Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Why Inclusion Isn’T Coming, It Is Already Here: Catholic Schools And Inclusive Special Education, Michael N. Faggella-Luby, Max Engel

Journal of Catholic Education

Catholic school personnel are increasingly recognizing that many of their students, including students with disabilities, need and benefit from inclusive educational practices. These oftentimes ad hoc practices are motivated by the Catholic identity and mission of the school, as well as the diverse educational needs of students. This article responds to these recognized realities, arguing that Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and the practical reality of academically diverse students requires understanding disability as being unique to each student, though within categories recognized in the Individuals With Disabilities Act (IDEA) that serve as starting points for interventions. CST and the recognition of …

A Framework For All: Building Capacity For Service Delivery In Catholic Schools, Michael Faggella-Luby, Christie Bonfiglio

Journal of Catholic Education

The challenge to include students with disabilities in Catholic schools requires a comprehensive system of service delivery to meet student need and avoid pathologizing individuals as problems. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), a framework for organizing resources, delivering services, and measuring success that directly addresses the mission of Catholic Schools to truly serve all students. MTSS is a research-based and systematic service delivery model that provides tiered supports based on individual learner need. MTSS is defined and contextualized to address both academic and behavioral supports for all students. A …

Exploring Accessibility And Social Inclusion For Children With Hearing Impairments In Residential Camps Through The Occupational Therapy Lens, Tiffany Coles

Student Capstone Papers

Children are encouraged to engage in various play, leisure, and social participation activities to enhance the development of life skills, independence, and social skills. A common leisure and social participation activity for children aged 6 to 18-years-old is to attend residential camp. Residential camps provide children a structured opportunity to engage in leisure activities while learning to become independent and self-confident when socializing and making new friends. Attending camp can be a fun and engaging environment to help accelerate growth in key developmental outcomes, such as positive identity, social skills, physical skills, positive values, and spirituality.

Within the residential camp …

Educational Leaders Can Lead The Way For Increased Academic Achievement For Students On The Autism Spectrum, Stephanie C. Holmes, Jennifer Butcher

School Leadership Review

The problem that drove this study was the increasing number of students with autism entering the school system, and the barriers often encountered for both academic and social inclusion for students on the autism spectrum. Autism Spectrum Disorder, as defined by diagnostic criteria, includes deficits in social-relational communication; social-communication deficits can lead to educational impacts and limit opportunities upon transitioning from the public-school system. The purpose of this study was to examine the barriers to inclusion, from the perspectives of key stakeholders to include Local Education Agency (LEA) representatives, general and special education teachers, school counselors, school psychologists, speech-language pathologists …

Educators’ Perspectives Regarding The Inclusion Of Students With Mild To Moderate Disabilities Into The General Education Classroom, Rebecca Lynn Parres

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This quantitative study examined the perspectives of educators related to the inclusion of students with mild to moderate disabilities in general education classrooms. General education teachers, special education providers (e.g. education specialists, speech pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, and school psychologists, etc.), and administrators were surveyed to obtain their perspectives regarding the inclusion of students with mild to moderate disabilities; into the general education classroom. The Inclusive School Program Survey (McLewesky, et al., 2012) was used with permission from James McLeskey who conducted similar research in 2001. The five-point Likert scale survey was utilized to obtain data from the …

Perceptions Of Special Education Supports By School Administrators, Eric P. Oxford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study analyzed the perceptions of special education supports by school administrators. Specifically, this research discussed comparative findings of perceptions of special education supports between building principals and building-based special education team chairpersons in one Massachusetts public school district. The findings are grounded in the district’s inclusive philosophy and its capability to ensure that all students are provided educational opportunities in the least restrictive educational environment. The problem studied was that many students with disabilities who are unable to find academic success within an inclusive academic environment are typically transitioned into a more restrictive—or substantially separate—alternative education setting. It …

Mission Unaccomplished: Beyond “Talk[Ing] A Good Game” To Promote Diversity And Inclusion, Tara Lehan, Heather Hussey, Ashley Babcock

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Guided by feminist standpoint theory and scholars’ calls to move beyond merely counting individuals to understand the extent to which higher education institutions are diverse, the authors invited faculty members, staff members, and administrators from minoritized groups to describe their perceptions and experiences, including those associated with diversity and inclusion efforts at their institutions. In association with various dynamics, these individuals frequently described such initiatives as mostly talk with little to no meaningful objectives and outcomes. Based on these findings, we provide a three-step process that can be followed to disrupt and dismantle systems of (dis)advantage to promote greater diversity …

Creating An Inclusive Climate For Students On The Autism Spectrum, Stephanie Christine Holmes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem that drove this study was the increasing number of students with autism entering the school system, and the barriers often encountered for both academic and social inclusion for students on the autism spectrum. Autism Spectrum Disorder, as defined by diagnostic criteria, includes deficits in social-relational communication; social-communication deficits can lead to educational impacts and limit opportunities upon transitioning from the public-school system. The purpose of this study was to examine the barriers to inclusion, which often includes the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) eligibility process itself, from the perspectives of key stakeholders to include Local Education Agency (LEA) representatives, …

Assessment Of Inclusive Practices In Head Start Preschool Classrooms: Access, Participation, And Supports, Ifthika "Shine" Nissar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to assess inclusive practices in Head Start preschool classrooms. In 1972, Public Law PL 94-242 mandated Head Start enrollment to include 10% of students with disabilities (Allen & Cowdery, 2009). Research on assessment of inclusive practices within Head Start preschool classrooms is limited (Gallagher & Lambert, 2006; Muccio, 2012).

This study implemented a quantitative, descriptive design approach. Correlational analysis was conducted to explore answers to the research questions according to access, participation, and supports constructs (DEC/NAEYC, 2009). An Inclusion Crosswalk model was introduced. Data revealed that the underlying factor structure of the …