This paper illustrates the positivistic nature of person-centered planning (PCP) that is evident in the planning methods employed, the way that individuals with disabilities are described, and in portrayal of the outcomes of PCP. However, a confluence of factors can lead to manifestation of excessive positivism that does not serve PCP…

This article reports concerns among disability community members that the implications of genetic research will be driven by mistaken beliefs about genetics and negative attitudes toward disability as identified in a qualitative study funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute. In addition to reporting the nature and the context of…

In this article, the author offers his critique on Holburn and Cea's notion on "excessive positivism" that person-centered planners are overconcerned with scientific verification and logical proof. The author believes that Holburn and Cea's notion blurs the important messages they have for person-centered planners by leading toward a debate about…

This article presents the author's response to "Excessive Positivism in Person-Centered Planning," by Steve Holburn and Christine D. Cea. The author begins by complementing Holburn and Cea on their courage to voice concerns that perhaps may not appear to be politically correct or perhaps too bold to express in the context of a journal like…

This study explored the effect of utilizing natural supports strategies on the cost of supported employment in the state of Wisconsin. Data presented here suggest that the use of natural supports reduced annual per capita costs by 57.6%. Further, supported employees trained via natural supports generated cumulative costs of $5,063 over 6.04 fiscal…

Promoting access to the general curriculum has emerged as a central theme of the standards-based reform movement, challenging educators to identify effective strategies for supporting students with disabilities to access the numerous social and learning opportunities within general education. We examined peer support interventions as an…

This case study describes the journey of one school district as it focused for 5 years on affecting district-wide systemic change related to inclusive education for all students with disabilities, including those with severe disabilities. Information is provided about the district's efforts across 5 years, and data are provided across those 5 and…

This study investigated the cumulative costs generated by supported and sheltered employees with mental retardation throughout one "employment cycle," that is, from the moment they entered their respective programs to when they exited or stopped receiving services. Data indicate that supported employees acquired services costing funding sources a…

Although research has indicated that parent participation is considered to be one of the most important elements of transition planning, there are a few studies that have sought to measure the involvement of culturally and linguistically diverse parents. Asian Americans are the most diverse of America's leading minority groups and one of the most…

With the increased public attention to a rapidly growing number of children being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it seems as if there is an equally rapid growth of new specialized programs catering to this group of children. The question to be considered is, if there are indeed promising models based on inclusive settings, why does…

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) practice may have both positive and negative impacts on quality of life (QOL) of children with AAC as well as their entire family. Thirteen studies were reviewed to analyze family outcomes and perspectives on AAC practice by using a family quality of life (FQOL) framework comprised of five…

The term "access to the general curriculum" is widely used in the field of special education, yet little is known about how practitioners are interpreting the term for high school students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD). In this study, general and special educators in one high school were interviewed to determine their definition of…

Parents, teachers, and paraeducators at three inclusive schools were interviewed as part of a qualitative study to investigate perceptions regarding a quality educational program for students with moderate-severe disabilities. Instead of looking at schools engaged in a systematic change process from separate to inclusive education for students…

This study examined the effects of teaching employees with moderate intellectual disabilities to use sight-word checklists as antecedent prompts to self-initiate job tasks in varied and novel sequences. The intervention package consisted of (a) sight word reading and comprehension instruction, and (b) self-management training using first a…

A comprehensive review of research was conducted on teaching science to students with significant cognitive disabilities. Guidelines from the National Science Education Standards were used to identify categories of studies based on the strands of science. A total of 11 studies were identified from the 20 years of literature searched. In general,…