South Australian, Lyndall Hendrickson AM (1917-2017) led a lifetime of achievements as a prodigy, concert violinist, polio survivor, violin instructor and teacher of language and music to non-verbal autistic students. Her career halted when she contracted poliomyelitis at the age of 34. To regain motor skill, Hendrickson researched theories of…

Accurate diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at an early age is increasingly sought so that the child and family can access early intervention and supports. However, not all children neatly fit into the diagnostic criteria for ASD, and additional assessment and supports are often required as providers continue to evaluate the possibility…

Ohio's public schools provide special education services to children with disabilities as early as preschool. Every year, the Ohio Department of Education reports the number of preschool children who received state-funded special education services during the previous year. The 2016-2017 school year had an overall increase of 1,142 (5.9 percent)…

Speech and language impairments can pose significant challenges to the successful workplace inclusion of young adults with intellectual disabilities (IDs) and/or autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Breakdowns are most likely to occur when support staff, workplace supervisors, or co-workers are unsure how to support effective communication.…

Training and coaching are cited frequently to achieve different goals, by different people, across different fields. "Who" provides training and coaching and "where" and "how" they are provided may influence the effectiveness of the training and coaching efforts, making the clear identification of these contextual…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; P.L. 108-446) is the primary source of federal funding to states for the identification and education of children with disabilities. The majority of IDEA appropriations are allocated to states by formula to carry out activities under Part B, which covers 14 disability categories. Each state is…

An increasing number of children are likely to have a known genetic cause for their special educational needs. One such genetic condition is 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22qDS), a genetic syndrome associated with early speech and language difficulties, global and specific cognitive impairments, difficulties with attention and difficulties with…

In this welcome second edition of "The Effective Teacher's Guide to Autism and Communication Difficulties", best-selling author Michael Farrell addresses how teachers and others can develop provision for students with autism and students that have difficulties with speech, grammar, meaning, use of language and comprehension. Updated and expanded,…

The purpose of this article is to provide a brief background about special education system in Jordan and particularly describes the present types of programmes and legislation provided within the country to students with special needs, as well as integration movement. Jordan has historically provided a limited number of educational opportunities…

This article presents the story of Chad Roberts of Canton, Georgia, who is proving himself a promising employee day by day. He works several jobs in increments of up to 90 minutes. Some days, he completes bulk mailings at a law firm. On others, he's at local restaurants stocking the wait staff stations with supplies. The community-based vocational…

Background: Globally, there is an increased prevalence of preschool and school-age children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Current reports show that about one in every 110 children fall within this category of disorders. Consequently, the successful inclusion of these children in both regular and special education classes is becoming a…

Every year, under the federal law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), millions of children with disabilities receive special services designed to meet their unique needs. Early intervention services are provided through the state to infants and toddlers with disabilities under three years of age and their families. For…

This report describes three extensions to a classification system for paediatric speech sound disorders termed the Speech Disorders Classification System (SDCS). Part I describes a classification extension to the SDCS to differentiate motor speech disorders from speech delay and to differentiate among three sub-types of motor speech disorders.…

This article provides an overview of current research on Fragile X Syndrome, and how that knowledge can be used to guide successful intervention. The genetic etiology of Fragile X is reviewed and the physical, cognitive, adaptive, behavioral, and emotional phenotypes of children with the disorder are described, highlighting the differences in…

Since 1996, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), located in Southern California, has been under a federal court consent decree requiring compliance with laws pertaining to the delivery of special education services and the elimination of architectural barriers in schools. In 2003, the consent decree was modified, creating…