Students with developmental disabilities and communication delays, particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD), participate in academic instruction through a continuum of services and environments. This includes the use of web-conferencing and screen-sharing platforms to deliver instruction across a variety of settings. The use of systematic…

Technology-aided instruction and intervention (TAII) refers to instruction or intervention in which technology is the central feature supporting the acquisition of a goal for the learner. Technology is defined as "any electronic item, equipment, application, or virtual network that is used intentionally to increase/maintain, and/or improve…

Educators continually encounter new challenges that require different tools or ways to utilize current tools in novel ways. Common challenges when working with students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may include addressing interfering behavior, developing communication systems, increasing social opportunities for students, and addressing…

As more students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) enroll in college after high school, the need for support becomes increasingly significant, particularly in the five key domains of academics, social interactions, independent living, executive functioning, and mental health. Apps can be used to offer low-cost, socially valid support to college…

Video-based intervention (VBI) has strong evidence supporting efficiency in teaching social, communication, functional, behavior, play, and self-help skills and emerging evidence for teaching academic skills to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). VBI allows opportunities to electronically provide personalized, consistent, and prerecorded…

In order to best serve students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), teachers and other in-school support personnel need to identify and effectively implement evidence-based practices (EBPs) in their classrooms. One EBP for students with ASD is video-based instruction, including video prompting, a form of video modeling. The authors provide…

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties in communication that limit their opportunities to participate in daily living and educational activities. Augmentative alternative communication is one of the strategies used to strengthen the communication skills of students with limited communication skills. Students with ASD…

For families and educators, understanding and working with children who experience a combination of deafness and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be challenging. Yet both understanding and work are crucial. For children with ASD to succeed, parents and educators need to understand them and to be able to work together to implement successful…

Rehabilitation professionals working with students with disabilities and the families of those students face unique challenges in providing inclusive services to special education student populations. There needs to be a focus on adaptive teaching methods that provide quality experience for students with varying disabilities to promote student…

Writing is an important content area that pervades all subject areas and is required for post-school success, yet many students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often struggle in written expression. In this article we discuss the characteristics of students with ASD that make writing difficult, and the strengths, such as the use of technology,…

This special education reopening guidance has been developed as a companion resource to "Reopening Washington Schools 2020: District Planning Guide" (ED606044) to provide information and resources for supporting students with disabilities throughout the school reopening process. The intent of this document is to offer guidance for all…

The video modeling (VM) teaching strategy is one in which a student watches a video of someone performing a specific behavior, skill, or task and is then expected to complete the behavior, skill, or task. This column discusses the variety of ways in which VM has been documented within the literature and supports teacher interest in the strategy by…

Video self-modeling is a powerful intervention that uses carefully planned and edited videos of self-imaging so students can view themselves performing a task, skill, or behavior at mastery. More than 45 years of research supports the efficacy of video self-modeling across an array of behaviors and disabilities, including: (1) Dysfluent speech;…

Education is the foundation to almost all successful lives. It is vital that learning opportunities are available on a global scale, regardless of individual disabilities or differences, and to create more inclusive educational practices. "Disability and Equity in Higher Education Accessibility" is a comprehensive reference source for…

The iPad[TM] is a revolutionary technology for use in our 21st century classrooms. It is profoundly changing both the manner in which teachers present instructional content, as well as the way students process and learn new information. The multi-sensory design of the iPad[TM] makes it an ideal tool for teaching students with special needs. This…