This paper documents the experiences of a group of parents who came together to form a human service cooperative in their local community to address the needs of their adult children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Each parent felt that their child's needs were not (or could not be) met by existing providers. Parent leaders who…

Following the implementation of Tier 1 and Tier 2 Positive Behavior Support (PBS) strategies in six Head Start (HS) classrooms, three children in two classrooms were identified who had significant behavioral challenges and met the criteria for the use of individualized PBS. The purpose of this demonstration was to evaluate whether the effects of…

This paper focuses on aspects of the relationship that develops between people offering daily support and those seeking those supports. We interviewed 16 personal assistants employed in two agencies in the Pacific Northwest. Both agencies are members of a community of practice among organizers of person-centered supports that is coordinated…

Romer and Walker's "Appreciative Inquiry," which obtained input from 16 capable personal assistants, challenges some influential assumptions about personal assistance and opens a way to think about the demanding work of developing capable and committed personal assistants. Attempts to depersonalize the relationship between people…

This article provides a response to Romer and Walker from two distinct perspectives: the field of developmental disabilities and a parent of children with developmental disabilities. Jeffrey Strully describes his current role managing a moderate-sized agency in Los Angeles that provides individualized and personalized supports as well as his work…

This study investigated whether receiving transition services early (i.e., by age 14) promoted better vocational outcomes than receiving transition services later (i.e., by age 16) for young adults with ASD. To do this, the outcomes achieved by two matched groups were examined--453 young adults from states requiring transition services be…

Even when enrolled in general education classes, students with complex communication challenges may remain socially isolated from their classmates when receiving one-to-one paraprofessional support. We evaluated the efficacy and social validity of an intervention package incorporating paraprofessional facilitation, peer initiation, and increased…

Language used in the field of special education is important; it can serve to influence both curriculum and placement decisions for students with intellectual disability. Historically, "Functional Curriculum" was used to describe curriculum adaptations necessary for students to access their environment (school and community). However,…

Over the past decade, inclusive postsecondary opportunities have become more available to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities than ever before. With greater demand for such opportunities as well as greater awareness of the possibilities for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, developing new programs on…

Identifying methods to increase the independent functioning of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is vital in enhancing their quality of life; teaching students with ASD daily living skills can foster independent functioning. This review examines interventions that implement video modeling and/or prompting to teach individuals with…

This study examined 68 parents' views of the self-determination skills and capacities of their young adult children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability (ages 19-21 years). Results indicated parents placed a high value on the importance of all seven component skills (i.e., choice-making skills, decision-making skills,…

Children and youth who are deafblind with multiple disabilities have several identified risk factors for experiencing toxic levels of stress, and such stress is known to impair physical, mental, and emotional health. This single-case multiple baseline study examined the frequency and duration of behaviors thought to indicate stress, the duration…

A multiple baseline single-case study examined the integration of functional and academic goals in an individualized story-based lesson plan incorporating an adapted text on grade level content for adolescent students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities across three staff--student dyads. The research team collected data on teacher…

Limited social interaction typically occurs between high school students with autism and their general education peers unless programming is introduced to promote interaction. However, few published social interaction interventions have been conducted among high school students with autism and their general education classmates. Such studies…

A review of the literature on academic learning in general education settings for students with moderate and severe intellectual disability was conducted. A total of 17 experimental studies was identified and evaluated using quality indicators for single-case design research. Studies that met or met with reservation the criteria established for…