Education Commons^™

Universal Design For Learning: Inclusivity With Technology In Multicultural And Special Education Classrooms, Katie Hernandez Mendoza

Education | Master's Theses

This research explored the impact that technology has on students with special needs, some of whom are English Language Learners (ELL). Previous studies have found that technology brings “inclusion in the classroom helps meet the students' needs and improves academic success” (Lowrey et al., 2017). Literature has also shown the value of including students and ensuring that students understand how they learn best (Brown et al.,1998). This research was conducted at an elementary school in Northern California, and included eight students with special needs, two of whom were English Language Learners. Three district personnel were also interviewed. The students' participation …

Finding Motivation And Connectedness For Learning With Special Education Students Qualifying Under Emotional Disturbance, Nikole Denton

Education | Master's Theses

The purpose of this research seeks to understand the conditions for motivation among disengaged high school students in special education who qualify under emotional disturbance (ED) and support them in rediscovering their desire for learning while also determining how educators can be supportive in cultivating academic engagement and agency. The theoretical framework looks toward co-created curriculum through an understanding of intrinsic motivation (Ryan et al., 2021), self-Determination theory (Niemiec & Ryan, 2009), and critical pedagogy (Shih, 2018). Currently, there is a lack of empirical research on the effectiveness of pedagogical approaches in determining what works in engaging special education students …

Lessons Learned: Kinesthetic Learning And Engaging Students With Adhd (In The Time Of Covid), Claudia Freedman

Education | Master's Theses

While many studies have examined the benefits of movement and kinesthetic learning on the engagement of all elementary school-aged children, especially those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or children with common characteristics or behaviors of ADHD (undiagnosed ADHD), less research exists on how the COVID-19 pandemic and hybrid learning affected and continues to impact the engagement of children, especially those with ADHD or undiagnosed ADHD. The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers engage students, particularly those with ADHD or undiagnosed ADHD, in an elementary classroom using practices from movement, music, dance, and theater, especially during COVID-19. …

The Impact Of Social Inclusion From The Perspective Of The Neurotypical Peer, Alexandra Corinne Gopar Zavaleta

Education | Master's Theses

This research aims to understand the benefits and overall impact of social inclusion from the perspective of the neurotypical peer. My research analyzes three strategies that are widely used to promote the acquisition of social skills for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders; Social Skills Training, Peer-Network Implementation, and Pivotal Response Training. Currently, existing research fails to thoroughly investigate how social inclusion impacts the neurotypical peer, but rather focuses on the impact that social inclusion has on the individual with ASD. While this is vital information, it is also crucial to understand from the perspective of the neurotypical peer, as they …

Exploratory Application Of A Sensory Activity Schedule In Head Start Preschool, Marian Perez, Elaine Wong, Michelle Perryman

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

Objective: The objective of this research is to determine whether the implementation of sensory activity schedule in a preschool classroom can increase the on-task behaviors of the students.

Methods: Three students were recruited to participate in a quantitative multiple single subject design with qualitative follow-up study. The participants performed sensorimotor activities before circle time and were monitored for frequency of their off-task behavior using a time sampling frequency data collection. Afterwards, the head teacher was interviewed to discuss the experience.

Results: Off-task behavior decreased from baseline on all three children, which supports the efficacy of sensory activity schedule in reducing …

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 …

Collaborative Practices In Special Education: An Exploratory Study, Blanka Pentek, Katherine Sadoff, Evelyn Tang

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Objective: This exploratory survey study examined collaborative practices of professionals working in special education. The basis for the survey was the Conceptual Model of Collaboration (CMC), created by Hess and colleagues (2017).

Methods: 27 professionals who work in special education participated. Cross tabulation tests and Pearson's correlation tests were run to determine relationships between the variables.

Results: The findings indicated that the majority of participants value collaboration for student outcomes and professional development. Most participants agreed on common facilitators and barriers to collaboration. Collaboration primarily takes place in IEP meetings, through email and text messaging and is frequent in all …

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 …

The Benefits Of Music Education On Academic, Behavioral, And Communicative Skills With Middle School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sarah V. Foley

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Music education has an important place for students with special needs. Through community based arts education programs, student benefits range from social to academic. The problem is that too often music education, among arts programs, is not taught in special education classrooms. The purpose of this study was to identify benefits that music education has on students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), focusing specifically on academic, behavioral, and communicative skills.

A review of the literature revealed that music is beneficial to students in a variety of ways, when they are provided the opportunity to engage in music education. Through this …

Measuring Adaptive Behaviors In Individuals With Autism Enrolled In Project-Based Therapy, Sarah Yoder, Nghi Tran, Jason Ichimaru, Emily Lu

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

As the number of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) entering adulthood increases, this population faces limited resources to foster independent living. Therefore, it is crucial to explore innovative interventions that help this population develop the skills necessary to live more independently. This exploratory prospective cohort study evaluated the effectiveness of Autistry Studios, which focuses on improving adaptive behavior skills for adults and adolescents with ASD using project-based therapy. The study used the Brief Adaptive Behavior Scale (BABS), a novel quantitative assessment, to track the development of adaptive behaviors in individuals with ASD within the domains of Executive Functioning (EF), …

Identifying Supports For Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sarah Rushworth

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) lack social and communication skills, leading to challenging behaviors. This impacts family functioning and can lead to parents being isolated and feeling stressed (Russa, Matthews, & Owen-DeSchryver, 2014). The parents of these children must learn how to handle the challenges that come along with the disorder. Parents of children with ASD need to have more supports in place to feel more supported (Nealy, O’Hare, Powers, & Swick, 2012). The literature revealed that the programs implemented today focus mainly on the child outcomes, lacking focus on parent needs (Samadi, McConkey, & Kelly, 2012). Parents find …

Post Hoc Analysis On The Effect Of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention Provided To Preschool Children On The Autism Spectrum, Catherine R. Maxwell Dumont

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) provides a framework for educators to assist children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to increase independence and positive social skills in the classroom (Reichow, 2012). Preschoolers with ASD who do not have access to programs tend to display negative and socially inappropriate behavior, such as acts of aggression, withdrawal, and inability to attend to lessons. Studies on program effectiveness documented that preschool children who received EIBI scored higher on IQ, language comprehension, imitation, expressive language, nonverbal communication, play, stereotyped behaviors and adaptive functioning compared to preschool children who do not receive EIBI. The literature …

Helping Parents Navigate Occupational Therapy In The Iep Process, Noelle Bakken, Kelly Calton, Molly Hyland, Shannon Landau

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

At the request of Matrix Parent Network and the Marin Autism Collaborative, the project developers have gathered information in order to help parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) better understand Occupational Therapy (OT) in the school setting. The development of the resource guide consisted of three needs assessments to identify areas of occupational therapy in which parents required further clarification. After meeting with the director of parent services from Matrix Parent Network, and receiving the online survey results from twenty-eight parents in Marin County, who have children with ASD, the project developers identified areas of OT to focus …

The Importance Of Effectively Teaching Social Skills To Students With High-Functioning Autism, Michaela Elizabeth Mirsky

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Due to this dramatic increase, the amount of children with high-functioning autism that have entered public schools across the United States has skyrocketed. Often times these children might have average IQs, but they often exhibit deficits in various social skills that can cause them to have difficulties in a variety of other areas. Research supports and emphasizes the importance of effectively teaching social skills to children with high-functioning autism. Because social functioning is a critical part of today’s society, …

Effective Treatment Strategies For Children With Autism In Grades K-6, Lisa Marie Blakley

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The incidence of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) continues to rise in our elementary schools. With this increase, more and more children with ASD are present and requiring services in public school classrooms. As teachers and parents we need to know how to provide classroom interventions in order to optimize learning with this group of children, and be able to successfully integrate these students within our classrooms and schools. In order to accomplish this, we need to explore effective strategies to produce positive learning and behavior outcomes. The literature selected and researched for the purpose of this proposal supports …

Enhancing Social Behavior Of Children With Autism In An Inclusive Classroom, Alexandra Akemi Rovira

Senior Theses

Though laws relating to including children on the autism spectrum and general education in public school settings are in place, inclusion of students is still not a widespread practice in all elementary classrooms. This study examines the social needs of children with autism and in an inclusive classroom. Children with autism are often placed in separate classrooms in the elementary school. This study examines the positive social behaviors that come from having children with autism in an inclusive elementary classroom. Questions for this research are as follows: What are useful methods to enhance social behavior of autistic students in an …

The Association Between Mercury Emissions And Individuals With Autism Aged From 3-21 In The State Of California From 2001 To 2007, Sen Guo

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The paper explores how historical mercury deposition associates with the incidents of autism, identified in individuals aged from 3 to 21 in California from 2001 to 2007. The association between mercury deposits and the prevalence of individuals with autism aged from 3 to 21 in California was explored using the data from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program and the U.S. Education Department. A correlation analysis is applied to find if a relationship between mercury deposits and the autistic individuals in California. A regression test is run showing that for every 2.41ng/square meter per year increase of mercury deposits in California, …

Factors That Impact A Child On The Autism Spectrum In The General Education Classroom, Ashley Meredith Davis

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

General education teachers currently have children in their classrooms who are on the autism spectrum. These teachers have had little to no training in either their teacher preparation nor-school based professional development programs in teaching children on the spectrum. The purpose of this paper is to explore teaching strategies that are successful for these children and can be easily implemented in the classroom. The research literature reveals little on this topic. There is information on early intervention with preschool students as well as environmental, communication, and social supports. Educators from general and special education were interviewed for their ideas and …

Adult Independent Living Outcomes For Persons With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Lisa B. Dedmore

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) may benefit from lifelong residential, independent living. Often residential housing for persons with ASDs, other than those isolated in the family home, is institutional in nature. The purpose of this research is to identify aspects of a specially designed supported living residence, based on a new co-housing model, referred to in this study as SWSP.

Current research suggests that residents who meet the eligibility criteria will positively benefit from this intentional living environment by virtue of its design. There is one major component to this research. Move-in data was collected from the prior, …

Parent And Educator Perspectives Of Asd Learning Environments In Public Charter Schools: A Qualitative Study, Victoria Marie Starr Soria

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study is to reveal parent and educator perceptions of the inclusion setting for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at the public charter school of study. Due to the limited research available on parent and educator perceptions and the learning environments for students with ASD within public charter schools, a wide range of literature has been reviewed. This includes what public charter schools provide Students with Disabilities (SWD), how lawmakers and public perception play a role in parent and educator perspectives of learning environments for students with ASD, what experts deem best for students with ASD, …

Instructional Accommodations For Students With Asperger Syndrome In The General High School Classroom, Myrna Baylis

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

General education teachers in the secondary sector are held responsible for adapting their lessons and classroom environment for students with Asperger Syndrome. With the growing number of students within the autism spectrum disorder being placed in general education classrooms, teachers are faced with yet another challenge in making their curriculum inclusive. It has been my observation that teachers who have no prior training or knowledge of Asperger Syndrome struggle with making instructional accommodations to ensure these students reach their greatest potential. This study is intended to describe what secondary high school teachers are doing to differentiate instruction for their students …