This study (a) examines the role of cognitive abilities, age and vocabulary in the development of definitions and (b) compares the development of definitions (in content and form) in children with and without Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). Definitions have been extensively studied in (non-)impaired populations. So far, no studies have…

Purpose: This study sought to determine the feasibility of using phonetic complexity manipulations as a way to systematically assess articulatory deficits in talkers with progressive dysarthria due to Parkinson's disease (PD). Method: Articulatory kinematics were recorded using three-dimensional electromagnetic articulography from 15 talkers with…

The research studies presented in this special issue rest on two assumptions: firstly, that limitations in verbal short-term memory and verbal working memory (vSTM/WM) capacity are likely to be related to impairments in syntax, and secondly that this relationship is likely to be causal, with impairments in vSTM/WM causing impairments in syntax. In…

Inclusion education is being implemented all across the world for children with special needs. Specifically, children who have Down syndrome are a population that is beginning to have more inclusive education experiences in their k-12 schooling. Although children with Down syndrome are being included in mainstream classroom settings, studies…

A paucity of population-based research explores the prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics of high school students with varieties of special needs and disabilities. Utilising a population-based sample of self-reported data collected in British Columbia, Canada, we investigated the scope and sociodemographic characteristics of adolescents…

The deficit in verbal working memory (vWM) skills has been frequently reported in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and may contribute to their problems in language. This study aimed to compare the phonological short-term memory (pSTM) and linguistic skills between Persian-speaking children with DLD and typical language…

Kaiser's Room, a New York-based theater arts education organization; St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf in Brooklyn, N.Y.; and the New York Deaf Theatre are piloting a theater arts program for deaf students with multiple disabilities. The goal: to develop a school-community partnership that provides culturally responsive, linguistically…

We evaluated the effects of a multicomponent intervention to address food selectivity issues of 3 preschoolers with developmental disabilities. The intervention comprised strategies evidencing ecological validity in both research and practice. All sessions took place during typical mealtimes in children's classroom or lunchroom, with peers…

A systematic review of transition literature was conducted on 743 articles published in 22 special education journals from 1990 to 2015. Demographic data and topics of transition-related articles were coded to identify the trends in transition literature. Results found only 4.1% of articles in those journals focused on transition. Student…

We explored the relationship between master's-level counseling students' (N = 285) disability competence, disability-related life experience, and multicultural course completion. Results indicated disability-related life experience and multicultural course completion may differentially affect self-perceived disability competence. Implications and…

As it is common for infants and toddlers with disabilities to receive their early intervention (EI) services in child care programs, this mixed method study examined the experiences of child care and EI providers (e.g., occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists) in collaborating to support infants and toddlers with…

In the past few decades, several countries have introduced reforms aimed at increasing school autonomy. We evaluate the effect of the introduction of autonomous academies in England on the educational trajectories of children with special educational needs. This has been done using longitudinal data on all schoolchildren in state schools in…

This article offers a critical reflection on the function of education, health and care plans (EHCPs) in pathways to employment for disabled young people. We consider 'the education plan' as an artefact of special educational needs systems. We problematise the often taken-for-granted assumption that such plans are always and only a 'good' thing in…

Background: Contraceptive use by women with learning disabilities differs from that of nondisabled women of a similar age. Women with learning disabilities start contraception earlier and often use it when they are not sexually active. Hence, there is a need to hear directly from these women about their experiences of contraceptive…

Developments within education systems in many countries have been moving toward inclusion. Inclusion, however, is a contested term, understood differently by different individuals. How it is interpreted in practice also differs across local, regional, and country levels. This article discusses the development of inclusion and its understanding and…