This essay provides a two-pronged critical assessment of a subset of the literature on racial disproportionality in special education: that which aims to estimate racial disparities among otherwise similar children. This body of research has shown that Black students are less likely than comparable White students to receive special education, and has been interpreted by many to mean that current policies

PURPOSE This study aims to improve our knowledge of how young children with speech sound disorders (SSD) perceive their own speech and communication in comparison with typically developing (TD) children and how these perceptions relate to parental judgment of communicative participation, intelligibility in different contexts, and an expert measure of children's speech accuracy (percentage of consonants

Multi-Tiered System of Supports and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports frameworks focus on providing effective Tier 1 (universal), Tier 2 (selected), and Tier 3 (individualized) strategies to meet all students’ behavioral and emotional needs. However, there are few Tier 3 models that provide support spanning home, community, and school for students with serious emotional and behavioral

PURPOSE This qualitative study investigated the lived experience of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who self-identify as overwhelmed. The goal was to devise a formal explanation of the reasons for such overwhelm. METHOD Seven elementary and five secondary school SLPs in two separate focus groups discussed the following questions: (a) How are you advocating for your needs as an

PURPOSE The purpose of this foreword is to introduce readers to the Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools (LSHSS) Forum: Changemakers Igniting Innovation. This forum includes six articles presenting on a variety of topics, all of which were recognized at the 2023 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention for their exceptional potential to produce substantive, transformative

This study evaluated the convergent and discriminant validity of scores from screening tools for depression (Traumatic Symptom Checklist for Children [TSCC], Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Second Version [MAYSI-2], Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale-Second Edition [RADS-2], Adolescent Psychopathology Scale, Short Form [APSSF-Short Form]) and suicidality (Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire

The purpose of this study was to provide deeper insight into the substantive nature of the friendships of students with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. We examined the friendship nominations of Kindergarten to third grade students with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (focal students), and their classmates, to describe the reciprocity, stability, and quality of friendships

We report results from this psychometric study, examining convergent validity between internalizing subscale (SRSS-I4) scores from the revised version of the teacher-completed Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing behavior (SRSS-IE 9) and the internalizing subscale from the Teacher Report Form (TRF). Using the sample of nine middle and high schools across two Midwestern states

Traditional responses to aggressive behavior in inpatient psychiatric settings have relied heavily on aversive and restrictive practices, such as restraint, despite the fact that such practices demonstrate limited effectiveness and are at odds with a rehabilitative, patient-centered mission. In response to such concerns, a growing number of researchers and practitioners have moved toward proactive

We conducted a systematic review of the literature to examine the effectiveness of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), when implemented with fidelity at Tier 1, in reducing exclusionary discipline for students with disabilities. We conducted a comprehensive search using electronic databases Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Professional Development Collection, Psychology

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the initial reliability and validity evidence of the dynamic assessment (DA) of early reading and language as a second-stage screener in kindergarten, the first year of formal schooling. The DA comprises three subtests that capture students' ability to learn letter sounds and blending and infer word meaning from context by providing a series

PURPOSE Collaborative teaming has been found to be one of the most critical components in maximizing student outcomes in individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This study aimed to understand roles, barriers, and facilitators of related service providers when working on and collaborating in literacy instruction with learners who use AAC to maximize literacy outcomes.

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Weekly Assessment of Child Behavior–Negative Form (WACB-N), a brief, nine-item caregiver-reported assessment designed for screening and progress monitoring of externalizing behavior problems in children of ages 2–10 years. The psychometric properties of the WACB-N were examined across two non-overlapping samples: a clinical population of caregiver-child

PURPOSE Parents of children with developmental language disorder (DLD) have unique support needs. While support groups have a strong evidence base, they have not been adapted for use with this population. Our goal was to explore support needs among parents of children with DLD and their perspectives on participating in a support group. METHOD We conducted semistructured interviews with 12 caregivers

PURPOSE The Stuttering Severity Instrument-Fourth Edition (SSI-4) is unavailable in Arabic language. The purpose of the current research is to translate the SSI-4 (Riley, 2009) into Arabic and to discuss its validity, as well as its intrajudge and interjudge reliability. METHOD Archived videos of 28 school-aged children who stutter ranged in age from 8 to 16 years (M = 10.5, SD = 3.5) and 11 adults

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine English reading comprehension skills in Spanish-English bilingual children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD). In particular, we examined the contribution of Spanish and English oral language skills and of the language of instruction (i.e., English only or dual language) to English reading comprehension outcomes. METHOD Fifty-nine

INTRODUCTION Speech-language pathologists have limited evidence-based methods for grammar intervention to use with multilingual children with developmental language disorder (DLD). Explicit grammatical intervention is a promising approach for this population and has the potential to facilitate cross-linguistic transfer to an untreated language. In this clinical focus article, we present steps for

Students with or at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders served in residential facilities have been exposed to traumatic events at higher rates compared to their peers. Behavioral interventions may be more effective for this population if they include trauma-informed relationship building adaptations. One intervention that may be modified to include such adaptations is Check-in, Check-out (CICO)

PURPOSE Children with Down syndrome often have poor speech intelligibility, which can mask expressive language competence; this, in turn, can lead to serious misconceptions about overall competence and intellectual abilities. Although aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can be used to bridge these gaps, children with Down syndrome are not always provided with consistent access to

PURPOSE This article highlights how the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework aligns with a trauma lens in speech-language pathology practice by considering risk and protective factors in a client's life and within clinical care interactions at individual, family, and community and population levels. This approach shifts practitioners

PURPOSE This clinical focus article examines six critical elements of a successful and evidence-based summer Intensive Preschool Language Program and the lessons learned over the 9 years of its implementation. The program serves a heterogeneous group of children who have been diagnosed with a language disorder, including children with developmental language disorder, children who are dual language

Educational acceleration is well established as a best practice for meeting the learning needs of precocious youth. It occupies one region of a broader spectrum of interventions designed to align educational curricula with students’ learning readiness, namely, appropriate developmental placement . Despite over 100 years of robust longitudinal support, educational acceleration is not reliably implemented

PURPOSE A history of trauma is significantly related to the likelihood of having a language disorder. Given that one in seven children experience maltreatment in the United States, it is essential that school-based speech-language pathologists are well prepared to engage in trauma-informed practice when working with children and adolescents who have a history of trauma. The primary purpose of this

Teachers’ beliefs influence the educational experiences they provide for students with disabilities. Furthermore, beliefs are highly contextualized, necessitating careful attention to the contexts in which they are developed and deployed. Informed by DisCrit, we employed narrative analysis to explore the beliefs of five special educators working in self-contained settings serving students labeled with

PURPOSE Many state standards for elementary students require them to use complex syntax, and research has documented age-related increases in the production of complex utterances in elementary-aged school children. Speech-language pathologists who provide services for these children, however, need detailed information in order to plan curriculum relevant intervention. The purpose of this study is

Puberty education is a widely accepted, critical component of sex education, yet little is known about its instruction. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a promising pedagogical approach for meeting the needs of diverse learners in the puberty classroom especially students with disabilities. This community-based participatory research project partnered with a community organization that provides

The aims of this study were to (a) characterize the prevalence and interrelationship of Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals in academic (reading, writing, math) and developmental (language, social skills, behavioral) domains in a large national sample of autistic children across the elementary and secondary grade levels and (b) examine how demographic and developmental factors predict having

During the move to ninth grade, students often face increased academic and behavioral challenges. This study examined Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT), which is designed to enhance teaching and learning by promoting student engagement. The CW-FIT involves teachers clearly defining classroom behavior expectations, praising students for appropriate behavior, and rewarding groups

Racial disproportionality in special education and school discipline remains a persistent social justice issue in the U.S. education system. Drawing from a 4-year-long school-community-university partnership within an Anishinaabe Band of Ojibwe in northern Wisconsin, we propose a theoretical and practical framework called decolonizing agency to address racial disproportionality through systemic transformation

PURPOSE Autistic individuals often exhibit poorer emergent literacy skills (e.g., phonological awareness, print knowledge, oral language) relative to their non-autistic peers. Although emergent literacy skills are known to impact future reading success in typical development, their relationship with word recognition and reading comprehension in autistic children remains unclear. The purpose of this

This study investigates the time-use patterns of students with learning disabilities during digital mathematics assessments and explores the role of extended time accommodations (ETA) in shaping these patterns. Using latent profile analysis, four distinct time-use profiles were identified separately for students with and without ETA. “Initial Focusers” spend more time on simpler initial items and less

Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are used to document the needs of students with disabilities and outline provisions with which to support access and inclusion in educational settings. However, often the programs focus on students’ specific needs rather than giving agency to students or considering how wider ecosystems impacts students’ ownership of learning. This study adopted Bronfenbrenner's

PURPOSE For school-age students with language and literacy deficits (LLD), such as those with developmental language disorder (DLD) and/or dyslexia, literacy challenges can affect reading comprehension, written language, and overall academic success. Researchers have established that instruction in morphological awareness, especially with a phonological, orthographic, semantic, and syntactic focus

For decades, gifted education programs have identified students from upper-income families at notably higher rates than students from lower-income families. Most studies addressing socioeconomic inequalities in gifted education have focused on systemic and structural barriers to educational resources, such as poverty, peripheral areas, and language barriers. However, because most studies have relied

Research in the field of gifted and talented has significantly shifted in recent years to focus on broader conceptualizations of the construct, including performing arts, creativity, and leadership. Yet, it is not clear how states conceptualize and identify students as gifted and talented given the last review of state gifted and talented regulations (i.e., laws) was conducted more than a decade ago

Middle schools bring considerable change for students, which can intensify risk for adverse middle school student experiences and performance. Yet, implementation of positive and proactive classroom-level strategies can improve student outcomes. However, middle school teachers may not have the repertoire to systemically implement such classroom-level strategies to fidelity, particularly in co-teaching

Measuring moment-to-moment interactions between teachers and students with persistent challenging behavior can help explain broader behavioral patterns in the classroom and identify ways to initiate change in teacher–student interaction cycles. In this U.S. descriptive observational study, we conducted a series of classroom observations for each of 20 students referred for individualized behavior support

Assessing the extent to which interventions might generalize involves an understanding of for whom and in what contexts interventions have succeeded. Identifying the characteristics of service recipients as well as observers, teachers, and other members of implementation teams involved in intervention research represents an emerging consideration in special education literature involving single-case

PURPOSE This longitudinal study investigated the impact of different academic programs of primary language instruction (Spanish or English) on the dual language development of Spanish-English bilingual children. Types of academic settings offered to bilingual students as well as differing views and outcomes based on language of instruction are outlined. METHOD Narrative retell language samples

This study examines the relationships between three accommodation strategies—Extended Time (ET) only, breaks only, and breaks bundled with ET—and academic performance, test-taking behavior, and attitudes among eighth-grade students with disabilities who participated in the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics assessment. Utilizing propensity score analysis to mitigate

In the context of increasing legislative emphasis on universal screening for reading problems, the accurate and equitable assessment of English learners (ELs) remains a pressing concern. This study examines how kindergarten and first-grade students’ performance on early literacy measures in English is affected by their English proficiency. In this paper, we report on performance on measures of deletion

Disparities in school discipline based on student race and disability status remain a major barrier to achieving educational equity. In addition to systemic factors, research suggests that educators’ racial and labeling biases may also be partially responsible for exacerbating these inequities. This article presents a novel mindfulness-based training approach to address bias as it manifests in school

PURPOSE Collaboration between teachers and speech-language pathologists is essential for supporting diverse learners, particularly those with communication challenges. This article explores the use of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a common language to enhance interprofessional collaboration, fostering a shared framework for designing inclusive educational environments. By implementing UDL

This study investigated the efficacy of a Tier 2 multiplicative reasoning (MR) intervention designed to help third-grade students at risk for mathematics difficulties (MD) develop conceptual understanding of MR. The MR intervention included opportunities for students to engage in critical thinking as they generalized big ideas, participated in classroom discourse, and modeled multiplicative relationships

Assessing teacher–student interactions in the classroom is critical, but most research has relied on short observation periods due to the infeasibility of longer sessions. Our study assessed and quantified the emotional tone (i.e., teacher sentiment) of classroom teachers’ language patterns throughout the school day using transcriptions of 149 full-day videos to understand the consistency of findings

Autistic youth often face challenges with transitioning to adulthood. Although autistic students working toward a traditional diploma likely have unique educational and transition needs, little is known about special education services offered to this population. In this descriptive study, we used content analysis to analyze Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) of 48 traditional diploma-seeking

PURPOSE The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate how teachers in the United States understand and perceive developmental language disorder (DLD). This study used a survey to examine teachers' understanding of DLD and the impact of DLD at school to inform advocacy efforts within the discipline of communication sciences and disorders (CSD) and collaborations between speech-language

PURPOSE Identification of speech sound disorder (SSD) in children who are multilingual is challenging for many speech-language pathologists (SLPs). This may be due to a lack of clinical resources to accurately identify SSD in multilingual children as easily as for monolingual children. The purpose of this article is to describe features of multilingual speech acquisition, identify evidence-based resources

PURPOSE Caregivers of children with developmental language disorder (DLD) face numerous challenges, including limited evidence-backed options for learning about oral language and DLD. This explanatory sequential, mixed-methods study quantified and described caregiver perceptions of learning about DLD through an online asynchronous training. METHOD We used quantitative methods to measure self-perceived

The transition into post-secondary education or employment presents significant challenges for youth with high-incidence disabilities affecting learning, most commonly learning disabilities and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. To date, few longitudinal studies investigate this transition in youth with learning-related disorders specifically, especially while considering education and employment

PURPOSE Functional language proficiency is presented as a conceptual framework that builds upon cultural-linguistic assets in bilingually developing children and bridges the theory of natural translation, translanguaging, and language brokering practices. A novel task was developed based on this framework for quantifying Spanish-English bilingual children's functional language proficiency. The development

PURPOSE Children who use hearing aids show large individual differences in the amount of time they wear their devices, but the vast majority of research studies have focused on infants and preschoolers who are deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH). There is limited empirical evidence regarding hearing aid use in adolescents or published data on adolescents' attitudes toward hearing aids. The overarching

PURPOSE The prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is increasing and is highest in minoritized ethnic/racial groups, most notably in Indigenous populations in the United States and Canada. Beyond ACEs, minoritized ethnic/racial groups have also experienced historical oppression, discrimination, and economic inequalities that can perpetuate ACEs and initiate intergenerational cycles of

PURPOSE While there is overwhelming support from clinical texts, journal articles, and our national organization for the implementation of multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) in school-based speech and language practice, the reality is that many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) may be unfamiliar with how to fully engage with this framework. In this clinical focus article, we identify potential

PURPOSE Early identification of diverging developmental trajectories is important to optimize communication interventions for children with cerebral palsy (CP). The aim of this study was to examine if communication profiles at 2 years of age predicted speech, language, and communication outcomes at 9-10 years of age in children with CP. METHOD Twenty-three children with CP (Mage = 9;10 [years;months])

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to longitudinally investigate parent-reported children's speech and language in early childhood as an early indicator of Indigenous Australians' school-age educational outcomes. METHOD Participants were 1,534 children from the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC) whose parents reported on expressive and receptive speech and language concern (SLC) at

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with numerous negative outcomes, including negative health outcomes, poor psychological well-being, future substance abuse, and other antisocial behaviors. However, social support may act as a buffer against these negative outcomes. Group contingencies provide one way to simultaneously encourage social inclusion and prosocial behaviors. The

Many autistic children receive special education services via Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that include specific educational goals and needs. Prior research has examined programming options available to support autistic students, but less is known about their educational needs across academic and developmental educational goals. Additionally, existing approaches have often relied on small