Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

The Academic Success And Beyond-Academic Wellbeing Of High Functioning Autistic Boys: A Policy-Professional Care-School-Parent Ecological Perspective, Evelyn Sauceda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High Functioning Autistic (HFA) boys have significant social, emotional, and cognitive difficulties and unique cognitive abilities that require special support from stakeholders in their ecology (policy makers, care providers, schools, and parents). The quality of such support and its ecological integration are of poor quality. The purpose of this study was to report on the perceptions of parents of HFA boys about their children’s academic and beyond-academic experiences as understood within a policy-care provider-school-parent ecological framework. This study contributes to the limited ecological literature on the topic. This exploratory, qualitative, phenomenological, non-experimental, and cross-sectional research study used a non-probability, purposive, …

An Exploration Of Faculty With Disabilities In Social Work Programs, Kelly Dundon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disability is a unique dimension of diversity, yet structural, social and attitudinal barriers can make meaningful workforce participation difficult for individuals with disabilities. Faculty with disabilities (FWD) are a particularly underrepresented population in academia, and even more so in social work programs. Based on this under-representation and a concern for the lack of attention this population has received, this project will explore a subset of this group. This thesis will focus on faculty with disabilities, first by looking into the scant research pertaining to FWD, then presenting the data from a qualitative study and demographic survey. Implications for policy, practice …

Stigma And Disclosure Of Chronic Pain In Higher Education: A Qualitative Study, Jennifer K. Davenport

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Students with chronic pain represent an overlooked population in higher education institutions, due to the barriers their conditions present and the stigma associated with chronic pain. There is existing research examines treatment of elderly populations and best practices for university students with disabilities, facing discrimination. This study sheds light on a gap in the existing research, where a niche population of students in chronic pain navigated disclosure issues and stigma in the academic environment. The purpose of the qualitative research study was to examine how anticipated or experienced stigma associated with chronic pain conditions influenced disclosure of chronic pain for …

Adhd: A Personal Struggle, Julianna Vanvalin

KUCC -- Kutztown University Composition Conference

This paper attempts to show my struggles with ADHD and how not receiving proper care can hinder someone.

Occupational Therapy's Role In Adapting Residential Youth Camps For Increased Inclusion, Brittany Tate

Student Capstone Papers

Each year, summer camps serve more than 11 million youth in the United States (US) (Wilson, Sibthorp, & Brusseau, 2017). Summer camps provide children with new experiences and give them opportunities to build confidence, social skills, and peer relationships (Wilson et al., 2017). Occupational therapy (OT) is an emerging area of practice throughout summer camps in the US (Hanscom & Schoen, 2014). Hanscom and Schoen (2014) recommend strategically combining OT with traditional camp programming to create an emotionally, physically, and spiritually safe environment that promotes optimal attending and task follow through. Summer camp has been shown to enhance positive youth …

Factors That Influence The Success In Higher Education For Students With Autism, Elizabeth O. Gardner

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine factors that influence the success in college for students with autism. To meet this purpose, four upperclassmen college students with ASD were recruited for semi-structured interviews on their college experience. The interviews were transcribed and coded which led to the uncovering of three categories and three themes. The data from this study suggest that success in college for students with autism is influenced by an integration of multiple factors working together which include personal, macro educational, and micro educational. Many general themes uncovered in this study were mirrored by the current literature …

Identity And Advocacy: The Missing Components In Promoting Social-Emotional Health And Self-Regulation For Multiply Marginalized Girls, Jovonne Tabb, Temple S. Lovelace, Mary Comis, Olajumoke Oshokoya

Graduate Student Research Symposium

Girlhood has been a topic of great interest in the last decade. As individuals have examined the lack of girls in STEM or the increase of bullying in girls, there has been a push to understanding the differential experiences along gender-based lines. In this study, the researchers highlight the results of the successful implementation of a group-based curriculum that utilized identity and advocacy as critical components in a treatment package focused on self-regulation. Using a pretest-posttest design, the researchers found a statistically significant difference in several key areas that are of key importance when supporting the needs of adolescent girls. …

General Education Teachers’ Perspectives On The Effectiveness Of Dyslexia Identification And The Potential Use Of Teacher Administered Screening Tests, Emily Ewry

Honors Projects

Dyslexia is a learning disorder with symptoms that greatly impact students in educational settings and these impacts can extend beyond the walls of school into everyday life. Progress has been made to identify and accommodate more students with dyslexia, but students still are diagnosed late into their schooling or go undiagnosed. To evaluate this problem, this study was designed to turn to general education teachers in Ohio with a survey. The survey looks at general education teachers’ knowledge on dyslexia and the dyslexia identification process, the impact undiagnosed dyslexia may or may not have in the classroom, and the teachers’ …

La Discapacidad En Valparaíso: La Existencia De Un (¿Nuevo?) Movimiento Social, Julia Conti

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines disability in Chile as a possible new social movement, seeking to answer the question of whether a movement for disability rights exists and if so, what form it takes. Disability has historically been seen as an imperfection, an impairment, and something to cure if at all possible, but beginning in the mid-twentieth century, groups of disabled people have advocated for a changing perception of their own abilities, their place in society, and how society itself contributes to the disabling of people. Alongside this burgeoning movement, scholarship emerged that reconceptualized disability and proposed new models for understanding the …

Bruchlinien Der Inklusion, Justin A. Haegele, Martin Giese, Wesley J. Wilson, Felix Oldörp

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

This paper will call for action in one space that is commonly among the first to act as a testing ground for integrated education, physical education. The purposes of this article are twofold: (1) to provide a brief review of research examining integrated physical education from the viewpoints of those with disabilities and (2) to provide several points of reference for future research in this area of inquiry. In addressing these purposes, we first present a review of scholarship salient to the subjective experiences of students with disabilities in integrated physical education. Then, to illustrate and extend this research, an …

From The Field: Strategies On Career Development And Employment For Students With Intellectual Disability., Daria Domin

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This practical guide includes strategies that work to support students with intellectual disability (ID) who are looking for employment opportunities. The strategies shared in this publication were shared with the authors by staff and faculty at six different post-secondary programs for students with ID, and align with the Think College Standards for Inclusive Higher Education; a chart is included to show the alignment.

The Limits Of Inclusion: Teacher Beliefs And Experience With Inclusion Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Allegra Johnson

LMU Theses and Dissertations

General education teachers are critical contributors to the successful inclusion of students labeled with learning disabilities in general education classrooms. Similarly, teacher beliefs about disability labels significantly influence how teachers include or exclude students labeled with a learning disability in their classrooms. This qualitative study investigated eight secondary general education teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion and their experiences teaching students labeled with a learning disability from a Critical Disabilities Studies perspective. Data were collected using an innovative qualitative method, Q methodology, in order to surface distinct perspectives within the group about inclusion and the experience of teaching students labeled with a …

Imaginative Empathies: Exploring The Role Of Creative Writing In Developing Social Skills Of College Students With Autism, Rebekkah N. Richner

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Only one-third of students with autism who are enrolled in American universities go on to graduate (Cox & Williams, 2018; Newman et al., 2011; Wei et al., 2014). These students may be currently underserved by the writing curriculum of postsecondary institutions when it comes to facilitating social and personal development in college and beyond. This thesis begins with the hypothesis that creative writing classes already utilize pedagogical tools that could aid students with autism in strengthening their social skills, particularly through the more structured social environment of the creative writing workshop. This study examined a 200-level short story creative writing …

The Lived Experiences Of People With Disabilities And Their Families: Transitioning To Adulthood And The Role Of Independent Facilitation, Emily Christine Tang

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

ABSTRACT

Objective

Emerging adulthood can be a stressful life stage due to the many life choices available and is especially challenging for emerging adults with disabilities (EADs) who face additional barriers in accessing supports and information regarding adult opportunities. This qualitative study investigated the experiences of transitioning to adulthood, and the role of a person-directed facilitation service, for EADs and their families.

Methods

Fourteen participants were recruited through purposeful and convenience sampling. Data collection procedures consisted of background questionnaires and one-on-one semi-structured interviews which were then thematically analyzed. Field notes, member checks and triangulation were used throughout the analysis process …

Disrupting Dis/Abilization: A Critical Exploration Of Research Methods To Combat White Supremacy And Ableism In Education, Sara H. Petit-Mcclure, Chelsea Stinson

Intersections: Critical Issues in Education

The following paper explores the way scientific research, as it is commonly defined, has been used to continue the marginalization and subsequent dis/abilization of students based on racial, cultural, and linguistic identities. Starting with a historical perspective, we trace the role of scientific research in the support of white supremacist, ableist societal mechanisms, as well as the emphasis on scientifically-based research in educational policy and practice. We call for an expansion of the definition of scientific research to emphasize mixed and multiple methods guided by the principles of participatory, emancipatory, and decolonizing methodologies.

Autism Spectrum Disorders And Positive Familial Effects, Genevieve Weaver

Senior Honors Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have been found to significantly impact familial structures and outcomes in various studies. The majority of the impact, however, has been primarily negative; effects like increased stress, marital discontentment, and stigmatization are commonly expressed by families. In this study data from a questionnaire, interview, and picture presentations were analyzed and triangulated to identify the positive familial effects of having a child or sibling with ASD. Parents and siblings shared that having a child or sibling with ASD has bettered their life through learning to enjoy the identity of the individual with ASD, through personal growth, and …

Campus Recreation Inclusion For People With Disabilities: A Qualitative Investigation Of Current Inclusive Practices., Tyler C. Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the current practices of campus recreation professionals to create inclusive campus recreation programs, services, and facilities. The researcher identified twelve campus recreation programs known by their peers and the industry to be at the forefront of providing inclusion efforts to people with disabilities. Through in-depth discussions with campus recreation practitioners at the twelve identified institutions, the investigation elicited a variety of interesting results. Utilizing the frameworks of Critical Disability Theory and Universal Design, this investigation identified how campus recreation practitioners perceive the inclusiveness of their campus recreation departments and how the campus recreation practitioners developed their inclusive …

Nothing Down About It: Decreasing The Fear Of The Unknown For Mothers’ Expecting A Child With Down Syndrome, Alexandra E. Greenburg

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Down Syndrome is a chromosomal abnormality that is associated with an intellectual and developmental delay. This is because there is an extra full or partial copy of the 21st chromosome called Trisomy 21, which is diagnosed prenatally or at birth. Parents of children with Down syndrome felt that health professionals displayed a lack of understanding and ignorance when delivering their child’s Down syndrome diagnosis (Mengoni & Redman, 2018). This may lead to concerns on the child’s quality of life and hinder timely appropriate intervention services for a child with Down syndrome. This is why I conducted a workshop in Claremont, …

Coming To America For The Good Of A Deaf Child: The Case Of Joy, Angi Stone-Macdonald

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publication Series

Families of children with disabilities must make difficult choices about providing health and educational services that their children need and finding an environment where they can be socially accepted. In this study, parents from Kenya whose daughter is deaf weigh their desire to provide the best life for her against their desire to use their professional expertise to help people in Kenya. This article examines the role of cultural beliefs about disability in this family's experience. It highlights issues that deserve further research to learn more about how to meet immigrants' needs in special education, especially immigrant families from African …

Como La Mejora De La Educación Especial Depende De La Sociedad, Peyton Locke

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Utilizando la observación participante y no participante, este estudio examina los factores que contribuyen a una educación exhaustiva para los niños y adultos con necesidades especiales. El objetivo de este estudio es investigar los diferentes tipos de educación especial que se ofrecen en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires y, por último, descubrir cómo la educación especial puede ser mejor para garantizar un sistema de educación especial igual y fuerte. Después de pasar un mes observando cinco escuelas diferentes dentro de cada escalafón, además de hablar con diferentes directores y docentes de educación especial, los resultados de este estudio llegaron a …

How Is Disability Seen? An Auto-Ethnographic Exploration Of Disability In Urban Townships In Ethekwini, South Africa, Connie Chao

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Disability is a topic that is often overlooked and not seen in day to day life. Disability may be visible or invisible to others, and individuals may have varying attitudes and opinions towards people with disabilities. Disability can also be conceptualized in different ways depending on if one takes on a bio-medical model or a social model of disability. In this study, I explored how disability is seen, both literally and metaphorically in urban townships in the eThekwini Municipality in South Africa. I conducted semi-structured interviews with individuals with disabilities and community members at large to understand people’s perspectives on …

Disability And Migration: How Systems Of Violence Intersect With The Production And Experience Of Disability For Migrants In Morocco, Frances Condon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project investigates the perspectives and experiences of physically disabled, chronically ill, or bodily-impaired migrants from south of the Sahara living in Rabat, Morocco. Increasing interest in disabled migrants’ rights from international organizations risks erasing those being ‘protected’ if it does not attend to the intersections of race, class, citizenship, and gender as they relate to the production and experience of disability for migrants. Produced by and for the (white) global North, I argue that traditional Euro-American disability studies scholarship is ill-equipped to address the issues faced by disabled migrants in post-colonial contexts. In addition to being ineffective, the uncritical …

International Disabled Adoptees Path To Higher Education, Kaily Micaela Beaulaurier

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

As a result of changing laws designed to create access to higher education, an increasing number of individuals with disabilities are attending college. However, post-secondary outcomes of individuals with disabilities continue to lag behind their non-disabled peers. While there is research on the needs of students with disabilities once in college, we know little about the social factors shaping their decisions to attend college. Likewise, over the past two decades, there has been a growing prevalence of adoptive families, including adoptions across racial/ethnic groups. Despite the increasing visibility of adoption, particularly transracial adoption, there is little research on adoptee’s decisions …

How To Look Disabled Enough: An Exploration Of Stigma And Invisible Disabilities, Kenny Dalton

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

Individuals with disabilities of all kinds experience discrimination and stigma as they go about their lives; ableism, the systemic discrimination against people with disabilities, is rampant across many cultures. These negative attitudes towards disability manifest in many different ways, from denying people with disabilities agency over their bodies to refusing to provide public spaces they can safely navigate. The present project seeks to use interviews as a way to explore and reflect on the experiences of several people with disabilities that are not visible to the average observer. The project offers perspectives from individuals with a range of disabilities, from …

Finding Employment Accessibility For People With Intellectual Disabilities, Michael Riggin

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

No abstract provided.

Jmu Campus Inclusivity Video Project, Meredith Grace Browder

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

After experiencing a general lack of knowledge at James Madison University (JMU) regarding inclusivity of students with varying abilities, I decided to find the best way to educate the JMU community on how to be more accommodating on campus. I surveyed students served by the Office of Disability Services in order to assess their concerns and needs. My survey data indicated that the students on campus with disabilities have felt isolated at JMU because of multiple factors including both student and faculty ignorance. After researching the significant role played by videos and social media in shaping public opinion, I used …

Increasing Understanding Of Professor’S Adhd Knowledge And Perception Of Adhd And How This Informs Their Behavior Towards Students With Adhd, Rebecca Rosen

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent learning disability experience by 5.3% of students. The behaviors associated with ADHD (hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention) can impact a students’ ability to learn and their behavior and relationships in the classroom. Teachers can help to create a supportive or unsupportive learning environment for students with learning disabilities, specifically ADHD. Unfortunately, these needs are not always met for students in college. Previous research has uncovered primary and secondary teacher’s knowledge, perception, and behavior regarding children with ADHD, but little work has focused on college professors. College professors are likely to have significantly less …

Inclusive Classrooms: From Access To Engagement

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Life In Inclusive Classrooms: Storytelling With Disability Studies In Education

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Pasantía En Programa De Integración Escolar (Pie): Apoyando Estudiantes Con Discapacidades En La Escuela Secundaria, Emily Sen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The intent behind this internship experience was to gain insight into the relationship between an individual’s physical and mental state in the general panorama of one’s health and wellness, specifically among the adolescent population. Throughout this investigation, I actively focused on helping the individuals with whom I was working by cultivating relationships and assisting in therapies. I completed this work in the Student Integration Program (Programa de Integración Escolar), known as PIE, within Liceo A-1 Octavo Palma Pérez, a public high school in Arica, Chile. PIE is a government sponsored program that provides additional resources to students in the public-school …