The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in mathematics were created to help all students become prepared for the demands of future careers and life in an age of technology. Similarly, students with moderate and severe disability will need these skills to meet these changing expectations. Although mathematics instruction could focus on a few of the…

Shared story reading is a practice that has been used successfully to promote literacy skills for all students. The benefits of shared story reading are not exclusive to literacy instruction and should carry into other disciplines such as mathematics. Using shared story reading to teach mathematics concepts can play an important role in…

Research has demonstrated that people with significant intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities can indicate clear preferences through methodologically rigorous assessments. Once preferred items have been identified, they can be used to reinforce new behaviors, which can assist in the development of a meaningful learning experience.…

This article provides a framework for designing balanced literacy instruction for individuals with significant needs. A balanced literacy approach consists of instruction in word work, reading, and writing. It is critical to realize that balanced literacy ties closely to communication. The authors promote utilizing a before, during, and after…

Although community-based instruction (CBI) is an essential component of an effective educational program for students with severe disabilities, teachers frequently struggle to implement such instruction on a frequent and consistent enough basis for students to learn functional skills quickly and efficiently. This article describes evidence-based…

Adolescents with multiple or severe disabilities often lack access to opportunities available to their typically developing peers, whose in-school friendships are often reinforced through other out-of-school, and sometimes interschool, activities. Limitations to these opportunities can be a result of attending a separate school designed to provide…

The general education curriculum comprises more than just the academic courses students take. The wide range of extracurricular clubs, sports teams, performing arts programs, student government positions, career development activities, service-learning projects, and other school-sponsored activities offered in middle and high schools provide a…

Means-end behavior occurs when the child can carry out a sequence of steps, including the removal of a physical obstacle, to achieve a goal. The development of means-end knowledge occurs in three stages: transitional, intentional, and comprehensive. Comprehensive means-end is achieved when the child can generate solutions without demonstration of…

Although preparing youth with significant disabilities for future careers is a central focus of transition education, the task can be overwhelming for high school teachers and staff to tackle alone. Educators describe a number of common barriers to promoting youth employment, including the perceived inexperience of the student, the unwillingness…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates parent-professional collaboration. But difficulties between parent and professional collaboration seem to persist. These difficulties do not seem to be related to a lack of mutual respect or lack of good intentions. Perhaps difficulties exist because of a lack of common ground.…

Recreation and leisure activities play a vital role in all people's lives, and educators have long recognized that such activities are an important instructional emphasis for students with moderate and severe disabilities. This article offers teachers practical strategies for including their students with disabilities in school extracurricular…

An impediment to teaching that occurs with many students who have severe disabilities is problem behavior during teaching sessions. This paper describes "preference-based teaching", a recently developed means of reducing problem behavior by making teaching programs enjoyable for students. Preference-based teaching begins with actions taken prior…

Morning Circle, also known as Morning Meeting, is often a daily lesson in both general education and special education classrooms. The primary purpose of the Circle is to support each child to establish membership in the class while developing a classroom community and culture. The Responsive Classroom Approach recommends four Circle components:…

Daily communication journals are a powerful tool to promote communication development in children with severe disabilities. Each page of the daily journal features three parts: a print or braille label, a recording device, and a tangible symbol. Children should participate in both the preparation of the daily journal and its review, thus gaining…

This article suggests ways to use tactile teaching strategies with students who have severe and multiple disabilities including blindness. Guidelines address tactile modeling, tactile mutual attention, presenting tactile information, providing effective tactile representation, hypersensitivity to touch, and a team approach. (Contains references.)…