The purpose of the study was to analyze the historical patterns in the relationship between specific types of disabilities and frequency of drug abuse or weapon offenses in public schools in the United States using the U.S. Department of Education Open Data Platform's (n.d.) data sets from 2011-2012 through 2020-2021. The problem is that students…

Empathy is generally described as a multidimensional construct, consisting of cognitive and affective components. Researchers demonstrate that a better ability to understand and express empathy toward others is associated with positive social outcomes such as strong communication skills and meaningful social relationships. For individuals with…

Students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) almost always lack independence compared to their same-aged typical peers. To increase the independence of students with SCD, a dissertation project was conducted in the William Henry Middle School (WHMS) Intensive Learning Center - Academic (ILC-A) special education classroom. The purpose of…

Reports of 2022 employment rates demonstrate that while 65.4% of adults without disabilities are employed, only 21.3% of adults with disabilities are employed (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023). Researchers have reported that employees with disabilities are unable to maintain employment often due to difficulty fitting in socially at the…

The proportion of students with disabilities in the postsecondary classroom has been growing, a trend that heavily impacts faculty and their teaching. The purpose of this study is to examine how community college faculty experience teaching students with disabilities. Current literature suggests faculty feel under-prepared for and lacking support…

Teaching students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at all educational and developmental levels represents a fundamental challenge for special education teachers. Teaching social skills, particularly to students with ASD, is arduous for two reasons: first, barriers in communication are paramount deficits in autism, and second, impairment in…

Peer-mediated interventions (PMIs) offer substantial benefits to middle school, high school, and post-secondary students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). However, with no valid and reliable measure to capture the ways in which the peers without disabilities are impacted, far less is known about the outcomes for these…

There is a lack of understanding of what encompasses a (dis)ability and how ableism plays a role in educational settings. Ableism, as the discrimination of individuals with (dis)abilities, is found in educational settings and is often covert or benevolent. The purpose of this study was to understand how master's level special education teachers…

Special education teachers are asked to deliver high-quality instruction with compassion and care (Cipriano et al., 2016). The development of interpersonal characteristics that positively influence the quality of the interaction have been shown to be predictors of success (Callahan, 2019). Despite the critical impact of these soft skills on the…

Individuals with orthopedic impairments often have trouble with range of motion and may experience barriers in participating in physical activities with peers. This qualitative study explores school site personnel's overall perceptions using the Mobility Opportunities via Experience (MOVE) program among individuals with orthopedic impairments in…

Currently, the rate of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is growing and further research is needed to understand what evidence-based practices are effective for this population. To contribute further to the already existing literature, the three studies expand on previous reviews and studies by adding information on whom these…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to discover Direct Support Professionals' (DSPs) perceptions of a staff development session for creating a literacy-based social skills strategy known as social stories or story-based instruction. The participants in this study were six DSPs employed by a non-profit agency in the…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is on the rise in Saudi Arabia, and the field of Special Education is currently working to expand awareness about ASD as well as evidence-based intervention availability in the country. The Social Stories Intervention has been shown to have positive results in work with children with ASD in other countries, however…

Developmental Delay (DD) is an IDEA classification for young children who fail to meet developmental milestones at typical times. Young children with delays in social or emotional development may show deficits in social skills. Noting the importance of early intervention, identifying effective social skills interventions for children aged 3-5 is…

Students with autism need social skills to succeed academically, which can be fostered with the use of digital social stories (DSSs). While many special educators are expected to use DSSs to teach social skills because of increased elementary autism diagnoses, a significant number of DSS users are unprepared. The problem addressed in this…