Education Commons^™

The Use Of Video Modeling To Teach Requesting For Conversational Repair In Vocational Situations, Bryn C. Handley

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

Video modeling has been found to be effective in teaching various skills to individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Despite this evidence, there is very little evidence to support using video modeling to teach specific soft skills in the workplace, such as requesting for conversational repair. This study evaluated the effects of video modeling on requests for conversational repair within vocational situations using a multiple probe research design. Due to unforeseen circumstances as a result of COVID-19, the study had to be concluded before all participants could receive intervention. However, an effect between video modeling and requests for conversational repair …

An Evaluation Of Sensory Paths As An Antecedent Intervention For Decreasing Off-Task Behavior In Children With Disabilities During Small Group Instruction, Hannah Keene

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

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of sensory paths as an antecedent intervention to decrease off-task behavior and increase on-task behavior in three elementary-aged participants with disabilities. A withdrawal design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. The results are corollary due to the unintentional A-B design (schools closed during this time period). There is some evidence that the sensory path intervention was no more effective in decreasing off-task behavior and increasing on-task behavior than baseline conditions. Future research is needed to further investigate the sensory path intervention.

Progressive Time Delay To Teach High School Students With Intellectual Disability To Initiate Manding Siri® For Unknown Information, Madelyn N. Calzi

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

A multiple probe design across participants with intermittent generalization probes was used to evaluate (a) the effectiveness of progressive time delay to teach four high school students with intellectual disability to initiate using Siri® when asked an unknown question and (b) the generalized use of Siri® when asked questions from untrained communicative partners. Technology training occurred prior to baseline to teach all participants to use Siri®. Secondary data were collected on Siri’s® response and student engagement with the answer. Due to the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic and school closures, only one participant entered intervention and the study was unable to be …

Alternative Thesis Project For Spring 2020 Semester, Elaine Murner

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

During the Spring 2020 semester, students within the special education program were conducting applied thesis projects within typical contexts as part of their fulfillment of the requirements of a master’s degree program. Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), public schools and related facilities closed with no plans to reopen within the time frame to allow for graduation for students in the last semester of their graduate program. Students were allowed to complete an alternative thesis assignment in the form of responding to writing prompts followed by an oral defense of the written products, along with questions related to their …

Virtual Coaching Chinese Parents To Use Naturalistic Communication Intervention With Children With Special Needs, Lin Zhu

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

Effective early communication intervention is essential for preventing long-term, language-related problems for children with special needs. Particular for young dual language learner, supports provided family members in their home language can effectively promote development of communication skills in both home language and English. To help Chinese parents better support their children’s communication needs at home, this study applied a multi-component coaching intervention to teach parents to use a naturalistic communication intervention.

Using multi-probe single subject design, this study experimentally evaluated the effects of coaching intervention on parents’ acquisition of naturalistic intervention. The coaching intervention included a video-based training session, pre-practice …

A Systematic Review Of Peer-Mediated Interventions And Topic Maintenance For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alyssa Colston

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

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the current literature on the use of peer mediated instruction to address topic maintenance for indiviuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A literature review using the standards recommended by the What Works Clearinghouse was conducted. The studies included in the review met the following criteria: (a) use of SCRD; (b) inclusion of at least one participant with ASD as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Mental Disorders, 4th edition, Text Revision (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) or DSM-5 diagnosis of ASD; (c) examination of the use of peer instruction containing any of the …

Training Functional Communication Responses To Decrease Challenging Behaviors Among Students In An Alternative Education Setting, Kaitlin N. Haggard

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

This study answered a series of questions related to single case research design and potential use of functional communication-based intervention. It compared and contrasted multiple probe versus multiple baseline single case research designs, finding that multiple probe would be more appropriate to answer the intended research question. This study further analyzed the rigor, quality, and bias of Turton, Umbreit, & Mathur’s (2011) article in which functional communication-based intervention was used to decrease challenging behaviors among adolescents in an alternative education setting. Finally, this study described for practitioners the importance of studying the effectiveness of functional communication-based intervention and how such …

Effects Of An Anchored Career-Focused Curriculum On The Knowledge And Attitudes Of At-Risk High School Students, Megan E. Jones

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

Students with disabilities (SWD) face an unfavorable employment future because many drop out of school at a disproportionate rate. The employment outlook for SWD who graduate from high school is also a concern because current studies show that only about half of them find jobs. In addition, most jobs they do find are entry level and low paying. One predictor of post-secondary success is career awareness. The purpose of this study was first to develop a curriculum especially designed for teaching career awareness of SWD and then to test its effects with a pretest-posttest randomized trial. Results indicated that the …

Differential Effects Of Criteria For Increasing Delay Intervals In Progressive Time Delay, Kaitlin O'Neill

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

The purpose of the study was to compare the differential effects of response-independent and response-dependent criteria used to determine when to increase to the next delay interval in the progressive time delay (PTD) procedure. An adapted alternating treatments design was used to evaluate the relative efficiency of two variations of the PTD procedure when teaching expressive word identification to elementary-aged boys with moderate to severe disabilities, language impairments, and reading deficits. The participants’ school was closed due to a pandemic prior to completion of the study. Therefore, conclusions about results should be considered in light of this limitation. Results obtained …

Incorporating Environmental Arrangement Strategies Into Classroom Activities, Brandy M. Denton

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

Individuals with extensive support needs, including those who have autism spectrum disorder and are classified as level 3 in the area of social communication, are more likely than same-age peers to display delays in age-appropriate social communication and engagement in activities. To address these issues, special education teachers, in collaboration with related-service providers, should create social communication and engagement objectives. Once objectives are identified, teachers can plan for and implement environmental arrangement (EA) strategies to promote these behaviors in a natural context. EA strategies are a long-standing approach to creating a communication-rich environment and can be used alone or paired …

Using Coaching Strategies To Support Parents When Promoting Social Communication In Individuals With Disabilities, Molly Baldridge

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

The purpose of this practitioner’s piece was to provide educators with a research-based coaching model that will increase opportunities for meaningful collaboration with parents or guardians in order to promote family-centered and socially meaningful child outcomes for their children with autism or other intellectual disabilities. The training model was based on Lane et. al.’s (2016) brief coaching method approach. Other suggested components to parent training included cultural competency, goal setting, planning for generalization, following up and asking for feedback, and troubleshooting any problem behaviors.

Using Response Cards In Inclusive Classrooms, Kaitlin Ayers

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

Inclusive classrooms consist of students with and without disabilities. It is often difficult for teachers to find ways to incorporate all students equally in classroom discussions. Often students with disabilities tend to participate less than their typically developing peers. For teachers to be effective in their classroom it is important for them to follow high leverage practices. One high-leverage practice strategy for teachers to incorporate in their classroom is the use of response cards (RCs). Response cards are evidence-based practices for increasing active engagement, academic achievement, on-task behavior, as well as decreasing problem behaviors. In order for students to have …

The Differential Efects Of Hand-Raising And Digital Response Cards On Active Engagement Of High School Students With Mild To Moderate Disabilities During Literacy Activities, Meredith Davis

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

The purpose of the study was to investigate how both hand-raising and digital response cards effect student engagement, on-task behavior, and off-task behavior. Academic achievement was also assessed using a high-tech student responses system. An ABAB withdrawal design was used to evaluate the effects among high school students with mild to moderate disabilities during reading lessons. The results showed digital response cards increased active engagement for all participants, but digital response card conditions did not show increased levels of on-task behavior.