Using a 3D Simulation for Teaching Functional Skills to Students with Learning, Attentional, Behavioral, and Emotional Disabilities

The study presents results from the use of a 3D simulation for teaching functional skills to students with learning, attentional, behavioral, and emotional disabilities, attending regular schools. An A-B single-subject study design was applied. The participating students (eight eight-to-nine years old) explored the simulation (a virtual school), encountered situations in which they observed how they are expected to behave, and had to demonstrate what they have learned. Each student attended a total of four two-hour sessions. Data were collected by means of observations and semi-structured interviews. All students demonstrated improved functional skills both in terms of the number of behaviors they acquired and in terms of those that were retained and manifested in the real school environment. On the basis of the results, it can be argued that 3D simulations are a promising tool for teaching functional skills to students with disabilities.

Using Data-Based Instruction to Support Struggling Elementary Writers

Writing is a critical academic and life skill, but many school-age children struggle with the complexity of written expression. Given the importance of writing, there is a clear need for a systematic approach to identifying and supporting struggling writers, including writers with learning and emotional disabilities. One such approach is known as data-based instruction (DBI). This article presents an overview of DBI and guidance on how educators can use the DBI steps with assessment data to inform their classroom writing instruction. Additional resources are shared to support teachers in using DBI with their struggling writers and writers with learning and emotional disabilities.

Using a 3D Simulation for Teaching Functional Skills to Students with Learning, Attentional, Behavioral, and Emotional Disabilities

The study presents results from the use of a 3D simulation for teaching functional skills to students with learning, attentional, behavioral, and emotional disabilities, attending regular schools. An A-B single-subject study design was applied. The participating students (eight eight-to-nine years old) explored the simulation (a virtual school), encountered situations in which they observed how they are expected to behave, and had to demonstrate what they have learned. Each student attended a total of four two-hour sessions. Data were collected by means of observations and semi-structured interviews. All students demonstrated improved functional skills both in terms of the number of behaviors they acquired and in terms of those that were retained and manifested in the real school environment. On the basis of the results, it can be argued that 3D simulations are a promising tool for teaching functional skills to students with disabilities.

Urban Principal Narratives on Including Black Boys with Emotional Disabilities

Black boys in racially segregated urban schools are vulnerable to the trappings of the school-to-prison-pipeline. In this article, I use narrative inquiry and critical race theory (CRT) to examine the stories of two elementary school principals struggling to create more inclusive schools for Black boys with emotional disabilities (ED) in a racially segregated and low-performing district. Each principal narrative describes efforts to transition a student with ED from a district-created self-contained program to a full-time or near-full-time placement in an inclusive general education classroom. Despite the principals' overall success in creating more inclusive schools for most students with disabilities in a challenging district context, each principal narrative ends with a student being unsuccessful in an inclusive setting and returned to a segregated program. The findings highlight how principals who recognize the vulnerability of Black boys in special education are compelled to create more inclusive schools, but can confront significant institutional, organizational, and social and emotional challenges. Applying CRT to these cases provides additional insights into how principals can develop inclusive schools and challenge segregated programs. While some inclusive leadership practices aimed at improving the educational outcomes of Black boys are identified throughout these narratives, the significance of the study lies in documenting and understanding how principals experience the barriers and challenges to creating more socially just and inclusive schools.