Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of popular theatre (PT) as a pedagogical tool around which a community service learning (CSL) senior undergraduate course was oriented, specifically assessing the university student learning experience from this work relative to PT processes and CSL objectives. Design/methodology/approach:…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine mechanisms for managing the transition from school/college/work to university for disabled students Design/methodology/approach: A research project using a case study methodology in a UK university department was conducted over a four year period. Findings: The paper finds that it is important that…

This paper describes a three-year project led by Hereward College (The National Integrated College for Disabled Students), Coventry, UK, that was carried out as part of the Widening Participation initiative to encourage under-represented groups to take up places in higher education. The paper describes the methodological approach adopted…

Building foundational skills in the early years for the later development of self-determination in adulthood for individuals with disabilities is important in the United States, but little research has been conducted to examine whether these skills are as important in other countries. In this phenomenological study, seven family interviews were…

Attaining proficiency with daily living skills is necessary for increasing the independent functioning of adolescents and adults with disabilities. Research demonstrates the positive effects of teaching individuals with disabilities to use various technologies to independently self-prompt their daily living tasks. A literature search of technology…

Research over the last decade or so has made it clear that quality teachers matter to student achievement. What is less clear is the ways in which they matter and how we can prepare such high-quality teachers for a variety of contexts. The research question guiding this project was what do important stakeholder groups perceive to be the skills and…

This paper reports findings from a survey of Korean special and general education teachers (n = 328) regarding the extent to which they value and deliver instruction to promote the self-determination of students with disabilities in their classrooms. The findings include (a) descriptive statistics summarizing the outcomes of questionnaire items,…

The purpose of this study was to analyze a large data base of self-selected/self-determined goals developed by students aged 7-21 that had developmental disabilities. Data included 288 goals developed by 205 students involved in the Kentucky Youth Advocacy Project. Students, teachers, Speech/Language pathologists and families utilized the Self…

Promoting student self-determination is recognized as a key component of effective transition supports and services for youth with disabilities. This study examined differences in teacher perceptions of student capacity and opportunity for self-determination over the course of an academic year based on teacher assignment to a treatment group that…

This investigation evaluated the effectiveness of using peer tutors to teach a chained leisure skill (i.e., UNO card game) to three middle school students with disabilities using a simultaneous prompting procedure within a multiple probe design. The investigation also assessed whether the students with disabilities would acquire four unrelated…

The importance of student IEP participation has been indicated by both legislative mandates such as IDEA and research literature. The purpose of the current study was to examine those variables that predict student IEP participation among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders as compared to adolescents with disabilities other than autism…

The aim of this study was to explore regular teachers' perceptions and experiences of supports and obstacles to communicative interactions for students with multiple and severe disabilities (MSD). Five teachers of students with MSD participated in two in-depth interviews. Interview transcripts were analysed using content analysis. Transcripts were…

This pilot study sought to develop and evaluate the use of a treatment package that included systematic and direct instruction on acquisition of literacy skills aligned with middle school English/Language Arts standards for students with moderate to severe disabilities, including autism. Participants included five teachers and 15 middle school…

This qualitative study situates parents' perceptions of their participation and role in special education planning in multiple contexts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 diverse parents of children with disabilities. The findings reveal the existence of special education discourses and practices that are entrenched in a…

Is a functional curriculum aligned with the federal education policies of No Child Left Behind (2002) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004)? This article analyzes the alignment, or lack thereof, between this approach to educating secondary students with mild mental impairment and the two main federal education laws…