The Perceptions Of Aac Professionals On Supporting The Clinical Translation Of Brain-Computer Interface Technology, Kevin Pitt, Miechelle L. Mckelvey, Kristy Weissling, Brynley Klein

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) provide access to augmentative and alternative communication devices by decoding an individual’s neurological activity. However, while BCI developments are progressing in the research setting, barriers still exist in the clinical setting. These must be overcome to support the successful translation of BCI technology into clinical practice which improves patient outcomes. Therefore, to help facilitate the clinical integration of BCI-AAC, our study sought to identify the perspectives of AAC professionals regarding their

Supporting The Visual-Cognitive Sciences By Exploring The Application Of Photographic Composition To Visual Scene Displays, Kevin Pitt, John Mccarthy, Adrienne R. Pitt

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

AAC systems may be accessed via techniques such as touch, eye gaze and switch scanning, which are then translated into communication output. Traditionally, aided AAC displays utilize a grid layout, arranging communication items in a decontextualized manner. In contrast, visual scene displays (VSDs) utilize context rich images (e.g., photographs) that depict events and activities, presenting communication items in a contextualized manner (e.g., a toy in a toy chest; Wilkinson, Light, & Drager, 2012). Recent research focusing on principles of the visual-cognitive sciences has found that even small changes in how we present communication items in a grid or VSD format …

A Review Of Factors And Display Characteristics Influencing P300 Brain-Computer Interface Performance For Aac., Kevin Pitt

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

For individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), neurodegeneration can lead to a state of near-total paralysis, with intact cognition and sensation (Fried-Oken. et al., 2013). This loss of voluntary speech and motor system control (including oculomotor) can cause individuals with ALS to lose a reliable form of communication. Brain-computer interfaces for AAC (BCI-AAC) can provide a non-invasive link between an individual’s neurologic activity and a communicational device via electroencephalography (EEG), circumventing the necessity of reliable motor control for AAC access. Different BCI techniques may afford communication access through a range of techniques such as the P300 (including rapid serial visual …

Effects Of Sentence-Combining Instruction For Spanish-Speaking Language-Minority Students: Evidence From Two Single-Case Experiments, J. Marc Goodrich, Michael Hebert, Mackenzie E. Savaiano, Tim Andress

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Research indicates that sentence-combining instruction is effective for improving writing outcomes; however, no studies to date have examined the effects of sentence- combining instruction on the writing skills of Spanish- speaking language-minority (LM) students. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of explicit sentence-combining instruction that focused on correct adjective use when used with Spanish-speaking LM students with poor sentence construction skills. Across two studies, seven Spanish-speaking LM children in third to fifth grade participated in sentence-combining inter- ventions designed to teach adjective placement. Results in- dicated that there was a functional relation between the in- …

Photos For Visual Scene Displays: Input From Interviews With Visual Media Experts, Kevin Pitt, Meghan Salley, Kathrin Sindt, John Mccarthy

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Visual Scene Displays (VSDs) are a promising interface for AAC systems for children and adults. Although recent research has focused on design principles of traditional grid displays, there is comparatively little information on VSDs. Ten individuals with a background in photography and visual composition were interviewed following a brief overview of visual scene displays applied to AAC systems. Interviews were analyzed for themes, lasting around 45 minutes each. Participants gave feedback on principles of composition, how those principles inform their own work, and “quick tips” on matching photos with goals related to communication in VSDs.

Individuals whose natural speech is …

Effect Of Pacifier Design On Nonnutritive Suck Maturation And Weight Gain In Preterm Infants: A Pilot Study, Alexander Ziegler, Jill L. Maron, Steven M. Barlow, Jonathan M. Davis

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Background: Pacifiers are effective in promoting oral feeding by increasing the maturation of nonnutritive sucking to nutritive suck in preterm neonates. It is unclear whether pacifier design can influence suck dynamics and weight loss during the first week of life. Objectives: This pilot study examined the feasibility of studying the effect of pacifier design on suck maturation and weight loss in preterm neonates. Methods: Twenty-five preterm neonates (mean [SD] birth weight 1791 [344.9] grams, mean [SD] gestational age 33.1 [1.2] weeks) were studied in a single newborn intensive care unit. Neonates were assigned to either an orthodontic pacifier (n = …

An Efficiency Tactic For Behavioral Skills Training, Brian Liu-Constant

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to enhance the use of behavioral skills training to teach staff members a discrete trial training (DTT) procedure in a setting with a low trainer-to-staff ratio. Although effective, the rehearsal and feedback components of behavioral skills training can be time consuming and require more time with an expert trainer than the trainer has available.

For the behavioral skills training protocol, the researcher recorded and presented instructions and modeling on video and developed scripts that participants followed during rehearsal and feedback. Each participant was assigned to a group of three. Participants took turns in one of …

An Exploration Of Task Independence For High School Students In A Self-Contained Classroom Using Structured Work Systems, Lorinda Rene Otto

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of a method to support higher levels of independent performance and generalization of skills using a structured work system with a visual schedule when teaching online task completion skills to high school students with ASD and intellectual disabilities. Students with ASD and intellectual disabilities are typically deficient in independent skills. They often struggle to initiate and complete tasks on their own. By learning to complete tasks independently, high school students with ASD and intellectual disabilities gain essential life skills needed for employment. Structured work systems, along with visual schedules, have shown to be useful in …

Perspectives Of Overage Graduates: Issues That Affected Their Schooling, Dione R. Thomas Webber

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine the perspectives of overage graduates who completed years of schooling as an overage student. The following research question guided this inquiry: From the perspective of graduates who were two-or-three years overage for grade, what social, emotional, academic or other issues affected their schooling? Sequential qualitative interviewing of four participants that completed school overage for grade provided data for this study. The data was analyzed with the use of the constant comparative method and synthesized into emergent themes.

The participants reported their perceptions in the context of four specific areas: Interactions with …

Defining Accountability And Best Practices In Private Schools Which Receive State Funds For Students With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Debra L. Rains

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Accusations pertaining to insufficient accountability for private schools that provide alternative educational options for special education students have led to opposition to those same schools. The opposition results in part from the schools’ acceptance of state funded vouchers and scholarships. In Florida, state vouchers provide funds which support alternative educational placement for students from lower socio-economic status and/or who have identified disabilities. Because they are not subject to state or federal government jurisdiction, private schools have the right to set their own policies and procedures to determine appropriateness of curriculum, assessment, accountability, personnel training and development, funding, and governance …

Leading Effective Inclusive Schools: How Principals Make The Difference, Megan Robinson Mcmillan

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In effective inclusive schools, school principals are the difference-makers. Principals of these schools possess a commitment to leading schools adept at delivering high academic achievement outcomes and providing an inclusive education for students with disabilities. This leadership is predicated upon their inclusive consciousness, or a dogged determination to provide ethical and meaningful educational experiences to all students, but especially those with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to understand how four elementary-level public school principals acquired, developed, and demonstrated an inclusive consciousness that guided their leadership of effective inclusive schools. Data were collected using a basic qualitative methodology and …

Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality In Special Education Services, Saili Kulkarni

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Childhood Disability: Challenges And Theory-Informed Child Life Interventions In The Healthcare Setting, Fatema-Zahra Jaffer

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Children with intellectual, sensory, physical, and/or speech disabilities encounter a proliferation of challenges in the healthcare environment. Such challenges are exacerbated by insufficient knowledge in doctors, nurses, child life specialists, and other healthcare providers in bias-free and specialized healthcare delivery. To remedy this, pertinent methods informed by theoretical perspectives of atypical development that ameliorate stress and augment coping in children with disabilities are warranted. Therefore, the purpose of this independent study is to provide a synthesis of the literature that chronicles this topic. Multifarious child life interventions that are premised on contemporary developmental frameworks of childhood disability will be presented. …

Educator Knowledge And Usage Of Evidence-Based Interventions For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders In Special Education Programs Across California, Thelmisha Vincent

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the extent to which evidence-based interventions being utilized with students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) by general education teachers, special education teachers, and behavior interventionists working in K-12 special education programs on comprehensive public and non- public school campuses in California.

Methodology: This mixed method study identified commonly used instructional strategies for students with (EBD) in public and non-public school settings. Respondents were purposefully chosen from general education teachers, special education teachers, and behavior interventionists across California. The data from online survey and interviews were analyzed through factorial ANOVA, descriptive …

Effective Instructional Strategies In Sixth Grade Inclusion Mathematics Classrooms: The Effect Of Active And Passive Engagement On Concept Learning And Opportunity To Learn, Christy Mikolaj

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-method study focused on the effect of active engagement on opportunity to learn and concept learning among sixth grade special education students participating in the inclusion mathematical setting. By implementing two instructional strategies and using the theoretical frameworks of Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism and Erikson’s Stage of Psychosocial Development of Industry vs. Inferiority, findings showed there was a significant negative relationship between active engagement time during instruction and concept learning. The study showed students with identified needs within an inclusion mathematics setting increased concept learning in both instructional classrooms. Therefore, there was no difference in concept learning …

Parental Experiences Participating In The Positive Behavior Intervention And Support Process In Schools, Siddiq Meer Siddiq Ahmed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of parents of children with challenging behavior regarding their involvement with, and interest in, the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) process within school systems. The overarching research question was what are the lived (perceived) experiences of parents of children with challenging behavior regarding their involvement in the PBIS process? From this main question, there were five subsidiary questions that were addressed: How do parents of children with challenging behavior involved in the PBIS process describe their lived experiences? In what ways have parents made meaning out of their experiences …

The Power Of Partnership: Understanding The Dynamic Of Co-Teaching Pairs, Amanda M. Lozolla

Education (PhD) Dissertations

The co-teaching relationship is the foundational structure upon which a co-taught classroom is built. Co-teaching is often defined as a general education teacher and a special education teacher teaching a group of heterogeneous students together. Born from inclusion, co-teaching attempts to reach all learners. With this service delivery model comes challenges and a large learning curve, so a strong foundation is imperative. Literature and educational scholars have expressed that the foundation of co-teaching is the relationship between teachers. Authors in the literature have stressed the importance of the relationship however, little to no research exists studying the dynamics of the …

A Play Based Intervention To Develop Literacy: Using Foundations For Literacy To Help Students With A Developmental Delay Learn To Read, Brittany Coalwell Escobedo

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Kindergarten students with a Developmental Delay need to learn in a way that is developmentally appropriate through play and experiences. This study investigated the use of Foundations for Literacy, a play based and experiential based literacy intervention, to allow Kindergarten students with a Developmental Delay learn to read in a developmentally appropriate way. Students were taught code based and meaning based literacy skills through play and experiences using Foundations for Literacy. The results prove that a short five-week intervention using Foundations for Literacy increased letter sound identification and phonemic awareness at a faster rate than a traditional guided …

An Effective Point And Level System For A Self-Contained Emotional Behavior Disorders Program To Decrease Challenging Behaviors, Serena Sorensen

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify what kind of impact an effective point and level system has on challenging behaviors for students with Emotional Behavior Disorders (E/BD) in a self-contained classroom. The participants in this study were students with Emotional Behavior Disorders, who were attending their classes in a self-contained E/BD classroom due to the amount of support their Individual Education Plan (IEP) team determined they needed to be successful in the academic setting. Students had been participating in the self-contained classroom with a point and level system in place along with academics being taught, however students struggled …

The Correlation Between Classroom Engagement Strategies And Student Behavior, Abby Neppl

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Shoulders and Krei (2015) conducted a study which revealed that for teachers to be effective in their role, students must be engaged in their learning. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects classroom engagement strategies have on student behavior. There will be three engagement strategies implemented throughout this study, these include turn and talks, cold calling, and Whole Brain Teaching strategies. Behaviors that will be analyzed include on-task versus off-task behavior and overall student participation. The participants in this research project include middle school students, 6^th through 8^th grade. The sample group will consist of …