Despite considerable progress in characterizing the early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), more remains to be learned about how symptoms emerge in the first year of life. Parents with a new baby who already had at least one biological child diagnosed with ASD (high-risk) or no family history of ASD (low-risk) completed two measures when…

This study aimed to adapt the "Teaching Students With Disabilities Self-Efficacy Scale" for contemporary school counseling practice. The adaptation, titled the "Students With Learning Disabilities School Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale," is a resource that assesses school counselors' belief in their ability to counsel and support…

The field of special education lacks an understanding of how students with learning and other disabilities engage with the ideological and contestable nature of the texts they read. Using qualitative methods, I explored a critical literacy model designed with techniques known to benefit students with disabilities. Over the course of three months,…

S3434 was signed by Governor Murphy on June 16, 2021. It allows students who turned 21 during the 2020-2021 to continue to receive special education, related services, and transition services through at least the 2021-2022 school year. These services must be provided to those students during the 2021-2022 school year when the Individualized…

Many discussions have taken place around the issue of the special needs of learners, special schools and inclusivity. UNESCO argues that inclusive education will accommodate all children, regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other conditions. This would include disabled and gifted children, street and…

School vouchers are state-funded programs--often called scholarship programs--that allow students to use public monies to attend a private school. The state provides a set amount of money, typically based on the state's per-pupil amount, for private school tuition. There are currently 27 voucher programs in 16 states and the District of Columbia.…

This study is an exploration of the personal experiences of individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in public schools. This study seeks to use an inclusive lens and narrative inquiry to allow participants a stage for their often-unheard voices and relationships with their school counselors. Historically, students who are Deaf or Hard of…

Children with disabilities often engage in less complex play and fewer spontaneous pretend play behaviors. Research has highlighted the value of providing caregivers with sustained support to promote their active involvement in the learning of their children with disabilities. Caregivers; however, are rarely offered opportunities to facilitate…

This study explored how parents or caregivers of adolescents or adults with mild intellectual disabilities described the influence of faith communities on the Quality of Life (QOL) and its domains of spiritual, social, emotional, and physical wellbeing of their loved ones in this population in South-Central Florida. The QOL model that steered this…

In this narrative analysis study, seven college students identifying with a disability(ies) detail their experiences with leadership roles and opportunities. Findings from this study reveal the importance of disabled representation in leadership, the ongoing negotiation of disability identity within constructed notions of leadership in college,…

People with complex communication needs are frequently excluded from shopping independently by communication access barriers in the retail industry. In this pilot study, seven participants with CCN who use augmentative and alternative communication devices were interviewed about their perceptions of accessible communication and inclusion by…

This study investigated which specific behavioural issues is best associated with adaptive functioning in three specific genetic syndromes. Behavioural issues were assessed in neurotypical (NT) (n = 43), Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) (n = 19), Down syndrome (DS) (n = 24) and Fragile X syndrome (FXS) (n = 23) participants ranging from 3 to…

A mainstream classroom teacher's knowledge in identifying and implementing student accommodations and special need services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students is crucial in meeting the academic needs of these student. Within recent years, more and more special needs students are being mainstreamed from special day classes into the general…

Parent-mediated interventions complement professional services and empower parents. In music therapy, this treatment modality is emerging. A systematic review was conducted to assess the existence of parent-mediated music interventions with children with ASD, identify the characteristics of parent coaching used, and summarize results. Thirteen…

Students with disabilities are being included in the general education classroom at increasing rates; yet, educators do not always have the foundational knowledge or background training to adequately support the inclusion of these students within their classroom. In this study, a hybrid survey consisting of items from the Multidimensional…