The Practices of Teachers in the Development of Post-Secondary Skills in Students with Learning Disabilities

Authors

  • Sara Taylor, Ph.D. (Author) Northwest Missouri State University image/svg+xml
    Sara Taylor, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in special education at Northwest Missouri State University. Before joining the faculty at NWMSU, she worked as a special education teacher for over 9 years and earned her Ph.D. at the University of California, Riverside. Her research targets teacher preparation, post-secondary transition outcomes, and teacher practices for students with learning disabilities, and special education eligibility.
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.469
After high school, the outcomes for youth with disabilities fail to keep up with their typically developing peers. Participation in post-secondary education, hourly earnings, and engagement in either education or employment up to six years after high school are all lower than the general population (Cameto et al., 2011). A researcher-developed online survey investigated the current strategies used with students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). The questions focused on the development of skills necessary to meet post-secondary education, employment, and independent living goals. A directed content analysis did not reveal evidence that teachers are using the evidence-based practices described by the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition. The paper includes the practices of respondents. This research shows that there is a significant difference in the practices of teachers when it comes to students with SLD. These differences may contribute to decreased post-secondary engagement. There is also a lack of research and evidence-based practices for this population leading teachers to pull from unreliable sources or ignore the need for transition skills.

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Taylor, S. (2021). The Practices of Teachers in the Development of Post-Secondary Skills in Students with Learning Disabilities. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 16(3), 96-115. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.469

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  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted September 17, 2021
  • Published October 15, 2021
  • Issue Fall 2021
  • Section Articles
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