Many early childhood educators use the evidenced-based practice of interactive shared book reading (ISBR) to promote the development of important communication and literacy skills. ISBR for preschoolers has been shown to build both vocabulary and conceptual knowledge, which in turn contributes to later language and reading comprehension…

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 children in classrooms across the country continues to dramatically shift and teachers are challenged to implement culturally responsive and relevant…

Students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are increasingly included in general education and are expected to access core content, including science. Development of science content knowledge, scientific literacy, and scientific thinking are areas emphasized in legislation as well as the National Science Education Standards as…

This chapter provides evidence-based supports for special education transition services for students with autism. Visual supports, video modeling, and other related strategies used in the transition from school to adult living are included. Discussion includes using evidence-based transition strategies with students who have autism, fostering…

There is a significant increase of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); therefore, parents, educators, and specially trained instructional resource teachers need to come together to provide effective programming for these children. This paper provides a number of strategies and educational methods to assist educators in…

Approximately one in 68 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to official estimates (CDC 2016). Although students with ASD have no typical learning profile, many have trouble organizing information, connecting past and present experiences/events, linking concepts, determining relevant from extraneous…

"Autism at-a-Glance" is a series of practitioner and family-friendly documents created by the Center on Secondary Education for Students with ASD (CSESA) designed for high school staff members supporting students on the autism spectrum, as well as family members of adolescents with ASD. The purpose of the "Autism at-a-Glance"…

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may encounter difficulties in various aspects of play, including successful entrance into playgroups. This article describes the practical and applied use of an empirically validated strategy that uses graphic symbols to teach young children with ASD to request entrance into playgroups.

The authors describe important characteristics of visual supports and considerations when designing visual supports for young children with ASD. Guidelines for developing the visual supports are included. (Contains 5 figures.)

In this paper we present the initial stages of a project entitled Minority Language Applications (Mi.L.A) which aims to facilitate material for children with autism in a multilingual setting using interactive multimedia that increase both the awareness as well as the access to information for patients who need it. Pilot testing the applications…

"Autism at-a-Glance" is designed for high school staff members supporting students on the autism spectrum, as well as family members of adolescents on the autism spectrum. This issue was designed to support high school staff and family members in understanding and improving the communication skills of adolescents on the autism spectrum.…

A dual language learner (DLL) is a young child who is exposed to and is acquiring two or more languages. Multilingualism is common worldwide, and even in countries like the United States, the number of young children who are DLLs is rising rapidly (Goldstein, 2011; Toppelberg, Snow, & Tager-Flusberg, 1999). The purpose of this article is to:…

Many students with complex disabilities (e.g., moderate and severe disabilities, autism spectrum disorder) require explicit instruction in social skills in order to respond to and initiate interaction with their peers. This article reviews the research on developing social skills groups to teach peer interactions for students with complex special…

Vocabulary development for students with learning disability (LD) is affected by "differences in the amount of independent reading, lack of strategies to learn words from content, and diffuse word knowledge" (Jitendra, Edwards, Sacks, & Jacobson, 2004, p. 300). Generally, students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have relatively strong skills…

The rate of children being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has risen dramatically, to an estimated 1 in 150 children. Under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA), children with ASD are entitled to a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. To ensure this, school…