Although expected to be equal partners in the special education process, parents of children with disabilities often struggle to participate in individualized education program (IEP) meetings. Specifically, Latino parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face systemic barriers occluding their participation and advocacy in IEP…

Given the growing proportion of students receiving special education services who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD), there is a critical need to understand the experiences of Latinx immigrant parents of children with disabilities. This qualitative study sought to understand the perspectives of nine Latinx immigrant parents of…

This qualitative single case study explored (a) the underlying beliefs of the connected individuals involved in determining guardianship or alternatives to guardianship for a young adult with intellectual disability; (b) the attitudes, resources and skills needed for educators and families to develop transition plans that address alternatives to…

Positive parent-professional collaboration is critical for the educational success of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, little is known about teacher perceptions of parent-professional collaboration. Thirty-four teachers participated in a qualitative study to gain a better understanding of teachers' perceptions of helpful…

Sexual development is a complex but vital part of the human experience. People with significant disabilities are not excluded from this principle, but often may be prevented from receiving high-quality and comprehensive instruction necessary for a healthy sexual life. The functional model of self-determination emphasizes increasing knowledge,…

Despite encouraging changes in the expectations of programming for persons with moderate to severe intellectual disability (MSD), data suggest that programs for these individuals are still lacking in several critical areas. Building administrators play a key role in promoting high quality programs for students with MSD within local schools but may…

This study used a multiple-probe across participants design to examine the effects of the CD-Rom version of the "Self-Advocacy Strategy" on quality of contributions in Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings of five high school students with intellectual disability. Results indicated a functional relationship between using the CD-Rom…

The purpose of this study was to analyze a large data base of self-selected/self-determined goals developed by students aged 7-21 that had developmental disabilities. Data included 288 goals developed by 205 students involved in the Kentucky Youth Advocacy Project. Students, teachers, Speech/Language pathologists and families utilized the Self…

The importance of student IEP participation has been indicated by both legislative mandates such as IDEA and research literature. The purpose of the current study was to examine those variables that predict student IEP participation among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders as compared to adolescents with disabilities other than autism…

This paper reports findings from a survey of Korean special and general education teachers (n = 328) regarding the extent to which they value and deliver instruction to promote the self-determination of students with disabilities in their classrooms. The findings include (a) descriptive statistics summarizing the outcomes of questionnaire items,…