Writing is an essential element of literacy development, and language plays a central role in the composing process, including developing, organizing, and refining ideas. Language and writing are interconnected, making it paramount for educators to attend to the development of deaf students' language skills. In this quasi-experimental study, we…

Word problem solving is the premise for students to generalize their problem solving skills to real world problems. This includes students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). Modified Schema-based Instruction (MSBI) is one strategy that research has shown is effective for teaching students with ASD/ID to acquire…

Understanding science allows students with and without developmental and behavioral-based (DB) disabilities to better appreciate the world around them as well as prepare them for the growing science-related job market. However, students in the United States consistently underperform on science achievement tests compared to students from other…

We examine effects of the pandemic on student attendance, course grades, and grade retention in North Carolina in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 using descriptive and regression analyses. We find each outcome worsened on average in 2020-2021, with larger changes at the high end of the absence distribution, the low end of the grade distribution, and among…

The transition to formal schooling is a large contextual change, which for many children in U.S. begins with the year of kindergarten. To better understand the challenges of this transition, the present study examines the extent to which children experience transition difficulties in five salient areas: making friends, following schedules, meeting…

Autistic students benefit from child-centered goals that align with evidence-based practices (EBPs) that meet their individualized needs, however, most teachers are not trained in how to implement autism-specific EBPs. The challenges do not lie with teachers alone. Professional development (PD) providers, such as district or regional autism…

This study examined reading, math, writing, social, behavioral, and communication learning goals for a large, national sample of elementary students with complex support needs served in one of four types of educational placements. Each goal was coded for three quality characteristics: (1) strengths-focus, (2) inclusion of self-determination…

For students with severe or complex challenging behavior, incorporating hypothesis testing as a component of functional behavior assessment (FBA) is often warranted. Several hypothesis testing strategies (i.e., functional analysis, antecedent analysis, concurrent operant analysis) can confirm whether and how features of a student's environment…

In this study we tested the usability, feasibility, social validity, and effectiveness of Engaged Learners, a behavior support program designed to be integrated into small group reading interventions. Participants included eight Grade 3-5 students with co-occurring reading difficulties and inattention. A concurrent multiple-baseline design was…

Despite a marked increase in the volume of research investigating issues about reading interventions for students with ASD (e.g., Bailey and Arciuli, Rev J Autism Dev Disord 7(2):127-150, 2020; Chiang and Lin, Focus Autism Other Dev Disab 22(4):259-267, 2007), very few studies have examined the current reading practices experienced by children…

Student achievement disparities in inclusive science classrooms are concerning, as knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is increasingly important for upward mobility. When students identify with multiple marginalized sociocultural groups, progress becomes more troubling, as the interplay among these factors is…

We examined the effect of three components of self-determination--autonomy, empowerment, and self-realization--on the postsecondary enrollment of English learners with disabilities, using quasi-experimental propensity score modeling and data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2. Results support the hypothesis that self-determination…

As state-funded prekindergarten programs expand, it is critical to investigate their short- and long-term effects. This paper presents the results through 6th grade of a longitudinal randomized control study of the effects of a scaled-up, state-supported pre-k program. The analytic sample includes 2990 children from low-income families who applied…

Students with disabilities or at risk for disability identification (SWD) are disproportionately affected by the bullying dynamic; however, professional development and educator-focused training on preventing bullying for this population is lacking. To address this gap, this study presents an analysis of qualitative data collected from general and…

This study explores the intertwined phenomena of language deprivation, emergent writing, and translanguaging in deaf students without additional disabilities in grades 3-6. A case study was conducted using deductive and inductive approaches to analyze 42 writing samples. There were four areas of focus: (1) stages of emergent writing development;…