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.
This article reviews research on vocabulary interventions involving students with learning disabilities. The purpose of the review was to summarize the findings of vocabulary intervention research and to present implications for vocabulary instruction. The studies were analyzed based on the following intervention research variables: word selection procedure, materials, instructional design and procedures, duration of the intervention, mastery criterion, measures of vocabulary learning (word knowledge level and reading comprehension), maintenance, and generalization (reading comprehension). Based on the selection criteria, six articles spanning the period from 1978 to the present were identified. Vocabulary interventions were categorized into four areas, computer-assisted instruction (CAI), fluency-building vocabulary practice activities, mnemonic strategy instruction, and concept enhancement instruction. Overall, positive results were found for the interventions on measures of immediate recall, maintenance, and generalization.
The authors report findings from a systematic observational study of middle school educators (Grades 6–8) in two states who provided reading interventions within Tier 2 and Tier 3 of a Response to Intervention (RTI) framework. Intervention sessions were coded and analyzed to understand (a) the frequency and type of evidence-based strategies implemented for students with learning disabilities and reading difficulties, and (b) whether observed practices within secondary and tertiary intervention settings align with researcher recommendations regarding middle school reading instruction based on extant research. The findings indicated that more than 12% of time was devoted to logistical and non-academic activities, and evidence-based interventions including explicit instruction, cognitive strategy instruction, content enhancements, and independent practice opportunities were reported infrequently, although instructional differences across sites were demonstrated. Encouraging findings include evidence of peer-mediated reading and explicit performance feedback. Implications for teacher preparation, professional development, and future research for RTI are discussed.
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