Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Teacher Perceptions Of Co-Teaching Effectiveness In Inclusive Elementary Classrooms, Ann Sims

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine if co-teaching is an effective strategy of inclusion for students with Individualized Educational Program (IEP). Specifically, students in the general education classroom for grade levels kindergarten to fifth grade in the state of Illinois. Co-teaching has been utilized in middle and upper-grade levels, but the implementation of co-teaching has started to integrate into elementary grades. Two questions guided the study; is co-teaching an effective inclusive strategy for students with an IEP in a general education classroom; and does the model of co-teaching impact the student's academic progress? A quantitative study utilizing a …

Qualitative Study Of Collaboration Between Independent Reading Specialists And Elementary Classroom Teachers, Lindsay Lee Hawbaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The failure of educators to meet the needs of elementary students who require separated, differentiated, and intensive reading interventions (Tier 3) has been attributed to the scarcity of administrative resources and a lack of effective collaboration between reading specialists and classroom teachers. Experts opine that common barriers to effective collegial collaboration between institutional reading specialists, who are employed by the school, and classroom teachers include: an unsupportive school culture, the classroom teachers’ fear of losing pedagogical autonomy, the absence of mutual trust and interdependence between the reading specialists and their students’ classroom teachers, and the inability of reading specialists …

Life After High School For Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities: An Assessment Of Postsecondary Preparedness, Audrey Moore

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate the effectiveness of transitional preparatory programs from the perspective of parents and teachers in North Carolina. The following three research questions guided this research inquiry: Based on parent and teacher perspectives, how did the high school transitional program facilitate success after high school for students with moderate to severe disabilities? To what extent do the parents and teachers of students with moderate to severe disabilities perceive that a transitional program is a necessity for post-high school success? The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA, 2004c) section on transition served as …

Teacher Perceptions Of Behavioral Programs Serving Emotionally Disabled Students, Joshua Weese

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has undergone numerous revisions since 1965 when the first federal statute dealing with the education of students with disabilities was implemented. A revision completed in 1975 instituted the concept of least restrictive environment (LRE), which demands that all students with disabilities be exposed to the maximum amount possible with their regular education peers, regardless of disability. Full inclusion is the primary mode schools use to meet this requirement. Research has illustrated the positive effects of inclusion-style classrooms and LRE, both for regular and special education peers. However, contemporary research has begun to show …

A Mixed Methods Study Of The Impact Of State Special Education Funding Distribution On The Academic Gap Of Students Identified With Disabilities, Christy Hutchinson

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Since the passing of Public Law 94-142 in 1975, federal funding for special education programming has been distributed based on a flat or fixed per-student allotment. Flat funding distribution is a set dollar amount per child, while a fixed distribution is a set amount provided to every state regardless of population. In addition to federal funding, each state must allocate state tax dollars to the local education agencies (LEAs) according to the allocation model. Currently, there are four popular models of special education funding used across the United States, including flat or fixed rate per-student allotment, weighted funding, a census-based …

Why Do They Stay? A Qualitative Study On The Motivation Of South Carolina Elementary Self-Contained Special Education Teachers Who Persist In The Classroom, Judith Mills

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the motivational factors that have influenced South Carolina (SC) elementary self-contained special education teachers to remain in the profession beyond the 5-year mark, while despite having the same experiences, many others quickly leave the profession behind. Based on the theoretical framework of Ryan and Deci’s (2018) motivational theory of self-determination, this study sought to explore the lived experiences of 10 special education teachers. Data were collected through interviews, member-checked, coded, and analyzed for common themes. The results indicated that student growth and success; relationships with students, parents, and colleagues; collaboration …

Vocabulary Builder Model For Autistic Children, Maryam Rastikazerooni

Student Works (2020-2029)

Most children with autism suffer from impairments in specific cognitive processing styles, social skills, and communication skills, which affect the academic performance of those children in pre-school. The difficulties in language comprehension and communication skills result in the lack of motivation, attention, satisfaction, and interaction in this population, thus causing the children to encounter deficits in learning and especially learning vocabulary. Many Mobile-Based interventions (MBI) have been developed to address the deficits in this population. However, there are very few vocabulary builders’ software which focus on improving the vocabulary learning skills as well as providing consistent motivation for autistic children. …

Parental Satisfaction On Inclusive And Non Inclusive Education For Pupils With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Lee Yik Peng

Student Works (2020-2029)

The increasing number of children with autism increases the demand for education in Malaysia. More public and private schools are opening their classes for inclusion, while more centers are emerging in the country to offer various programs and therapy. Choosing the right education is the main problem that parents of children with autism are facing. Given the different types of education placements available in Malaysia, finding a suitable type of education that could satisfy parents can be tricky. Despite the lack of facilities and other factors, parents would still choose to place their child in public mainstream education. The purpose …

Professional Development For Working With Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Teacher Self-Efficacy, Alison Johnson, Lina Soares, Antonio P. Gutierrez De Blume

Georgia Educational Researcher

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effect of teacher professional development for working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and teacher (N = 56) self-efficacy in the general education classroom. A pretest/posttest quasi-experimental research design was implemented. Teachers in one randomly assigned school received professional development training on research-based practices in working with students with autism to determine if the training had any effect on their perceived self-efficacy ratings and teachers in the other school were randomly assigned to serve as the control (i.e., no additional professional development training was provided during the research phase). …

A Descriptive Study Of The Accommodations, Assistive Technologies, And Supports Chosen By Students With An Intellectual Disability Attending A Post-Secondary Institution, Lori Olson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used a mixed methods approach to investigate the perceptions of students with intellectual disabilities (ID) attending a Transition Postsecondary Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID). This study explored what they perceived to be the most chosen and helpful accommodations, assistive technologies, and supports and why they chose them. The researcher sent out an electronic survey to students with ID attending a Transition Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) to determine the most chosen and helpful accommodations, assistive technologies, and supports and why they found them helpful.The top ranked accommodations used and found most helpful in this …

Promoting Self-Management Skills Among Students With Disabilities Within The General Education Classroom, Elisabeth A. Pagel

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research project was to determine how educators can promote self-management skills among students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Previous studies were used to summarize the current state of social-emotional learning in the American public-school system and to identify strategies that promote self-management skills in special education classrooms. The Delphi method was used to distinguish which of these strategies would promote self-management skills for students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Panelists (N = 18) generated and ranked strategies in three questionnaires, and they created consensus on the top 10 strategies with the …

The Effects Of Inclusive Classrooms On Students With Disabilities And Effective Inclusive Classroom Strategies, Erin Rose Welter

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this literature review was to research the effectiveness of inclusive classroom strategies pertaining to academic achievement and social/behavioral achievement in students with disabilities along with which inclusive classroom strategies were more effective. Twenty-five research studies based on inclusive classrooms were reviewed and summarized throughout this literature review. While there were studies that saw a positive impact on a student’s academic success after being in an inclusive setting, a majority of the studies used in this literature review found no correlation between students with disabilities being included in an inclusive classroom and their academic achievement. It can also …

Integrated Curriculum In Physical Education, Delaney M. Rice

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This paper seeks to address an absence of resources for teachers that highlight cross-curricular integration of physical education and core academics to benefit the learning, motivation, health, and academic outcomes of students. Curricular integration, or the highlighting of overlapping themes between subjects, has become a popular way to maximize educational time in schools. The benefits of curricular integration are well documented, however, less known are the benefits of curricular integration in the fields of physical education and special education. By analyzing existing literature, reviewing existing curricula and educational resources, and surveying educational professionals, a guide was created to support teachers …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Literacy Instruction With Autistic Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Heather Ann Marzenski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Families and educators have voiced concerns about the literacy skills of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the situation. Pandemic era studies have demonstrated the ramifications that students with ASD have faced, including regression of literacy skills, lower grades, lack of support services, and subpar instruction. Teachers' perceptions remained unexamined in the pandemic era studies. The purpose of this basic qualitative dissertation was to examine teachers’ perceptions about the materials and strategies used to deliver literacy instruction during the pandemic for students with ASD. The conceptual frameworks that underpinned this study were self-determination theory …

Project Search: Analysis Of Employment Outcomes For Students With Disabilities Across Two Districts, Mariya T. Davis, Ingrid K. Cumming, Nicole M. Park, Carl J. Sheperis

Special Education Faculty Publications (Archived)

Rehabilitation professionals have a major focus on competitive employment, which is a central component of adult life that provides not only economic benefits, but also a social network and enhanced self-esteem. The employment gap for individuals with disabilities has remained consistently high despite concerted efforts to provide access to quality job readiness training and a simultaneous increase in awareness of the value of diversity in the workforce. This study examined the outcomes of Project SEARCH, an employer-based transition program for young adults with disabilities that promotes partnerships among the school and community by utilizing a unique collaborative approach that brings …

Finding A Voice For Individuals With Asd Who Are Minimally Verbal Through Comprehensive Communication Assessment, Shelley Lund, Kristy Weissling, Wendy Quach, Miechelle L. Mckelvey

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose: Many, but not all, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a difficult time communicating in conventional ways to express their decisions, preferences, and ideas. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can fulfill many purposes of communication and support a child to achieve maximal self-determination and agency. The goal of assessment is not to fit the child to a particular device or communication strategy—but rather to identify the strategies that enhance the child’s strengths to maximize their independent communication and ultimately their ability to exert control over their world.

Method: Our method was to combine results from our scoping review …

Applying Implementation Science To Support Active Collaboration In Noninvasive Brain–Computer Interface Development And Translation For Augmentative And Alternative Communication, Kevin Pitt, Aimee Dietz

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to consider how, alongside engineering advancements, noninvasive brain–computer interface (BCI) for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC; BCI-AAC) developments can leverage implementation science to increase the clinical impact of this technology. We offer the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) as a structure to help guide future BCI-AAC research. Specifically, we discuss CFIR primary domains that include intervention characteristics, the outer and inner settings, the individuals involved in the intervention, and the process of implementation, alongside pertinent subdomains including adaptability, cost, patient needs and recourses, implementation climate, other personal attributes, and the process of …

What’S In A Photograph? The Perspectives Of Composition Experts On Factors Impacting Visual Scene Display Complexity For Augmentative And Alternative Communication And Strategies For Improving Visual Communication, Kevin Pitt, John W. Mccarthy

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose: Visual scene displays (VSDs) can support augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) success for children and adults with complex communication needs. Static VSDs incorporate contextual photographs that include meaningful events, places, and people. Although the processing of VSDs has been studied, their power as a medium to effectively convey meaning may benefit from the perspective of individuals who regularly engage in visual storytelling. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perspectives of individuals with expertise in photographic and/or artistic composition regarding factors contributing to VSD complexity and how to limit the time and effort required to apply principles …

Brain Lateralization In Children With Upper‑Limb Reduction Deficiency, Jorge Zuniga, James E. Pierce, Christopher Copeland, Claudia Cortes‑Reyes, David Salazar, Yingying Wang, K. M. Arun, Theodore Huppert

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Background: The purpose of the current study was to determine the influence of upper-limb prostheses on brain activity and gross dexterity in children with congenital unilateral upper-limb reduction deficiencies (ULD) compared to typically developing children (TD). Methods: Five children with ULD (3 boys, 2 girls, 8.76 ± 3.37 years of age) and five age- and sex-matched TD children (3 boys, 2 girls, 8.96 ± 3.23 years of age) performed a gross manual dexterity task (Box and Block Test) while measuring brain activity (functional near-infrared spectroscopy; fNIRS). Results: There were no significant differences (p = 0.948) in gross dexterity …

Playing Together: A Call For Multiple Stakeholders To Reduce Exclusionary And Harsh Discipline For Young Bicoc With Disabilities, Saili Kulkarni

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

 Punitive disciplinary actions deny Black, Indigenous,2 Children of Color (BICOC) with disabilities from access to meaningful instruction and increase their risks for truancy, dropping out, and incarceration. At the intersection of race, disability, and discipline, this paper is a call to action for research and practices that bring together stakeholders and co-constructed, local solutions to exclusionary disciplinary practices affecting BICOC with disabilities. Specifically, we assert that efforts to reduce disproportionately racist responses to the challenging behaviors of young BICOC with disabilities (birth through age 8) cannot be solved with a single intervention strategy or simplistic approaches. Instead, we highlight the …