This study examines the use of braille contractions in a corpus of spelling tests from braille-reading children in grades 1-4, with particular attention to braille contractions that create mismatches with morphological structure. Braille is a tactile writing system that enables people who are blind or visually impaired to read and write. In…

In the current study, we used a sequential explanatory design to examine secondary writing instruction for deaf students in various school settings. An examination of secondary writing instruction was carried out in two cycles using a survey and subsequent focus group discussions. The first cycle (n = 222) presented an overview of secondary…

The COVID-19 pandemic affected families' decisions about whether and where to enroll their children in public schools. We have limited evidence to date, however, on how vulnerable sub-groups, such as those with disabilities and those qualifying for special education services, were impacted. In partnership with the Virginia Department of Education…

There is limited research about Tier 3 interventions provided during typical school Response to Intervention (RTI) implementation. As part of a larger RTI exploration study designed to focus on students with the most intensive reading needs, our goal was to contrast their Tier 1 core reading instruction with their Tier 3 intervention. Schools…

Since students' writing skills are largely shaped by the quality of instruction they receive, we can learn from what teachers report about their beliefs and approaches to the teaching and learning of writing. This study explores the state of writing instruction at secondary levels with deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students through a…

We center the voice of Dwyan Moore, a Black 12-year-old boy, during his transition of being diagnosed with a learning dis/Ability. We do so to grapple with the problem of disproportionate representation in special education along race and dis/Ability, with particular attention to educational leadership. Disproportionate representation is a…

This study used a convergent mixed methods design to examine environmental and curricular influences on peer relationships and support for young women with disabilities within a clustered, randomized controlled trial of a gender-specific, disability-focused intervention, Paths 2 the Future (P2F). Pre- and post-intervention surveys of perceptions…

The development of communication is a fundamental part of early childhood. Yet many students with disabilities require supports such as augmentative and alternative communication to develop communication skills. Teachers and paraeducators play key roles in supporting communication for these students, but often lack effective and accessible…

This report examines common practices in providing support to deaf students across various postsecondary institutions in the United States, identifying both successful strategies and areas needing improvement. By evaluating the availability and effectiveness of services such as speech-to-text and interpreting, this report highlights gaps and…

The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of educational programs for school-aged children with autism in the United States. Investigators completed the Autism Program Environment Quality Rating Systems-Preschool/Elementary (APERS) in 60 elementary schools enrolling children with autism. The mean total rating scores were near the…

Developing and supporting understanding of the meaning of multiplication and multiplicative relationships in students with mathematics learning disabilities requires carefully designed instruction that emphasizes strategic representation use. This article discusses three ways in which teachers can incorporate multiple representations within…

Students with disabilities have higher rates of attention problems than those without disabilities. This can impede their academic success and postsecondary transition, but these effects have not been well-studied. Understanding these effects is especially critical among high school girls with disabilities who additionally experience significant…

Special educators serving students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) depend on their principals' support, yet prior research has not explored principals' roles in supporting these programs. Using constructivist grounded theory methods, we analyzed interviews with five elementary school principals about their roles in supporting…

Coaching caregivers of young children on the autism spectrum is a critical component of parent-mediated interventions. Little information is available about how providers implement parent coaching for children on the autism spectrum in publicly funded early intervention systems. This study evaluated providers' use of parent coaching in an early…

Graduates of special education teacher education programs can teach in a range of special education settings, raising the potential that their training can occur in very different settings than where they find their first jobs. We follow 263 completers of Moderate Disabilities programs in Massachusetts from their field placements to their…