Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Podcasts Episode 05: Dr. Laura Bozeman, Laura Bozeman, Amy T. Parker

O&M On the Go

Dr. Laura Bozeman is an Associate Director of Vision Studies at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. In this podcast, Dr. Bozeman describes her work with different populations of people with visual impairment, including people with multiple disabilities, offering insights on the importance of what we learn from our students by listening to what is important to them.

Image Credit: VisionAware

Podcasts Episode 04: Dr. Sandra Rosen, Sandra Rosen, Amy T. Parker

O&M On the Go

In the fourth episode of the podcast for SPED 510 (Orientation & Mobility Methods), Prof. Amy Parker talks with Dr. Sandra Rosen. Dr. Rosen is an expert on orientation and mobility -- helping people with visual impairments develop the skills needed for safe, independent travel.

Image credit: Graduate College of Education - San Francisco State University

The Experience Of Children Living With Sensory Processing Disorder, Melissa Scotch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a neurological condition that alters the way an individual perceives sensory information. Although the condition has been studied for more than 40 years, SPD remains a difficult condition to diagnose, treat, and live with because it affects individuals uniquely, and the symptoms can change from childhood to adulthood. For children diagnosed with SPD, the misinterpretation of sensory cues can cause difficulties in family, social, and academic settings. While there is some research on the assessment and treatment of SPD, what is missing is a deeper understanding of the family, social and academic challenges these children …

Teachers' Perceptions About Addressing Literacy For Students With Vision Impairment, Samantha Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Regular education teachers are sometimes at a disadvantage when required to instruct learners with a visual impairment or other special needs in the classroom. A problem exists with reduced support and training for regular education teachers responsible for meeting literacy needs of students with visual impairment. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive case study was to explore regular education instructors' perceptions of their self-efficacy and ability to modify literature for learners with visual impairment. The research questions targeted this purpose, specifically in the areas of training opportunities and technology use. The social cognitive theory, a model emphasizing learning occurring through …

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Coteaching, Geeta Gupta Kadakia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In response to the low passing rate of its students with disabilities, administrators at a small urban elementary school in south Texas implemented coteaching. Guided by Nonaka and Takeuchi's collaborative learning framework, this qualitative instrumental case study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of collaborative teaching in the elementary education setting. Data collection consisted of a group interview and classroom observations with a purposeful sample of 4 general education teachers and 2 special education teachers of Grades 3-5 math and language arts who were coteaching at the time of the study. Teachers' perceptions regarding the effects of their professional relationship …

Collaborative Practices Among Professionals In Special Education Workplaces, Shannon Lynne Coughlin

Honors Theses and Capstones

The aim of this study is to examine collaborative relationships existing among professionals working in special education and specifically the relationships between school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and elementary school classroom teachers. A survey was administered to classroom teachers in New Hampshire. The first part of the survey asked teachers their opinions regarding the extent to which SLPs should be collaborating with teachers. The second part of the survey asked teachers to estimate how often they engaged in collaborative practices with the SLP currently working in their school. Results indicated that teachers would prefer SLPs to spend significantly more time in …

Parental Perceptions Of Effective Educators For Emotionally Impaired Students, Helane Marie Folske-Starlin

Wayne State University Dissertations

The voices of families with children identified as EBD needed to be heard. This dissertation study allowed those families to express their joys, needs and concerns. Included with the voices of families are the voices of educators that are teaching a struggling population of children and usually in an inclusive classroom.

This dissertation study was qualitatively driven and employed an ethnographic process with a case study format. Data was viewed in a naturalistic style to preserve the voices of the subjects.

Conclusions supported from the study were the need for more effective communication training provided educators and administrators. Educators need …

Podcasts Episode 03: Dr. Gene Bourquin, Gene Bourquin, Amy T. Parker

O&M On the Go

In this interview, Dr. Bourquin considers the role that sound perception plays in orientation and mobility. Before becoming a certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Dr. Bourquin was an American Sign Language interpreter for Deaf and DeafBlind individuals. Listen as he describes his work with people who have combined vision and hearing loss, describing their use of additional senses, strategies and technologies to travel successfully.

Image credit: Bourquin Consulting Facebook

Podcasts Episode 06: Dr. Grace Ambrose Zaken, Grace Ambrose Zaken, Amy T. Parker

O&M On the Go

Dr. Grace Ambrose Zaken is a Professor of Special Education at Hunter College in New York. In this podcast, she describes her passion for young travelers, including toddlers with visual impairment. Through her research and practice, she has designed a new type of cane that encourages young children with vision loss to move and explore with less fear of falling.

Image Credit: Grace Ambrose Zaken YouTube

Understanding The Perceptual Divide Between Students With Disabilities, Faculty And Administration In An Open Enrollment Environment, Jennifer Robin Wrage

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Due to civil rights legislation, advances in technology, disability support services on college campuses, medication therapy and increased public acceptance of disabilities, students with disabilities are one of the largest minority group on college campuses (Pryor, Hurtado, DeAngelo, Palucki, Blake, & Tran 2010). According to the 2016 U.S. National Center for Education Statistics Fact Sheet, “11.1% of the college students attending college in the 2011-2012 academic year reported a documented disability.” The U.S. Department of Education also indicates that nearly “60% of students with disabilities attend two-year schools due to their open enrollment policies” (U.S. Department of Education 2002).

Fostering Literacy Learning With Three Middle School Special-Education Students Using Therapy Dogs As Reading Partners, Donna E. Lamkin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This case study explored dog-assisted reading with three middle-school special education students in a self-contained alternative school. Data collection conducted over a 15-month period included observations, interviews, and artifacts. In this study, reading with therapy dogs and their handlers, helped three adolescent readers with their reading motivation, engagement, and literacy processes/behaviors. The students’ engagement with the dog, the role of the dog handler, and the role of the context all impacted students in different and multiple ways.

Neuropharmacological Targets For Drug Action In Vestibular Sensory Pathways, Choongheon Lee, Timothy A. Jones

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

The use of pharmacological agents is often the preferred approach to the management of vestibular dysfunction. In the vestibular sensory pathways, the sensory neuroepithelia are thought to be influenced by a diverse number of neuroactive substances that may act to enhance or inhibit the effect of the primary neurotransmitters [i.e., glutamate (Glu) and acetylcholine (ACh)] or alter their patterns of release. This review summarizes various efforts to identify drug targets including neurotransmitter and neuromodulator receptors in the vestibular sensory pathways. Identifying these receptor targets provides a strategic basis to use specific pharmacological tools to modify receptor function in the treatment …

Tier 3 Intervention: Expulsion, Natalie Hoff, Shir Palmon, Allie Heifner, Reece L. Peterson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

Expulsion is a disciplinary consequence that has been around for many years and serves the purpose of removing students who violate the school codes of conduct or pose an immediate threat to the school. While this strategy was created with school safety in mind, it has been found to lead to serious detrimental outcomes for students and has apparently been over used due to zero tolerance policies. Not only do schools use this strategy for behaviors for which it was not intended, it is also applied disproportionally to students based on ethnicity, gender, and disability status. To address these …

The Think College Transition Model: Developing Inclusive College-Based Transition Services For Students With Intellectual Disability And Autism, Meg Grigal, Maria Paiewonsky, Debra Hart

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

Think College Insight Brief #34 features information about the Think College Transition (TCT) Project. This project focuses on the dual enrollment for students with intellectual disabilities (ID) or autism. Typically this model is used for students seeking to take advanced placement courses so they can seek college credit and high school credit at the same time. TCT has found that dual enrollment is a promising practice for students with ID and autism. 

One Year After Exit: A First Look At Outcomes Of Students Who Completed Tpsids, Clare K. Papay, Kartik Trivedi, Frank A. Smith, Meg Grigal

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

There are increasing opportunities for students with intellectual disability in the United States to enroll in and obtain postsecondary education. This Fast Fact #17 provides a first look at the employment, education, and living situation outcomes achieved by students in TPSID programs 1 year after completion.

The Think College Transition Model: Developing Inclusive College-Based Transition Services For Students With Intellectual Disability And Autism, Meg Grigal, Maria Paiewonsky, Debra Hart

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

Think College Insight Brief #34 features information about the Think College Transition (TCT) Project. This project focuses on the dual enrollment for students with intellectual disabilities (ID) or autism. Typically this model is used for students seeking to take advanced placement courses so they can seek college credit and high school credit at the same time. TCT has found that dual enrollment is a promising practice for students with ID and autism. 

Access To The Disability Supports Office By Students With Intellectual Disability In Tpsid Programs, Clare Papay, Frank Smith, Meg Grigal

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This Fast Fact #13 examines data from the model demonstration projects focused on how many college students with disabilities access the Disability Supports Office (DSO), and what services they receive from the DSO. The findings suggest that more students are requesting services from the DSO, in general, with higher numbers being reported from 2-year institutions of higher education (IHE) than 4-year IHEs. 

Predictors Of Self-Determination In Postsecondary Education For Students With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Karrie Shogren, Michael Wehmeyer, Leslie Shaw, Meg Grigal, Debra Hart, Frank Smith, Sheida Khamsi

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

Given the increasing enrollment of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in postsecondary education and the potential impact of self-determination on postsecondary outcomes, this study analyzed data on the self-determination status of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities completing their first year of a postsecondary education program. Secondary school (e.g., inclusion in high school and participation in state assessments) and postsecondary education experiences (e.g., advocacy for accommodations, participation in social activities, and living arrangements) that predicted self-determination status were examined. Directions for future research and practice are discussed.

Access To The Disability Supports Office By Students With Intellectual Disability In Tpsid Programs, Clare Papay, Frank Smith, Meg Grigal

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This Fast Fact #13 examines data from the model demonstration projects focused on how many college students with disabilities access the Disability Supports Office (DSO), and what services they receive from the DSO. The findings suggest that more students are requesting services from the DSO, in general, with higher numbers being reported from 2-year institutions of higher education (IHE) than 4-year IHEs. 

Program Data Summary (2015–2016) From The Tpsid Model Demonstration Projects, Meg Grigal, Clare K. Papay, Debra Hart, Frank A. Smith, Daria Domin

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

Think College Reports present descriptive data in narrative or tabular form to provide timely information to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers for review and use. This report provides summary data about programs from the Year 1 (2015-2016) Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities.