Students who require support to write sentences fluently may also have difficulties developing advanced writing skills. Adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities typically struggle to develop skills related to writing and receive minimal instructional time related to writing fluency, particularly in the context of typing. The present study investigated a supplemental remote writing intervention delivered through typed responding that consisted of timed practice and instructor feedback on the performance of three adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities using a multiple-probe across-participants design. Results suggest increases in the total words written and correct writing sequences across participants occurred following the intervention. Participants made gains relative to norms for writing performance. However, the patterns of improvement across participants were not consistent with a functional relation, and the gains were not sustained during maintenance. Future work is needed to match appropriately intensive interventions with students.
Paraeducator support is an increasingly common school-based special education service. However, few studies have examined the prevalence of paraeducator services in large samples, and no studies have examined predictors of paraeducator support. The present study utilized special education administrative records (2010–2019) from a large urban school district to determine prevalence, timing, and predictors of paraeducator services for students receiving special education services under autism. Students with autism received the majority of paraeducator services in all academic years ( N = 4,385). Most autistic students first received paraeducator services before grade 3 (56.50%) and retained paraeducator services for 1 or 2 years (58%), though 42% received paraeducator services for 3 or more years. White students were more likely to receive paraeducator services compared to nearly all other race/ethnicity groups (African American, Hispanic, Filipino). Students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch were less likely than students ineligible to receive paraeducator services.
This systematic review and meta-analysis examined single-case experimental design (SCED) literature on malleable factors related to treatment intensity of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) instruction with individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) and/or autism, evaluating the effectiveness of communication production interventions as a function of treatment intensity with consideration of potential moderating factors. Databases were searched through September 2025. Inclusion criteria included AAC interventions; participants with ID and expressive communication disabilities; AAC measures; SCEDs; and English. Articles were screened at title-abstract and full-text stages for inclusion and design quality. We calculated response ratio and baseline-corrected Tau effect sizes, estimated average effects, and tested moderating variables using multivariate, multi-level models. Sixty-nine articles were included, inconsistently reporting participant or treatment intensity variables, though more consistently recently, to a degree that led to null findings. Most treatment intensity variables were not systematically associated with effect magnitude. Massed trials yielded significantly higher effects than spaced/distributed or mixed pacing, though the more frequent implementation of massed trials skews these results. AAC use did not degrade during maintenance, although effects were heterogeneous. Insufficient reporting of treatment intensity variables impeded identification of moderators. Limitations included exclusion of group studies and studies not meeting design standards. A PRISMA-compliant abstract is available at: https://osf.io/r4hgj/ .
This systematic review synthesized 58 intervention studies across 57 articles to examine how environmental structuring interventions for autistic individuals have been conducted. Most interventions were conducted in K–12 and separate settings, with visual schedules as the most commonly implemented strategy. Interventionist characteristics were often incompletely reported. Risks of performance and detection bias were high, largely due to inadequate masking of personnel. Single-case studies primarily assessed immediate functional outcomes (e.g., on-task behavior), whereas group-design studies examined broader developmental outcomes, often with limited psychometric rigor. Fewer than half of the studies evaluated social validity; autistic perspectives were frequently absent. This review suggests that environmental structuring is a developing area of autism intervention research that has largely examined visual, spatial, and sensory-related supports through observable behavioral and developmental outcomes. Future research should build on this literature by using rigorous methods that more fully represent autistic perspectives and examine outcomes related to accessibility and well-being across a variety of settings.
This Research-to-Practice implementation guide provides step-by-step instructions for certified PEERS ® (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) providers and vocational rehabilitation counselors seeking to deliver the PEERS ® via remote instruction within rural Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). Designed as a supplemental resource to the official UCLA PEERS ® manual, this guide translates core instructional procedures into actionable virtual workflows. Over 16 weeks, practitioners facilitate explicit instruction, video modeling, behavioral rehearsal, and structured self-monitoring adapted for web conferencing platforms to fulfill Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) workplace readiness mandates. Detailed protocols cover virtual room management, session pacing, role-play facilitation via breakout rooms, data-based transition IEP (Individualized Education Program) alignment, and privacy procedures, equipping practitioners to overcome rural personnel shortages and support post-secondary employment outcomes for autistic youth.
