Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Rising Rates Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Carly Ogilvie

Honors College Theses

While autism spectrum disorder has always been around, the diagnosis rates are skyrocketing. There are many different theories and ideas as to why rates are increasing so rapidly. These theories cover a wide range of ideas such as better tests, side effects of vaccines, and everything in between. The goal of this research is to analyze the statistics on the rising rates of autism spectrum disorder diagnoses and to look into why they are rising. This research will compare diagnosis rates over the past several decades and then evaluate theories on the reason behind the diagnosis rates. Although there is …

Exploring Contributions Of Partnerships Between Employers And Disability Organizations On Recruitment, Hiring, Training, Retention, And Accommodation Of Individuals With Disabilities In Mississippi, Peter Oluwadare Kalejaiye

Dissertations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 provides equal employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities (IWDs) by prohibiting discrimination in employment. However, one out of four IWDs face discrimination in employment in the United States (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023). Additionally, despite establishing the Office of Disability Employment Policy and enacting the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to help integrate IWDs into the workforce, IWDs face barriers to equal and equitable employment (NASEM, 2017). Previous studies recommend partnerships between employers and disability organizations (DOs) to provide employment opportunities and benefits for IWDs through recruitment, hiring, training, retention, and …

Differentiated Instruction For Students With Special Needs: “How Can We Better Equip Students, School Systems, And Society For Differentiated Instruction For Students With Special Needs In Career And Technical Educational Environments?”, Mikala A. Highsmith

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Career and Technical Education (CTE) plays a vital role in preparing students for the demands of the modern workforce by providing essential knowledge, technical skills, and industry-recognized certifications. As the number of students with disabilities, including neurodivergent learners, continues to rise, CTE programs face increasing pressure to adopt innovative, inclusive educational practices. Integrating creative teaching strategies and leveraging technology are now critical tools in addressing diverse learning needs that promote effective classroom management and enhance student engagement. Moreover, CTE programs emphasize the development of professional competencies, workforce protocols, and transferable skills that strengthen students’ employability across industries. This paper examines …

Examination Of Language Sample Analysis In Children Who Are D/Hh Using Clan, Caroline G. Stewart

Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy Undergraduate Honors Theses

Hearing is the building block of developing receptive and expressive oral language skills used to effectively communicate. Children who experience hearing loss typically experience delays in phonological, morphological, semantic, and even pragmatic development. Understanding the specific language challenges faced by deaf and hard of hearing (D/hh) young preschool-age children is crucial for developing targeted intervention strategies aimed at optimizing their language development. This research aims to analyze the nuanced aspects of phonological, morphological, semantic, and pragmatic language development among D/hh children, shedding light on areas that may require specialized support. The preliminary research will inform best practices in language assessment …

Affordable Architecture: Promoting Mental Health Through Cost-Effective Design In Underfunded High Schools In Dallas-Fort Worth, Raphaella Malicay

2025 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Mental health awareness has increased over the years as well as numerous strategies to support mental health. Some of these strategies include addressing the built environment. This paper explores the intersection between mental health and the built environment through the lens of affordable architectural methods that would be effective in underfunded secondary schools. This study examines how architecture influences students’ well-being and how certain design strategies can be implemented even in schools that lack the financial resources for adequate infrastructure. Here the focus is on investigating affordable solutions such as improving ventilation, optimizing natural light, having flexible learning spaces, and …

Exploring The Impact Of Inclusive Education Knowledge On School Administrators' Attitudes: A Quantitative Analysis Of Influencing Factors And Leadership Preparedness, Michelle Everitt

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Federal laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) establish the legal foundation for inclusive education and mandate that students with disabilities (SWD) receive access to education in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). To achieve the high-stakes accountability standards of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), schools are also responsible for ensuring academic progress for all students, including those with disabilities. However, simply complying with these policies does not guarantee meaningful participation for SWD. School administrators play a central role in advancing inclusive education, yet …

Who Cares For The Caregivers? How Dance And Movement Can Benefit Caregiving Parents Of Children With Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities: A Literature Review, Haley E. Gilbert

Expressive Therapies Theses

Caregiver parents of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) are not able to care for themselves as often as they should be able to for their own mental and physical wellness due to their caregiving responsibilities that often carry into adulthood. These can lead to anxiety, depression, grief, and dysregulation for the parent. Dance and movement practices have been found to relieve the symptoms of these experiences while helping the child with IDD and the parent connect more, building stronger relationships. This thesis will include a comprehensive literature review of body-based theories such as the Polyvagal Theory (Polyvagal Institute, 2025), Bowlby’s …

‘Maybe It's What We've Been Doing?’: Exploring Mtss For Emergent Bilingual Students With Disabilities, Crystal Nunez

Honors Theses

This qualitative study investigated the interpretation and implementation of Multi-Tiered System
of Supports (MTSS) as it related to emergent bilingual students with disabilities in one of the
largest suburban school districts in Upstate New York. The purpose of this study was to explore
the needs, experiences, beliefs, and practices (individual and collaborative) of teachers who
support a growing population of emergent bilingual students with and without disabilities and their
families in an increasingly diverse suburban community. The goal of this study is to inform best
practices as well as new directions in research, policy, and educators’ continued and supportive
professional …

Listening To Learn: Insights From Students With Disabilities To Inform Teacher Education, Cheryl B. Jones

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Many students with disabilities are denied opportunities in schools because of the ways in which disability is conceptualized. This study examines the lived experiences of four students with disabilities. Using a basic qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The aim of the study was to understand how students with disabilities moved through school by centering their voices and listening to their firsthand accounts. The data revealed three main themes: 1) Participants felt misunderstood in school settings which became a primary shaper of their sense of self and educational experiences; 2) There is a misalignment of educational support and what students …

Sensory Awareness In Architectural Design And Construction: A Guide To Inclusion And Hospitality For All, Morgan Harwell

Honors Theses

Modern approaches to architectural design and construction have gravitated toward elegance, glossiness, and over exaggeration of a bright environment through materials such as marble, glass, white paint, and fluorescent lighting. While these choices can be alluring, their impact on individuals with disabilities and sensory processing disorders is typically dismissed. This study explores the intersection of architectural elements — such as lighting, noise, scent, and spatial organization — and sensory overload in disabled individuals. Through a detailed literature review, education of architectural principles, and incorporation of building techniques, this study proposes a computer-generated three-dimensional model of a shopping center. The primary …

The Art Of Disability And Identity: Using Arts-Based Methods To Examine The Relationships Between Disability, Identity, And Identity Development For Young, Disabled, Women In Higher Education, Amelia Holzer

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Within higher education, much of the research surrounding education and students with disabilities revolves around accommodations, and critiques of structural barriers to access. Further, disability within the context of higher education is often thought of through the lens of “service” and support for students with disabilities in higher education often takes a medical model approach of “curing” the student and “treating” their disability with accommodations (e.g., additional testing time), instead of acknowledging the environmental, social, and cultural factors within the classroom, or outside the classroom that may be causing the impairment. There is a noticeable gap in the higher education …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Workplace Experiences To Inform Transition Services For Neurodivergent Youth, Rachel M. Torres

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Individuals with disabilities, including neurodivergent individuals, are employed are significantly lower rates than individuals without disabilities (Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS], 2023). Although secondary schools are responsible for engaging in transition planning for students with disabilities (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004), research indicates these plans are often lacking in efficacy (Greene, 2015) and in their alignment with students’ interests and needs (Hughes et al., 2023). Simultaneously, modern work and the skills students need succeed in today’s workforce are changing (Griffiths et al., 2020). The goal of the present study is to improve transition planning and interventions by better understanding …

Building Motivation And Confidence In Elementary School Students, Alyssa I. Perez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project aims to explore how growth mindset, motivation, and self-confidence are key components to student success, especially during elementary school years. My capstone results highlight that consistent encouragement, a proactive classroom environment, and self-efficiency skills significantly contribute to improved student attitudes and engagement.

Impact Of Afterschool Programs On Students; Social Development And Emotional Learning, Natalie B. Harper

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Afterschool programs are described as activities that are organized and structured outside of the regular school day where there is a time where there is no academic pressure and, therefore, is a time with the potential to enhance social-emotional skills development and learning. The capacity to genuinely implement social emotional learning (SEL) programs that are hindered by difficulties in staff training and turnover, in addition to funding. This senior capstone project explores the impact of afterschool programs on students' social and emotional learning at a Monterey Bay charter school, especially in their ability to impact peer and teacher relationships, ultimately …

Treading Lightly: The Ethics Of Instructor Il/Legibility And Neutrality In The Classroom, Marcus A. Woodman

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Instructors in the classroom often describe their experiences teaching as being a performance, which often combines authenticity with boundaries to keep certain aspects of the instructor’s life out of the classroom. For queer instructors, their performance may be especially complicated; since queer identity is less visible than other types of identities, instructors must also weigh whether or not to come out to their students. In our current political moment, where queerness has yet again become a scrutinized topic (especially when in proximity to youth), teachers have an even more difficult decision to make.

This thesis uses queer theory and queer …

Increasing Social-Emotional Skills Of First-Grade Students, Faviola Montoya

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

First-grade students have not yet fully developed their socio-emotional skills around managing their emotions. Children who have not been able to develop their socio-emotional skills may bully other students and receive more discipline from the teacher. When the children learn how to manage their socio-emotional skills, they will become kinder and helpful to each other. To address this issue, I have created a three-day lesson plan for first graders at Monte Bella Elementary School in Salinas, California.

Enhancing Social Emotional And Language Development For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Elementary Students, Nataly Pacas-Rodriguez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Social-emotional and language development are often absent in the curriculum for students in elementary school programs who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing(DHH). When social-emotional and language development are missing, Deaf and Hard of Hearing elementary students may have trouble with communicating with others, understanding social cues, and language comprehension. Deaf and Hard of Hearing students who learn about social-emotional and language development may be more likely to communicate, express their feelings, understand grammar and vocabulary. In order to address this issue, I have created a workshop for 2nd and 3rd grade students at Toro School for the Deaf in …

Applications Of Applied Behavior Analysis (Aba) On Students In The Classroom Settings, Sonia G. Lagos-Elizalde-Auliveld

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Effective classroom management is essential for fostering safe, inclusive, and productive learning environments. This senior capstone research project examines the role of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and positive reinforcement in shaping student behavior, particularly in early education and inclusive settings. Drawing from personal experience as a behavior technician and aspiring special educator, the study emphasizes the importance of data-driven, student-centered approaches to behavior support. It reviews core ABA principles and explores their practical implementation in classrooms, highlighting tools, such as the Class Dojo app that facilitates real-time feedback and student motivation. Aligned with the Liberal Studies Major Learning Outcomes at …

A Pipeline To Prison Or A Pathway To Promise? The Inequities Fueling The School To Prison Pipeline, Ranishia Lachelle Bailey

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This systematic review proposal would investigate the school-to-prison pipeline and examine the role of pedagogical interventions in mitigating youth involvement in the justice system. By analyzing existing literature, this proposal would study and explore how school system biases, educational frameworks, and systemic factors contribute to the perpetuation of this pipeline, with a specific focus on how educational policies and disciplinary practices impact at-risk youth. The review aims to identify effective interventions that can disrupt this cycle, including restorative justice practices, trauma-informed education, positive behavioral interventions, and culturally responsive teaching. A comprehensive search strategy should be employed across various academic databases, …

Career And Technical Education Classes And Time To Graduate For Special Education Students With Specific Learning Disabilities, Susan Steele

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether special education students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) participating in Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes during high school demonstrate significantly different amounts of time to graduation compared to their peers who do not participate in CTE classes.

Data collection involved using pre-existing information from the district's student information system. An Excel spreadsheet with relevant student demographic and academic information was utilized. The district data manager provided a spreadsheet with 3,567 student records to analyze differences between CTE and non-CTE participants. The results revealed that CTE participation significantly impacted graduation rates, …