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Differentiated instruction is a student-centered approach to instruction that considers the differing characteristics and aspects of the learner. With increasing diversity in higher education, differentiated instruction is one strategy that instructors may use to facilitate student success. However, there is limited empirical research examining the effectiveness of differentiated instruction in higher education. Using a quasi-experimental pretest posttest group design, the effects of differentiation of instruction, specifically differentiation of content and variable grouping, on student content knowledge were examined in an undergraduate course in a Communication Sciences and Disorders program. Students in the intervention group scored significantly higher on final course grades and one unit posttest following participation in the intervention. Overall, the intervention group scored significantly higher on the final course grade than the comparison group. Yet, there were no significant differences between the intervention and comparison group on the final posttest scores, on the student perception survey, nor the weekly posttest quiz scores, except in the area of pragmatics. Implications for pedagogical approaches in CSD and higher education are discussed.

Project START (Students and Teachers Actively Reading Together) is an adaptive shared reading intervention designed to address the varied learning needs of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This report summarizes procedures and results of the developmental year of the project, which focused primarily on evaluating implementation fidelity and social validity of the intervention. The final sample consisted of four classrooms with 10 students with ASD (M[subscript age]= 4.32 years) and their teachers (N = 4). Classrooms were randomized to either a 4- or an 8-week first-stage small-group dialogic reading condition. Children who were early responders continued with the initial intervention; those who were slower to respond were randomized to one of two intensified reading conditions. Results indicate that teachers perceived the intervention as feasible and child outcomes as acceptable. Implementation fidelity was low during initial weeks (33%-50%), improving to 67% to 83% by the last weeks of the study. Neither children's engagement nor vocabulary growth differed between treatment levels or conditions. We discuss lessons learned from the study's developmental year and changes that will be made in subsequent years to improve implementation and feasibility.

Project START (Students and Teachers Actively Reading Together) is an adaptive shared reading intervention designed to address the varied learning needs of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This report summarizes procedures and results of the developmental year of the project, which focused primarily on evaluating implementation fidelity and social validity of the intervention. The final sample consisted of four classrooms with 10 students with ASD (M[subscript age]= 4.32 years) and their teachers (N = 4). Classrooms were randomized to either a 4- or an 8-week first-stage small-group dialogic reading condition. Children who were early responders continued with the initial intervention; those who were slower to respond were randomized to one of two intensified reading conditions. Results indicate that teachers perceived the intervention as feasible and child outcomes as acceptable. Implementation fidelity was low during initial weeks (33%-50%), improving to 67% to 83% by the last weeks of the study. Neither children's engagement nor vocabulary growth differed between treatment levels or conditions. We discuss lessons learned from the study's developmental year and changes that will be made in subsequent years to improve implementation and feasibility. [This article was published in "Exceptional Children" (EJ1320422).]

Early childhood educators teach children with a variety of ability levels. Children ages birth to five who exhibit characteristics of a developmental delay, disability, or a health condition that may affect typical development and learning may receive early intervention (EI) services as detailed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA has a provision for services for young children from birth until their third birthday in Part C (IDEA, 2004). Under Part C, interagency partners conduct developmental assessments and provide services to children younger than three years old who have developmental delays and/or complex chronic conditions. The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) recommends educators and practitioners use family-centered, collaborative, culturally responsive, and capacity-building practices (DEC, 2014). One such family-centered model supported in EI is the triadic approach (Brown & Woods, 2016). The purpose of this article is to bridge the research to practice gap by providing a guide on how to implement the triadic approach in EI, with special considerations for telepractice.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a vocabulary intervention delivered by teachers collaborating with speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the classroom as compared with teachers in a noncollaborating condition. Method: This quasi-experimental study employed a collaboration treatment condition (n = 2 collaborative pairs, n = 34 students) and a comparison condition (n = 2 noncollaborating teachers, n = 34 students). In both conditions, versions of the Vocabulary Scenario Technique were implemented. Third-grade students completed vocabulary assessments for three vocabulary tasks. Results on each of the measures were analyzed using a two-factor split-plot analysis of variance. Results: A significant interaction effect on the Words-in-Context (WIC) task, with a medium effect size (f = 0.28), supported the value-added impact of having the SLP collaborate directly with the teacher in implementing the approach. Gains on the Synonyms and Non-Example measures were not significantly different between the conditions, but large effects were found for all three tasks within the collaboration condition, whereas gains in the comparison condition showed large effects for the Synonyms task only and medium effects for the WIC and Non-Example tasks. Conclusions: SLPs' contributions within their collaborations were associated with gains that were larger than those made by students in classrooms where teachers did not collaborate with SLPs on a vocabulary task requiring application of word meanings in sentences. Clinical implications and areas for future research are discussed.

Purpose: Reading and writing are foundational skills that provide access to educational, vocational, and social experiences. However, while the gap widens between the literacy skills of individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and those with typical development as they grow into adolescence, little is known about meeting the comprehensive literacy needs of adolescents with ID. This tutorial reimagines the assessment of literacy-specific skills for adolescents with ID as an individualized approach that will reveal a profile of strengths and challenges so they can receive targeted intervention. Method: Extant research investigating literacy achievement for individuals with ID is reviewed, followed by a discussion of emergent to conventional literacy skills and a conceptual framework within which to organize the skills. Then, an individualized assessment approach is presented that addresses considerations for the selection of complementary formal and informal measures and strategic analysis of the results. Results: A clinical case study depicting a literacy assessment of an adolescent diagnosed with ID is utilized to demonstrate the process for determining individual strengths and challenges in emergent and conventional literacy skills. Detailed discussion of assessment results and error analysis provide insight into her level of emergent and conventional reading and writing skills, which is then linked to intervention goal suggestions. Conclusion: Comprehensive individualized assessment batteries enable practitioners to align literacy interventions with each adolescent's needs in order to promote conventional reading and writing development.

Preschoolers can learn mathematics from opportunities throughout their day, such as through play and storybook readings (Clements & Sarama, 2007; Green et al., 2018; Hassinger-Das et al., 2018). In fact, the early years are an advantageous time to introduce children to formal mathematical operations, as preschoolers often have a spontaneous interest in mathematics (Seo & Ginsburg, 2004). If children are actively engaged in meaningful and enjoyable mathematics activities, they will likely continue to engage in mathematics in later years (Watts et al., 2014). To promote mathematical skills in a preschool classroom, teachers can structure the environment to allow for natural mathematics opportunities (National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC] & National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], 2002). The purpose of this article is to describe a technique that teachers can use to integrate mathematics and children's literature for young children with disabilities.

Shared interactive book reading (SIBR) is a broad term used to describe the act of adults reading aloud to children, while encouraging interaction by asking questions and engaging in a discussion about the book. SIBR can be used to embed naturalistic communication teaching strategies, creating learning opportunities to promote a child's language and communication skills. This article presents practical information on how caregivers can use naturalistic communication teaching strategies during SIBR with their child with developmental delays or disabilities (DD). The intended audiences are caregivers (e.g., parents, grandparents) and practitioners (e.g., classroom teachers, speech-language pathologists, reading specialists) who work with caregivers of children with DD. We explain the importance of early communication skills, naturalistic communication teaching strategies, and SIBR, and describe how to embed naturalistic communication teaching strategies within SIBR. Through a vignette we illustrate how caregivers can implement the techniques and strategies and how practitioners can support caregivers' implementation.

In undergraduate college courses, assignments designed to showcase preservice teacher learning traditionally include classroom presentations, papers, projects, and tests. Often, these activities do not translate into permanent products that will be utilized outside the course. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the effects of self-created video podcasts on content acquisition among undergraduate preservice special education teachers. Preservice teachers in two undergraduate courses were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (1) podcast condition (treatment group; n = 25) and (2) traditional live presentation condition (control group; n = 25). The participants in each group were then assigned targeted instructional strategies for teaching mathematics. Pre-post measures included a comprehensive multiple-choice test and an open-ended assessment targeting each assigned strategy. During the last 2 weeks of the semester, participants presented their final product and completed the posttests. Results suggested that the participants in the treatment group (podcasts) acquired a deeper understanding of their assigned strategy than the participants from the comparison group (live presentations). The treatment group also outperformed the control group on the comprehensive multiple-choice test.

Research regarding specific strategies adolescent mothers (AMs) may utilize to facilitate early language and emergent literacy skills in their children is lacking. This exploratory study investigated AMs' perceived use of preselected common language and emergent literacy strategies and correlated their use of these strategies to their children's language skills. In total, 12 AMs enrolled in an alternative school program were surveyed using the "Self-Assessment of Language and Literacy Implementation" (SALLI) and also completed a self-report of their child's language development using the norm-referenced MacArthur-Bates "Communication Development Inventories" (CDI). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's Rank Correlation to determine the significance and relationship between variables. AMs scored low on the SALLI, with the lowest scores specifically in the areas of Directiveness and Home Environment. Results on the CDI indicated that the children had below average receptive and expressive language skills.

We examined how educating paraprofessionals in preschool classrooms on dialogic reading (DR) affected their storybook reading and effects on children's single word vocabulary. Through a single-case multiple-probe across participants design including four paraprofessionals and eight preschool children, we identified a functional relation between educating paraprofessionals in DR and implementation of the CROWD prompts; yet, no functional relation was observed for the implementation of the "evaluate," "expand," and "repeat" strategies. Data collected on children's expressive near-transfer vocabulary showed all but one child made minimal gains from baseline to intervention, whereas receptive data remained stable for six participants. Results suggested that paraprofessionals implemented the strategies of DR with variable fidelity following a singular training and in-text supports. Additional supports may be necessary for all aspects of the intervention and generalization to be implemented with fidelity and for improvement to carryover to both receptive and expressive vocabulary skills for children.

Family-centered practices that build caregiver capacity are a central focus of early intervention services for young children with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of adapting the "Parents Interacting with Infants" (PIWI) facilitated playgroup model to target effective communication strategies for parents of young children with communication delays. A concurrent multiple baseline across behaviors design with three parent-child dyads was used to determine the effects of the weekly facilitated playgroup model on parents' successful implementation of communicative strategies and the effects on the children's communication behaviors. Visual analysis revealed a functional relationship between the seven-week intervention and an increase in parent and child outcomes. Results support the feasibility of using a facilitated playgroup model to enhance parents' ability to implement effective communication strategies with their children. Clinical implications and future directions for research are discussed.

Dialogic reading (DR) is an evidence-based practice for young children who are typically developing and at risk for developmental delays, with encouraging evidence for children with disabilities. The purpose of this review was to comprehensively evaluate the evidence base of DR across early childhood settings, with specific attention to fidelity features. We coded identified studies (n = 30) published in peer-reviewed journals on a number of variables, including participant characteristics, setting, adherence to intervention components, fidelity of training procedures, implementation fidelity, dependent variables, overall outcomes, and study rigor. Our findings indicate wide variance is present in adherence to the DR protocol despite all studies reporting use of DR. In addition, although most researchers describe training procedures, none reported fidelity of those practices. Variability was also noted in how the implementation of DR with children is monitored in research.

Adolescent mothers (AMs) often experience limited academic and financial attainment and higher rates of mental health disorders, which may affect their relationships with their children. Although children of AMs are at higher risk for developmental delays, there is no clear evidence of the relationships between mother characteristics and child outcomes. This descriptive study explored AMs' and their children's sociodemographic characteristics and language skills, home literacy environment, and the quality of mother–child interactions. Eight AM–child dyads were recruited from local school districts. Data were collected through questionnaires, standardized measures of language, and mother–child interactions. Most AMs demonstrated below-average language skills and most children had language scores that fell within the average range. AMs demonstrated strong affectionate behaviors, and emerging responsive, encouraging, and teaching behaviors when interacting with their children. This study provides unique data on AMs' language characteristics that have not been clearly published in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dialogic reading is an evidence-based practice for preschool children who are typically developing or at-risk; yet there is limited research to evaluate if it has similar positive effects on the language and preliteracy skills of children with disabilities. This quasi-experimental study examined the effects of dialogic reading, with the incorporation of pause time, on the language and preliteracy skills of 42 preschool children with disabilities. Following random assignment of students at the classroom level, participants were equally distributed into an intervention (n = 21) and a comparison group (n = 21). Children received either dialogic reading or typical storybook reading for 10 to 15 min per day, 3 days per week, for 6 weeks. Children in the intervention group scored significantly higher on receptive and expressive near-transfer vocabulary assessments. This occurred both for words that were specifically targeted during dialogic reading, and for additional vocabulary words in the storybook.

The article discusses the Triadic Approach, a family-centered model for supporting children with developmental delays and disabilities, and its application in early intervention, including telepractice. It highlights the importance of family-centered practices, the benefits and challenges of telepractice, and the collaboration between caregivers, children, and early interventionists. It emphasizes the benefits of family-centered practices and the need for careful consideration of technology.

A focus on mathematics in the early years is beneficial for all children, as early mathematics skills predict overall academic achievement and later mathematics and reading success ([3]; [19]). She observed the children using mathematics talk, such as counting and saying the number of fruits in the mathematics stations. i In summary, preschoolers with disabilities can benefit from integrating mathematics within children's literature. I Inclusive preschool teacher, Ms. Abarca, was excited to start the new school year. I To improve mathematics instruction in her preschool classroom, Ms. Abarca realized she had to understand the mathematics standards. [Extracted from the article]

In undergraduate college courses, assignments designed to showcase preservice teacher learning traditionally include classroom presentations, papers, projects, and tests. Often, these activities do not translate into permanent products that will be utilized outside the course. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the effects of self-created video podcasts on content acquisition among undergraduate preservice special education teachers. Preservice teachers in two undergraduate courses were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (1) podcast condition (treatment group; n = 25) and (2) traditional live presentation condition (control group; n = 25). The participants in each group were then assigned targeted instructional strategies for teaching mathematics. Pre–post measures included a comprehensive multiple-choice test and an open-ended assessment targeting each assigned strategy. During the last 2 weeks of the semester, participants presented their final product and completed the posttests. Results suggested that the participants in the treatment group (podcasts) acquired a deeper understanding of their assigned strategy than the participants from the comparison group (live presentations). The treatment group also outperformed the control group on the comprehensive multiple-choice test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined how educating paraprofessionals in preschool classrooms on dialogic reading (DR) affected their storybook reading and effects on children's single word vocabulary. Through a single-case multiple-probe across participants design including four paraprofessionals and eight preschool children, we identified a functional relation between educating paraprofessionals in DR and implementation of the CROWD prompts; yet, no functional relation was observed for the implementation of the evaluate, expand, and repeat strategies. Data collected on children's expressive near-transfer vocabulary showed all but one child made minimal gains from baseline to intervention, whereas receptive data remained stable for six participants. Results suggested that paraprofessionals implemented the strategies of DR with variable fidelity following a singular training and in-text supports. Additional supports may be necessary for all aspects of the intervention and generalization to be implemented with fidelity and for improvement to carryover to both receptive and expressive vocabulary skills for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research regarding specific strategies adolescent mothers (AMs) may utilize to facilitate early language and emergent literacy skills in their children is lacking. This exploratory study investigated AMs' perceived use of preselected common language and emergent literacy strategies and correlated their use of these strategies to their children's language skills. In total, 12 AMs enrolled in an alternative school program were surveyed using the Self-Assessment of Language and Literacy Implementation (SALLI) and also completed a self-report of their child's language development using the norm-referenced MacArthur-Bates Communication Development Inventories (CDI). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's Rank Correlation to determine the significance and relationship between variables. AMs scored low on the SALLI, with the lowest scores specifically in the areas of Directiveness and Home Environment. Results on the CDI indicated that the children had below average receptive and expressive language skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]