One concern raised about teaching content from the general education curriculum to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities is whether they generalize the skills learned to typical performance settings. We conducted a literature review of research studies that taught content from the general education curriculum and assessed generalization of the target skill to determine (a) whether the studies demonstrated a causal relationship between the intervention and the generalization-dependent variable(s), (b) what forms of generalization were assessed, and (c) what strategies were incorporated into the interventions to promote generalized responding by study participants. We identified 31 studies that met the initial selection criteria. However, only 22 demonstrated a causal relationship between the intervention and the acquisition-dependent variable(s), and only four of these studies demonstrated a causal relationship between the intervention and the generalization-dependent variable(s). The implications of the findings for future research are discussed.
Students with extensive support needs (ESN) have an increased risk of engaging in challenging behavior due to a range of factors, including communication and health needs common among this student population. When students engage in behaviors that impede learning, school teams organize support across social and emotional domains to ensure access to free and appropriate public education (FAPE) as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. These supports are often formalized in the student’s individualized education program (IEP). This analysis aimed to explore the type and proportion of behavior goals in the IEPs of 1,103 students with ESN across four school districts in the Mountain West region of the United States. We found that students with ESN served in traditional schools were significantly more likely to have a larger proportion of behavior goals related to social skills and emotional regulation than students with ESN served in separate schools. Students with ESN served in separate schools were significantly more likely to have a greater proportion of behavior goals related to compliance and on-task behavior than students with ESN served in traditional schools. We discuss implications for future research and practice related to IEP goal development for students with ESN.
In this convergent mixed methods design study, single-subject and qualitative data were collected concurrently to provide an in-depth picture of the impact of a modified schema-based instructional intervention. The intervention was delivered using instructional trials embedded across general education math lessons and a modified concrete-semi-concrete-abstract instructional sequence. This study investigated the impact of the intervention on the word-problem-solving, strategy use, and concept acquisition of three students with extensive support needs. The paraprofessional-delivered intervention was implemented in elementary general education mathematics classrooms using embedded instruction and focused on teaching students to solve addition and subtraction word-problems. Single-subject data indicated that all three students learned to solve word-problems given concrete materials but needed more time to master the use of semi concrete supports. Qualitative data indicated that students used taught and untaught strategies to solve word-problems, and mastered addition word-problems before subtraction when they were taught simultaneously. Data were integrated in narrative format to explore how strategy use and concept acquisition related to student word-problem-solving performance. Limitations and implications for research are discussed.
This article describes rural and remote teacher training in low incidence (LI) disabilities through an alternative teaching pathway (ATP) and the efforts of one university’s ATP program to address the ongoing critical special education teacher shortage in rural and remote school districts. The impact of the federal investment in recruiting/training teacher candidates in LI disabilities in rural and remote areas is described, and critical features of a distance education ATP programs in LI are discussed. Lessons learned over two decades of distance ATP delivery in LI are shared.
School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is an inclusive multi-tiered system of behavioral supports that has been widely adopted by K-12 schools in the United States. SWPBIS focuses on creating safe, equitable, and inclusive school environments and has been linked to both positive behavioral and academic outcomes for students and improved perceptions of efficacy and job satisfaction for school personnel. However, there remain concerns about the involvement of students with extensive support needs (ESN) in SWPBIS despite calls to action in 2006 and 2016 for research in this area. Addressing these concerns, we conducted a scoping review to examine the current research literature on SWPBIS and students with ESN. We found that only 10 studies have been conducted since the 2006 call to action. Studies primarily focused on stakeholder perspectives regarding the importance or availability of SWPBIS for students with ESN. Although few studies examined SWPBIS effectiveness, findings from these studies lend support to the effectiveness of Tier 1 SWPBIS for students with ESN. We describe several key implications for supporting the inclusion of students with ESN in SWPBIS and future research initiatives.
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