Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Exploring The Effects Of Reading Young Adult Literature That Portrays People With Disabilities In The Inclusion Classroom, Janine J. Darragh

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This intervention study examined the impact of reading young adult novels that portray people with disabilities on the attitudes of 229 eighth grade students. Students’ beliefs and intentions to interact with peers with disabilities were measured on three occasions utilizing the Shared Activities Questionnaire (Morgan, Walker, Bieberich & Bell, 1996, Unpublished manuscript) and the Adjective Checklist (Siperstein, 1980; Siperstein & Bak, 1977). First, all students took the attitudinal surveys. Half of the students then read and responded to a book that portrays a character with a disability, while the other students read a novel without disability portrayals. All students then …

Action Research: Verbal Protest, Jaimie Gatto Salt

Graduate Annual

Verbal protest due to work being perceived as challenging and unexpected schedule changes was identified as a problem for a student in an Autistic Support classroom. Baseline data was taken on the number of instances of verbal protest observed throughout the school day. Research studies were examined to determine a variety of behavioral approaches that have been used and the effectiveness of self-monitoring tools in decreasing behaviors. A self-monitoring tool called a Self and Match was chosen to be implemented during the intervention period. Quantitative data was collected using partial-interval data collection throughout the day in 5-minute intervals. Qualitative data …

A Study Of Assistive Technology Competencies Of Specialists In Public Schools, Betsy B. Burgos

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Despite the rapid proliferation of assistive technology implementation, studies have revealed that a number of professionals that provide assistive technology services do not have adequate competencies to recommend and deliver assistive technologies in school settings. The purpose of the study was to examine the competencies of assistive technology specialists in Florida K-12 public schools, and identify training opportunities that may have helped them achieve professional competence in the evaluation and provision of assistive technology devices and services across AT service providers from different preparations.

The study applied quantitative and qualitative methods to determine answers to the following six research questions: …

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Accessibility Awareness Among Faculty In Online Learning Environments, Rachael Sessler Trinkowsky

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Although all organizations and institutions should consider accessibility when developing online content, inaccessibility is a recurring issue in recent literature pertaining to online learning environments (OLEs) and faculty accessibility awareness. The goal was to describe how online faculty gain knowledge regarding accessibility, to explore the lived experiences of online faculty who have worked with students who have disabilities, and to gain a better understanding of how faculty experience the process of accessibility implementation. The following research questions guided this study: How do faculty in OLEs experience encounters regarding accessibility for students who have print related disabilities? How do faculty in …

Initial Validation Of An Instrument Measuring Psychology-Specific Epistemological Beliefs, Maggie D. Renken, Ethan A. Mcmahan, Martina Nitkova

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Publications

Psychology-specific epistemological beliefs are believed to influence students’ approach to and performance in psychology courses. However, empirical research on this topic is limited due in part to a lack of well-validated instruments measuring this construct. The primary objective of the current research was to develop and validate the PsychologySpecific Epistemological Belief Scale (Psych-SEBS), a short self-report instrument measuring psychology-specific epistemological beliefs. Study 1 addresses the structural validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity of the PsychSEBS. Study 2 addresses the criterion-related and incremental validity of the PsychSEBS. Findings indicated acceptable psychometric properties of this instrument and its 3 subscales: …

Implementing Assistive Technology Through Program Planning, Shaune Lasheane Mckinney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Special education (SPED) service providers in the military are often underprepared to use the needed assistive technology (AT) in the classroom. This concurrent mixed-method study sought to explore the attitudes, skills, and quality indicators of assistive technology (QIAT) among 19 currently employed military SPED certified multidisciplinary team members. The conceptual framework of this study was based on the professional learning community model, which holds that the team members work collaboratively to educate the families it serves. All team members completed a quantitative QIAT survey and open-ended questionnaire, and individual qualitative interviews were conducted with a subsample of 8 volunteer staff. …

A Mixed-Methods Investigation Of Heterogeneously Grouped Inclusion Students At Southeast High School, James Paul Ferry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inclusion education led to academically-homogeneous grouping of students at southeast high school. Administratively, the decision was made to increase rigor, inclusion students would be grouped heterogeneously in senior economics classes. Guided by Dewey's pragmatic theory, the purpose of this sequential, explanatory, mixed method study was to investigate whether a significant difference exists in the course passing rates, end-of-course test (EOCT) scores, and graduation rates between inclusion students in heterogeneous classes and those in homogeneous classes and how participants perceived the grouping. Archival data (N = 42) on student instructional grouping, passing rates, EOCT scores, and graduation rates were analyzed using …

The Perspectives Of Special Education Teachers On The Processes Involved In Ruling Out Language When Considering English Language Students For Specific Learning Disabilities Evaluations, Debra Wynn

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand how special education teams are making decisions regarding ruling out language proficiency when considering English Learners for a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) evaluation. This information was obtained through the perspectives of multi-categorical special education teachers. Data was collected through interviews with seven teachers from five different elementary schools. Five themes emerged from the data: (a) Let's start with Interventions (Tier 2), (b) Next let's figure out what is going on (Pre-referral team), (c) Who can we rely on to help us? (Trust of team members), (d) What can we use …

Longitudinal Predictors Of Functioning In Children With Asd, Alli Smith, Megan Lyons, Katherine Tsatsanis, Rhea Paul

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Objective: To examine whether maternal education and number of intervention hours are correlated and/or predictive of a range of developmental outcomes in a longitudinal cohort of children diagnosed with ASD.

Using Commercially Available Picture Activity Schedules And System Of Least Prompts To Teach Lego Assembly, Lauren A. Sherrow

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

This study investigated effects of commercially available picture activity schedules (PAS) and system of least prompts (SLP) to teach recreation skills to four high school students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and intellectual disabilities using Lego sets. Results were evaluated through a multiple probe across participants design and indicate that a combination of PAS and SLP was effective for teaching the students to build Lego sets. All students improved their ability to build and were able to generalize the skill to novel sets after the completion of intervention. Limitations and implications for future practioners are discussed.

Professional Counseling For Children With Sensory Processing Disorder, Emily Goodman-Scott, Simone F. Lambert

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Sensory processing disorder is a complex neurological disorder affecting approximately 5–17% of the population, yet professional counselors often misunderstand and misdiagnose this disorder. A child’s academic, emotional and social functioning can be substantially impacted by sensory processing disorder; early diagnosis and treatment is crucial. In this article, the authors describe the disorder, discuss its impact on children and their families, and provide recommendations and resources for both mental health counselors and school counselors to utilize when serving this unique population with special needs. A case study is included, in addition to suggestions for treatment collaboration and advocacy on behalf of …

An Application Of The Autism Management Platform To Tracking Student Progress In The Special Education Environment, Ryan Thomas Burns

Computational and Data Sciences Theses

In the age of online courses and digital textbooks, several areas of academia, such as special education, are far behind in the technological revolution. Some teachers use long unstructured digital documents, while others maintain large physical files for students containing every piece of information or coursework they have ever received. Could these extremely unstructured approaches to data collection and aggregation be streamlined with a software platform built specifically for this purpose? Could this platform also be built to accommodate multiple integrations and practical new features? Most importantly, in terms of usability, would this software be enjoyable to use? The Autism …

Front Matter

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Front Matter

Praisesong: One (Worn) Path Through Aepl, Libby F. Jones

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

A longtime member takes a poetic look at AEPL's history, philosophy, activities, and her ongoing participatory role in the organization.

Twenty Years: Reflections And Questions, Alice Brand

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Recalling her lifelong research into the connection between emotions and writing, the first editor of JAEPL critiques scholarly contexts that limit the exploration of knowledge about writing.

Jaepl, Vol. 20, Winter 2014-2015, Joonna Smitherman Trapp, Bradley T. Peters

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Essays

Libby Falk Jones - Praisesong: One (Worn) Path through AEPL

Alice Brand - Twenty Years: Reflections and Questions

Tom Gage - Hitchhiking the Labyrinth

Susan Schiller - The Dance of Spirit in AEPL

Kristie S. Fleckenstein - Stepping Beyond, In, and With JAEPL: Twenty Years of Hope

Paul Heilker - Coming to Nonviolence

Beth Daniell - To the Contrary

John Creger - The Personal Creed Project: Portal to Deepened Learning

Jessica Jones - "Put Your Ear Close to the Whispering Branch..." Deep Listening in the English Classroom

Out of the Box

Laurence Musgrove & Myra Musgrove - Drawing is …

The Dance Of Spirit In Aepl, Susan Schiller

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Co-editor of The Spiritual Side of Writing examines AEPL’s role in the global pedagogical movement it has participated in for over 20 years.

Hitchhiking The Labyrinth, Tom Gage

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

James Moffett’s best friend recalls Moffett’s enduring influence on his own extraordinary career, as well as Moffett’s substantial contributions to AEPL.

Stepping Beyond, In, And With Jaepl: Twenty Years Of Hope, Kristie S. Fleckenstein

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Treating readers to a detailed tour through JAEPL’s pages, the journal’s coeditor of 10 years touches on high points, also remembering the conference that initiated her relationship with its authors and readers.

Coming To Nonviolence, Paul Heilker

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

A contributor to the second book that marked AEPL’s influence on scholarship traces the growth of his personal commitment to one of the organization’s foundational principles.