Cheryl M. Jorgensen

Integrating AAC instruction into regular education settings: Expounding on best practices

This article begins with a brief review of the special communication needs of children with severe disabilities. Next, practices that have been found to optimize these childrens interaction skills in their natural settings are elucidated. Implications for the content and delivery of AAC services are discussed relative to our present understanding of best practices for promoting communication skills in typical as well as severely disabled children. The article concludes with a discussion of future research needs.

A Case Study of Team Supports for a Student with Autism's Communication and Engagement within the General Education Curriculum: Preliminary Report of the Beyond Access Model

The Beyond Access model, a student and team supports planning model, was implemented with a single student who had been integrated into a general education classroom. Preliminary findings are presented through a case study of the 10-year-old student with autism, who, previous to the study, was reported to have an academic level of 18 months to 24 months. A 4-phase process for designing and evaluating supports led to improved collaborative teaming among team members, clarification of priority learning goals for the student, increased engagement and opportunities for learning by the student in the general education curriculum, and improved augmentative and alternative communication outcomes. Potential limitations and costs of the model include staff-time commitment and the involvement of a mentor to guide the process.

Policy and the Impact on Placement, Involvement, and Progress in General Education: Critical Issues That Require Rectification.

Students with significant disabilities continue to be among the most segregated in schools. In this article, we argue that the principles of least restrictive environment and involvement and progress in the general curriculum have been interpreted in ways that perpetuate segregation, rather than increasing students’ access to meaningful curriculum in inclusive educational contexts. We examine this issue from three broad perspectives: federal policy related to least restrictive environment, interpretations of policies related to involvement and progress in the general curriculum, and the implementation of policies related to assessment of grade-level standards. We discuss implications of each of these issues for providing and increasing involvement and progress in general education contexts and content.

Including Students with Severe Disabilities in Schools: Fostering Communication, Interaction, and Participation

CONTENTSThe Evolution of Best Practices in Educating Students with Severe Disabilities. Developing Individualized Inclusive Educational Programs. Modifying the Curriculum and Short-Term Objectives to Foster Inclusion. Designing and Implementing Communicative Assessments in Inclusive Settings. Communicative Intervention as a Means to Successful Inclusion. Transitions to Adult Living. Index.

Beyond Communication Access: Promoting Learning of the General Education Curriculum by Students With Significant Disabilities

Some in the field of special education hold that students with significant disabilities should pursue the same learner outcomes as students without disabilities. However, educational teams often lack the knowledge and skills necessary to support a students membership and participation in general education classrooms and learning of the general education curriculum. The Beyond Access (BA) model encourages team members to think about how to move beyond creating opportunities for access to a broader focus on membership, participation, and learning. The authors describe the Comprehensive Assessment of Student and Team Supports (CASTS). This article reports the perceptions of 35 participants from 5 educational teams working with 5 students with significant disabilities regarding impact from the assessment after 6 months of model activities. Qualitative analysis of survey question responses, along with analysis of Likert-scale ratings, revealed perceived improvements in teaming practices, expectations for student learning, and student performance when using the model. The results are discussed for their educational, professional development, and research implications.

Inclusive education national research advocacy agenda: A call to action

The TASH Inclusive Education National Committee responded to Horner and Dunlap’s call to ensure that future research integrates inclusive values with strong science by developing an inclusive education national research advocacy agenda. Qualitative methods were implemented to answer three questions: (a) What is the state of inclusive education research? (b) What research still must be done? and (c) What are recommendations for a national inclusive education research advocacy agenda? The findings include 15 areas organized within three domains advocating for continued research across systems-level capacity building, building and classroom capacity, and student learning and development. Implications for research and policy reform are discussed.

Still Caught in the Continuum: A Critical Analysis of Least Restrictive Environment and Its Effect on Placement of Students With Intellectual Disability

Abstract The least restrictive environment (LRE) mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has long been questioned as to whether it has fulfilled the original intent of the law. T...