Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Perceptions Of Recent Special Education Graduates Of The Transition Programming Taxonomy: Transcendental Phenomenological Research, Karen Sue Rozmus

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological research study was to develop an understanding of recent special education graduates' perceptions of transition programming taxonomy at a southern coastal community. Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs was used. This theory directly relates to the study showing how important understanding the perceptions of support the recent special education graduates during their lived experiences as they transition into adulthood. The Central Research Question was: What are recent special education graduates’ perceptions of transition programming taxonomy? This transcendental phenomenological research study of 10 participants was designed to use data collected from independent interviews, focus …

Exploring The Journey Of African American Parents Supporting Their Children In Special Education Within Georgia Public Schools: A Phenomenological Study, Keith Allister Tobias

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite legislative efforts such as the Handicapped Children Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the No Child Left Behind Act, and the Every Student Succeeds Act, African American parents of children in special education continue to encounter systemic barriers that affect engagement with schools. This transcendental phenomenological study focused on the lived experiences contributing to parent engagement among African American parents of children with learning disabilities in Georgia public schools. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory provided the theoretical foundation for examining how environmental systems influenced parent-school interactions. Ten parents were recruited through criterion and snowball sampling. Data collection included individual …

The Effects Of Behavior Skills Training To Teach A Clinician To Implement A Structured Work System, Megan E. Bowling

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Many children with autism spectrum disorder present with deficits in completing daily living tasks, which may be due to the sequencing of information required to complete these skills. Structured work systems present a support for children to visually organize and sequence events, though they are most used in the classroom setting. The study tested the effectiveness of behavior skills training to teach a behavior support clinician to implement a structured work system via least-to-most prompting. Data was collected on the clinician’s percent of accurate implementation, which was then analyzed across three daily living behaviors in a multiple probe design. Results …

Interprofessional Collaboration: A Survey Study Focusing On Pre-Service Professionals, Megan L. Bell

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) are bound by an ethical code to engage in appropriate means of interprofessional collaboration for the best interest of their clients. Training in this has been increased during graduate coursework to ensure BCBAs are intentionally following through on this notion to allow for stronger professional relationships with other related service providers and are holistically providing the best care possible for their clients. The goal of this survey was to better understand how these changes compares to other related services providers and their goals of collaboration, when working with individuals with disabilities. A survey was disseminated …

Assessing The Professional Development Perspectives Of Special Education Paraprofessionals Supporting Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities, Anna Opacian

Education Department Graduate Theses/Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Goals, Properly Technical: Special Education Teachers Using Chatgpt To Develop Individualized Student Goals, Travis Hammond

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Educators’ responsibilities extend well beyond instruction to include administrative duties such as grading, maintaining records, and documenting student behavior, as well as ongoing meetings and professional development requirements (Billingsley et al., 2019; Darling-Hammond et al., 2017). These demands can create a disconnect between role expectations and daily realities (Brunsting et al., 2023). Special education teachers (SETs) face these same responsibilities alongside additional paperwork requirements, which may account for up to 20% of their workday (Carlson et al., 2002; Suter & Giangreco, 2009; Vannest et al., 2011). A central task is the development of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), including measurable annual …

The Effect Of Dialogic Reading With An Adapted Reader On Narrative Reading Comprehension Of High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Ramella Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Reading comprehension is essential for accessing grade-level content; however, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate narrative comprehension difficulties related to language inferencing and self-regulation (Constable, 2013; Duke & Cartwright, 2021). Dialogic reading is an evidence-based shared reading practice that uses systematic prompts and contingent consequences to strengthen verbal behavior (Whitehurst et al., 1988; IES, 2007). Despite demonstrated effectiveness with young children with ASD, experimental research on dialogic reading with secondary school-aged students, particularly those requiring adapted instructional materials, remains limited (Hudson & Test, 2011; Spooner et al., 2012). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects …

Expanding Access To High-Quality Child Care For Infants And Toddlers With Disabilities And Their Families In Nevada, Turia M. Penkalski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Access to high-quality child care significantly impacts outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, yet persistent inequities remain. This dissertation employed an instrumental case study design (Stake, 1995; Stake & Visse, 2023) to investigate Nevada's state-level policies and procedures that shape the accessibility and quality of child care for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Using a triangulated approach that integrates document analysis, family interviews, and a survey with state leaders, this study explored the perspectives and experiences of diverse key players. The research illuminates how policy intentions align with or diverge from system-level perceptions and the experiences …

An Ex Post Facto Study: The Social Validity Of Two Evidence-Based Instructional Practices, K. Ryan Wennerlind

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For over 15 years, the opportunity for individuals with intellectual disabilities to continue education in inclusive postsecondary education programs has steadily risen (Baker et. al, 2018). Poor employment trends for these individuals has motivated institutions to provide more educational opportunities by increasing the number of such programs. Education is consistently linked to greater employment opportunities and the potential for greater earnings as more education is achieved (BLS, 2023). Research attests this connection by studying individuals’ experiences in education after high school. In addition to greater employment opportunities, those individuals receiving postsecondary education services are also earning wages at a higher …

Evaluating Computer-Based Instruction To Improve Teacher Competence In Function-Based Antecedent Strategy Implementation, Valentina Arias

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Teachers often manage challenging student behaviors without formal training in behavior analysis, which can increase stress and reduce instructional time. This study evaluated whether computer-based instruction (CBI) is an effective and cost-effective way to train early education teachers to understand why challenging behaviors occur and how to prevent them, using antecedent strategies. Ten general education teachers working in a private, neurodiverse-inclusive school participated. They completed a brief training delivered through computer modules developed in PowerPoint that taught them how to identify functions of behavior and select functionally equivalent antecedent strategies to decrease challenging behaviors. Learning was measured using pre/post tests …

Child Study Team Attitudes Toward Inclusion, Kathleen Derillo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The inclusion of students with disabilities has been the focus of both quantitative and qualitative research for more than fifty years. Despite extensive evidence demonstrating positive outcomes for learners with and without disabilities, including improved academic achievement, social skills development, and improved school culture, inclusion rates in New Jersey have remained largely unchanged. Students with disabilities continue to be educated in segregated settings at disproportionate rates. The purpose of this quantitative study was to learn about the attitudes toward the inclusion of students with mild to moderate disabilities held by Child Study Team (CST) members. The CST is composed of …

An Equity-Based And Culturally Responsive Bill Of Rights For Early Childhood Students Of Color With Exceptionalities, Evette Simmons-Reed, Michelle Frazier Trotman Scott, Gloria Tardash, Mildred Boveda, Donna Y. Ford

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing disparities in early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) services for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) disabled children, exposing critical gaps in access, services and support. systemic inconsistencies in implementation, training, and funding, remain barriers limit opportunities for CLD students to benefit, despite the aims of the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA). To address these inequities, this manuscript proposes an expanded and updated Culturally Responsive Equity-Based Bill of Rights for EI and ECSE. Building upon Ford and colleagues' (2018) work, this revised document extends protections to children aged zero to five, emphasizing …

Guest Editor's Introduction: Methodological Innovations For Advancing Early Childhood Educational And Psychological Research, Anthony Mangino Ph.D.

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The goal of this special issue is to provide you, the inquisitive reader and developmental scientist, with some of the methodological tools to aid in augmenting your analytic capacity.

Perspective On Speech Therapy, Aac Devices, And Community Support: A Case Study Of A Caregiver Of An Adult With Down Syndrome, Ella Harris

Honors College Theses

For someone with a disability such as Down syndrome (DS), they often present with deficits in speech and language. These individuals typically require a caregiver for their physical, mental, and social needs, and their caregiver also often serves as their primary communication partner. This study explored caregiver perspectives on how they facilitate communication including their experiences with speech therapy services, augmentative and alternative communication, and community communication supports. A caregiver of an adult with DS participated in a structured interview to discuss their experiences as a caregiver for an individual with complex communication needs. The data from the interview was …

Comprehensive Review Of Writing Instruction And Writing Curriculum, Brooklyn E. Vonbank

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This capstone project provides a comprehensive review of writing instruction and writing curriculum, with focus on improving outcomes for students, particularly those with learning disabilities. Chapter 1 examines how students learn to write through the cognitive process model (Flower & Hayes, 1981), emphasizing the recursive nature of planning, translating, and reviewing, as well as the interconnected relationship between reading and writing. It also explores why students with learning disabilities often experience difficulty with writing due to challenges with foundational skills and increased cognitive load. Chapter 2 identifies key gaps in writing instruction, including limited instructional time, inconsistent implementation of evidence-based …

Building Preschool Teacher Confidence In Understanding Student Accommodations By Implementing The Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support (Mtss) Framework, Heather Briese

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Abstract

The overall goal of this paper is to highlight the crucial role that educators have with student development. Educators' knowledge and the ability to implement High-Leverage Practices (HLPs), Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs), and providing the Mutli-Tiered Systems of Support  (MTSS) are essential for student growth through effective student accommodations. This paper will examine how these practices can be implemented to support students in both academics and socially-emotionally. In order for early childhood educators to be successful in providing student support they need to have a comprehensive understanding of High-Leverage Practices (HLPs), Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs), Mutli-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and …

Prematurity And Special Education: Raising Awareness Of The Connections Between Preterm Births And Special Education, Nadia R. Corder

Honors Theses

In this thesis, the goal was to find the link, if any, between prematurity and special education, with regards to probability of special education and outcomes, and to create a means of professional development for not only special education teachers about prematurity risks and effects on students but also parental education about the possible procedures of their child’s education. This is accomplished through the organization of infographic pamphlets for parents and an online professional development presentation. Both these formats are compliant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility parameters. A literature review was conducted to achieve this goal using …

Ready: Piloting An Inclusive Higher Education Program For Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities At The University Of Mississippi, Emily R. Davis

Honors Theses

The University of Mississippi is currently one of the few SEC schools that does not offer an inclusive higher education program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DDs). An initiative to bring inclusive higher education to Ole Miss began as a passion project led by Honors College student Bailey Beaird and continued through 2024. Bailey worked diligently to research and design a model for implementing a four-year inclusive higher education program (IHEP). Ultimately, the decision was made by the administration to postpone advancement of a four-year program due to limited campus resources and concerns surrounding long-term sustainability. Instead, the …

Evidence-Based Practice: A Framework For Behavior Analytic Training And Supervision, Audrey N. Hoffmann, Andrea Q. Hoang

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

As the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) grows, there is a need for effective and high-quality fieldwork supervision to prepare a growing workforce. This paper proposes the use of evidence-based practice (EBP) as a decision-making framework in the training of behavior analysts, emphasizing its potential to enhance the skillsets of practitioners. EBP involves integrating the best available evidence, client values, and professional judgment to guide clinical decisions. While the use of EBP as a clinical decision-making framework has grown in other helping professions, its application in the field of ABA remains limited. This paper proposes competencies for EBP decision-making …

Gospel Reception And Response In Children With Profound Cognitive Disabilities, Reagan Lewis

Senior Honors Theses

This study attempts to build a bridge over a gap in research regarding how to observe children with profound cognitive disabilities’ understanding of the gospel, also incorporating information about ministry structure, caregiver responsibility, and methods for presenting the gospel. This qualitative study was interview-based: four ministry leaders representing three disability ministries were interviewed, and then a focus group was conducted to discuss further. Field observations also took place at each ministry site. Key findings included importance of flexibility in ministry environments, shared spiritual responsibility of caregivers and ministry leaders, necessity of repetition and concrete examples in gospel presentation, emphasis on …