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While parents of students with disabilities (SWD) select schools according to various factors, schools also choose students through different sorting mechanisms. Thus, parents of SWD may need to employ different strategies to enroll their child in their preferred school. We employed an intersectional approach for studying school choice, integrating ethnographic interviews and descriptive GIS to answer the following questions: (a) What strategies do parents of SWD utilize to secure placement in the school of their choice? and (b) How is the engagement with such strategies shaped by their social and geographical locations? We found that parents engaged in five strategies: Accepting an IEP Team's school recommendations, securing placement through a sibling, testing into selective enrollments, changing IEP provisions, and engaging in due process. Moreover, these strategies were afforded and constrained by their intersecting social positions (i.e., race, class, and disability), their geographical locations, and the developmental school stage of their child (i.e., transitioning to kindergarten or high school).

Phenomenological design was used in this research to determine the experiences, opinions and suggestions of the stakeholders in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) development team during the IEP preparation process. Nine parents 20 teachers and a school administrator who were in the IEP team and took part in the IEP preparation process participated in the research. Researcher diary, demographic data form, observation and semi-structured interviews were used in accordance with the principle of data triangulation while collecting data from the participants. The data were analyzed with the QSR Nvivo 11 package program. As a result of the research, it was concluded that parents should be involved in the IEP development process, but this would be possible depending on some preconditions, and one of these preconditions was family education. It has been observed that the stakeholders in the team have developed a communication system based on information sharing. It was observed that the stakeholders had difficulties in the IEP preparation process due to reasons such as insufficient training on the process, insufficient knowledge about the process and laws, and inexperience. According to another result of the research, it was stated that it would not be appropriate for individuals with special needs to take part in the IEP preparation process, but they could be included in the process if certain conditions were met. In addition, as a result of the research, various suggestions were presented on deep research and applications for the IEP development process.

Adolescents who have been diagnosed with disabilities constitute a significant portion of the school population in the United States. For example, the National Survey of Children's Health identified one in four children ages 12 to 17 as having special healthcare needs in 2019 (Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health, n.d.). In the school setting, adolescents with disabilities often have an individualized educational program (IEP). Mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA) of 2004, an IEP is an educational document that describes a child's disability, along with specific supports a child will receive in school to help achieve optimum educational and developmental success (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004). Adolescents with disabilities demonstrate a higher risk for emotional distress compared to age-matched peers (Barnes et al., 2010; Emerson et al., 2007; Gilmore et al., 2013; Stein et al., 2011; Rockett, 2021; Lal et al., 2022). A large body of research has investigated the role of protective factors in decreasing the level of emotional distress among adolescents (Bernat et al., 2006; Resnick et al., 1997). Many protective factors have been identified, including protective home environments, adequate sleep (So et al., 2021), strong parental or other adult relationships (Sieving et al., 2017), and involvement in organized activities, such as sports (Brosnahan et al., 2004; Johnson & Taliaferro, 2011; Boelens et al., 2021). Although a higher risk of co-occurring mental health conditions among adolescents with disabilities and a positive benefit of activity involvement are both well-recognized in the literature, few studies have evaluated the possible overlap between these two areas. The goal of the current study, therefore, is to examine the associations between having an IEP and emotional distress among adolescents and the potential protective association of organized activity involvement on emotional distress symptoms among adolescents with an IEP.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted school-based delivery of special educational supports and therapeutic services. This study describes student receipt of school-based supports/services and parent satisfaction by instruction modalities during the 2020-2021 academic year in the United States. Data were collected through the COVID Experiences Survey from parents of children ages 5-12 years, administered using NORC's AmeriSpeak panel. Most parents reported satisfaction with supports (88.4%) and services (93.2%). Dissatisfaction with special education supports and therapeutic services was more common among parents whose children received supports/ services virtually than in person (special educational supports: aOR=12.00, 95% CI [1.49-96.89], p=0.020; therapeutic services: aOR=15.76, 95% CI [1.01-245.40], p=0.049). These findings suggest opportunities to improve design and delivery of online special education supports and therapeutic services as well as emergency preparedness by considering the needs of students with disabilities and their families.

This qualitative research study examined the implementation of high-quality Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) in Nevada high schools. Data from participating schools were analyzed using content analysis to assess the ILP documents and implementation processes. Findings revealed a significant lack of quality ILP features, with schools struggling to meet established standards. Limited resources, including funding, personnel, and time, were key barriers to effective ILP implementation. Furthermore, the study highlighted the absence of culturally relevant experiences within the ILP process. The results underscored the need for standardized ILP frameworks, resource allocation, and the integration of equity-focused strategies to improve ILP quality. Policymakers, educators, and stakeholders can utilize these findings to enhance ILP implementation and support student success in college and career readiness.

Parents play a vital role in supporting children with learning disabilities, but little is known about their understanding of this diagnosis. The experiences of parents with the diagnostic process and the services their children receive post-diagnosis vary widely. Parents who participated in this study reported that they understand learning disabilities broadly but not their underlying neurobiology. Those who noted understanding the neurobiology indicated that it helped them better support their child, and those who did not understand it wanted to learn more. Parents generally noted that their children received less support during COVID-19 and that they had to seek more private services in order to support their child's academic progress, which caused additional strain on families. Finally, parents reported that having a child with a learning disability negatively affected their mental health, especially when parents feel like they have had to advocate strongly for their child to receive services.

In this interview study, we utilize a theoretical framework that combines Bell's theory of choice sets with DisCrit to explore how parents of students with IEPs (SIEPs) experienced a forced school choice embedded with the 2013 mass school closures in Chicago. We find that a child's disability was a primary factor in parent's choices. Further, all parents in our sample had conceptions of ideal schools, but a child's IEP and other barriers--including safety and transportation--could prevent parents from enrolling their child in an otherwise desired school. In this way a child's IEP could provide access to needed services while also denying families from desired learning environments. These findings point to the ableist nature of school choice and contribute to the growing body of research that questions the theoretical underpinnings of school choice as an education reform strategy.

There is a nationwide shortage of special education teachers (SETs) due, in part, to unmanageable workload expectations, which has reached crisis level. SETs are expected to modify, adapt, and accommodate general education curriculum to meet the needs of their students, communicate and collaborate with parents and general education teachers, and progress monitor on IEP goals, to name a few. SETs, especially those in more restrictive self-contained settings, report spending almost half of their time completing non-teaching tasks. One emerging and innovative solution to help SETs accomplish these tasks is using Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI powers many popular educational tools, such as predictive text, adaptive learning platforms, and digital assistants. The launch of ChatGPT, Bard, and other generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs), provides an opportunity to support SETs with some of the paperwork requirements. This is due to the GPTs ability to craft human-like responses via drafting essays, emails, lists, and the like. In this article, we provide step-by-step directions to use ChatGPT. Additionally, we illustrate how GPTs can be used to operationalize, automate, and streamline many of the SET's non-teaching tasks through specific examples of its use in (1) collaboration; (2) adapting readings; and (3) developing progress monitoring assessments.

Novice special education teachers often face challenges in developing high-quality Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals for children with autism. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, has shown potential in supporting teachers in IEP development. This study aimed to investigate the impact of ChatGPT on the quality, content, and time spent on IEP goal development for novice special education teachers. Moreover, impact of previous training on IEP and goal development was examined. 22 novice special education teachers were randomly assigned to either the ChatGPT group or the control group. Participants developed IEP goals for five children with autism, and the quality of the goals was assessed using the Revised IEP/IFSP Goals and Objective Rating Instrument. The use of ChatGPT significantly improved the quality of IEP goals developed by novice special education teachers, regardless of previous training status. Moreover, novice teachers who used ChatGPT spent significantly less time developing IEP goals compared to those who did not use ChatGPT. Furthermore, the IEP goals developed by the ChatGPT group were more comprehensive, addressing specific strengths and needs of children with autism, in comparison to the goals developed by the control group. The findings suggest that the use of ChatGPT can be a valuable tool in supporting novice special education teachers in developing high-quality IEP goals efficiently. The study highlights the importance of providing training on IEP development and the potential benefits of AI tools in general and special education practice.

Traditional teacher-led Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) typically provide limited opportunities for students receiving special education services to meaningfully participate in the process. Even with a significant body of literature supporting the benefits of student-led IEPs, many school-based personnel maintain the traditional teacher-led model. As such, this study explored barriers to student-led IEPs, including an analysis of the differences in perceptions between school personnel who currently report facilitating student-led IEPs and those who report not facilitating student-led IEPs. In total, 275 participants completed quantitative survey items, with 155 of these same participants providing responses to a qualitative open-ended question. Results suggest common barriers to student-led IEPs include factors related to (a) students, (b) systemic issues, and (c) other IEP team members. In addition, those who do not have students who lead IEPs were more likely to identify the following specific factors as barriers: student ability, teacher self-efficacy, personal interest, and the age of the student. Discussions about implications for practice and future research are included.

Students in the United States who receive special education services are entitled to receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that provides an appropriate level of benefit. Although IEP content is informed by policy mandates and practice recommendations, research has yet to investigate the degree to which school practice is in alignment. The purpose of this investigation was to perform a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies investigating the characteristics and/or quality of IEPs for students with learning disabilities (LDs). A multi-step article identification process revealed 13 studies meeting selection criteria, many of which did not report specific demographic characteristics and findings for students with LD. However, some concerns regarding IEP quality are documented within this pool of investigations. Study limitations and areas for future research are discussed.

Communicative competence for people who use augmentative and alternative communication consists of four interrelated domains: linguistic, strategic, social, and operational. Ongoing assessment and progress monitoring within these domains are crucial to (a) providing information to teach targeted skills in a manner contextualized within the curriculum; (b) determining measurable annual Individualized Education Program goals; and, ultimately, (c) ensuring maximal participation in the school environment. Currently, language sample analysis (LSA) is one of only three assessment techniques that provide information across each domain of communicative competence for children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). As such, LSA is a valuable tool for assessing communication competence in children who use AAC in the school setting. This clinical forum describes information that may be obtained from an LSA as it relates to each domain of communicative competence and educational standards.

Purpose: We investigated the effectiveness of a highly individualized morphosyntactic intervention using the SHAPE CODING™ system delivered at different dosages. Method: Eight children with developmental language disorder aged 8;0-10;10 (years;months) received 10 hr of explicit individualized intervention for morphosyntax delivered in 30-min individual sessions once per week for 20 weeks. Following at least four baseline probe tests, two grammatical targets per session received explicit instruction until they reached criterion (90%), when the next target was introduced. To control for session length and teaching episode density, either both targets received 20 teaching episodes per session or one target received 10 teaching episodes and the other 30. Maintenance testing of completed targets was also carried out. Results: Scores on probe tests post-intervention were significantly higher than during the baseline phase (d = 1.6) with no change during the baseline or maintenance phases. However, progress during the intervention phase was highly significant. One participant showed significantly faster progress with intervention, while one (with the lowest attention score) made little progress. When considering progress relative to cumulative intervention sessions, progress was faster with 30 teaching episodes per session and slower with 10. However, when cumulative teaching episodes were used as the predictor, all three within-session dosages showed very similar rates of progress, with the odds of a correct response increasing by 3.9% for each teaching episode. The targets that were achieved required an average of 40-60 teaching episodes. Conclusions: With the exception of one participant, the individualized intervention was highly effective and efficient. Thus, the individualized target identification process and intervention method merit further research in a larger group of children. The cumulative number of teaching episodes per target provided across sessions appeared to be key. Thus, clinicians should aim for high teaching episode rates, particularly if the number of sessions is constrained. Otherwise, intervention scheduling can be flexible.

Purpose: Self-reported listening-related fatigue in adolescents with hearing loss (HL) was investigated. Specifically, the extent to which listening-related fatigue is associated with school accommodations, audiologic characteristics, and listening breaks was examined. Method: Participants were 144 adolescents with HL ages 12-19 years. Data were collected online via Qualtrics. The Vanderbilt Fatigue Scale-Child was used to measure listening-related fatigue. Participants also reported on their use of listening breaks and school accommodations, including an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan, remote microphone systems, closed captioning, preferential seating, sign language interpreters, live transcriptions, and notetakers. Results: After controlling for age, HL laterality, and self-perceived listening difficulty, adolescents with an IEP or a 504 plan reported lower listening-related fatigue compared to adolescents without an IEP or a 504 plan. Adolescents who more frequently used remote microphone systems or notetakers reported higher listening-related fatigue compared to adolescents who used these accommodations less frequently, whereas increased use of a sign language interpreter was associated with decreased listening-related fatigue. Among adolescents with unilateral HL, higher age was associated with lower listening-related fatigue; no effect of age was found among adolescents with bilateral HL. Listening-related fatigue did not differ based on hearing device configuration. Conclusions: Adolescents with HL should be considered at risk for listening-related fatigue regardless of the type of hearing devices used or the degree of HL. The individualized support provided by an IEP or 504 plan may help alleviate listening-related fatigue, especially by empowering adolescents with HL to be self-advocates in terms of their listening needs and accommodations in school. Additional research is needed to better understand the role of specific school accommodations and listening breaks in addressing listening-related fatigue.

This article investigated teachers' self-efficacy, educational practices, challenges and support for students with disabilities in the inclusive classroom. Students with disabilities face many adversities today, such as rejection, stigma, discrimination and lack of support in the classroom. We employed an interdisciplinary and pluralistic approach (Baglieri et al., 2011; Connor et al., 2011) embedded in disability studies in education (DSE) and self-efficacy theory to explore in-service teachers' experiences in the field of inclusive education. We used a phenomenological approach and conducted eight teachers' semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. We used purposeful sampling among teachers who work with students with disabilities. We used inductive analysis techniques to analyse the qualitative data collected from interviews and classroom observations. This study's findings reveal the importance of teachers' preparation, attitude and self-efficacy to support students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms; the use of differentiated instruction strategies to meet the student's needs and increase their academic outcomes; and highlight the challenges, which include the lack of professional development, lack collaboration among teachers lack of parents' communication and lack of regular IEP meeting.

This study examined the use of a peer-mediated instruction and intervention (PMI) model combined with the use of a visual schedule as a way of supporting academic engagement and social interactions of secondary students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A multiple-baseline across participants design (Kazdin, 2011) was used to determine effects of the intervention on three high school students in general education settings. The results of this study showed positive outcomes for all three students' academic engagement and in social interactions for two of the three participants. Findings address the need for continued development of strategies in supporting links between academic and social skills in secondary students with ASD.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education in a multitude of ways. During this time, school districts struggled to provide students with disabilities access to services and supports under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). School personnel were required to continue holding meetings to review students' Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) yet did not always have the resources and skills to do so. The increased digital divide between culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families and their White counterparts posed additional challenges for them, such as access to technology and lack of experience with various technology tools. Although this expedited the need for culturally responsive virtual IEP meetings, this option should continue to be provided outside of pandemic contexts. Therefore, it is critical for teachers to facilitate virtual IEP meetings creating spaces where CLD families can participate as equal partners. Utilizing the tenets of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) can help this endeavor. This article explains several recommendations for teachers and school personnel to create identity-honoring, culturally responsive IEP meetings in virtual spaces.

Previous research has identified "UPGRADE Your Performance" as a method for teaching employment soft skills to students with disabilities. "UPGRADE Your Performance" instruction is a multicomponent intervention including self-evaluation, self-graphing, goal setting, and technology-aided instruction. This pilot study investigated the generalized effects of "UPGRADE Your Performance" on soft skills of secondary students with intellectual and other developmental disabilities participating in an 18-21 transition program located on a university campus. Results indicated that when students improved in two targeted soft skill areas, generalization occurred to three non-targeted soft skill areas. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are included.

In this article, we describe the exploration of the content and quality of annual goals included in the Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) of students with disabilities in one rural U.S. school district. We utilized content analysis to understand the district's service delivery model comprehensively. Findings revealed disparities between inclusive placements and special education service delivery, suggesting that, despite high rates of inclusive placements noted on IEPs, most services occurred outside general education classrooms, especially for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). We evaluated the quality and rigor of 546 annual goals using a rubric adapted from Kurth et al. Only 37.7% of goals were rated as rigorous, highlighting a need for clearer, more specific, and applicable goals. Notably, communication goals for students with IDD were largely absent, raising concerns about support for meaningful participation in general education settings. In addition, special factors related to communication and assistive technology were not consistently addressed in IEPs. We discuss implications for improving educational experiences for students who qualify for special education services under IDD in rural schools and highlight the value of further research and actions in this area.

Over the last decade, there has been ample evidence reporting the lack of high-quality and compliant Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in the United States. This problem has many consequences, including poor student outcomes and failure to follow legal due process. Despite these consequences, research has not thoroughly examined the perspectives and needs of special educators on IEP development or the role of pre-service training on special educators' ability to write high-quality, compliant IEPs. To address this gap, this study surveys 218 Pennsylvania special educators to examine their perspectives on the sufficiency of their pre-service training to write high-quality IEPs. Data on the types of training and support special educators need to successfully write IEPs were also gathered. Results provide information on needed teacher preparation program components, supports for in-service special educators when writing IEPs, and areas for future professional development. Implications and future directions for training on writing IEPs are discussed.

College and career readiness is crucial to success in postsecondary education, employment, and independent living. The College and Career Readiness for Transition (CCR4T) assessment is valid and reliable and can assist in transition planning for students with disabilities. The CCR4T assessment was designed for planning with students with and without disabilities. This article aims to provide an overview of this assessment and demonstrate how secondary educators and other stakeholders can use the data gathered to make decisions and inform the Individualized Education Program (IEP) as an age-appropriate transition assessment for youth with disabilities.

Large-scale summative assessment results are typically used for program-evaluation and resource-allocation purposes; however, stakeholders increasingly desire results from large-scale K-12 assessments that inform instruction. Because large-scale summative results are usually delivered after the end of the school year, teacher use of results is reserved for the subsequent academic year. To evaluate use of summative score reports to inform instruction, we conducted a series of teacher interviews and focus groups with 17 teachers in three states. Teachers were asked to describe how they used summative results from the previous administration of a large-scale alternate assessment system in the subsequent academic year. Interview and focus-group transcripts were coded and identified themes related to when and how score reports are delivered; how teachers use results to plan instruction, formulate goals for individualized education programs (IEPs), and create instructional groupings; how teachers talk to parents about results; and what resources best support their use of score reports. Findings demonstrate preliminary support for diagnostic score report use.

As the theme of the 2022 annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, cultivating equitable education systems has gained renewed attention amid an increasingly diverse society. However, systemic inequalities persist for traditionally underserved student populations. As a way to better address diverse students' needs, it is of critical importance to understand different subgroups' performances. In the educational measurement field, evaluating the differences among multiple groups is an important consideration in addressing fairness issues for diverse groups of students. This article offers one technique to do so. It demonstrates how commonly-used multiple regression analysis can be applied to evaluate the equivalence of predictive structure across multiple groups in place of the factor analytic approach that requires a relatively large sample size per subgroup and strong assumptions. The technique is utilized in examining the relationship between English language proficiency and academic performance of English learners in one state when the subgroups are categorized by home language. The results showed statistically significant group differences between the reference group (Spanish-speaking ELs) and other focal groups (different home-language ELs) in various levels of comparisons (model fit, model structure, and individual predictor weights). The strengths and limitations of a proposed multiple group regression (MGR) approach are discussed in the educational research context.

This qualitative research explored pre-service teachers' understanding of special education transition planning. Findings suggest pre-service teachers increased their understanding of transition planning, accessing post-secondary services, and supporting students obtaining and maintaining employment. By including expert community members, pre-service teachers made connections to the content and complexity of this process.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected the educational system. Historically, children with hematological and oncological conditions have experienced academic challenges. A retrospective chart review was conducted. Charts reviewed included children with oncology or hematology conditions, whose parents expressed educational concerns and were referred to an educational liaison in the Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation Division. The parental concerns for 102 children (M age = 10.03 ± 4.7; 59.8% male; 43.1% Latinx/ Hispanic) during the first half of the 2021 to 2022 academic year were extracted. Overall, all parents reported at least one concern with the average reporting 2.24 ± 1.34 (range of 1-6 concerns). The most common general concerns regarded: Individualized Education Programs (IEP) or special education evaluations; 504 accommodations; home instruction; school enrollment. Almost half of the parents had additional concerns they specifically attributed to COVID-19. Children with hematological and oncological conditions were experiencing various needs at this time, which likely have continued implications. It is important for educators, school psychologists, and health care providers to remain cognizant of the educational needs of medically vulnerable populations. Children with hematological and oncological conditions benefit from regular evaluation of their needs, as well as proactive forms of intervention.

This research employed phenomenological approach to explore parents and students' perspectives on inclusive education settings in Tanzanian secondary schools. Twentyfour respondents, including students and parents were involved. The study objective was to explore the students' and parents' perspectives on inclusive education settings in secondary schools in Tanzania. The study leading question was: What are the opinions of students and parents on inclusive education settings in secondary schools in Tanzania? Interviews and focused group discussions used to gather data. The findings reflected various perspectives from parents and students on secondary school inclusive education settings. Students with and without disabilities had positive perception towards inclusive education settings despite the fact that they had some reservations for improvement. For parents of children with disabilities had positive opinions towards inclusive education settings and found it appropriate to include their children with those without disabilities in a classroom. Parents of children without disabilities had negative perception and were against inclusive education. Parents also found not participating and cooperating in financing education for their children in inclusive education settings.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams to hold virtual IEP meetings for students with disabilities instead of conducting them in person. Prior to the pandemic, research explored school professionals' and parents' perceptions of the IEP meeting experience in the context of in-person meetings. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how IEP meeting experiences changed for parents and school professionals as a result of the transition to virtual meeting collaboration due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten school professionals and nine parents from two public school districts in the United States participated in semi-structured interviews about their perceptions of the IEP meeting experience before and after this transition. Six themes emerged from the analysis: (1) prioritizing preparedness; (2) conquering technology; (3) negotiating new communication norms; (4) building rapport; (5) adapting to a new kind of collaboration; and (6) harnessing flexibility. Findings identified challenges faced while preparing for and conducting virtual IEP meetings as well as opportunities to leverage virtual collaboration to improve the IEP meeting experience for school professionals and families of students with disabilities.

There is a notable lack of opportunity for students in pre-service professional training programs and faculty in higher education to collaborate and work together, across disciplines within a common area of professional expertise. In this case, a faculty learning community (FLC) was formed to create a set of video-based simulations based on relevant topics for Committee on Special Education (CSE) meetings, used to inform the development of an Individualized Education Program. These materials were made available across departments and universities, establishing a common language and set of CSE practices. Additionally, a structured three-level text reading and discussion provided faculty with an opportunity for professional development, networking, and scholarship. The project was completed following Cox's 16 Recommendations for a Faculty Learning Community as a guideline for the successful implementation of the project, the creation of course materials, and analysis of faculty learning outcomes. It is important to note that the FLC process applies to a wide range of disciplines as a means of engaging faculty in responsive and reflective teaching practices as well as professional development.

Early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers support children who qualify for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004). ECSEs generally serve children under the age of five and are often asked to guide the development of a plan to decrease persistent challenging behaviors of children in classrooms. IDEA indicates that a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP), based on the results of a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA), be developed, written, and implemented when a child engages in behaviors preventing him/her or children in the classroom from learning. This article is designed to guide ECSEs and other team members to write quality BIPs for young children receiving special education services. The importance of BIPs, effective strategies teams can use to develop BIPs, key components of BIPs, and recommendations for teachers are provided. A hypothetical case study weaved through this article shares the experiences of Marco, a young child with autism, his family, and ECSE teacher as she leads the BIP development process in collaboration with her team.

Family involvement is an essential component of the special education process for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In addition to the legal requirement that parents should be equal partners in the decision-making of the student's IEP program (IDEA, 2004), a bulk of empirical research demonstrates the positive impact of parent involvement on student outcomes. However, many families face barriers to participation in the special education process. Culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD), including Asian families, especially face systemic barriers when accessing services for their children with disabilities. In order to better understand parents' perceptions of stress in relation to individualized education program (IEP) meetings, special education knowledge, and family-professional collaborations, individual interviews were conducted with eight Asian families of children with IDD. The input provided by Asian parents provides many critical implications for practice.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) (IDEIA) requires practitioners to use educational evaluations to assess students in K-12 schools that are suspected of having a disability. The resulting data provides the basis for determining whether students qualify for special education services, their precise educational needs, and the most appropriate plan to address those needs. This process culminates in the development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and determining the least restrictive environment (LRE) in which to implement it. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) submits an annual report to Congress detailing special education service statistics. The most recent report (2021) showed that students with intellectual disabilities (SwID) had significantly less access to general education classrooms in comparison to other student populations. Furthermore, recent empirical scholarship shows that SwID demonstrate better learning and developmental outcomes when provided greater access to general education classrooms. These points suggest that despite being designed to provide access to appropriate education services, the IDEIA seems to achieve the opposite in practice by limiting SwID to accessing educational resources that confer less educational benefit. In the article. Derek T. M. Daskalakes analysis will draw on select ontological themes in the work of American philosopher and educator John Dewey in arguing that a revised conception of the student may resolve this problem by altering criteria that IEP teams consider when determining LRE.