Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often face societal barriers to accessing employment due to stigma and discrimination. For people with IDD who have an employment history, little is known about their experiences in accessing employment opportunities. Self-determination behaviors are considered an integral component to…

Youth with and at risk for disabilities served in alternative education settings frequently struggle with the writing process, which impedes their ability to communicate ideas and opinions with others. Providing explicit teaching of a writing strategy is necessary for this population of youth. This study examined the effects of self-regulated…

Self-determination is a dispositional characteristic, expressed when people act as causal agents in their lives. It develops throughout the life course, starting in early childhood. Causal Agency Theory defines three self-determined actions that lead to self-determination, which are (1) volitional action: including making conscious choices based…

Among different transitions that happen in a young person's life, transition to adulthood can be one of the most challenging. The new post-school environment requires increased self-determination, including self-awareness, self-advocacy, self-management, and other important skills that help one function as an independent adult. Because it takes…

The literature on postsecondary students with disabilities stresses the importance of self-determination skills on the college experiences and outcomes of these students. However, the theoretical framework undergirding much of this research emerged largely from the K-12 special education literature, and differs from the Self-Determination Theory…

Background: Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) refugees and immigrants in the United States (U.S.) face barriers to accessing health care, and are more likely to have worse health outcomes as it relates to chronic disease. Better understanding health literacy for this population can identify gaps in knowledge, facilitate health…

Research findings illustrate the strong connection between self-determined learning and reading performance for students with or at risk for disabilities. Students with or at risk for learning disabilities (LDs), who are at increased risk for academic failure, may benefit from instruction to promote self-determination skills. Causal Agency Theory…

Constructing written text in English can be a challenging endeavor for all students, but it holds particular challenges for English Language Learners (ELLs) with learning disabilities (LD). For this reason, effective instruction needs to recognize the gifts of emergent bilingualism and respond to the challenges that ELLs with LD bring to the task…

The purpose of this study was to learn what parents of young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) communicate in terms of financial literacy (skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors); and how their financial literacy perceptions compare with their student's. This research builds on prior parental socialization of…

Self-determination refers to a person's ability to have control of their life choices, decisions, and interactions with others. Self-determination skills include: 1) decision-making, 2) goal setting, 3) self-awareness, 4) problem-solving, 5) self-advocacy, 6) self-monitoring, and 7) self-efficacy. Researchers suggest that youth with or at-risk for…

Classroom engagement can be problematic for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH), but is essential to ensure that they can reach their best educational and postschool outcomes. This study used semi-structured interviews to explore the self-perceived barriers and facilitators to classroom engagement for 16 DHH students educated in…

Ivymount Social Cognition Instructional Project (IvySCIP) supports teachers and related service providers to implement data-driven social and emotional learning (SEL) instruction for their kindergarten through 5th grade students with social cognition challenges, especially those with high functioning autism spectrum disorders (HF-ASD). Based on…

Students with disabilities experience pronounced inequities in the education system, which have been compounded by risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study sought to understand the experiences of students with disabilities and the strengths that facilitated their wellbeing during this period of adversity. In summer 2020,…

Intervention research is replete with examples of finely crafted innovations showing initial efficacy in tightly controlled experimental contexts only to fail when they are implemented in typical use settings. While the reasons for such failures are broad, implementation science shows a targeted and judicious use of appropriate competency drivers,…

The use of peer support arrangements can be an effective strategy to improve educational services for students with disabilities, including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). When developing peer support arrangements, secondary teachers should consider aligning these services with evidence-based predictors of positive postschool outcomes…