Hearing Parents Of Children With Hearing Loss: Perceptions Of The Iep Process, Robin Fern Stegman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological study investigated the nature and extent of the support parents received during IEP development. The study was informed by Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Participants, located in a Northeastern state, were 10 hearing parents of children who had been diagnosed with hearing loss at birth and were between ages 5 and 12. Data were in-depth interviews that were analyzed, coded, and organized into themes using an inductive approach to analysis informed by Hatch. Results indicated that parents believed they needed more guidance on what to expect during the first IEP meeting, that advocating for appropriate accommodations for their child …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Inclusion In Elementary Classroom Settings, Delicia Peacock Peacock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inclusion classrooms were introduced in the United States in 1990 when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act required that special education students be instructed in a general education setting. Ensuing changes in instructional formats have caused role confusion for special and general education teachers, resulted in mixed attitudes toward teacher responsibilities, and lowered teachers' sense of efficacy about being able to teach their students. Guided by Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory, this bounded case study design in a rural elementary school in a southeastern state was used to understand the perceptions of general and special educators regarding their work in …

Special Education Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy And Reading Achievement Of Students With Severe Disabilities, Melissa Victoria Beck Wells

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Assessment scores indicated students with severe disabilities (SWSD) have not been performing to their maximum potential, which may lead to lower quality of life after graduation. Teacher efficacy has been shown to impact student achievement; thus, this study involved exploring the teacher efficacy of the teachers of SWSD. Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk Hoy, and Hoy's teacher efficacy conceptual framework guided this nonexperimental correlation study to investigate if levels of self-efficacy, years of overall teaching experience, and years of teaching experience with Grade 3 to 8 SWSD were predictors of student reading achievement in a New York City school district. Two open-ended questions …

Effects Of Direct Instruction Common Core Math On Students With Learning Disabilities, Joseph Ifeanyi Monye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. students with learning disabilities' math skills acquisition has been on the decline in recent years. Studies show that teachers using traditional methods of teaching math lack knowledge of task analysis, chunking, sequencing, mass practice, modeling, and repetition of instruction. These components of direct instruction or pedagogical activities are hallmarks of special education teaching and are collectively described as cognitive support pedagogy. The study evaluated direct instruction teaching strategies to teach Common Core math to middle school students with learning disabilities, to determine if the current downward trend in math skills acquisition amongst them can be reversed. The theoretical framework …

The Impact Of Co-Teaching On The Graduation Test Scores Of Students With Disabilities, Jeannette Lynn Stach

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the U.S Department of Education, co-teaching is an intervention used to give students with disabilities access to the general education curriculum while in the general education classroom. It's necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of co-teaching as it relates to academic performance. However, there has been a dearth of research on quantitative studies related to co-teaching and their results have been inconclusive. This quantitative study explored whether co-teaching has a positive effect on academic performance compared to collaborative teaching, and adds to the literature in this area that is considered current. On an annual basis from 2002 to 2011, …

Facilitating The Acquisition Of Social Skills Through Service Learning, Becky J. Hendrickson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deficits in communication affect individuals with autism regarding the ability to access a free and appropriate education as well as quality of life. This research study explored the effects of a service-learning project on acquisition of social skills and reduction of problem behaviors for students who have autism. The conceptual framework for this study was based on Maslow's theory of motivation and Erickson's 8 stages of personality development. A mixed-methods design with sequential transformative strategy was used to collect quantitative data from 5 elementary students who have autism during involvement in service learning; the Social Skills Improvement System was used …

Middle School Teachers' Experiences With Teaching Self-Regulation Skills To Adolescents With Disabilities, Jessica Traylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that adolescents with disabilities often lack self-regulated learning skills. Current research further indicates that explicit teaching of self-regulation skills is beneficial to adolescents with disabilities. The site of this study was a local middle school in rural Georgia that did not assess whether or not teachers were explicitly teaching self-regulation skills to adolescents with disabilities. It was unknown, therefore, whether adolescents with disabilities were learning self-regulation skills in school and whether teachers faced problems in teaching these skills. The study sought to explore this gap in knowledge and practice. Zimmerman's self-regulated learning theory and Bandura's self-efficacy theory served …

Teachers' Perspectives: Face-To-Face And Computer-Based Instruction In Math, Carolyn Jones Sessoms

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Differentiated instruction offers opportunities to improve student academic performance, specifically in students with learning disabilities. However, teachers' perceptions of which differentiated-instruction program works best to support differently abled students were unknown. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teachers' perceptions on whether face-to-face instruction using response to intervention or computer-based learning using TenMarks works best in improving the academic performance of students who are differently abled in mathematics, specifically geometry. Constructivism, social disability theory, and Bandura's social learning theory formed the study's theoretical framework. Research questions guiding the study focused on teachers' perceptions of the advantages and …

Exploring Barriers To The Generalization Of Social Skills Interventions For Children Diagnosed With Asd: A Qualitative Analysis Of ‘Youth Engagement Through Intervention’, Zachary Shindorf

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Many children who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have difficulty with social skills and maintaining friendships. In turn, many social skills interventions have been developed to aid in the treatment of children diagnosed with ASD. Children with ASD, however, have difficulty generalizing the skills learned in social skills interventions to more natural settings like the home and school. This study, therefore, explored the barriers to the generalization of a social skills intervention, Youth Engagement Through Intervention (YETI) for children with ASD. Barriers to the generalization of YETI were explored through the qualitative examination of parents’ acceptability of the …

Using Fine Arts To Implement Inclusive Education: Inspiring The School Through A Schoolwide Art Project, Desiree Valentino

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper chronicles the development and completion of a schoolwide living mural project created through the cooperation of every student in an elementary school in Northwest Montana as a way to facilitate inclusive education. The project was fashioned to allow students who are educated in a self-contained classroom the chance to interact with their peers through a schoolwide art project. This involved creating two murals to experience the benefits of the arts; to educate the student body on how to interact with students with disabilities; to demonstrate to general educators how to facilitate the inclusion of all students; and to …

Evaluation Of An Abuse Prevention Education Program For Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Karen E. Klee

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

An evaluation of an abuse protection education program was conducted for adults with developmental disabilities who receive supports and services from two Community Living Ontario agencies. Abuse education is mandated within the province of Ontario but few empirically evaluated curricula exist to help organizations provide effective education for this vulnerable population. A sample of 61 adults with varying degrees of cognitive ability were randomly assigned to one of three groups: control; information-only educational lessons; and an expanded program providing additional lessons on decision-making and behavioural skills thought necessary to prevent, recognize and report abuse. This program has been developed …

Autism In The Workplace: Assessing The Transition Needs Of Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Amy-Jane Griffiths, Cristina M. Giannantonio, Amy E. Hurley-Hanson, Donald N. Cardinal

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Over the next decade, close to half a million people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will reach adulthood. Research suggests that the career and life outcomes for young adults with ASD are poor as compared with those of the general population. Nevertheless, there is relatively little research on the work experiences of young adults with ASD that focuses on their career aspirations, preparation for work, career experiences, and the barriers associated with their transition into the world of work. Given the large numbers of young adults with ASD who are exiting secondary school and vocational training programs, it is imperative …

Implementation And Strategies To Address Sensory Regulation Of Students With And Without Disabilities In Two Kindergarten Classrooms, Yvette Rosil Mere-Cook

Doctoral Dissertations

Results from previous research studies suggest that inclusive settings benefit all learners. However, general education teachers often do not have built in supports within the classroom to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Implementing a sensory diet curriculum (SDC) is one instructional practice that addresses needs of students with disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder, and could be applied widely for students without disabilities. Sensory regulation is defined as the body’s physiological process of adapting arousal or alertness levels to cope with sensory events and situational demands that occur throughout the day. The purpose of this study was to …

Utiliser La Force Du Nombre Pour Favoriser Le Développement De La Fluidité De Lecture En Contexte Subsaharien, Élisabeth Boily, Chantal Ouellet, Catherine Turcotte

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

L’enseignement de la lecture au primaire s’effectue dans des conditions difficiles au Burkina Faso, ce qui affecte sans contredit l’apprentissage de cette habileté nécessaire à la réussite scolaire et à l’épanouissement personnel. Chez les élèves des premiers cycles du primaire, la fluidité de lecture se développe difficilement. Cette recherche a pour but d’implanter un programme de lecture orale répétée et assistée et d’évaluer les effets de cette intervention sur le développement de la fluidité d’élèves provenant d’une classe à large effectif et hétérogène de CE1 au Burkina Faso. Une évaluation de la fluidité a été effectuée auprès de 94 élèves …

Investigating The Decision-Making Of Response To Intervention (Rti) Teams Within The School Setting, Scott M. Thur

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure decision-making influences within RtI teams. The study examined the factors that influence school personnel involved in three areas of RtI: determining which RtI measures and tools teams select and implement (i.e. Measures and Tools), evaluating the data-driven decisions that are made based on the assessment and intervention data (i.e. Data-Driven Decisions), and analyzing the process and procedures of the decision-making itself (i.e. Process and Procedures). Core RtI team members were asked to indicate which factors they found to be the most influential to both their team and personal decision-making processes, whether the …

Services Received And Parental Perception Of Quality Of Life For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Judith Marie Cholewicki

Theses and Dissertations

With the rapid increase in the rate of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), there has been a surge in treatment interventions and outcome measures. Treatment interventions consist of evidence-based practices and programs that lack scientific validation. Parents’ selection of a treatment or multiple treatments is often based on the desire to maximize their child’s personal well-being (Pituch et al., 2011; Rodger, Braithwaite, & Keen, 2004). Current outcome measures provide valuable information and may demonstrate a change in a standard score. For example, a change in intelligence quotient, is not evidence that this change contributes to the child’s personal …

Chapter 4: Using Curriculum-Based Measurement Fluency Data For Initial Screening Decisions, Erica S. Lembke, Abigail Carlisle, Apryl L. Poch

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) has enjoyed a long history of success and study as a practice for data-based decision-making (Deno, 2003). Originally developed and studied at the University of Minnesota in the mid-1970s (see Shinn, 2012 or Tindal, 2013 for a detailed history), Stan Deno and his colleagues developed CBM measures and the problem-solving process as part of one of the Institutes for Research on Learning Disabilities (IRLDs), centers funded by the Office of Special Education Programs that addressed significant issues for students with learning dis- abilities. With Deno’s interests in applied behavior analysis, it seemed logical to apply methodologies such …

The Impact Of Globalization On Access For Individuals With Disabilities, Katherine Williamson

Honors Theses

This comparative ethnomethodology study is focused on the global context elements that help explain public policies and its consequences on types of access available to individuals with disabilities in the United States Midwest and West Africa. The goal of this study is to identify the role of individuals with disabilities in a global society by answering two research questions. First, what are the public policies in place for physical, social, and educational access in the United States Midwest and West Africa? Second, how is physical, social, and educational access being provided in the United States Midwest and West Africa? The …

Research Synthesis: Effective Practices For Improving The Reading Comprehension Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Amy L. Accardo

College of Education Departmental Research

The incidences of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continue to rise steadily increasing the need for research-based strategies to support this population in the core academic content area of reading comprehension. A research synthesis was conducted with the purpose of (1) reviewing existing research to determine effective practices for teaching reading comprehension to students with ASD, (2) identifying the features of effective practices that appear to influence comprehension outcomes, and (3) assessing the quality of the research related to comprehension strategies and students with ASD. A functional relation was identified between the increased reading comprehension of students with ASD and each …

The Extent Of Autism Knowledge Of Novice Alternatively Certified Special Education Teachers In Texas, Jennifer Alward Hauber, Smita Shukla Mehta, Bertina H. Combes

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

An increase in the prevalence rate of autism is not necessarily matched by a concurrent increase in the rate of highly qualified special education teachers, resulting in chronic teacher shortages in this area. Alternative certification (AC) is used as a mechanism to alleviate the demand for highly qualified special education teachers. However, AC routes have often left novice teachers underprepared for teaching students with autism, more specifically in the implementation of evidence-based practices necessary for instructional effectiveness. The purpose of the study was to assess the knowledge of novice AC teachers in the area of autism intervention and to determine …