For education to be a means of social transformation that is equitable for all, including students with disabilities, it is important for educators to understand and infuse student's multiple social identities and culture into educational planning and preparation for life. Intersectionality theory is a way to understand inequities by acknowledging…

Much has been written about the challenges of effective transition planning (e.g., Cavendish & Connor, 2018; Landmark etal., 2007; Luft, 2015). In this article, ways to mitigate some of these common challenges are provided, including low or passive student and family involvement, unresponsiveness to family culture, poor communication between…

Teachers and parents often find special education law complex and confusing. As one step for a basic foundation in special education law, a previous "TEACHING Exceptional Children" article (Zirkel, 2005) provided a snapshot of the "top five case concepts" based on 10 decisions from the Supreme Court. Each of these decisions…

Executive functions, which begin developing in early childhood, are necessary for the tasks of daily life, such as decision making and planning. Despite their early development, often without teaching, many teens with disabilities need explicit instruction to acquire and apply executive functions each day. Gaps in executive functions directly…

Since the enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (IDEA's forerunner) in 1975, an important requirement has been Child Find activities. According to Shapiro and Derrington (2004), Child Find is broadly defined as the entire range of activities, including public awareness, identification, referral, eligibility determination, and…

Youth and young adults with disabilities who make the transition out of secondary settings face formidable odds. For example, they confront challenges in regard to attaining employment and becoming involved in postsecondary education. In many cases, their efforts are unsuccessful. One way to support the transition from school to employment or…

Many teachers have difficulty supporting students with challenging behavior. Students who shout out, are frequently off task, have a tantrum, or don't follow directions can be disruptive and bring a teacher's lesson to a halt. Other students may struggle to communicate their needs. As a result, these students may engage in challenging behavior to…

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) recognizes that all children and youth with disabilities have the right to live and flourish in a safe environment where they are protected from maltreatment. In January 2018, CEC formed a work group to write a policy statement on the prevention of and response to maltreatment. The complete CEC Policy on…

The emphasis on parents in addressing the needs of children with disabilities is of great importance as education enters the second decade of the 21st century. This involves a movement from parents being passive recipients of decisions being made about their child by those outside of the family (e.g., teachers, service providers) to being…

Students may benefit from evidence-based interventions to support their classroom learning (Carmago et al., 2016). Additionally, laws and policies, such as the Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (2006), mandate the implementation of evidence-based practices to improve student outcomes in schools.…

There is an overrepresentation of students with disabilities within the population of students excluded (i.e., suspended or expelled) from school. Students with disabilities are suspended for behaviors that are, for the most part, nonviolent and not unlike the behaviors of their general education peers. The Individuals With Disabilities Education…

There is a growing body of research that supports the use of performance feedback as a method of increasing teachers' use of effective practices (Cornelius & Nagro, 2014; Sweigart et al., 2016). Put simply, performance feedback involves a colleague or coach observing a teacher and providing specific feedback about the instruction to increase a…

This article introduces a center-based direct instruction lesson using picture-based situation cards paired with a problem-solving poster that teachers can implement within the classroom to proactively teach the skill of problem-solving to children between the ages of 3 and 5 years old.

Being self-determined means acting or causing things to happen by setting and taking the steps necessary to achieve one's goals. Teaching self-determination skills has been linked to enhanced academic outcomes, improved transition knowledge and skills, employment, and increased community access. Almost every state or local education agency has…

What do special education practitioners want to learn and how do they want to learn it? These questions drove a recent Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Professional Development Needs Assessment Survey that revealed important insights that are already helping CEC tailor its programs to mirror the needs of practitioners across the field of…