A multiple baseline design across subjects with a reversal was used to examine the effects of classwide peer tutoring relative to traditional reading instruction on reading skills and social interaction time for 3 high-functioning students with autism and their typical peers in integrated, general education classrooms. Traditional reading instruction consisted largely of teacher-led instruction with individual student participation and seat work. Classwide peer tutoring consisted of 25 to 30 min of wellspecified instruction in which tutor-learner pairs worked together on a classwide basis on reading fluency and comprehension skills. All students participated in 15-to 20-min unstructured free-time activities immediately following reading instruction. Results of reading assessments demonstrated that classwide peer tutoring increased reading fluency and correct responses to reading comprehension questions for students with autism and their peers. The procedure further increased the total duration of free-time social interactions for students with autism and typical peers, with individual variation in performance.

This research examined the perceived teacher efficacy of special education teachers of English Language Learners with disabilities. The results demonstrate the positive correlation between proficiency in the language of the target students and teacher efficacy. An analysis of responses yielded two major themes, organizational and teacher issues, affecting teacher performance.

A multiple baseline design investigated the effects of computer graphic organizers on the persuasive composition writing skills of four Hispanic students with specific learning disabilities. Participants reviewed the elements of persuasive writing and then developed compositions using a word processing program. Baseline planning was done with a paper and pencil, while intervention planning was done using a computer graphic organizer program. With variation, the use of computer graphic organizers during planning resulted in an increase in the total number of words written, time spent planning, number of supporting details planned, percentage of planned supporting details transferred to the composition, and syntactical maturity as measured by the number of T-units. Also observed was an improvement in the overall organization of the compositions as measured by an analytical scoring guide or rubric.

We used an alternating treatments design to compare the effects of active student response error correction and no-response error correction during sight word instruction. Six students with developmental disabilities were provided one-to-one daily sight word instruction on eight sets of 20 unknown words. Each set of 20 words was divided randomly into two equal groups. Student errors during instruction on one group of words were immediately followed by the teacher modeling the word and the student repeating it (active student response instruction). Errors on the other group of words were immediately followed by the teacher modeling the word while the student attended to the word card (no-response instruction). For all 6 students, the active student response errorcorrection procedure resulted in more words read correctly during instruction, same-day tests, nextday tests, 2-week maintenance tests, and generality tests (words read in sentences).

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