eligibility under

Unstructured activity periods are central components of early childhood education programs. Deficits in social communication and social interaction presented by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) become apparent in these settings during unstructured activities, such as outdoor recess. Thirty-two preschool-aged children with and without ASD participated in the Buddy Game, a structured, cooperative

One important aspect of special education research that makes it complex is the variability of the disability categories being studied. This study used the context of individualized education program (IEP)/transition planning and National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS 2012) student and parent survey items associated with this context to illustrate the challenges of grouping disability categories

This article is part of a case study of federal leadership in special education from the perspective of those who served in the roles of Assistant Secretaries of Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) and Directors of Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), or their equivalents in the former U.S. Office of Education and later U.S. Department of Education. The perspectives

Refugees have been resettling in the United States for decades, but there has been little attention in the special education literature to this population. The existing literature notes numerous systemic barriers refugee families and professionals encounter but has not investigated the roles of professionals in refugee resettlement agencies in supporting families who have children with disabilities

An ever-growing call for the use of evidence-based practice has come up against the logistical hurdles of a lack of resources and expertise, particularly in rural schools that work with historically underserved students. Although integrated learning systems (ILSs)—stable and likely requiring fewer resources than personnel—do not offer a complete solution to this problem, they may serve as a useful

Postsecondary educational programs (PSEs) are increasingly an option for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This scoping review synthesized research to understand the impacts of these programs for students with IDD and for campus, and barriers to these programs across stages of engagement (exploration, participation, completion). Studies were identified by searching PubMed

The Next Generation Science Standards framework outlines scientific and engineering practices as a key element of student development. Educators are just beginning to discover effective and meaningful ways to teach science content to students with intellectual disability; however, the literature on teaching science practices is still limited and engineering practices nonexistent. This study utilized