Behavior Analysis and Therapy

Research suggests that parental involvement in the educational system fosters intellectual and emotional growth in children. Parents, however, often feel threatened by the educational system; consequently, they do not play an active role in their child's educational experience. Because research suggests that it is in the best interests of the child for parents to playa more active role, teachers need to assume the responsibility of creating a learning environment that welcomes parental involvement. Ongoing parent/teacher communication becomes essential to this process. Based on observations of special education classes, surveys, and informal interviewing of both teachers and parents of children with disabilities, the manual serves as a tool for fostering positive teacher/parent relations. The paper serves as further justification for the necessity of positive communication between parents and teachers.

The worldwide prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is rising rapidly. With the prevalence of ASD on the rise, those with autism will likely encounter the criminal justice system in the roles of victims, eyewitnesses, and perpetrators. Individuals with ASD and other developmental disabilities will have up to seven times more encounters with law enforcement than members of the general community over their lifetimes. Research conducted in 2019 with individuals diagnosed with ASD who required minimal assistance (Functional ASD Level 1) indicated that 53% of those surveyed had four or more contacts with law enforcement over their lifetimes. Many respondents reported bad interactions with police, many of which they attribute to the officers' failure to grasp the complexities of autism. Alarming accounts of autistic adolescents having hostile, even deadly, encounters with the criminal justice system are becoming widespread in the United States. According to the available data, individuals with autism have significantly higher interaction rates with police, and people with disabilities are disproportionately subjected to police brutality.