Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Experiences Of Adolescents In The General Education Setting Interacting With Peers With Intellectual Disability, Katie Goldey

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Social interaction is critical to health, quality of life, and linguistic and cognitive development. However, young people with intellectual disabilities are unlikely to have equitable opportunities for social interaction. This may be particularly true of adolescents. This study used qualitative phenomenological methods to examine the lived experiences of students in the general education setting interacting with their peers with intellectual disability. Twenty participants engaged in one on one interviews with the author. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for overarching themes. Four main themes emerged from the data including: (1) Teens just don’t have many opportunities to interact with …

The Voices Of Typers: Examining The Educational Experiences Of Individuals Who Use Facilitated Communication, Aja Mckee, Audri Sandoval Gomez

Education Faculty Articles and Research

As the number of students with autism grows, professionals must find ways to understand how to best educate this student population. Although current research addresses teaching students with autism, studies on educating autistic students with limited or unreliable verbal speech is nominal. In this qualitative study, interviews with eight autistics who type using the method facilitated communication are analyzed in relation to their educational experiences. The study resulted in a number of key findings that play significant roles in the participants' educational experiences, including (a) the notion of disability hierarchy and the presumption of competence, (b) the importance of building …

Teacher Scaffolds During Word Solving In The Context Of The Interactive Strategies Approach-Extended (Isa-X) Intervention, Mary Elizabeth Arcidiacono

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Research has shown that reading intervention which incorporates word identification strategy instruction can help struggling students improve their reading ability (e.g., Gelzheiser, Scanlon, Vellutino et al., 2011; Scanlon, Gelzheiser, Vellutino et al., 2008; Vellutino, Scanlon, Small, et al., 2006). Since poor readers have benefited from interventions which include direct instruction of word identification strategies, my research focused on word identification strategy instruction; specifically, this study examined the types of scaffolds teachers provided to readers as they practiced being strategic word solvers while reading. This study compared the in-situ conversations between teachers using the Interactive Strategies Approach – Extended (ISA—X, Gelzheiser …

The Manifestation Of Stereotypic Repetitive Behaviors In Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In School Environments, Heather Anne Kurto

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects one in 59 children in the United States (CDC, 2018). ASD is defined as impairments in communication, socialization, and engagement in stereotypic and/or repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Much attention is given to the deficits in communication and socialization while stereotypic repetitive behaviors (SRBs) are the focus of interventions to extinguish these behaviors with little understanding of what role these behaviors play for people with ASD. The engagement in and function of SRBs is less prominent in the literature. Stereotypic repetitive behaviors vary in engagement, function and topography. This study examines how SRBs manifest …

Effects Of The Helping Early Literacy With Practice Strategies (Helps) Program On Reading Fluency With English Language Learners, Heeyeon Chung

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the HELPS Program on the reading fluency skills of English Learners (ELs) using a multiple-baseline single case design methodology. Participants in this study included five ELs attending a public elementary school in northern New York State. Students were identified for participation through a review of available records indicating below-average reading fluency skills and/or teacher recommendations based on reading fluency performance in the classroom. Visual analysis and Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) were used to evaluate Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM) scores from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills …

Teacher Burnout: Measuring, Contributing Factors, And Prevention, Lisa A. Dexter

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most stressful careers a person can chose to have is teaching. (Johnson et al., 2005; Travers, 2001). Teaching demands are high, and the emotional labor of teaching can leave teachers feeling emotionally exhausted, withdrawn, and worn down. Teachers who experience chronic levels of stress can be plagued with what is referred to as teacher burnout. While researchers have identified effective ways of measuring current levels and burnout, the research is just developing in identifying contributing factors and prevention strategies. Self-efficacy is a significant predictor of burnout as well as certain teaching environments. Researchers have identified effective prevention …

Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality In Special Education Services, Saili Kulkarni

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Study Of Collaborative Lesson Planning For Teachers Of Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities, Wendy K. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

During the generic qualitative research, a system for facilitating collaborative lesson planning for teachers of students with significant cognitive disabilities was developed and studied. The collaborative model allowed teachers to meet both school and district expectations for lesson plans. The purpose of the study, however, was to focus on the teachers’ experience of participating in the collaborative lesson planning system.

Questions were asked of teachers at three points during the study: (a) during business as usual individual planning, (b) after 3 weeks of collaborative lesson planning training and practice, and (c) at the end of 6 weeks of PLC lesson …

Executive Summary Of The Year Four Annual Report Of The Tpsid Model Demonstration Projects (2018-2019), Meg Grigal, Debra Hart, Clare Papay, Frank Smith, Daria Domin, Rebecca Lazo

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This Fast Fact provides a summary of the findings shared in the Year Four Annual Report of the TPSID Model Demonstration Projects (2018-2019). Findings are shared across multiple categories including employment, vocational rehabilitation, academics, academic and employment supports, residential services, program completion and credential attainment, and one-year outcomes. Conclusions drawn suggest the TPSID model demonstration program has shown that students with intellectual disability can enroll in college, attend courses, and work for competitive wages. The quality of the services provided to students while enrolled in IHEs implementing TPSID programs continues to improve; as do the outcomes of these students.

From The Field: Strategies On Career Development And Employment For Students With Intellectual Disability., Daria Domin

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This practical guide includes strategies that work to support students with intellectual disability (ID) who are looking for employment opportunities. The strategies shared in this publication were shared with the authors by staff and faculty at six different post-secondary programs for students with ID, and align with the Think College Standards for Inclusive Higher Education; a chart is included to show the alignment.

Using Data-Enabled Performance Feedback And Guidance To Assist Employment Consultants In Their Work With Job Seekers: An Experimental Study, John Butterworth, Alberto Migliore, Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Oliver Lyons, Amy Gunty, Jill Eastman, Paul Foos

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

BACKGROUND:The success of job seekers with disabilities in achieving their employment goals depends in large part on the quality of employment supports that they receive from employment consultants. OBJECTIVE:To test the effectiveness of data-enabled performance feedback to assist employment consultants in implementing standards of effective employment supports. METHODS:A total of 187 employment consultants in 30 states were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. The intervention group received data-enabled performance feedback and guidance for 12 months, whereas the control group continued with business as usual. Both groups completed baseline and quarterly surveys throughout the intervention. RESULTS:One year after baseline, the …

Inclusive Higher Education In The Time Of Covid-19, Clare Papay, Beth Myers

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

The Spring 2020 semester began like most others. College and university campuses
opened, students returned from winter break, and academic courses resumed. By the
middle of March, the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact every aspect of our lives.
College campuses, where students live and learn closely together, were some of the first places to close. On March 7th, 2020, the University of Washington was the first large university to close its campus, and others quickly followed (Hess, 2020). It was a time of confusion, as higher education administrators grappled with how to keep their constituents safe while continuing to educate …

Inclusive Schools For Students Served By Special Education: How Central Office Supports Principals, Lynn Reynolds Saltzgaver

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies: Doctoral Research Projects

Principals shape school culture and the teaching practices that students experience and engage with every day. Today’s leaders need regular access to learning and support that will influence their ability to lead schools for social justice for students identified with disabilities.

District leaders have a responsibility to develop and support principals to provide equitable and high-quality learning experiences for students who have been identified with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to analyze the Mountain Meadow School District’s role in supporting the development of leaders for social justice for students identified with a disability. This qualitative case study examined …

A Case Study Of The Development Of An Ecoach, Margaret P. Weiss, Kelley S. Regan, Holly D. Glaser

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Internship is a critical feature of teacher preparation programs and can be one of the most influential experiences for teacher candidates. New technologies, such as eCoaching, demonstrate promising results in providing richer experiences to teacher candidates during internship. eCoaching allows university supervisors to provide real-time feedback on instruction and has proven effective at improving teacher change. However, eCoaching is different from traditional university supervision. In this case study, we describe the evolution of a traditional university supervisor using eCoaching for the first time and the support she needs to be effective. Implications are discussed.

Learning Strategies And Metacognition In Adults With Dyslexia, Bradley W. Bergey

Publications and Research

In this chapter, we review the literature on learning and study strategies of university students with reading disabilities. Increasing numbers of students with reading disabilities attend post-secondary education, and while there, many experience academic challenges related to their remaining reading problems. We propose that learning and study strategies are important compensatory mechanisms for these students, but conclude not much is currently known about the learning and study strategies that students with reading disabilities employ in post-secondary education. As a way forward, we identify measurement and sampling issues in existing studies as potentially responsible for the varied results and discuss the …

Performance Feedback In Teacher Preparation: Improving Preservice Teachers’ Use Of High Leverage Practices Through Mixed-Reality Simulation, Kate Zimmer, Melissa Driver, Patricia Alvarez Mchatton

Faculty Articles

Challenging classroom behaviors are a leading cause of beginning teachers’ stress and attrition. It has been a longstanding criticism that teacher preparation programs are not adequately providing preservice teachers with the proper strategies to help them deal with behavior problems effectively. This study examines the effects of performance feedback and deliberate practice using a mixed-reality simulation on preservice teachers’ use of high leverage practices. Simulators are well suited for training preservice teachers in high leverage practices because it allows for repeated practice and opportunities for performance feedback. Findings are presented from research on the use of performance feedback and deliberate …

Racism In A Broken Special Education System, Andrew P. Johnson

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

This is an excerpt from my book, ‘Essential Learning Theories: The Human Dimension’ published by Rowman and Littlefield in 2021.

Disclaimer: The special education teachers I have had the privilege to work with over the years are making a difference lives of their students. However, they are often trapped in a system that is broken. This system puts limitations on what they are able to accomplish. In this chapter (article), I am referencing this larger system. I am not referencing any particular school, school district, university, or teacher preparation program.

A disability is not disorder or deficit; rather, it is …

The Effects Of Three Service Delivery Models On Vocabulary Learning By Second-Grade Children, Laura Stone

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) provide services to children in schools across the United States primarily in a direct small group service delivery model outside of the regular education classroom. To date little research exists to indicate that direct pull-out service delivery is an effective model in elementary schools for students requiring speech and language therapy. One area that has been studied is the effectiveness of vocabulary intervention among service delivery models. Preliminary findings suggest that students with language and literacy deficits learn vocabulary well within a regular education environment with SLP support. However, there is little consensus on how service delivery …

The Inclusion Of Special Education Services In Seventh-Day Adventist Schools In New York City, Marlene Morris-Lambert

Dissertations

Problem

Over the past fifty years, there has been an increase in the number of students with special needs in the U.S., from 1.8% of students in 1977 to 5.7% of students in 2006 and 13.0% of students in 2015. Federal legislation such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act support equal education for this growing population of students, and special-needs educators have responded by implementing full-inclusion strategies. Public schools continue to make advances in implementing inclusion practices since they are legally bound to do so. The Seventh-day Adventist community is one of …

The Lived Experiences Of People With Disabilities And Their Families: Transitioning To Adulthood And The Role Of Independent Facilitation, Emily Christine Tang

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

ABSTRACT

Objective

Emerging adulthood can be a stressful life stage due to the many life choices available and is especially challenging for emerging adults with disabilities (EADs) who face additional barriers in accessing supports and information regarding adult opportunities. This qualitative study investigated the experiences of transitioning to adulthood, and the role of a person-directed facilitation service, for EADs and their families.

Methods

Fourteen participants were recruited through purposeful and convenience sampling. Data collection procedures consisted of background questionnaires and one-on-one semi-structured interviews which were then thematically analyzed. Field notes, member checks and triangulation were used throughout the analysis process …