National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

NICHCY Connections...
to Special Education Research: Where to Start?

Table of Contents
  • Research Basics
    		•
  • Applying Research
    		•
  • Remembering the Reason Why
    		•
  • Where Do We Look First?
    		•
  • Try These Web Sites!
    		•
  • What Research is Revealing
    		•

    Launched September 29, 2004
    Updated December 5, 2007
    Approx. 8 pages when printed

    These days, we hear more and more about the importance of using research to make decisions regarding children with disabilities. That certainly makes sense---research can point us in the right direction of "what works" and what doesn't in any number of areas where decisions must be made. And there are a lot of areas! From the parent to the administrator, from the advocate to the occupational therapist, from the teacher to the early interventionist, our decisions span a spectrum of issues, concerns, systems, children, and outcomes. We hope that improving our decisions---or at least basing them on evidence of effectiveness---will improve our service systems, which in turn will lead to an even deeper bottom line: Improving educational and life outcomes for children who have disabilities.

    But where to start unraveling the mysteries of the research that's out there? It's important to be aware that research isn't something you can take off a shelf and apply wholesale to your circumstances. There are many factors to consider before deciding that a specific research approach matches your situation, your students or teachers, your socio-economic setting, your local needs. If you're unsure what we mean, or wonder how to weigh the research you find to see if it's a good match with local conditions, then you may wish to take a good hard look at the first category below: Research Basics. It'll set the stage for wading into what we know--or think we know.

    Thus, this page of resources is designed as a "Starter Kit" to research in general and the special education field in particular. These resources are intended to lay down the basics before we all rush off in our different directions, wearing our parent, teacher, administrator hats.

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    Research Basics
    As we said above, it's important to know a bit (well, a lot!) about research, if you're going to read it and apply it to your local circumstances. We've been steadily building a collection of research pages to help our visitors do just that. So to lay the groundwork before plunging into unexpectedly deep water, you might want to start with these basic NICHCY Connections pages:

    Of course, NICHCY is just wading into the waters, too. So here are a few more resources on the basics you might find helpful. arrow pointing up Back to top

    Applying Research
    Okay, you've got the basics under your belt. Now you want to take the research you've read about and actually use it. How do you do that? Easier said than done, but here are some resources that are sure to help.     arrow pointing up Back to top

    Remembering the Reason Why
    Why is getting research into practice so important? Certainly, it make great good sense to use what's effective and to spread the word so that others benefit from our knowledge. In the end, though, it's really about the well-being of the infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities who are our sons and daughters, family members, clients, friends, and responsibility. They will be the primary beneficiaries of improving our practice.

    Who are these children---literally, millions of individuals. For a closer look at who they are, you might find these current research studies of interest.

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    Where Do We Look First?
    So...we know why it's important to care about research and who we're caring for. Now where do we find special education research? Disability-related research? What are the primary sources we can turn to, for these initiatives? Where's the research happening? And what's it focusing upon? (What it's finding is a whole separate section!)     arrow pointing up Back to top

    Try These Web Sites!
    There are many great research journals, associations, and organizations, all working to further the knowledge base of educational research we have. We've listed some primary participants below, in alphabetical order.     arrow pointing up Back to top

    What Research is Revealing
    Ahh, the heart of the matter...or at least a critical lynchpin in our push to get research into practice. What has research found that we can use to improve outcomes for children with disabilities?

    Well, we hate to make you wait for the answer, but we're going to! To connect to a beginning spectrum of the field's knowledge base, we refer you now to several separate resources pages, which we hope you will visit time and again in your search for the latest and best of what we're learning from research. We'll add more pages as time goes by, but for the moment, please do visit any or all of the following NICHCY Connections pages:

    This information is copyright free.
    Readers are encouraged to copy and share it, but please credit the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY).
    NICHCY Connections pages are published in response to questions from individuals and organizations that contact us. We encourage you to share your ideas and feedback with us!
    Project Director: Suzanne Ripley
    Editor: Lisa Küpper, Director of Publications, NICHCY
    Updates: Kyrie Dragoo, Research Analyst/Program Officer

    NICHCY thanks our Project Officer, Dr. Judy Shanley, at the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education.

    Publication of this Web resource page is made possible through Cooperative Agreement #H326N030003 between the Academy for Educational Development and the Office of Special Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Education. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

     

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    NICHCY
    P.O. Box 1492
    Washington, DC 20013
    (800) 695-0285 - v/tty
    (202) 884-8441 - fax
    nichcy@aed.org