Adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) tend to receive inadequate comprehensive sex education (CSE). This problem could be addressed by providing sex education taught by general education health teachers to students with IDD in high school, a cost-effective yet underutilized and under researched service model. This…

Background: Long-term care services are funded primarily by Medicaid long-term services and support in the United States, where eligibility is based on care needs of the individual with intellectual and developmental disability alone. Impact of Medicaid waiver services on self-reported caregiver needs is not well understood. Method: Caregivers (n…

The purpose of this study is to lay a foundation for illustrating the importance of longitudinal data collection by sharing the results of the Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q) program in Pennsylvania designed to collect data over time on the quality of services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In this article,…

Background: Long-term care planning (LTCP) is critical for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Objectives of this study were to investigate progression through LTCP, and associations between social support and: (1) LTCP and (2) burden among family caregivers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to caregivers of…

Inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) programs for students with intellectual disability are growing rapidly, yet demand still outweighs the availability of programs. To increase the success and sustainability of IPSE, universities must understand stakeholders' perceptions of inclusion. The "Perspectives of Diversity and Inclusion…

Students with intellectual disability (ID) tend to have different experiences than their peers without ID as it pertains to the curriculum they receive, the locations where they are taught, and the amount of time they are provided instruction. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the curricular areas and contexts in which high…

Since the 1980s, postsecondary institutions have seen a steady increase in student population, particularly from students with learning disabilities (LDs) (NCES, 2019; Clark, 2017). Previous research had shown that more specifically, students from this population opted for 2-year institutions (community colleges) as opposed to 4-year institutions…

Authors share an initial exploration of the pedagogy practiced at The Camphill School, specifically in relation to the integration of technology into its program. An approved private school situated in rural Pennsylvania, which caters to students on the autism spectrum, and others with different or additional physical and developmental…

Purpose: In this study, we examined the utility of vowel intelligibility testing for assessing the impact of dysarthria on speech characteristics in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We tested the sensitivity and specificity of overall vowel identification, as well as that of vowel-specific identification, to dysarthria presence and…

Many arts educators in Pennsylvania public charter schools do not teach executive functioning (EF) skills to students with learning disabilities (LDs) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this study was to investigate how these art teachers describe their own EF instructional practices and what support they need to…

Background: Few family caregivers of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities develop long-term care (LTC) plans for their relative. Web-based interventions promoting LTC planning have potential for widespread adoption into clinical practice. Methods: We conducted focus groups with 49 primary caregivers of individuals with…

This study examined the relationship between acceptance of disability, perceived stigma of students on a college campus and adaptation to college for students with disabilities. One hundred forty-five surveys were collected from student participants via the disability support services offices at sixteen colleges or universities in the northeast…

Epidemiologic research suggests a gap between prevalence estimates of students with emotional or behavioral problems and the actual number of students identified under the federal category of emotional disturbance (ED). To better understand issues related to the identification gap, we investigated the academic and behavioral functioning,…

Enactment of the "Rehabilitation Act of 1973" and the "Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990" expanded and clarified the rights of students with disabilities in higher education (Connor, 2011; Pena, 2014; Troiano, 2003). In the past three decades, the enrollment rate of students with learning disabilities (LD) in higher…

Therapy dogs are a valuable tool for students in the school system. The literature indicates therapy dogs are a supportive tool, from the perspective of teachers, students, parents, counselors, and the community, for mental health, social and emotional and academic needs. Research has provided evidence that principals and superintendents have the…