By being public entities, charter schools must meet U.S. federal legislative mandates (e.g., Section 504) in providing a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to students with disabilities--just as their traditional district public school counterparts must do. This legal update reviews a prominent case, "Lawton et al. v. Success Academy…

Current understandings of disability experience are centered around individuals who hold the disability identity and membership in the marginalized group. This perspective does not include the experiences of disability allies, such as parents, who act alongside their children to support their access and engagement in the education setting. This…

The terms Language Disorder, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Language-based learning disabilities, Specific Learning Disorder, and Specific Learning Disability are commonly used to describe children struggling to learn at school. In this position paper, the definitions and distinctions between these terms are discussed, and key overlaps and…

Centers for teaching and learning (CTLs) have increasingly been attending to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and access (DEIJA), offering myriad programs for instructors to learn how to make their teaching more welcoming and effective for all students. Yet considerations of disability continue to lag behind in higher education, and…

The article discusses recent Higher Education (HE) initiatives to introduce the Sunflower Scheme, which enables students with hidden disabilities to 'discreetly' indicate the existence of a disability to access support. A significant problem related to persons with hidden disabilities lies in their frequent reluctance to disclose their…

Given that self-knowledge is recognized as a key component of self-determined behavior, intentionally teaching students with learning disabilities (LD) about their identified disability can create conditions needed for future self-determined behavior. In the following article, action steps are provided that are useful for fostering development of…

Intellectual Disabilities (ID) remains an underrepresented topic in social work curriculum, which perhaps results in relatively few social workers opting to practice with people with ID. To address this curricular gap, the article describes three need-based service learning initiatives developed in partnership with community agencies. Students…

Research has shown the importance of helping students, especially those with mild-to-moderate learning disabilities, to offload information during problem-solving. When students can get their thoughts onto paper, number line strategies can help them develop a firm foundation in mathematical problem-solving while understanding the relationships…

It can be tough to talk about disabilities. However, when we avoid talking about it, we ignore a huge piece of someone's personal identity. This identity is complex, multifaceted, and requires a unique set of needs. It is important that students with disabilities are heard. When living with a disability, society can often have lower expectations…

Many students with physical disabilities graduating with a postsecondary STEM degree do not acquire full-time employment. Work experiences can provide undergraduates with authentic experiential learning to help them better prepare for successful STEM careers. Internships provide an important transitional learning phase for students with…

The U.S. Supreme Court has heard several cases regarding special education. These cases have resulted in decisions that have addressed issues involving special education programming and procedural issues. On March 21, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling in "Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools." This decision, which was the…

The purpose of this article is to describe procedures for a team approach to implementing a tangible symbol communication system (TSCS) to support communication skill development of young children with multiple/severe disabilities (MSD). The authors suggest that implementation of a TSCS is a process that includes (a) assessment of child…

People with intellectual disabilities (IDs) have experienced involuntary and inhumane research practices. Consequently, researchers have shifted towards "excluding" those with IDs; caregivers, teachers, or peers compose study samples, dominating a space they "indirectly" experience. Researcher bias regarding intellectual…

Dyslexia is a word-level reading disability that impacts decoding and encoding skills (International Dyslexia Association [IDA], 2002). The estimated prevalence of individuals impacted by dyslexia varies from 5% to 20% (Phillips & Odegard, 2017). In the United States, the primary legislation overseeing special education is the Individuals with…

This study examines the development of a 1950s educational programme for the inclusion of children with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) -- those with IQ scores of less than 50, referred to as "trainable" or "dependent" children -- into community life. Conducted by the American Association of Parents of…