This research study presents the Scale of Dis/ability Apparentness in Education Settings (SDAES) to explore the complex and dynamic nature of dis/abled apparentness among college students. The study combines qualitative and quantitative data to examine five key domains: Environment, Ableism, Identity, Taking Action, and Embodied Dis/ability,…

My research topic is the diagnosis of learning disabilities (LD) in elementary school children. The poorly defined criteria and methods of LD determinations leads to a large number of students labeled with the disability category of LD (Graves et al, 2011; Hutchison, 2021), even though the process is inconsistent and subjective (Graves et al,…

Special education teachers do not always include assistive technology (AT) in instructional practices to promote the academic success of students with learning disabilities. The purpose of this study was to explore the reasons special education teachers only sometimes include the use of AT in instructional practices. The conceptual framework was…

The purpose of the study was to compare the differential effects of response independent and response-dependent criteria used to determine when to increase to the next delay interval in the progressive time delay (PTD) procedure. An adapted alternating treatments design was used to evaluate the relative efficiency of three variations of the PTD…

Students with mild disabilities are spending the majority of their school day in general education classrooms. However, their academic engagement and outcomes are not always favorable and teachers are often unprepared to present curricula in a way that is engaging and accessible for students at every skill level. A Theory of Academic Engagement…

Colleges and universities typically assist students with learning disabilities. In Canada, such programs are legally mandated to ensure equal access to educational opportunities. However, there is little in the current research literature on the experiences Canadian students with learning disabilities have with using assistive services provided by…

Inclusive research based on collaborative partnership with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities has the potential to lead to relevant and meaningful research outcomes. An inclusive research approach is necessary for research endeavors which strive to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people with intellectual and developmental…

My project addressed the broad questions of what barriers exist to accessibility for students and staff with disabilities at Arizona State University (ASU) and the reasons both historical and contemporary why those barriers exist. The second objective of my analysis was to provide potential solutions to these problems utilizing the voices and…

Rehabilitation counselors work with families to assist in transitioning adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) from school to adult services. Currently, there is no evidence base for rehabilitation counselors to conceptualize and promote disability acceptance in parents. The purpose of this research was to identify interventions used by…

There is a growing number of inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs and scholarship in higher education. Providing a spectrum of educational opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in higher education plays a pivotal role in creating inclusive and meaningful access to postsecondary education.…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how parents of children diagnosed with DDX3X Syndrome and school professionals serving on special education teams in the United States describe collaboration. The collaborative process was investigated through three sub-questions regarding relationship building, shared values, and…

Although the enactment of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was over 50 years ago, students with disabilities continue to experience discriminatory bias and stigma in their day-to-day experiences that can negatively impact their academic progress (Charmatz, 2021). The use of accommodations in a post-secondary environment is designed to remove…

Experiences of belonging are a basic human need (Baumeister & Leary, 1995), and the accessibility of belonging might look different for individuals labeled with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) due to historic and ongoing exclusion. This qualitative, participatory study explored how adults with intellectual and developmental…

The purpose of this study is to better understand the subjective viewpoints of faculty members toward students with psychological disabilities as a subset of the larger student population with unique needs due to the hidden nature of the barriers they experience. This Q methodology study explores the views of 29 faculty who have taught students…

Students with learning disabilities are attending postsecondary institutions at a much greater rate than they have in the past. Although these students can receive accommodations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the graduation rate for these students is much lower than for their nondisabled peers. This data suggests that traditional…