Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT) and Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth (VIT-TAY) demonstrated initial effectiveness at increasing employment among transition-age youth with disabilities engaged in pre-employment transition services. We characterized activities and estimated the labor and non-labor costs required to…

This exploratory case study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Voyager Sopris' Read Well program when implemented as a reading intervention in elementary self-contained special education classrooms. This research expands on previous research investigating the implementation of the Read Well with target populations, including those…

In a previous randomized controlled trial (RCT), "Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth" (VIT-TAY) enhanced employment for autistic youth receiving transition services. For this study, a nonrandomized hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial evaluated whether VIT-TAY maintained its core implementation and effectiveness…

This study reports the results of a single-arm, noncontrolled, Type 3 hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial evaluating virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) delivered in five preemployment transition programs comprising 15 schools, 10 administrators, 23 teachers, and 279 youth ages 16-21 years receiving special education…

The identification of students with specific learning disabilities has evolved since the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) in 2004. This reauthorization gave state agencies parameters that disallowed using the severe discrepancy model for identification as a stand-alone method. In response to…

The purpose of this research brief is to summarize the literature on the career development needs of college students with disabilities, highlight exemplary models of support, and provide recommendations on best practice and future efforts to support positive employment outcomes for persons with disabilities. Four key career development areas are…

Since the enactment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004, there has been a notable increase in the enrollment of students receiving special education services (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2022). However, despite advancements in special education programming and service delivery, academic…

Understanding the needs of students who are English learners (ELs) and are also students with disabilities has become an area of policy and research in recent years. Uncovering the needs of this student group requires a closer examination and understanding of the Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP is a foundational process and…

State Interagency Coordinating Councils (SICCs) play vital roles in decision-making for Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). While parent representatives are required to serve on SICCs, it is unclear how parents participate in the SICC. It is important to understand parent experiences on the SICC given the…

This study used data from the U.S. state of Michigan schools participating in the "Reading First" program to examine the stability of students' disability status in Grades 1 to 3. Reading First aimed to improve at-risk students' reading comprehension through research-based instruction. We analyzed how changes in students' disability…

All students deserve access to a high-quality education and the resources they need to thrive. However, in Michigan this has not been the reality for far too long, particularly for students who are the most underserved. Longstanding inequities have persisted and worsened since the beginning of the pandemic, and Michigan has fallen further and…

Non-compliance is a challenge for practitioners serving children with and without disabilities. Many interventions have been developed to increase compliance. High-probability request sequences (HPRS), an antecedent-based intervention that is based on behavioral momentum theory, is one way to increase compliant behavior. HPRS includes the…

Graduate programs in adapted physical education (APE) prepare individuals to work with students with disabilities in the physical education setting. However, these APE graduate programs vary widely throughout the country, and there has never been a systematic effort to identify and analyze these programs. Therefore, the purpose of this…

Approximately 11% of Michigan's roughly 199,620 elementary and secondary students are eligible for special education under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Students with disabilities placed in a self-contained classroom by an individualized education program (IEP) committee are usually those in need of the most intense programs…

The Higher Education Act as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) contained several provisions to increase access to higher education for youth and adults with intellectual disability. One outcome of these provisions was the appropriation of funds by Congress to create a model demonstration program aimed at developing and…