Students with an intellectual disability encounter challenges throughout their educational journey and as they transition to adulthood. Securing and maintaining competitive employment for individuals with an intellectual disability is harder for them than for their non-disabled peers. The problem addressed in this qualitative, phenomenological…

As more students with learning disabilities pursue higher education, college and university faculty are faced with facilitating courses that must meet the needs of diverse learners. In contrast to the teaching criteria for K-12 teachers, postsecondary education professors are hired for their subject matter expertise without any teaching licensure…

At Virginia's public institutions of higher education, the process of determining eligibility for accommodations occurs in two main steps: (1) establish that a student has a disability; and (2) determine the appropriate accommodations for the individual student. Given students' varied experiences at different Virginia public institutions of higher…

There is a decrease in completion rates for students with learning disabilities enrolled at community colleges. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how community college faculty who taught at a small rural institution in southeastern Virginia perceived modifying course instruction for students with learning disabilities.…

Course syllabi are an important point of visibility for higher education disability services offices, lending importance to the presence and accuracy of disability and accommodations statements within them. The present study is a content analysis of course syllabi from a large Northern Virginia university from the Fall 2020 semester. Researchers…

The purpose of this collective case study was to understand how special education teachers interpret and navigate the concept of the least restrictive environment (LRE) standard in providing educational support for students with intellectual disabilities and autism. The guiding theories for this study were behaviorism and social cognitive theory.…

This mixed methods study investigates whether technology mediated collaborative practices during a professional development (PD) session led to growth in the collective efficacy of 21 special education teachers at an independent 1-12 school in Southeastern Virginia. This school specializes in individualized instruction for students with learning…

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the ways in which school districts provide educational services to all students, especially students with disabilities. Eligible U.S. students with disabilities have a right to a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and students with disabilities who…

This study investigates how attitudes of school leaders predict the number of physical restraints that occur in schools that serve students under IDEA. This study focuses on the attitudes of school leaders from the geographical regions of Virginia in public and private schools. The "Educational Leadership and Behavioral Interventions"…

A school in Virginia serves students with significant cognitive disabilities (SWSCDs) whose full scale IQ scores are 40 and below. The problem is the SWSCDs were administered the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) and did not perform well from 2017 to 2019. As a result, the school did not receive state accreditation. The purpose of this…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the Livescribe™ Symphony smartpen and the Cornell note-taking strategy on the lecture comprehension and quality of written notes of college student-athletes with learning disabilities. To explore educational tools and strategies that can assist students with learning disabilities in overcoming…

Inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs can provide young adults with IDD opportunities for training and experiences in continuing academic instruction, transition goals, independent living as well as employment. Parent readiness is an important aspect of having young adults embrace their increasing independence. While the prospective…

Postsecondary education confers many benefits to individuals. Relative to those without any postsecondary education, they earn more income, are less likely to experience depression and have higher self-esteem, and live longer. Access to these benefits, however, varies considerably across gender, race and ethnicity, and family income despite the…

The COVID-19 pandemic affected families' decisions about whether and where to enroll their children in public schools. We have limited evidence to date, however, on how vulnerable sub-groups, such as those with disabilities and those qualifying for special education services, were impacted. In partnership with the Virginia Department of Education…

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) continue to experience high rates of unemployment. Previous research suggests that including an employment goal in an individual's service plan can be a mechanism toward attaining employment, especially in a community setting. This study contributes to the understanding of the role of…