Implementation, or treatment fidelity, is the link between evidence-based interventions and changes in student outcomes. Although higher levels of implementation are generally associated with more efficient improvements in student outcomes, research indicates that many adults struggle to consistently implement student interventions. As school…

Many authors in the self-determination literature purport that students must be given every opportunity to be part of decision-making that impacts on their lives. Students with high support needs are often not afforded this opportunity. This article describes a student-centred educational planning strategy called the 3EPlan. The 3 E's of the…

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; 2006) requires schools to develop transition plans for students with disabilities, beginning at age 16, if not before. For students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the transition planning process includes unique considerations. This article describes five steps for developing effective…

In an earlier article (EJ1058920), Lee Kern and Joseph H. Wehby identified the reasons and process for using adaptive intensive behavioral intervention. Kern and Wehby use this article to present a fictional example of how the intervention is applied. Isaac, a 12 year old, 7th grade student at Highland Middle School, had a history of behavior…

In this article, the authors use scenarios to describe three students with different individual needs related to feeding, as well as other developmental domains. Feeding difficulties affect students in multiple ways and addressing feeding-related skills on IEPs can include grocery shopping, food preparation, and placing food orders in various…

Web 2.0 is expanding the way general and special educators collaborate, especially in co-teaching situations. This article draws attention to several free web-based tools and a co-teaching lesson plan supplement that can be used to incorporate Web 2.0 technologies during the co-planning, co-teaching and shared reflection processes between the…

Students who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) represent a heterogonous group with complex communication needs. AAC--including aided communication means (e.g., pictures, devices) and unaided (e.g., signs, gestures)--is often used to support students who have difficulties with speech production, language comprehension, and…

The complicated individualized education program (IEP) process and annual team meetings can be very stressful for families of children with disabilities, especially for those whose primary language is not English and those who are unfamiliar with the American special education system. Cultural and language barriers and lack of information…

The purpose of this article is to provide special education and general education teachers a framework (DIS[subscript 2]ECT) for teaching science in inclusive settings. DIS2ECT stands for Design (Backwards); Individualization; Scaffolding and Strategies; Experiential learning; Cooperative Learning; and Teamwork. This framework was derived from our…

Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004) mandates that each student with a disability has an individualized education program (IEP). The IEP serves as the curriculum roadmap for special education services. In order to generate a clear roadmap, full team communication is necessary. The purpose of this paper is to…

Co-teaching has recently gained popularity and attention as a viable service delivery option for students with disabilities and other special needs. Although co-teaching includes the three components of co-planning, co-instructing, and co-assessing, the professional literature has primarily focused on co-planning and co-instructing. Co-assessment,…

Using collaborative teamwork to build unique response-to-intervention (RTI) systems responsive to the needs and strengths within their separate schools and communities, two Montana elementary schools forged a trail for other schools. Each school encountered different obstacles along the way as well as distinctive ways of defining success. How can…

Self-advocacy and self-determination include the abilities to select personal goals, plan steps toward goals, assess one's progress, make choices, and self-monitor and self-evaluate one's behaviors. These are important skills in both current and future environments. Unfortunately, youth with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities…

Schools are changing rapidly, and the pressure is on to find ways to effectively support the growing diversity of student needs found in general education classrooms. Urban high schools, which serve students of diverse backgrounds, are in dire need of proactive approaches to discipline that will support student behavior rather than remove them…

Within a short time span, response to intervention (RTI) has altered how educators serve students with reading difficulties. Its impact is most evident at the primary level, where the focus is on limiting referrals to special education by preventing reading difficulties. Educators have paid less attention to exploring how to use RTI with older…