Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Preparing Teachers Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Evidence-Based Practices And Teacher Self-Efficacy, Jane E. Strong

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

PREPARING TEACHERS OF STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES AND TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY

By Jane E. Strong

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014

Major Director: Evelyn Reed, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Department of Special Education and Disability Policy

School of Education

There is a need for intensified, rapid, and special emphasis on training of teachers for students on the autism spectrum (NRC, 2001). The current movement in the field emphasizing the use of evidence-based practices in designing instructional methods should be emphasized …

Training And Burnout Among Paraprofessionals Who Work With Children With Ebd, Daniel Boston

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to learn about the experiences of paraprofessionals who are working with children with emotional behavior disorders and, more specifically, their perceptions about the adequacy of training and the burnout they may experience.

Training And Burnout Among Paraprofessionals Who Work With Children With Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Jenna Robinson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

To assist the Waseca school district in addressing the training and self-care needs of paraprofessionals, keeping the overall mission in mind of empowering students to succeed in the academic environment, this project examined the training received and factors related to subsequent professional burnout among paraprofessionals in Waseca schools.

The Importance Of Collaboration Between Parents And School In Special Education: Perceptions From The Field, Heather Renee Griffin

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Each student receiving special education services in the public school system, roughly 6.4 million students, has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA). IDEA dictates that a team of people familiar with the student, including the parents, should create the IEP. Unfortunately, research indicates that many parents believe their participation is not welcome. While only a small percentage of parents may actually be dissatisfied with the IEP process, the cost of dissatisfaction is high, further stretching already limited resources that could be better used in the classroom.

The …

Edps 265: The Inclusive Classroom, Jasmine Begeske

IMPACT Symposium

EDPS 265: The Inclusive Classroom is a foundational, large enrollment lecture course and is taught in a lecture hall with a stadium style seating arraignment. This configuration results in a course that is not student-centered, promotes one-way communication and hinders cooperative learning. Education courses should be structured so that the course in itself is instructive. This course teaches interventions for reaching all students, using techniques that engage students in the learning process. The structure of this course, the physical space and the format should model best practices in the classroom. I will implement and evaluate student-centered instructional strategies and technologies …

Effective Reading Interventions For Spanish-Speaking English Learners With Reading Disabilities, English Learners Who Struggle With Reading, Or Both: A Meta-Analysis Of Second Through Fifth Grades, David Stephens

Doctoral Dissertations

This meta-analysis synthesized research on effective instructional practices and strategies in second through fifth grade for Spanish-speaking English Learners (ELs) who have reading disabilities and English Learners who struggle with reading. The central research problem is the dearth of research addressing literacy instruction for ELs with reading disabilities, making identification of effective reading interventions difficult. The inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis resulted in 15 quasi-experimental or single-subject empirical research studies that used reading interventions to improve the reading comprehension performance of ELs. The overall average effect size for the meta-analysis, not based on homogenous studies, was 1.15. When outliers were …

Video Modeling : Play Skills For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Via Peers, Ashley Ulin

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this small-scale inquiry project was to investigate the effects of peer modeling and video modeling as an instructional support for the development of social skills amongst the population of kindergarten students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in an inclusive setting. The participants in this project were seven Kindergarten students with ASD, and four regular education students in an inclusive setting. The teachers were three general education teachers as well as myself, the teacher of the modified autism program. The data collection included teacher observations, email communication, and video created by teachers and teaching assistants. This study proposes …

The Relationship Between Administrative Support And Teacher Efficacy N The Professional Life Of Special Education Teachers, Susan Combee

Theses and Dissertations

Administrative support plays a vital role in the self-efficacy of special education teachers (Otto & Arnold, 2005). In order to meet the education needs of special education students and comply with Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB, 2002), education leaders and policy makers need to be aware of the correlation between stronger administrative support and special education teacher self-efficacy (Thornton, Peltier, & Medina, 2007). Research shows that one of the most important administrative tasks is to demonstrate an understanding of the special education teachers’ role (Otto & Arnold). …

An Exploration Of Teaching Music To Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Samantha D. Jimenez

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this grounded-theory qualitative study was to explore how music teachers successfully work with students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many individuals with ASD are impacted daily by social and communication difficulties, sensory sensitivities, executive functioning challenges, and restricted or rigid behaviors. Current research, literature, media, and ASD and music circles support that music is a powerful medium for individuals with ASD. Benefits of music for individuals with ASD include therapeutic advantages, various improvements in skills, social opportunities, emergence of gifts and talents, and emotional outlets. Regular exposure to learning music in the U.S. is typically through music …

Academic Staff’S Access And Use Of Technological Tools: A Challenge To Blended Learning Implementation In Tanzania’S Tertiary Institutions, Luka Mkonongwa

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper explores academic staff’s access to and ability to use technological tools in the course of implementing blended learning system in higher education. In a study, a survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 46 respondents. The results revealed that although academic staff had high self-efficacy towards learning and using technological tools, their access to and use of many technological tools were too limited. This affected their competence and confidence to use such technological tools to teach, and deterred the successful implementation of the blended learning approach. The study concluded that the success of blended learning will depend …

Effects Of A Cross-Age Peer Tutoring Program On Reading Performance Of Hispanic Title I Second And Third Grade Students, Ana Isabel Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Hispanic students are falling behind their peers in reading fluency and are struggling to close the gap. This study examined the reading fluency influence on 73 Hispanic second and third grade students while receiving reading fluency support from middle school Hispanic tutors. These students were compared to Hispanic second and third grade students not receiving tutoring reading support. All students were assessed before the tutors gave reading support, mid-year and after the reading support finished using a school district fluency measurement. Findings found that students made rapid growth in reading fluency from the beginning of the tutoring support to mid-year. …

Special Education Co-Teachers' Perceptions: Collaboration, Involvement In Instruction, And Satisfaction, Eden Hagelman

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Co-teaching is an approach that is frequently used by schools when students both with and without disabilities are taught in an inclusive classroom. With co-teaching, a general education teacher and a special education teacher share the responsibility of planning and teaching students. This study examined the perceptions of elementary special education co-teachers (n=81) regarding their collaboration with the general educator and their involvement in instruction in the inclusive classroom. In addition, the special education teachers' satisfaction with the co-teaching assignment was investigated. Findings showed that special education co-teachers shared an average of 30 minutes of co-planning a week, teachers who …

Bullying Prevention In Schoolwide Positive Behavior Supports: A Review Of The Literature, Allen Garcia, Regina M. Oliver

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

The literature has suggested that problem behavior in the schools is an ongoing problem (Sugai et. al., 2000). This is a major concern for schools that want to provide a safe learning environment that promotes positive behaviors and academic learning. Such problem requires a systematic response, thus, School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) was created to target and prevent problem behaviors. Another form of problem behaviors in schools is bullying, and within the framework of SW-PBIS, there is limited research on targeting bullying. The current review examines and evaluates current research of SW-PBIS, and it’s application to bullying. Searches …

Speech And Language Interventions, Holly Hajnal

Honors Theses

In this review of literature, authors examined the effects of speech and language impairments and how to correct them. 15 studies were review that compared when interventions should be implemented, what the best types of interventions are and how speech and language impairments affected children's development. The overall question is, How do interventions assist in correcting speech and language impairments? In order to answer this question, the questions, What are speech and language impairments? Do speech and language impairments affect children's psychological attitude? Do speech and language impairments affect children's behavior? Do speech and language impairments affect children's ability to …

The Effects Of Professional Development On High School Teachers' Implementation Of The Problem-Solving Process, Brandon Y. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

The majority of schools use punitive and reactive strategies to deal with maladaptive behaviors. This descriptive study was a replication of Wilmott (2012) and occurred in a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) high school. Professional development was provided to 22 teachers from a high school located in the western United States. This included 61% males and 39% females. Measures included the frequency of praise notes and ODRs, the quality of praise notes based on a praise note rubric, and a social validity questionnaire. The ODR and praise note frequencies were compared using the Spearman correlational coefficient that resulted in a …

Effective Teaching Practices To Strengthen Outcomes For Students With Emotional Behavior Disorders, Brittnae Cole

Honors Theses

Teachers of students with emotional and/or behavior disorders (E/BD) must use a variety of methodologies and interventions to address the varied academic and behavioral needs of their students (Walker & Gresham, 2013). Students identified as needing E/BD services require specific strategies that are researched based and have been proven to be successful in improving student outcomes (Kauffman & Landrum, 2009; Evans, Harden, & Thomas, 2004). After an extensive literature review from the past 10 years this paper presents some of the most frequently discussed research-based themes and subsequent interventions within the theme areas. The three most cited research-based themes presented …

Special Education Teachers' Perspectives On The Implementation Of Functional Behavior Assessment In Schools, Joy Engstrom

Theses and Dissertations

The presence of challenging and violent behaviors that pose risks to the overall safety and the educational learning experience in the public education setting have been on the rise in recent years. Traditional reactive, coercive, and punitive measures to address these behaviors have been futile. Congress responded to the national increase in violent behaviors by implementing several acts, including zero tolerance policies, in an effort to diminish the rise in violent behaviors. Of significance to this study was the inclusion of Functional Behavior Assessment in the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1997. Unfortunately, FBA has the …

Predictive Admission Criteria In Graduate Programs In Speech-Language Pathology, Mary Lloyd Moore

Dissertations

Speech-language pathology is a profession for which there is increasing demand as well as being one of the most desirable career paths in the United States. Graduation of qualified persons who can pass the Praxis exam is an essential outcome of all graduate programs in speech-language pathology. If predictors of competence could be identified before admission, graduate programs would be better able to select students who would maximize the expenditure of materials, energy, and expertise, thereby decreasing the potential failure for both students and universities. Therefore, this research addresses the extent to which selected variables may serve to predict success …

The Effects Of Video Prompting Via An Ipad On Vocational Skill Development Of Secondary Students With Developmental Disabilities, Patricia D. Lund

Theses and Dissertations

Current laws stress the importance of using research-based practices to teach transition and vocational skills to students with disabilities. Some of the evidence-based practices include the use of videos to prompt students through a task. Much research has been done concerning the effectiveness of video prompts to teach daily living skills, academic skills and social skills. Transitional skills that have been taught often include simple, entry level skills such as watering plants, cooking soup in the microwave or setting a table. To date, there is little research regarding the use of video prompts to teach complex employment skills that can …

Actions Speak Louder Than Words: How Do Special Education Administrators Prevent And Resolve Conflict With Families?, Tracy Gershwin Mueller, Shawn Piantoni

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Conflict between parents of children with disabilities and school district members has been an ongoing issue for decades. Special education administrators are often designated to address conflict with the intent to find an amicable resolution. Otherwise, conflict can lead to due process hearings that move valuable time and money away from general district funds. Understanding how administrators informally address such conflict can guide leaders as they promote collaboration between the home and school. This paper presents a qualitative interview study of special education directors’ experiences with conflict prevention and resolution. Seven key action-based strategies that prevent and resolve conflict with …