Adaptive behaviour is crucial for well-being and independence. The Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System (ABAS-3) is often used to plan individualised support in specialist educational settings, drawing on both teacher and parent informants. In practice, however, little is known about the extent of variation between informants. We examined…

A small rural district in the eastern United States is experiencing challenges related to meeting the diverse behavioral needs of its special education students. After out-of-district placement options were limited due to the aftereffects of COVID-19, school leaders worked together to create a specialized program within their own district to meet…

Functional behavior assessment (FBA) is an integral component of treatment development for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The continuum of FBA methods includes indirect, direct, and functional analysis assessment methods. However, there is not a standard for the best approach to the FBA process. This evaluation compared…

School leaders face difficult situations regarding special education discipline that may ultimately lead to costly litigation. This quantitative study design explored secondary school leaders' knowledge of special education discipline law in the five IDEA provision areas of functional behavioral assessment, behavior intervention plan,…

School leaders face difficult situations regarding special education discipline that may ultimately lead to costly litigation. This quantitative study design explored secondary school leaders' knowledge of special education discipline law in the five IDEA provision areas of functional behavioral assessment, behavior intervention plan,…

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) should include a summary of the student's current skills and needs as well as annual goals that support their progress in the general education curriculum; however, IEPs for students with complex support needs may be missing required information. We investigated IEP goals and Present Levels of Academic…

Respecting individual differences among students and meeting their unique needs may be one of the greatest challenges faced by teachers. When having a heterogeneous group of students, teachers need to consider a variety of instructional methods. The literature details a large number of teaching strategies supported by research findings, and the…

Intensive, individualized interventions are certainly the hallmark promise of special education. In a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), tier 3 interventions are the most intensive and require individualized delivery to address the learning and behavioral needs of students who are most often identified for special education services. MTSS,…

Paraeducators play an important role in assisting teachers and other professionals to support students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including delivering positive behavioral supports to those students who engage in persistent challenging behavior. The purpose of this multiple baseline design across participants study was to support…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law that secures special education services for children with disabilities from the time they are born until they graduate from high school. The law was reauthorized by Congress in 2004, prompting a series of changes in the way special education services are implemented. These…

The Supreme Court case of "Endrew F. v. Douglas County District RE"-1 (2017) has renewed interest in the Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). The court's ruling expands the term "appropriate" to a consideration of progress for academics and behavior. This shift…

The educational inclusion of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be challenging, due to behavioural issues. Scant research has been conducted to investigate behavioural interventions for students with ASD in the Chinese context. Since special education in China varies greatly from that in western countries such as Australia,…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law that secures special education services for children with disabilities from the time they are born until they graduate from high school. The law was reauthorized by Congress in 2004, prompting a series of changes in the way special education services are implemented. These…

The fundamental intent of special education is to provide instruction to meet each child's unique needs. "Life Journey through Autism: Navigating the Special Education System" offers information, tools, and tips that will help parents become an even more effective advocate for their children. Many teachers, administrators, and school…