Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Alternative Service Delivery Models For Students With Learning Disabilities, Evelyn S. Johnson, Carrie Semmelroth

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

More than 40 years of intervention research describes effective interventions for increasing the academic performance of students with learning disabilities. However, the performance and outcomes for students with learning disabilities remain discouraging, especially in light of the increasing cost to provide special education services. Between 60 – 70 percent of students with learning disabilities are unable to meet grade level performance standards in the basic academic areas of reading, writing and mathematics. The disconnect between research and practice suggests a need for rethinking special education service delivery. This paper reports the results of a program evaluation of a not-for-profit center …

Personalizing Aac For People With Aphasia: The Role Of Text And Pictures, Aimee R. Dietz, Kristy S.E. Weissling, Julie Griffith, Miechelle L. Mckelvey

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Over time, and with intensive instruction, people with aphasia (PWAs) can learn to use grid-based, categorically organized, high-technology AAC layouts during structured tasks (e.g., Hough & Johnson, 2009). In an effort to reduce the training intensity required to teach PWAs to use AAC; researchers developed visual scene displays (VSDs), designed to complement the residual cognitive and linguistic abilities of PWAs by tapping their intact episodic memory. VSD interfaces incorporate personally relevant (PR) photos, text, and speech output (Dietz, McKelvey, & Beukelman, 2006; Weissling & Beukelman, 2006). VSDs appear to facilitate improved communication success (e.g., McKelvey, Dietz, Hux, Weissling, & Beukelman, …

Electropalatography As An Adjunct To Nonspeech Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder Assessments: A Feasibility Study, Alana Mantie-Kozlowski, Kevin M. Pitt

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine if electropalatography (EPG) would be a useful adjunct and feasible option for those conducting clinical assessments of individuals with suspected nonspeech orofacial myofunctional disorders (NSOMD). Three females (two adults, one child) were referred by their orthodontist for assessment of suspected NSOMD. Three adults and one child without NSOMD were recruited for the purpose of evaluating methodological construct, and to provide comparisons for participants with NSOMD. Using EPG, lingual-palatal timing and contact patterns of 105 saliva swallows (45 with NSOMD, 60 without NSOMD) were analyzed by compartmentalizing the sensor display and tracking the …

Therapeutic Alliance Between Youth And Staff In Residential Group Care: Psychometrics Of The Therapeutic Alliance Quality Scale, Kristin Duppong-Hurley, Matthew C. Lambert, Mark Van Ryzin, Justin Sullivan, Amy Stevens

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Therapeutic alliance has been frequently studied in individual counseling sessions; however, research on therapeutic alliance in residential settings for youth with mental health diagnoses has been limited. This may be due, in part, to the presence of multiple service providers often in caregiving roles. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric quality of a widely utilized measure of therapeutic alliance used in psychotherapy with youth in residential care where the treatment is provided by a trained married couple. We also compared the relationship between youth ratings of their male and female service provider, as well as examined …

Special Education Teacher Retention: The Relationship Between Mentoring, Job Satisfaction And The Retention Of Special Education Teachers, Angela Horrison-Collier

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The causes of the teacher shortage are complex; however, the retention of special education teachers is a significant contributor to this shortage. Some research has indicated that up to 9.3 % of special education teachers leave the field at the end of their first year of teaching and 7.4 % move to general education yearly. Therefore, school districts face a continuous cycle of recruitment, hiring, and induction. Because of the pivotal value of retention, school districts and site level education leaders must take proactive steps to reduce the retention rate. The research on teacher retention indicates factors such as salary, …

Graduate Bulletin, 2013-2014, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Secondary Teachers’ Knowledge Of Response To Intervention, Cherry M. Stanard Ed.S., Ravic P. Ringlaben, Kimberly Griffith Ph. D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

School systems across the United States have been required by federal laws to utilize scientific based interventions and instruction within the classroom to educate all students. Through the use of a multi-tiered model called Response to Intervention (RTI), school systems now have a model to implement the interventions within the environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate secondary teachers’ knowledge of RTI within a public school system in the southeastern United States. It is vital that the teachers and specialists who implement RTI be knowledgeable of the multi-tiered model. The teacher’s knowledge of RTI can help guide administrators …

My Child Is An Angel From Allah: Perspectives From Muslim Parents Of Children With Special Needs In The United Kingdom, Katie Bonawitz

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation investigated how Muslim parents of children with special needs bring understanding to raising their child with special needs. This researcher conducted a qualitative study to find out if Muslim parents from different ethnic backgrounds had similar experiences to those studied by Jegatheesan, Miller, and Fowler (2010). The researcher developed and administered qualitative interviews to four Pakistani Muslim parents in England and three Somali Muslim parents in Minnesota. These Muslim parents were asked questions regarding background of their child, community experiences, positive and negative school experiences, and whether faith or culture played a greater role as they reflected …

Using Simultaneous Prompting With An Ipad To Teach Choice Making To Adolescents With Disabilities, Seth Littrell

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

The use of a simultaneous prompting procedure for teaching choice-making skills using an iPad to high-school students with moderate intellectual disabilities was evaluated. The Proloquo2Go application, which is designed for use with the iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone as an augmentative alternative communication system for individuals with communication support needs, was used to communicate choices made by participants during sessions. A multiple-probe design across 3 participants was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the simultaneous prompting instructional procedure to teach independent choice making. Results indicate the procedure was effective for teaching all participants to use an iPad to make choices …

Academic Support Experiences And Perceptions Of Postsecondary Students With Disabilities: A Public And Private University Comparision, Heather T. Wizikowski

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Legislation, social awareness, and advancements in medicine and assistive technology have created meaningful postsecondary opportunities for students with disabilities over the past 30 years. Mainstreaming, inclusion, and transition planning in elementary and secondary schools also greatly contributed to the increased achievement of students with disabilities. Today, 15% of students with disabilities attend four-year colleges. Current federal data show 88% of private and 99% of public universities report students with disabilities enrolled at their institutions. Much of the current research focuses on institutional practice and need. There is a gap in the research when looking at student needs and experiences.

This …

Examining The Effect Of The Universal Design For Learning Expression Principle On Students With Learning Disabilities In Science, Lisa Finnegan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The significance of students being able to express and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in all content areas has always been important especially in the sciences. Students under the Next Generation Science Standards will be required to participate in science discourse through a variety of approaches. This study examined student engagement and student demonstration of content knowledge in inclusive science classrooms through a quasiexperimental research design which included four case study participants with a learning disability. The researcher also evaluated student content knowledge through the implementation of Universal Design for Learning-Expression (UDL-E) through a non-replicated control group design. Data were …

An Examination Of The Impact Of Student Characteristics And Teacher Experience And Preparation Program Attended On Student Achievement In A Small School District, Michael O'Neal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Demonstrating a direct link between teacher education programs and student growth is, to say the least, complex. Yet, using value-added systems as a means of holding teacher preparation programs accountable for the effectiveness of their graduates is a growing trend. However, few quantitative studies linking TPPs with the effectiveness of their graduates exist. The availability of student test scores linked to specific teachers in administrative databases makes it possible to use value-added modeling to obtain estimates of teacher effects. Only recently have researchers tapped into this expanding volume of data in an attempt to examine Teacher Preparation Programs as variables …

Examining Inclusive Practices In Nicaraguan Schools, Julie Delkamiller, Kristine D. Swain, Elizabeth M. Leader-Janssen, Mitzi J. Ritzman

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine Nicaraguan teachers’ efficacy for inclusive practices and current teaching practices in Nicaraguan schools as the first step in developing a special education training program. Sixty-one teachers in 15 schools completed the Teacher Efficacy of Inclusive Practice (TEIP) survey to determine their confidence in inclusive practices, collaboration and dealing with disruptive behaviors. Classroom observations were also completed to examine the environment, teaching/ learning strategies, student behaviors, learning materials, and time distribution in the classroom. Results from the TEIP indicated Nicaraguan teachers were highly efficacious in inclusive practices. The survey and observation data collected …

Evaluating The Phonology Of Nicaraguan Sign Language: Preprimer And Primer Dolch Words, Julie Delkamiller

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Over the past 30-years linguists have been witnessing the birth and evolution of a language, Idioma de Señas de Nicaragua (ISN), in Nicaragua, and have initiated and documented the syntax and grammar of this new language. Research is only beginning to emerge on the implications of ISN on the education of deaf/hard of hearing children in Nicaragua. The purpose of this comparative exploratory field study was to evaluate preprimer and primer Dolch sight words and sign language frequency between English, American Sign Language (ASL), Spanish and Idioma de Señas de Nicaragua (ISN). The research focused on word and sign frequencies …

“More Time. More Showing. More Helping. That’S How It Sticks”: The Perspectives Of Early Childhood Coachees, Lisa L. Knoche, Miriam E. Kuhn, Jungwon Eum

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Coaching is a form of consultation used in early childhood settings to support positive outcomes for young children and families. While some research shows the effectiveness of coaching on practice and outcomes, little information is available on the experiences and perspectives of “coachees” as recipients of coaching support. The purpose of this study was to understand, from the coachees’ point of view, the benefits and challenges of participating in an early childhood coaching relationship. Twenty-one parents, preschool teachers and childcare providers who had engaged in coaching relationships participated in interviews and completed surveys regarding their experiences and perspectives. Data were …

Experiences Of Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students: An Exploratory Phenomenological Study, Anysia J. Ensslen

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Within the past decade little research has been conducted in the United States to examine the preparedness of beginning speech-language pathologists; the seminal article used for this research study comes from the United Kingdom (Horton, Byng, Bunning, & Pring, 2004). Literature from the past few decades indicates that there may be deficiencies in the way that beginning speech-language pathologists are being trained clinically.

The review of the literature suggests that the field may lack a clear and broadly supported learning theory or framework for the clinical supervision and training of speech-language pathology graduate students. The literature further supports the importance …

Using The Instructional Coaching Model To Implement Positive Behavior Supports In Early Childhood Special Education Programs, Heather Donoho

Graduate Research Papers

Challenging behaviors in early childhood programs are of increasing concern to teachers in preschool programs. The use of Positive Behavior Supports, or PBS, has been on the rise in a variety of preschool programs as a way to increase acceptable behaviors while using tiered interventions to identify children in need of specific skills training in hopes of decreasing the chances of negative behaviors. While most teachers are in favor of the PBS initiative, many teachers report not having enough time or expertise to implement the program to the best of their ability. Another new initiative in preschool programs is that …

An Examination Of Opposing Theoretical Perspectives: Are The Current Assessment And Instructional Practices For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders And Mental Health Issues Effective And Sufficient?, Karen Aldrich-Duden

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Increasing student achievement is the purpose of all educational programs, including the programs for students with disabilities. The adequacy of the educational programing for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBO) who also have mental health issues was the focus of this qualitative study. Specific attention was paid to the assessment and instructional practices used with students with EBO in order to answer the research question: Are the current assessment and instructional practices for students with EBD and mental health issues effective and sufficient? This study explored the potential benefits of using an ecological theoretical framework based on the bioecological …

Changes In Perceived Teacher Self-Efficacy And Burnout As A Result Of Facilitated Discussion And Self-Reflection In An Online Course Designed To Prepare Teachers To Work With Students With Autism, Monica Boomgard

Doctoral Dissertations

A growing number of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who display complex learning needs present challenges to educators who struggle to meet their educational needs. Teaching is stressful and additional instructional challenges may increase teacher vulnerability to burnout, leading to a greater likelihood of attrition. Increasing teachers' knowledge of strategies specific to students with ASD within online professional development may create needed support networks increasing self-efficacy and decreasing perceived stress. The purpose of this study was to examine the changes special and general education teachers' perceived self-efficacy and burnout as a result of facilitated discussion and self-reflection embedded in …

Effects Of Rap Paraphrasing And Semantic-Mapping Strategies On The Reading Comprehension Of English Learners And Fully- English-Proficient Students With Mild-To-Moderate Learning Disabilities, Terry Halterman Jr

Doctoral Dissertations

This study, using a repeated measures design with alternating treatments, measured the effectiveness of traditional instruction, the RAP Paraphrasing Strategy, the semantic-mapping strategy, and a combination of these strategies on the reading comprehension skills of 11 English learners (ELs) with learning disabilities and 8 fully English-proficient students (FEPs) with learning disabilities (LD) in two high-school, mild-to-moderate, special-day, English classes. The students were taught each of these strategies for 540 minutes in 9 days of instruction. The same teacher taught all three strategies to both classes. Data were gathered from the IDEA Oral Language Proficiency Test, alternate forms of the Comprehension …