In this paper I engage in an autobiographical inquiry into my experience of my son's autism assessment referral and how this experience has continued to guide me in my learning journey as a mother, educator, friend, and family member. Thinking about how a parent's greatest gift in this world is their children, I inquire into the messiness of…

School and medical settings often use different identification criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disability affecting social-communication, behavioral patterns, and sensory experiences. Further, individual states may use varied definitions for special education eligibility. On January 1, 2019, the State of Oregon…

Autistic children have the right to be included in early childhood educational (ECE) settings. Motivated by the need for knowledge of how such education can be developed, this study examined the perspectives of ECE staff (i.e. teachers, child carers, and principals) on interprofessional collaboration regarding identifying and working with autistic…

Background: Identifying the students with intellectual disabilities and deciding the required services would not be sufficient without parental involvement. The purpose of this study was to understand the perspectives of the parents of students with intellectual disabilities about the Guidance and Research Centres (GRCs) and reveal the parents'…

Purpose: Part C early intervention (EI) providers, including speech-language pathologists, are often involved in autism screening practices and discussing autism with families of toddlers. The purpose of this study was to understand EI providers' perspectives of screening for autism. Method: Using a phenomenological qualitative design, we explored…

This article provides a critical review and analysis of literature on the development of Malaysians' special needs education provision (SNEP) for adults and young children with disabilities (AYCWD). Specifically, it highlights the emergence and development of special education practices and services as well as the providers of these programs…

Assessment in special education is a shared practice by a number of professionals. Educational diagnosticians are one such group of licensed professionals who assess students to determine eligibility and service recommendations. This study examined educational diagnosticians' perceptions of their role in fostering home--school collaborations. In…

Students who enter kindergarten without school readiness skills are more likely to demonstrate academic, behavioral, and social struggles during school. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are particularly at risk for underdeveloped school readiness skills, which can undermine academic achievement and result in poor long-term outcomes.…

Upon entering the workplace, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are required to work on interprofessional teams, yet many of these professionals have not received adequate preservice instruction on how to collaborate. Furthermore, collaborating to provide services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been found to improve…

The 1997 Amendments of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that children placed in private schools by their parents are no longer afforded the right to special education services. However, IDEA does state that child find activities between public school representatives and private schools are to remain intact. This study…

To establish which social interactive behaviours predict later psychiatric diagnosis, we examined 180 videos of a parent-infant interaction when children were aged one year, from within the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort. Sixty of the videos involved infants who were later diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder at…

State coordinators of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs were asked to complete a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, or SWOT, analysis that consisted of 12 evaluative areas of EHDI programs. For the interdisciplinary area, 47 coordinators responded with 224 items, and themes were identified within each SWOT…

As mandated by the Education of the Deaf Act (EDA), the Clerc Center is required "to establish and publish priorities for research, development, and demonstration through a process that allows for public input." The public input summarized in this paper informed the Clerc Center's selection of its national priorities for 2013-2018: 1)…

Assessment and identification of children with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) is complex and involves multiple techniques, levels, and participants. While federal law sets the general parameters for identification in school settings, these criteria are vague and may lead to inconsistencies in selection and interpretation of assessment…

Psychometric and utility studies on Social Emotional Assessment Measure (SEAM), an innovative tool for assessing and monitoring social-emotional and behavioral development in infants and toddlers with disabilities, were conducted. The Infant and Toddler SEAM intervals were the study focus, using mixed methods, including item response theory…