Special Education Meetings: The Role of the Facilitator in Districts Serving Rural Communities

Special education professionals serve as facilitators of Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meetings. This study explores how facilitators see their IEP meeting roles and probes further into how IEP facilitators envision an ideal IEP meeting in school districts with rural schools. Findings indicate that facilitators see their roles in three parts: procedural due process, informal problem solving, and parental support. Their view of the ideal IEP meeting involved a strong presence by members, parental involvement, and achieving true collaboration. Implications for teachers and school leaders include agenda distribution, external meeting communication, and role clarification.

What is ‘high-functioning’ in high-functioning autism?

In several diagnostic manuals of disabilities and disorders, High-Functioning Autism (HFA) is omitted and/or remains an unofficial diagnostic term. However, in 2007, the American Academy of Special Education Professionals has given it an official diagnostic code AU-4.00 in its Educator’s Diagnostic Manual of Disabilities and Disorders (EDM). This has rekindled research to re-look at HFA if it deserves to be given its own diagnostic code. Today, HFA refers to autistics who possess average/above-average intelligence and function in typical settings. This paper explores what ‘high-functioning’ is in the enigmatic condition of HFA.

A Sociocognitive Discourse Analysis of Monolingual Ideology and Bias in Special Education Partnerships

Communication difficulties between immigrant families, who are non-native English speakers, and special education professionals lead to unsuccessful family–professional partnerships. Such difficulties are often attributed to families’ low English proficiency or to limited access to quality language services. Other sources of partnership issues are occasionally overlooked. Consequently, special education professional partnerships with immigrant families may benefit from more critical discourse analyses of monolingual English-driven communication. Using Van Dijk’s sociocognitive approach to critical discourse studies, we analyzed 16 articles on special education partnerships by examining the discourses of monolingual ideologies and biases. The analysis identified three interrelated discourses in the literature: (a) parents’ compliance to monolingual biased norms in communication and self-blaming discourses; (b) professionals’ othering discourses and diffusion of responsibility concerning parents’ communicative needs; and (c) researchers’ role as gatekeepers in the recontextualization of parent–professional discourses. Finally, we discussed how to promote linguistically equitable partnerships addressing each discourse.

Understanding Motivating Operations and the Impact on the Function of Behavior

Special educators are often considered the experts in their school when it comes to developing functional behavior assessments (FBA) and behavior intervention plans (BIP), yet rarely are they trained much beyond basic antecedents, behaviors, and consequences (ABC). This column discusses concepts that will expand special education professionals’ knowledge to make better decisions regarding interventions for the students they serve. Specifically, the focus is on motivating operations (MO) and function-based interventions and the implications of these on behavior. Knowledge of the concept of MOs can enhance a teacher’s ability to provide evidence-based interventions and more fully developed behavioral interventions for students in their purview.

“Anything Is Better than Nothing!” Inservice Teacher Preparation for Teaching Students with Disabilities

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to examine three elementary music teacher’s perceptions of preparation to work with students with disabilities. Research questions included the following: How do elementary general music teachers define preparedness for working with students with disabilities? What challenges do elementary general music teachers face in their work with students with disabilities? What resources do general music teachers identify as helpful? Based on major themes that emerged from the analysis, I concluded general music teachers need more preservice preparation and ongoing professional development focused on students with disabilities, more time to collaborate with special education professionals, more consistent communications and recommendations about how to work with students who have disabilities, and access to assistive technologies.

An Examination of Group Facilitator Challenges and Problem-Solving Techniques During IEP Team Meetings

Special education professionals serve as facilitators of Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team meetings. As special educators serve on many IEP teams during the course of an academic year, and as the member composition for each team varies, facilitators are confronted with a unique set of challenges to managing successful meetings. In this study, the authors investigate the specific types of problems and facilitator techniques occurring in IEP meetings. Findings suggest that facilitation issues and techniques are varied across special education professionals. In addition, facilitator training is needed to review and introduce facilitation techniques that may improve meeting member contributions.