The Model Classroom Initiative (MCI) was conceptualized to improve learning and IEP goal attainment while decreasing maladaptive behaviors in specialized instructional program classrooms. The MCI Coaching Model was utilized to assist teachers with the implementation of MCI components in three specialized instructional program classrooms, all of…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the students' perspectives of attending and participating in their own Individual Education Program (IEP) meeting. The conceptual frameworks of disability theory and empowerment worldview highlight the need to better understand perspectives from the students themselves with regard to…

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the perceptions, experiences, and applications of special education teacher candidates' promotion of self-determination for students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), a functional model of self-determination (Wehmeyer, 1999), Casual…

Research has indicated that parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) experience more feelings of isolation, depression and stress than those of children with other disorders including ADHD and Down Syndrome. While these feelings are especially elevated in parents living in rural communities who may have limited access to services,…