Education Commons^™

Dir Floortime Therapy, Rebecca C. Matheson

LC Journal of Special Education

DIR Floortime Therapy is a social pragmatic approach used to help children with autism develop stronger verbal and social skills. Dr. Stanley Greenspan determined there were six milestones all children must master in order to develop appropriate language and social skills. DIR Floortime Therapy engages with the child through play in order to create a naturalistic environment that helps children achieve these milestones. While the approach is not evidence based, several studies have been conducted using DIR Floortime Therapy to strengthen language and social skills in young children with autism. The majority of these studies found a greater increase in …

Etiology Of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd): Familial Perceptions Versus Empirically Validated Data, Jacqueline Lubin

LC Journal of Special Education

Presently, there is desynchronization between what parents and family member perceive as causal factors and what research has proven to be possible indicators. This is of great concern because parents choose interventions based on what they perceive to be the cause of ASD (Dardennes et al., 2011). The implication of this is that parents may unintentionally opt for interventions which may be unsuitable for their child. This research paper will seek to highlight and discuss the factors that parents, family and professionals in the field perceive as causes of ASD and the factors that research have identified as triggers (or …

Sibling-Mediated Interventions For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Jacqueline Lubin

LC Journal of Special Education

Siblings spend a significant proportion of the day with siblings with autism than do their typically developing peers. Therefore, sibling-mediated interventions should be a major part of the repertoire of interventions used to aid children with autism develop social skills. Bass and Mulick (2007) explained that using siblings as social intervention agents have several benefits, including constant practice opportunities in the natural setting, parental support and the increased probability of generalization of social skills learned. Therefore, this paper will examine validated sibling-mediated interventions and discuss their effectiveness in enhancing social competence in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Effects Of Journaling To Decrease Repetitive Questioning Of Individuals With High-Functioning Autism, Annette D. Atwater

LC Journal of Special Education

One of the characteristics that can stigmatize and isolate an individual with ASD is restricted interests and the often associated repetitive questioning within those interests. Educational best practice utilizes restricted interests in strategies for socialization and transitions by incorporating the restrictive interest into the activity (Boyd, Alter, & Conroy, 2005), but repetitive questioning tends to be a strain on social interaction in school and home environments (Eaves & Ho, 2008; Lounds, Seltzer, Greenberg, & Shattuck, 2007; Seltzer, Krauss, Orsmond, & Vestal, 2001). Unfortunately, there has been relatively little research conducted in the area of treating restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB) …

Literature Review Utilizing Handheld Devices In The Education Of Students With Special Needs, Edward A. Hoisington

LC Journal of Special Education

In recent years, technology has had a greater influence in the treatments and interventions of students with ASD. The purpose of this paper is to examine the literature with regards to the use of a personal digital assistant (PDA) or other handheld devices with student diagnosed with ASD. A PDA is “a handheld computer that mainly serves as a personal information organizer,” it allows the user to input data through “an on-screen keyboard or handwriting recognition program using a stylus” (Ferguson, Myles, & Hagiwara, 2005, p. 60). PDAs and other handheld devices In recent years, technology has had a greater …

Autism - The Sensory Piece, Marta Weis

LC Journal of Special Education

The first part of this paper will describe diagnostic characteristics of and the prevalence rates for autism. The second will outline sensory processing terminology and descriptions. The third part of this paper will describe research studies focusing on what if any links there are between ASD and sensory processing problems. The last part of this paper will discuss implications for educators and why understanding how sensory processing difficulties influence the behaviors of individuals with ASD.

Visual Strategies For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Susan L. Mccorkle

LC Journal of Special Education

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) commonly have deficits in the areas of communication, socialization, and behaviors. Because many students with ASD are described as visual learners, they tend to show improved response to information presented visually. By using a student's visual processing strength, these strategies can help decrease reliance on areas of deficits, such as auditory processing and communication. There are many supports teachers can use in the classroom to augment and enhance instruction that will increase student independence while decreasing dependence on adult prompts and cues (Ganz, 2007). Because students with ASD can have difficulties processing and understanding …

Decreasing Self-Injurious Behaviors In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Susan L. Mccorkle

LC Journal of Special Education

There has been increased concern in developing successful interventions for problem behaviors in ASD due to a rise in diagnoses of this disorder (Doughty & Doughty, 2008). This paper will explore applied behavior analysis research studies that have examined interventions used in the attempt to decrease or extinguish SIB in children with ASD. Procedural alternatives for behavioral reduction will be investigated and the results of research will be evaluated for significant influence on SIB. These include reinforcement-based strategies, extinction strategies, removal of desirable stimuli, and the presentation of aversive stimuli. The functional relationship between SIB and these alternatives for behavior …

Academic Interventions For Students With Asd, Deanna B. Cash

LC Journal of Special Education

Following the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act in 2004 and its emphasis on inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education setting, students with Autism Spectrum Disorder are increasingly taught in general education classrooms (Leblanc, Richardson, & Burns, 2009; Simpson, Boer-Ott, & Smith-Myles, 2003). Data from the Annual Report to Congress on Implementation of IDEA (U.S. Department of Education, 2010) indicated that almost 90% of students with autism in public schools in the United States receive their education in general education classrooms for some part of the school day. Yet, both general education and special …

Video Modeling: An Effective, Evidence-Based Practice For Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Selina Field

LC Journal of Special Education

Video modeling is a promising behavioral intervention that has myriad applications for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Video modeling uses visual cues, an effective strategy for instructing students with ASD, who are often visual learners, and modeling, an evidence-based strategy that is effective across ages and populations. Over the past three decades, research has demonstrated that video modeling can be a valuable tool for instructing children with ASD in a variety of skills, and that once a skill is learned through this process, it is maintained over time and generalized across settings. Recent research qualifies video modeling as an …

Everything Is Bigger In Texas: Including The Horrendously Inadequate Attempts At Providing Special Education And Related Services To All Children With Disabilities, Alexandria R. Booterbaugh

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Without immediate action, the “corrections” made by the Texas legislature to meet the appropriateness requirement for special education will result in imminent peril for students with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as their parents. Tens of thousands of children fall between the cracks as a result of Texas’ illegalities and the lack of responsibility Texas’ lawmakers and Texas Education Agency (TEA) have for special education. If Texas does not fully devote itself to a significant overhaul of its special education practices, students will continue to be left behind.

Congress enacted the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) because …

Odds Of Autism At 5 To 10 Years Of Age For Children Who Did Not Pass Their Aabr Newborn Hearing Screen, But Were Diagnosed With Normal Hearing, Shihfen Tu, Craig A. Mason, Deborah L. Rooks-Ellis, Patricia Lech

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Background: Research has found atypical Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) activity in some children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The current study examined whether an association may also be found between ASD and pass/refer results obtained via Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) screening. As stewards of large-scale AABR data, an AABR – ASD association may be of interest to EHDI programs.

Methods: State EHDI data for 29,350 children born in Maine between 2003 and 2005 were linked with education records, including special education status, for the 2010/2011 and 2013/2014 school years.

Results: Children who did not pass their …

Autism Spectrum Disorder Coursework For Teachers And Teacher-Aides: An Investigation Of Courses Offered In Queensland, Australia, Mitchell Coates, Janeen Lamb, Brendan Bartlett, Poulomee Datta

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The content and structure of pre-service and teacher-aide programs has major implications for training, management, support and deployment of teachers and teacher-aides in mainstream schools working with students who have ASD. Data pertaining to course content and structure were collected from university and teacher-aide training websites, program enrolment guides, and through direct contact with institutions in Queensland, Australia. 101 education programs were narrowed down to 45 in early-childhood/primary education, and 8 online teacher-aide training programs. Findings indicate the urgent need for academics in institutions to begin working towards redesigning programs that deliver best practices in ASD for pre-service educators.

No Teacher Left Behind: Educating Students With Asd And Adhd In The Inclusion Classroom, Michaela N. Jones, Kimberly P. Weber, T.F. Mclaughlin

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a token economy on on-task behaviors by two seventh grade boys with varying disabilities within a public school inclusion classroom setting. At the end of the study, the participant identified with ASD increased his on-task behaviors approximately 52%. The participant identified with ADHD increased about 59% and decreased an average of 3.3 talk-outs per minute, although there were environmental limitations that impacted the design and confounded the ability to determine an educational effect. One specific limitation was the lack of support for the general education teacher to influence …

Teacher Needs For Educating Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders In The General Education Classroom, Kim Finch, Robert Watson, Cynthia Macgregor, Natalie Precise

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

The purpose of this study was to gather information on experiences of general education teachers concerning inclusion practices for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In this case study third, fourth, and fifth grade general education teachers in a rural Southwest Missouri school district provided the data source to keep a narrowed focus on the needs of education teachers for inclusion. The sample accounted for 16 elementary education teachers. Surveys were sent to all third, fourth, and fifth grade general education teachers in the district. Perceptions of general education teachers on proper inclusion training were identified as necessary for the …

A Review Of Choice And Preference Assessments To Increase Academic Attainment For Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jamie Emery, Janet L. Applin, Marty Boman

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Many schools use choice and preference assessments to decrease and/or increase behaviors of students with disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorders or ASD. Although there exists scant evidence from the literature exploring the relationship between utilizing choice and preference assessments as a tool to increase academic achievement, the Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC ) “ Initial Level Special Educator Preparation Standards” require beginning special education professionals to, “select, adapt, and use a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to advance learning of individuals with exceptionalities,” (CEC, 2012). To contribute to the knowledge base regarding using choice and preference assessment as a …

Authentic Assessments For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Marty Boman, Sarah Mcmaine, Robyn Fine

Kentucky Teacher Educator

Individual student assessments, formal and informal, provide the essential framework of the exceptional education process. Mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) 2004, these laws determine the needs and programs that will be implemented for every child identified to receive exceptional education services. Collectively, norm-referenced, criterion-referenced, and authentic assessments complete a comprehensive portrayal of the student's academic, behavioral, and functional needs and skills. This paper outlines the various elements of authentic assessment and how they can be implemented with individuals identified with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as well as other students. The main purpose of including authentic …