The aims of this study were to (a) characterize the prevalence and interrelationship of Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals in academic (reading, writing, math) and developmental (language, social skills, behavioral) domains in a large U.S. national sample of autistic children across the elementary and secondary grade levels and (b)…

Many autistic children receive special education services via Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that include specific educational goals and needs. Prior research has examined programming options available to support autistic students, but less is known about their educational needs across academic and developmental educational goals.…

The aim of the study is to provide an in-depth understanding of the use of social-emotional goals in Individualized Education Program (IEP) for elementary students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH). Thus, there is a need to provide more than academic skills in school, which are related to social-emotional learning. Over the past century,…

Trends in the supplementary aids and services (SAS) written in individualized education programs (IEPs) for students with significant disabilities (a) in different educational placements, (b) with and without behavior support plans (BSP), and (c) with and without complex communication needs (CCN) are examined using multivariate analysis of…

Annual individualized education program (IEP) meetings are a time for a student's IEP team to review data, discuss student progress, and set goals for the year. For those students who attend their meetings, simply being in the room is not enough. Why don't students take an active role in their IEP meeting? Davis and Cumming (2019) posited that…

Communicating with parents is a key role for teachers to foster relationships that will support student learning. This essay and discussion article focuses on a range of strategies teachers can use to promote effective communication with parents of children with special needs. The increasing prevalence of students with disabilities in our schools…

One of the most important elements of an individualized education program (IEP) is the section on present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP). A well-crafted PLAAFP statement should summarize all aspects of a student's present levels of performance in order to identify the strengths and needs of the student as well…

This article addresses the inclusion of English learners with disabilities, including those with significant cognitive disabilities, in state and district assessments. The authors provide background information on who these students are and the relationship between academic English language development, content learning, and assessment. The…

This article describes the results of a qualitative investigation of social changes and challenges for rural adolescents who have a traumatic brain injury (TBI). We interviewed adolescents with mild to moderate TBI and their mothers using an iterative approach based in grounded theory. Interviews focused on social adjustment and interaction as…

Ivymount Social Cognition Instructional Project (IvySCIP) supports teachers and related service providers to implement data-driven social and emotional learning (SEL) instruction for their kindergarten through 5th grade students with social cognition challenges, especially those with high functioning autism spectrum disorders (HF-ASD). Based on…

We examined the effects of a computer-based strategy to develop self-advocacy skills for 15 middle school students with mild and moderate disabilities. A pre- and posttest experimental design with random assignment to treatment and wait-list control groups was employed to investigate changes in student participation and level of…

This quasi-experimental study focused on 15 pairs of children with extensive support needs, matched across 12 characteristics based on their first complete Individual Education Program (IEP) in the school district. One child in each pair was included in general education for 80% or more of their day from their first IEP to the most current IEP at…

This research focused on whether a TEACCH-based approach could be effective in helping to develop the communication skills of older learners with Severe Intellectual Disabilities, to enhance their ability to communicate, to enhance their abilities to live independent lives, and to take part in discussions about their future. A TEACCH based…

This study used data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS 2012) to explore the individualized education program (IEP)/transition planning participation and role of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, compared to students with other disabilities. We viewed students with the most significant cognitive…

Each case of a child with Down syndrome is specific because it is directly related to the environment the child grows up in, develops, lives and learns. Although many conditions about Down syndrome tend to generalize the condition, particular characteristics are specific and depend on environment. In this respect, such issues must be approached as…