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This chapter reviews the intervention research literature – particularly interventions deemed evidence-based – for students with intellectual disability across academic and life-skills instruction. Although the focus of this chapter is the spectrum of students covered under the term “intellectual disability,” the majority of research on evidence-based interventions for students with intellectual disability focus on students with more moderate and severe intellectual disability, rather than students with mild intellectual disability. The majority of the interventions determined to be evidence-based within the literature for students with intellectual disability – across both academic and life skills – tend to be those that fall within the purview of systematic instruction.

In the United States, the mandate to provide access to general education curriculum standards for all learners is clear. This chapter provides an overview and a framework for making individualized and curriculum choices for learners with low-incidence disabilities and cognitive deficits. Topics covered include reconciling an ecological curriculum model with a standards-based framework and an expanded discussion on embedding individualized learning targets within the ongoing lessons, routines, and activities of inclusive classrooms. Carefully planned and implemented embedded instruction can provide a match between a student’s need for individualized instruction and the everyday practices of inclusive classrooms.

In this chapter, we focus on specially designed instruction (SDI) as a core value for the field of specific learning disabilities (SLD). SDI is at the heart of special education, and the field of LD has been built on the core value that effective instruction improves student outcomes. We describe a two-step test and an extended example of what is and is not SDI for Matt, a student with an SLD. Finally, we discuss some of the confusion surrounding SDI and the need for the field to return to its core value of individualized, intentional, targeted, evidence- or high leverage practice–based, and systematic instruction for students with SLD.

A substantial number of students read significantly below grade level, and students with disabilities perform far below their non-disabled peers. Reading achievement data indicate that many students with and at-risk for reading disabilities require more intensive reading interventions. This chapter utilizes the theoretical model of the Simple View of Reading to describe the benefit of early reading instruction, targeting both word reading and word meaning. In addition, evidence is presented supporting the use of word meaning instruction to improve accurate and efficient word reading for students who have failed to respond to explicit decoding instruction.

Response to Intervention (RtI) is a systematic approach that provides a framework for addressing student learning, allows for accountable decision-making based upon the individual skill level of each student, and gives schools a methodical way for special education determinations. RtI began as a framework for students suspected of having a learning disability and now has become a system of instruction and assessment that helps teachers and related service providers know what type and level of instruction a student needs. It is a system that promotes inclusion of students from all ability levels into the general educational setting. This system is characterized by the placement of students and instructional methods along a continuum from whole-class instruction to individualized, highly specialized instructional methods. In this chapter, the historical as well as current frameworks that define learning disabilities will be discussed. Next, the eligibility processes associated with acquiring special education services will be examined; paying special attention to RtI and its intersection with learning disabilities. Finally, academic and behavioral interventions will be discussed that have found to be beneficial in increasing the skills of students with learning disabilities.

The purpose of this paper is to develop entrepreneurship games for early childhood education (ECE) and to develop a module using a number of systematic approaches.

There were two studies conducted. Study 1 focused on developing guidelines for traditional games. The games were collected and selected based on their entrepreneurial characteristics. In study 2, the authors selected eight relevant traditional games and then examined their effectiveness at internalizing the spirit of entrepreneurship. For the assessment, the authors trained 40 expert raters from the fields of psychology, ECE, and entrepreneurship studies.

The results showed that two groups of raters agreed (k=0.64) that the games were effective for internalizing the spirit of entrepreneurship in ECE. In the second part of the study, the authors intended to develop a set of multimedia digital instructions and guidelines for users (e.g. teachers and instructors) as the traditional games provided no written instructions. This study produced the multimedia digital instructions and constructed a set of assessment tools for the teachers to test the effectiveness of the games.

This study focused on developing traditional games into a structured guideline for teachers. However, further investigation is still necessary to gather evidence regarding the validity of the game manual. Future study should focus on testing the effect of the games on ECE as well as students’ entrepreneurial traits.

This study created a new approach by considering local values in developing an entrepreneurship intervention.

This chapter provides the reader with a framework for understanding the needs of students that have concurrent needs as English Language Learners and Emotionally Behavioral Disturbed. Issues related to effective assessment practices, service delivery, and appropriate intervention are discussed.

Starting school is major educational transition for all children as it requires the forming of fresh relationships, settling into a new classroom environment, and engaging in more formal learning activities. For children on the autism spectrum, starting school is a stressful period due to the substantially changed conditions. With appropriate and flexible supports, however, these children can overcome their desire for sameness, belong to a community of active learners, and experience academic and social success. This chapter presents a practice model to support teachers seeking to successfully include and educate children on the spectrum in the early years of schooling. This Model of Practice comprises 23 practices aligned with the organizers of Belonging, Being, and Becoming from the Australian Early Years Learning Framework. The practices are foundational in nature and enable teachers to identify and use them in their planning and instruction in order to respond effectively to specific children's needs. The model has been field tested by early years teachers from 23 schools across three Australian states. Perspectives provided by these teachers about the model and how they used it in their classrooms are woven into the chapter. Their perspectives highlight the usefulness of the model as a classroom resource for teaching not only children on the spectrum but also those with diverse learning needs. Reported perspectives also indicate that using the model may enhance teachers' autism-specific knowledge and confidence in working with children on the spectrum. The chapter concludes with recommendations made by teachers for using the practice model.

Increasing reading achievement has become a nationwide priority resulting from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2005 (Dole, 2004). Due to this emphasis, coupled with the fact that an elementary school’s success is generally not correlated with test scores in social studies, teachers of the elementary grades find limited time to teach the social studies curriculum. However, in effort to combat this tragedy, elementary educators should be taught and encouraged to integrate content area teaching with literacy strategies. Using the appropriate.