Introduction: Professionals working with infants and toddlers with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) were surveyed regarding their preservice training and their awareness and use of 29 resources related to young children who are visually impaired. Methods: Early intervention visual impairment professionals (n =…

All educational stakeholders benefit when families and school staff have trusting partnerships as they work together to achieve mutual goals. Eleven focus groups were conducted with parents of children with and without disabilities in six schools, which had been selected as knowledge development sites by the Schoolwide Integrated Framework for…

On May 22, 2011, an EF5 tornado ripped through Joplin, MO, leaving many residents without homes and destroying or damaging several school buildings. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how special education teachers responded to the needs of their students with disabilities following the Joplin tornado. Purposeful sampling was…

In this study, the authors represent an exploratory investigation of current preparation of preservice teachers related to response to intervention (RTI) in institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) Regional Resource and Federal Centers (RRFCs) North Central Region and Pennsylvania. In this study,…

This study sought to assess teacher candidates' knowledge of special education policies and procedures as mandated by the federal government. It also examines factors associated with accurate knowledge. A sample of 111 teacher candidates, drawn from a Missouri private university, completed a survey. Overall, teacher candidates lacked accurate…

In classrooms and schools across the United States, educators struggle to meet the requirements of standards-based reform that was enacted by federal legislation. Secondary schools can use coteaching with mixed-ability groups of students to meet increased curriculum demands and provide mandated strategies and accommodations for students with…

To determine the types of training needed by directors of special education, 74 directors and other school personnel (superintendents, special and regular classroom teachers, and building principals) were sent questionnaires designed to obtain their perceptions of training needs, time requirements for training, and time spent at different job…

Missouri LINC Assistive Device Service is part of a state program to help vocational and special education teachers prepare special education students for employment. Assistive Device Services staff respond to requests from school personnel for information on sources for adaptive devices, publishers or distributors, and consultants on specific…

Youth with disabilities are particularly susceptible to dangerous outcomes associated with contemporary issues such as teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, and domestic violence. Several studies document the high degree of social, medical, and legal risk to which youth with disabilities are exposed. The extent to which public schools provide risk…

The current study investigated early childhood professionals' opinions regarding the use of behavioral supports for children with challenging behavior. Participants included early childhood special education teachers, Title I teachers, speech and language pathologists, instructional aids and paraprofessionals, physical therapists, and school…

This study found that Missouri special education teachers (n=198) felt that their undergraduate courses inadequately prepared them for working with children from families without two biological parents in the same household, though this training was felt to be important. The majority of subjects had received in-service training related to divorce,…