Education Commons^™

Ethnic-Racial Socialization Experiences Of Mexican American Youth, Katherine J. Bingham, Elizabeth A. Cutrer-Párraga, Timothy B. Smith

Faculty Publications

Research has shown that ethnic–racial socialization (ERS) predicts education and mental health outcomes for adolescents. However, limited research has evaluated the ERS experiences of Latinx students. The current study examined ERS experiences of Mexican American youth in four focus group interviews that were transcribed and analyzed at both the individual and group level using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Main themes included feeling like an outsider, navigating discrimination, encountering social/emotional difficulties, and achieving a positive identity. Each theme contained two to three subcategories that provide further insight into the Mexican Americans' ERS experiences. Participants reported within-group discrimination, motivation to disprove stereotypes, and …

Maternal Depression Moderated By Family Resources When Children Have Developmental Disabilities., Timothy B. Smith, Terisa P. Gabrielsen

Faculty Publications

Children with developmental disabilities require extensive parental involvement in intervention, but parents with depression may be less able to intervene effectively. We examined prevalence of depression symptoms and predictors among 131 mothers of children with disabilities enrolled in early childhood special education. Participants completed several self-report measures of depression and child and family functioning. Children were directly evaluated using the Battelle Developmental Inventory. One year later, 68 mothers repeated self-report measures. Participants (30%) reported elevated depression symptoms across time. Depression scores were correlated with parental stress and family resources. An interaction between higher maternal depression and higher child functioning with …

Effects Of Psychosocial Support Interventions On Survival In Inpatient And Outpatient Healthcare Settings: A Meta-Analysis Of 106 Randomized Controlled Trials, Timothy B. Smith, Julianne Holt-Lunstad

Faculty Publications

We evaluated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychosocial support interventions in inpatient and outpatient healthcare settings reporting survival data, including studies reporting disease-related or all-cause mortality. LOdds ratio (OR) and hazard ratio (HR) data were analyzed separately using random effects weighted models. Of 42,054 studies searched, 106 RCTs including 40,280 patients met inclusion criteria. Across 87 RCTs reporting data for discrete time periods, the average was OR = 1.20 (95% CI = 1.09 to 1.31, p < 0.001), indicating a 20% increased likelihood of survival among patients receiving psychosocial support compared to control groups receiving standard medical care. Among those studies, psychosocial interventions explicitly promoting health behaviors yielded improved likelihood of survival, whereas interventions without that primary focus did not. Across 22 RCTs reporting survival time, the average was HR = 1.29 (95% CI = 1.12 to 1.49, p < 0.001), indicating a 29% increased probability of survival over time among intervention recipients compared to controls. Among those studies, meta-regressions identified 3 moderating variables: control group type, patient disease severity, and risk of research bias. Studies with patients having relatively greater disease severity tended to yield smaller gains in survival time relative to control groups. In this meta-analysis, OR data indicated that psychosocial behavioral support interventions promoting patient motivation/coping to engage in health behaviors improved patient survival, but interventions focusing primarily on patients’ social or emotional outcomes did not prolong life. HR data indicated that psychosocial interventions, predominantly focused on social or emotional outcomes, improved survival but yielded similar effects to health information/classes and were less effective among patients with apparently greater disease severity.

Social Skills And Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities: Can Community Based Instruction Help?, Carissa Hernandez, Saili S. Kulkarni

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this research study was to determine how Community Based Instruction (CBI) affects the social skills of middle school students with moderate to severe disabilities. Existing literature is limited in findings related to the influence of CBI on middle school students with moderate to severe disabilities. This qualitative study was completed using interviews and observations. Participants included students, teachers, and paraprofessionals from a middle school in Southern California. The findings of this study are intended to support the use of CBI in middle school special education classrooms and to demonstrate how a functional program can improve the social …

An Exploration Of The Role Of Religion And Spirituality In The Treatment And Recovery Of Patients With Eating Disorders, P. Scott Richards, Michael E. Berrett, Carrie L. Caoili, Sabree A. Crowton, Randy K. Hardman, Russell N. Jackson, Peter W. Sanders

Faculty Publications

This article reports two qualitative studies that explored how religion and spirituality (R/S) influenced the treatment and recovery process of patients with eating disorder. In Study 1 and Study 2, a total of 83 women who had successfully completed treatment at an inpatient eating disorder treatment center responded to open-ended survey questions about the role of R/S in their recovery. Twelve of the women in Study 2 participated in follow-up phone interviews. Qualitative analysis of survey responses and interview transcripts indicated that although many women believed R/S contributed to the development and maintenance of their eating disorder, most of them …

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Student And Family Perspectives On Using Augmentative And Alternative Communication Devices, Saili S. Kulkarni, Jessica Parmar

Faculty Publications

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices are essential to children with disabilities that result in complex communication needs (CCN) to fully participate in social and academic realms of life. As the numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners in schools increase, so does the imperative to better inform instruction for CLD students who use AAC devices. This paper reviewed N=14 articles that emphasized CLD students who use AAC devices and their families. Implications highlighted that Euro-American culture dominates many aspects of AAC use, assessment, and professional recommendations. Additionally, there are limited perspectives of AAC users and families from CLD, …

Adapted Shared Storybook Reading: A Study Of Its Application For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders And In Home Settings, Andrea Golloher

Faculty Publications

This study investigated the use of an adapted shared reading protocol with three children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in home settings. Using a multiple baseline across participants design, this investigation replicated and extended a previous investigation by Browder et al. to children with ASD and home settings. In addition, this study was to investigate whether individual components of the intervention package contributed to its overall effectiveness. Finally, the extent to which the participating children generalized their ability to engage in adapted shared reading with the researcher to shared reading with their parents was explored. The results of the investigation …

Special Needs Children And Mental Health, Nancy J. Carbonell

Faculty Publications

What do these stories have in common? They are representative of many students who experience learning difficulties while at the same time struggling with mental or emotional issues. Special-needs teachers see children like Brandon, Carmen, and Jake in their classrooms every day. It is estimated that in the U.S., 37 percent of children with special needs also need mental-health care. That is approximately one in every three special-needs students! This is particularly challenging for teachers whose training did not include how to deal with children experiencing mental-health issues.

Teaching Orientation And Mobility Skills To Students With Autism And Vision Impairment In Public Schools: A Data-Based Study, Devender, R. Banda, Phoebe A. Okungu Ph.D., Nora Griffin-Shirley, Melanie K. Meeks, Olaya Landa-Vialard

Faculty Publications

Two students with autism, vision impairment, and intellectual disability participated in an orientation and mobility (O&M) intervention to travel in school settings using their folding canes. A multiple-baseline across participants design to determine the effectiveness of the intervention was used. The dependent variable was time taken to travel the specified route. The independent variable was O&M training. Results indicated that both participants took less time to travel during the intervention compared to the baseline. Students with vision impairment and autism can be trained using systematic O&M training. The O&M specialists working with children with autism and vision impairment should collect …

An Adapted Shared Storybook Reading Program Implemented In Inclusive Preschool Classrooms: An Investigation Of Its Use And Effectiveness, Andrea Golloher

Faculty Publications

The Pathways to Literacy reading program (Lee, Mims, & Browder, 2011) has been demonstrated to be effective at increasing both engagement and comprehension during shared storybook reading for students with exceptional needs. To date, research on Pathways to Literacy has been limited to students in early elementary school rather than preschool, which is when shared reading is usually emphasized as part of the general education curriculum. In these investigations, the reading program has been administered in one-on-one instructional settings, often in special education classrooms. No existing research has examined the ability of participating students to generalize newly learned skills to …

Living At The Friendship House: Findings From The Transition Planning Inventory, Jane Finn, Vicki-Lynn Holmes, Rebecca Johnson

Faculty Publications

A residential initiative, named the Friendship House, was created through advocates focused on helping people with intellectual disabilities live independently in affordable and safe housing on a university campus. The Friendship House is a small residence hall where individuals with intellectual disabilities live side-by-side with similarly aged and same gendered university students. Qualitative finding as in resident reports and observational data provides support that the Friendship House experience has been successful. However, to better equip these residents with intellectual disabilities, it is important to assess the program in terms of post school transition acquisition skills. This study focuses on whether …

Video Self-Modeling On An Ipad To Teach Functional Math Skills To Adolescents With Autism And Intellectual Disability, Cami Elizabeth Burton, Darlene Anderson, Mary Anne Prater, Tina Taylor

Faculty Publications

Research suggests that video-based interventions can provide increased opportunity for students with disabilities to acquire important academic and functional skills; however, little research exists regarding video-based interventions on the academic skills of students with autism and intellectual disabilities. The current study used a multiple baseline design across participants to investigate the effects of video self-modeling (VSM) on the mathematics skill acquisition of adolescents with autism. Four adolescent male students viewed videos of themselves on an iPad solving mathematical problems to estimate the amount of money used to pay for a given item and the amount to receive in change. Findings …

Transforming Training In Orientation And Mobility: Examining The Effect Using An Audio-Link On The Distance Between Trainer And Trainee, Michael P. Munro, Barry H. Stafford

Faculty Publications

Increased distances between instructor and trainee during orientation and mobility (O&M) training is purported to be associated with improved outcomes of heightened independence, self-efficacy, and preparation for real-world experience as a traveller. However, there is currently no research that identifies standard or optimal instructor-trainee distances or effoctive strategies to increase distances that enhance training outcomes. This exploratory, qualitative study compared the distance between two instructor-trainee dyads over ten 1.5-hour lessons. The first jive lessons were conducted without an Audio-link device, and the second jive occurred using the device. Results indicated that use of an Audio-link system significantly increased training distances …

Interstate Distance Education Partnerships: Case Study Of Challenges And Accomplishment, Michael P. Munro, Janet L. Kamps

Faculty Publications

Abstract

This paper chronicles the challenges in development of a partnership to deliver specialized teacher training across state lines. The authors present a framework of needed steps and use information from their experiences in a case study format to support and explain the progression of a proposed partnership to train teachers of the visually impaired between the Training Program for Professional in Visual Impairment at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX, and the Arkansas School for the Blind in Little Rock, AR. The authors discuss the initial concept and need, the development commitment between the two parties, the …

Racial/Ethnic Matching Of Clients And Therapists In Mental Health Services: A Meta-Analytic Review Of Preferences, Perceptions, And Outcomes, Timothy B. Smith, Raquel R. Cabral

Faculty Publications

The effects of matching clients with therapists of the same race/ethnicity have been explored using a variety of approaches across several decades. We conducted a meta-analysis of three variables frequently used in research on racial/ethnic matching: Clients' preferences for a therapist of their own race/ethnicity, clients' perceptions of therapists, and therapeutic outcomes. Across 52 studies of preferences, the average effect size was d = .63, indicating a moderately strong preference for a therapist of one's own race/ethnicity. Across 81 studies of individuals' perceptions of therapists, the average effect size was d = .32, indicating a tendency to perceive therapists of …

Empowering Special Education Clients Through Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Lessons Learned For Current Clients And Future Professionals, Patricia E. Roberts, Kelly Whalon

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Promising Practices For Els With Special Needs, Aydin Bal, Hyun Khang, Saili Kulkarni, Margaret Mbeseha

Faculty Publications

The majority of ELs are educated in urban schools where they often face substandard learning opportunities, under-qualified teachers, unchallenging curricula, lack of specialized resources, culturally irrelevant assessment and instructional practices, prejudice, and de facto racial segregation [1]. To improve academic and social outcomes for this population of students, educators working with ELs with suspected or identified LDs should focus on the following three areas.

Idea 2004: Building Collaborative Partnerships And Effective Communication Between Administrators, Special And General Educators, And Multi-Disciplinary Professionals, Jennifer C. Madigan, G Scroth-Cavataio

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ethnic Identity And Personal Well-Being Of People Of Color: A Meta-Analysis, Timothy B. Smith, Lynda Silva

Faculty Publications

This meta-analysis summarized research examining the relationship between the constructs of ethnic identity and personal well-being among people of color in North America. Data from 184 studies analyzed using random effects models yielded an omnibus effect size of r = .17, suggesting a modest relationship between the two constructs. The relationship was somewhat stronger among adolescents and young adults than among adults over age 40. No differences were observed across participant race, gender, or socioeconomic status, which findings support the general relevance of ethnic identity across people of color. Studies correlating ethnic identity with self-esteem and positive well-being yielded average …

Provide Visual Structure For Students With Asd, Tina Taylor

Faculty Publications

World renowned animal scientist and autism self-advocate Temple Grandin said, "People on the autism/Asperger spectrum have uneven skills. They are often good at one type of learning and bad at another. Educators need to work on building up the area of strength." She explains that three cognitive areas of strength are those who are visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, and word thinkers. Visual thinkers are more inclined to think in pictures rather than words. They may excel in graphic design, industrial design, animation, geometry, or trigonometry. Pattern thinkers have abstract visual thoughts where they can see patterns and relationships between numbers. …

Social Relationships And Mortality Risk: A Meta-Analytic Review, Timothy B. Smith, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, J. Bradley Layton

Faculty Publications

Background: The quality and quantity of individuals' social relationships has been linked not only to mental health but also to both morbidity and mortality. Objectives: This meta-analytic review was conducted to determine the extent to which social relationships influence risk for mortality, which aspects of social relationships are most highly predictive, and which factors may moderate the risk. Data Extraction: Data were extracted on several participant characteristics, including cause of mortality, initial health status, and pre-existing health conditions, as well as on study characteristics, including length of follow-up and type of assessment of social relationships. Results: Across 148 studies (308,849 …

Student And Faculty Perceptions Of The Quality Of Online Learning Experiences, Michael E. Ward, Gary Peters, Kyna Shelley

Faculty Publications

Some faculty members are reluctant to offer online courses because of significant concerns relative to the impact of such formats on the quality of instruction, learning, and participant interaction. Faculty members from The University of Southern Mississippi implemented synchronous interactive online instruction (SIOI) in the spring of 2007. This article explores the rationale for use of the particular technology, faculty conclusions regarding implementation of the technology, and the impact of the technology on instruction and learning. Comparisons by students of the quality of the learning experience in this environment with the quality of learning in face-to-face and asynchronous online learning …

The Impact Of Idea And The Jacob Javits Act, Mary Anne Prater

Faculty Publications

Information about IDEA and the Jacob Javits Act.

Determining Eligibility, Marie A. Lynch

Faculty Publications

This investigation examined the relationship between school-based evaluations and private-agency educational evaluation (IEEs) written reports regarding the identification of children with specific learning disabilities (SLD). Analyses included determining the level of agreement between evaluations, and the procedures used to evaluate the special educational needs of the students assessed. Satisfactory agreement between evaluations was found when a broader spectrum of disability categories was compared, while less agreement was indicated when identifying SLD. The private agency used almost twice as many assessment tools than school-based evaluators to determine eligibility. The need for definitive assessment criteria, and the importance of collaboration among evaluators …

The Education Of Women And Girls In The United States: A Historical Perspective, Jennifer C. Madigan

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Autism Fast Start Checklist, Tina Taylor, Leeann Whiffen

Faculty Publications

This Fast Start Checklist was created to help parents in Utah who are concerned that their child is exhibiting signs of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It serves as a general guideline for obtaining support through the evaluation and initial treatment process and is not intended to be all-inclusive. Early Intervention and school personnel can guide parents to these resources as they collaborate to determine the best route for serving children who exhibit signs of ASD. Parents should be encouraged to not try to do everything on this list, as they are provided as points to consider. This checklist is …

Evaluating Your Educational Program For Students With Autism, Tina Taylor

Faculty Publications

How do you decide what critical educational features need to be included in your service to students with autism? In the November issue of The Utah Special Educator, Cathy Longstroth (p. 75-76) outlined several characteristics of effective educational programs for students with autism. These recommendations are based upon substantial research evidence from the professional literature. You may wonder why you should design your educational programs with research in mind, when you already know "what works" for your students. On the other hand, many students with autism are hard to figure out and you may not be sure "what works" for …

Enhancing Special Educators' Knowledge And Understanding Of Hiv/Aids, Mary Anne Prater, Nancy M. Sileo, Thomas W. Sileo

Faculty Publications

HIV/AIDS continues to spread among children, youth, and young adults across all racial, ethnic, and cultural populations, including those with disabilities. This article considers information on HIV/AIDS such as individuals' health-risk behaviors, environmental circumstances, and perceptions that may contribute to HIV-infection; how disability characteristics, and cultural traits and values impact school-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs; and, culturally competent instructional considerations that acknowledge these variables.

Culturally Adapted Mental Health Interventions: A Meta-Analytic Review, Timothy B. Smith, Derek Griner

Faculty Publications

There is a pressing need to enhance the availability and quality of mental health services provided to persons from historically disadvantaged racial and ethnic groups. Many previous authors have advocated that traditional mental health treatments be modified to better match clients? cultural contexts. Numerous studies evaluating culturally adapted interventions have appeared, and the present study used meta-analytic methodology to summarize these data. Across 76 studies the resulting random effects weighted average effect size was d = .45, indicating a moderately strong benefit of culturally adapted interventions. Interventions targeted to a specific cultural group were four times more effective than interventions …

Tips For Working With Children And Youth With Disabilities, Mary Anne Prater

Faculty Publications

The following is adapted from a presentation at the 2006 BYU Women's Conference by Mary Anne Prater, PhD, chair of the Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education. All children deserve to learn. Children with disabilities have needs as well as different learning styles that parents and teachers need to be aware of. When we understand what each student needs and how we can provide a positive learning environment, we can facilitate all children's learning and growth.