A utism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by impaired social interaction, a restricted repertoire of activities and interests, and impaired communication (except for relatively normal language use by individuals with Asperger syndrome; American Psychiatric Association, 1995). Several studies have demonstrated progression of skills among children with autism following early intervention, including language gains, improved social interaction, and significant IQ gains (Rogers, 1996). Whereas early intervention therapy results in a significant improvement in the functioning of individuals with ASD, relatively few interventions and research programs have focused on adolescents and adults. Few established therapeutic interventions exist for young adults on the autism spectrum, and there is a significant lack of service provision and multidisciplinary support (Moxon & Gates, 2001). This paucity of vocational services is likely to become an increasing problem as more individuals benefit from early intervention therapy and are mainstreamed into inclusive environments. The incidence of ASD is rising, with one recent study showing a 373% increase in the

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities struggle to find integrated employment because of their challenges with vocational task acquisition and completion.In this study, self-directed video prompting on iPads was used with three male participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A multiple probe across tasks design was used to determine the effects of the intervention on the accuracy of vocational task acquisition in integrated employment settings. Prior to intervention with self-directed video prompting in the integrated employment setting, a multiple probe across participants design was used to determine the effects of a training package for teaching iPad usage consisting of modeling and least-to-most prompting on a training task. All three participants acquired device usage in two to five trials. The participants all acquired three vocational tasks in the course of the study and demonstrated generalization to new materials, settings, or people in two of their three tasks.iii Dedication Dedicated to my sisters and nieces, an amazing gift from God!

Students with disabilities often lack the skills required to access the general education curriculum and achieve success in school and postschool environments. Evidence suggests that using assistive technologies such as digital texts and translational supports enhances outcomes for these students (Anderson-Inman & Horney, 2007). The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of a text-to-speech screen reader program on the academic achievement of high school students with disabilities in an online transition curriculum emphasizing information literacy. The text-to-speech support was introduced and withdrawn in a reversal design across 10 curriculum units. Findings suggest that the text-to-speech support increased unit quiz and reading comprehension performance with large effect sizes. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

No abstract

A pre-test-post-test control group design examined the effects of extending transition services beyond graduation on employment earnings of vocational students with disabilities. Specific transition services included: vocational assessment, agency contacts, Individualized Educational Program (IEP) meetings, extended vocational training, employability counseling, job club, job interview preparation, job development, and job coaching. The results indicated that youth who received extended transition services had significantly higher earnings for two years following the termination of services than youth who did not receive extended transition services. Through a follow-up survey conducted five years after intervention services ended, we found that youth who received extended transition services were significantly more likely to be employed or in a training program than those without extended transition supports. No significant experimental group differences emerged based on gender, race, or disability.