Background: There is little research comparatively assessing prevalence of pain between older people either with or without intellectual disability. This paper explores health and social factors associated with chronic pain in these two groups. Method: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. Inclusion…

This article introduces a set of teaching strategies to enhance second language learning for students with Down syndrome (DS) enrolled in an English course covering material from the first two years of primary school. A set of instructional support strategies has been defined and integrated into an online learning software, developed ad hoc to…

Background and Aims: This study examined the link between perceived family burden among parents of children with moderate and severe disabilities and their psychological health, and the potential moderating roles of resilience and social support. Methods: 256 parents completed an online questionnaire including Demographic Information Form, Family…

To date, research on traumatic stress and treatment-seeking behavior has primarily focused on Western populations. Despite experiencing similar levels of symptomatology, mental health service utilization appears lower among East Asian populations. Stigma toward mental health services may be one barrier to treatment-seeking, especially among…

Introduction: A national validation study on the "Orientation and Mobility Visual Impairment Scale of Service Intensity of Texas (O&M VISSIT)" was conducted. Methods: Fifty-two of the original 115 interested participants completed the study that used a mixed-methods research design. After finishing the "O&M VISSIT" for…

In the autism field, there is increasing interest in translating evidence-based interventions (EBIs) into systems that serve young autistic children and their families. Public Early Intervention systems have been a focal point of research-based implementation efforts given that these systems are federally mandated to provide services to children…

In April 2024, the author conducted a research study using an online survey in which Montessori Elementary teachers anonymously recorded their perspectives on the alignment of Montessori philosophy, methods, and the prepared environment with the inclusion of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The thoughts and ideas…

Previous research on employment outcomes of autistic adults mainly assessed if they work and under what terms, with mostly anecdotal descriptions of where they work. This study aimed to identify the employment sector distribution of autistic employees compared to the general workforce in the Netherlands and to explore possible background…

Reading disorders, including reading comprehension disorders, are among the most common referrals for evaluation in schools. If that evaluation involves individually administered tests of reading, the examiner is faced with selecting at least one reading comprehension subtest that is inherently associated with specific task demands, such as a…

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe experiences of dialectical behavior therapy for special education teachers at a large, suburban school district in the Southeast United States. The theory guiding this study was Bandura's social cognitive theory (SCT), as it explains how new behaviors are learned and…

Children with Down syndrome exhibit unique learning characteristics that impact their educational progress. Despite this, research on effective reading interventions specifically tailored for this population remains limited. The present study aimed to find the best ways to teach teaching foundational reading skills to children with Down syndrome.…

Students with high incidence disabilities are dropping out of high school at alarming rates. Compared with other demographic groups, students with disabilities have the lowest graduation rates of any group in the nation. The substandard graduation rates have remained stagnant for two decades, indicating that programmatic attempts to address the…

Youth with Usher syndrome (USH) can experience unique challenges in postsecondary preparation. Currently, there is a paucity of research addressing the postsecondary preparation experiences of youth with USH. The purpose of this study was to learn from college students with USH about their lived experiences of preparing for postsecondary…

This dissertation explores the impact of special education teacher (SET) turnover on general education teachers (GETs) in K-12 schools. Students with disabilities are increasingly placed in general education settings, where collaboration with SETs is critical. However, high SET turnover rates threaten this partnership. This mixed methods study…

Parents may experience a range of emotions when hearing that their child may be on the autism spectrum, including shock or denial (Martins et al., 2021). While hearing the word "autism" can be challenging for families, early identification of autism (also referred to as autism spectrum disorder [ASD]) allows families more time to process…