A tremendous amount of evidence supports the importance of building relationships between educators and students (Kincaide et al., 2020). Because of this, there is an emerging focus in both research and practice on how student-teacher relationships are assessed, the impact of these relationships on student outcomes, and methods for building and…

Journalists have reported large-scale lead poisoning affecting children in cities such as Flint, Michigan. Unfortunately, children's exposure to lead is not isolated and occurs throughout the country in both urban and rural settings. The effects of lead exposure can cause children to develop disabilities, potentially requiring special education…

With a growing population of emergent bilingual learners in the United States, we are seeing more emergent bilinguals qualifying for special education services. Special education teachers must be prepared to meet the linguistic needs of their students in addition to disability related needs. One way of doing so involves adopting Culturally…

Manipulative-based instructional sequences--including both concrete and virtual manipulative instructional sequences--are evidence-based or research-based mathematical interventions for students with disabilities. However, as options for manipulative-based instructional sequences increase, educators need support in deciding the best approach. In…

Independence is a critical skill in preparing students with disabilities for success after high school. Secondary special education teachers equip their students toward task independence across skill domains (e.g., employment, independent living), yet there is little guidance regarding a simple and systematic way to do so. MADE 2 FADE (M2F) is a…

Even though paid advocates exist in the field of special education, teacher advocates are important because their work is based on passion and a belief that change is warranted due to their own needs and experiences with students, not merely on the basis that they are being paid to advocate. Education policy in recent years has become more…

Early-career special education teachers (SETs), often report feelings of role ambiguity and being marginalized from their administrators (Billingsley & Bettini, 2019). Dissatisfaction with administration is a leading cause of SET attrition (Bettini et al., 2020; Fowler et al., 2019). Special educators who leave teaching report feeling…

As more schools move to adopt inclusive practices, special educators are expected to provide services to students in new settings, collaborate with their general education colleagues, and navigate various difficult situations. These new settings, models, and collaborative efforts can be stressful for the special educator because of the conflicts…

Minoritized special education teachers of color often report feeling isolated in their work environments, affecting their sense of belonging and decision to stay in their positions. Although these teachers struggle with their identity in majority White workplaces, they are also often the only voice advocating for students of color eligible for…

Special educators are responsible for a myriad of roles as part of their responsibilities as teachers. In addition to developing and monitoring individualized education programs (IEPs), co-teaching with general education colleagues, and engaging in direct instruction, they often also support students with behavioral needs. Although not all…

In a recent study, Bettini, Gilmour, et al. (2020) used the theory of conservation of resources to explain how educators balance access to resources and the demands of their job. In teaching, these resources manifest in the form of administrative support; colleague support; access to materials, such as curricular resources; and increased teaching…

This article describes a process for the incidental teaching of conversation skills to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in inclusive settings. The incidental teaching of conversation skills is an effective naturalistic intervention for assisting students with ASD to improve their social communication skills. Special educators and other…

Legislation has paved the way for students with disabilities to be afforded the same educational opportunities as students without disabilities (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 2004), leading to the importance of collaboration between special and general education teachers so that students receive effective instruction.…

The primary message of the Supreme Court's ruling in "Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District" (hereinafter "Endrew F.," 2017) was that school districts are obligated to "offer an IEP [individualized education program] that is reasonably calculated to enable the child to make progress appropriate in light of the…

Content literacy is necessary for students to be successful in meeting the National Core Arts Standards in the areas of creating, presenting, responding, and connecting. Art educators can with work special educators to support students with disabilities to develop disciplinary literacy using an adapted before-during-after (B-D-A) content literacy…