In this descriptive study, the academic success (graduation rate, graduating grade-point-average, semesters to graduation) and the patterns of academic engagement (time from first to last enrollment, characteristics of the "time-outs" taken, between-semester volatility in grade-point-average) for five groups of students with psychiatric…

The primary mission of the Call Me MiSTER (CMM) program, founded in 2000 and headquartered at Clemson University, was originally developed in collaboration with three private historically Black institutions to address the significant shortage of African American men teaching in K-8 public elementary school classrooms. In this article, we describe…

"Self-Determination" concept is based on the simple assumption that human beings ought to be in a position to intrinsically influence their life outcomes. The concept as well avails people with the right to control positive life outcomes by managing the Decisions and Choices they make. Typically, the concept revolves around the approach…

It is imperative that teachers have the knowledge and resources to support children who are deaf and use a cochlear implant in general education classrooms. The recommendations presented in this article provide teachers with the information necessary to promote a child's academic progress, communication needs, and social development. In order to…

The participation of people with mental illness in research is key to their empowerment and provides them with a highly meaningful experience. The aim of this article was to explore the perspectives, views and experiences of people with severe mental illness (SMI) regarding their present life and projection of the future (desires, expectations…

There is a process within the special education program that directly links a child's educational program with their plans for the future. It is called a Transition Plan and is part of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Transition services are a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability designed to be used within a…

This dissertation is an exploratory study on self-determination in students with disabilities in a postsecondary environment. Two questions were asked on self-determination levels in higher education students with disabilities and vital self-advocacy skills in higher education. A survey with closed-ended and open-ended questions was administered…

Self-advocacy is linked to the success and retention of students with disabilities in college. Self-advocacy is defined as communicating individual wants, needs, and rights to determine and pursue required accommodations. While self-advocacy is linked to academic success, little is known about how students with disabilities in science, technology,…

Young people need a combination of academic skills and other key mindsets and behaviors to succeed in school and become healthy, employed, civically engaged adults. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the relationship between academics and social-emotional learning (SEL)--a broad set of competencies that includes, for example,…

This study focused on parent-initiated supported living schemes in the South of the Netherlands and the ability of these living schemes to enhance participation, choice, autonomy and self-advocacy for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities through personalized planning, support and care. Based on in-depth interviews with tenants,…

As educators working with high school students, the author's face questions such as: (1)" How can students become better self-advocates?" (2) "Are students sufficiently prepared for life after graduation?" (3) "How can students become more motivated in planning their future?" (4) "What can be done to encourage…

Transitioning from school to adult life is a challenging time for students with learning disabilities. Students leave the only support system they have known and enter into a world where they need to be self-advocates. This chapter discusses the transitioning process, including the legal aspect and strategies to assist students to make a…

In 2014, the Geological Society of America sponsored an Accessible Field Trip, designed to demonstrate best practices in accommodating a wide variety of participants with disabilities during a field experience. During the trip, an aide was deployed to assist two student participants with sensory disabilities, one with low vision and the other with…

Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn enrolled in postsecondary education may experience disabilities that impact their successful participation in the academic environment. Accommodations are made available to college students with disabilities to provide opportunities for success in this…

For typically developing adolescents, Piaget (1932/1965), Kohlberg (1971), Vygotsky (1935/2011), and Erikson (1964) described key transitions as having happened naturally as the child aged. In adolescents with visual impairments, key transitions are often reached much later than are developmentally appropriate due to the lack of specific…