Education Commons^™

Sources Of Support And Family Quality Of Life Of Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren With And Without Disabilities, Karen E. Kresak

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Researchers have examined sources of support as well as family quality of life of parents raising children with disabilities (Brown, MacAdam-Crisp, Wang, & Iarocci, 2006; Darling & Gallagher, 2004; Davis & Gavidia-Payne, 2009; Zuna, Turnbull, & Summers, 2009). Scant research on grandparents raising grandchildren with disabilities has been conducted; an examination of sources of support and family quality of life of grandparents raising grandchildren is lacking in the literature. This study examined the sources of support and quality of life of 50 grandmother-headed families. Comparative analyses revealed that there were significant differences between grandmothers raising grandchildren with and without disabilities …

Using Empirically Validated Reading Strategies To Improve Middle School Students' Reading Fluency Of Classroom Textbooks, Amy C. Scarborough

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2007), 27% of the nation’s 8th grade population scored below the basic reading level in 2006-2007. Reading fluency strategies are a viable practice for improving reading achievement yet seldom are they incorporated into the 8th grade curriculum. To be effective, passages used in reading fluency strategies should be at the students’ instructional reading level (Daly, Persampieri, et al., 2005; Welsch, 2007). However, if increased oral reading fluency gained at the instructional reading level fails to generalize to content-area text that a student is required to read, the gain is not clinically significant, …

Predictors Of Science Success: The Impact Of Motivation And Learning Strategies On College Chemistry Performance, Shari B. Obrentz

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

As the number of college students studying science continues to grow, it is important to identify variables that predict their success. The literature indicates that motivation and learning strategy use facilitate science success. Research findings show these variables can change throughout a semester and differ by performance level, gender and ethnicity. However, significant predictors of performance vary by research study and by group. The current study looks beyond the traditional predictors of grade point averages, SAT scores and completion of advanced placement (AP) chemistry to consider a comprehensive set of variables not previously investigated within the same study. Research questions …

Effect Of Response Cards On Academic Outcomes, Ellen L. Duchaine

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

ABSTRACT

EFFECT OF RESPONSE CARDS ON ACADEMIC OUTCOMES FOR HIGH

SCHOOL STUDENTS WITHOUT DISABILITIES AND HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO EXHIBIT

CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS

by

Ellen L. Duchaine

Response cards (RC) support effective teaching strategies such as maintaining a brisk

pace of instruction, increased opportunities to respond, immediate and frequent corrective

feedback, and high rates of behavior specific praise statements; all of which have been

effective in increasing student engagement for students with and without emotional and

behavioral disorders (E/BD) (Emmer & Stough, 2001; Simonsen et al., 2008; Sutherland,

Wehby, & Copeland, 2000). RC during academic instruction are successful in …

Check, Connect, And Expect In A Self-Contained Setting For Elementary Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Sara C. Mcdaniel

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Check, Connect, Expect (CCE) is a secondary tier behavioral intervention for at-risk students who require targeted behavioral support in addition to school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports. A full-time coach in the CCE intervention provided behavioral supports including daily check-in and check-out procedures, as well as targeted social skills instruction. This study extended CCE to a self-contained elementary school for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Twenty-two students participated in the 17-week study that involved a four week baseline phase, followed by a 13-week intervention phase. The following research questions were addressed: (a) How did CCE affect student behavior?; (b) …

Evaluating The Relationship Among Parents' Oral And Written Language Skills, The Home Literacy Environment, And Their Preschool Children's Emergent Literacy Skills, Nicole A. Taylor

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Studies have examined the impact of parents’ educational level on their child’s emergent literacy skills and have found positive associations (Korat, 2009). However, a review of the literature indicates that previous studies have not investigated whether parents’ oral and written language skills relate to their child’s emergent oral and written language skills. This is important in light of the fact that parents’ educational level does not provide a complete picture of their academic skills (Greenberg, 1995). In addition to parental characteristics, the home literacy environment (HLE) is seen as important in the growth of children’s emergent literacy skills (Hood, Conlon, …

Investigating A Model Of False Memory Construction: Is Seeing Believing?, Rebecca Bays

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

In the current literature review I examine false memory research, including variables that affect memory accuracy, instrumentation, and analyses used to assess false memory construction, as well as possible frameworks accounting for the development of false memories. Do errors in memory occur during encoding of an event or during retrieval of a memory? I discuss two models of false memories, both born from the source-monitoring framework, to highlight the important cognitive processes leading to crucial errors in memory recall. In the study that follows I investigate whether repeated imaginings of an implausible autobiographical event will lead to the creation of …

Naming Speed, Letter-Sound Automaticity, And Acquiring Blending Skills Among Students With Moderate Intellectual Disabilities, Dawn Davis

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Students with moderate intellectual disabilities (MoID) typically are not taught decoding skills because they have difficulty mastering critical blending skills. In response to this skill deficit among students with MoID, an Initial Phonics instructional sequence was created that included student development of rapid and automatic retrieval of taught letter-sound correspondences to a level of mastery before teaching the skill of blending. For each of 16 students with MoID (ages 6-15), mastery criterion of letter-sound automaticity phases was determined by their individual naming speed as measured by the Rapid Object Naming (RON) subtest of the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP). …

Applied Cognition In Reading: An Analysis Of Reading Comprehension In Secondary School Students, Joshua A. Cuevas

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

This research sought to add to a body of knowledge that is severely underrepresented in the scientific literature, reading comprehension in secondary students. Chapter 1 examines the current state of literacy in the nation’s public schools and the consequences that arise if students leave high school with inadequate reading skills. It discusses the neurological processes involved with reading and posits that independent silent reading (ISR) combined with scaffolding techniques may prove to be an effective method for addressing reading comprehension. The review also analyzes the components believed to be essential to reading, including vocabulary development, prior knowledge and background information, …

Using Sensory Interventions To Promote Skill Acquisition For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Ginny L. Van Rie

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have documented sensory processing difficulties across the lifespan; however there is limited empirical support for the sensory-based interventions that have become ubiquitous with the population. This study was conducted to address this need and examine the effect of sensory-based interventions on skill acquisition for five elementary-age students with ASD. Proponents suggest that sensory-based interventions can be used to facilitate optimal levels of arousal so that children are available for learning. A single-case alternating treatments design was used to evaluate functional relations between the two sensory-based antecedent interventions and correct responding on expressive identification tasks. …

Using Function-Based Choice-Making Interventions To Increase Task Completion And Accuracy And To Reduce Problem Behaviors For Students With E/Bd, Michelle L. Ramsey

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Two choice-making interventions (task sequence and where) were implemented by a classroom teacher to determine the effects on the percentage of task completion, accuracy, and classroom disruption for ten sixth through eighth grade students with E/BD in a residential math classroom using a reversal design. An FBA was conducted to determine the function of disruptive behavior during independent math practice prior to the implementation of the two choice-making interventions. The math teacher provided either choice of task sequence of the independent tasks or choice of where to complete the independent tasks. Results indicate that choice of task sequence matched avoidance-maintained …

The Effects Of Praise Notes On The Disruptive Behaviors Of Elementary Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders In A Residential Setting, Christina N. Kennedy

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

In this study, the effects of two secondary tier positive behavioral support strategies, teacher praise notes (TPNs) and peer praise notes (PPNs), were investigated using an alternating treatments single-subject design in residential classroom settings with eight elementary students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) in grades one through five who displayed disruptive behaviors. These students were selected based on the following criteria: (a) identified as using attention-seeking behaviors to disrupt classroom instruction, and (b) accrued an average of three or more office discipline referrals (ODRs) during classroom instruction since the beginning of the semester. Teacher praise notes are notes written …

Effects Of Error Correction During Assessment Probes On The Acquisition Of Sight Words For Students With Moderate Intellectual Disabilities, Rebecca E. Waugh

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Simultaneous prompting is an errorless learning strategy designed to reduce the number of errors students make; however, research has shown a disparity in the number of errors students make during instructional versus probe trials. This study directly examined the effects of error correction versus no error correction during probe trials on the effectiveness and efficiency of simultaneous prompting on the acquisition of sight words by three middle school students with moderate intellectual disabilities. A single-case adapted alternating treatments design (Sindelar, Rosenberg, & Wilson, 1985) was employed to examine the effects of error correction during probe trials in order to reduce …

Function-Based Responding To Check In/Check Out For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders In A Residential Facility, Nicole Cain Swoszowski

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

The Check in/Check out (CICO) strategy is a secondary tier intervention designed to address those students who are not responsive to universal tier, school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SW-PBIS), and require more targeted support. The present study extended the implementation of the CICO strategy to a residential facility. In addition, the study sought to determine the relationship between the maintaining function of behavior and responsiveness to CICO when a functional behavior assessment was conducted prior to the implementation of CICO. Six students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) in a residential setting participated in the study; three with attention-maintained …

Using Peer-Mediated Fluency Instruction To Address The Needs Of Adolescent Struggling Readers, Nikki L. Josephs

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Teaching oral reading fluency is an important aspect of effective literacy instruction. Researchers have investigated a number of strategies shown to be effective with beginning readers; however, less empirical evidence is available for older, struggling readers. The secondary curriculum presents adolescent struggling readers with different challenges, including successful completion of higher level comprehension skill activities, high-stakes assessments, and limited classroom time with practice with oral reading fluency exercises. These conditions may lead to academic failure or school drop-out for students who have limited reading ability. An alternating conditions design (Kazdin, 1982) was used to examine the influence of peer-mediated fluency …

Effectiveness Of A Computer-Based Syntax Program In Improving The Morphosyntax Of Students Who Are Deaf/Hard Of Hearing, Joanna Erin Cannon

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the frequent use of LanguageLinks: Syntax Assessment and Intervention (LL), produced by Laureate Learning Systems, Inc., as a supplemental classroom activity, affected morphosyntax structures (determiners, tense, and complementizers) in participants who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) and use American Sign Language (ASL). Twenty-six students from an urban day school for the Deaf participated in this study. Two hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) growth curve analyses were used to examine the influence of LL on the comprehension of morphosyntax based on two dependent variables: 1) the scores from LL’s Optimized Intervention (OI; Wilson, …

Exploring The Experiences Of African American Women In An Undergraduate Research Program Designed To Address The Underrepresentation Of Women And Minorities In Neuroscience: A Qualitative Analysis, Ericka L. Reid

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

African American women compose a critical proportion of the potential science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce of the future, yet are disproportionately represented and largely underutilized. While various programs and initiatives have been designed and implemented to target women and underrepresented minorities, the voices and experiences of African American women have been insufficiently heard or studied. This study investigates the experiences of four African American female students who participated in a 10-week undergraduate research experience (URE) program designed for the recruitment and retention of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM disciplines. Through autobiographical narratives and interviews participants shared how …

Improving Retention For Principles Of Accounting And Elementary Statistics Students: Ultra-Short Tutorials Designed To Motivate Effort And Improve Performance, Carol Springer Sargent

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

This dissertation reports on two supplemental instruction implementations in courses with high failure rates. In study one, 27 ultra-short on-line tutorials were created for Principles of Accounting II students (N = 426). In study two, 21 tutorials with a similar design were created for Elementary Statistics students (N = 1,411). Accounting students were encouraged by their instructor to use the resource, but statistics students only saw a brief demonstration by the researcher. Neither course gave students credit for using the tutorials. In study one, 71.4% of the accounting students used the tutorials. Students who used the tutorials had dramatically lower …

An Exploratory Model Of Medication Refill Adherence Behavior, Gayle Holmes Payne

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

AN EXPLORATORY MODEL OF MEDICATION REFILL ADHERENCE BEHAVIOR by Gayle Holmes Payne Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States with over 15.8 million Americans suffering from the chronic disease (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). Adherence to medication regimens has been identified as a key mediator between medical practice and patient outcomes (Kravitz & Melnikow, 2004). In this study, participants (N = 355) with CHD completed a questionnaire measuring their background characteristics, cognitive status, health literacy skills, self-efficacy levels, their perceived concerns and necessity beliefs about medication use, and enablers and …

The Effects Of Word Prediction On Writing Fluency For Students With Physical Disabilities, Peter John Mezei

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Writing is a multifaceted, complex task that involves interaction between physical and cognitive skills. Individuals with physical disabilities vary in terms of both their physical and cognitive abilities. Often they must overcome one or more significant barriers in order to engage in the task of writing. Minimizing or eliminating barriers is important because opportunities are greater for individuals who can effectively communicate their ideas via writing. Assistive technology (AT) is an increasingly effective solution to increase typing fluency. The purpose of this study is to examine if word prediction software, a commonly used software program used with individuals with learning …

Language And Speech Predictors Of Reading Achievement In Preschool Children With Language Disorders, Juliet K. Haarbauer-Krupa

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

ABSTRACT LANGUAGE AND SPEECH PREDICTORS OF READING ACHIEVEMENT IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH LANGUAGE DISORDERS by Juliet K. Haarbauer-Krupa The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the relationship between language and reading in children diagnosed with developmental language disorder (DLD) during preschool. An archival data set was available for analysis. Preschool children with DLD who were assessed between 35 and 74 months for preschool language and speech abilities (Rapin, 1996) returned for language, speech and reading testing at age seven years. Children who enrolled in the study were a clinically referred sample, met criteria for average nonverbal intellectual functioning, …

Stress For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Effects Of Age, Gender, And Intelligence Quotient, Kristen Louise Hess

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

ABSTRACT STRESS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS: EFFECTS OF AGE, GENDER, AND INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT by Kristen Louise Hess Researchers previously have found that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) experience higher levels of stress and anxiety than individuals who are typically developing and than those with other disabilities. The purpose of this study was to identify the nature and degree of stress reported for individuals with ASD, with particular attention to the effects of age, gender, and intelligence quotient (IQ). Stressful events were identified by the Stress Survey Schedule for Persons with Autism and Other Developmental Delays (SSS), the …

Priming As A Means Of Increasing Spontaneous Verbal Language In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Michelle Louise Ivey

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

ABSTRACT THE EFFECTS OF PRIMING ON SPONTANEOUS VERBAL LANGUAGE IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS by Michelle L. Ivey A multi-element design was used to investigate the effect of priming on spontaneous verbal communication in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Three children with ASD engaged in 20-minute thematic activity sessions (ACT) with the investigator. Prior to the ACTs, they met with another trained researcher for 10-minute presessions. Half of the presessions incorporated the conventions of priming with materials to be used in the upcoming ACT (i.e., related presessions; RP). During the other half of the presessions, participants were not …

Evaluating Child-Based Reading Constructs And Assessments With Struggling Adult Readers, Alice Owens Nanda

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Due to the paucity of research on struggling adult readers, researchers rely on child-based reading constructs and measures when investigating the reading skills of adults struggling with reading. The purpose of the two studies in this investigation was to evaluate the appropriateness of using child-based reading constructs and assessments with adults reading between the third- and fifth-grade levels. The first study examined whether measurement constructs behind reading-related tests for struggling adult readers are similar to what is known about measurement constructs for children. The sample included 371 adults, including 218 native English speakers and 153 English speakers of other languages. …

Adult Learning In Nonformal Settings: Cultural Festivals As Spaces For Socially Situated Cognition, Audrey M. Ambrosino

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Recent years have witnessed a renewed interest in the role of museums and cultural festivals in adult learning. Once considered the keepers of physical and cultural history, there was only limited concern for if and how adults learned from these settings. The conventional view held that museums provided knowledge, and it was an individual’s prerogative whether or not to seek it out. The past few decades, however, have seen both a resurgence of interest in visiting museums and festivals and a more concerted effort to understand their value in a rapidly evolving society. This study considers visitor experiences at the …

Effects Of A Positive Peer Reporting Intervention On Prosocial Interactions In A General Education Classroom, Camela Y. Johnson

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Methods for promoting prosocial behavior in educational settings are many and varied. This literature review presents a context for defining and understanding prosocial behavior, including comparisons and contrasts with other behavioral concepts and terms. Understanding peer factors in the development of prosocial behavior can enhance the development and implementation of peer-based interventions. The four main types of peer-based interventions discussed are cooperative-learning groups, group-contingency plans, peer helpers, and positive peer reporting. Each of these interventions has a place in educational settings and should be utilized with social context and individual student characteristics in mind. Behavioral interventions that improve the overall …

Meeting The Professional Development Needs Of Early Childhood Teachers With Child Development Associate Training, Mary J. Heisner

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

This study examined the impact of Child Development Associate (CDA) training on the beliefs and self-reported practices of early childhood teachers (N = 126) using a pre-post mixed-methods research design. Preschool teachers who were enrolled in CDA classes (n=76) and a comparison group of teachers (n = 50) completed two surveys of beliefs and self-reported practices: the Teacher Beliefs and Practices Survey: 3- to 5-Year-Olds (TBPS) (Burts, Buchanan, & Benedict, 2001) and the Early Childhood Survey of Beliefs and Practices (ECSBP) (Marcon, 1988, 1999). Repeated measures Multiple Analyses of Variance indicated teachers who had completed CDA training became significantly more …

The Use Of A Repeated Readings With Computer Modeling Treatment Package To Promote Reading Fluency With Students Who Have Physical Disabilities, Marion Elizabeth Coleman

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Reading is an essential skill for students with physical disabilities which opens up opportunities in many areas of an individual’s life including the acquisition of knowledge, the ability to read for enjoyment, and the chances of gaining employment. Students with physical disabilities often do not read fluently; however, there is a lack of research on instructional methods to address reading fluency with this population. Methodologies used with students who have physical disabilities are often borrowed from other populations (e.g., the use of repeated readings to increase fluency with students with learning disabilities). Additionally, advances in technology suggest the possible use …

The Effects Of Direct Instruction In Writing On English Speakers And English Language Learners With Disabilities, Kimberly A. Viel-Ruma

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Many students struggle on writing tasks with little success because writing is a complex task. Students with learning disabilities (LD) and students who are served in English to Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) programs generally perform at lower rates on writing tasks than their English-only speaking peers without disabilities. Several researchers indicate that students with disabilities may be able to improve their performance on writing tasks through the implementation of Direct Instruction writing programs. The purpose of the current study was to demonstrate the relationship between the implementation of an accelerated Direct Instruction program and student writing performance with students …

Disproportionate Representation Of Preschool-Aged Children With Disabilities, Michael Joseph Morrier

Communication Sciences and Disorders Dissertations

Historically, students from ethnically diverse backgrounds in grades K-12 have been over-represented in special education, yet little research on disproportionate representation has been conducted with preschool-aged children. This study examined if 72,525 preschool-aged children with disabilities from ethnically diverse backgrounds were disproportionately represented in special education within and across five southern states. Data were gathered from the 2006 December 1st Child Count reported by each State Department of Education to the U.S. Department of Education. Chosen states offered state-funded pre-kindergarten programs, which should have provided equal opportunities for inclusion across states. Analyses compared children with disabilities for disproportionate representation across …