In order to effectively engage and be an advocate during the special education process, parents must be equipped with knowledge of the special education process as well as their rights. This article reports the results of a synthesis of published studies that explored, reported, or estimated parents' knowledge and understanding of the special…

The purpose of this study was to discover the potential relationships between principals' special-education training and experiences and the academic growth of students with disabilities (SWDs). The study also investigated the differences between the academic growth of SWDs at schools where principals have completed a degree, minor, and/or…

To date, research on mixed-reality simulation (MRS) has focused on various skills including applied behavior analysis, but studies have not evaluated the role of preservice teachers' perceived knowledge, confidence, usefulness, or actual practice related to data collection. To address this gap, we conducted two separate MRS studies, one for…

Data collection of IEP goals is an ongoing problem in special education (Blackwell & Rossetti, 2014; Codding, Skorron, & Pace, 2005, Sandall, Schwartz, & LaCroix, Ruble, McGrew, Wong, & Missall, 2018; Walton, 1985). Research shows that there are inconsistencies between belief and practice. Many educators acknowledge the importance…

Parents play a vital role in supporting children with learning disabilities, but little is known about their understanding of this diagnosis. The experiences of parents with the diagnostic process and the services their children receive post-diagnosis vary widely. Parents who participated in this study reported that they understand learning…

School administrators are required to serve on Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams, yet many do not have the special education content knowledge and training to successfully participate in the special education process. With the accountability measures enacted by the Every Student Succeeds Act, a school administrator's performance is…

In 2017, the Supreme Court of the United States redefined Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for students with disabilities (SWD) in "Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District." The Court's new standard for FAPE was more demanding than previous rulings. Parents of SWD are expected to participate in the special education…

The views of a transition/IEP team members of the collaborative efforts of each other have had little or limited viewing. Annually there are approximately six million special education students in the United States of America (Samuels, 2017). While in high school, these students and their transition/IEP team are tasked with preparing them for…

This mixed methods study addresses special education teachers' (SETs) knowledge and beliefs about specially designed instruction for reading, individualized education program (IEP) development, and aspects of future professional development opportunities that are supportive on these topics. Special education teachers are the primary authors of the…

Purpose: This purpose of this national survey study was to assess K-5 school-based speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') perceived knowledge, training, support, and experiences related to collaborative language and literacy instruction with general education teachers. Method: The authors developed and disseminated a 47-item electronic survey…

This article examines the perceptions, attitudes, understanding, and knowledge of special education case managers in the United States working with students with disabilities who identify as LGBTQ+. Through a qualitative descriptive study grounded in descriptive phenomenological theory, the study examines the case managers' personal experiences…

As the current number of special education students continues to increase throughout the United States, so does the number of students who currently identify as Latinx. With this increase, it is important to consider what the experiences are for these students' families as they learn that their children qualify for special education services as…

Autism is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and the presence of restricted and/or repetitive behaviors that can negatively impact adaptive, academic, and social functioning. Those diagnosed with ASD may be at an increased risk for poorer life outcomes such as poorer academic achievement and social relationships if they…

The writing of legally compliant Individualized Education Programs (IEP) has been a difficult task for many educators. Poor quality writing of IEPs has caused a myriad of issues. Parents have brought lawsuits upon school districts and inaccurately written IEPs have been interpreted erroneously or presented an incorrect picture of the student.…

Although more than 1.38 million students receive accommodations and supports accorded by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, many teachers report not knowing about their responsibilities under Section 504. The purpose of this article is to educate teachers about Section 504. Specifically, teachers will learn about ways to evaluate and…