World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Exceptional Children
H-index 16

Exceptional Children

0014-4029

Published by: SAGE

https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ecx

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Social Sciences and Humanities 914 7 9 6

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 61
Documents by Best Scientists*: 73
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 0
SCIMAGO H-index: 107
SCIMAGO SJR: 2.118
Impact Factor: 4.3

Overview

Top Research Topics at Exceptional Children?

The journal aims to foster the development of research in Developmental psychology, Special education, Pedagogy, Mathematics education and Learning disability. While Developmental psychology is the focus of the journal, it also provided insights into the studies of Intervention (counseling), Clinical psychology, Primary education and Reading (process). Special education works presented in Exceptional Children have a specific focus on Mainstreaming.

Teacher education is a key component of Pedagogy research discussed in the journal. The journal links adjacent topics like Mathematics education with Curriculum.

  • Developmental psychology (29.08%)
  • Special education (23.79%)
  • Pedagogy (22.40%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • The Use of Single-Subject Research to Identify Evidence-Based Practice in Special Education: (2316 citations)
  • Curriculum-Based Measurement: The Emerging Alternative: (1355 citations)
  • Qualitative Studies in Special Education (1123 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Exceptional Children:

The journal articles aim to foster the development of research in Special education, Developmental psychology, Mathematics education, Learning disability and Pedagogy. In particular, the Special education works presented in the journal articles emphasize discussions on Mainstreaming. Issues in Mathematics education were discussed in the most cited publications, taking into consideration concepts from other disciplines like Curriculum-based measurement and Curriculum.

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

  • Social psychology
  • Pedagogy
  • Education

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

Exceptional Children investigates studies in Developmental psychology, Intervention (counseling), Special education, Mathematics education and Reading (process). Exceptional Children explores topics in Developmental psychology which can be helpful for research in disciplines like Adverse Childhood Experiences, Racial bias and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The work on Intervention (counseling) tackled in Exceptional Children brings together disciplines like Psychological intervention, Students understanding and Autism.

In addition to Special education research, Exceptional Children aims to explore topics under Workforce, Social psychology, Cultural diversity, Parental perception and Social capital. The journal investigates Mathematics education research which frequently intersects with Single-subject design. Research in Achievement test and the interrelating topic of Intelligence quotient, Independent study, Component (UML), Learning disability and At-risk students were among the subjects of interest in the Reading (process) studies discussed in it.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • Current State of the Evidence: Examining the Effects of Orton-Gillingham Reading Interventions for Students With or at Risk for Word-Level Reading Disabilities. (2 citations)
  • The Effects of Tier 2 Mathematics Interventions for Students With Mathematics Difficulties: A Meta-Analysis (2 citations)
  • A Conceptual Replication Study of the Enhanced Core Reading Instruction MTSS-Reading Model: (2 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

The top authors publishing in Exceptional Children (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Lynn S. Fuchs (45 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition,
  • Douglas Fuchs (39 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition,
  • Sharon Vaughn (27 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
  • Joseph R. Jenkins (26 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Russell Gersten (25 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Exceptional Children (based on the number of publications) are:

  • University of Minnesota (113 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 2 less than at the previous edition,
  • Vanderbilt University (106 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition,
  • University of Kansas (82 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition, 2 less than at the previous edition,
  • University of Oregon (78 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (76 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 8.33% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 68.18% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 4.55% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 13.64% of all publications and 13.64% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

  • Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
  • Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
  • Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
  • Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
  • Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Career Opportunities and Education Requirements in Developmental Psychology, Interventional Counseling and Special Education

For many readers, understanding the research and theory of developmental psychology, interventional counseling, and special education could spark an interest in pursuing a career in these fields. The journey towards such a profession, however, typically requires specialized education and training. For instance, to become a marriage and family therapist, aspiring professionals must meet specific education requirements. This includes completing a Master's degree in marriage and family therapy or a related field, fulfilling a significant number of clinical experience hours under supervision, and passing a recognized state licensing exam. In Delaware, the precise requirements for becoming a marriage and family therapist are specified by the Delaware Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals. Visit Marriage and family therapist education requirements in Delaware to learn more about these requirements. Moreover, various other career paths are possible within the spheres of developmental psychology, interventional counseling, and special education. Whether one is drawn towards clinical practice, research, policy-making or teaching, each professional path will have unique education and licensing requirements. Therefore, alongside developing an understanding of the topics covered in the Exceptional Children journal, it is essential for aspiring professionals to explore the educational paths related to these fields.

Top Publications

  • District-Level Achievement Gaps Explain Black and Hispanic Overrepresentation in Special Education

    George Farkas;Paul L. Morgan;Marianne M. Hillemeier;Cynthia Mitchell

    (2020)
    30 Citations
  • The Special Education Teacher Pipeline: Teacher Preparation, Workforce Entry, and Retention:

    Roddy J. Theobald;Dan D. Goldhaber;Dan D. Goldhaber;Natsumi Naito;Marcy L. Stein

    (2021)
    21 Citations
  • Improving Struggling Fifth-Grade Students’ Understanding of Fractions: A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Intervention That Stresses Both Concepts and Procedures:

    Madhavi Jayanthi;Russell Gersten;Robin F. Schumacher;Joseph Dimino

    (2021)
    15 Citations
  • Are Schools in the U.S. South Using Special Education to Segregate Students by Race

    Paul L. Morgan;Adrienne D. Woods;Yangyang Wang;Marianne M. Hillemeier

    (2020)
    13 Citations
  • Special Education Teacher Preparation, Literacy Instructional Alignment, and Reading Achievement for Students With High-incidence Disabilities

    (2022)
    11 Citations
  • A Targeted Review of Open Practices in Special Education Publications

    (2023)
    6 Citations
  • The Association between Parental Educational Expectations and School Functioning among Young People with Disabilities: A Longitudinal Investigation

    (2022)
    6 Citations
  • Efficacy of Peer-Delivered Mathematical Problem-Solving Instruction to Students With Extensive Support Needs

    (2022)
    5 Citations
  • Self-Regulated Strategy Development: Connecting Persuasive Writing to Self-Determination for Youth in Juvenile Justice Facilities

    (2023)
    2 Citations

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

If you're considering advancing your education in Psychology, several online options fit different career goals and timelines. For those seeking affordability without sacrificing quality, exploring psychology degrees offered online is a great starting point. These programs provide the foundational knowledge needed to enter the mental health field or pursue further specialization.

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Choosing the right online degree depends on your professional objectives, desired credential, and time commitment. Researching these related online programs will help you find the best fit for your future in psychology and mental health care.

Best Scientists Contributing to This Journal