Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Preparation Of School Counselors And Response To Intervention: A Profession At The Crossroads, Melissa S. Ockerman, Eva Patrikakou, Amy Feiker Hollenbeck

Eva N. Patrikakou

As a result of the Response to Intervention (RTI) mandate in schools across many states, school counselors are uniquely positioned to a take a leadership role within its implementation. This research study examines how school counselors in one such state perceive their training and knowledge of RTI and thus their confidence in implementing it. Implications for training, supervision, professional development and future research are discussed.

Data-Based Decisions Guidelines For Teachers Of Students With Severe Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Bree A. Jimenez, Pamela J. Mims, Diane M. Browder

Pamela J. Mims

Effective practices in student data collection and implementation of data-based instructional decisions are needed for all educators, but are especially important when students have severe intellectual and develop- mental disabilities. Although research in the area of data-based instructional decisions for students with severe disabilities shows benefits for using data, there is limited research to demonstrate teachers in applied settings can acquire the decision-making skills required. The purpose of this research was to demonstrate how teachers from five states acquired a set of data-based decisions implementation guidelines through online professional development. Recommendations for practice and future research are included.

Learning Needs Analysis For The Deaf Education Sector, Julie Kos, Marion Meiers, Lawrence Ingvarson

Marion Meiers

The Victorian Deaf Education Institute (VDEI), Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to undertake a project to design, conduct and analyse the learning needs of teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing. The focus of the study was to identify any gap between teachers’ existing skills and knowledge and the skills that are needed to optimise student learning outcomes.

How Does Inclusion With Co-Teaching Affect Student Performance On Summative Assessments?, Kaitlin M. Hutchinson

Kaitlin M Hutchinson

Schools have been pushed toward inclusive practices with an emphasis on co-teaching models (Yeung, 2012), yet reservations exist and little is known about the effects of inclusive practices. The questions this study aims to answer are: 1. Does inclusion with an emphasis on co-teaching affect performance of newly transitioning students with disabilities on district and teacher made summative assessments?, and 2. Does inclusion with co-teaching have a carry-over effect on typically-developing students’ assessment scores? This study aims to investigate the effect of inclusive practices on student summative assessment scores. Results from the district pre-assessment were gathered for all students in …

Standards For Educational, Edutainment, And Developmentally Beneficial Computer Games, R. Peterson, I. Verenikina, J. Herrington

I. Verenikina

The results of a comprehensive review of the body of research concerning the developmental and educational value of computer gaming for children is reported. Based on the review, design criteria are proposed for educational and edutainment computer games. In addition, a hierarchy of educational, edutainment, and entertainment game categories is introduced. It is argued that a standard educational labeling system is needed to assist parents and teachers with selecting computer games. A gap in the research is highlighted with regard to the affordances of computer games to facilitate the development of young children’s higher order thinking. It is recommended that …

Goal Setting And Rewards For Addressing Nonresponse To Empirical Intervention, Jeremy W. Ford

Jeremy W. Ford

Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend (RAAC) is an intervention targeting difficulties with reading fluency and comprehension. Previous research has demonstrated RAAC to be effective for students with and without disabilities. This study extended research using RAAC by using goal setting and rewards. Participants will learn how to use these strategies to implement less intrusive changes for when a student does not respond to an empirically-based intervention prior to more intrusive changes (e.g., duration, frequency, different intervention).

Cbms And Postsecondary Students With Developmental Disabilities: Examining Technical Adequacy, John L. Hosp, Jeremy W. Ford, Kiersten Hensley, Sally M. Huddle

Jeremy W. Ford

For students with developmental disabilities (DD), postsecondary education opportunities are increasing and they require focused academic skill instruction. Tools for progress monitoring (e.g., Curriculum-Based Measurement; CBM) are needed however, research with CBM and students with DD is limited. Participants will be able to evaluate the technical adequacy of these instruments.

Accommodating Accommodations: How A Small Liberal Arts College Certification Program Redefines The New Ell State Mandates, Brent C. Talbot, Kaoru Miyazawa

Kaoru Miyazawa

No abstract provided.

Autism Spectrum Disorders In Children And Adolescents: Evidence-Based Assessment And Intervention In Schools., Lee Wilkinson

Lee A Wilkinson, PhD

School professionals and clinicians share the challenge of identifying and providing interventions for the increasing number of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This book is an authoritative resource that presents up-to-date research and evidence-based tools for accurate assessment and intervention. It includes procedures to help identify children using the new DSM-5 symptom criteria and offers essential guidance for assessing a variety of emotional, behavioral, and academic problems. The book provides practitioners with an evidence-based assessment battery, which includes tests of cognitive, academic, neuropsychological, and adaptive functioning. The pragmatic, social-communicative functions of language are considered together with assessments to identify …

Learning Needs Analysis For The Deaf Education Sector, Julie Kos, Marion Meiers, Lawrence Ingvarson

Dr Julie Kos

The Victorian Deaf Education Institute (VDEI), Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to undertake a project to design, conduct and analyse the learning needs of teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing. The focus of the study was to identify any gap between teachers’ existing skills and knowledge and the skills that are needed to optimise student learning outcomes.

Can Prevention Programs Work Together? An Example Of School-Based Mental Health With Prevention Initiatives, Hank Bohanon, Meng-Jia Wu

Hank Bohanon

Personnel addressing mental health in schools are required to provide supports in settings that have decreasing resources and multiple initiatives. While competing initiatives in schools can pose problems, integration of prevention systems and data may lead to more efficient supports and effective outcomes. Mental health service providers must consider how the integration of schoolwide initiatives such as positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), response to intervention (RtI), and social and emotional learning (SEL) can improve their work. This article will provide an example showing varying levels of integration of schoolwide models in one state. This example will include (a) the …

Convergent Validity Of The Finnish Behavioral And Emotional Rating Scale-2 With Teachers And Parents As Raters, Hannu Savolainen Dr., Philip D. Nordness Dr., Erkko T. Sointu, Kristiina Lappalainen, Michael H. Epstein

Philip D. Nordness Dr.

In previous research the Finnish version of the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale-2 (Epstein,2004) has demonstrated adequate internal consistency and reliability. The purpose of the present study was to examine the convergent validity of the Finnish BERS-2 by comparing it with the Finnish version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, with teachers and parents as the raters. The results add to the research base to suggest that the Finnish BERS-2 is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the emotional and behavioral strengths of children and youth.

The Role Of Universities In Achieving National And International Priorities: A Closer Look At Education, Research And Innovation, Hadi Salehi, Melor Md Yunus, Zeinab Salehi

Hadi Salehi

Universities are regarded as fundamental factors to the achievement of many national and international priorities. Universities are the only places where the ideas and rationales are brought together, and which make them the strongest providers of the rational explanation and meaning that societies need. Investments in the universities are increasingly based upon the belief that the science labs in research-intensive universities can be the source of a continuous stream of people and ideas that will spawn innovative and fast growing companies to form a knowledge-based economy. In teaching, universities shape new people, and in research, they create new possibilities. The …

Pepsa 11th Annual Autism Summer Institute, Lee A. Wilkinson

Lee A Wilkinson, PhD

Schools today face the challenge of providing appropriate services to a diverse and increasingly numerous student population diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Epidemiological research indicates a progressively rising prevalence trend for ASD over the past decade. Recent studies indicate that the prevalence rate for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is 78% higher than just 10 years ago. The most recent report from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 88 school-age children have an autism spectrum disorder. In fact, prevalence and incidence figures suggest that over 1.5 million Americans are affected by autism.

School professionals …

Relationship – The Fourth “R” In Our Schools, Lee Wilkinson

Lee A Wilkinson, PhD

No abstract provided.

Do Declining Neighborhood Economic Conditions Trump Hoped For School Renovation Renewal Benefit?, John W. Hill

John W. Hill

The purpose of this study was to determine (a) individual student achievement, (b) teacher mobility rates, (c) perceptions of safety at school, and (d) student enrollment patterns, over time, in two recently renovated, same city, urban, No Child Left Behind compliant, Title I elementary school buildings located in close proximity neighborhoods one with improving the other with declining economic conditions. Achievement results indicated that fifth-grade students (n = 18) who attended a renovated school second-grade through fifth-grade in a neighborhood with improving economic conditions compared to fifth-grade students (n = 15) who attended a renovated school second-grade through fifth-grade in …

Have Institutional Review Board Regulations Affected Research Approval Patterns?, John W. Hill

John W. Hill

No abstract provided.

Being The Change We Want To See: Esl And Special Needs Teachers Author Their Past And Their Future, Susan Adams, Jamie Buffington-Adams

Susan Adams

Presentation at the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention post-convention workshop, Chicago, IL, November 19, 2011.

Students With Special Needs: State Of The Nation, Katherine Dix

Dr Katherine Dix

Best Practice News: School Psychologist Wins Book Award, Lee Wilkinson

Lee A Wilkinson, PhD

No abstract provided.

Florida Association Of School Psychologists 38th Annual Conference, Lee A. Wilkinson

Lee A Wilkinson, PhD

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Schools: Evidence-Based Screening and Assessment

Epidemiological studies indicate a progressively rising prevalence trend for ASD over the past decade. Yet, compared to population estimates, identification rates have not kept pace in our schools. Many children with ASD are overlooked, misdiagnosed with another psychiatric condition, or present with coexisting psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. School psychologists must be prepared to recognize the presence of risk factors and/or early warning signs of ASD, engage in case finding, and be familiar with screening and assessment tools in order to ensure that students are being identified and …

Pragmatics, Lee Wilkinson

Lee A Wilkinson, PhD

No abstract provided.

Mindblindness, Lee Wilkinson

Lee A Wilkinson, PhD

No abstract provided.

Capella University Sponsors Autism Event, Lee Wilkinson

Lee A Wilkinson, PhD

Systems Theory, Lee Wilkinson

Lee A Wilkinson, PhD

No abstract provided.

A Meta-Analysis Of Peer-Mediated Interventions For Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jie Zhang, John J. Wheeler

John J. Wheeler

A Multi-Step Screening Strategy For Identifying Children With Autism Spectrum Conditions In The School Setting, Lee Wilkinson

Lee A Wilkinson, PhD

No abstract provided.

Troubling The Waters: Alterity In The Experienced Curriculum Of English Language Learners And Special Education Students, Susan Adams, Jamie Buffington-Adams

Susan Adams

Presentation at the 6th International Globalization, Diversity & Education Conference, Spokane, WA, February 2010.

School-Age Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Screening And Identification, Lee A. Wilkinson

Lee A Wilkinson, PhD

Epidemiological studies indicate a worldwide increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) over the past decade. ASDs are no longer considered rare conditions. Although the reason(s) for this rise are uncertain, research indicates that specialised intervention at an early age is vital for optimising the outcomes of children with ASD. However, not all children with milder forms of autism will be identified prior to school entrance. Hence, it is essential for educators and school-based support professionals to ensure that children who have risk factors and/or warning signs of ASD are identified and provided with special educational services as …

Facilitating The Identification Of Autism Spectrum Disorders In School- Age Children, Lee A. Wilkinson

Lee A Wilkinson, PhD

Recent special education trends suggest that students with autism spectrum disorders are underrepresented in our schools’ special education programs. The increased awareness and prevalence of autism, together with the clear benefits of early intervention and special education, have created an urgent need for school-based professionals to identify children who may have an autism spectrum disorder. Screening is an important first step for securing the appropriate educational services. The aim of this article is to provide school professionals with a review of five screening instruments that hold promise for identifying school-age children in need of a more in-depth diagnostic assessment.