Historically, educational systems have prioritized authoritative teaching and learning based on dominant norms, further excluding students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Thus, it is imperative for educators to make a philosophical and pedagogical shift toward a humanizing pedagogy, which centers students' lived experiences, strengths, and autonomy. Humanistic educators uphold four key values: (a) teaching as a relationship, (b) space as a reflection of inclusion, (c) instructional strategies that embolden students, and (d) assessment as a tool for growth. This article provides an in-depth look at these values, along with actionable strategies for educators committed to this work. By reimagining education as a collaborative and liberatory process, educators can foster environments where students with EBD thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Language is more than a means to communicate information. It is connected to our cognitive processes, social structures, and identities. Unfortunately, for many students with learning disabilities (LD), including multilingual learners with LD, developing and using language in meaningful ways is confined to the limited opportunities created in the classroom. Misinterpretation of the recent rescission of seminal guidance for the education of multilingual learners, may give educators pause in supporting and scaffolding the languages of multilingual learners, especially those students with LD. This article provides a framework for intentionally creating supportive, language-rich classrooms that affirm students' identities, promote language development, and enhance learning.
South Korean schools are increasingly encountering students with disabilities from immigrant backgrounds. Difficulties experienced by these students have often been attributed to individual language ability or family background. In South Korea, students with disabilities from immigrant backgrounds are generally categorized as “multicultural students,” yet multicultural education and special education continue to operate through separate pathways. Consequently, processes linking evaluation to instruction and support are fragmented, leaving schools to rely heavily on individual judgment in the absence of clear guidance. This article shifts the focus to structural conditions within the South Korean education system that fail to adequately address cultural and linguistic diversity. Rather than reporting the effects of a specific policy, the article examines what remains disconnected in school practice and offers evaluation-focused questions and directions relevant for practitioners and administrators.
Multidisciplinary teams are responsible for developing legally compliant individualized education programs for transition-age students with disabilities. A critical component of this process is the use of age-appropriate transition assessments to inform postsecondary goals and transition services. However, the assessment process can become challenging when team members differ in their perspectives on the types or extent of evaluations needed to support transition planning. For example, a dispute may arise when a parent seeks to limit the scope of special education evaluations. In C.M.E. on behalf of W.P.B. v. Shoreline School District (2023), a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit addressed whether parents may refuse components of an evaluation required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. The court concluded that parents may refuse special education services but cannot dictate the assessments within an evaluation. Implications and strategies to support collaborative transition planning with families are discussed.
One of the main challenges in co-teaching is implementing co-planning, and teams often struggle with fragmented planning and a lack of consistency. To address these issues, a co-planning tool developed in collaboration with general and special education teachers at the secondary level in Quebec, Canada, is presented in this article. This tool proposes a schematization of co-planning based on three dimensions: (1) instructional and assessment; (2) teaching strategies and learning support; and (3) organizational. Each dimension is first defined, followed by a set of practical guidelines. A vignette illustrates the co-planning process within each dimension. This tool can contribute to developing concrete solutions to improve the co-planning process.
Building positive relationships with students is one of the most powerful choices a teacher can make. Strong student-teacher relationships have been linked to improved social-emotional development, classroom behavior, and academic success. Yet, reactive and exclusionary discipline practices continue to undermine these relationships, diminishing trust and long-term behavioral growth. This article presents a responsive, relationship-based approach for classroom management that emphasizes connection over punishment. It highlights three research-based, easy-to-implement strategies: offering choice, precorrection/prompting, and behavior-specific praise. These strategies foster prosocial behaviors while maintaining a warm, supportive, and inclusive classroom environment for all learners.
Many elementary students, particularly those with or at risk for mathematics learning disabilities (MLDs), demonstrate persistent fraction misconceptions, which can impede conceptual understanding and fraction computation. This article describes four common fraction misconceptions and provides targeted instructional practices for addressing each misconception, emphasizing the use of multiple representations through the length, area, and set models of fractions. The article focuses on addressing these misconceptions at Tier 1 level given the widespread difficulties with fraction understanding and common Tier 1 constraints (e.g., curriculum pacing, limited reteaching opportunities, and overemphasis of symbolic computation). By intentionally integrating multiple representations within fraction instruction, using precise mathematical language, teachers can preemptively address students’ whole-number bias and support students in developing a more robust and flexible understanding of fractions. Although situated within Tier 1 instruction, the strategies can be adapted for use across Tiers 2 and 3 settings to support students with or at risk for MLD.
Students who are adjudicated receive their education in juvenile justice (JJ) facilities. Different personnel work in these facilities, each with specific responsibilities: educators to provide instruction, mental health professionals to provide support, and security personnel to address safety concerns. When they work together, they create a predictive, safe environment conducive to learning. Challenges such as school disruptions, frequent lockdowns, and low expectations create significant obstacles for students in the JJ education system. Due to these structural and institutional barriers, educational outcomes can be negatively affected. This article highlights strategies that teachers in JJ facilities can use to improve access to educational services and support for their students. Students experience success when educators expand access to educational opportunities through flexible learning options. The article concludes by emphasizing that educators and security personnel must collaborate to provide students in these settings with better learning opportunities.
Addressing the unique needs of students, including their related service needs, in postsecondary transition planning is essential. However, related service providers may face barriers to involvement in the transition planning process. The Triangulated Gap Analysis Tool: Related Services (TGAP:RS) is one way to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of transition planning for related service providers. Providers can follow a step-by-step process to identify annual goals that are meaningful and relevant to a student's postsecondary aspirations. The TGAP:RS tool emphasizes the related service provider's expertise in addressing the student's future environmental needs and provides a conduit for improving collaboration among all Individualized Education Program (IEP) team members in the transition planning process.
Understanding fractions is key to success in advanced math and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Yet many students-especially those with a math disability or difficulties-struggle with foundational understanding of fractions. This article offers a look at how different representations of fractions, such as area, set, and length models, can be used to strengthen students' understanding of fractions. Two primary considerations include (a) using representations to understand target concepts and (b) mapping between representations. We present various instructional supports that educators can use to implement these steps effectively.
Students with learning disabilities who use African American Vernacular English (AAVE) in addition to Mainstream American English bring rich cultural and linguistic strengths shaped by their experiences across home, school, and community contexts. However, special education processes may overlook these strengths, influencing how students are understood as communicators and learners. This article examines how language in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) can better reflect the communicative practices of bidialectal students with learning disabilities while addressing their disability-related needs. A framework for IEP development is introduced that integrates five anchors and a four-step reflective protocol to support alignment across present levels, goal statements, and progress monitoring. The anchors function as lenses for interpreting student communication, while the protocol guides teams in examining and revising IEP language. Practical examples illustrate how this approach supports more accurate, strength-based documentation and more meaningful opportunities for communication and literacy development.
Teacher educators need practical strategies to better prepare special education teacher candidates for classroom management challenges, as over 45% report feeling unprepared despite traditional training. This practitioner paper provides teacher educators with a systematic, yet flexible approach for embedding high-leverage practices (HLPs) into classroom management courses through rehearsal and role play. Ready-to-implement instructional sequences, lesson plan templates, and step-by-step guidance for facilitating experiential learning activities that allow teacher candidates to practice evidence-based strategies in supportive environments are discussed. Key components include modeling HLP 7 Consistent Learning Environments and HLP 16 Explicit Instruction while simultaneously teaching their implementation through structured rehearsal and role play activities.
Students with autism and developmental disabilities, including autism, have the right to access the age-appropriate sex education being provided to their peers, but may be unable to do so without adaptations and modifications. Psychologists, counselors, therapists, special educators, and social workers who work with those with autism and developmental disabilities are often called on to supplement sex education, but do not always have the background in both specialized instruction and sex education. This article provides examples of sex education using high-leverage practices for students with disabilities in both clinical and school-based settings. Resources are also provided for teaching sex education, and examples are offered of how sex education can be included in individualized education plans (IEPs).
Embedding family voice into early intervention services honors individual culture and identity. Early intervention (i.e., Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA]) services are designed to support families and empower them to advocate for their child's rights as they navigate a sometimes challenging system. As early intervention professionals work with families within coaching frameworks, language preferences (e.g., person-first, identity-first, and strengths-based) emerge as a foundation for trust and communication. This article will explore one family's journey as they navigate the transition between Part C and Part B services. Topics will include establishing partnerships with families, how language influences family and child identity, and prioritizing family culture throughout programming. Strategies for empowering families to advocate for language preference and prioritizing child identity are also included.
Many paraeducators in special education settings provide direct support to students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs), yet few receive systematic training in evidence-based behavior support strategies. Likewise, special educators who supervise paraeducators often lack practical, low-preparation tools for providing effective ongoing paraeducator training. To address this need, this article outlines a ready-to-implement approach that incorporates key components of behavioral skills training (BST): (I)nstruction, (W)atching the model, (I) n-the-moment rehearsal, and engaging in (N)ovel skill feedback. The I-WIN! mnemonic offers special educators a structured, sustainable method for building paraeducator competence and confidence in implementing behavior support strategies for students with EBD.
High-leverage practices (HLPs) are foundational in special education teacher preparation, yet programs lack systematic approaches for teaching and assessing them. This article presents a five-step design process for creating HLP rubrics that serve dual instructional and assessment purposes. The process was developed by analyzing lessons learned during the creation of the High-Leverage Practice Rubric of Assessment (HLPR-A) from 2019 to 2021. Using HLP 5 (interpreting and communicating assessment information) as an example, the methodology includes reviewing course objectives and identifying aligned HLPs, choosing authentic tasks, identifying task components, defining observable behaviors, and developing the final rubric. Teaching examples demonstrate how the HLPR-A functions as both an instructional tool and an assessment measure using Grossman's practice-based framework. This evidence-based methodology provides faculty with a systematic approach for creating effective HLP rubrics.
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly tasked with meeting the needs of students who hold intersecting identities. Although research has explored support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ+) students and autistic students separately, little attention has been given to faculty-level support for individuals who identify as both within HEIs. Because of their direct involvement in students' academic and personal development, faculty are uniquely positioned to support autistic LGBTQ+ students as they navigate barriers, challenges, and stressors throughout their educational experiences. This article uses a critical narrative review to identify existing research that discuss the barriers, challenges, and stressors faced by each group. Findings are interpreted through a social relational model of disability and frameworks of intersectionality and psychological safety. Practical, faculty-level strategies to promote inclusion and supportive classroom environments for autistic LGBTQ+ students in HEIs are discussed.
The Sand Creek Kindness Caf & eacute; is a school-based Tier 2 intervention within the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework, designed to support communication, social interaction, and functional life skills for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and complex communication needs. The caf & eacute; integrates evidence-based practices (EBPs), including explicit instruction, peer-mediated instruction, and positive reinforcement, within structured, socially meaningful routines. Students utilize augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, visual supports, and scaffolded instruction to engage in authentic interactions, fostering independence, social engagement, and generalization of skills across contexts. Implementation of the Kindness Caf & eacute; has demonstrated increased opportunities for functional communication, expanded vocabulary, and enhanced autonomy in real-world settings. This article details the caf & eacute;'s design, implementation, and data-driven instructional strategies, offering practical guidance for educators seeking to replicate or adapt the model in inclusive school environments.
Comprehensive augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions for autistic individuals frequently utilize evidence-based instructional strategies, including prompting. The system of least prompts is a systematic prompting strategy that can provide robust and versatile support to autistic individuals in learning to use AAC. This paper extends the current literature by presenting a system of least prompts in a step-by-step guide, specifically applied to AAC interventions for autistic individuals. It considers the unique learning profiles of autistic individuals, as well as the task demands and communication competencies inherent in communication instruction using AAC.
