This study investigated the effectiveness of a program designed to train paraeducators to use prompting strategies to teach students with moderate to severe intellectual and multiple disabilities. The paraeducator training program contained three components: a) an initial training on using task direction, time delay, most to least prompting, and…

As part of the validation process for alternate assessments, 39 classroom observations were conducted to gather data about current practices in providing academic instruction to students with significant intellectual disability. Using a standardized protocol, data were gathered using direct instructional observation, an Individualized Education…

Although community-based instruction (CBI) is an essential component of an effective educational program for students with severe disabilities, teachers frequently struggle to implement such instruction on a frequent and consistent enough basis for students to learn functional skills quickly and efficiently. This article describes evidence-based…

Federal legislation supports instruction of content areas for all individuals, yet professionals in the field of special education are left trying to find the relevant functional outcomes for science and other content instruction for students with disabilities enrolled in a functional curriculum. Research on effective instruction for students with…

AN ACCOUNT OF SEGUIN'S EDUCATIONAL THEORY FOR MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN IS PRESENTED FROM HISTORICAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL POINTS OF VIEW. FROM 1837 TO 1880 HE DEVELOPED AND INSTITUTED A SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM. FOLLOWING A DESCRIPTION OF RELEVANT BACKGROUND FACTORS INFLUENCING HIS IDEAS, HIS TEACHING METHOD IS TRACED THROUGH ITS VARIOUS PHASES OF…

Through a series of individual ethnographic interviews and focus groups, I explored the expectations and anticipations of middle and high school special education teachers as they carry out their professional charge of educating their students with intellectual disability for lives in the least restrictive environment, including possible adult…

Enhancing students' ability to make informed choices is an important precursor to successful choice-making, decision-making, and goal-setting. This study used a multiple-baseline design across behaviors replicated across participants to examine the effects of computer-assisted instruction on acquisition of students' knowledge of postschool options…

Many students identified as having moderate and severe disabilities (MSD) benefit from a curriculum that includes instruction on the functional skills that they will need to successfully transition to adulthood. In particular, this includes students with cognitive disabilities who are most likely to qualify in the 1% who are eligible for the…

In 1997, the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandated that students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum. Access means more than being exposed to language arts, math, and science; access means academic progress. In addition, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 requires that all students have…

Federal legislation mandates all students, including those with significant cognitive disabilities, participate in standards based education and in state assessments linked to those standards. To address this issue, this study used a multiple case study design in order to determine the impact alternate assessments based on alternate achievement…

Intended for teachers of severely and profoundly retarded children, the text presents guidelines for designing individualized programs for these children and specific teaching techniques which the authors have found successful with children having a mental age of from 0 to 36 months. An introduction defines severely and profoundly retarded and…

Intended for pre and inservice training of regular and special education teachers, the textbook offers a mainstream approach to educating handicapped and gifted students. The first two chapters give an historical overview of the development of special education and discuss some of the major conceptual shifts that seem to be inherent in the…

Practices are identified for use in teaching vocational education to students with mental disabilities. Iowa's definition of vocational education is presented, along with definitions for seven major delivery areas of vocational education: home economics, industrial arts/technology, trades and industry, business/office education,…

This text addresses curriculum development for students with mental retardation based on the premise that it is the primary job of educators to teach these individuals independence skills and also based on criticism of the academic focus of most current instructional approaches. Individual chapters consider the following topics: (1) an overview of…

The contributions of art experiences to special education are discussed and guidelines for integrating art into the curriculum are provided. Art is seen to have potential for developing handicapped children's self expression, independence, sensory stimulation and motivation, perception discrimination, skill development, and career and personal…