Education Commons^™

Parental Understanding Of Special Education Legislation And Case Law, Advocacy, And Perceptions Of The Iep Process For Children With Autism, Rachel Treshan

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the legal statutes in place that mandate parental participation in the individualized education program (IEP) process, the decision-making process is mainly dominated by educators. In addition, information on parental perceptions of IEP meetings is limited, especially in regard to parents of children with autism. Parental understanding of special education legislation and case law, advocacy, and perceptions of the IEP process for children with autism was explored in this study. Using a generic qualitative approach, 11 parents of children ages 3 to 13 years old with autism were interviewed via Zoom to develop an understanding of their experiences. Data were …

Unmet Medical Home Needs And Educational Services Access In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sabrin Rizk

Theses and Dissertations

One in 54 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the U.S. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is a primary care model defined as accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally-effective care for children with ASD, jointly with educational services. Children with ASD use educational services for cognitive, social, and behavioral needs. Educational services include early intervention (EI) through EI plans or school services under special education plans in public schools. Linking health and educational services reduces fragmented care and collaboratively addresses the needs of children with ASD. Although the AAP has asserted efforts to …

Natural Learning Environments And The Social-Emotional Development Of Students With Sensory Processing Challenges, Denise Elizabeth West

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This study examined the impact of a natural learning environment on the social-emotional development of students with Autism and/or Sensory Processing Disorder. For this research, social-emotional development consisted of social behavior, communication, and participation. The elements of a traditional classroom are characterized by confinement, harsh lighting/acoustics, and other habitual triggers for sensory discomfort. A natural learning environment can provide students with natural stimuli, fresh air, natural acoustics, natural lighting, etc. Additionally, the natural learning environment fosters a connection with nature, which research shows is important for the self-discovery, self-advocacy, and self-efficacy of all humans. Considering the artificial nature of the …

What Makes A House A Home? Supported Living Environments For Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Rose Meadows

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

My research aims to address how supported living environments for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) can best support their stakeholders. This is an inherently human and personal problem, but existing research tackling this problem utilizing a person-centric and/or resiliency theory lens or framework is lacking. My research will use the perspective of parents/guardians and staff/caregivers in combination with existing knowledge and research to create ideas for how to maximize support in supported living environments for adults with ASD and their families. This is a qualitative study that uses a humanized approach and in-person interviews with stake-holders to highlight their …

Examining Chronic Sorrow Among Parents Of A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Tiffany M. Bordonada

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the directional relationship between chronic sorrow and each of the following (a) family understanding, (b) social support, (c) coping behaviors, and (d) competence among parents of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Specifically, this examination tested the hypothesized directional relationship that parents of a child with ASD scoring higher levels of family understanding, social support, coping behaviors, and competence indicate lower levels of chronic sorrow. A descriptive, correlational research design was employed to examine the research hypothesis. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicated parents …

Understanding The Push-In/Pull-Out Method: Why Support Matters For Socialization, Christina L. Raiti

Senior Theses and Projects

My research combines qualitative and quantitative methods in order to answer: How do the social dynamics of children with autism change as they transition throughout the day from general ed to special ed settings in a Hartford public school? Findings are based upon coded observations of three third-grade students with autism for more than twenty hours in various classroom settings, and also thematic analysis of interviews with three of their classroom educators at the site in Hartford, Connecticut. The findings shows that students with autism are more likely to have positive physical and verbal interactions in structured environments rather than …

Spelling Errors In Children With Autism, Khalyn I. Wiggins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to examine the spelling errors of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) when asked to spell morphologically complex words. Specifically, this study sought to determine if percent accuracy across morphological areas would be similar to patterns noted in typical developing children, correlate with participant age, and correlate to performance on standardized measures of achievement. Additionally, the study wanted to highlight the types of errors made by children with ASD on homonyms and the specific linguistic patterns noted when spelling derivational and inflectional word types.

Participants included 29 children diagnosed with Autism, PDD-NOS, and Asperger’s …