Involvement of Young Children with Developmental Disabilities and Chronic Medical Conditions in Extracurricular Activities

Springer series on child and family studies · 2026-01-01

“. . .They Told Us We Had to Use It.” Special Educators’ Vocational Assessment Practices

Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals · 2026-04-28

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the factors that shape how special educators conduct vocational assessments with students with disabilities. A total of eight special educators participated. Findings revealed that special educators use a combination of informal and formal vocational assessments, involve multiple persons, and individualize assessments to best meet the needs of their students. In addition, we found that various factors were associated with these vocational assessment practices, including students’ wants and needs, input from various team members, or school district requirements. The findings from this study contribute to a deeper understanding of how special educators conduct vocational assessments. Information can aid practitioners in better planning and deciding how to provide services. Findings from this study may also guide future researchers to conduct studies that will best support practitioners in using vocational assessments for their students with significant support needs.

Strategies for Facilitating Transportation to Community-Based Work Experiences

Inclusive Practices · 2026-01-24

Work-based learning experiences support students with extensive support needs to prepare for post-school employment. Although these experiences can occur in the school or community, experiences in the community are particularly important for students with extensive support needs because they provide opportunities to learn in natural settings and under real work conditions. A common barrier to offering community-based work experiences is lack of transportation. In this article, we share strategies transition personnel in Illinois found effective for overcoming existing transportation barriers. We also include tips for providing hands-on work-based learning experiences when reliable transportation options are not yet available.

Paraprofessionals as Job Coaches in Community-Based Work Experiences for Students with Extensive Support Needs

Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities · 2026-05-11

Paraprofessionals are often responsible for providing job coaching for students with extensive support needs (ESN) during community-based work experiences (CBWEs). Little is known about how paraprofessionals engage in job coaching and the practices they utilize to help students with ESN gain work skills during CBWEs. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to understand how paraprofessionals support students with ESN during CBWEs. Five paraprofessionals were each observed three times at a community worksite and participated in pre- and post-observation interviews. Inductive qualitative analysis using constant comparative methods was used to analyze observation field notes and supporting interview transcripts. Paraprofessional job coaches primarily supported students during CBWEs by (a) using instructional strategies, (b) promoting independence and efficiency, (c) helping students meet social/behavioral demands, and (d) providing supplementary supports. Findings have practical implications for schools’ preparation and training of paraprofessional job coaches for CBWEs.

Qualifications, Responsibilities, Training, and Supervision of Paraprofessional Job Coaches

Education and training in autism and developmental disabilities · 2025-09-01 · 1 citations

Community-based work experiences (CBWEs) offer students with intellectual and developmental disabilities structured opportunities to develop knowledge and skills needed to meet post-school employment goals. School paraprofessionals are often tasked with supporting students during CBWEs—a role which is often referred to as a job coach . To date, little research has been conducted on the role of paraprofessional job coaches or how they are trained or supervised to fulfill this role. The purpose of the current study was to understand the qualifications and responsibilities of paraprofessional job coaches, the training these job coaches receive to perform their job, and the role of school professionals in directing the activities of paraprofessional job coaches. School personnel who direct the activities of job coaches (e.g., vocational coordinators and special education teachers; N = 110) completed a 66-item survey, which included five sections. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analyses, and inferential statistics. Researchers found that the responsibilities of paraprofessional job coaches vary greatly and that training and supervision specific to job coaching are limited. These findings offer implications for future research as well as how school districts prepare and support paraprofessional job coaches to provide high-quality workplace supports for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Selection and Use of Online Instructional Materials for Secondary‐Age Students With Intellectual Disability

Psychology in the Schools · 2024-12-13 · 1 citations

ABSTRACT Effective instruction for students with intellectual disability (ID) requires thoughtful planning and careful selection of instructional materials. One of the most popular websites for educators is TPT (formerly called Teachers Pay Teachers), an online marketplace that allows users to buy or sell instructional materials. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine how special education teachers select and use instructional materials from TPT with students with ID. Study participants included 245 special education teachers of secondary‐age students with ID who downloaded at least one item from TPT. Most of the participants reported that they considered the match between TPT materials and content taught, made modifications after downloading, and paid for items without reimbursement. Additionally, teachers of students with profound/pervasive support needs were significantly more likely to consult the TPT website on a regular basis than those with less extensive support needs.

Trends in Secondary Curriculum for Transition-Age Students with Severe Disabilities

Education and training in autism and developmental disabilities · 2024-03-01

This literature review examined trends in the curricular focus and type of articles published on secondary curriculum for transition-age students with severe disabilities across a 40-year time span . We analyzed 397 peer-reviewed journal articles by decade. The number of articles published steadily declined from 1981-1990 to 2001-2010 and then increased from 2011-2020. The majority of articles focused on functional curriculum particularly in the area of social, speech, and language skills. Few articles were published in the areas of science, social studies, music/art, safety skills, and sex education. Changes in the percentage of articles published within each curricular area occurred in the areas of curricular issues, recreation and leisure, domestic and daily living skills, and self-determination. Most articles were empirical and utilized single-case design. There was a decline in non-empirical articles over time.

Making Every Minute Count: Identifying Instructional Opportunities for IEP Goals During Community-Based Work Experiences

Inclusive Practices · 2023-10-02

Transition-age students with extensive support needs often participate in community-based work experiences (CBWEs) in preparation for competitive, integrated employment. CBWEs help students gain exposure to different careers, acquire employment skills, and generalize skills learned at school to community settings. Despite their benefits, CBWEs have been known to create scheduling conflicts and decrease school-based instructional time for special educators who must address student goals in academic and functional skill areas. Identifying authentic opportunities to address Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals during students’ CBWEs is one solution that can assist special educators who are faced with such challenges. An existing tool, commonly known as an IEP Matrix, may be particularly useful in helping teachers navigate this process. In this article, we describe how to develop an IEP matrix and assess the feasibility of instruction on IEP goals within CBWEs. We also provide recommendations to consider when identifying and evaluating instructional opportunities.

Factors Influencing Parents' Decisions to Create a Business for Their Adult Child With Intellectual Disability

Intellectual and developmental disabilities · 2023-06-01 · 3 citations

Obtaining and maintaining work can be a challenge for many people with intellectual disability (ID) and parents can play an integral role in supporting their child to secure employment. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to understand factors that influence parents' decisions to create a business for their adult child with ID. Nine parents were identified through purposeful and snowball sampling. Parents participated in individual interviews and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Our findings suggest that school experiences, expectations for work, presence of specialized support, and encouragement and suggestions from others influenced parents' decisions to create a business. In light of the findings, we discuss how parents' previous experiences and responsiveness influenced the creation of the business.

Work-Based Learning Experiences and Students With Intellectual Disability

Inclusion · 2023-05-30 · 10 citations

Abstract The purpose of this study was to describe the extent to which students with intellectual disability participate in work-based learning experiences and determine whether student characteristics (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, grade level, and support needs) relate to student participation in these activities. An online questionnaire was emailed to high school special education teachers in four states who had a state-issued teaching license in intellectual disability. A total of 266 teachers completed the questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to answer the research questions. Students participated in a variety of work-based learning experiences, with more students participating in school experiences than community experiences. The majority of work experiences were in one of three career clusters: (a) hospitality and tourism; (b) business, management, and administration; or (c) general work skills. Amount of time spent in work experiences varied greatly, with students spending more time in school experiences than community experiences. Student support needs and grade level were related to participation in community experiences. Grade level was also related to the amount of time students spent in school and community experiences.