This article examines problems With the preparation of school personnel Who serve children With autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Several areas of concern are discussed, including the current teacher shortage and attrition among special education teachers, noncategorical versus categorical teacher training and the impact of each on teacher preparedness, lack of scope and depth of most autism training models, clashes in theoretical orientation that may negatively affect teacher training, and issues that may arise When undertrained teachers interact With parents. Recommendations are made for the improvement of personnel preparation for teachers of children With ASD, including specialized skills training, multiple approaches training, training personnel from various disciplines, training paraprofessionals and in-home trainers, training parents, providing technical assistance and support to teachers, and providing leadership and funding to promote and enhance personnel preparation in ASD.

Twenty-seven studies pertaining to the use of selfmonitoring for behavior management purposes in special education classrooms were examined. The studies were described in detail questions regarding the reactivity of self-monitoring were posited, and implications for classroom instruction were delineated. It was found that self-monitoring can be successfully used with special education students of various ages in various settings to increase (a) attention to task, (b) positive classroom behaviors, and (c) some social skills. It can also be successfully used to decrease inappropriate classroom behavior. Self-monitoring apparently has the additional benefit of enhancing the likelihood that positive classroom behaviors will generalize to other settings. Self-monitoring techniques are easy to teach and have great promise as a behavior management strategy. However, new information regarding whether selfmonitoring is true self-management or self-regulation was not found in this review. It is recommended that further research be conducted to examine whether selfmonitoring works better than teacher-monitoring to control student behavior and to determine whether internal or external contingencies account for the reactivity effects.

Teacher educators of pre-service teachers of students with special needs face challenges in providing the unique knowledge and skills required of highly qualified special education teachers. The emerging use of various forms of virtual technology, however, offers realistic solutions to these problems. This systematic review of literature examines 14 studies that utilized these virtual technologies to increase learning outcomes for pre-service special education teachers during field experiences or courses that prepared them for such experiences. Included studies examined the efficacy of learning from digital case studies, supervision via videoconferencing, audio-cued coaching, and participation in virtual reality activities. Results confirmed that these types of technologies can greatly enhance field-based learning opportunities for pre-service special education teachers.

The purpose of this study was to determine the most effective of three instructional methods for teaching mathematics to secondary students with emotional and behavioral disorders. A single-subject alternating-treatments research design was used to compare three instructional methods: direct teach, computer-assisted instruction, and a combination of both methods. Disability label, age, and IQ were related to learning outcomes. In addition, although the combined method was more effective for some learners, variables such as attendance and motivation, as well as IQ, comorbid conditions, age, and number of years spent in school, affected learning outcomes.