It is important for educators to collect accurate information on the academic performance of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who may be assessed with an Alternate Assessment Aligned with Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (AA-AAAS) to inform decisions about resources, programs, instruction, and individualized…

It is perhaps inevitable that the academic study of learning disabilities is often undertaken by established scholars with little lived experience of the condition. So, what has it been like for someone from outside the academy, with a long career in the arts, who is also the father of a severely learning-disabled young man, to write a book-length…

This article summarizes research focusing on communication skills of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who communicate primarily without speech, sign language, or augmentative communication. Importantly, developmental theories were emphasized as useful for interpreting communication in children and adults. These studies…

This brief covers issues related to the assessment of dual sensory loss in students with significant cognitive disabilities, including the impact of suspected dual sensory loss on communication and learning and recommendations for assessment.

Despite the importance of writing skill development, we know very little about how writing instruction is provided to students with visual impairments (VI) with and without co-occurring disabilities (e.g., multiple disabilities, deaf-blindness). The purpose of this study was to survey a national sample of U.S. teachers of students with visual…

There is a broad disconnect between the beauty cultivated by disabled communities and the ways in which schools continue to position disability as a problem that resides in the individual student. To shift conceptions of disability in schools, there is a significant need to educate folks about disability history and pride, especially disabled…

While the number of students with disabilities in postsecondary programs has increased over the past few decades, they earn lower grades and are less likely to graduate. Academic outcomes are also worse for those with invisible disabilities such as ADHD and learning disabilities, especially as younger college students. Large, intro level courses…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore blind and visually impaired students' opinions on ways to improve physical education. Method: Twenty-two blind and visually impaired youth (age 12-17 years) completed one-to-one interviews. Three themes were constructed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach. Findings: The first theme…

Adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) tend to receive inadequate comprehensive sex education (CSE). This problem could be addressed by providing sex education taught by general education health teachers to students with IDD in high school, a cost-effective yet underutilized and under researched service model. This…

Athletic trainers are healthcare providers who work in a variety of settings, including, but not limited to, secondary schools, colleges and universities, and physician clinics. Given the prevalence of developmental disabilities and the settings in which athletic trainers are employed, it is likely that athletic trainers will provide healthcare…

This qualitative study examined how educators' relationships with businesses impacts the nature of and access to work-based learning opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The study used the social network constructs of tie strength, density, reciprocity, and trust to explore relationship structures between…

This study aims to find out how society views vision impairment (VI) by bringing it closer to citizens through a specific strategy to encourage contact and dialogue with people with VI. A 'Human Library' was developed in which 14 people with or related to vision impairment discussed their experiences and concerns with 52 citizens without vision…

Research has examined teacher attitudes, knowledge, and stigma towards inclusion of autistic children in mainstream schools. Less focus has been given to these beliefs among parents. This is problematic as parents are important in the implementation of inclusion and fostering a positive school environment. The current study examined differences in…

Decisions schools make about teaching content fundamentally shape students' educational experience and their later life. These decisions often take a particular shape for students with intellectual disabilities. Although such decisions for this group are a prime concern in the governing and practice of education, they have gained little attention…

Background: Canadian 24-h movement guidelines recommend that adults achieve 150 min per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), 7-9 h of sleep per night and spend no more than 8-h per day sedentary to optimise health and wellbeing. Method: Using a cross-sectional survey of 131 family caregivers of adults with intellectual and…