Literacy in science is important for all students and is one component of access and progress in the general education curriculum. One barrier to science literacy for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is the extensive amount of vocabulary involved in comprehending science content. Based on the inherent link between vocabulary knowledge and comprehension, graphic organizers (GOs) paired with explicit instruction can improve vocabulary as well as comprehension for students with disabilities. Using a multiple probe design, three students with ASD and intellectual disability were taught various scientific concepts related to convection (e.g., precipitation, condensation) via systematic instruction that included constant time delay and multiple exemplars of a teacher-directed GO. A functional relation was demonstrated between the GO with systematic instruction and students’ number of correct steps completed on the task analysis. Future research and implications for practice are discussed.

Increasing the accurate use of research-based practices in classrooms is a critical issue. Professional development is one of the most practical ways to provide practicing teachers with training related to research-based practices. This study examined the effects of in-service plus follow-up coaching on first grade teachers' accurate delivery of three researchbased strategies during math instruction. Teachers were trained to use a combination of whole-class instruction strategies, including model-lead-test for introducing new concepts and correcting errors, choral responding, and response cards. Results indicated that all teachers improved their delivery of the strategies after the in-service, with a second level of growth achieved after coaching. Improvements also generalized to untrained math sessions. Teachers reported very high levels of satisfaction with the training model.

Early intervention is key to preventing academic failure and referral to special education. General educators are responsible for providing primary instruction for students at risk for failure; however, the training they receive related to specific instructional strategies for these students is often insufficient (e.g., 1-day workshops). Alternative forms of professional development that include a combination of in-service and follow-up support have shown more promise in promoting changes in teaching behaviors.This study examined the effects of in-service support plus coaching on kindergarten teachers’ accurate delivery of group instructional units in math. Teachers were trained to use a combination of whole-class instruction strategies, including model-lead-test for introducing new concepts and correcting errors, choral responding, and response cards. Results indicated that all teachers improved their delivery of instruction after the in-service training, with a second level of growth achieved after coaching. Teachers also reported high levels of satisfaction using the strategies.

This study examined the effects of explicit instruction in the SOLVE Strategy on the mathematical problem solving skills of six Grade 8 students with specific learning disabilities. The SOLVE Strategy is an explicit instruction, mnemonic-based learning strategy designed to help students in solving mathematical word problems. Using a multiple probe across participants design, results suggested a functional relation between explicit instruction in the SOLVE strategy and increase in strategy use and computation scores on grade level mathematical word problems for all participants. Additionally, all participants generalized the SOLVE Strategy to other mathematic topics and concepts, and the teacher and students felt the intervention was socially acceptable. Finally, limitations, implications for practice, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Many of the phenomena of masking can be explained on the basis of two models, one for monaural listening, and the other for binaural. The monaural model is the familiar narrow band-pass filter followed by a detector responsive to changes in output level. The binaural model is a series of coincidence detectors associated with a delay-network capable of matching delay in the stimulus with a delay in the neural path. The two models have proved helpful in understanding the phenomena of tonal masking, and have led to a number of predictions which have been subsequently verified by experiments reported here. Some of the new findings are related to monaural masking and some to binaural. Among the latter are the fact that masking-level differences can be observed in the masking of one pure tone by another when a short signal is employed, and that a binaural signal can be heard in the presence of uncorrelated noise at the two ears better than a monaural signal can be heard against noise presented monaurally, again provided that a short signal is employed. Many studies of the masking of tones have appeared during the past few years. They have been characterized by close agreement in results wherever they have had common conditions, and they provide a large body of dependable quantitative information. With this body of fact there also grew, at least in the minds of present writers, a considerable state of bewilderment. Many of the facts appeared to contradict inferences drawn from others. The present paper discusses a number of these facts and attempts to encompass them under a few explanatory principles.