Education Commons^™

Privileging Autistics Of Color: A Human Rights Approach To Applied Behavior Analysis (Aba) Therapy, Rebecca Rubey

Master's Projects and Capstones

This field project examines the social construction of autistic people of color through the pathology paradigm and the associated human rights violations. The purpose of the project is to disrupt the pathology paradigm by privileging voices of autistic people of color in professional development workshops for ABA therapy providers. The workshops aim to help ABA therapy providers understand the historical context of ABA, how it fits into the wider systems of white supremacy and ableism, and how these dynamics are re-enacted in every day practice with autistic people of color.

Teaching Students Who Have Difficulty Mastering Lmitation, Jennifer Mrljak

Dissertations

Some children with autism are unable to acquire imitation despite receiving early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) meant to teach that and other important skills. Many EIBI programs use physical-prompting hierarchies either as a component of the discriminative stimulus or the correction procedure following an error (Lovaas, 1981; Maurice, Green, & Luce, 1996). But even after lengthy exposure to these teaching techniques, some children still do not acquire imitative repertoires. In the present study, working with students who were not acquiring imitative repertoires, we started with shaping the initial imitative responses as a method to gain stimulus control and then introduced …

What Makes That Autistic Student Tick? Strategies For Classroom Behaviors, Amanda Puleo

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Inclusion of autistic students in mainstream classrooms may make it difficult for teachers to identify and proactively address disruptive behaviors. That is, mainstream teachers may not know how to respond to these specific behaviors and their standard classroom management techniques may not work with autistic students. It will take commitment and hard work to identify strategies to regulate the disruptive behaviors of students with autism. To address this issue, the perspectives of directors and teachers who specialize in autism, as well as mainstream public or private school teachers were obtained through interviews. Three options for action emerged from an analysis …

Comparison Of Trial-Based, Synthesized Trial-Based, And Traditional Functional Analyses, Kara Leigh Forck

MSU Graduate Theses

I evaluated a synthesized trial-based functional analysis with two students who engaged in problem behavior by combining the methods from the trial-based functional analysis and synthesized contingency functional analysis. Multiple test conditions were combined into one test condition and were evaluated in 2-min trials. The purpose of this study was to compare the degree of correspondence of the results between the trial-based, synthesized trial-based, and traditional function analyses. One participant showed exact correspondence between the three functional analyses, while the other participant showed partial correspondence.

A Comparison Of Traditional, Trial-Based, And Synthesized Contingency Trial-Based Functional Analyses, Kaitlin S. Curtis

MSU Graduate Theses

Researchers have developed functional analyses (FAs) to improve efficiency and correspondence that still use core components of the traditional format. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the correspondence between the trial-based FA and the traditional FA. I also evaluated the correspondence between the synthesized-contingency trial-based FA and the traditional FA. Within this study, I determined that by combining methods, I was able to reduce false negatives for escape found within the trial-based FAs and false-positives found within the synthesized contingency FAs.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Policymaking In New Mexico: An Ethnographic Case Study, Elisheva H. Levin

Special Education ETDs

ABSTRACT

Understanding how ASD policy is made at the state level is important to the various institutional and individual stakeholders who make, apply, and are governed by it. Critical disability theory was applied to this qualitative study of ASD policymaking in New Mexico. This study examined how policymakers and stakeholders brought their identities, knowledge, values, and beliefs to policymaking in New Mexico. The study was guided by the question, “How is ASD policy in New Mexico constructed?” The research used the following methods: (a) individual interviews of policy stakeholders, (b) observations of public policy meetings, (c) document review. Six major …

Improving Reading Comprehension Of Children With Asd: Implication Of Anaphoric Reference Support With Computer Programming, Seda Karayazi Ozsayin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of anaphoric pronouns presented via computer screen on the reading comprehension of four children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Stories from the education.com website were used to collect data. The students’ responses to reading comprehension questions during baseline, treatment, and follow-up sessions were analyzed. The perceptions of students regarding anaphoric pronouns were also analyzed. Initially, reading levels, fluency and comprehension rate, of the students with ASD were identified via the Gray Oral Reading Test, Fifth edition (GORT-5), Test of Narrative Language (TNL), and Test of Narrative Language, Second edition (TNL-2). A randomized multiple baseline (MBL) …

Inclusive Education For Preschool Learners With Autism: A Program Evaluation, Rachel C. Morgan

Dissertations

This is an exploration of the perceptions and perspectives of early childhood leaders and practitioners with regards to preschool learners with autism engaged in inclusive educational settings. At a time when inclusive education is acknowledged as best practice, there is still a concern that many preschool learners with disabilities are receiving most of their supports in a segregated setting. Additional concerns noted in the current research relate directly to the beliefs, values, and attitudes towards inclusive education for learners with disabilities. No distinct study has been done with regards to this age group, nor to pinpoint the perceptions and perspectives …

Aggression And Self Injurious Behaviors: The Effects Of Behavior Interventions In Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tara Buck

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two behavioral interventions of young adults with Autism spectrum disorder that present with aggressive and self-injurious behavior. The results were analyzed to determine the successes and comparisons of the interventions to decrease challenging behaviors. The participants were two young adult male students diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder, both use an AAC device as their primary means of communication. Data was collected using a reversal (A-B-A-B) study design, with collection during a baseline phase, intervention phase one, reversal withdrawal of intervention phase two and re-implementation of intervention phase three. The …

Moments, Tiffany Bouchard

Theses and Dissertations from 2017

Moments is a series of creative nonfiction essays depicting life with a child who is severely autistic. I compare events from my life prior to having children with life events after I became a mother. My goal is to present a side of autism that is not always seen – the meltdowns, the aggression, the injurious behavior. My desire is to show that, despite the obstacles this life has presented us with, I have been able to experience life with a beautiful, misunderstood human who has changed my life for the better.

Using Discrete Trial To Teach Functional Play Skills, Courtney Marie Furtaw

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects that discrete trial training could have on the functional play skills of four male preschool students diagnosed with autism. In order to determine the effectiveness of discrete trial training as an intervention, baseline data was first collected for two weeks on the four students through observations of a thirty minute group playtime in the morning of their MD preschool classroom. The baseline data demonstrated that all four students were only engaging in functional play for a limited amount of time. Next, a discrete trial training program was created for each individual student focusing on functional …

The Efficacy Of An In-Vivo Chaining Procedure Compared To Pov-Vm Chaining Procedure To Teach A Task To Children With Autism, Elaine M. Turner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder which includes symptoms such as repetitive or restricted patterns of behavior, and deficits in social communication (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) and affects approximately 1 in 68 children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Children with this disorder face unique challenges when it comes to learning academic and social skills (Gardner & Wolfe, 2013). Chaining is an effective intervention for teaching individuals with disabilities a variety of skills (Cuvo, Leaf, & Borakove, 1978; Horner & Keilitz, 1975; Shrestha, Anderson, & Moore, 2013; Tarbox, Madrid, Aguilar, Jacobo, & Schiff, 2009). Video modeling, where …

Teaching Social Skills To Students With Autism, Shylla Webb

Culminating Projects in Special Education

Teaching Social Skills to Students with Autism

Transitioning Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders From High School To The Workforce: A Literature Review, Katie L. Karnik

Culminating Projects in Special Education

Transitioning Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders from High School to the Workforce: A Literature Review

Using Constant Time Delay And Ecoaching To Teach Employment Skills To Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Intellectual Disability In A Community Work Environment, Annemarie L. Horn

Communication Disorders & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The goal of secondary education is to prepare students for greater levels of independence, especially in the areas of continued education and community employment. However, despite underlying potential, young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and comorbid intellectual disability (ID) are vastly underrepresented in the area of post secondary employment. This could be attributed to the unique characteristics and learning needs of these students, or it may be a function of the lack of effective, evidence-based teaching practices, implemented with fidelity.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness and participant perceptions of implementing the constant time delay …

Strategies To Assist In Decreasing Escape Maintained Behaviors In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kimberlee A. Luke

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Many children with ASD partake in escape maintain behaviors for numerous reasons. Children with autism might have difficulty attending to long tasks, can get overwhelmed with novel activities, and the challenging behaviors may heighten when too many demands are placed on them. As a result, teachers, parents and interventionists may start to witness children’s challenging behaviors increase. Many of the challenging behaviors are thought to have an escape function from the long or difficult task at hand. This paper will find and address various strategies that may be applied to decrease escape maintained behaviors in children with ASD. The aim …

Social Work Students Ability To Identify Signs Of Autism In Children, Heather Nicole Hopkins

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of students in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program to correctly identify signs of autism in children by completing a survey. This research project was conducted in collaboration with California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) and the MSW program by using MSW students as participants. The study used a survey designed with items that measured the knowledge of participants. The results of this study may be beneficial to the Director of Social Work, future MSW students, and professors to examine how well the current MSW program is preparing students …

Exploring Patterns In Due Process Hearing Decisions Regarding The Usage Of One-On-One Inclusion Aides For Students With Disabilities, Joel K. Perkins

Theses and Dissertations

This study reviews due process hearing decisions from the years 2014 and 2015. This is primarily a legal analysis, specifically looking at legal and regulatory patterns regarding the provision of one-on-one special education aides for students with disabilities in general education settings. Our findings from the due process hearing decisions reveal that one-on-one aides for students with a wide variety of disabilities are being provided with greater frequency than we anticipated and that, specifically, behavioral aides are being provided for students with autism. Decisions of disabilities such as hearing impairment have higher provision rates, while other disabilities like autism and …

Fire Safety Training Using Video Modeling In Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Amy Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

Studies on children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show limited research on topics involving safety, especially those that relate to fire evacuation procedures. Current research provides minimal information for understanding and practicing fire safety procedures. This topic requires more research to ensure that these children are able to understand and follow safety procedures during a fire to prevent and reduce injury and death. The research questions advanced in the study were: 1) Is video modeling an effective approach for teaching fire safety skills to children with ASD? 2) Does the teaching approach result in generalization of fire safety skills in …

Transition For Students With Autism: A Multi-Case Qualitative Study Exploring How Male Students With Autism Experience Postsecondary Education, Christine Bojanowski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This dissertation was multi-case study designed to examine how three male students with autism experienced the academic, social, and self-advocacy aspects of postsecondary education. The study was driven by the following conceptual framework concepts: entrainment, social capital, self-determination, and disability studies. The research question for the study was: How do male students with autism experience the academic, social, and self-advocacy needs of postsecondary education from the perspectives of the students themselves, their parents, their professors, their disability coordinators, and their tutors? Data were collected via multiple interviews with the students, their parents, their professors, and the disability coordinators at their …

The Efficacy Of Digital Comic Strip Conversations To Teach Empathetic Responding To Children With Autism, Khalifah Sami Aldughaysh

MSU Graduate Theses

Recent research supports the idea that children with ASD express less empathetic responding than typically developed children. However, limited studies have focused on the utilization of evidence-based practices to teach these skills. In this study, a multiple baseline design across three participants diagnosed with autism was implemented to assess the efficacy of digital comic strip conversations, which include answering comprehension questions and engaging in role-play, to teach verbal and non-verbal empathetic responding. Digital comic strips conversations were developed specifically for the study to depict three emotional domains: happiness or excitement, sadness or pain, and fear in a variety of social …

Examining Chronic Sorrow Among Parents Of A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Tiffany M. Bordonada

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the directional relationship between chronic sorrow and each of the following (a) family understanding, (b) social support, (c) coping behaviors, and (d) competence among parents of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Specifically, this examination tested the hypothesized directional relationship that parents of a child with ASD scoring higher levels of family understanding, social support, coping behaviors, and competence indicate lower levels of chronic sorrow. A descriptive, correlational research design was employed to examine the research hypothesis. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicated parents …

Puzzled - A Children's Book, Ann Conroy

Honors Projects

Research for this project was conducted through online journals accessed via EBSCOhost. The findings contributed background information about Autism, which provided as the guide for writing the script of the children’s book Puzzled. The research also explains the importance of literature for young children.

Training Parents In Descriptive Assessment And Function Identification, Makenzie Sip

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is often difficult for parents to address their child’s problem behavior. Children with special needs can display more frequent and intense problem behavior. Therefore, professionals need to help parents of children with special needs identify how to decrease their child’s problem behavior. Professionals help to decrease problem behavior by performing assessments called descriptive assessments to identify why the problem behavior is happening, and then using these assessments to create an appropriate plan of how to prevent and respond to the problem behavior. We examined if parents could be taught the skills necessary to perform descriptive assessments and then use …

The Effect Of Web-Based Self-Monitoring, I-Connect, To Increase On-Task Behavior Of High School Students With Autism, Sara K. Romans

MSU Graduate Theses

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) often demonstrate behaviors that impair their school experiences. Therefore, the implementation of research-based strategies that will foster success for students with ASD is critical. Moreover, individuals with ASD experience greater challenges transitioning from high school to post-secondary opportunities, including higher education, employment, and independent living. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a web-based program designed to increase student engagement and academic gains through the use of the I-Connect self-monitoring application installed on a mobile device in a high school setting. An ABAB withdrawal design was employed with two high …

Emotion Regulation And Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Literature Review, Catherine R. Hurd

Culminating Projects in Special Education

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD or autism) can present with differences in emotion regulation, including emotion experience. This starred paper reviews eight case studies examining the differences in emotion experiences, differences in emotion regulation, and the use of cognitive behavior therapy to address emotion regulation for individuals with autism.

Effects Of A Token Economy On A Student With Autism Exhibiting Disruptive Behavior In A General Education Classroom, Taylor W. Webb

Undergraduate Theses

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges; and estimates that one in 68 children in the United States are affected by it (CDC, 2014). This prevalence rate is much higher than that of prior decades and has led to trends and factors related to educational programs that include an increase in the inclusion of students with ASD in general education classrooms. For this reason, it is crucial that teachers have access to efficient, teacher-friendly, and research-based interventions for students with ASD in …

Under-Representation In Autism: An Examination Of Educational Evaluation Practices For Black Students, Erika L. Ayanaw

Dissertations

Black students are negatively affected by disproportionality in school discipline practices, special education identification, and over-restrictive special education placement. Critical race theory is an operative framework that can be applied to increase understanding of such disproportionality (Blanchett, 2011). Through the use of qualitative retrospective chart review methods, this research investigated the under-representation of Black students with Autism in the context of educational evaluations, and from the Ordinariness and Social Construction Tenets of CRT. Analysis of 12 reports, six of Black students and six of White students, resulted in several findings: (1) Between group differences were present in terms of parental …

Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy And Social Interactions Within Families And Their Child With Autism, Christina Latterner

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to answer the question, in what ways does ABA therapy impact social interactions between the parents and their child with autism? It also addresses past studies which focused on autism, ABA therapy and the family dynamics with a special needs child. The research included one family, with a five-year old child diagnosed with autism. Mixed method research was used, focusing on interviews with parents and data collection. Interviews were conducted with the mother and father which focused on their family’s social interactions before, during and after one year of therapy. Data collection tools …

Job Retention And Job Satisfaction At The Behavior Therapist Level Working In Aba Companies In The Home Setting, Melissa M. Dauster

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this relational study was to identify and compare the factors related to job satisfaction and job retention as perceived by behavior therapists working with children diagnosed with autism. A second purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between the level of burnout related to job retention, and the intrinsic and extrinsic level of motivation related to job satisfaction as perceived by Behavior Therapists working with students with autism. A further purpose of the study is to describe the improvements in the work place that behavior therapists working with students with autism identified as necessary …