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Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a natural science dedicated to using behavioral principles to address socially important problems. One area in which behavior analysts have made compelling gains in the last 50 years is in developing, evaluating, and disseminating effective interventions for people with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities. As the science of ABA has matured, many practitioners, researchers, and consumers have questioned how our field should define appropriate outcomes of behavioral interventions. In this article, we propose that improved quality of life should be the ultimate outcome for consumers receiving behavioral interventions. We explore definitions of quality of life and suggest some strategies that behavior analysts can apply to modify practices to more clearly center quality of life as an outcome variable.

We studied parents' perceptions of the effects of their nondisabled child's participation in a classroom in which a child with severe disabilities was enrolled full time. Survey responses from 389 parents indicated that they generally perceived their nondisabled child to have benefited from this experience. A minority of parents held negative views of inclusion after their child's participation. Analysis of narrative comments on surveys returned by some of these parents indicated that concerns about behavioral disruption and loss of teacher time allocated to their child were the major source of their dissatisfaction. Survey comments suggested in some cases that parents did not view academic and social learning experiences to be highly related. Implications of this and other viewpoints expressed by these parents are considered in terms of priorities for teacher education and for subsequent research.

Collaboration is a key component of high-quality programs for all young children, especially those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yet, this practice is often one of the most challenging aspects of early childhood special education. Effective collaboration practices among multiple stakeholders are needed to ensure positive outcomes. Processes of teaming and collaboration in Project DATA, an early intervention program designed to support preschoolers with ASD within school-based settings, are examined and discussed. The importance of collaboration is demonstrated through stories, lessons, and experiences of working with children and families affected by ASD. Guidelines for effective teaming and collaboration are provided.

The movement toward creating inclusive schools has accelerated rapidly over the past several years. As they learn more about the effects of inclusion on students with disabilities, consumers, practitioners, and researchers are becoming more interested in the effects of inclusion on students without disabilities. One area of great interest is the social relationships between students with disabilities and students without disabilities. The purpose of this study is to present case studies of four students without disabilities who are friends of students with moderate and severe disabilities in their classroom. Data for the case studies were collected through observations, videotaped samples, and interviews. The case studies illustrate the uniqueness of each friendship and highlight some similarities across relationships. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for promoting relationships in inclusive educational settings.

Teachers of students with severe disabilities were taught to implement a naturalistic time delay procedure within their normal classroom routines for the purpose of improving the language skills of their students. Following a short training program that consisted of explanation, role playing, and feedback, implemented as a multiple baseline design, the teachers increased their use of three types of opportunities for time delay. However, they required special training to capitalize on untrained opportunities for delay. Verbatim samples of the students' speech were collected. The results indicate that teachers of students with severe disabilities can be taught to use the time delay procedure within their normal classroom routine and that their use of delay may have beneficial effects (e.g., increases in mean length of utterance, responsivity, and movement along a continuum of spontaneity) on the speech of their students.

Qualitative research methods were used to conduct a study of an inclusion program at a junior high school in which typically developing students assisted and supported students with moderate and severe disabilities as they attended general education classrooms. There were two purposes for conducting this case study: first, to provide a description of how one school, with limited resources available, successfully included students with disabilities in general education classrooms; and second, to describe outcomes perceived to be associated with the student aide program for the students with disabilities and the student aides. Data were gathered over 2 years and included ethnographic field notes and interviews. The perceived outcomes that emerged from an analysis of these data are discussed in terms of their implications for future practice and research.

The dissemination of research into practice presents an enduring challenge to the social sciences. Despite intervention research focused on individuals with disabilities and their families that reveals clear pathways to improving practice, researchers and practitioners alike express concern regarding limited and slow implementation of the results of research in typical school and community settings. This article reviews three widely disparate literatures concerned with the gap between research and practice, highlighting suggestions for narrowing the gap through the incorporation of elements of practice into the research process. For each of the steps in our research on the social relationships of children and youth, we present examples of participatory research approaches to decision making designed to increase the relevance and validity of findings for everyday practice. We conclude with criteria that might be applied to the design of effective interventions for research validation to increase the likelihood that the results of intervention research will be adopted by school and community constituencies.

In this position paper, we argue that concerns about race and culture largely have been ignored with respect to students with severe disabilities. We caution, however, that variables such as acculturation, social class, and education must be included in any consideration of cultural identity to avoid stereotyping. Second, we use the term "cultural inclusion" to indicate the need to address cultural features directly when planning for inclusion of students with severe disabilities. In this paper, we propose essentials of a culturally inclusive approach to building relationships with families and to assessment, placement, instruction, and programming for such students. Third, we call for a multicultural emphasis in personnel preparation programs, with a focus on process rather than cultural content. The paper concludes with suggestions for a research agenda.