Rural elementary special education teachers primarily working with students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) may have less access to training in foundational reading content. We report results of a foundational reading knowledge assessment administered to a national sample of 220 U.S. special education teachers working in…

The world faces an imminent environmental crisis, highlighting the role of effective Environmental Education (EE) in cultivating an environmentally literate society capable of making informed decisions regarding individual and collective environmental actions. A primary goal of EE is the promotion of pro-environmental behaviour, a complex outcome…

Limited research exists about transfer of rights conversations between students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, their parents, and educators within special education. Through key informant interviews with 14 experts in the field of transition and transfer of rights, the authors sought to understand the factors that influence…

Although approximately a third of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) also experience a mental health concern, caregivers often miss early identification of these issues. In this perspective piece, we present an outline for a mental health literacy program that can enhance existing training approaches for caregivers…

The problems associated with undue and overbroad guardianship for people with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) have received increasing attention in recent years. In simple terms, guardianship threatens one's ability to exercise self-determination and make important decisions that reflect their own unique values, preferences, and…

Athletic trainers are healthcare providers who work in a variety of settings, including, but not limited to, secondary schools, colleges and universities, and physician clinics. Given the prevalence of developmental disabilities and the settings in which athletic trainers are employed, it is likely that athletic trainers will provide healthcare…

Given the critical shortage of community providers and a growing aging population of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, siblings are expected to provide caregiving for their brothers and sisters with intellectual and developmental disabilities. However, family support and disability policies often do not acknowledge…

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a designed training program for nurses toward early detection of developmental disabilities among children aged 0-3 years. A group of 21 licensed nurses with professional experience ranging from 5-11 years participated in the study. The participants completed the measurements to evaluate their…

Family-school partnership is an essential component of the special education process for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Latinx families especially face systemic barriers when participating in education decision-making for their children with IDD. However, few interventions have been developed to facilitate and…

There has been a sharp increase in mental health support for children in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a growing demand for school-based mental health services due to gaps in the US youth mental health infrastructure. This dissertation presents an action research study conducted in a Title I middle school in Arizona, exploring a school…

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges particularly among group homes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) given the close interactions and living arrangements of residents. Thus, the purpose of this project was to determine if an educational intervention focused on COVID-19 and COVID-19…

Peer-mediated interventions (PMIs) offer substantial academic and social benefits to adolescents served under the special education categories of intellectual disability, autism, and multiple disabilities (i.e., intellectual and developmental disabilities [IDD]). However, limited attention has focused on the impact of PMI on participating peers…

Purpose: Interprofessional practice requires regular communication between professionals from different disciplines using shared terminology. Within schools, many professionals are tasked with supporting children with language disorders, namely, developmental language disorder (DLD) and/or dyslexia. Limited information exists as to (a) how…

Transitioning to post-secondary education is often challenging for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). To address this, Florida International University, specifically FIU Embrace, piloted the Embrace Mentoring Program (EMP), which provided unique role-specific workshops to both faculty/staff mentors, and student…

Social workers are instrumental in the lives of many people with disabilities, yet despite a strong foundation for this relationship, there is a dearth of research exploring the experiences and attitudes of social work students toward people with disabilities. To bridge this gap, the current study surveyed graduate social work students to…