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  TIP #24: Learners with Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC)

  Students with Cerebral/Cortical Vision Impairment (CVI) may have difficulty processing the images their eyes see, which can affect many areas of basic visual functions. This TIP focuses on students with CVI and how it relates to learners with significant cognitive disabilities who use Alternative and Augmentative Communication or AAC, with a particular focus on inclusive environments.

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  TIP #25: Preparing the AAC User for the Next Grade

  For students who are non-speaking and communicate using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), it is important to support their communication needs during grade level transitions to ensure that the academic, social, and communication gains continue into the next grade. This TIP provides concrete ideas to plan for successful grade level transitions for ACC Users.

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  TIES Center Report 105: Separate School Placement Trends by Category and Age for Students with Extensive Support Needs

  Separate School Placement Trends by Category and Age for Students with Extensive Support Needs (TIES Center Report #105)

  The purpose of this report is to examine the trends across the country over the past decade related to the placement of students with extensive support needs (ESN) in separate schools. For this report, state-level data from federally reported sources for students with ESN were analyzed, specifically, students identified with the disabilities of autism, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, and deaf-blindness, to determine changes over time in the number of students served in separate settings as well as any variances that may have occurred by age and location (state). The current study confirmed that there has not been a significant change in the overall placement for students with ESN since 2012 even though academic expectations have become more rigorous over time.

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  Providing Access to School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (TIES Center Brief #10)

  Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports  (PBIS) is an evidence-based approach used to promote inclusive environments and prevent and decrease challenging behavior for all students. However, many students with significant cognitive disabilities, especially those served in self-contained special education settings, do not always receive access to all three tiers of PBIS. This Brief presents ways to design PBIS systems that are accessible to all students. It describes the importance of including all students in PBIS structures and gives practical strategies to help schools achieve this goal. It ends with the story of a student who benefited from full access to his school’s PBIS system.

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  Standards-Based Instruction for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

  What are alternate achievement standards and general education academic standards? How do they align and differ? What should instruction look like for students with significant cognitive disabilities? This short video provides key information that clearly illustrates these concepts and their uses in instruction.  

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  Communication Supports for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities: What Parents Need to Know (TIES Center Brief #9)

  This Brief describes how families and other members of Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams can help students get the supports they need to build their communicative competence in inclusive classrooms.

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  TIP #23 Supporting the Communication Needs of Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) Users who are also English Learners

  This TIP highlights strategies to assist teams supporting multilingual Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) users

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  Teacher Preparation for Inclusive Practices: A Resource for Teacher Educators

  The purpose of this resource is to support teacher educators as they develop inclusive course content by linking current TIES Center resources to teacher preparation standards across general and special education. Direct links to each resource on the TIES Center website are provided. This resource will be updated on an annual basis each spring.

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  Reconsidering LRE: Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities and the Persistence of Separate Schools

  This report serves as a guide for local school districts and state education agencies to consider whether the present level of educational inclusion of their students with the most significant disabilities is fully consistent with what the law requires, and most importantly, is ultimately in the best interest of the students they serve.

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  Preparing School Psychologists to Promote Inclusive Practices for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

  School psychologists are expected to serve school-age children and youth with a wide range of needs. However, their preparation in graduate school tends to focus on supporting students experiencing the learning and behavioral concerns that are most prevalent in schools (e.g., learning disability, attention concerns, behavioral challenges). This report explores how graduate preparation in school psychology can be expanded to better equip school psychologists with the competencies and experiences needed to be strong advocates for the quality inclusion of students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  Debunking Myths about Inclusive Education for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities (TIES Center Brief #8)

  There are many myths about including students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in general education classrooms. This Brief debunks six of them. 

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  PI #4: Providing Specially Designed Instruction with Considerations from Distance Learning

  Through distance, hybrid and in-person learning, collaboration has remained a vital part of providing Specially Designed Instruction (SDI). This article provides key strategies for consideration when planning SDI.

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  TIP #22: Planning for Whole Group Discussions

  This TIP will provide an example of how educators can work collaboratively to create more opportunities for all students, including students with significant cognitive disabilities, to actively participate in whole group discussions in an inclusive classroom.

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  The Power of Peers: Peer Engagement Implementation Guides

  We invited leading experts to share their expertise on implementing these nine educational interventions to promote meaningful engagement and relationships among students with and without disabilities. They created short, practical implementation guides based on their extensive experience working with local schools.

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  Reading Literature Inclusive Lesson Planning (Inclusive Big Ideas)

  Plan inclusive reading literature lessons for grades K-8 using grade-level standards.

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  Systems Improvement for All Students, Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

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  Design for Each and Every Learner: Universal Design for Learning Modules

  Designing inclusive instruction takes intentional planning and collaboration. The goal of these modules is to learn more about Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework developed by CAST, and how to support educators to design learning experiences that are inclusive for each and every learner. 

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  PI #3: A Collaborative Start to Behavioral Supports When Returning to the School Building

  Positive and consistent behavioral supports are needed by all students, and for some students, they are absolutely vital for meaningful engagement to be achieved. During distance learning it was important to know what behaviors could be supported through collaborating with families. When returning to school, it remains important to intentionally identify, collaboratively communicate, and consistently follow through on the identified supports for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  Understanding the Role of Paraprofessionals in Your Child’s Education in Inclusive Classrooms (TIES Center Brief #7)

  It is important for parents to know what paraprofessionals should be expected to do in inclusive classrooms. Parents should also know what qualities paraprofessionals should have, and what supports and training they need to be successful in their role. The purpose of this Brief is to address these points. It also pro-vides examples of appropriate use of paraprofessionals in inclusive classrooms and some red flags that might indicate a need to adjust paraprofessional support or training.

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  PI #2: 5 Back to School Positive Behavior Strategies

  Now that we are back to school, it is important to remember how to positively support behavior. It is especially important to consider those students who might need more support after being away from the school building last year.