Arizona Department of Education AT Short Term Loan Library
Arizona Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services works in partnership with Northern Arizona University Institute for Human Development Arizona Technology Access Program to make available at no cost, a wide variety of assistive technology devices, equipment, software and professional development materials to school personnel to improve access to assistive technology.
Publisher: Arizona Department of Education
Comprehensive Overview of Intellectual Disability
IDEA defines intellectual disability as significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child's educational performance." This document includes causes, signs, implications for school, and tips for teachers.
Publisher: National Association of Special Education Teachers
Debunking Myths about Inclusive Education for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities
With appropriate supports, services, and staff development, it should be very rare that a student with a disability needs a more restrictive environment. There are many myths about including students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in general education classrooms. This Brief debunks six of them.
Publication Date: February 2022
Publisher: TIES Center, University of Minnesota
Down Syndrome Factsheet (for Schools)
This factsheet provides information on what teachers should know about students with hemopphilia and how to support their learning in the classroom.
Publication Date: February 2022
Publisher: KidsHealth
Encircle Families
Collaboration between families and professionals results in the best possible outcomes for children with disabilities. Encircle Families is an Arizona nonprofit organization that provides free training and information to parents to help them understand their rights, roles, and responsibilities in their child’s health care and education. Training for pre-service and in-service professionals in education is available to improve collaboration between families and providers and achieve better results for children.
Publication Date: 2025
Publisher: Encircle Families
High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities
This revised and updated guide is relevant for general education and special education teachers. It includes four domains of evidence-based practices: Collaboration, Data-Driven Planning, Instruction in Behavior and Academics, and Intensify and Intervene As Needed. Each domain includes elementary and secondary examples of practice, research updates, and relevant resources for more information.
Publication Date: March 2024
Publishers: Council for Exceptional Children and CEEDAR Center
High-Leverage Practices Videos
These videos accompany High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities and provide revised and updated information supporting the four domains with High-Leverage Practices within each domain and concrete examples to anchor and reinforce both knowledge development and application.
Publisher: CEEDAR Center
How Are Intellectual Disabilities Diagnosed?
Intellectual disability is a condition categorized by problems with general mental abilities that affect both intellectual function and adaptive behavior. Signs may include difficulty learning or paying attention, delayed developmental milestones such as speaking or conversing, and difficulty relating to those around them. This webpage breaks down how an intellectual disability is diagnosed and the severity of the disability among individuals.
Publisher: Special Olympics Arizona
If You’ve Got a Problem, ICEL Will Solve It
This webinar describes how the RIOT/ICEL (RIOT refers to review, interview, observe, test and ICEL refers to instruction, curriculum, environment, and learner) matrix can support problem-solving by helping teams to organize their diagnostic data, refine hypotheses, and guide decision making. Examples and resources for data collection are included.
Author: Jason Harlacher
Publication Date: December 2023
Publisher: National Center on Intensive Intervention
Intellectual Disability
An intellectual disability is when limitations in your mental abilities affect intelligence, learning and everyday life skills. This webpage explains symptoms, cause, diagnosis, tests, management, treatment, and outlook for intellectual disability.
Publication Date: May 2023
Publisher: Cleveland Clinic
Intellectual Disability and Developmental Disability
This chapter from Understanding and Supporting Learners with Disabilities covers intellectual disability and developmental disability definition, characteristics, educational considerations, levels and areas of support, and general teaching strategies.
Author: Paula Lombardi
Publication Date: Updated July 2022
Publisher: University of New Hampshire
Intellectual Disability vs. Learning Disability
Intellectual disabilities and learning disabilities can impact a person’s ability to acquire and apply knowledge, but they differ significantly in their nature, causes, and management. This webpage breaks down the differences between intellectual disabilities and learning disabilities, providing insights into their definitions, characteristics, and management.
Publisher: Special Olympics Arizona
MTSS for All: Including Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities
This Brief provides suggestions for ways in which MTSS can include students with the most
significant cognitive disabilities so that MTSS provides a whole school and whole district approach to be implemented by educators. Ideas for how to use MTSS as encompassing practices for all students are presented following a short history of MTSS and a summary of current MTSS models.
Publication Date: January 2020
Publishers: National Center on Educational Outcomes and TIES Center
Paraeducator's Roles in Supporting Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PreK-12 Settings
This study involved efforts to elicit the perspectives of paraeducators who were enrolled in an online course at one university. Using the CEC standards for paraeducators, the research sought to identify the extent to which CEC-defined practices were in use. The study administered a researcher-designed survey to gather data, followed by interviews with selected survey respondents.
Authors: Meghan Murray and Michelle Seals
Publication Date: 2023
Publisher: TIES Center, University of Minnesota
Providing Meaningful General Education Curriculum Access to Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
This brief discusses what access to and progress in the general education curriculum means for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. It also confirms that federal education laws require that students who participate in the AA-AAAS receive instruction in the same grade-level content as all other students. It is the achievement expected on the same grade-level content that can be reduced in breadth, depth, and complexity
Authors: Ricki Sabia, Jessica Bowman, Martha Thurlow, and Sheryl Lazarus
Publication Date: July 2020
Publisher: TIES Center, University of Minnesota
Standards-Based Instruction for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
This video describes standards-based instruction for students with significant cognitive disabilities and the differences between and use of alternate academic achievement standards and core academic standards in general education classrooms. Links to the resources mentioned in the webinar are included.
Authors: Jessica Bowman and Debbie Taub
Publication Date: April 2022
Publisher: TIES Center, University of Minnesota
Teaching PBIS Tier 1 School-wide Behavioral Expectations to Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
Students with significant cognitive disabilities can and should participate in all three tiers of school-wide PBIS. This webpage offers strategies to teach students with significant cognitive disabilities skills using universal design for learning, accommodations and modifications, systematic instruction in natural environments, and strategies for generalization.
Authors: Patricia McDaid and LA Conradi
Publication Date: 2023
Publisher: TIES Center, University of Minnesota