Special education advocacy programs support families to secure services for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Although research demonstrates the efficacy of one such program (the Volunteer Advocacy Project), its effectiveness when replicated by others is unknown. Replication research is critical to ensure that…

The rapid growth of inclusive higher education opportunities for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has contributed to improvements in students' academics, employment, social, and independent living outcomes. However, many college programs lack a focus on functional literacy, a critical skill for success in…

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) face many barriers to meaningful inclusion, including limited language and communication skills. Professionals, such as speech-language pathologists (SLPs), can provide personalized instruction to promote skill development and inclusion. Providing opportunities for individuals to…

Purpose: Growing awareness of the importance of oral language for academic success, the underidentification of students with developmental language disorders, and the promotion of a multi-tiered system of supports have led to calls for universal oral language screenings. However, specific information, guidance, and related case studies for…

With a growing need for specialized training for direct caregivers and support staff of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) affected by dementia, the National Task Group on Developmental Disabilities and Dementia Practices (NTG) developed a comprehensive evidence-informed Dementia Capable Care Training (DCCT). To…

Background: Peer-delivered interventions are a best practice in mental health, yet no such intervention exists for young adults (YA) with intellectual/developmental disabilities with co-occurring mental health conditions. We evaluated YA with intellectual/developmental disabilities' ability to deliver a novel peer mentoring intervention with…

This paper aims to explore the impacts of a Learn to Play programme in specialist schools for children with multiple developmental issues. Specialist schools are schools dedicated to children with IQs below 70 and who may also have other developmental issues. The Learn to Play programme focusses on facilitating children's enjoyment and ability to…

Despite physically relocating "into" the community, many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) fail to be meaningfully included "in" the community. The Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Settings Rule was introduced to expand community integration, person-centered services, and choice. The aim of…

This study examined the effects of using behavioral skills training (BST) to teach peer models to engage students with moderate to severe developmental disabilities in interactive play. Two separate multiple-baseline across participants designs were used to determine the effectiveness of BST on the peer models' implementation of the procedural…

Social deficits are often a core area of development for students in special education, thus schools are charged with providing social skills interventions. Although many strategies are available, few schools successfully employ evidence-based interventions for students with autism and related disabilities. A way to address these concerns while…

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) may engage in challenging behavior. These behaviors present challenges to support staff who often lack training in effective behavior management procedures. Behavioral skills training (BST) is an empirically supported method of staff training and has been used to teach support staff a…

Navigating campus and the surrounding community may pose barriers to matriculation, engagement, and quality of life for students with disabilities. This intervention uses the student's smartphone device and a university map application to guide students as they navigate to specific destinations around campus (e.g., library, classroom buildings,…

A description of a partnership between a university's child and family development program and a local program is provided. Through this partnership, pre-service educators participate in home visits to learn strategies to support effective communication, collaboration, and implementation of evidence-based practices to enhance the learning of young…

Education studies have repeatedly emphasized the crucial contribution of family-school-community partnership to children's academic and educational success, as well as to improving organizations and systems. Such partnership becomes even more complex when the child presents needs in several areas of development. In this context, it is essential…

Effective professional development is critical for improving implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in special education. The present systematic review sought to gather evidence exploring the effects and key components of in-service special education teacher training in EBPs. This review identifies six essential components of training…