Education Commons^™

Vocabulary Word Instruction For Students Who Read Braille, Mackenzie E. Savaiano, Donald L. Compton, Deborah D. Hatton, Blair P. Lloyd

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

The association made between the meaning, spelling, and pronunciation of a word has been shown to help children remember the meanings of words. The present study addressed whether the presence of a target word in braille during instruction facilitated vocabulary learning more efficiently than an auditory-only instructional condition. The authors used an adapted alternating treatments single-case experimental design with three students with visual impairments who read braille, collecting data on definition recall and spelling during each session. Data on definition recall were used to determine mastery. The results of this study are not consistent with previous findings with students who …

Convergent Validity Of The Strength-Based Behavioral And Emotional Rating Scale With Youth In A Residential Setting, Kristin Duppong-Hurley, Matthew C. Lambert, Michael H. Epstein, Amy Stevens

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Strength-based assessment has been identified as an appropriate approach to use in planning treatment and evaluating outcomes of youth in residential settings. In previous research the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale-2, a standardized and norm-referenced strength-based measure, has demonstrated adequate reliability and validity with youth served in community and educational settings. The purpose of the present study was to examine the internal reliability and convergent validity of the BERS-2 by comparing the test to the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Symptoms and Functioning Severity Scale (SFSS). The results indicate that the scores from the BERS-2 are internally consistent …

Examining Change In Therapeutic Alliance To Predict Youth Mental Health Outcomes, Kristin Duppong-Hurley, Mark J. Van Ryzin, Matthew Lambert, Amy L. Stevens

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Objective—To examine the link between therapeutic alliance and youth outcomes.

Method—The study was conducted at a group-home with 112 youth with a disruptive-behavior diagnosis. Therapeutic alliance was collected routinely via youth and staff report. Outcome data were collected using youth and staff reports of externalizing behavior as well as behavioral incidents occurring during care. Outcome data were collected following intake into services and at 6 and 12 months of care. Data were analyzed to examine (1) if youth behavior problems at intake were predictive of therapeutic alliance and (2) if changes in alliance were predictive of subsequent youth outcomes. These …

Using Visual Scene Displays As Communication Support Options For People With Chronic, Severe Aphasia: A Summary Of Aac Research And Future Research Directions, David R. Beukelman, Karen Hux, Aimee R. Dietz, Miechelle L. Mckelvey, Kristy S.E. Weissling

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Research about the effectiveness of communicative supports and advances in photographic technology has prompted changes in the way speech-language pathologists design and implement interventions for people with aphasia. The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of photographic images as a basis for developing communication supports for people with chronic aphasia secondary to sudden-onset events due to cerebrovascular accidents (strokes). Topics include the evolution of AAC-based supports as they relate to people with aphasia, the development and key features of visual scene displays (VSDs), and future directions concerning the incorporation of photographs into communication supports for people with …

White Matter Differences Between Multiple System Atrophy (Parkinsonian Type) And Parkinson’S Disease: A Diffusion Tensor Image Study, L. Ji, Yingying Wang, Nanjing Medical University, J. Shi

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

The clinical differential diagnosis between the Parkinson variant of multiple system atrophy (MSA-P) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) is difficult in early stages. To identify objective markers for differential diagnosis, we combined the novel tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and region of interest (ROI) analyses for the first time to investigate three groups (15 MSA-P, 20 PD patients and 20 controls) with diffusion tensor imaging data. By TBSS, we performed pairwise comparisons of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity, radial diffusivity (RD) and axial diffusivity maps. The clusters with significant differences between MSA-P and PD were used as ROIs for further analyses. FA/RD …

Formative Assessment And Writing: A Meta-Analysis, Steve Graham, Michael Hebert, Karen R. Harris

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

To determine whether formative writing assessments that are directly tied to everyday classroom teaching and learn- ing enhance students’ writing performance, we conducted a meta-analysis of true and quasi-experiments conducted with students in grades 1 to 8. We found that feedback to students about writing from adults, peers, self, and com- puters statistically enhanced writing quality, yielding average weighted effect sizes of 0.87, 0.58, 0.62, and 0.38, respectively. We did not find, however, that teachers’ monitoring of students’ writing progress or implemen- tation of the 6 􏰑+ 1 Trait Writing model meaningfully enhanced students’ writing. The findings from this meta-analysis …

Tolerance Of The Vocalog Vocal Monitor By Healthy Persons And Individuals With Parkinson Disease, Jeff Searl, Angela M. Dietsch

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Objective: To assess subject tolerance of extended use of the VocaLog^TM vocal monitor (VM), a device marketed to log calibrated decibel sound pressure level.

Study Design: Prospective between-subjects design including two age- and sex-matched groups: individuals with Parkinson disease (IWPD) and healthy persons.

Methods: After an initial session to calibrate the device and demonstrate its use, participants wore the VM during waking hours for five consecutive days. At a second visit to return the VM, participants completed a survey and a short interview regarding their experience with and perceptions of the device.

Results: Those with PD and control subjects …

Validation Of The Symptoms And Functioning Severity Scale In Residential Group Care, Matthew C. Lambert, Kristin Duppong-Hurley, Thomas J. Gross, Michael Epstein, Amy L. Stevens

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Tests that measure the emotional and behavioral problems of children and youth are typically not normed and standardized on youth diagnosed with disruptive behavior, particularly those youth in residential care. Yet professional standards mandate that before instruments are used with a specific population the psychometric properties need to be studied and re-established: specifically, psychometric properties, including validity, need to be evaluated (AERA, APA, & NCME, 1999). The purpose of the present study was to assess the validity characteristics of the Symptoms and Functioning Severity Scale (SFSS; Bickman, et al., 2010), a widely used test developed for use in outpatient clinics, …

Full­‐Semester And Time­‐Compressed Fluency Disorders Course: An Evaluation Of Student Perceptions Of Competence, Satisfaction, And Workload, Shari L. Deveney, Amy F. Teten, Mary J. Friehe

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

This article addresses the effectiveness of a time-compressed four-week course format compared to a full-semester 16-week format for a graduate-level course. Participants were 78 students enrolled in a speech-language pathology course, fluency disorders. No significant differences were noted for student competency self-perceptions. However, time-compressed students reported significantly higher levels of course satisfaction and workload difficulty.

The Use Of The Social Skills Module Training To Teach Appropriate Communication Skills To A Student With Autism, Mark Emmerson Simmonds Iii

MSU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of video modeling (VM) in order to improve conversational skills using on-line instructional modules, self-monitoring, modeling of socially appropriate skills, and provide coaching opportunities within a controlled setting to an adolescent with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Using an ABAB Reversal design, direct observations of the participant's identified target behaviors were collected two times per week during a controlled setting. Overall, data demonstrated that the combined treatment package was effective for improving the frequency of targeted social skills for the participant, including an additional four sessions that were needed to assess …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Take Action: Making Goals Happen Curriculum, Kelly Wulf

Theses and Dissertations

As the accountability movement emerged with the passage of No Child Left Behind and the amendments of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act, there was a growing concern regarding how to best provide transition services for youth with disabilities. As Cobb, Lehmann, Newman-Gonchar, and Alwell (2008) have stated, a research base has emerged concerning the role of self-determination and other moderators that impact postschool outcomes. The purpose of this study was to identify if Choicemaker: Take Action: Making Goals Happen curriculum is effective in increasing global self-determination among middle school students with disabilities. Multiple Regression analysis was used with a …

Teacher's Attitudes Towards Instruction Of Students With Disabilities In An Inclusive Setting, Beverly Nunes

Master's Theses

According to some studies, there is a trend in inclusion of students with disabilities in general classroom. And the key element to deal with this special education issue is the general education teacher. The present research surveyed the variables that would predict teachers' attitudes towards inclusion of students with disabilities in inclusive settings. The variables include years of service, teachers' attendance to special education courses in their program preparation, differentiated instruction, and previous experience with inclusion. Eighty general education teachers from public schools in a very diverse area of Southwest Michigan, answered a survey with 31 questions involving the Scale …

Finding Childcare For The Disabled Child: The Process And Decisions Through The Primary Caregiver’S Lens, Misty Dawn Torres

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

In this qualitative, Grounded Theory study, the researcher examined the process that primary caregivers go through when selecting a childcare placement for children who have special needs. Data were collected through participant interviews with primary caregivers (n=10) who responded to recruitment notices posted on (1) listservs by organizations directly affiliated with early intervention and child care services; (2) local Internet classified sites; and (3) through word of mouth. The research demonstrated that caregivers who learned of their child’s disability in a prenatal diagnosis or prior to an adoption identified with having a greater sense of choice and control over their …

How Inclusion Is Defined And Implemented In Elementary Classrooms, Bailey Jo Wright

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the various interpretations of inclusion and how we can implement it to a greater and more successful degree in elementary schools. Individuals with disabilities are discriminated against in many education systems, where additionally the law is not being upheld. This thesis provides an accessible, coherent framework for practicing teachers and future educators to gain a better understanding of the definitions of inclusion, the barriers they may encounter, and the best practices to guide them towards inclusive success.

Designing A Data-Tracking System For A Private Therapeutic Day School, Olin J. Bittner

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The Children's Institute on Mercer Island (CHILD) is a private therapeutic day school in the Seattle area serving students in elementary and secondary education. Their stated mission is to "provide innovative school programs and therapies that promote social, emotional and academic development for children with special needs." In the fall of 2012 they engaged in a program evaluation that in many respects resembles a needs assessment in order to explore and improve aspects of their functioning. Through preliminary evaluation processes, including dialogue with CHILD's Leadership Team and a survey of internal stakeholders, an area of interest in student mental health …