Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Kasserian Injera: And How Are The Children? The Lived Experiences And Perceptions Of Participants, Black And White, Who Attended Both Segregated And Desegregated Schools, Sherman Whitfield

Theses and Dissertations from 2019

This study was guided by the following research question: What are the perceptions and experiences of participants, Black and White, who attended both segregated and desegregated schools? This phenomenological research study was conducted using two focus groups divided homogeneously into one Black focus group and one White focus group. The Black focus group consisted of three Black females and two Black males. The White focus group consisted of six White females. The findings related to the research revealed that the Black focus group and the White focus group looked at this phenomenon differently along racial lines. These former students actually …

Reading Emotions: Designing Digital Tools To Strengthen The “Social Brain” Of Young Children With Autism, Kirsten M. Benjamin

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Autism (ASD) is characterized by impaired development in social interaction and communication. This can affect the ability to develop relationships with peers and family. Being limited in this area leads those with Autism unable to translate their own emotions and the emotions of others. As technology develops, so do methods of teaching facial emotion recognition. Building these skills can increase the social communication abilities of those struggling with Autism. This paper will explore the effectiveness of various educational applications (apps).

Taking the lessons gained from previous iPhone application designs I will attempt to create a new application that incorporates the …

A Comparison Between Speech Language Pathologists' And School Administrators' Attitudes And Perceptions Regarding Professional Development, Melinda Margaret Salloukh

Theses and Dissertations from 2019

The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify the attitudes and perceptions of speech-language pathologists and school administrators regarding professional development. This study contains both quantitative and qualitative survey data from speech-language pathologists and school administrators currently serving in the public schools in Arkansas. This survey, deployed over a six-week period, contained a series of Likert-type and open-ended questions that were analyzed by the researcher to answer three research questions. There were 182 speech-language pathologists and 103 school administrators who responded to this survey. The participants were chosen from an email list obtained from Arkansas Department of Education and …

Teacher Perception Toward Students With Certain Disabilities In The General Education Setting, Tara Lynn Broussard-Harshaw

Theses and Dissertations from 2019

Teacher expectation for student success in the classroom is an effect size that can be used as an indicator of student success. Students with disabilities such as Autism, emotional disturbance, specific learning disabilities or other health impairments are often viewed as being unable to be as successful in a general education classroom than their peers. There were 11 participants in this study. Participants were from the northwest corridor of the state. Participants were public school general education teachers. They varied in range from Kindergarten through grade 12. This study reinforces the need for general education teachers to have a better …

Autism Awareness Panel Discussion: Finding Hope, Hillary M. Adams, Catherine G. Bailey Ph.D., Ncsp, John Barton, Zach Lewis, Elizabeth Niese, Phyllis White-Sellards, Sabrina Thomas

Phyllis White-Sellards

“Autism Awareness Panel Discussion: Finding Hope,” is the fifth of five in the, “Don’t Call Me Crazy: MU Mental Health Initiative,” panel discussion series, which was held on April 4, 2019. This initiative is comprised of three major components: “Resiliency through Education;” which includes: panel discussions with mental health professionals and a research guide, “Resiliency through Art;” an art exhibition that featured works form MU students, faculty and staff, and community members, and “Resiliency through Community;” an extensive collection of campus, local, state, and national mental health resources. Libraries hold a unique position as places to hold civil conversations on …

Autism Awareness Panel Discussion: Finding Hope, Hillary M. Adams, Catherine G. Bailey Ph.D., Ncsp, John Barton, Zach Lewis, Elizabeth Niese, Phyllis White-Sellards, Sabrina Thomas

Sabrina Thomas

“Autism Awareness Panel Discussion: Finding Hope,” is the fifth of five in the, “Don’t Call Me Crazy: MU Mental Health Initiative,” panel discussion series, which was held on April 4, 2019. This initiative is comprised of three major components: “Resiliency through Education;” which includes: panel discussions with mental health professionals and a research guide, “Resiliency through Art;” an art exhibition that featured works form MU students, faculty and staff, and community members, and “Resiliency through Community;” an extensive collection of campus, local, state, and national mental health resources. Libraries hold a unique position as places to hold civil conversations on …

Advances In Global Education And Research: Volume 3, Waynne B. James, Cihan Cobanoglu

University of South Florida (USF) - M3 Publishing

This is the third volume of the Advances in Global Education and Research Book Series. This volume has the following parts:

• Part 1: Adult Education
• Part 2: Curriculum and Instruction Development
• Part 3: Education in Other Specialties
• Part 4: Educational Technology
• Part 5: Global Competence
• Part 6: Higher Education and Educational Leadership
• Part 7: Human Resource Development
• Part 8: Inclusive Education
• Part 9: International Education
• Part 10: Pre K-12
• Part 11: Research Methods in Education

ISBN: 978-1-7321275-4-8

Jmu Campus Inclusivity Video Project, Meredith Grace Browder

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

After experiencing a general lack of knowledge at James Madison University (JMU) regarding inclusivity of students with varying abilities, I decided to find the best way to educate the JMU community on how to be more accommodating on campus. I surveyed students served by the Office of Disability Services in order to assess their concerns and needs. My survey data indicated that the students on campus with disabilities have felt isolated at JMU because of multiple factors including both student and faculty ignorance. After researching the significant role played by videos and social media in shaping public opinion, I used …

Increasing Understanding Of Professor’S Adhd Knowledge And Perception Of Adhd And How This Informs Their Behavior Towards Students With Adhd, Rebecca Rosen

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent learning disability experience by 5.3% of students. The behaviors associated with ADHD (hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention) can impact a students’ ability to learn and their behavior and relationships in the classroom. Teachers can help to create a supportive or unsupportive learning environment for students with learning disabilities, specifically ADHD. Unfortunately, these needs are not always met for students in college. Previous research has uncovered primary and secondary teacher’s knowledge, perception, and behavior regarding children with ADHD, but little work has focused on college professors. College professors are likely to have significantly less …

Chasing Equity, Samantha Taylor '21, London Bennett '21, Kayla Quigley '21, Len Washington Iii '21

Student Leadership Exchange (SLX)

Our main goal is to fight against the inequities present within our country and communities. The disadvantages that marginalized individuals encounter create obstacles that make obtaining success extremely difficult, and for some, impossible. We aim to challenge the lack of representation of middle and lower class citizens by proposing to federally dismantle lobbying within America’s Executive, Judicial, and Legislative Branches. This all attempts to accomplish the UN Sustainable Goal of reduced inequalities. Lobbying is not only immoral but discriminates against individuals who do not have sufficient funds to engage in it, which in this case happens to be a majority …

Improving Kindergarten Transition Practices For Students With Special Needs, Julia "Sandy" Flacke

All Theses And Dissertations

The transition to kindergarten is a magical milestone for children and families. For students identified with special needs, there are additional worries and celebrations to share with the transition team. The research site included in this study comprises pre-K programs that operated through a cooperative agreement between a Maine school district and Head Start. In the State of Maine, preschool students who are identified with a disability are provided services and programming through a Maine Department of Education (MDOE) agency: Child Development Services (CDS). For public pre-K programs in Maine, this created a unique situation. While the pre-K programs are …

Removing Stigma Around Disabilities In The Classroom: The History And Benefits Of Inclusive Education, Kasandra Scourbys

Senior Theses

The right to an equal education for students with disabilities is not something that has been available to all children until recently. In 1975, the passing of Public Law 94-142 started the movement of social justice and inclusion for all people with diverse learning abilities to receive equal access to an education. This law has been restructured and is currently known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004). Through this law, there are a growing number of students with disabilities (physical, learning, and intellectual) who are being placed in the least restrictive environment and spend most, if not all, …

All Means All: Implementation Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication As A Gateway To Achievement, Angelina K. Bassett

Theses and Dissertations from 2019

The importance of individuals’ ability to communicate cannot be overstated. Educational teams are charged with making educational placement decisions for students, like the ones in this study, with assessment tools that are not normed for nonverbal students with autism. This study focused on identical male twins with autism who are nonverbal and have acquired augmentative communication devices equipped with the Language Acquisition through Motor Planning learning system in order to facilitate their communication and learning. Interviews were conducted with parents, sibling, teacher, principal, and the speech-language pathologist that work directly with the twins daily. The twins received their individual devices …

A Space To Learn, Amy R. Goods

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this dissertation, I explore what it means to different people, in different places throughout life’s spectrum to create a space to learn. This dissertation is a collection of work that I have written throughout my time at the CUNY Graduate Center. The chapters herein represent an arch of my learning over the past five years. The title, A Space to Learn, has multiple meanings. For one, writing this dissertation has provided me a space to explore and reflect on a variety of topics, ranging from memory loss, to teacher preparation programs, to eugenics and special education, to tracking and …

Be An Ally For Accessibility: Tips For All Librarians, Shawn Mccann, Rebeca Peacock

Library Faculty Publications and Presentations

Accessibility is a concern for librarians in digital as well as physical spaces, and we have a responsibility to uphold the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, regardless of legal requirements, librarians endeavour to make content available to everyone. People with disabilities are no exception. While some of the more complex accessibility issues should be left to instructional technologists and web developers, there are plenty of things that anyone posting content online can do to increase content accessibility. Here are five tips that we have found useful for creating guides, posting handouts in our Learning Management System (LMS), building online …

Breaking Gender Barriers Through Literature In The Elementary And Pre-School Classroom, Bonnie J. Frieden, Jenna G. Laffin

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The following research assesses how reading and discussing stories that counter gender stereotypes can increase cooperation and decrease conflict between primary- and elementary-aged students of different genders, as well as to expand students’ conceptions of self and others beyond traditional gender expectations. The six-week study involved 50 participants total, 21 between the ages of 3 and 6 and 29 between the ages of 6 and 9 at two separate Montessori public charter schools in Minnesota. Each participant completed an activity pre- and post-intervention concerning the feminine and masculine traits that they would choose to describe themselves and those that could …

Disability Awareness In Young Children, Guadalupe Y. Espinoza

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Young children who attend schools nowadays are likely exposed to many more types of diversity ranging from race, ethnicity, religion, and social class to name a few in comparison to the past. One area of diversity in specific is the inclusion of individuals with disabilities, and because children are so young in age, they may not be aware of disabilities or even identify when a peer or a surrounding adult has a disability. In schools the idea of raising disability awareness to an extent where students not only understand but recognize disabilities, perhaps, is one of the most challenging aspects …

Educating Adults With Disabilities On Stress Coping Techniques, Sydney Coyle

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For average adults, managing stress may be a challenge. Adults with disabilities may be particularly challenged because they may not have the cognitive abilities to process information and emotions as the typical adult. Adults who have disabilities such as down syndrome and autism may have difficulty finding stress reduction strategies that best suit them and their experiences. To address this issue, I will be conducting three days of curriculum and activities on stress management and coping for the adults receiving services at Hope Services in Salinas, California .

Women Faculty Of Color, Higher Education, And Sociocultural Change, Luz Areli Medina

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone will focus on women faculty of color who are underrepresented in faculty positions in predominantly white institutions. Although not all women faculty of color experience discriminatory treatment we can not ignore the lived experiences of these women who are in a disadvantage within academia. The lack of diversification, unequal representation, and socio-cultural understanding prompts society to take a closer insight to determine the necessary steps in facilitating institutional change within higher education. In order to promote equality for women faculty of color I recommend changing the institutionalized policies, developing quality support and mentoring groups in order to hinder …

Caring Choices? Supporting And Dreaming With Students In New York City’S Stratifying High School Admissions System, Megan R. Moskop

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In New York City, all eighth graders attending public school must apply for high school. They have 400 schools from which to choose, and they must create a ranked list of twelve choices. They are then matched to one school. The results of this process play a large role in creating one of the most segregated and unequal school systems in the country. In “Caring choices? Supporting and dreaming with students in New York City’s stratifying high school admissions system,” I share an autoethnographic account that spans ten years of work as an activist educator striving both to support students …