Qualitative research (QR) has gained visibility and acceptance in the field of special education due to early efforts to identify quality indicators focused on technical and methodological aspects of QR. Whereas these indicators focused on credibility and trustworthiness of data, this article articulates additional QR quality indicators to enhance…

Teaching is a hard profession, particularly in special education. I was recently challenged by one of my graduate professors to blog daily for a at least a month about the stresses of juggling graduate school, family demands, and teaching students with disabilities. After reading through my blog posts, I noticed that one of my greatest struggles…

Dr. Judy Lupart has had a distinguished career as a researcher, teacher, and leader in the field of education, and some of her most important work has stemmed from her creation of and continuing involvement in "Exceptionality Education Canada." Two articles she wrote for the journal, one in 1992 and one in 2002, are of particular note.…

This article details an evaluation of a research project based on participatory research methods organized by the Swedish Disability Federation from 2008 to 2011. In Sweden there has been a lack of productive dialogue with the traditional academic world and the question was raised whether proposals for future research would be different if…

A tension exists between educational practitioners and researchers, which is often attributed to their dichotomous and oftentimes polarizing professional ideologies or Discourse communities. When determining what works in education, researchers tend to emphasize evidencebased practices (EBPs) supported by research that is rigorous and internally…

In this essay I consider the arts--created and performed by artists with disabilities--as a site of productive knowledge for educators willing to interrogate the limits of scientific ways of understanding disability. A sample of artists who deploy the arts for self-understanding and self-expression informed by their experience living with…

The Smithsonian's rich and vast collections differentiate them from every other museum on the planet, but it is their people that truly distinguish them. From astrophysics and American art to sociology and zoology, they represent a staggering breadth of knowledge and depth of commitment, yet the most exciting thing to watch is what happens when…

Historically, researchers focused on individuals with severe disabilities have utilized single-subject research methodologies to study the application of the behavioral theory to learning. In contrast, disability studies scholars have primarily used qualitative research methodologies to study quality of life or policy issues related to individuals…

Disability simulation as a form of experiential learning has been a popular way for students to "learn what it is like to have a disability" in many different educational curricula from nursing to recreation. There is a lack of research detailing the efficacy of such activities, and some researchers have noted the possibility of negative results.…

Research ethics are of fundamental importance to any research. They define and shape the research process from the very beginning as they are the code on which academics rely on as guiding practice in the field (Hopf, 2004). Informed consent is an interesting concept as it is interwoven with other ethical issues that include power, privacy and…

There are many resources that describe high-quality inclusive practices in early education as well as the necessary competencies for early-childhood practitioners working in inclusive settings. Yet, despite important initiatives in the field, a discrepancy between research and practice remains. In an effort to narrow this research-to-practice gap…

The establishment of a criterion for operationally defining emergent phenomena in autism is needed. Key initial questions for autism researchers include how to define emergent phenomena in order to better diagnosis the condition.

This is the first book about action research devoted to the complex issues faced by children with disabilities and their teachers. The authors begin by providing the historical and philosophical underpinnings of action research and then present a framework for conducting action research in special education. In addition, they feature four examples…

Professionals mostly agree that scientific research should guide practice in education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA; 2004) and the No Child Left Behind Act (2002) require that students with disabilities receive research-based practices in the "least restrictive environment." Because the least…

This book is a rare peek into the divergent--and at times contentious--points of view among world's leading researchers on what the condition of mental retardation is and how it should be defined, measured, and implemented in the 21st century. It is a candid and insightful collection of essays from experts on issues ranging from whether mental…