In July 2014, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into law, amending the Rehabilitation Act of 1998 and establishing new workforce initiatives for state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies. The passage of WIOA led to the expansion of VR services, including the requirement to provide pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) to eligible and potentially eligible students

Functional communication training (FCT) is an evidence-based intervention that has been widely used and implemented to reduce problem behavior and teach replacement behavior in a variety of settings. Specific procedures have been researched and documented to ensure correct implementation. Functional communication training can be broken into three steps: (a) identifying the function of the problem behavior

Dr. Michael L. Wehmeyer has been recognized nationally and internationally for his research on intellectual and developmental disabilities and is well known as a leader on the concept of self-determination. His career has spanned experiences from the state system to higher education. He has been the recipient of several federally funded grants to support his research and to prepare doctoral students

It has been reported that there is a rise in the number of individuals being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Singapore along with evolving changes in public awareness, attitudes, and levels of financial support occurring in the field in recent years. As such, this column presents the current status and issues related to the identification, provision of early intervention services,

Self-monitoring has successfully been used to improve academic and behavioral outcomes of students with learning disabilities. Despite the frequent use of self-monitoring interventions and their accompanying benefits in the field of education, more information is needed concerning the efficacy of student awareness relevant to their self-talk. The addition of individualized self-talk to self-monitoring

Special education and related professionals often understand the importance of adhering to intervention procedures (i.e., fidelity), but may be less familiar with concepts of intervention intensity. In some cases, professionals may correctly apply an intervention, but with insufficient intensity. This can result in an intervention failing to produce the expected benefit, which can add to student frustration

In addition to supporting the academic goals of students with learning disabilities, secondary special education teachers are tasked with providing services designed to improve post-school outcomes. To improve these offerings, special education teachers should ensure collaboration with vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors during the transition process. Vocational rehabilitation counselors have

The Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM) were released more than 10 years ago. This set of standards outlines the mathematics that all students should know and be able to do to prepare them for post-secondary education and employment. Students with learning disabilities (LD) continue to underperform in relation to their peers without disabilities in secondary mathematics. As high school

The review of Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District case revealed that an individualized education program (IEP) requires inclusion of specific measurable goals to ensure educational benefit. The purpose of this article was to provide a systematic approach to progress monitoring IEP goals in mathematics, which monitors whether a student is benefiting from the mathematics instruction being provided

Academic progress monitoring is essential when implementing individualized education programs for students with learning disabilities and more generally in a multi-tiered system of supports framework. Although students are progress-monitored frequently in schools today, they often are not actively involved in this practice. Research has shown that actively involving students in progress monitoring

This article delineates the four successive dimensions of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act’s (IDEA) central obligation of “free appropriation public education” that the courts have developed thus far: (a) procedural, (b) substantive, (c) incomplete implementation of the last individualized education program (IEP), and (d) incomplete implementation of the next IEP. This current snapshot

African American children and youth are disproportionately represented in special education, school suspensions, expulsion, and the school-to-prison pipeline. Research indicates that increasing the engagement of African American parents in their child’s education is an indicator of academic success for African American students. This article discusses ways that schools and educators can engage African

Five days after the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its ruling in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision in M.C. v. Antelope Valley Union High School District. This important decision involved a student who was being served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The student was blind and required a high level

Dr. Joseph (Joe) Wehby currently is the Chair of the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development. In addition, he is a researcher at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Director of the National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention. He has received more than US$30 million in federal grants for research and training. Much

States increasingly are adopting computer science standards to help students develop coding and computational thinking skills. In an effort to support teachers in introducing computer science content to their students with high-incidence disabilities, a new model, computer science integration planning plus universal design for learning (CSIP+) offers ways to integrate computational thinking and coding

Middle grade students with disabilities that impact reading, including learning disabilities (LD) in reading, high functioning autism (ASD), emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), and students at-risk for reading failure due to the effects of poverty, often struggle to make knowledge-based inferences while reading informational texts. As a result, these populations of students are not able to read

Students who are actively engaged in learning have a higher probability of academic and behavioral success in the classroom. One effective teaching practice that increases student engagement is providing students with frequent opportunities to respond (OTR). This article provides practitioners with a range of OTR strategies that include verbal, non-verbal, and partner responses. In addition, recommendations

Number talks are increasingly used in general education mathematics classes to engage students. Yet, and despite the potential benefits, number talks are given limited attention for students with high-incidence disabilities in special education settings. This article presents special education teachers with both the why and, more importantly, the how for implementing number talks to support students

The ability to think creatively is a vital transition skill for students with learning disabilities in the 21st century. Participation in careers with a high level of creative thinking ability not only sets the individual student up for success, but also the community in which they live. Creative self-efficacy is the belief in one’s ability to be creative and is a basic component of creativity. A positive

Educators recognize that parental participation is a critical factor in the success of children within a school setting. This is particularly true for parents who have children with disabilities or who are from a culturally or linguistically diverse background. However, reaching out to these families can be a difficult task even for the most empathetic and concerned educator. And while communicating

Teachers implementing tutoring programs in which their students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) serve as cross-age tutors (CAT-EBD) for younger students in need of additional instruction have reported improvements in academic, social-emotional, and behavioral skills for both tutees and tutors. This practitioner-lead article features firsthand experiences and insights from a special educator

Writing is a critical academic and life skill, but many school-age children struggle with the complexity of written expression. Given the importance of writing, there is a clear need for a systematic approach to identifying and supporting struggling writers, including writers with learning and emotional disabilities. One such approach is known as data-based instruction (DBI). This article presents

The likelihood of teaching a student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has steadily increased over the past two decades. However, the practical information about working with students with ASD has not increased at a similar rate. Teachers may therefore be unaware of simple modifications they can make to their classrooms to meet the needs of students with ASD. This article is based on a review of

High-leverage practices are essential components of specially designed instruction required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. High-leverage practices such as explicit instruction and use of instructional and assistive technology have research evidence demonstrating their effectiveness when teaching students with learning and other disabilities. Although high-leverage practices are

Teacher preparation programs have acknowledged the need to address the topic of collaboration in coursework; however, few educator preparation programs require collaboration courses or address the interpersonal aspects involved in teaching in other required courses. Working with families is essential in the field of special education and pre-service teachers must be given opportunities to develop their

Self-monitoring has proven to be an effective strategy for improving academic performance for students with learning disabilities (LD). In addition to academics, these interventions have improved actions such as task completion, engagement, and on-task behaviors. As a supplement to self-monitoring, self-talk strategies have similar effects in exercise psychology, with added benefits such as improved

Remote instruction and interventions are designed to reach students outside of the classroom setting. In this Special Series of Intervention in School and Clinic, remote or online instruction across five disciplines are examined. This introduction summarizes the key issues and provides an overview of the topics explored by each of the Special Series contributors.

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are frequently on the receiving end of intervention models (e.g., social skills training) in which targeted skills are modeled and practiced in unnatural arrangements (i.e., teacher-lead). Special educators consistently report a need for effective interventions and instructional arrangements that promote social-behavioral skills of students with

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act requires schools to conduct a manifestation determination (MD) meeting when suspending students with disabilities for more than 10 days. The MD procedure is intended to safeguard educational access by providing a process to determine if a student’s disability is related to the suspending behavior. An accurate decision requires educational team members

Dave L. Edyburn, PhD, is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Exceptional Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and more recently the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida. His teaching and research interests focus on the use of technology to enhance teaching, learning, and performance. He has authored

Over the past decade, there has been a rapidly declining trend in the prevalence of students with learning disabilities in South Korea. In 2019, only 1.5% of students receiving special education support were identified as having learning disabilities. This column reports on three current issues related to learning disabilities to provide a greater understanding of this declining trend in South Korea:

The need for all students to have science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) experiences has translated into research examinations of what strategies and practices work in learning STEAM-related concepts and ideas. Through research, effective frameworks, strategies, and additional considerations have been identified for teaching and learning STEAM for students with learning disabilities

Students with learning disabilities (LD) often face significant difficulties in reading. Research has found a variety of different evidence-based practices to support the reading development of students with LD in areas such as word work, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. However, these practices are most often intended for use in traditional settings and not necessarily virtual settings. This

As schools expand access to technology devices and internet connectivity improves throughout the United States, educators can utilize technology for continuity of instruction during school disruptions (e.g., out-of-school suspension, catastrophes, disasters, or illnesses). Remote learning provides students with instruction outside of the physical school setting or outside of the student’s typical classroom

Online learning continues to be an increasingly popular option in K–12 and postsecondary settings As this trend continues, it is important that the developers of online instructional environments and materials proactively consider the needs of all students. This includes determining how special education and specially designed instruction can be provided in online environments. For students with learning

African American families are multidimensional entities that change over time. This is particularly true when there is a child with a disability in the family. The communication and interaction of the family and parents with the teachers and school in which their child receives special education services are of crucial importance. The goal for all is a relationship based on equity and parity, but research

Students diagnosed with specific learning disabilities, autism, or emotional disturbance may also receive speech-language services as part of their individual education program. This article focuses on the use of telepractice for providing speech-language services in schools. The benefits of telepractice are described, including the accessibility, efficiency, and preference of telepractice in delivering

Classroom instruction focused on discussion-based learning opportunities can provide productive and inclusive learning experiences for all students, including students with learning disabilities in mathematics and those without learning disabilities. Mathematical discourse allows students to share their ideas, justify their thinking, critique the reasoning of others, and refine their thought processes

Dr. Ann P. Daunic is an emeritus scholar in the School of Special Education, School of Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies in the College of Education at the University of Florida (UF). A graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, she has a PhD in special education from UF and an MS in psychology from Tufts University.

Educators use reading comprehension assessments to summarize academic achievement, make decisions in diagnostic evaluations, and identify intervention needs. A challenge, however, with using different assessments in practice is that student performance may change depending on which assessment is administered. This article guides educators in evaluating student performance across multiple assessments

Students with disabilities are likely to have contact with a police officer as either a victim or a perpetrator of a crime; however, media outlets often underreport the presence of a disability. The lack of acknowledgment of disabilities raises concerns regarding the ability of a police officer to support a person with a disability. Likewise, students need to be prepared to interact with the police

Research suggests that students are more invested in behavior interventions when they are involved in the development process. Tier 2 behavior interventions in a positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) framework can be tailored to embed student involvement and meet individual student needs. The purpose of this article is threefold. First, it explores the importance of student involvement

Teachers who work with students who display challenging behaviors need to implement interventions to support them in the classroom. A daily behavior report card (DBRC) is one intervention that research suggests can reduce challenging behaviors and replace them with more socially appropriate behaviors. With step-by-step instructions, this column describes how to implement and evaluate DBRCs to support

According to National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), students must develop a conceptual understanding of place value by second grade to understand that mathematics processes are more than a set of procedural steps. Yet, students with learning disabilities in mathematics typically struggle to understand place value in a deeper, conceptual sense, which can have a negative impact on their

Motivation and engagement in mathematics are important for academic success and are sometimes compromised in students with disabilities who have experienced a history of frustration and failure. This article explains how general and special education teachers can implement three research-supported strategies for boosting motivation and engagement for elementary students with or at risk of emotional

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) requires that school counselors engage with and advocate for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), in addition to requiring competency in counseling culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. However, few publications have called for increased attention to the intersectional needs of this population. This column provides

This article describes the Brazilian juvenile justice system and the educational rights of incarcerated adolescents with learning disabilities, to discuss how and why they are “invisible” and depri...

Rates of inclusion for children with disabilities continue to increase. Schools are also experiencing an increase in culturally and linguistically diverse students. As such, the diversity of childr...

Mexico has general education and disability laws that guarantee special education services to children and adolescents with disabilities as part of their basic human rights. As youth with psychosoc...

Universal design for learning (UDL) is a construct that first appeared in the literature approximately 20 years ago. Yet, there is little agreement about what UDL looks like in the classroom. The p...

Various stakeholders continue to have concerns regarding the school performance of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). In an effort to improve student outcomes, schools may rely...

Despite not having specific special education laws, Norway’s Lov om grunnskolen og den vidaregaande opplaeringa (Act Relating to Primary and Secondary Education and Training) law provides individual...

John Wills Lloyd is Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia and co-editor of Exceptional Children. He earned his PhD from the University of Oregon and spent most of his career at the Unive...

This is the third and final column of a special series on the topic of universal design for learning. Interested readers are encouraged to review the previous two articles: Enhancing Executive Func...

National rates of juvenile incarceration show that about 33% of the population in correctional confinement has disabilities such as behavioral disorders or specific learning disabilities. All stude...

Costa Rica has developed a modality for people in vulnerable conditions to remain in the education system called Educacion Abierta, Spanish for “Open Education.” This modality is described, and a l...

Juvenile delinquency is a major social problem in many countries. This Special Issue of Intervention in School and Clinic focuses on the intersection of youth with disabilities and the laws in the ...

This unique special issue features five articles that provide guidance for middle school special education and general education content-area co-teachers on how to implement enhanced co-teaching mo...

Dr. Mitchell Yell’s career has focused on children and youth with significant behavior and emotional challenges. His career has focused on special education law, progress monitoring, and behavior m...

Significant disparities in civics achievement between students with disabilities and their peers constitute an urgent need to support and improve civics education and outcomes for students receivin...