Education Commons^™

Caregiver Rights, Virtual Meetings, And The Multidisciplinary Team: Communication Of Legal Rights Within Special Education, Amber Gordon, Kurustun Musick

Theses & Honors Papers

During the COVID-19 pandemic many professional settings used virtual platforms to conduct meetings that typically took place in person. Within the United States public schools, special education programs faced unique challenges when conducting students’ Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. These meetings are mandatory and essential in creating an individualized plan to provide the necessary services and support for students or for monitoring their progress. As mandated through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), it is a legal right of parents and/or guardians to be afforded the opportunity to attend any meetings regarding the “identification, evaluation, and educational placement” of …

'Picture It', Sarah Allwein, Carly Childress, Brooke Baker

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Individuals who have autism, tend to have trouble fully communicating what it is that they truly need. Furthermore, there are many different varieties of communication technology out there today that are extremely beneficial; however, for some families, not affordable at all. Thus, we have researched the different ways to help a student with autism communicate but at an affordable rate. In the end we have decided on a low-tech picture exchange communication system as our form of intervention in helping an individual clearly express their needs and to better communicate in general. Our hypothesis for the study using the picture …

Incidental Teaching And Its Impact On Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder., Alexis Lyles, Molly Mccracken

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The title of our research-based inquiry is Incidental Teaching and Its Impact on Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. The purpose and reason for doing this inquiry is to determine if incidental teaching is an applicable evidence-based program for teaching children with Autism Spectrum Disorder appropriate communication skills and social interactions. The main question driving our inquiry is if “incidental teaching is an effective program for helping students with Autism Spectrum Disorder communicate and further develop their language abilities?”. Our hypothesis/assumption regarding this question is that if educators and interventionists use incidental teaching to teach children with Autism Spectrum Disorder appropriate …

Sensory Integration Therapy On Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kacie Reusser, Kathryn Brandon

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The use of sensory integration in classrooms that have students with special needs, especially students with autism spectrum disorder have been increasing in recent years. Different kinds of sensory stimulation can be beneficial for students who have autism spectrum disorder. Students who have autism may struggle with noise, tactile, taste, or visual sensory sensitivities. We believe that having sensory integration therapy techniques implemented in the classroom would help students with disabilities by increasing their focus and reduce stemming in the classroom. We intend to review and analyze published research articles in the field and based on our findings, we intend …

Service Learning With Individuals With Disabilities: Emerging Themes, Angela Brickhouse, Jennifer Harris, Kelly Mcgraw, Lauren Wernli

Theses & Honors Papers

In this study, 92 students, enrolled in introductory level courses at a small liberal arts university in rural central Virginia, were asked to fulfill 15 hours of service learning with individuals with disabilities. Students were required to keep journal reflections after each hour they completed. The researchers analyzed this data qualitatively by looking at themes and changes in attitude toward individuals with disabilities across the service learning activities. Data was organized into case studies representing each service learning activity. Then, common themes across the activities were discussed to assess the impact the activities had on attitudes of the college students …

Effects Of Visual Distractions In The Classroom Environment On The Time On Task Of Elementary Students With Adhd, Kate E. S. Harris

Theses & Honors Papers

The focus of this study is to demonstrate that the visual distractions, narrowly defined as wall decoration, in an elementary classroom can be a factor in the amount of time students with ADHD spend on-task in that classroom. This study builds upon the information revealed by studies conducted by such researchers as Creekmore (1987), Cruickshank (1967), Doyle, Anderson, and Halcomb (1976), and Steinkamp (1980), which tested the effects of visual distractions on participants with ADD/HD . These studies did not use learning tasks and used distractions that are not typical to an elementary classroom. This study attempted to answer the …

Methods Of Enhancing Communication In Preschoolers With Autism, Pam Headley

Theses & Honors Papers

Sixteen subjects were surveyed to determine their perceptions of four communication techniques used for increasing language in preschool children with autism: Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT), Voice Output Communication Aid (VOCA), and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). The subjects included public and private special education teachers of children with autism. A self-developed questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square (X²) were used to analyze the data at .05 significance level. PECS was the technique used most often. ABA was the technique perceived as most effective. Significant relationships were found between choice of …

Special Education Teachers' Collection And Use Of Data To Measure Student Progress, Crystal Thacker

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this research was to determine whether or not teachers use systematic and direct formative assessment techniques and if implementing these techniques has an effect on teacher efficacy. The participants (N = 89) were practicing special education teachers from urban and rural school divisions across Virginia and from one graduate-level course in special education. Data were collected using portions of the Data Collection and Analysis Survey (Cooke, Heward, Test, Spooner, & Courson, 1991) and selected items from the Teacher Efficacy Scale (Gibson, 1983). The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Of the 89 surveys distributed, …

Current Special Educator And General Educator Perceptions Of Inclusion And Collaboration As A Service Delivery Model In A Middle School Educational Setting, Kathryn Wilkens, Peggy L. Tarpley, Ph.D.

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine, through quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection, current special educator and general educator perceptions of inclusion and collaboration as compared to similar perceptions examined in 1995 (Tarpley, 1995). A self-made survey was implemented to explore educator perceptions. Quantitative selective response items were analyzed using a Chi Square procedure. Methods of naturalistic inquiry (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) were used to analyze qualitative open-ended questions. Significant values were noted based on the Chi Square analysis across four demographic areas: (a) current teaching assignment, (b) area of training, (c) number of years teaching experience, …

The Relationship Between Religious Programs And Peer Relationships Of Adults With Mental Retardation, Cecilia D. Beasley

Theses & Honors Papers

This research was intended to look at the relationship between attendance at religious programs on the peer relationships and spirituality of adults with mental retardation. The literature reviews the benefits of spirituality for all individuals, the characteristics of individuals with mental retardation, and the influences of peer relationships. Fifty-nine surveys about the individual's spiritual development, happiness, peer relationships and criminality as well as the importance of religious functions were completed by adults with and without mental retardation. The results indicate that attendance at religious activities does in fact impact spirituality and peer relationships of individuals with mental retardation. They also …

The Effects Of Extended School Year On Students With Mild Disabilities And Its Relationship To Regression Rate, Whitney C. Sears

Theses & Honors Papers

This study is an historical study comparing the spring and fall test scores of students who attended summer academic program of one particular private school for students with learning differences, including autism, Asperger's Syndrome, dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, and nonverbal learning disabilities. This study concluded that there was a statistical significance between the regression rates in both reading vocabulary and reading comprehension among those who attended the summer program and those who did not attend the summer program. Those students who did not attend the summer program regressed in skills significantly. Those students who attended the summer program maintained or …

Relationship Between Self-Perception Of Individuals With Learning Disabilities And Coping Strategies, Nicholas Frantz Pontius

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between one's understanding of his/her own learning disability (LO) and coping strategies he/she employs to mitigate the effect of the disability. The subjects (N = 120) of this study were students with learning disabilities who attended and graduated from a private school in Richmond, Virginia between 1976 and 1997. A self­-developed questionnaire with two parts was used to collect data for this study. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Of the 120 surveys mailed, 55 (45.8%) subjects responded. Hypothesis regarding relationship between knowledge and coping strategies …

Teachers' Perceptions On Special Education Students' Social Skills And The Effect Of Peer Perceptions In The General Educational Classroom., Erin E. Harman

Theses & Honors Papers

This study identified inconsistencies between teachers' perceptions of students with disabilities and parallels between the lack of positive peer perceptions and the inconsistent perceptions of general and special education teachers. To establish data this study used a selective group of seventh grade general and special education teachers from a middle school in central Virginia. This study also used one general education classroom containing students with and without disabilities. General and Special Education teachers were surveyed using the Profile/ Form Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment. Students used a modified version of the peer interpersonal assessment developed by Farmer, …

Relationship Of Secondary Special Educators' Disciplinary Style To Teacher Burnout And Teacher Self-Efficacy, Ashley E. Wall

Theses & Honors Papers

Burnout and attrition among special education teachers has become a major problem in public schools today. Stress in the classroom, stemming mostly from inappropriate student behaviors, is one of the key sources of teacher burnout. Disciplinary styles and self-efficacy contribute to the risk of burnout. The authoritative disciplinary style is ideal in the classroom. Teachers work with students and negotiate with them, and the students develop a sense of responsibility in the classroom. Teachers who have a high sense of self-efficacy generally adopt the authoritative approach and have a lower degree of burnout. The results of this study indicate that …

Participation In Graduate Level Coursework And Self-Efficacy Development Of Provisionally Licensed Special Education Teachers, Amy Corvello Mcginley

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine (a) whether participation in graduate level coursework increased the self-efficacy of provisionally licensed special education teachers, (b) whether participation in graduate level coursework increased the self-efficacy of general education teachers and, (c) if there was a difference between the self-efficacy beliefs of the two groups of teachers. A total of twenty-three provisionally licensed special education and general education teachers in rural Virginia responded to both a pre and post questionnaire consisting of 30 items designed to assist the teacher in assessing his/her self-efficacy beliefs. The working hypothesis was that the provisionally licensed …

A Survey Of Student Participation In The Iep Process, Elizabeth A. Edgemon

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this research was to investigate teachers' compliance with the portion of the IDEA '97 amendments that mandates participation in the IEP process by students 14 and older, or younger than transition is discussed. Researcher-developed surveys were sent to middle and high school special education throughout Virginia. The results of these surveys reflect teachers' compliance with this component of the IDEA Amendments of 1997. Nearly all of the teachers surveyed reported that at least some of their students were present at their most recent IEP meeting and though less than half of those students had any preparation for …

The Effects Of Inclusion And The Virginia Standards Of Learning On Students With Mild Mental Retardation, Heather G. Duffy

Theses & Honors Papers

This study examined the perceptions of general educators towards the educational placement of students with mild mental retardation within the general education classroom and the implications, if any, that the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) have on instructional modifications . The subjects were elementary, middle, and high school general education teachers . The data were collected through a Likert scale questionaire using both descriptive and inferential statistics tested at a .05 significance level. The results indicated no significant differences in the perceptions of SOL based on school level teaching and years of experience. However, the findings did suggest significant differences …

Perceptions And Knowledge Of The General Education Teacher's Role In The Iep Process, Sarah Jane Vandruff

Theses & Honors Papers

The perceptions and knowledge of general education teachers on their role in the IEP process were investigated. The literature suggests that the perceptions of teachers are influenced by many factors. The three main factors influencing teacher perceptions include: a) teacher training and staff support, b) the presence of an effective inclusion program, and c) the time available for the teacher to participate to his/her fullest potential. Teachers in Virginia have the training needed. However, teachers lack the presence of an effective inclusion program ad the time needed to collaborate and fully participate.

Sources Of Homework Modifications For General Education Teachers Teaching Mainstreamed Students, Amanda Brooke Sterling Slater

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine the sources of homework modifications made by general education teachers for special education students in their classes. A survey questionnaire was sent to 106 middle and high school teachers in the Spring of 2000. The questionnaire asked about the ways that teachers decided on modifications in the area of homework. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t tests to determine statistical significance. Results indicated that teachers often do not feel adequately trained to make modifications and that modifications for homework may not be included in the Individualized Educational Program. In order …

Teacher Knowledge And Attitudes Towards The Utilization Of Assistive Technology In Educational Settings, Theresa Ledger

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of special education teachers regarding the use of assistive technology in a school setting. This study also determined current information on teachers' knowledge levels of assistive technology. A survey questionnaire was sent to 120 elementary special education teachers in the Spring of 1999. The questionnaire was concerned wit h teacher knowledge and attitudes towards assistive technology. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results indicated teachers perceive themselves to have a good knowledge base in regards to assistive technology. However, less than half of those teachers are utilizing devices and services …

Students' With Learning Disabilities Perception Of Mnemonic Strategies In Mathematics Instruction, Susan C. Moore

Theses & Honors Papers

This was a qualitative as well as quantitative study conducted at a middle school in a rural county in Virginia. The researcher examined learning disabled students for their perceptions of mnemonic strategies in mathematics instruction. After direct instruction and instruction involving mnemonics, the seven subjects were tested. The test scores were examined to determine if there was a significant difference between pre and post scores. After interviewing the subjects, the results indicated five themes: unfamiliarity of procedure leads to anxiety, mnemonics improves performance, students desire more mnemonic strategies, division and other multi-step problems are the most difficult, and an increase …

Selective Attention In College Students With And Without Learning Disabilities: Identification Of Incongruent Emotional Stimuli, Adrienne R. Wolfe

Theses & Honors Papers

Students with LD may show deficiencies in selective attention, both visual and auditory, which can affect interpretation of social situations. The Stroop Test is often used to gauge selective attention to congruent and incongruent visual stimuli. In this experiment , the Stroop Test, and a similar researcher­ conducted task based on the depiction of emotions paired with congruent and incongruent words and an emotional task, involving emotional words paired with incongruent pictures depicting people with different facial expressions, were presented to college students with and without LD. The reaction times, and the number and types of correct and incorrect answers …

General And Special Educators' Perceptions Of The Desirability And Feasibility Of Modifications For Students With Mild-Moderate Mental Retardation In The General Education Classroom, Alice E. Mccormick

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this research was to study the perceptions of general and special educators toward the desirability and feasibility of modifications for students with mild-moderate mental retardation in the general education classroom. The subjects were (N = 192) teachers from the elementary, middle, and high school levels of rural public school divisions in south central Virginia. Data were collected through a Likert-type questionnaire developed by Schumm and Vaughn. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Of the 192 surveys mailed, 103 (N = 103) subjects responded. The results indicated there were no statistically significant differences in …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Students With Mild Disabilities, Catrina Danette White

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers viewed one group of mildly disabled students as more difficult to teach than the others. In addition, the study attempted to determine if there were any differences in the views of special education and general education teachers toward students with mild disabilities. Fifty teachers from the South Central area of the state of Virginia were surveyed with a 10-item survey to determine the tendency of the teachers to associate certain characteristics or needs with a particular category (i.e., LD, ED, MR).

Results showed that teachers tended to choose the category …

The Effects Of Computer-Assisted Instruction On Developing Mathematical Problem-Solving Skills, Mary W. Wise

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects computer-assisted instruction has on the mathematical problem-solving skills of students with learning disabilities. A multiple baseline across subjects design was used in this study. Three female students from a rural secondary school participated. Data were collected from fifteen sessions where mathematical problem-solving skills were taught utilizing computer-assisted instruction . Positive results were obtained from all three subjects in the study, though the degree of improvement varied.

Teacher Recognition Of Student Learning Styles, Michelle Wright

Theses & Honors Papers

The ability of teachers in a special education classroom utilizing individualized instruction to recognize students' learning preferences was investigated. Each student's learning style preference was determined by the administration and evaluation of a learning styles inventory. Teachers were asked to respond to a similiar inventory as they felt their students would respond. A Pearson r performed on the results indicated that a relatively strong relationship existed between the responses at the . 10 level of significance .

The Prevalence Of Adoption Among Children Diagnosed With Learning Disabilities And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Karma Jo Roach

Theses & Honors Papers

This study investigated the prevalence of adoption among children diagnosed with Learning Disabilities (LD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Parents who were members of the Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) of a mid­ Atlantic state completed a two-part questionnaire with information about their school aged live-at-home children. A Chi-Square one sample test was used to compute a chi­ square statistic based on the observed frequency in the study and the expected frequency of adoption in the general population. The Chi-Square value was 75.773 (df=l) with a significance level of .0001. This shows a significantly greater than expected prevalence of adoption …

Effects Of Auditory Perceptual Training On Reading Decoding, Jennifer L. Marshall

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this experimental study was to determine the effect of auditory perceptual training on reading decoding skills of adolescent students with learning disabilities. The subjects (N=4) were all being served in a self-contained high school setting. Three of the subjects were male and one was female. The subjects were pre­-tested and post-tested using the Test of Auditory Analysis Skills (TAAS) and word identification and word attack subtests of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test­ Revised(WRMT-R). The data were analyzed using dependent sample t-tests. Significant differences were found on auditory skills (t= -3.66, p<.05), word attack (t=8.3, p<.05) and the basic skills cluster (t=5.14, p<.05). Two limitations of this study were the small number of subjects and duration of the training exercises. Future studies with a larger sample and longer training period are recommended. Another recommendation is to use a single subject method when the sample size is this small.

Effects Of Computer Assisted Instruction And Pclogo Programs On Math Performance Of Seventh And Eighth Grade Students With Learning Disabilities, Katherine R. Sweeny

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of computer assisted instruction and Logo programming on the math performance of seventh and eighth grade students with learning disabilities. The sample included thirty (N=30) subjects with learning disabilities. The computer programs used were Deluxe Math Munchers and LOGO for Windows. A three group pretest-posttest experimental design was used to determine if a relationship existed between the three different methods of instruction and achievement, and whether or not a significant difference existed in performance based on grade levels. The 30 subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups, two …

Using A Constant Tie Delay To Teach Measurement To Middle School Students With Learning Disabilities, Emily S. Lovell

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to teach the parts of an inch in sixteenths, using a constant time delay procedure. Constant time delay is a virtually effortless, or near errorless, instructional process involving the simultaneous delivery of a target stimulus and a controlling prompt for a limited number of trials, followed by trials where the target stimulus is presented, but the controlling prompt is delayed for a constant time period. The study was conducted with 6 sixth-grade students in a self­ contained math class for students with learning disabilities. The subject group contained 5 males and 1 female. Each …