Creating and implementing high-quality Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals for students with significant cognitive disabilities is critical to ensure their success in school. To do so, the teacher's confidence level in writing IEP goals for those students must be high. This requires the ability to use research-based methods and techniques…

Despite the repeated documentation of the positive outcomes for students with extensive support needs (ESN) when they are included in general education settings and receive access to state-adopted general education standards, there has been little systemic progress on the inclusion of students with ESN across most states. The purpose of this…

With this position paper, we advance the case for reformation of U.S. special education law and praxis. These have undergone mostly incremental changes over the five decades since their inception despite a substantial body of evidence amassed over this period, which points to a major gap between extant policy and praxis, and contemporary cultural…

Treatment fidelity is essential for predicting student outcomes and discerning between intervention ineffectiveness and invalid implementation. Despite its significance, research on treatment fidelity within Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and Response to Intervention (RTI) frameworks is limited. Despite their moderating role in…

The reading trajectory of African Americans males within the PreK-12 special education system has been at the forefront of scholarship. This case study was to understand how Zion's misidentification may have influenced his reading experiences. The inequalities Zion encountered in Special Education are examined through the Critical Race Theory and…

Novice special education teachers often face challenges in developing high-quality Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals for children with autism. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, has shown potential in supporting teachers in IEP development. This study aimed to investigate the impact of ChatGPT on the…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education in a multitude of ways. During this time, school districts struggled to provide students with disabilities access to services and supports under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). School personnel were required to continue holding meetings to review students' Individualized Education…

Despite national attention for academic success, data shows that students with disabilities in the Appoquinimink School District do not share in this success. The district boasts a large enrollment in AP courses and high scores in both the state standardized tests and AP exams. However, students with disabilities consistently perform well below…

The purpose of this interview-based qualitative study was to explore how individualized education program (IEP) team members determine least restrictive environment and educational placement. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires students with disabilities to be educated in the least restrictive environment and to the…

The 2015 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act placed a 1.0% cap on the participation of students with disabilities in the alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). U.S. Department of Education regulations clarified that states must develop participation guidelines and a definition of…

Purpose: School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) face uniquely complex webs of guidelines and criteria that can undermine their ability to move toward disability-affirming practices. The purpose of this clinical focus article is to present a contrast between ableist and disability-affirming practices in school-based stuttering therapy…

This pilot study examined (a) the perceived barriers to creating high-quality social and emotional learning (SEL) IEP goals for autistic students without intellectual disabilities, and (b) the impact of using a data-driven SEL IEP goal builder--a key component of the Ivymount Social Cognition Instructional Package (IvySCIP)--on the quality of SEL…

A variety of systemic inequities place young children from Appalachian communities in the United States at greater risk for poor academic outcomes than children in other parts of the country. Young children with disabilities are at increased risk for poor academic outcomes because of similar inequities and their need for more intensive learning…

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…

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), there has been an increase of students receiving special education services in U.S. public schools in the last 20 years (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). Parents are active participants in the educational decision-making process for their children with disabilities, providing…