Education Commons^™

A Comparison Of The Spontaneous Utterances Of Students With Autism Across Two Educational Settings, Mary E. Peterson

Dissertations

Students with autism are being mainstreamed into general education classes in increasing numbers. This practice is based on the largely theoretical assumptions that normal peers will provide models of appropriate communication skills as well as increased opportunities for social interaction. However, there are few empirical studies available to corroborate these beliefs.

The purpose of this study was to compare the functional communication of the same group of students with autism across two settings, their general education classrooms and their self-contained, special education classrooms. Each of the students spent time in both settings during each school day. Their spontaneous language was …

Investigation Of The Prevalence Of Learning Disabilities Within The Home-School Population Of Southwest Michigan, Paul Steven Kitchen

Dissertations

Problem. The special education needs of home-school children have rarely been studied. This research utilizes the homeschool population of Southwest Michigan to investigate the incidence of learning disabilities (LD) within this group. At the same time, it is possible to investigate some of the criticisms of the learning disability field of study.

Method. Two hundred ninety-eight home-school children in southwest Michigan were assessed for LD using the Michigan State Board of Education definitional criteria. Achievement was assessed by use of the Wide Range Achievement Test, third revision. Ability was measured with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, third revision. …

Profiles Of Promise: Students With Learning Difference Prepare For Optimal Foreign Language Learning, Ludmilla Coven

Dissertations

Many secondary school counselors discourage students with diagnosed native language deficits from foreign language studies. They hold the unsubstantiated belief that these studies would jeopardize their hard-earned gains in native language learning. Research disproves that position, and some writers advocate foreign language study to improve language learning and enhance cognitive strategies. Improvement occurs more readily when the instructor has the expertise to choose from a repertoire of teaching styles the one most compatible with the learning style of the student. With the full inclusion promised by the regular education initiative becoming a reality, this study explores research, design, and team-teaching …

A Study Of The Discriminative Function Of Six Variables In 9-12-Year-Old Males With Learning Disabilities, Kenneth M. Hanig

Dissertations

Problem

Greater discriminative power to clarify the diagnostic category of learning disabilities is needed. Research identifies many types of learning disabled populations. Studies do not indicate that the six variables used in this project had been combined and used in a project prior to this. Using measures such as Sentence Repeat, Synonyms, Digits Forward/Backwards, Design Copy, Nonsense Words, and Visual Pattern Matching, this project studied the responses of an LD sample to these subtests and their ability to discriminate among a verbally impaired sample, a spatially impaired sample, and a control group.

Method

Six subtests were developed, which, according to …

The Effects Of Leadership Style And Work Setting On The Job Satisfaction Of Teachers Of The Trainable Mentally Impaired, John Charles Woods

Dissertations

This study examined the effect that leadership style and work setting would have on the job satisfaction of teachers of the trainable mentally impaired (TMI). Leadership style was based on the adaptability score from the LEAD Other instrument by Hersey and Blanchard (1982). Work setting was defined by one of three teaching situations, (1) integrated, with one or two teachers of the TMI working in a regular education building; (2) clustered, with three or more teachers of the TMI working in a regular education building; or (3) segregated, with teachers of the TMI working in a separate facility. Job satisfaction …

The Ability Of Teachers Of Preschool Handicapped To Use Observational Behavioral Assessment Techniques In Assessing Social Skills, Stephen P. Barbus

Dissertations

Socially competent preschool children effectively use a variety of social skills, including initiating and maintaining interactions, using others as resources, expressing affection and hostility appropriately, and competing with, leading, and following peers. Children lacking these behaviors are at greater risk of interpersonal difficulties, delayed cognitive development, poor academic performance, school maladjustment, and mental health problems. Handicapped children are deficient in a variety of social skills. Before special education can provide effective intervention in requisite social skills it must establish accurate and reliable assessment techniques.

One such technique, behavioral assessment of social skills, uses several methods. Of these, observation in the …

Comparison Of Training Procedures On Acquisition, Retention, And Generic Extension In Retarded And Non-Retarded Children, Wendy Leys Rudolph

Dissertations

The effect of inclusion of irrelevant stimuli on concept attainment was investigated. Six regular education and six special education subjects learned a total of nine nonsense concepts under three training conditions differing in the number of irrelevant features presented. No major differences in performance were noted to be dependent on training condition. Special Education subjects reached mastery in approximately twice as many trials as the Regular Education subjects. Once mastered, both groups demonstrated similar retention and response to novel examples. Special Education subjects showed little improvement over the nine concepts. Regular Education subjects showed great improvement and responded almost errorlessly …

A Comparative Study Of Three Alternative Procedures For Identifying Severe Discrepancy In Learning Disabled Students, Carol Tully Uhlman

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare Hessler's (1985) procedure for determining a severe discrepancy between ability and achievement with two alternate procedures: (a) the "expert opinion" of learning disability teachers, and (b) the results of the multidisciplinary evaluation team report (MET). An ex post facto design was used. Hessler's procedure was applied using WISC-R full scale scores as the ability measure and reading, mathematics, and written language scores from Part 2 of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery as measures of achievement.

Subjects were 27 fourth and fifth grade students legally identified as learning disabled and receiving special education services …

The Development And Validation Of A Social Skills Rating Scale For Early Adolescents, Alan Bain

Dissertations

This study responded to the need for a social skill assessment device specifically for use with early adolescents (i.e., ages 12-15 both regular education and mildly handicapped), that would assist teachers in addressing the social behavior problems experienced by this population.

The purpose of the study was to produce and validate a reliable teacher rating scale for use in: (a) screening adolescents for participation in social skill training programs, (b) measuring the efficacy of social skills training, and (c) measuring the generalization of social skills training to classroom social behavior. Aspects of both traditional and behavioral assessment theory were used …

Effect Of Father-Presence And Father-Absence On The Self-Concept Of Black Males In Special Education And Regular Education Classes, Queen Esther Woodard

Dissertations

This study compared the self-concept of Black males residing in father-present and father-absent low socioeconomic status homes, who were between the ages of 8-12, and who were enrolled in emotionally impaired, or regular education classes. Literature indicated that since 1970, the number of children reared in one-parent homes has increased by over 60%, with over 90% of these children living with their mothers. This changing lifestyle has prompted researchers to investigate the effects of father-absence on children; especially on boys.

It was hypothesized that self-concept would be influenced by father status, chronological age, and class placement. These three independent variables …

An Analysis Of Activities And Success Patterns Of Coordinators Of Planning, Monitoring, And Data Collection, William D. Howard

Dissertations

Public Law 94-142, the Education of all Handicapped Children Act, 1975, requires school districts, through evaluation, to document compliance to the law and its regulations. In Michigan, the individuals primarily responsible for the monitoring of compliance to these federal rules and regulations at the intermediate education unit (IEU) level hold the position known as Coordinator of Planning, Monitoring, and Data Collection (CPMDC). Little is known about how persons holding CPMDC positions functon. A review of the literature revealed a need for more information concerning these positions so that data based decisions can be made. This investigation was concerned with patterns …

An Assessment Of The Relationships Between Selected Teacher Characteristics And Attitudes Of Regular Classroom Teachers Toward Mainstreaming, Dorothy Mary Elkins

Dissertations

A descriptive study was conducted to investigate the relationship between regular classroom teachers' attitudes toward accepting handicapped pupils into their classrooms and the following factors: (a) the teacher's age, sex, academic preparation, and professional experience, (b) grade level taught, and (c) the teacher's perception of potential help available. The investigator also surveyed the opinions of these teachers about: (a) the types of handicapping conditions considered most and least acceptable and (b) the effectiveness of various incentives as inducements to enhanced acceptance of handicapped pupils into their classrooms. Data were gathered using the Attitude Regarding Mainstreaming Survey (ARMS), which was developed …

A Test Of The Validity Of The Equipercentile Assumption: An Analysis Using A Data Base Of Title-I Eligible Students, Christine Applin Ameen

Dissertations

The Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) consists of three basic evaluation models, the norm-referenced model, the control group model, and the regression model. The most widely used of these is the norm-referenced model. The equipercentile assumption, upon which this model is based, states that student groups, in the absence of Title I services, will maintain their percentile status over time. The validity of this assumption was tested using a data base of students who were eligible for Title I services but did not receive such services. The pre-and post-test reading and math scores of these students were aggregated …

The Effects Of Participation In The Family Support Program On The Adaptive And Maladaptive Behaviors Of Developmentally Disabled Individuals, Patricia L. Mcdonald

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in adaptive as well as maladaptive behaviors of those developmentally disabled persons who have participated in a Family Support Program and those who have not participated in such a program.

The study focused on the adaptive and maladaptive behaviors of 10 developmentally disabled persons for the time period from November 1980 to April 1982. These subjects for the study were between the ages of 4 and 20, residents of Macomb County, and actively serviced by the Macomb County Life Consultation Center. Data used in the study were generated through the …

The Development Of Instructional Materials To Facilitate The Interaction Of Handicapped And Nonhandicapped Third Grade Students In Selected Parochial Schools, James Nicholas Gonwa

Dissertations

This study focused on the development and use of instructional materials for teaching handicap awareness to elementary third grade children. The purposes of the study were (1) to determine if there is a need for instructional materials to teach handicap awareness, (2) to determine how teachers and experts would use instructional materials, (3) to determine the opinions of teachers and experts about the Handicap Awareness Series developed in this study and (4) to determine the opinions of children about the Handicap Awareness Series. The materials developed in this study were evaluated as an instructional method which could be used to …

Use Of The Audio Visual Tactile Treatment On Disabled Readers In Grades Three And Four : Its Effect On Word Recognition, Silent Reading Comprehension, And Attitude Towards Reading, Shirani Christine De Alwis

Dissertations

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Audio Visual Tactile (AVT) treatment in third - and fourth-grade disabled readers in three areas of reading: word-recognition skills , silent-reading comprehension skills , and attitude towards reading. Procedures A Quasi-Experimental Pretest-Posttest Nonequivalent Group Design was used. The subjects were 87 students in grades 3 and 4 with at least low-average intelligence ( I . Q. scores of 80 and above), receiving Title I reading-support services during the 1979-80 school year. The students were from the Central, Northside, and Oak Manor elementary schools in the Niles Community …

Effects Of Rational-Emotive Group Therapy Upon Anxiety And Self-Esteem Of Learning Disabled Children, Donna J. Meyer

Dissertations

Previous research has indicated the effectiveness of rational-emotive education techniques in reducing anxiety and building self-esteem with regular classroom children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of rational-emotive group therapy on anxiety and self-esteem of learning-disabled children. One hundred ten learning-disabled children (ages 8-13) were assigned to one of three experimental conditions: rational-emotive therapy (N=32), recreational-educational programming (N=31), or no-contact (N=47). Within the two experimental treatments that actually met, groups of seven to nine members, similar in chronological age, were formed. The rational-emotive groups received therapy based on rational-emotive theory. The recreational-educational programming groups engaged in …

A Procedure For Monitoring Individualized Education Programs For The Handicapped, George T.L. Holt

Dissertations

Public Law 94-142 mandates that each handicapped child have an individualized education program (IEP) which must be based upon the unique needs of the child. Federal legislation requires that IEPs be developed and implemented if state and local education agencies are to receive federal funds. A review of literature indicated that the procedures currently being used to monitor the IEP mandate do not have documented validity or reliability. The purposes of this investigation were to develop, validate, establish reliability, and field test the utility of a checklist designed to monitor IEPs.

To establish content validity, recognized individuals in the area …

The Development Of A Special Education Procedures Manual, Duane H. Greenwold

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide a special education procedural manual which: (1) Has been validated and field tested. (2) Informs special education administrators through the use of sequential procedures of the statutory and regulatory requirements for implementing Public Law 94-142 and Public Law 198. (3) Provides a model for procedural implementation which ensures legal compliance to Public Law 94-142 and Public Law 198. (4) Assists special education administrators as a resource in examining the decision-making process as it relates to special education program implementation.

The procedural manual was developed by special education professionals responsible for program implementation …

The Development And Validation Of A Set Of Procedural Guidelines For Preplanning An Evaluation Of The Process Of College Advisement, Mary-Maureen Snook-Hill

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Differences In Encoding And Decoding Of Emotion Via Facial Expressions Among Normal And Mildly Emotionally Handicapped Boys, Thomas M. Reed

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Knowledge And Attitudes Expressed Toward The Mainstreaming Process By Preservice And Certified Elementary Teachers, R. Wayne Buletza

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Stimulation Of Concern Levels For Students Preparing To Teach Handicapped Children Using Systematic Feedback Of Practicum, Roger N. Carlsen

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Revision And Validation Of An Instrument Designed To Assess Spatial Conceptual Abilities In Visually Impaired Children, Everett W. Hill

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Advance Organizers In The Teaching Of English Grammar To Emotionally Impaired Adolescents, Garrett Boersma Jr.

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Precausal Thinking In Non-Retarded And Mildly Mentally Retarded Children, Sandra Sue Gagie

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Development And Validation Of A Vocational Interest Survey Instrument With Audio-Visual Format, Paul Gene Elliott

Dissertations

Problem. Many present day vocational interest surveys rely exclu­sively on printed reading materials to assess youngsters' vocational interest . The use of printed reading materials alone may not best serve the youngsters who are unable to read or who learn best through a different kind of learning structure . There needs to be a variety of valid assessing techniques that explore the youngster's vocational interest. These techniques should not raise side issues of academic skills, but provide a pure measure of interest . The purpose of this research was to develop and test an instrument using photographs as choice stimulants …

Simulation Activities As A Means Of Changing Attitudes And Transmitting Knowledge Of Adaptations And Techniques For Handicapped Individuals To Teacher Trainees, Jo-Alyce K. Peterson

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Videotapes: An Aid In Teaching Behavior Identification And Techniques For Behavior Management, Florence M. Taber

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Initial Study To Validate The Michigan Behavioral Skills Assessment Scale, James Jackson Coleman

Dissertations

No abstract provided.