The purpose of this article Was to examine the scientific evidence provided by single-subject design studies that supported effective intervention and educational practices for young children With autism. A revieW of the literature from 1990 to 2002 revealed 37 studies that meet the inclusion criteria. Research studies primarily employed multiple-baseline experimental designs and provided strong evidence for effectiveness through multiple replications of treatment effects. Practices supported by this research Were classified into three groups. Practices With Well-established evidence of effectiveness Were adult-directed teaching and differential reinforcement. Emerging and effective practices included peer-mediated interventions, visual supports, self-monitoring, and family member involvement in the intervention. Practices that Were probably efficacious included positive behavior support, videotaped model, and children's choices and/or preferences incorporated in learning tasks. For many of these practices, additional evidence may be provided by group design studies and single-subject design studies in Which older children With autism Were participants.

In this article the authors describe a collaboratively designed secondary teacher education program focused on the preparation of preservice general education teachers to work effectively with children who have diverse learning needs in inclusive classrooms. The focus of the article is on the collaborative development and initial evaluation of the program by secondary teacher education faculty and special education faculty. The instructional design emphasized a co-teaching model where principles of Universal Design for Learning and instructional adaptation were integrated and assessed in multiple courses by collaborating university faculty. Data from the initial evaluation included student teaching portfolios, formal teacher observations, and 6th-through 12th-grade student assessments. The data suggest that preservice teachers appropriately used strategies for adapting their instruction to meet the needs of students with exceptionalities.Our purpose in this article was to describe key aspects of the design, implementation, and initial evaluation of our innovative preservice sec-

This study investigated the use of online mentoring in giving professional support to 26 limited licensed teachers doing a practicum in the area of emotional/behavioral disorders. The practicum involved planning, implementing and evaluating an intervention for a learner in the teacher's classroom who displayed longstanding problems in behavior. Each limited licensed teacher, called a practicum teacher, was assigned one or two mentors. The practicum teachers were responsible for posting weekly progress reports on their practicum activities and engaging in an online dialogue with their mentors. The mentor's role was to provide ongoing guidance and consultation to the practicum teachers. Data sources, such as a questionnaire, online observation of the mentoring process, the practicum teachers' reflection logs, and the practicum teachers' and mentors' responses to open-ended questions were analyzed to evaluate: (1) the structure of the practicum, (2) the practicum teachers' and mentors' perceptions of online mentoring, and (3) the difficulties faced by the practicum teachers and mentors in online mentoring. Results indicated that the practicum teachers and mentors gave very positive evaluations of both the practicum experience and the online mentoring process.

More and more colleges and universities are utilizing web-based instruction to meet the educational needs of teachers seeking certification in special education, and effective course design strategies for using this technology are needed. In this article we present results form a survey of 54 teachers who evaluated 6 design considerations for using web conferencing in an on-line introductory methods course in the area of emotional/behavioral disorders. The design considerations were class and team size, learning activities, instructor's role, feedback from classmates and instructors, building a sense of community, and technical support. We found that web conferencing was perceived as a very effective delivery format for offering coursework and other professional development experiences to mid-career changers and teachers on limited licenses.

Professional development (PD) experiences for special education teachers are designed to facilitate teacher learning and the implementation of evidence-based practices. PD should also make a positive impact on the K-12 students with disabilities that are in participating teachers' classrooms. In this study, the author investigates the outcomes of the use of a project-based online PD approach with in-service teachers of students with disabilities. In particular, the study focuses on the effects of the PD on K-12 students with disabilities in the participating teachers' classrooms. The findings from the qualitative study indicate that each of the four student participants improved in the area of performance that was targeted by the teachers' PD. The analysis suggests that this approach to PD positively affects participating teachers' instructional practices and the performance of K-12 students with disabilities.