Functional Curriculum = Evidence-Based Education?: Considering Secondary Students With Mild Intellectual Disabilities

Education is currently in an evidence-based era, demanding as well as assuming all educational practices are evidence-based. In the case of a functional curriculum for secondary students with mild intellectual disabilities, despite existing professional wisdom, the state of empirical evidence is unclear. This study represents a systematic review of the literature regarding the evidence-base of a functional curriculum to educate secondary students with mild intellectual disabilities. Seven research-based articles were found in the literature exploring use of a functional curriculum for this population of students, suggesting a lack of research on functional curriculum for secondary students with mild intellectual disabilities in recent years, especially when considering postschool outcomes and adult experiences. The authors concluded a functional curriculum for secondary students with mild intellectual disabilities is not an evidence-based practice at the current time.