There is a critical shortage of early intervention (EI) professionals who work with families of infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities. Research suggests that many EI professionals are dissatisfied with pay and opportunities for career advancement and face stress due to overwork or lack of training. To inform efforts to retain EI professionals, we surveyed 427 EI professionals consisting of EI specialists, service coordinators, therapists, administrators, and staff to examine the relationship between various facets of job satisfaction (e.g., compensation, work, supervisors, management, co-workers, culture, training/mentoring), work-related factors (e.g., job roles, years of experience, program turnover/shortages, intent to leave), and socio-demographics (e.g., age, Hispanic ethnicity, educational attainment). Our findings suggested that respondents' dissatisfaction with work was most closely associated with their intent to leave in the next year. In addition, respondents working in programs with high levels of turnover were more dissatisfied with management, while respondents working in programs with staff shortages were more dissatisfied with EI work. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Educational professionals (e.g., special educators, general educators, administrators, related service providers) play an important role in promoting engagement with parents during the development of individualized education programs (IEPs). For this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews to evaluate parents’ (n = 16) perceptions of interactions with professionals that improve IEP development. Through a qualitative analysis, we identified the following themes: (a) proactive and transparent communication during planning, (b) welcoming and understandable meetings, (c) compliant and data-driven documentation, (d) effective and individualized services, and (e) development of trust and shared power throughout process. Our findings offer practical suggestions for enhancing parent-professional partnerships and increasing collaboration to improve services for students with disabilities.

Student involvement is integral to transition planning for students with learning disabilities (LD). However, only a small body of research has examined the perspectives of high school students with LD related to this process. We conducted a systematic literature review and subsequent metasynthesis of 14 studies that met criteria and quality indicators for qualitative research in special education. Using a collaborative coding process, we identified five themes: (1) differences in support from professionals, family, and peers for transition, (2) perspectives on transition planning vision, meetings, and documents (3) evaluation of transition activities related to academics and graduation, career, and college, (4) self-determination examples, barriers, and facilitators, and (5) awareness of influence that gender, race, and/or culture have on transition. We discuss implications for practice and future research.

There is a national shortage of early intervention (EI) providers for young children with disabilities or developmental delays. This needs assessment study employed in-depth semi-structured interviews to explore the perspectives of EI program directors (n = 27) across a large state on provider retention efforts. Through a qualitative analysis, we identified 12 themes across four overarching categories-(a) compensation and financial incentives, (b) program management and organization, (c) positive climate and culture, and (d) training and mentoring. We discuss implications and suggestions for future research.

As the number of college students with disabilities continues to grow, self-advocacy programs have become an increasingly important tool to help students access disability-specific and general student services. Yet, few studies have explored processes surrounding the development of self-advocacy for students with disabilities, in particular the role of social support in fostering important knowledge and skills. In this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 28 students receiving disability services (DS) from a large Hispanic serving institution (HSI). Our analysis yielded findings related to four subcomponents of self-advocacy, (a) knowledge of self, (b) knowledge of rights, (c) communication, and (d) leadership. Students attributed formal and informal social support to their progression in each area, distinguishing between initial and advanced phases of self-advocacy development. Recommendations for future research and implications for secondary and postsecondary education are provided.

Students with learning disabilities (LD) benefit from individualized transition services that address their strengths and assets. This article provides three steps to facilitate strengths-based transition planning: (a) independent and guided reflection, (b) assessment, and (c) alignment of strengths to each component of the transition plan. Sample materials provide guidance on identifying a wide range of strengths, (i.e., attributes, relationships, contexts, skills) and writing positive disability impact statements, present levels, goals, and services.

Parent involvement in the development of an individualized education program (IEP) is a foundational tenet of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Unfortunately, mothers, the parent most likely to attend the IEP meeting, often report negative perceptions and even feelings of disillusion with the IEP process. Including mothers as equal members of the IEP team is crucial to student success, especially for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). To determine the extent of mothers' satisfaction, trust, and perception of the power of the IEP process, we surveyed 929 mothers of students with disabilities. Survey results indicate mothers are neither overly satisfied nor dissatisfied with the process, but almost always perceive an imbalance of power between IEP team members. A high percentage of mothers reported experiences with bullying, coercion, and shame. The findings suggest that more efforts are needed to empower mothers during the IEP process and improve parent-school partnerships.

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) benefit from person-centered transition planning. However, there are few practical guidelines for conducting individualized transition assessments that include interviews with this population. This article describes multiple strategies that special educators can implement to conduct interviews, develop rapport, and encourage students with EBD to take a leadership role in the transition process. Materials are provided for selecting appropriate interview topics, monitoring the use of strategies, and developing effective questions.

A strengths-based approach to transition assessment and planning can ensure that special education services are person-centered. To better understand the strengths and needs of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), we compared the perceptions of students and their teachers from three public high schools. A convergent mixed-methods analysis of transition assessments, interviews, and educational documents revealed significant differences between perspectives. On the Transition Planning Inventory–2, student ratings ( n = 8) were higher than teacher ratings ( n = 8) on 8 out of 11 domains. Interview transcripts and transition plan documents revealed differences in strengths and needs related to career-related skills, academic subjects and skills, and personal characteristics. Based on these findings, we provide suggestions for further research and implications for practice.

This article explores the roles of potential transition team members as expressed by students via a social support survey and semi-structured interviews. The sample included eight male students with EBD served primarily in self-contained special education settings at three high schools. Results from the survey indicated that students received most support from teachers and close friends even though support from parents was rated as most important. Additional themes emerged from interviews, including the overarching theme that students tended to prefer support from individuals who were caring, motivational, and personal. In many cases, students had negative perceptions or limited interaction with potential transition team members. Implications for practice and future research related to student-centered planning and stakeholder coordination are discussed.

Students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) continue to have poor transition outcomes despite the continued advancement of evidence-based transition planning practices. Strategies tailored to the specific needs of students with EBD must be researched and disseminated to practitioners. A social capital approach to transition planning for students with EBD is one way to target this population. Social capital, or the power of relationships and networks to provide resources and support, has been linked to improved academic, employment, and independent living outcomes. This article (a) defines social capital as it relates to relationships, networks, and social skills, (b) presents steps for a social capital approach to transition, and (c) discusses a graphic organizer to assist students and transition teams to track social capital over time.