Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Perceptions Of Parents And Guardians Surrounding The Inclusion Of Their Autistic Child In The General Education Setting, Alyssa L. Napier

Undergraduate Theses

The prevalence of autistic students being taught in general education classrooms continues to rise, which emphasizes the need for strong and purposeful inclusive education. The characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (e.g., resistance to change and routines, difficulty in relationship building, sensitivity to environmental stimuli, etc.) can create challenges in the classroom setting that ultimately may impede social and academic growth. Having adequate knowledge and understanding about these challenges is important for teachers as they plan high-quality, differentiated instruction. Considerable amounts of existing literature examine teachers’ perceptions of inclusion, suggesting many general education teachers feel unprepared to meet the needs of …

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence For Transformative Education: Challenges And Recommendations, Papia Bawa

Journal of Research Initiatives

The sheer force with which GPT models are inundating business, education and economic fields speaks to its ability to not only transform the ways in which we interact and act but also disrupt these ways. This systematic literature review applies the PSALSAR method to synthesize findings from 72 articles on AI applications in education, emphasizing its transformative potential across various domains. AI is transforming personalized learning by customizing content and feedback to individual needs, addressing challenges like data privacy and ethical concerns. It enhances administrative efficiency through automation and data-driven decision-making, improving institutional performance while managing biases and maintaining human …

Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning Improving The Livelihood Of Individuals With Disabilities In Various Capacities, Daveon Lilly

West Virginia Law Review

Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) and Machine Learning (“ML”) are swiftly reshaping accessibility for individuals with disabilities, offering fresh opportunities for inclusion in education, the workplace, and daily life. This Note explores the integration of AI and ML into assistive technologies and discusses how this integration bolsters access and independence for people with various disabilities. It also examines the legal frameworks, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Rehabilitation Act”), that govern the implementation of these technologies and address challenges such as algorithmic bias, data privacy, and the digital divide. While AI and ML have made …

Exploring The Physical Education Experiences Of Blind And Visually Impaired Hispanic Multilingual Learners In Integrated Settings, Sheyla G. Martinez-Rivera

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Although students with visual impairments (VI) are increasingly placed in integrated physical education (PE) classes (U.S. Department of Education, 2023), the embodied experiences of those who also identify as multilingual learners (MLs) and as Hispanics remain largely unexplored. This retrospective qualitative study examined how these students experience integrated PE during their K-12 education, focusing on how language and disability identities shaped their participation. Participants included seven Hispanic students, all MLs, and identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as blind or visually impaired. At the time of the study, participants were between 18 and 33 years old and …

Bug-In-Ear ECoaching To Enhance Parents' Use Of Embedded Learning Opportunities With Preschool-Age Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Aeshah Alturki

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has heightened the need for effective communication interventions. Parents are key partners in intervention and, with appropriate support, can serve as effective intervention agents. However, parents often require ongoing support to implement evidence-based practices. The purpose of this study was to experimentally evaluate the effects of online Bug-in-Ear (BIE) eCoaching on parents’ fidelity of embedded choice-making during family routines with their preschool-aged children with ASD. This study also examined the generalization and maintenance, children’s communicative responses, and parents’ perceptions of the intervention. A single-subject nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across two parent–child dyads …

Cs4autism: Supporting Neurodivergent Students In Computer Science Pathways Beyond High School, Darlene Bowman

Open Educational Resources

Students on the autism spectrum are increasingly participating in computer science (CS) education at the K-12 level. However, the transition from high school to postsecondary education, employment, or technical training remains a significant challenge.

This resource provides educators, counselors, and program coordinators with practical strategies to support autistic students as they navigate pathways in computer science beyond high school. It emphasizes inclusive practices, structured supports, and strengths-based approaches aligned with neurodiversity.

Let’S Dance!: A Community Partnership Fostering Movement, Connections, And Inclusion, Michelle J. Cook, Michele Dunleavy, Carrie A. Payne, Sarah E. Whitney, Matthew Levy, Jack M. Mcbride, Ella Garrity

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

Despite the many documented physical and social benefits, dance is frequently not accessible to individuals with and without disabilities. We share an inclusive dance community partnership called Let’s Dance! that was developed to foster movement, connections, and inclusion. To increase awareness and inclusive dance opportunities, this community partnership involved (a) a workshop on inclusive dance practices for preservice teachers and (b) a community-based inclusive Let’s Dance! dance event. Following a review of the literature outlining the benefits of dance and the barriers that need to be dismantled to make dance more inclusive for students of all abilities, we share inclusive …

Optimizing Makeup Application Techniques For Women With Tenodesis: Adaptations And Ergonomic Solutions, Ashley J. Medina, Wendy Tremaine, Lee Ann Hoffman

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

To enhance independence in makeup application for women utilizing a tenodesis grasp, Ashley Medina, OTS, in collaboration with Able Faith, Inc., developed and presented a capstone poster outlining a targeted program of adaptive strategies and ergonomic solutions. This program was designed to address the unique functional challenges experienced by women with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) while promoting autonomy and confidence in daily self-care routines.

The experience objectives included: (1) identifying existing adaptive equipment that supports individuals with SCIs in completing makeup application tasks; (2) examining and understanding the roles of interdisciplinary team members working with individuals with SCI in comparison …

Reimagining Productive Struggle In Secondary Mathematics: Introducing The Instructional Feedback For Inclusive Struggle Framework, Totrina L. Mosley

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Abstract

This conceptual study introduces the Instructional Feedback for Inclusive Struggle (IFIS) framework, a model designed to address inequities experienced by learners with disabilities in compressed-pacing mathematics classes (CPMC). Although accelerated formats such as the 4x4 instructional block schedule are intended to deepen engagement, research shows that opportunities for sense-making, reflection, and productive struggle are often limited due to time constraints (Allen Queen et al., 1997; Cooke, 2023; Young et al., 2024). IFIS responds to these challenges by integrating three foundational theories: Vygotsky’s (1978) Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), which emphasizes cognitive support; Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which foregrounds …

Edu 30 Introduction To Special Needs, School & Society Syllabus, Propa Akter

Open Educational Resources

The syllabus for EDU 30 contains a course description, course objectives, course readings divided by week and a link to OER textbooks and ZTC readings.

Pillar 1: Strengthening Monitoring And Evaluation Capacity For Foundational Learning Outcomes. Final Report, Debbie Wong, Hilary Hollingsworth, Payal Goundar, Agnes Bersee, Psyche Kennett

International Education Research

This report presents key insights from the Pillar 1 pilot project in Cambodia from evidence collected on classroom practice and materials used in Grade 2 Khmer language classes, and lexical computing analysis of the highest frequency words in Khmer suitable for children. Findings from this research provides the evidence for refining Cambodia’s Early Grade Learning package. ‘Strengthening monitoring and evaluation capacity for foundational learning outcomes’ was designed to monitor and evaluate time on and quality of teaching core literacy skills in Primary Grade 2 in Cambodia, enable clearer alignment between content (what is taught) and process (how it is taught), …

Cultivating Success: The Role Of Self-Determination In Autonomy For Post-Secondary Students With Disabilities, Cloè Knight

Honors Theses

Self-determination is a crucial theoretical framework influencing the post-secondary success and the quality of life for students with disabilities (SWD). A case study mixed-method design was used to investigate the lived experiences of students with disabilities and how their self-determination skills shaped by parent styles and teacher practices, impacted their success in the post-secondary world. Despite the well-researched benefits of self-determination in the lives of students with disabilities, a systematic literature review revealed important gaps in research related to the roles parents and teachers play in facilitating self-determination skills impacting post-secondary success in students with disabilities. The current study sought …

Exploring Autistic Children’S Play Cycles Using The Play Cycle Observation Method (Pcom), Eleanor C. Mugford, Pete King

International Journal of Playwork Practice

The Play Cycle Observation Method (PCOM) enables researchers to observe and record the process of play based on the theory of the Play Cycle. While the PCOM has been used with both video footage and in real-time observation of neurotypical children, it has not previously been applied with neurodivergent children. This study involved ten one-hour naturalistic PCOM observations with nine autistic children during play sessions. The results demonstrated variability in play processes, with several styles of play behaviour observed, including differences in how play was initiated, sustained, and terminated. The findings both corroborate and challenge strands of the existing literature …

Edu 31 Introduction To Learning Disabilities And Inclusive Education Syllabus, Moet Bolden

Open Educational Resources

The syllabus for EDU 31 contains a course description, course objectives, course readings divided by week and links to ZTC readings.

Identifying The Barriers Bilingual Parents Face In The Special Education Process, Miranda Leah Hernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasing parental involvement in the special education process means parents, teachers, and school administrators can unite to educate the children. The problem that the researcher identified was that emergent bilingual families struggle to become meaningful participants in their children’s individualized education plans. This was a qualitative case study that identified the barriers that bilingual parents face within the special education process and the recommendations from bilingual parents on how to help them become more meaningful members of their child’s individualized education plan. The population within the research included bilingual families with children in the greater Houston, Texas area who have …

Improving Bullying Victimization And Supports For Autistic Students, Sidney Swanson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Bullying and peer victimization remain persistent concerns for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who experiences higher rates of peer exclusion, rejection, and social isolation than their neurotypical peers. These experiences can negatively affect school engagement, emotional well-being, peer relationships, and long-term mental health outcomes. This practitioner inquiry study examined how classroom based social emotional learning (SEL) and inclusion strategist influenced peer relationships, student belonging, and bullying related behaviors for students with autism in an elementary school setting. This study was conducted over a six-week period in one first grade general education classroom and one Strat II ID/ LD classroom …

Adapting The Alternative Program At Panther Community High School To Meet The Needs Of Its Students, Citlali J. Flores Hernandez

Dissertations

This study presents a comprehensive program evaluation of the PAGD alternative education program (a pseudonym) at Panther Community High School, a program that had not undergone formal revision since approximately 2015. The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of the PAGD program in addressing students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs, and to identify areas in need of improvement to support both student success and long-term program sustainability. The evaluation was guided by four primary research questions: To what extent is the PAGD program meeting students’ needs? To what extent are PAGD program teachers receiving the necessary support? …

Copyright Information

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Publication rights to works is granted to Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities, however, full copyright for works published in this journal is retained by the author(s). The author(s) may post their works online in an institutional repository, on their university departmental website, or on their own personal websites.

From The Editors..., Thomastine Sarchet-Maher

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Call For Manuscripts, Thomastine Sarchet-Maher

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

The Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities is a peer-reviewed, open access, multi-disciplinary online journal with an international focus. We publish articles that reflect the best of research and practice related to inclusive science education, including works submitted by science and special education researchers, teacher educators, and teachers. Interesting topics have included innovative curricular ideas, instructional adaptations, research-based modifications, best practices, and management strategies in science education. JSESD adopts the philosophical perspective that all students can achieve in science, and that science benefits from the full participation of all students.