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Researchers in the field of special education has voiced concerns about the disproportionality of diverse students identified for special education services for decades. However, most of the recent research has focused on showing this issue using quantitative data. The voices beyond the numbers are imperative in better understanding this decades long phenomenon. Unfortunately, these voices are rarely present within the context of disproportionality in special education. The present study reports a systematic review of qualitative articles to highlight findings in the literature to contextualize current quantitative data and provide a more representative picture of the phenomenon in the U.S. Results show the over and underrepresentation of students of color in special education according to the voices of educators, family members, and others supporting these students.

Institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the U.S. have implemented policy and practices to support on-campus diversity initiatives. Experiences with diverse populations are particularly relevant to young adults, who are developing their worldview by evaluating their perspectives and the perspectives of others. Because most of the conversations about diversity involve dimensions such as race, gender, and ethnicity, disability or ability is often omitted from such discussions. This study sought to review mission statements and diversity materials of four-year college and university websites in order to understand the extent to which disability is included as a dimension of diversity. As these materials provide the tone and values of the IHE, it may be possible to understand how these schools view disability in relation to diversity. Mixed methods were used to explore the extent to which IHEs include disability in their mission or diversity statements as a way to expand on the notion of diversity within their student body, staff, or faculty. Findings show that most of the randomly selected four-year IHEs (n = 300) do not include disability within their mission or diversity statements. Those who do are often found to include statements that describe campus cultures that are inclusive of students with disabilities and more likely to consider a diverse campus, inclusive of disability, an enriched community. Implications for further research and practice provide recommendations based on the literature on how to improve their inclusiveness of students with disabilities in IHEs.

Students with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds often experience barriers and inequities in transition supports and services due to the cultural mismatch of beliefs, values, and expectations between their families and their schools. Though transition planning was designed for students and families to provide input, there is often a lack of space for the family to share their voice and long-term goals in the decision-making process. Through culturally responsive transition Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), in combination with a person-centered framework, bridging partnerships between the student, family, communities, and schools can be accomplished and built for sustainability. In urban settings and communities, these boundary-crossing collaborations for students with disabilities and their families could be more complex, as additional factors in urban schools are presented. This article presents a practical tool that could guide educators and families from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds into depth and breadth in transition IEP development.

There has been a gradual move toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in Nigeria promoted by the National Policy of Education, as well as polices emerging from UNESCO; however, the infrastructure and resources to make inclusion happen are generally lacking. Based on this report and the need for more information on teachers' and parents' understanding about disabilities and inclusion as demonstrated in the literature, this study explored disability-related knowledge and understanding among teachers and parents in Nigeria. Specifically, using an exploratory case study including quantitative and qualitative data, this research was designed to explore teachers' and parents' knowledge about and understanding of students with disabilities and inclusion in the southwest region of Nigeria. Findings revealed that there is a need for more teacher and parent training in Nigeria regarding students with disabilities, especially as their willingness to support students who are struggling is positive. This willingness is a key component and first steps for moving schools and communities in Nigeria toward more inclusive environments.

Recently, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported that although countries around the world must ensure that students with disabilities receive free, inclusive, and appropriate education, students with disabilities are less likely to complete primary or secondary school in many countries. Though this is the case, very little has been published regarding the legislative efforts and the implementation of services and supports specifically for students with learning disabilities (LD) in reading or dyslexia around the world. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to explore legislative efforts, services, and interventions provided to students with learning disabilities from ten countries worldwide: Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, and United Kingdom. Discussion and implications for research and practice are provided based on themes identified across countries.

There are a multitude of benefits associated with employment, which many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) are not afforded due to their struggles to find and maintain work. These poor employment outcomes are in part being addressed by the over 240 postsecondary education (PSE) programs for students with IDDs that exist on college and university campuses in the U.S., many of which include work experience as a program component. A sequential mixed methods study, featuring a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews, was conducted to explore barriers faced by PSE program staff when facilitating work experience engagements. Findings include the identification of common barriers to facilitating paid work experience for students in PSE programs as being: (a) "transportation issues," (b) "employer perceptions of the abilities of people with disabilities," (c) "inadequate number of staff hours to support students in the workplace," and (d) "finding time in the students' schedule." A discussion about these findings, including implications and recommendations for future research, has also been provided.

With the rapid increase of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds bringing a shift in the landscape in today's schools, equity discourses continue to arise. For example, more than four decades of data have pointed towards the disproportionality (i.e. over- or -under-representation) of students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds in special education in the United States, Europe, and beyond. As a continuous problem, there have not been enough studies exploring the state of general education teacher preparation programs and pre-service teachers' use of culturally responsive practices (CRP) within referral models for special education. Knowing that teacher preparation is a key formation period for practicing teachers' beliefs and knowledge the current study examined pre-service teachers' knowledge and skills of culturally responsive practices within pre-referral models in order to address equity issues in special education (e.g. service delivery). Results from a fully integrated mixed methods study showed to be contradictory as the rating of pre-service teachers' perceived knowledge and skills of CRP and pre-referral models to be high but their work indicated otherwise. Implications for teacher preparation programs include more in-depth learning experiences on CRP, disabilities, and engaging in equity discourses as part of pre-service teachers' preparation.

Equity issues continue to surround the supports and services provided to students with dis/ abilities from birth onward, especially for children of color and despite extensive legal protections guaranteed through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The purpose of this article is to examine how these systemic issues unfold in practice during early childhood transitions as young children of color with dis/abilities move from preschool to an elementary school setting. Using ethnographic data gathered from a large suburban school district in the northeastern United States, we explore the equity implications associated with the transition from preschool to kindergarten in a sociodemographically diverse school district. We used a context-centered approach to examine how educators use IDEA to serve families during the transition process and how educators and families interact with each other during transition planning meetings. Cultural misunderstandings and power differentials between caregivers and educators emerged from the data analysis and provided insight into how and why IDEA procedural protections were insufficient for assuring the rights of students with dis/abilities were protected during the transition process. We argue that the extensive procedural protections for children served under IDEA are inadequate in assuring equity in special education outcomes during the transition process. We conclude that the transition process does not disrupt oppressive practices, effectively thwarting equity and access in early childhood education. We end with recommendations for improving the process.

Increased awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has come with an increase in books that depict individuals with ASD. However, media representation of disabilities could be misguided. To integrate literature in the classroom that helps students better understand the population of ASD, carefully choosing quality books (e.g., narrative fiction) with authentic depictions that do not perpetuate negative stereotypes is essential. The tools and criteria presented for educators help them evaluate and select books for their classrooms or as recommendations to others. The article includes a set of guidelines that help educators facilitate proper consideration for representations of characters with ASD, including the essential and more profound components of their strengths with a positive view of diversity in mind.

Despite the increasing number of children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds in the United States, limited research exists synthesizing what is known about the prevalence and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in these communities. Children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are disproportionately diagnosed with ASD and, there is a need for practitioners and educators to be culturally competent at addressing challenges and practices related to ASD for children and youth. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature related to parental perspectives on ASD, in children from a wide range of culturally diverse backgrounds to provide information and resources to practitioners about the importance to strive for cultural competence in practice-related work.

Objective: In order to increase employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), professionals are tasked with designing and implementing job training services to youth preparing to enter the job market. Having a better understanding of desirable employability skills aids in allowing professionals to develop programs that will target the needs of those who make decisions relating to human resources. Methods: This study features a qualitative research design to identify employability skills that individuals with IDDs in Singapore should possess to be successful in the workplace. Job developers were interviewed to identify and explore desirable employability skills. Results: Results from interviews suggest that soft skills, such as "attitude," "dependability," "stamina," "flexibility," and "communication" are valued over skills that are more job-specific technical skills. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance including instruction in these skill areas when training youth with IDDs to find and maintain employment.

Implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI) has been developed with the goal of increasing the efficiency and efficacy of the identification process for students at risk of/with learning disabilities. While this goal is well-intentioned, the implementation of RTI has faced challenges at the district level. Understanding the current implementation practices of RTI within school districts can provide insight into how the theory and goals behind RTI are being interpreted, thus providing evidence for the benefits of implementing RTI as well as uncovering the challenges that district face as they implement this pre-referral model. The purpose of this mixed methods study w to examine how RTI is translated into everyday implementation across elementary and intermediate schools. Findings suggest that achievements occurred within the culture, however, inconsistencies and misunderstanding of RTI lead to the misimplementation of components within the model. Implications for research and practice are further discussed.

Educators have used narrative fiction to expand knowledge and facilitate awareness about underrepresented populations, including those with disabilities. This study is a content analysis of nine award-winning young-adult narrative fiction books with characters depicting individuals with ASD. The analysis yielded a total of 285 symptoms that were coded based on the American Psychiatric Association's definition of ASD symptoms. Analysis revealed that 72% of the total symptoms depicted repetitive or restrictive behaviors, and the remaining 28% represented social communication difficulties or deficits as described by the DSM-5. The results of this study show that few fictional stories depict the difficulties of social communication as it is often observed in high-functioning individuals with ASD. Therefore, narrative fiction that overplays the restrictive, repetitive behaviors and underplays the social communication deficits perpetuates misconceptions about ASD. Narrative fiction with main characters clearly shows ASD symptoms have large implications for stakeholders working with students with ASD.

Developing culturally responsive and relevant individualized educational programs (IEP) is becoming increasingly more important as the student population becomes more diverse. Current supports available for IEP teams primarily address the technical aspects of the IEP (e.g., writing goals that are measurable) but offer little assistance in designing culturally responsive and relevant IEPs. This article provides a tool and process for integrating culturally responsive and relevant aspects into the IEP document and process. The Culturally Responsive and Relevant IEP Builder (CRRIB) was developed to guide IEP teams through this process and could be used to conduct assessments, evaluate current practices, and guide the development of interventions, strategies, and supports for students. The CRRIB helps maintain the team's focus on enhancing the student's cultural competence, incorporating the student's prior experiences, and valuing the family's frame of reference. A sample of the CRRIB with student information is included.

The literature reveals that paraprofessionals are responsible for supporting students at risk of/with disabilities in a variety of academic and nonacademic tasks, yet they often lack appropriate training. Recent studies demonstrated the effectiveness of training for paraprofessionals to support students with disabilities in a meaningful way. In rural communities, such professional development and training opportunities are often unavailable despite the need. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of a Universal Design for Learning (UDL)--based ongoing professional development model for paraprofessionals in rural general and special education classrooms. Specifically, this study sought to first examine the professional development needs among paraprofessionals in rural communities in the inland Northwest United States and second to provide effective and ongoing professional development opportunities. Findings from this study suggest that ongoing professional development models for paraprofessionals working with students with disabilities, based on needs assessments and consistent with UDL framework, have positive effects. Discussions of implications for future research and practice are included.

Under-employment for individuals with disabilities is a worldwide epidemic, which Singapore has addressed by significantly increasing employment rates for this population. Providing work experiences for youth with disabilities at community-based job sites has been shown to increase positive post-school employment outcomes. To provide these opportunities, employment specialists benefit from developing partnerships with businesses. For this study, 14 Singaporean employment specialists, from five different schools and one government agency, were interviewed to better understand strategies utilized to nurture these valuable partnerships with businesses. Data suggest effective partnerships include (a) direct support for employers, (b) job matching, (c) job customization, (d) involving businesses in the school community, and (e) parent involvement. Implications and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

Research suggests that disproportionate representation of culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education has been a recurring topic of concern in the field of special education within the United States. Over the past few years, this concern has shifted to focus on the disproportionate representation of English Language Learners (ELLs) in categories of mild to moderate disabilities, specifically within the category of learning disabilities. Although improvements in educational policy have been made through federal legislation, local rural school districts continue to battle this concern, especially those in rural areas. The following article focuses on the recommendations for development, implementation, and evaluation of local policy change to improve the disproportionate representation of ELL students within rural school districts.

A code of ethics serves as a compass, guiding professionals as they perform the roles associated with their profession. These codes are evidence to the public that professionals are concerned about the services they provide and the individuals to whom they are provided. Codes of ethics should be living documents, changing focus as the fields they represent change. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the current and historical changes to the Council for Learning Disabilities' "Principles of Ethical Practice" and encourage discussion and reflection on employing these standards. In support of the latter, five case studies are presented to afford opportunities for practitioners to engage in professional discussions aimed at improving the services and practices provided to students with learning disabilities in general education settings.

Revisions to Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) proposed alternative models, such as Response to Intervention (RTI), as a preventive measure that supports students at risk. As teachers' roles evolve in response to RTI, teacher preparation programs must adjust their focus and curriculum accordingly. A mixed-methods design was used to explore general education pre-service teachers' concerns regarding the implementation of RTI based on the Concerns-Based Adoption Model. Results suggest pre-service teachers focused their concerns on feeling unprepared and not understanding how to effectively implement RTI. These implications may guide teacher preparation programs as they assess the readiness of their pre-service teachers to effectively implement RTI.

Despite the almost universal adoption of Response to Intervention (RTI) in school districts across the United States, recent research report feelings of inadequacy on the part of general education (GE) teachers. In this study, the authors conducted a systematic review of the literature to examine research focusing on the teaching, learning, implementation, and evaluation of RTI in GE teacher preparation during the last decade (2003-2013). A total of 10 publications were identified through electronic and hand searches. Results reveal a longstanding gap in the literature on how GE preservice teachers can understand and apply RTI in their classrooms. More studies and recommendations are needed to help GE preservice and in-service teachers use RTI effectively with struggling students.

Researchers in the field of special education has voiced concerns about the disproportionality of diverse students identified for special education services for decades. However, most of the recent research has focused on showing this issue using quantitative data. The voices beyond the numbers are imperative in better understanding this decades long phenomenon. Unfortunately, these voices are rarely present within the context of disproportionality in special education. The present study reports a systematic review of qualitative articles to highlight findings in the literature to contextualize current quantitative data and provide a more representative picture of the phenomenon in the U.S. Results show the over and underrepresentation of students of color in special education according to the voices of educators, family members, and others supporting these students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds often experience barriers and inequities in transition supports and services due to the cultural mismatch of beliefs, values, and expectations between their families and their schools. Though transition planning was designed for students and families to provide input, there is often a lack of space for the family to share their voice and long-term goals in the decision-making process. Through culturally responsive transition Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), in combination with a person-centered framework, bridging partnerships between the student, family, communities, and schools can be accomplished and built for sustainability. In urban settings and communities, these boundary-crossing collaborations for students with disabilities and their families could be more complex, as additional factors in urban schools are presented. This article presents a practical tool that could guide educators and families from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds into depth and breadth in transition IEP development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid increase of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds bringing a shift in the landscape in today's schools, equity discourses continue to arise. For example, more than four decades of data have pointed towards the disproportionality (i.e. over- or -under-representation) of students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds in special education in the United States, Europe, and beyond. As a continuous problem, there have not been enough studies exploring the state of general education teacher preparation programs and pre-service teachers' use of culturally responsive practices (CRP) within referral models for special education. Knowing that teacher preparation is a key formation period for practicing teachers' beliefs and knowledge the current study examined pre-service teachers' knowledge and skills of culturally responsive practices within pre-referral models in order to address equity issues in special education (e.g. service delivery). Results from a fully integrated mixed methods study showed to be contradictory as the rating of pre-service teachers' perceived knowledge and skills of CRP and pre-referral models to be high but their work indicated otherwise. Implications for teacher preparation programs include more in-depth learning experiences on CRP, disabilities, and engaging in equity discourses as part of pre-service teachers' preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equity issues continue to surround the supports and services provided to students with dis/abilities from birth onward, especially for children of color and despite extensive legal protections guaranteed through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The purpose of this article is to examine how these systemic issues unfold in practice during early childhood transitions as young children of color with dis/abilities move from preschool to an elementary school setting. Using ethnographic data gathered from a large suburban school district in the northeastern United States, we explore the equity implications associated with the transition from preschool to kindergarten in a sociodemographically diverse school district. We used a context-centered approach to examine how educators use IDEA to serve families during the transition process and how educators and families interact with each other during transition planning meetings. Cultural misunderstandings and power differentials between caregivers and educators emerged from the data analysis and provided insight into how and why IDEA procedural protections were insufficient for assuring the rights of students with dis/abilities were protected during the transition process. We argue that the extensive procedural protections for children served under IDEA are inadequate in assuring equity in special education outcomes during the transition process. We conclude that the transition process does not disrupt oppressive practices, effectively thwarting equity and access in early childhood education. We end with recommendations for improving the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has come with an increase in books that depict individuals with ASD. However, media representation of disabilities could be misguided. To integrate literature in the classroom that helps students better understand the population of ASD, carefully choosing quality books (e.g., narrative fiction) with authentic depictions that do not perpetuate negative stereotypes is essential. The tools and criteria presented for educators help them evaluate and select books for their classrooms or as recommendations to others. The article includes a set of guidelines that help educators facilitate proper consideration for representations of characters with ASD, including the essential and more profound components of their strengths with a positive view of diversity in mind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition for young adults with disabilities from high school to gainful employment is often difficult. This transition is even harder for students from minority or marginalized backgrounds, including young adults who identify as Latino. As the Latino population increases in the United States, it is imperative that the transition from high school to employment becomes more effective for Latino young adults with disabilities. Using a portion of Bronfenbrenner's Model of Human Development as a framework, we explore the experiences of Spanish-speaking Latina caregivers of young adults with disabilities to better understand the contextual and environmental factors that influence family systems as young adults with disabilities prepare to transition from high school to adulthood. Our findings highlight important factors in the micro-, meso-, exo-, and macrosystems, including the importance of family and community, distrust of authority, and the impact of discrimination. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 5-year model demonstration project designed to improve literacy instruction and special education referrals for English learners (ELs) in grades K–3 in three rural community elementary schools was completed with specific attention to sustainability 1 year after implementation. The model, which was developed and implemented through a university–school district collaborative partnership, incorporated sustainability as a critical component. Findings show that the sustainability component (a) embedded into project development, (b) periodically revisited during project implementation, and (c) personalized by participating schools developing their own sustainability plans proved to be a successful approach to maintaining select literacy best practices and improved referrals of ELs. A minimum of 80% of classroom teacher participants reported 1 year after project implementation that key aspects of the project continued to be beneficial or very beneficial for delivering their classroom instruction to ELs. Each of the five multitiered system of supports (MTSS) for EL model components was somewhat addressed, with several being mostly addressed 1 year after implementation in all three elementary schools. Also, the culturally and linguistically responsive referral was maintained. Project sustainability findings are shared and discussed along with recommendations for educators to apply in their MTSS models in rural elementary schools with high populations of ELs with and without disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Response to intervention (RTI) allows schools to support the academic success of English learners (ELs) while helping educators rule out cultural or linguistic differences and educational background as the root of ELs' academic or behavioral struggles. However, in rural schools, insufficient training in how to effectively instruct ELs and limited experience teaching ELs due to local demographics may lead RTI teams to prescribe inappropriate interventions or to avoid putting ELs through the RTI process altogether. The framework proposed in this article guides rural RTI teams through the process of considering the factors that might be influencing the performance of struggling ELs to provide these students with the supports they need to benefit from core instruction and tiered interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the U.S. have implemented policy and practices to support on-campus diversity initiatives. Experiences with diverse populations are particularly relevant to young adults, who are developing their worldview by evaluating their perspectives and the perspectives of others. Because most of the conversations about diversity involve dimensions such as race, gender, and ethnicity, disability or ability is often omitted from such discussions. This study sought to review mission statements and diversity materials of four-year college and university websites in order to understand the extent to which disability is included as a dimension of diversity. As these materials provide the tone and values of the IHE, it may be possible to understand how these schools view disability in relation to diversity. Mixed methods were used to explore the extent to which IHEs include disability in their mission or diversity statements as a way to expand on the notion of diversity within their student body, staff, or faculty. Findings show that most of the randomly selected four-year IHEs (n = 300) do not include disability within their mission or diversity statements. Those who do are often found to include statements that describe campus cultures that are inclusive of students with disabilities and more likely to consider a diverse campus, inclusive of disability, an enriched community. Implications for further research and practice provide recommendations based on the literature on how to improve their inclusiveness of students with disabilities in IHEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported that although countries around the world must ensure that students with disabilities receive free, inclusive, and appropriate education, students with disabilities are less likely to complete primary or secondary school in many countries. Though this is the case, very little has been published regarding the legislative efforts and the implementation of services and supports specifically for students with learning disabilities (LD) in reading or dyslexia around the world. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to explore legislative efforts, services, and interventions provided to students with learning disabilities from ten countries worldwide: Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, and United Kingdom. Discussion and implications for research and practice are provided based on themes identified across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing number of children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds in the United States, limited research exists synthesizing what is known about the prevalence and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in these communities. Children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are disproportionately diagnosed with ASD and, there is a need for practitioners and educators to be culturally competent at addressing challenges and practices related to ASD for children and youth. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature related to parental perspectives on ASD, in children from a wide range of culturally diverse backgrounds to provide information and resources to practitioners about the importance to strive for cultural competence in practice-related work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In order to increase employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), professionals are tasked with designing and implementing job training services to youth preparing to enter the job market. Having a better understanding of desirable employability skills aids in allowing professionals to develop programs that will target the needs of those who make decisions relating to human resources. Methods: This study features a qualitative research design to identify employability skills that individuals with IDDs in Singapore should possess to be successful in the workplace. Job developers were interviewed to identify and explore desirable employability skills. Results: Results from interviews suggest that soft skills, such as attitude, dependability, stamina, flexibility, and communication are valued over skills that are more job-specific technical skills. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance including instruction in these skill areas when training youth with IDDs to find and maintain employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]