Education Commons^™

Facilitators And Barriers To Incorporating Students With Disabilities In The General Education Classroom At The Secondary Level: A Study Of Teacher Perceptions., David L. Burgin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The history of incorporating students with disabilities in the general education classroom is driven by parents and advocates of children with disabilities. The push has been to educate all children in the least restrictive environment (LRE), changing the role of general education teacher from a subject matter specialist to include the responsibility of educating students with a wide range of special needs. While most agree that educating children with disabilities in the general education classroom alongside their non-disabled peers is better than excluding them from academic and social opportunities, general educators have been a noticeably absent voice in regards to …

Algorithmic Estimation Of Pauses In Extended Speech Samples Of Dysarthric And Typical Speech, Jordan R. Green, David R. Beukelman, Laura J. Ball

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and performance of an algorithm designed to automatically extract pauses and speech timing information from connected speech samples. Speech samples were obtained from 10 people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and 10 control speakers. Pauses were identified manually and algorithmically from digitally recorded recitations of a speech passage that was developed to improve the precision of pause boundary detection. The manual and algorithmic methods did not yield significantly different results. A stepwise analysis of three different pause detection parameters revealed that estimates of percent pause time were highly dependent on …

Diagnostic Assessment Of Childhood Apraxia Of Speech Using Automatic Speech Recognition (Asr) Methods, John-Paul Hosom, Lawrence Shriberg, Jordan R. Green

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

We report findings from two feasibility studies using automatic speech recognition (ASR) methods in childhood speech sound disorders. The studies evaluated and implemented the automation of two recently proposed diagnostic markers for suspected Apraxia of Speech (AOS) termed the Lexical Stress Ratio (LSR) and the Coefficient of Variation Ratio (CVR). The LSR is a weighted composite of amplitude area, frequency area , and duration in the stressed compared to the unstressed vowel as obtained from a speaker’s productions of eight trochaic word forms. Composite weightings for the three stress parameters were determined from a principal components analysis. The CVR expresses …

Pica: A Review Of Recent Assessment And Treatment Procedures

John J. Wheeler

Post Literacy And Continuing Education For Vocational Training: Administering Adult Education Programs, Teaching Adults And Helping Them Learn, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

No abstract provided.

A Study Of The Factors Of Home Life That Are Common Among Students In Special Education Which May Influence Behavior Problems In School, Jenise R. Hillian

Theses and Dissertations

The two purposes of this study were to (a) determine if there are factors of home life that are common among students in special education which may influence behavior problems in school; and (b) evaluate possible solutions to help to decrease the behavior problems. Twelve students in special education at a high school in New Jersey were selected to be the subjects of the study based on their consistent occurrences of disciplinary problems. The parents of the students completed a questionnaire concerning home life and quality time spent on certain activities with the family. The results from the survey revealed …

Is It Simply A New Language Or Is It A Learning Problem?, Lynda M. Warner

Master of Education Program Theses

English Language Learners (ELLs) have been over-identified for placement into special education classes for more than 20 years. Causes include a lack of precisely defined constructs for disabilities, funding methods used by states, failure to follow federal legislation, weak prereferral systems to special education in schools, a huge influx of non-English speaking students to the classroom, and a lack of training amongst teachers. Correctly identifying ELLs who also need special education is difficult, but teachers can safeguard against improper identification by taking into account the social, educational, cultural, and language aspects of students' special circumstances, i.e., the needs of the …

Factors Affecting School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists’ Use Of Language Assessment Practices With Bilingual Children, Lena Gloria Caesar

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the assessment procedures and practices of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) employed in the state of Michigan. A survey method was used to gather information from 409 SLPs regarding the assessment procedures used for assessing both their bilingual students, as well as their monolingual English-speaking students. The survey also gathered information regarding perceptions about language proficiency, professional training, and bilingual assessment products. In order to analyze factors related to their use of recommended practices, the study investigated the relationship between selected demographic, caseload, and work-setting variables, and the type of bilingual assessment methods …

Efficacy Of A Social Skills Training Procedure Used On A Child Having Moderate Mental Retardation, Anestacio Quintana Jr.

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This single subject multiple baseline study tested the efficacy of a social skills training procedure. The subject for this study was an eight-year-old female having Down Syndrome. The subject was diagnosed as having moderate mental retardation. Using an A-B-A-B design, the investigator and two observers collected data on off task behavior, during baseline phases. During intervention phases, the Subject was introduced to a social skills training program addressing the off-task inappropriate behaviors. The results of the study illustrated a positive effect of the social skills training procedure on the Subject. There was an established relationship between the implementation of the …

The Effects Of Using An Off-Task Paper As A Nonverbal Intervention For Inappropriate Disruptive Behavior, Pamela R. Vancleef

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The following study took place within the Academic Compliance Training program at Cathey Middle School in McAllen, Texas. Off-task papers were implemented as a nonverbal intervention during inappropriate behavior occurring after students were given directions for independent assignments. An A-B design was utilized to demonstrate a functional relationship between the independent variable, off-task papers administered as a nonverbal intervention, and dependent variable, operationally defined as all academically off-task behavior. The results of this study suggest that using off-task papers as a nonverbal intervention effectively reduces academically off-task behavior during independent seatwork.

Instructing Teachers Of Children With Disabilities Within The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Katie E. Sampson

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates benefits of in-service training on LDS primary teachers' ability to state an objective, obtain and keep attention, use wait time, incorporate active participation, teach to the multiple intelligences, and employ positive behavior management techniques. Two groups of 30 viewed either a video-tape or read a handout. Pre and post surveys were used to determine mean gain.
Using an ANCOVA, comparisons were made of overall mean gain for each group. Results showed participants made a gain of approximately 1/2 point per question on a 4-point scale on the video and the handout (video gain = .6032 p<.01; handout gain = .6264 p<.01). The results of this study support the hypothesis that teachers receiving one in-service will increase their perception of their ability to teach students with special needs.

Melioration And The Behavioral Addiction Process: An Experimental Analysis, Jared Micah Dinehart

Theses and Dissertations

Melioration can be a factor contributing to behavioral addiction. In this study, 76 university undergraduates operated a "money machine" by selecting between choices that corresponded to maximization and melioration. Participants initially made choices consistent with a strategy of melioration and demonstrated significantly greater variability in choice behavior when visual cues were presented aimed at exposing the internality (or consequence) of the choice situation. Removal of the visual cues resulted in a return to lower responding. Visual cues may aid in interrupting the behavioral addiction pattern by limiting exclusive use of a melioration choice strategy. Methods of restructuring and experimentation with …

An Ecobehavioral Assessment Of The Teaching Behaviors Of Teacher Candidates During Their Special Education Internship Experiences, Len Roberson, M Lynn Woolsey, Janice Seabrooks, Gwen Williams

Exceptional, Deaf, and Interpreter Education Faculty Research and Scholarship

In the last 20 years, teacher preparation programs have come under close scrutiny by the public and governmental agencies charged with monitoring teacher quality and the academic achievement of American students. Both regular and special education teacher preparation programs struggle with the requirement to collect valid and reliable evidence of teacher candidate performance and their effect on student learning. This study incorporated an ecobehavioral assessment tool (MS-CISSAR) in the evaluation of 13 special education teacher candidates during their internship experiences. Special education teacher candidates taught in deaf education classrooms and self-contained and resource rooms for students with disabilities. Results showed …

Adult Learning Theory And High School Students, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

No abstract provided.

Retention And Special Education Referral Practices Before And After The Implementation Of High-Stakes Testing, Sue L. Buslinger-Clifford

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rewards and sanctions associated with high-stakes testing may induce educators to participate in practices that will ensure the elimination of the scores of low-achieving students from the testing pool. Two ways in which scores may be eliminated is through retention or referral to special education.

This study examined the use of these practices at 179 elementary schools in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the 4th largest school district in the country. Between- and within-subjects designs were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance to compare retention and referral to special education practices over a five-year period of time, two years …

A Study Of Overrepresentation Of Minorities In Special Education In Southern New Jersey Public Schools, Carol Phister

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is an overrepresentation of minority students in special education in southern New Jersey Public Schools. Data was disaggregated to the district level for 25 randomly chosen public school districts in southern New Jersey. Data were reported on the total school population and the total number of students classified as eligible for special education. These data were further broken down in both categories (i.e. total school population and special education) by race/ethnicity and by gender. In addition, special education data were also reported by specific disability category. These data were presented …

A Study Of The Effect Of Social Skills Training On The Display Of Physical And Verbal Aggression In Students With Behavior Disorders, Antonio Singletary

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this single subject design was to examine the effect of social skills training as displayed by students with behavior disorders. Social skills training was conducted with 12 to 14 year old multi-cultural students with behavior disabilities in a self contained learning environment. The results showed that social skills training did decrease or eliminate physical and verbal aggression for most students with behavior disorders, while a few students will need more training. The results are discussed with recommendations for future relevant research. The study lasted nine weeks.

A Study Of Teachers' And Administrators' Perceptions Of Collaborative Teaching, Ritaanna Bell

Theses and Dissertations

Laws such as The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) (1990/1997) and No Child Left Behind (2001) have emphasized a need to serve students with disabilities in the general education setting. This inclusion has prompted several models of collaborative instruction. This study investigates the current state of practice from the perspective of Co-teaching partners (general and special education teachers) and their administrators in one New Jersey School District. The foci are on perceptions of current experience, recommended collaborative practices, teacher preparation for co-teaching and administrator effectiveness of the collaborative teaching classroom. 114 teachers and 23 administrators from a mid-sized New Jersey …

An Investigation Of The Effect Of An Educational Program On Students' Decision To Use Birth Control, Christine King

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the "Making Proud Choices Curriculum" on students' knowledge and attitudes on the use of birth control. The students were assigned to an experimental or control group. Students took a pre and post test to measure their knowledge and attitudes on human sexuality issues. The experimental group received eight 1-hour training sessions on the Making Proud Choices Curriculum. Results indicated that after training the experimental group had increases in knowledge and more positive attitudes than the control group.

A Study Of A Self-Monitoring Intervention To Increase On-Task Behavior And Productivity, Susan A, Biglin

Theses and Dissertations

The subject of this study was an eleven year old Hispanic boy from an inner city elementary school. Subject was taught to observe his on-task behavior and rate his performance using a rubric. Intervention was conducted in a general education inclusion class consisting of six students with special needs and eleven regular education students. Inclusion model consisted of co-teaching during the mathematics class and small homogeneous grouping for Language Arts Literacy. Results of this study indicate that self-monitoring, when applied in a structured classroom with positive reinforcements, is an effective approach for students with mild disabilities to gain a better …

The Effects Of Success For All As A Whole School Reform On The Gepa Scores In A Particular Abbott District, Lisa R. Labbree

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what impact Success For All (SFA) had on the state standardized test scores of a school district that was identified as being low income and having poor test scores. Data from the literacy/language arts portion of the Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment were compared for the years 2001 and 2003. Students who took the test in 2001 were not exposed to SFA, whereas the 2003 students had three years of SFA. The test scores were analyzed by comparing percentage passed, mean scores, and mean differences. Results indicated that the test scores for special …

A Study Of The Effect Of A Homework Club On The Completion Of Homework By Students With And Without Learning Disabilities, Marlene Cosenza Rolfe

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this experimental multiple baseline study across subjects was to ascertain if a homework club with study skills training would enable students to improve their percentage of homework completion.

The subjects of this study included 16 elementary school students in a suburban, southern New Jersey school district. Twelve third grade and four fourth grade students with and without learning disabilities were included.

All students completed 20 days of intervention by attending a homework club with study skills training. Students self-monitored their percent of homework completed by keeping a weekly graph. These results were checked for accuracy by teachers. …

The Effect Of Stress On Female Collegiate Athletes' Alcohol Consumption, Holly M. Thornton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the relationship between the amounts of stress female student athletes experience with the amount of alcohol they consume at the collegiate level. It was hypothesized that the more stress a student athlete experiences the more likely she is to consume alcohol. Thirty-five female student athletes from the east coast of the United States filled out surveys assessing the amount of stress experienced and the amount of alcohol consumed, and proved the proposed hypothesis to be false. The Pearson Correlation Analysis was used and found that there was no significant relationship between …

Using Social Stories To Teach Social And Behavioral Skills To Preschool Children With Autism, Melissa Jean Herrin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

There is limited research support for the use of Social Stories with elementary and secondary-aged students. However, there is even less research support for the effectiveness of Social Stories with preschool-aged children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Social Stories with three preschool-aged children diagnosed with autism. Using a multiple baseline design across subjects, Social Stories were implemented in the home setting. The children’s parents were responsible for daily implementation of the Social Story, as well as recording data daily. Direct observations were conducted once a week during the identified times the target behavior occurred. …

What Educators Must Know About The Effectiveness Of Behavioral Interventions For Children With Autism, Renee' L. Henke

Theses

The diagnosis of autism is on the rise. There are many misconceived definitions of autism, even in the educational profession. Educators in all areas must become informed of behavioral intervention and modifications to help autistic students succeed.

This paper will reveal facts and information regarding behavior intervention and modification based on the Lovaas theory and method. It includes a case study of an eleveny-ear- old high-functioning autistic boy who has made great strides and is successful.

The Relationship Between Religious Programs And Peer Relationships Of Adults With Mental Retardation, Cecilia D. Beasley

Theses & Honors Papers

This research was intended to look at the relationship between attendance at religious programs on the peer relationships and spirituality of adults with mental retardation. The literature reviews the benefits of spirituality for all individuals, the characteristics of individuals with mental retardation, and the influences of peer relationships. Fifty-nine surveys about the individual's spiritual development, happiness, peer relationships and criminality as well as the importance of religious functions were completed by adults with and without mental retardation. The results indicate that attendance at religious activities does in fact impact spirituality and peer relationships of individuals with mental retardation. They also …

Adaptive Behavior In Autism And Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified: Microanalysis Of Scores On The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Rhea Paul, Stephanie Miles, Domenic Cicchetti, Sara Sparrow, Ami Klin, Fred Volkmar, Megan Coflin, Shelley Booker

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to provide a microanalysis of differences in adaptive functioning seen between well-matched groups of school-aged children with autism and those diagnosed as having Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, all of whom functioned in the mild to moderate range of intellectual impairment. Findings indicate that the major area of difference between children with autism and those with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, was expressive communication; specifically, the use of elaborations in syntax and morphology and in pragmatic use of language to convey and to seek information in discourse. Linear discriminant function analysis revealed that scores …

The Effect Of A Student-Chosen Reinforcer On Academic Engagement During Acquisition Tasks In An Elementary Student With Autism, Terrence Jerome Bernard

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This single subject multiple baseline study investigated the effect of a student chosen reinforcer on academic engagement during acquisition tasks in an elementary student with autism. The subject was a 6 year-old Hispanic male with a primary diagnosis of autism. The student is in a regular classroom setting greater than 60% of the day, with the remainder of the day spent in a self-contained classroom. A stopwatch was utilized to measure the student's duration of academic engagement duration during acquisition tasks. The acquisition task consisted of an age appropriate fine motor word copying activity. The reinforcer was presented in a …

Universal Preschool: A Solution To A Special Education Law Dilemma, Alefia E. Mithaiwala

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Thinking About Andragogy: The International Foundation For Its Research, Theory And Practice Linkage In Adult Education And Human Resource Development, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

More than 50 major works published in English from national and international sources on Andragogy are presented here, in order to provide a clear and understandable, international foundation for the linkage between the research, theory and practice of andragogy, and its application to HRD. The six themes provided a foundation for the linkage: Evolution of the term; historical antecedents shaping the concept; comparison of American and European understanding; popularizing of American concept; practical application; and theory, research, and definition.