Education Commons^™

School Culture For Students With Significant Support Needs: Belonging Is Not Enough, Diane Carroll, Connie Fulmer, Donna Sobel, Dorothy Garrison-Wade, Lorenso Aragon, Lisa Coval

Connie L. Fulmer

This qualitative study examined the influence of school culture on services for students with significant support needs. Students with significant support needs are defined as those who typically have cognitive impairments, often paired with sensory and physical challenges, and who require substantial supports to receive benefit from education. Using Schein's (1988) definition of culture, ethnographic methods, including observations, interviews and artifacts, were used to collect data related to artifacts, values, and assumptions. Results of this study indicate a strong sense of family, community and belonging. However, belonging did not include critical components of instruction as described as best practice in …

Listening To Their Voices: Factors That Inhibit Or Enhance Postsecondary Outcomes For Students' With Disabilities, Dorothy Garrison-Wade

Dorothy Garrison-Wade

Although an increasing number of students with disabilities are considering postsecondary educational opportunities, many of these students find the challenges daunting as compared to their secondary educational experiences. The purpose of the qualitative case study reported herein was to learn more about students' perceptions of services received in college in order to develop a clearer understand of how to better ensure positive outcomes. Fifty nine students with various disabilities and six disability resource coordinators from five two year community colleges and three four-year universities participated in the study. Three major themes emerged from the data, including: (a) capitalizing on student …

Inclusive Leadership: Preparing Principals For The Role That Awaits Them, Dorothy Garrison-Wade, Donna Sobel, Connie Fulmer

Dorothy Garrison-Wade

Preparing administrators with the capacity to improve instruction for all learners is critical for recruiting and retaining special education teachers. However, recent research points out the need to improve skills of current and future administrators for this role. To address these concerns the special education and administrator preparation programs at a western university designed and conducted research to determine how well preservice principals were being prepared to improve instruction for all learners. To determine program improvement and training needs, researchers collected focus group and survey data from current and alumni students from both programs. Findings of this research are organized …

A Conceptual Framework For Understanding Students' With Disabilities Transition To Community College, Dorothy Garrison-Wade, Jean Lehmann

Dorothy Garrison-Wade

Students with disabilities are significantly underrepresented in the nation's community college population for multiple reasons. These include low expectations, poor high school preparation and transition planning, lack of communication or support services, and ineffective or poor support from school services personnel and faculty. This paper presents a literature synthesis. Its purpose is to inform an initial framework for building towards a conceptual framework for understanding the transition to community college by students with disabilities. The framework was developed from an earlier mixed methods study involving 100 college students with disabilities and 10 disability resource counselors in eight universities and colleges, …

School Culture For Students With Significant Support Needs: Belonging Is Not Enough, Diane Carroll, Connie Fulmer, Donna Sobel, Dorothy Garrison-Wade, Lorenso Aragon, Lisa Coval

Dorothy Garrison-Wade

This qualitative study examined the influence of school culture on services for students with significant support needs. Students with significant support needs are defined as those who typically have cognitive impairments, often paired with sensory and physical challenges, and who require substantial supports to receive benefit from education. Using Schein's (1988) definition of culture, ethnographic methods, including observations, interviews and artifacts, were used to collect data related to artifacts, values, and assumptions. Results of this study indicate a strong sense of family, community and belonging. However, belonging did not include critical components of instruction as described as best practice in …

From Giving Service To Being Of Service, Philip Ferguson, Patricia O'Brien

Philip M. Ferguson

This chapter focuses on the place of those with intellectual disabilities in the Western world.

Winks, Blinks, Squints And Twitches: Looking For Disability And Culture Through My Son’S Left Eye, Philip Ferguson

Philip M. Ferguson

This chapter focuses on the culture and human experience of having an intellectual disability.

Investigation Of Post-School Transition Programs Being Provided For Students With An Intellectual Disability In Special Schools In Victoria, Sharon Clerke

Sharon Clerke

Special Schools and Special Development Schools in Victoria cater for students with a range of disabilities both physical and intellectual, and are required to provide post-school transition education and career pathways for their students. This study aims to examine how a number of Special and Special Development Schools, collectively referred to as special schools, prepare students with an intellectual disability for post-school transition, which programs are being implemented and developed to ensure that these students are given the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers and what is regarded as a successful post-school outcome.

Every Face Has A Place: Disability, Mental Health And Kidsmatter, Katherine Dix

Dr Katherine Dix

Disability And Children’S Mental Health Through The Kidsmatter Lens, Katherine Dix, Paul Cahalan

Dr Katherine Dix

Helping Kids With Disability, Katherine Dix

Dr Katherine Dix

Allied Educators (Learning And Behavioural) In Singapore’S Mainstream Schools: First Steps Towards Inclusivity?, Sirene Lim, Meng Wong, Denise Tan

Sirene Lim

It is arguable whether Singapore's mainstream schools are moving towards ‘inclusion’ by providing support for students with mild to moderate disabilities through the provision of a newly created para-professional called the Allied Educators (Learning and Behavioural) [AED(LBS)]. Since 2005, the government has provided an incremental supply of these trained para-professionals to offer both in-class support and withdrawal sessions. Many primary and secondary schools have one such para-professional catering to an unpredictable number of children with and without assessed learning needs. This paper draws upon data from a study investigating how a group of 30 newly qualified AED(LBS) para-professionals shaped their …

Teacher Preparation For Inclusive Education: Increasing Knowledge But Raising Concerns, Chris Forlin, Dianne Chambers

Dianne J Chambers

The role of the generalist teacher is now affirmed as being an important component in the success or otherwise of inclusive education practice. Issues about the effectiveness of teacher preparation for working in inclusive classes have arisen. An evaluation of pre-service teachers' perceptions regarding their preparedness for inclusion had some interesting findings. The study found that increasing knowledge about legislation and policy related to inclusion, and improving levels of confidence in becoming inclusive teachers, did not likewise address their concerns, or perceived stress, about having students with disabilities in their classes. As universities re-evaluate their teacher preparation courses, a range …

Students With Special Needs: State Of The Nation, Katherine Dix

Dr Katherine Dix

Mobile Devices As Assistive Technologies, Sacha Develle

Dr Sacha DeVelle

As mobile devices continue to make inroads into educational environments in low-resource settings, it is ever more important that learners with disabilities be considered and included in the productive use of these technologies. Indeed, as innovations in mobile technologies continue to proliferate and lead to greater affordability, opportunities abound for providing these learners, long too often forgotten, with the tools and services they need in order to benefit from access to rich educational experiences. This session will explore innovative uses of mobile technologies for inclusive education efforts, including efforts by Cambridge to Africa in using mobile phones to improve education …

Kidsmatter For Students With A Disability: Evaluation Report, Katherine Dix, Jo Shearer, Phillip Slee, Christel Butcher

Dr Katherine Dix