Literacy has the potential to improve quality of life for students with complex communication needs (CCN), but it is unclear if and how teachers target reading instruction for these students. We surveyed 131 K–12 special education teachers about how they teach reading to 217 students with CCN. We found that most reading instruction took place in self-contained classrooms, and that teachers rarely use curricula supported by research for this population. Reading goals often focus on fragments of reading (e.g., letter identification) instead of a comprehensive approach, and some students did not have reading goals at all. Elementary-aged students were more likely than older students to have goals related to phonics. A clear gap remains between research and practice for teaching reading to students with CCN.
Peer support arrangements are designed to promote meaningful inclusion for students with extensive support needs. In this systematic review, we identified 13 single-case design studies and two randomized controlled trials that confirm the previous conclusion that peer support arrangements are an evidence-based practice for increasing peer interactions, and support a new conclusion that they are an evidence-based practice for increasing academic engagement when baseline-level engagement is relatively low (i.e., <50%). Recent studies demonstrate that peer support arrangements are effective not only for secondary students, but also for elementary and transition-aged students. Some studies also provide insight into adaptations to optimize effectiveness and generalization. Descriptive findings suggest that peers who provide support may also benefit, although further research is needed.
Deciding what to teach students with complex support needs requires an in-depth understanding of the general education curriculum and each student’s individual learning needs and goals. To help teachers identify priority grade-aligned learning goals to be taught in general education settings for students with complex support needs, in this quasi-experimental study, we developed a priority planning tool and piloted it with 41 special education teachers enrolled in licensure programs. We identified the general education content that the special education teachers prioritized, assessed the social validity of the priority planning training and tool, and measured the extent to which special education teachers reported that students learned prioritized goals when taught those goals in general education classrooms. Our findings revealed that special education teachers developed primarily math, communication, and academic vocabulary goals. Many students were reported to be successful in learning those prioritized goals, and special education teachers reported that the exploratory priority planning tool was helpful and efficient. We offer implications of our findings for research and practice.
The individualized education program (IEP) meeting is a key component of the special education process wherein parents, the student (as appropriate), and school professionals come together at least annually to determine goals and needed supports and services for students with disabilities. Though existing research has highlighted parent experiences in IEP meetings, there is little representation of Black families. Such limited research is problematic, especially given that, compared to White families of children with disabilities, Black families are more likely to experience systemic barriers to family-school partnerships. To address this gap in the literature, we interviewed 24 Black parents of students with IEPs to explore their IEP meeting experiences, including barriers to participation. Participants also shared advice for other Black families including, encouraging them to advocate for their children and collaborate with other IEP team members. Findings have implications for research, practice, and policy.
Paraeducators who support students with disabilities spend a substantial portion of their day implementing behavioral supports and are increasingly relied on to address challenging behavior when it occurs. With such an important role when it comes to the behavioral success of their students, it is crucial for all educational professionals to be aware of paraeducators’ knowledge, training, and experiences as they relate directly to challenging behavior. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and paraeducators in relation to paraeducators’ experiences supporting the behavioral needs of students receiving special education services. We surveyed 206 educational professionals and conducted follow-up interviews with 19 participants. Upon survey and interview data analysis, we merged the data and identified areas of convergence and divergence to capture the findings across various sources of data. Findings yielded several themes relative to paraeducator experiences supporting students’ behavioral needs, including outside influences on challenging behavior, paraeducator involvement in behavioral support planning, how paraeducators address challenging behavior, team roles related to supporting students’ behavioral needs, and facilitators and barriers to addressing challenging behavior.
