Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Programs Offered In Illinois To Adolescents Labeled Ld And Perceived Roles Of Their Teachers, Anita C. Deters

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Early Childhood Special Education Teaching Theories On Their Classroom Environments, Cheryl L. Mortimer

Masters Theses

With passage of P.L. 99-457 educators in the United States are going to need to take a very close look at early childhood special education. There will be many new programs beginning in areas where teachers and administrators may be poorly informed. Early childhood special education is effective,but an examination of what part of these programs make it effective needs to be addressed. This study examined how a teachers theoretical orientation toward teaching can affect their preschool special education classroom environment. The environment was evaluated by a section on a survey in which points were accumulated for different environmental factors …

The Effects Of Educational Environments Upon The Academic Achievement Of Students Identified As Exceptional, Janet Y. Koch

Masters Theses

The effect of classroom setting upon the academic achievement of students identified as exceptional is an issue worthy of exploration. A plethora of research data tends to show that segregated settings are more effective for individuals who are moderately to severely handicapped in intellectual or physical functioning, whereas integrated settings are more favorable toward those who are mildly handicapped (e.g., learning disabled or behavior disordered, for instance). Numerous variables in the different delivery systems make it rather difficult for the research to pinpoint which type of setting contributes best to a child's learning.

Research in the past has put considerable …

Services In The State Of Illinois For Students Identified As Behavior Disordered, Christi D. Hipple

Masters Theses

Problems exist which interfer with the ability to provide consistent and appropriate educational services to students identified as behavior disordered. These problems involve the inability to provide an educationally relevant label and definition on the federal level, the inability to define and describe the types of services or interventions beneficial to these students and the inability of some districts to comply with minimum federal regulations due to demographic variables. This study obtained special educators’ responses regarding service delivery characteristics and compared these responses by average daily attendance of all students in a district. Results indicated that services provided by districts …

The Inter-Rater Reliability Of The American Association On Mental Deficiency Adaptive Behavior Scale (School Edition) Using Secondary Special Education Personnel As Raters, Jimmy L. Camp Jr.

Masters Theses

The concept of adaptive behavior has been present in the definition of adaptive behavior for many years. With the advent of intelligence testing, adaptive behavior was deemphasized, but later reemerged as widespread dissatisfaction with the testing movement grew among researchers in the area of mental retardation. The importance of the concept of adaptive behavior has been affirmed by the American Association on Mental Deficiency (A.A.M.D.), which developed a dual criteria system of defining mental retardation that included adaptive behavior as a major component. The Federal government later adopted this classification system for funding purposes in P.L. 94-142.

The valid and …

Teacher Effectiveness In Special Education, Christy Dee Mandrell

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Parents, Teachers, And Administrators Of The Learning Disability Programs Of The Macon, Moweaqua, And Warrensburg-Latham School Districts, Carl R. Hall

Masters Theses

Purpose

The purpose of this field study was to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of the learning disability resource services, the model used to deliver services in Macon, Moweaqua, and Warrensburg-Latham School Districts, from the parents’, regular teachers’, resource learning disability teachers’, and administrators’ perspectives.

Assessing the perspectives currently held of the resource services by regular teachers, parents, resource learning disability teachers, and administrators served as an initial step in planning for future program needs and may help in establishing future goals for learning disability students. Discrepancies in the perceptions of these four groups may represent communication problems and identify areas …

The Effects Of Test-Taking Instruction Upon The Test Scores Of Students Labeled As Learning Disabled, Deborah Wolfson

Masters Theses

A multiple-baseline design was used to investigate the effects of test-taking instruction upon the social studies test scores of four seventh grade students labeled as learning disabled. This two-phased (baseline and post-intervention) study ran for two semesters and included 14 test entries. All the tests were administered in the subjects' social studies class and scored by the subjects' social studies teacher. The teacher was not informed as to the nature of this study while it was in progress. The 10- day, individually instructed intervention package included activities in (a) test preparation (b) general test-taking principles (c) clue words (d) following …

The Effects Of Language Processing Strategies Upon Reading Comprehension, Kathy Ann Kirby

Masters Theses

In 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed providing educational services for children with exceptionalities. Learning disabilities was one of those exceptionalities whose definition used a language disorder as its major criteria for the identification and classification of a specific learning disabilities. The inclusion of language disorders within its definition brought about greater interest in language and the understanding of language development, acquisition and processing and how these aspects related with academic learning, particularly with reading.

The purpose of this study was to address the issue of language processing strategies in the remediating of language deficits and …

An Assessment Of Communication And Service Needs To Be Provided To The Regular Education Teacher By The Resource Teacher, Jacqueline Lee Holt

Masters Theses

This study was designed to determine the types of communication and assistance that should be provided to regular education teachers by the resource teachers. This study also attempted to determine if there was any significance in the needs of regular education teachers based on the grade level, level of education, and/or sex of the respondents. An open-ended questionnaire was distributed to students enrolled in graduate level classes at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. Responses obtained from the questionnaire were used to construct a second, multiple choice questionnaire. The questionnaire analyzed three main areas (a) consultation, (b) materials, and (c) …

The Effects Of Background Music On The Overt Behavior Of High School Students Labeled As Being Behavior Disordered, Karol Lynn Cowell

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Applying The Cognitive Dissonance Theory On Improving Pre-Service Teachers' Attitudes Toward Individuals Labelled Exceptional, Kelly Randick

Masters Theses

This thesis study developed from an interest in and an awareness of the need to modify attitudes of pre-service teachers toward those who are labelled exceptional. The effects of negative attitudes toward those labelled exceptional have been repeatedly reported in the literature. Negative attitudes toward those labelled exceptional are reported to have resulted in differential treatment toward and lowered self concepts/esteems of those with disabilities. There had been an inclination for individuals without disabilities to place emphasis on the differences between people with disabilities and those without. These differences were reported to have negative connotations. The central purpose of this …

The Effects Of Self-Monitoring On The Disruptive Behavior Of Students Identified As Severely Behavior Disordered, Claire Thompson Vanvickle

Masters Theses

The study investigated the effects of self-monitoring on the disruptive behaviors of four male senior high school students who were identified as having severe behavior disorders. Using a multiple baseline across subjects design, the students were randomly assigned to 30, 25, 20, and 15 days, respectively, of intervention conditions. The independent variable consisted of self-monitoring of ten appropriate behaviors that had been cooperatively identified by the students and teacher; each student was required to classify his behavior as appropriate or inappropriate at five intervals during their mathematics class. The dependent variables, measured daily, were the mean frequency of occurrence of …

Teaching Change Computation To The Developmentally Disabled, Nancy Daeschlein

Masters Theses

This study evaluated a procedure for teaching three developmentally disabled adults to compute monetary change combinations. Also, the procedure assessed generalization to the skills of computing change with bills, verifying the correctness of change received, and computing change with both coins and bills. Subjects were first trained to make change using pennies and then were trained to use each successive denomination in combination with those previously trained. A multipleprobe design was used, including generalization probes of the above-cited skills. Results indicated that each subject acquired the behavior of change computation with coins as a function of the training procedure. Also, …

The Effects Of Parent Monitoring On Homework Completion Of Low Performing Students, Maria Del Carmen Barocio

Masters Theses

Four junior high school boys from a Special Education room participated in this study. The purpose was to increase the amount of homework completion having parents as monitors of their own children and minimal teacher intervention. In Condition I, baseline was taken of the percentage of homework assignments completed. During Condition II, parents received a Homework Checklist from the teacher explaining the assignments for the next day. For Condition III parents were given a handout explaining the use of positive statements and prompts, and a guideline for skillful home study was also included. Parents were asked to send a Report …

The Effects Of Training In Visual Cognitive Skills On Reading Comprehension, Valerie Joan Croll

Masters Theses

In an effort to design learning materials which de-emphasize the decoding process, and concentrate instead upon cognitive and critical thinking processes, picture study has been chosen as a potentially effective vehicle for providing delivery of programs for remediation of reading problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of training in visual cognitive skills as an alternative remedial technique for increasing the reading comprehension of children whose reading skills are considered to be lower than expected due to a learning disability. The population was a group of children in grades four, five, and six (n=34) in a …

A Comparison Of Teacher Time Spent With Students Who Have Learning Disabilities And Students Who Do Not Have Learning Disabilities At The Secondary Level In The Mainstreamed Setting, Dottye Hogue

Masters Theses

Since legislation has been enacted to insure the educational rights of handicapped students in the least restrictive environment, teachers and administrators are concerned with the placement of the students with learning disabilities in the regular classrooms.

Secondary teachers who do not have a background in special education find it difficult to accept students with learning disabilities into their regular classrooms. Many of these teachers feel they will have to spend a disproportionate amount of time with this particular type of student, thus taking much needed time away from students who are not handicapped. The purpose of this study was to …

The Development Of A Special Education Handbook For Community Unit School District No. 20, Lawrenceville, Illinois 62739, Mary M. Shaffer

Masters Theses

The obligation to provide a free appropriate education to all children regardless of their physical or mental capabilities resides with those officials responsible for administering the education program. This study was done to write a special education handbook for parents of handicapped children. The handbook will be used to inform parents about special education programs and explain how parents can be involved in the educational process. There is a definite need for an introduction process for parents. Previously in Unit District No. 20, information was mailed to parents or sent home by the child. The handbook will provide a tool …

Increasing The Work Rates Of Visually-Impaired, Mentally Retarded Adults Through The Treatment And Prevention Of Overselectivity (Overshadowing) And Masking, John Schwade

Masters Theses

In Experiment 1, three legally-blind, mentally retarded adults were given 10 to 12 applications of discrimination training between pairs of sequential compound stimuli with immediate tactile and delayed (3- 3.5 sec) visual elements. Sorting responses were brought under the control of these stimuli. In 29 of 33 applications, discrimination training resulted in reduced sorting rates concommittant to overselectivity (overshadowing), such that stimulus control was acquired by only delayed visual elements. Single-stimulus discrimination training (SSDT) between the previously-overshadowed immediate tactile elements produced expression of stimulus control by those elements of compound stimuli in 5 of 6 cases. SSDT with novel stimuli …

An Elementary Special Education Program, Community Unit District #3, Georgetown, Illinois, Nancy B. Thompson

Masters Theses

In February, 1977 Supportive Services (SS) was designed as a special education program for the elementary schools in Community Unit District #3, Georgetown, Illinois. Georgetown has 900 students in grades kindergarten through eight.

Three special education teachers developed the supportive services program with input from other district specialists who work with exceptional children. Following study sessions and writing the program, approval was sought from the director of the special education district, the school principal, and the school district superintendent. Upon request of the superintendent, the teachers presented the program to the school board for approval. After approval was received from …

The Effects Of Total Communication On The Expressive Language Behavior Of Individuals Labeled Trainable Mentally Retarded, Lenore Aebischer

Masters Theses

The practice of total communication in language training for non-deaf individuals labeled mentally retarded has been guided by very little empirical evidence. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of a total communication approach facilitates an increase in the frequency of expressive language behavior in children labeled trainable mentally handicapped. The three subjects studied, one male and two females, were selected on the basis of age and I.Q. They were enrolled in a self-contained, public school which was located in a rural area of Illinois. A multi-element baseline procedure was used. Stimuli were presented using …

An Examination Of The Verbal-Performance Differences And The Bannatyne Pattern Of The Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children-Revised, Susan Hanft Bowyer

Masters Theses

Many psychologists use the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised (WISC-R) in the diagnosis of learning disabilities. They often place the results of the WISC-R into either the Bannatyne pattern or use the difference between the Verbal IQ and Performance IQ to help determine whether the child is learning disabled or non-learning disabled. This paper examined the feasibility of using either of these methods in determining learning disabilities. The case files of 300 children (211 males and 89 females) between the ages of 5 years, 10 months and 17 years, 3 months (X CA = 10.73 years, SD = …

A Diagnostic-Teaching Investigation Of The Feasibility Of Using The Hutchings' “Low-Stress" Algorithm For Addition Skill Development In Trainable Mentally Impaired Pupils, Joann Bankston Mckay

Masters Theses

The feasibility of using the Hutchings' "Low-Stress" algorithm for the development of addition skills in trainable mentally impaired pupils was investigated in this exploratory diagnostic study. The four subjects were identified as trainable mentally impaired pupils (IQ 44-63), three females and one male, between eighteen and twenty years of age. Results indicate increased power with counting and numeral recognition. Results from "Low-Stress" training phases indicate an increasing trend in binary accuracy and rate. Diagnosis of error patterns resulted in adjustments in teaching strategies. Results support the feasibility of "Low-Stress" algorithm for addition skill development in trainable mentally impaired pupils with …

Schedule Effects And Interim Activities In Two Retarded Subjects, Raymond G. Miltenberger

Masters Theses

Fixed interval (FI), fixed time (FT), and fixed ratio (FR) schedules of reinforcement were implemented with two retarded subjects and the effects on operant responding and interim activities were evaluated. One subject responded under FI 1 min, multiple FI 1 min, and multiple FI 1 min extinction schedules. Three interim activities were observed to occur under each schedule. The second subject responded under FI 1 min, FI 3 min, FR 20, FR 25, FR 35, multimple FR 35, FT 1 min, and multiple FR 35 extinction schedules. Two interim activities occured, primarily in the FI and FR schedules. Both subjects' …

Parental Involvement In Education: Issues And Procedures, Nancy Jane Nelson

Masters Theses

The topics that will be covered in this review of the literature will include parents' reactions upon discovering their sons or daughters are handicapped, needs of parents with handicapped children, the importance of parental involvement, and parent training. The sources used in this review are from published literature and from previous research bearing on the topic. The central thesis of the paper is the importance of involving parents in the education of their handicapped children. Prior to such involvement parental reactions need to be resolved and specific parental needs met. The major conclusion drawn is that parent training is a …

The Existence Of Generalization Abilities In Five Aphasics, Jo Ellen Gilbert

Masters Theses

This study was designed to determine if generalization, the facilitation of performance on untrained items through training of related skills, can be evidenced in the language behavior of an aphasic population. Five aphasic subjects were drawn from a patient population at a Veteran's Administration Medical Center in Michigan. Each subject was presented with 25 unfamiliar pictures utilizing five cueing techniques: whole word repetition, first syllrble cue, sentence completion, written word, and a control of no input. These were then used to elicit verbal responses to the pictures. The subjects were then shown 25 similar pictures, without cues. Statistical analysis showed …

A Descriptive Research Study Of The Pilot Learning Adjustment Classes I And Ii Including A Summary Of Related Research On Compensatory Education, Melodye Maye Williams

Masters Theses

Statement Of The Problem

There were two sets of problems which were of focal interest: (1) Did the achievement levels of the students selected come up a significant degree? (The administration wished a month's gain for a month's instruction.) (2) Did the children's personality and behavior characteristics change for the better?

Procedure

The design used was a one-group pretest-posttest design. Achievement, behavior, and personality traits were measured on the original sixteen children and in remaining ten who were still in the classes after two years.

Conclusions

As stated previously, the primary purposes of this descriptive research study were: (1) Did …

Wisc-R Patterns For The Learning Disabled: A Study Of The Recategorizations Of Bannatyne And Kaufman, Dianne A. Johnston

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Teaching Basic Laundry Skills To Multiply-Handicapped Persons: An Experimental Validation, Thomas J. Thompson

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Emg Biofeedback Assisted Relaxation Training On The Classroom Behaviors Of Emotionally Impaired Children, Elizabeth Hein Akey

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.