Permanent URI for this collection
The Department of Special Education provides professional opportunities for students committed to the improvement of quality of life for children, youth, and adults with disabilities. The department is one of the most comprehensive in the country. Student programs draw on resources available within the department and through collaboration with other university and community units. Students in the department study with leaders in special education and participate with faculty as colleagues in research, demonstration projects, and service activities on a state, regional, and national level.
The department faculty average between 40-45 federally funded projects per year. Students have competed successfully for federal support of student research. Faculty are active scholars involved in state and national organizations and committed to public service on the local, state, national, and international levels.
The KU Department of Special Education has been ranked the number one special education graduate program in the country for more than 20 years. Moreover, the department has been identified as the top special education doctoral program nationally in every empirical study reported in the special education literature, including the first such study to be conducted (Smith, 1978) and subsequent ones published in the 1980s and 1990s. In the studies published in the 1980s, our number one ranking was based on having the most distinguished faculty (Sindelar & Schloss, 1986) and producing the best prepared doctoral students in the nation, including the country's most prolific special education researchers (Schloss & Sindelar, 1986; Sindelar & Schloss, 1986, 1987). In the most recent empirical study, our number one ranking was based on having the nation's most highly regarded faculty in terms of both scholarly reputation and actual research productivity (Cardinal & Drew, 1993).
The interdisciplinary nature of the program is maintained by collaboration with several inter- and intra-university units. This enables faculty and students to conduct research and to train in many areas related to special education. Opportunities for training, research, and student employment are provided through federally funded projects such as the Center for Research on Learning, Beach Center on Disability, and Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies.
Browse
Recent Submissions
Publication “On an island by myself”: implications for the inclusion of autistic students in self-contained classrooms in public elementary schools(Frontiers Media, 2023-09-26) Ahlers, Kaitlyn; Hugh, Maria L.; Tagavi, Daina; Eayrs, Curtis; Hernandez, Alyssa M.; Ho, Theodore; Locke, JillIntroduction Autistic students have limited access to inclusive classes and activities in their schools. Principals and special education teachers who directly teach and administer programs for autistic elementary students can offer critical insight into factors, such as educators’ attitudes, that may impact inclusive opportunities in schools. These attitudes may serve as barriers to or facilitators of promoting an inclusive school setting. Methods Semi-structured interviews with 26 elementary school principals and 26 special education teachers explored their experiences implementing evidence-based practices for autistic students (pivotal response training, discrete trial training, and visual schedules) in 26 self-contained classrooms in the United States. Autism-specific culture and inclusion emerged as a theme, which was analyzed for this paper. Results An inductive approach to thematic analysis revealed principals’ and special education teachers’ perspectives regarding the “autism-specific culture” in the school, including attitudes towards and inclusion of autistic students in self-contained classrooms in the broader school environment. Analysis of text related to “autism-specific culture” detailed aspects of inclusion, factors (i.e., barriers and facilitators) affecting inclusion, principals’ and special education teachers’ attitudes towards autistic students placed in self-contained classrooms, attitudes of other school staff towards teachers in self-contained classrooms, and recommendations to support an inclusive school environment for autistic students. Discussion Results suggest that valuing “equal” access to classes and activities for autistic students in self-contained classrooms may not be sufficient for promoting an inclusive school environment, Educators may benefit from targeted strategies to facilitate inclusion. Strategies range from supporting educators’ attitudes and knowledge of autism to shifting physical aspects of the school environment (e.g., location of classrooms). Additional implications for supporting the true inclusion (i.e., inclusion that goes beyond physical inclusion) involves of autistic students in self-contained classrooms schools are discussed.Publication Supporting the inclusion and retention of autistic students: Exploring teachers' and paraeducators' use of evidence-based practices in public elementary schools(Frontiers Media, 2022-12-06) Locke, Jill; Hernandez, Alyssa M.; Joshi, Mahima; Hugh, Maria L.; Bravo, Alice; Osuna, Anthony; Pullmann, Michael DavidIntroduction: Educators in public schools are required to serve students in their least restrictive environment. While many evidence-based practices (EBPs), defined as practices and strategies shown by research to have meaningful effectson outcomes for autistic students are documented in the literature, less is known about EBP use among educators in public schools. Methods: Eighty-six general and special education teachers and para educators completed a survey about familiarity, training, and EBP use for included autistic children. Results: Across roles, educators reported familiarity (98.8%), use (97.7%), and training (83.7%) in reinforcement. They reported the least familiarity with behavioral momentum (29.1%), training in both video modeling and peer-mediated instruction and intervention (18.6%), and use of video modeling (14.0%). Follow-up interviews (n = 80) highlighted mixed understanding of EBP definitions and use. Discussion: Implications for inclusive education are discussed including autism-specific EBP training within pre-service teacher preparation programs.Publication The Future of Positive Psychology and Disability(Frontiers Media, 2021-12-09) Wehmeyer, Michael L.For much of the history of the application of psychology to disability, the research and clinical focus of the field was deficits-oriented: documenting what people with disability could not do, proposing theories of why they could not do these things, creating measures to assess this incapacity and incompetence, and building interventions and treatments predicated on disease and pathology. It has been only in the last few decades that conceptualizations of disability allowed for consideration of strengths and positive attributes along with the presence of disability and only in the past two decades that a positive psychology of disability has emerged. This article will briefly summarize the factors that led to the emergence of a focus on the positive psychology of disability and a strength-based approach in the field, examine the state of knowledge and practice as it pertains to the positive psychology of disability, and will examine challenges that serve as barriers to progress in this area and opportunities for advancement. Among these is examining how “optimal human functioning” can be understood in ways that includes, and not excludes, people with disability. The importance of shifting the disability research and practice focus to emphasize flourishing, well-being, and self-determination of and for people with disability will be discussed, as well as the necessity for the field of positive psychology to more aggressively reach out to include people with disability among those populations whom the field values and includes.Publication Progress Monitoring in Inclusive Preschools: Using Children's School Success+ Curriculum Framework(American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 2018-06-01) Palmer, Susan B.; Fleming, Kandace K.; Horn, Eva M.; Butera, Gretchen D.; Lieber, Joan A.Progress monitoring in inclusive preschool classrooms should describe all children's progress towards general curriculum outcomes and individual children's unique outcomes or IEP goals. This research study used the Children's School Success+ Curriculum Framework (CSS+ Curriculum Framework) and progress monitoring process to assess the outcomes of 73 children on these dimensions. Children's progress monitoring data were analyzed within groupings based on instructional need level (i.e., low, medium, or high) in academic content and social domains. Progress monitoring findings for both the academic and social support level of need groups showed significant progress pre- to posttest on most academic outcomes, but some variation with less consistent gains within the social emotional domain. Goal attainment scaling data demonstrated children's gains toward achieving their social goals (individualized education program [IEP] or specific learning goals) were at the expected level between 50% and 71% of the time. Academic-focused goal attainment was at or above the expected level of between 54% and 76% of the time, based on the learning grouping. Teacher implementation of CSS+ Curriculum Framework appeared to impact change in classroom and instructional practices pre-post intervention.Publication Implementation and Sustainability of Early Childhood Positive Behavior Support in Kansas: A Statewide Survey(University of Kansas, 2019-12-31) Ai, JunThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the current status of implementation and sustainability of positive behavior support (PBS) practices within community child care and Head Start/Early Head Start programs in the state of Kansas. A survey study was conducted and collected data from 103 participating programs. The results suggest that PBS professional development (PD) and current PBS application both have not achieved scale-up. Two assessment tools are embedded in the survey. Stages of Implementation Analysis - Early Childhood Positive Behavior Support (SIA-ECPBS; 16 items, α= .920) is developed using an implementation science framework and aims to evaluate the level of PBS implementation. The mean of SIA- ECPBS scores of 30 responding programs (M = 15.43, SD = 8.29, Median = 15.5) indicates a low level of PBS implementation. Early Childhood Universal Behavior Sustainability Index (ECUBS; 30 items, α= .940) is developed to evaluate level of PBS sustainability. The mean of ECUBS scores of 17 responding programs (M = 44.46, SD = 12.23, Median = 31) indicates a high level of sustainability. One-way ANOVA was used to examine the associations between program variables and level of PBS implementation and sustainability. The results indicate that whether programs have received training on all PBS components, or some PBS components significantly impacts the level of PBS implementation. This survey study is the first attempt to investigate PBS implementation and sustainability via the lens of implementation science at the state level for Kansas child care and Head Start/Early Head Start programs. Implications for practitioners, policy makers, and researchers are discussed.Publication EMPLOYER CONFIDENCE IN SELF-CAPACITY TO SUPPORT EMPLOYEES WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS: PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY AGENCIES(University of Kansas, 2019-12-31) Burdette, Gary WestonCommunity employment prospects for people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have improved as a result of decades of federal legislation as well as a growing body of research and employment service delivery options. However, employment outcomes among this population continue to lag behind general employment figures. While employer partnerships with school- and community-based work-based learning (WBL) and pre-/employment service providers have shown promise, research from the perspective of employers in hiring, retaining, and supporting workers with ASD has been limited. This pilot study explored the extent to which partnerships with school- and community-based WBL, pre-employment, and employment service providers impacted employers’ confidence in their own capacity to support employees with ASD. An online survey questionnaire was distributed to employers in a mid-sized, midwestern university city. Results of the survey indicated that (a) partnerships are occurring at a low rate, and (b) partnerships and employer confidence in self-capacity are not closely associated. Limitations that necessitate caution when interpreting the results are discussed. Directions for future research that build upon these findings are presented, including refining the survey instrument and distribution methods, targeted interviews, focus groups, and comparative studies.Publication Effects of Video Modeling on Customer Service Skills of Young Adults with Autism in Community Employment Settings(University of Kansas, 2019-08-31) Bross, Leslie AnnYoung adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience barriers to competitive integrated employment. The complex problem of unemployment and lack of positive postsecondary employment experiences of individuals with ASD is described. The use of video modeling (VM) is presented as one means to enhance employment experiences for this population. Video modeling literature specific to improving employment skills of young adults with ASD is reviewed. A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the methodological rigor of included studies using the Council for Exceptional Children’s (2014) Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education. Effects of VM interventions were evaluated using Tau-U. Results of the meta-analysis revealed strong effects for VM, but most studies occurred in contrived or school-based employment settings rather than competitive settings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of VM to enhance customer service skills of young adults with ASD employed in community employment settings. Five young adults with ASD, ages 18-26, who were competitively employed or participating in work-based learning experiences participated. A multiple baseline across behaviors single case design methodology was used. Verbalization of greeting, service, and closing phrases contextualized to the different employment settings served as the target behaviors. A measure, the Observer Impression Scale, was developed to evaluate qualities of voice, timing, body language, and appropriate statements when spoken phrases were used. Co-workers, job coaches, and supervisors applied the VM intervention during the generalization condition. Maintenance probes were conducted at two- and four-weeks following intervention cessation. Social validity of the VM intervention was assessed via questionnaires. Results indicated a functional relation between VM and verbalization of job-specific customer service phrases for all participants. Quality of delivery of the phrases also improved as measured by the Observer Impression Scale. Satisfaction with the VM intervention was overall high for young adults and their co-workers, job coaches, and supervisors. Maintenance varied across and within participants. Employment specialists, supervisors, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and other relevant stakeholders can consider VM a viable intervention to support social communication skills of individuals with ASD in community employment settings.Publication Decision-Making by Families and Home Visitors During Early Head Start Home Visits(University of Kansas, 2019-08-31) Hancock, Christine LaurenEarly Head Start policies describe parents as partners in decision-making and require families and home visitors to co-develop child and family goals. Home visitors face a range of challenges when facilitating decisions about goals and other issues, which requires interactional skills to apply institutional resources and policies to individual circumstances. Further, decision-making is embedded in ideological contexts, and societal norms regarding education and families contribute to decisions. Yet, research examining nuances of decision-making is limited, and no identified studies engaged home visitors in reflection on decision-making. Thus, the purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to better understand how interactional, institutional, and ideological factors contribute to decision-making by home visitors and parents during Early Head Start home visits, and (2) to foster home visitor reflection on decision-making. Framed by sociocultural and discourse theory, this study implemented a component mixed methods design to investigate how four home visitors and 12 families made decisions about child and family needs, and how home visitors reflected on decision-making discourse. Data sources included audio-video recordings of home visits, home visit paperwork, and interviews with home visitors and parents. Decision-making discourse was investigated through qualitative (i.e., discourse analysis) and quantitative analysis (i.e., utterance count descriptive statistics) of home visit transcripts, and qualitative analysis of home visit paperwork and interview transcripts. Home visitors and the researcher co-analyzed audio-video recordings of home visit discourse; home visitor reflection was investigated through qualitative analysis of interview transcripts. Identified decision-making sequences (n = 215) addressed future actions regarding children, families, and Early Head Start events, and variations in decision-making structures were found across these decision types. In addition, variations were identified when decisions were institutional (i.e., linked to program requirements and paperwork) or emergent (i.e., linked to current or past observations). Despite such variations, the typical decision-making trajectory was as follows: (1) home visitor initiates assessment, (2) home visitor and parent assess progress or needs, (3) home visitor or parent introduces decision point, (4) parent accepts, resists, or reports decision, and (5) home visitor concludes decision-making sequence. Regardless of decision content or whether parents or home visitors initiated decision-making, the predominant pattern was for parents and home visitors to discuss a single strategy, rather than address multiple options. Thus, parent participation in decision-making was primarily characterized by accepting, resisting, or reporting decisions. In addition, decision-making tended to involve identification of a strategy rather than individualization of a strategy to specific child or family needs. As such, parents and home visitors did not typically exchange their unique knowledge to reach mutual decisions. In collaboration with the researcher, home visitors explored features of decision-making discourse, including features of words spoken, actions taken through language, and identities constructed through language (Gee, 2014). Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed. By investigating nuances of what was said by whom, how it was said, and in what context, this study contributes new information regarding details of parent-home visitor decision-making.Publication Girls of Color with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Reinventing Education Through an Intersectional Photographic Lens(University of Kansas, 2019-08-31) Miller, AmandaGirls of color with intellectual and developmental disabilities (i.e., autism, cerebral palsy, deaf/blindness, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities) in middle school and high school in the United States are underrepresented in educational research (Erevelles & Minear, 2010; Sinclair et al., 2018). While research reveals some of the ways the educational trajectories of youth of color with intellectual and developmental disabilities are negatively impacted academically and socially, intersectional data often does not exist for disabled girls of color. This empirical project sought to expand current understandings of schooling mechanisms for disabled youth of color broadly by considering the unique intersectional (P. H. Collins, 1998; Crenshaw, 1989; Lorde, 1984) schooling trajectories of girls of color with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Grounded in Disability Critical Race Theory (Annamma et al., 2013) and sociocultural theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Rogoff, 2003; Vygotsky, 1978), I examined how schooling mechanisms were generated through materializations (e.g., processes that result in school geographies, classroom layouts, learning tools) and discursive practices (e.g., talk, texts, actions) for disabled girls of color from the girls’ perspectives. I employed a critical and participatory (Tuck & McKenzie, 2015) multiple case study design while engaging in iterative data collection and analysis (Bhattacharya, 2017). Six girls of color intellectual and developmental disabilities were focal participants and five teachers were secondary participants. Data sources included: student-generated photographs and maps, student interviews and focus groups, teacher interviews, and observations and recordings of learning and teaching in special education and general education classrooms. Findings from across-case narrative and critical discourse analysis demonstrated how exclusionary and inclusionary schooling mechanisms were generated through materializations and discursive practices. Girls of color with intellectual and developmental disabilities exposed how their access to the broader school geography was surveilled and restrictive and their perspectives were often not considered in classroom layout design. Moreover, learning tools were often withheld and girls had few opportunities to choose the writing tools they liked best or engage meaningful with electronic devices. Critical discourse analysis revealed that despite the prevalence of teacher-led discourse, girls of color with intellectual and developmental disabilities initiated turn sequences with their teachers through talk and actions. While many initiations were taken up, 40% were missed and overall, teachers overlooked opportunities to cultivate deeper knowledge. Disabled girls of color also repositioned (Davies & Harré, 1990) in response to marginalization through self-governed alternatives, choices different from teacher suggestions despite having few choice making opportunities at school. Finally, materializations, discursive practices, and social and spatial practices intermingled to constrain focal participants’ access to texts and accessible communication technologies. This study adds to the current literature with an intentional focus on the strengths, gifts, and solutions (Annamma & Morrison, 2018a; hooks, 2000, 2015) of disabled girls of color and their families. Ultimately, the focal participants illuminated the necessity to center girls of color with intellectual and developmental disabilities as valuable partners in pedagogy and scholarship.Publication Effects of a Verbal Behavior Card Sort Implemented by Early Childhood Educators on the Verbal Behavior Skills of Children with Developmental Disabilities(University of Kansas, 2019-08-31) Patry, Mary ElizabethPrevious research has demonstrated the effectiveness of Verbal Behavior Intervention on the language development of children with developmental disabilities (DeSouza, Akers, & Fisher, 2017; Petursdottir & Devine, 2017). Despite its effectiveness, research thus far has focused mostly on teaching the mand and tact, and less on the intraverbal, which is the operant that makes up the majority of everyday verbal interactions and most complex verbal behavior. Research has also demonstrated that more complex intraverbals do not emerge spontaneously until prerequisite skills across the echoic, mand, tact, and listener response have developed, all of which are emitted hundreds of times a day by the time a child is between the ages of two and three years (Sundberg & Sundberg, 2011). Once a child reaches three they more consistently emit intraverbals during communicative interactions, however intraverbals can become rote and restricted in nature during Verbal Behavior Intervention if sufficient prerequisites across other operants are not taught (Sundberg & Michael, 2001). Currently, research on Verbal Behavior Intervention has focused mostly on the ways to teach single operants (e.g., the most effective and efficient ways to teach the tact), however additional research is needed on interventions that can both move children with developmental delays more quickly towards strong echoic, mand, tact, and listener response repertoires and teach intraverbals when appropriate. This dissertation examined whether an intervention called the verbal behavior card sort (Carbone, 2017; Miklos & Dipuglia, 2010) can support growth in verbal behavior skills across operants towards the development of intraverbal prerequisites. Three early childhood special educators in reverse mainstream classrooms (i.e. 50:50 ratio of typically developing peers to children receiving special education services) implemented the verbal behavior card sort for approximately five months with one child in their classroom with a developmental disability. Results indicated that each child developed skills across multiple operants and was able to generalize these skills both to other classroom activities and contexts and to their home. Additionally, results of a questionnaire as completed by each educator indicated strong social validity for the use of the card sort in public ECSE classrooms. Implications for its use in public school classrooms in which intensive interventions based in applied behavior analysis are often not feasible are discussed.Publication Foundations for Self-Determination in Early Childhood: Preliminary Preschool Study(Springer, 2019-03-08) Palmer, Susan B.; Fleming, Kandace K.; Summers, Jean Ann; Erwin, Elizabeth J.; Maude, Susan P.; Brotherson, Mary Jane; Stroup-Rentier, Vera; Haines, Shana J.; Zheng, Yuzhu Z.; Peck, Nancy F.; Wu, Hsiang-YiFoundations for self-determination begin in early childhood for children with disabilities with the onset of self-regulation and engagement in activities at home, school, and in the community. This article describes the development and preliminary results of an intervention model that encourages collaborative practices for parents and teachers around short-term goal setting to adjust environments for young children with special needs or at risk for delay. The Foundations Intervention was used with 48 children in authentic early childhood settings and involved parents, teachers, and a facilitator to enhance children’s self-regulation and engagement at home and school. Results showed feasibility of the intervention; positive child outcomes in goal attainment, self-regulation, and engagement measures were also evident. When parents and teachers communicated about a child’s strengths and needs within routines at home and school, this appeared to strengthen parent and teacher connections and helped children become more engaged or regulated in daily activities.Publication Going beyond Environment to Context: Leveraging the Power of Context to Produce Change(MDPI, 2020-03-13) Schalock, Robert L.; Luckasson, Ruth; Shogren, Karrie A.This article discusses the processes and implications of going beyond environment to context. The article (a) provides an operational definition of context; (b) describes a multidimensional model of context that views context as being multilevel, multifactorial, and interactive; (c) describes how conceptual models of quality of life, human rights, and human functioning can be used in conjunction with the multidimensional model of context to identify opportunities and develop context-based change strategies that improve quality of life, human rights, and human functioning outcomes; and (d) describes a four-step approach to leveraging an understanding of context to produce change. The article concludes with a discussion of the advantages of and barriers to moving beyond environment to context.Publication An Exploratory Study Using Participation Plans for Inclusive Social Studies Instruction(2020) Kurth, Jennifer A.; Miller, Amanda L; Toews, Samantha Gross; Gross, Megan; Collier, Amber; Ventura, ToriLimited research exists on teaching social studies content, including intervention research, in inclusive settings for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The purpose of this exploratory project was to evaluate the use of participation plans for supporting students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in inclusive high school social studies classrooms. The study addressed two questions: (1) To what extent can students with IDD learn prioritized social studies content and skills in inclusive secondary settings? and (2) How do participation plans support students in learning prioritized social studies content and skills in inclusive general education settings? A university research team supported a public high school staff to employ a single-case, multiple baseline design across prioritized skills (knowledge of content, vocabulary, and summarization) and participants. Results showed students’ correct responses increased across prioritized skills after the team began using the participation plans. This discreet intervention exhibits promise for school staff (i.e., teachers, paraprofessionals) needing mediating tools for effective inclusive education. We discuss implications for future research and practice.Publication Parent Perspectives on Special Education Services: How Do Schools Implement Team Decisions?(Academic Development Institute, 2019) Kurth, Jennifer A.; Zagona, Alison L.; Miller, Amanda L; Love, HaileyThe purpose of this qualitative study was to examine parents’ perspectives and experiences of special education, including the degree to which decisions about their child’s education were implemented as they had agreed upon with the school personnel. Additionally, a secondary purpose of this study was to understand how parents explain why school personnel do or do not implement elements of their child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). In this study, parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities described their experiences attempting to reach agreement with school personnel on decisions involving their child’s educational placement and special education services. Parents expressed a desire to be involved in decisions, and they described a desire to obtain inclusive educational placements for their children. Parents described varied experiences with the implementation of special education services. They also described both successes and concerns related to the special education services their child was receiving at school. Implications for special education policy, practice, and research are discussed from the perspective of supporting family involvement in the special education process.Publication Parent perspectives of their involvement in IEP development for children with autism(SAGE Publications, 2017) Kurth, Jennifer A.; Love, Hailey; Pirtle, JodyThe present study investigated parents’ experiences making educational decisions for their children with autism and their satisfaction with the outcomes of those decisions. Parents completed a survey describing their: (1) input in educational decisions, (2) satisfaction with school personnel, and (3) satisfaction with their child’s school experience. Sequential regressions revealed parents’ satisfaction was generally predicted by their own knowledge of autism, school staff knowledge of autism, parent satisfaction with teachers, and parent relationships with school personnel. Additionally, parent input was a significant predictor of satisfaction with their child’s school experience. Finally, open-ended responses indicated that parents experienced many barriers when working with schools, and often felt compelled to go outside of the school system to ensure their children received an appropriate education. Implications for teacher preparation and school-parent partnerships are described.Publication A Description of Parent Input in IEP Development Through Analysis of IEP Documents(American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 2019) Kurth, Jennifer A.; McQueston, Jessica A; McCabe, Katie M; Ruppar, Andrea L; Toews, Samantha Gross; Johnston, RussellParent input in Individualized Education Program (IEP) development is the clear expectation in U.S. education law. Every IEP team must include parents, and their input must be equally considered when developing IEPs. The present study used content analysis of 88 IEPs of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to explore team membership, concerns parents raised during IEP meetings, and evidence that parent concerns and priorities are reflected in IEP goals and supplementary aids and services. Findings reveal that while parents express a range of concerns and priorities, these are translated into goals or services only two-thirds of the time. We provide implications of these findings for research and practice.Publication Parents’ experiences in education decision-making for children and youth with disabilities(American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 2017) Kurth, Jennifer A.; Love, Hailey R; Zagona, Alison L.; Miller, Amanda LFamilies should be an active part of educational decision-making for their children and can be particularly influential in advocating for inclusion for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Yet, significant research has shown that parents do not feel schools effectively collaborate with them. We interviewed 19 parents of children with disabilities to investigate the ways they were included and excluded from educational decision-making, and how they decided on their children’s placement and services. Five themes emerged: parents’ exclusion from decision-making, parents’ independent efforts to shape their children’s educational services, parents’ decisions as a result of school and district factors, parents’ role changes to direct their children’s education, and discrepancies between beliefs and experiences of inclusion. Parents’ responses indicate that specific school structures and institutionalized procedures may regularly exclude parents from decision-making. Results have implications for parent-professional partnership during decision-making for students with disabilities and personnel preparation.Publication Considerations in Placement Decisions for Students with Extensive Support Needs: An Analysis of LRE Statements(Sheridan Press, 2019) Johnston, Russell; McQueston, Jessica A; McCabe, Katie M; Toews, Samantha Gross; Ruppar, Andrea L; Kurth, Jennifer A.Special education consists of specially designed services available for students with disabilities, and should be available across placements. Students with the most significant disabilities continue to be taught in restrictive settings, despite accumulating evidence suggesting their special education services can be delivered effectively in general education settings. Every individualized education program (IEP) must contain a statement describing how the student will be provided a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. The present study used content analysis to examine least restrictive environment statements of 88 students’ individualized education programs (IEPs) to determine what factors, including supplementary aids and services, were considered in making placement decisions. We further analyzed the classes and activities in which students participated in general education settings. Findings reveal supplementary aids and services were not considered in placement decisions, although a number of factors centering on curricular considerations, environmental demands, student deficit, and personnel requirements were noted in making placement decisions. We further found students primarily participated in non-academic instruction while in general education settings. Implications for policy, practice, and research are included.Publication Types of Supplementary Aids and Services for Students with Significant Support Needs(SAGE Publications, 2019) Kurth, Jennifer A.; Ruppar, Andrea L; McQueston, Jessica A; McCabe, Katie M; Johnston, Russell; Toews, Samantha GrossSupplementary aids and services have been a provision in special education law since PL 94- 142, however, almost no guidance has been provided to help teams make decisions about their appropriate selection and use. In this exploratory study, we explore the types of supplementary aids and services selected for students with significant support needs using a conventional content analysis of Individual Education Program (IEPs) from 88 students in grades K-12. Results illustrate the wide variation in types of supplementary aids and services chosen for students overall. Curricular accommodations and personnel supports were the most commonly identified supports, while supports to assist students to communicate and make meaning of curriculum (e.g., curricular modifications) were less common, as were less intrusive supports such as peer assisted learning. Implications for policy, practice, and research are provided.Publication Status of Inclusive Educational Placement for Students with Extensive and Pervasive Support Needs(American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 2017) Kurth, Jennifer A.; Morningstar, Mary EReauthorization of IDEA in 2004 established procedural mandates and accountability requirements ensuring all students with disabilities participate and progress in general education curriculum. Broadly speaking, improvements toward greater access have been found for many students with disabilities, however the extent to which this holds true for students with extensive and pervasive support needs is not evident. Past research associated with LRE for students with extensive and pervasive support needs was considered when replicating previous research using the cumulative placement rate to analyze LRE data for students with extensive and pervasive support needs (autism, intellectual disability, deaf blindness, and multiple disabilities). Results indicate that student with extensive and pervasive support needs have substantially less positive LRE placement trends over the past 15 years with most placed in separate classrooms and settings. Recommendations for transforming federal and state policies and procedures are shared.