The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of a treatment package consisting of computer-assisted instruction using multiple video exemplars to teach safety skills to students with intellectual disability. A multiple probe across participants design was used to evaluate knowledge acquisition and the generalization of knowledge to the authentic setting (e.g, the school parking lot). The results showed training was effective in knowledge acquisition and improving skills demonstrated while crossing the parking lot.

How can today's educators teach academic content to students with moderate and severe developmental disabilities—while helping all students meet Common Core State Standards? This text has answers for K–12 teachers, straight from 37 experts in special and general education. A followup to the landmark bestseller Teaching Language Arts, Math, and Science to Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities, this important text prepares teachers to ensure more inclusion, more advanced academic content, and more meaningful learning for their students. Teachers will have the cutting-edge research and recommended practices they need to identify and deliver grade-aligned instructional content—leading to more opportunities and better quality of life for students with severe disabilities. PREPARE TEACHERS TO skillfully adapt lessons in language arts, math, and science for students with disabilities align instruction with Common Core State Standards select target skills and goals differentiate instruction using appropriate supports and assistive technologies balance academic goals and functional skills make the most of effective instructional procedures such as peer tutoring, cooperative learning, and co-teaching maintain high expectations for student achievement promote generalization by embedding instruction into ongoing classroom activities assess students' progress and make adjustments to instruction

Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits peer tutoring provides to the tutee. However, studies measuring the benefits peer tutoring provides to the tutor are limited in quantity, detail, participant numbers and breadth. This study measured the benefits 151 peer tutors reported after peer tutoring for a semester in a special education class for students with severe disabilities. Peer tutors reported benefits in an essay response to the prompt: "What do you feel you have gained as a result of being a peer tutor?" The study identified the most common benefits obtained by peer tutors as measured by peer tutor generated responses of general peer-tutoring benefits. Findings suggest an extension of peer-tutoring benefits beyond the tutee exclusively and to the peer tutor.

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of graduated guidance procedure on teaching imitation of manual signs to students with moderate to severe disabilities. Sessions began with student initiation and were embedded across already established reinforcement routines across the student’s day. A multiple baseline across participants design was used to evaluate these effects.

The purpose of the study was to provide training and follow-up sessions for Sunday school teachers to increase the use of inclusive teacher behaviors (opportunities to respond, behavior specific praise, and opportunities to participate) for educating a child with moderate to severe disability. A multiple baseline across behaviors design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of training and follow-up sessions for a Sunday school teacher that had a child with moderate to severe disability in her class. The results showed training and follow-up were effective in teaching inclusive teacher behaviors within a church setting.

This text for early childhood special education pre-service and in-service teachers provides a unique and much needed focus on how to collaborate effectively with the wide variety of professionals who work with young children who have developmental delays.

A single subject alternating treatment design was used to compare the relative effectiveness of one-to-one embedded instruction in the general education classroom and one-to-one massed practice instruction in a special education class. Four middle school students with developmental disabilities, their special education teacher, and paraprofessional participated in the study. The results indicate that embedded instruction is an effective instructional strategy for students with developmental disabilities being served in inclusive settings. However, the results indicate that there was some difference in the efficiency of the two instructional formats. Two students reached criterion more rapidly in the one-to-one massed instructional intervention while the one-to-one embedded instruction was more efficient for one student. There was no difference between the interventions for the fourth student. Finally, the study validated previous research that found that both special education teachers and paraprofessionals can, with minimal training, accurately implement embedded instructional interventions in the general education classroom. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed.

To teach operant behaviors to individuals with severe disabilities, stimulus preference assessment (SPA) methods have been developed to accurately identify stimuli that may function as reinforcers. Previous researchers have used multiple-stimulus preference assessments without replacement (MSWO) effectively over a short time period to teach target behaviors to individuals with disabilities. The present study investigated the long-term effects of incorporating brief MSWO preference assessments into the instructional routine for students with severe disabilities on individualized education plan reading goal/objective progress. This was done by investigating the effectiveness of incorporating brief MSWO preference assessments by comparing reading goal progress when a random reinforcer is available, teacher- selected reinforcer is available, or a student-selected reinforcer (via a brief MSWO preference assessment) is available over several weeks for students with severe disabilities in a secondary public school classroom setting.

The question of the quality of life, such as the ability to complete the routine skills independently has been widely debated in the special education field. However, perspectives have not adequately addressed the various outcomes of electronic visual activity schedule via iPad (First Then App) on assisting the individual with severe disabilities completing routine skills independently. This study aims to investigate the effects of using electronic visual activity schedules with special attention to learning routine skills and communication skills for students with severe disabilities. The following questions will be examined during the research period: What is the effect of visual activity schedules via an iPad First Then App, on the percentage of steps completed for routine tasks for students with severe disabilities? 2. What is the level of perceived student engagement when using the app vs. typical instruction? 3. What is the effect of the First Then App on the communication skills when completing daily life skills and school routines? 4. What value do the teacher and students place on the use of an electronic VAS to teach daily life and school routines? The study will take place in a suburban elementary classroom for a student with significant disabilities, and who match the inclusion criteria.The data will be collected via single-subject multiple baselines across skills (ABAB design). Participating student will be asked to complete routine skills without (baseline data) and with (intervention data) the technology-based intervention. The least to most intrusive prompts will be consistent with the First Then the application, and the positive reinforcement will be included to prevent behavioral challenges. A member of the research team will collect the interobserver agreement and procedural fidelity. As a result, the researchers will expect to see the independent variable, the app with systematic instruction, to have an impact on the dependent variable, overall skill acquisition of the targeted life skill and increases in overall communication. Also, We expect to have a functional relation between the independent variable and dependent variable. This paper sheds new light on the rarely acknowledged issue of using electronic visual activity schedules for students with severe disabilities to learn routine skills and communication skills.

Aligning Individual Education Program (IEP) goals of students with severe disabilities with the general education curriculum is required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA). This study sought to determine the perspectives of special educators regarding this requirement. Special educators from three school districts participated in focus groups to offer their perspectives in aligning IEP goals with the general education curriculum. The researchers also sought the special educators' perspectives with regards to providing access to the general education curriculum. The study found that special educators are striving to align IEP goals through the use of general education classes, the extended core, and portfolios. The main approaches to providing access to the core curriculum were general education classes, peer tutors, and adapted curriculum.