Education Commons^™

Let's Count The Ways We Can Utilize Technology To Improve Instructional Practices For Individuals With Autism, Heather Coleman, Annemarie L. Horn, Selena J. Layden, Christian Coogle

Human Movement Sciences Faculty Publications

To maximize instruction and learning outcomes, it is essential that educators and family members who support individuals with autism have adequate training and support required to implement evidence-based practices (EBPs) with fidelity. Research shows various coaching methods, including self-coaching and classroom-based feedback, yield positive outcomes in terms of increasing practical application and sustained use of EBPs. With the growing prevalence of autism, it is essential to find effective coaching methods that can be utilized equitably across geographic locations and learning environments. Fortunately, technology affords educators and others the opportunity to receive quality coaching and feedback without facing traditional barriers (e.g., …

Expanding The Educational Network For Students With Autism: Partnering With School Librarians, Selena J. Layden, Amelia Anderson

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

School librarians play an important role in our public schools by supporting students through both formal and informal learning opportunities. All students have access to library services, including those who receive additional support through special education. Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in particular, may benefit from both the library environment and the knowledge and training specific to school librarians. Yet, school librarians frequently are not included as part of these students' educational teams. This study utilized a survey to discover the extent to which school librarians report providing services and supports to students with ASD, as well as the …

Improving Early Autism Diagnosis In Underserved Communities Through The Use Of “Learn The Signs. Act Early.” Developmental Milestone Tracking Tool, Tamara L. Ellington

Graduate Publications and Other Selected Works - Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Many children entering early childhood education programs have symptoms of autism spectrum disorder yet remain undiagnosed. Research suggests this is especially true for low-income and minority children who may not participate in regular pediatric check-ups, have parents with low health literacy, or who may experience provider bias. Thus, they are diagnosed at a later age compared to upper-class White children. Early autism-specific intervention services can have a profound and lasting impact on long-term developmental outcomes for children with autism. Identification of the symptoms of autism is key to triggering the autism evaluation process that leads to a formal autism diagnosis …

Confident But Lacking Support: School Librarians And Students With Autism, Amelia Anderson, Selena Layden

STEMPS Faculty Publications

School librarians work with students across their organizations, including those with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, little is known about how prepared school librarians are to serve these students. Using a mixed-methods survey, this study sought to explore training school librarians have taken about ASD and students with disabilities, as well as the effects of training on librarian confidence and library services. Based on results, librarians who received training through their school district or professional development outside of coursework reported being more confident in supporting students with ASD in the school library.

Managing During Covid-19 Webpage, University Of Maine Maine Autism Institute For Education And Research

Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research

Screenshot of University of Maine's Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research webpage suspending activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and guidance for coping during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maine Autism Institute For Education And Research Resources, University Of Maine Maine Autism Institute For Education And Research

Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research

Screenshot of University of Maine's Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research webpage with guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Creating A Social Communication Module For Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Erin Walton

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Research (Hales, Carroll, Fryar, & Ogden, 2017) shows that those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience poorer physical health and fewer opportunities for social interactions than typically developing peers. As the prevalence of ASD increases, it is essential to consider effective interventions that target multiple skill areas for individuals seeking therapy. Youth ages 9 to 17 with ASD may experience physical health and social communication benefits from the implementation of a social communication curriculum module that could potentially be incorporated with Bingocize®, an online application that incorporates bingo with physical exercise, as well as educational content. Social communication educational …

Creating And Sharing Digital Instructional Activities: A Practical Tutorial, Stephanie L. Mattson, Thomas S. Higbee, Juliana Aguilar, Beverly Nichols, Vincent E. Campbell, Lyndsay D. Nix, Kassidy S. Reinert, Sara Peck, Kylee Lewis

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

BCBAs may encounter situations, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, that preclude them from providing traditional in-person ABA services to clients. When conditions prevent BCBAs and behavior technicians from working directly with clients, digital instructional activities designed by BCBAs and delivered via a computer or tablet may be a viable substitute. Google applications, including Google Slides, Google Forms, and Google Classroom, can be particularly useful for creating and sharing digital instructional activities. In the current paper, we provide task analyses for utilizing basic Google Slides functions, developing independent instructional activities, developing caregiver-supported instructional activities, and sharing activities with clients and …

How I Learned To Communicate My Inner Life With Asperger’S: Ted Talk Annotated Resource List, Meghan Rice

Undergraduate Research Award

No abstract provided.

Bendablesound: An Elastic Multisensory Surface Using Touch-Based Interactions To Assist Children With Severe Autism During Music Therapy, Franceli L. Cibrian, Oscar Peña, Deysi Ortega, Monica Tentori

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Neurological Music Therapy uses live music to improve the sensorimotor regulation of children with severe autism. However, they often lack musical training and their impairments limit their interactions with musical instruments. In this paper, we present our co-design work that led to the BendableSound prototype: an elastic multisensory surface encouraging users to practice coordination movements when touching a fabric to play sounds. We present the results of a formative study conducted with 18 teachers showing BendableSound was perceived as “usable” and “attractive”. Then, we present a deployment study with 24 children with severe autism showing BendableSound is “easy to use” …

Voices Of Young Adults With Autism And Their Perspective On Life Choices After Secondary Education, Susan Galler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative research study was to explore how young adults who have an autism spectrum disorder perceive their life choices after secondary education. The focus participants in the sample were young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). For the purpose of this research, ASD includes autism and Asperger's Disorder. Participants between the ages of 18 and 33 were located through purposive sampling in the states of Minnesota and Tennessee, as the author has previously worked in these states. Participants were asked five open ended focus questions during the span of two face to face interviews. Questions …

Bridging The Research Gap: Making Hri Useful To Individuals With Autism, Elizabeth Kim, Rhea Paul, Frederick Shic, Brian Scassellati

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

While there is a rich history of studies involving robots and individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), few of these studies have made substantial impact in the clinical research community. In this paper we first examine how differences in approach, study design, evaluation, and publication practices have hindered uptake of these research results. Based on ten years of collaboration, we suggest a set of design principles that satisfy the needs (both academic and cultural) of both the robotics and clinical autism research communities. Using these principles, we present a study that demonstrates a quantitatively measured improvement in human-human social interaction …

Improving Dental Visits For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders Through An Understanding Of Sensory Processing, Heather Miller Kuhaneck, Elizabeth Cipes Chisholm, Dmd

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

The increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suggests that dental practices will be seeing patients with this diagnosis more frequently. Although patients with ASD have similar dental needs to other patients, the symptoms of the disorder may influence the ability of dental practitioners to provide necessary care. Dental professionals may be unaware of the difficulties with sensory processing common to patients with ASD. However, awareness of sensory processing issues and knowledge of strategies to improve the sensory experience for individuals with ASD may improve dental visits for these patients and allow for enhanced dental care provision.

Sally J. Rogers And Geraldine Dawson: Review Of Early Start Denver Model For Young Children With Autism: Promoting Language, Learning And Engagement (Book Review), Rhea Paul

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Book review by Rhea Paul:

Rogers, Sally R. and Geraldine Dawson. Early Start Denver Model for Young Children with Autism: Promoting Language, Learning and Engagement. New York: Guilford Press, 2010. 9781606236321; 9781606234914 (pbk.)

Thinking Outside Of The Assessment Box: Assessing Social Communicative Functioning In Students With Asd, Janet L. Dodd

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

The assessment of a student suspected of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis requires the integration of information collected by a variety of professionals across various domains of functioning. One of the core deficits of students with ASD is a deficit related to social communicative competence (SCC). SCC requires the integration of language, social cognition, and higher order executive functions (Coggins, Olswang, Carmichael Olsson, & Timler, 2003) This article will propose an assessment model of social communicative functioning that was developed based on the SCC framework of Coggins and colleagues as a component of the Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Assessment Protocols for …

Defining Spoken Language Benchmarks And Selecting Measures Of Expressive Language Development For Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Helen Tager-Flusberg, Sally Rogers, Judith Cooper, Rebecca Landa, Catherine Lord, Rhea Paul, Mabel Rice, Carol Stoel-Gammon, Amy Wetherby, Paul Yoder

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Purpose: The aims of this article are twofold: (a) to offer a set of recommended measures that can be used for evaluating the efficacy of interventions that target spoken language acquisition as part of treatment research studies or for use in applied settings and (b) to propose and define a common terminology for describing levels of spoken language ability in the expressive modality and to set benchmarks for determining a child's language level in order to establish a framework for comparing outcomes across intervention studies.
Method: The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders assembled a group of researchers …

Cec: Clinical Exchange Corner, Mary Lloyd Moore, Laura Reynolds

CEC Publications

No abstract provided.

Cec: Clinical Exchange Corner, Mary Lloyd Moore, Laura Reynolds

CEC Publications

No abstract provided.

Cec: Clinical Exchange Corner, Mary Lloyd Moore, Laura Reynolds

CEC Publications

No abstract provided.

Cec: Clinical Exchange Corner, Mary Lloyd Moore, Laura Reynolds

CEC Publications

No abstract provided.

Adaptive Behavior In Autism And Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified: Microanalysis Of Scores On The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Rhea Paul, Stephanie Miles, Domenic Cicchetti, Sara Sparrow, Ami Klin, Fred Volkmar, Megan Coflin, Shelley Booker

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to provide a microanalysis of differences in adaptive functioning seen between well-matched groups of school-aged children with autism and those diagnosed as having Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, all of whom functioned in the mild to moderate range of intellectual impairment. Findings indicate that the major area of difference between children with autism and those with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, was expressive communication; specifically, the use of elaborations in syntax and morphology and in pragmatic use of language to convey and to seek information in discourse. Linear discriminant function analysis revealed that scores …

Ua3/9/5 Special Announcement - Kelly Autism Project, Wku President's Office

WKU Archives Records

Speech delivered by WKU president Gary Ransdell announcing the beginning of the Kelly Autism Project at Western Kentucky University.

Desensitization To Medical Examining Equipment Through Learner Control In A Child With Severe Mental Retardation, Michael Giangreco, William J. Keogh

College of Education and Social Services Faculty Publications

While the psychological literature is replete with examples of desensitization to phobic stimuli, few studies have documented successful interventions conducted with individuals identified as mentally retarded. The study describes desensitization to basic medical examining equipment in a youngster with severe mental retardation and autistic tendencies. Following desensitization to feared stimuli through the repeated exposure of baseline, intervention was initiated on the remaining feared stimuli through a learner control technique which combined modeling, behavioral rehearsal, and a variation of contact desensitization (Ritter, 1968). Results of a return-to-baseline design suggested that the medical examinations feared most by the child were of the …

Cognitive, Behavioral, And Adaptive Functioning In Fragile X And Non-Fragile X Retarded Men, E. Dykens, J. Leckman, Rhea Paul, M. Watson

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

The cognitive, behavioral, and adaptive functioning of 12 men with fragile X syndrome (aged 23 to 62 years) was systematically assessed and compared to two matched groups of retarded men without fragile X syndrome residing at the same institution. The fragile X group was largely indistinguishable from the comparison groups on the cognitive, behavioral, and adaptive measures. Fragile X patients were, however, significantly more likely to have achieved levels of adaptive functioning commensurate with their intellectual abilities. Fragile X subjects who had similarly affected siblings emerged as significantly higher-functioning in all areas than Fragile X subjects who did not have …