Many parents feel intimidated when talking with special education professionals. There is much in our society which encourages us to look at professionals and to accept what they say without question. However, that does not mean you should be intimidated. The discussion is about your child and you know your child better than anyone, giving you the…

Paraprofessionals are critical members of instructional teams for students with autism; however, little is known about their job preparation and professional development needs. This study addressed the gap in the literature by surveying 325 paraprofessionals in public school settings in the United States and Guam who reported working with students…

Many parents feel intimidated when talking with special education professionals. There is much in our society which encourages us to look at professionals and to accept what they say without question. However, that does not mean you should be intimidated. The discussion is about your child and you know your child better than anyone, giving you the…

Due to systemic barriers, Spanish-speaking (versus English-speaking) parents of children with disabilities are less likely to participate in educational decision-making. However, little research has directly compared special education experiences between both populations. The purpose of this study was to explore the differences and similarities…

Youth with special education-related disabilities are drastically overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. However, the education services needed to support these students are often inadequate in detention and correctional facilities. Issues pertaining to communication between agencies, access to student records, and collaboration among…

The focus of this article is on the transactional relationship of research and practice for speech-language pathologists serving infants and toddlers with and at risk for autism spectrum disorder in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act supported early intervention. Specifically, information is provided on (a) the relationship between…

This information guide was designed to assist in resolving special education disputes, as well as to provide dispute resolution options for parents or school district staff when communications are difficult or there is a dispute that cannot be resolved. Mediation is a voluntary process that (1) brings people together to resolve their…

Strong working relationships with diverse families and children are the foundation of successful early intervention. Discover fresh, practical ways to build these relationships in this essential guidebook, every professional's blueprint for working with children and families within the specific context of their culture, family structure, and risk…

Parents and school staff usually agree upon issues regarding evaluation, eligibility, program, and placement of students with disabilities. However, there are times when disagreement occurs. Disagreements and conflict are often inevitable, but they need not produce negative results. Mediation in special education is a process to assist parents and…

The present study utilized a multiple baseline across participants design and targeted a crucial component of social interaction, conversational skills, through implementation of the teaching interactions procedure with college students with intellectual disabilities within naturalistic settings. For each participant, the mean frequency of both…

This handbook provides information about emotional, behavioral, and learning and developmental disabilities; disability-specific entitlements; and approaches for professionals who work with youthful offenders with disabilities throughout the juvenile process. Chapter 1 describes characteristics of common disabilities among youthful offenders and…

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effect of teacher professional development for working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and teacher (N = 56) self-efficacy in the general education classroom. A pretest/posttest quasi-experimental research design was implemented. Teachers in one randomly assigned school received…

This book provides information about emotional, behavioral, learning and developmental disabilities; disability-specific entitlements; and approaches for professionals who work with youthful offenders with disabilities throughout the juvenile process. Chapter 1 describes characteristics of common disabilities among youthful offenders and details…

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) III, the purpose of this commentary is to describe school-based and school-relevant interventions and instructional approaches for children and youth with autism that have been developed and employed during that time period. The commentary begins with a brief…

This report describes a project that uses existing data sets to describe the population of students with significant cognitive disabilities and known or suspected dual sensory loss. It includes students with suspected dual sensory loss because students with significant cognitive disabilities are reported to have unidentified sensory loss (Erickson…