Education Commons^™

Visual Representation In Mathematics: Special Education Teachers’ Knowledge And Emphasis For Instruction, Delinda Van Garderen, Amy Scheuermann, Apryl L. Poch, Mary M. Murray

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

The use of visual representations (VRs) in mathematics is a strongly recommended practice in special education. Although recommended, little is known about special educators’ knowledge of and instructional emphasis about VRs. Therefore, in this study, the authors examined special educators’ own knowledge of and their instructional emphasis with VRs in mathematics for students with disabilities (SWDs) in Grades K-12. A total of 146 teachers (pre- and in-service) responded to an online survey. A mixed methods triangulation research design was utilized. Findings include the following: (a) teachers hold conceptions about VRs and the roles they serve in problem solving; their ideas, …

Getting More From Your Maze: Examining Differences In Distractors, Sarah J. Conoyer, Erica S. Lembke, John L. Hosp, Christine A. Espin, Michelle K. Hosp, Apryl L. Poch

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

The present study examined the technical adequacy of maze-selection tasks constructed in 2 different ways: typical versus novel. We selected distractors for each measure systematically based on rules related to the content of the passage and the part of speech of the correct choice. Participants included 262 middle school students who were randomly assigned to 1 of the 2 maze formats. Scoring of the maze included both correct and correct-minus-incorrect scores. Students completed 3 criterion-reading tests: the Scholastic Reading Inventory, the AIMSweb R-Maze, and a high-stakes state assessment (the Missouri Assessment Program). Alternate-forms reliability was similar across maze formats; however, …

Parental Directiveness And Responsivity Toward Young Children With Complex Communication Needs, Shari L. Deveney, Cynthia J. Cress, Matthew Lambert

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to determine if parent responsiveness to their children with complex communication needs (CCN) during naturalistic play changed over an 18-month period and determine if any such changes were influenced by the child’s overall level of receptive and expressive language development, motor development or differing play contexts. This longitudinal information is important for early intervention speech-language pathologists and parents of children with developmental disabilities for whom the use of parent-directed responsivity interventions may be encouraged.

Method: Over an 18-month period, 37 parents of young children who had physical and/or neurological disabilities …

Voice Disorder Management Competencies: A Survey Of School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists In Nebraska, Amy F. Teten, Shari L. Deveney, Mary J. Friehe

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this survey was to determine the self-perceived competence levels in voice disorders of practicing school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and identify correlated variables.

Method: Participants were 153 master’s level, school-based SLPs with a Nebraska teaching certificate and/or licensure who completed a survey, including demographic information and a 25-item voice disorders competency checklist.

Results: Findings indicated school-based SLPs did not feel particularly competent in their ability to assess and treat students with voice disorders. Only 1 response mean was higher than a “moderately competent” level. All other item means were at or below this level. Four correlations indicated …

Comparison Of Parent-Implemented And Clinician-Directed Intervention For Toddlers Identified As Late Talkers: A Literature Review, Shari L. Deveney, Jessica L. Hagaman

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Claire had been worried about her son Henry for several months. He did not seem to talk like other children his age and did not say as many words as his older sister when she was a toddler. Claire consulted with Henry's pediatrician at his two-year wellness check. They discussed Henry's medical history and, other than his lack of words, neither had concerns about his development. "He really seems to understand everything we say to him or tell him to do," Claire explained, "But he barely says anything at all."

She decided to contact her local public school district for …

Test-Retest Reliability Of Independent Phonological Measures Of 2-Year-Old Speech: A Pilot Study, Katherine Wittler, Shari L. Deveney

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Introduction: Within the field of speech-language pathology, many assume commonly used informal speech sound measures are reliable. However, lack of scientific evidence to support this assumption is problematic. Speech-language pathologists often use informal speech sound analyses for establishing baseline behaviors from which therapeutic progress can be measured. Few researchers have examined the test-retest reliability of informal phonological measures when evaluating the speech productions of young children. Clinically, data regarding these measures are critical for facilitating evidence-based decision making for speech-language assessment and treatment.
Objectives: The aim of the present study was to identify the evidence-base regarding temporal reliability of two …