Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

The Effects Of A Multiple Schedule And Rird Intervention On The Vocal Stereotypy Of A Student With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kathleen Michelle Scully

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to use a research based intervention package to decrease the levels of vocal stereotypy and increase appropriate vocalizations and attending behavior in a student with ASD. Through use of an ABAB reversal design, a multiple schedule intervention was introduced, with the evidence-based practice Response, Interruption, and Redirection (RIRD) implemented at set intervals. The multiple schedule was then faded out of the intervention and RIRD was run solely throughout the day in a classroom setting. Results revealed a decrease of vocal stereotypy and an increase in attending behavior for the participant across phases. Results suggest …

Total Physical Response And The Natural Approach To Teaching Foreign Language To Students With Disabilities, Jessica Lynn Dalessandro

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of using the instructional strategies of Total Physical Response (TPR) and Natural Approach (NA) on the foreign language acquisition of students with learning disabilities (LD) in an inclusion Spanish classroom. The study utilized an ABAB single subject design, and was designed to build on the research recommendation of Duran (1993) to examine the effect of a combined approach utilizing TPR and NA strategies to teach foreign language to students with LD. Results reveal that the daily language acquisition scores of two of the four students increased during both intervention phases, …

Effectiveness Of Pivotal Response Training As A Peer-Mediated Strategy To Increase Social Interactions For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Communication Disorders, Alyssa Erin Friedrich

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to: (a) examine the effectiveness of using PRT as a peer-mediated strategy, (b) examine the effectiveness of using PRT to increase social interactions (play initiation and turn taking) for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and (c) evaluate typical peer satisfaction and perception of this intervention. Eight kindergarten students participated in this study, four students classified as having ASD or Communication Disorders, and four typical peers. A single subject multiple baseline across participants design was used, and maintenance data was collected. During the baseline, the frequency of taking turns and initiating play were observed …

Does Daily Therapeutic Intervention Within A Controlled Environment Reduce Chronic Disruptive Behavior For A Second Grader With Adhd?, Lisa M. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Chronic disruptive behaviors often happen throughout classrooms nationwide. These behaviors distract other students and at times prevent them from learning. This study will explore whether therapeutic interventions (environmental management method, self-management techniques) were helpful in decreasing chronic disruptive behaviors during academic time. One, second grade student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) participated in the study. This study observed a student for two behaviors, calling out and out of seat. There were two interventions implemented to help reduce the disruptive behaviors. The results of this study show that therapeutic interventions are an effective way to reduce chronic disruptive behaviors, as …

The Effect Of Explicit Teaching Of Inferring On The Reading Comprension Of Students With Learning Disabilities In Middle School, Rebecca Berkowitz Muller

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine improvement of reading comprehension on students with specific learning disabilities in the seventh grade through the direct and explicit teaching of inferring. The students were taught to use a graphic organizer to aid their metacognition related to making an inference. Each student was identified as having weak inferential thinking skills through the Fountas and Pinnell Reading Assessment and the easyCBM long reading comprehension assessment. Data was collected during a baseline phase, intervention phase, and post-intervention phase. The independent variable was the use of a graphic organizer that aided in the strategy of …

Understanding The Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Preservice Learning And Behavioral Specialists During Their Practicum, Field-Based, And Student Teaching Semesters, Alice S. Cahill

Theses and Dissertations

The study of self-efficacy has become a dominant topic in psychological and educational research over the last 50 years. However, little information is known about preservice teachers and even less about preservice special education teachers’ beliefs. This study was designed to survey preservice special educators’ self-efficacy beliefs placed outside of the college classroom in the education field.

The participants (n = 74) were special education preservice teachers in the state

of Illinois in their practicum, field-based, or student teaching semesters. The participants completed a 24-question online survey designed by Tschannen-Moran and Hoy (2001) on their self-efficacy beliefs in the areas …

Effectiveness Of 1:1 Technology In The Science Classroom, Courtney Tara Weiss

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were: (a) to determine if using e-text technology in a middle school resource science classroom increases student academic performance, (b) to determine if using e-text technology in a middle school science resource classroom increases student engagement/on-task behavior, and (c) to evaluate student comfort and satisfaction in using an electronic textbook or print textbook in a middle school resource science classroom. Ten middle school students, four in grade 7 and six in grade 8 participated in the study using the Discovery Education Science Techbook and the AGS General Science series. A single subject design with ABABA …

The Effectiveness Of Listening While Reading With Story Mapping On The Reading Comprehension Of Students With Emotional Disorders, Suzanne C. Sedarat

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized a single-subject ABA design to examine the effectiveness of listening while reading using audiobooks combined with the evidence-based strategy, story mapping, on the reading comprehension of narrative text for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Four high-school students in a ninth grade self-contained classroom in a private, special education setting participated in the study. During the intervention, students listened to a novel on the computer program Learning Ally (TM) while reading along with a copy of the text and competing a related story map. Reading comprehension was measured via student responses to comprehension questions and the number …

Comparing Math Fluency And Automaticity Using Explicit Timing With Students With Disabilities, Andrew Ehala

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the mathematical fluency performance of a group of students with various learning disabilities in an eighth grade classroom by implementing and intervention intensification program that incorporates an explicit timing model. Students demonstrated a wide range of progression with their mathematical fluency with all students showing progress from the start of the study to the conclusion. Analysis of the data determined that students fluency levels increased at a faster rate when provided with a consistent intensive regime of math computational facts. Implications for teaching students with disabilities mathematical fluency are discussed.

Do Formative Assessment Strategies Help Learners With Academic Difficulties?, Dana King

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not formative assessment strategies enhance the educational learning experience for lower level learners in a mathematics classroom setting. The selected students are supported by a Basic Skills teacher and perform below grade level. The FA group, Formative Assessment group, was given two variations of Formative Assessments to use each day. The IAL group, Instruction as Usual group, continued as is. The formative assessment strategies used were mini white boards and a mathematical graphic organizer allowing the students to determine the problem, question being asked, information provided, which operation to choose, …

The Effectiveness Of The Word Study Program On Teaching Elementary Students With Learning Disabilities, Catherine Marie Dipierro

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates the effects of the Word Study approach on teaching decoding skills, oral reading fluency (ORF), and reading comprehension for students with learning disabilities. Five, 3rd and 4th graders with specific learning disability (SLD) participated in the study. A single subject design with multiple baselines across grade levels with AB phases was used in this study. During the baseline, students were assessed by a spelling inventory and comprehension rubric for 8 weeks. During the intervention, students were taught by lessons developed based on their word patterns with a discussion of words, grouped to complete activities including word sorting, …

Making Room For Play: Preschool Center Choices, Hailey S. Morelos

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the learning center choices of preschool students who received special education services and preschool students who did not receive special education services in order to identify the preference of teacher-led vs. student-led learning centers. Both children who receive special education services and children who do not receive services displayed a wide range of choosing student led and teacher led centers. It is hypothesized that there will be a difference between the student led center vs. teacher led center between children who receive special education services and children who do not. The study …

Self-Monitoring For Students With Disabilities, Lauren Beth Serebransky

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought out answers to the questions: Are students who are taught self-management skills better able to monitor their own learning then students who are not taught the skill? Does the use of self-monitoring applications improve a student’s chance of becoming a better self-monitor? Do high or low-tech strategies help students manage their learning and behavior the best?

For this study three seventh grade students were observed. Two of the students were observed in a self-contained English Language Arts class while the last was in an inclusive English Language Arts class. Each student had varying disabilities that affected his …

The Effects Of Social Skill Training In A Simulated Community Environment For Adolescents With Cognitive Impairments, Jessica Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this investigation were to (a) evaluate the impact of school and classroom-based social skills instruction on student’s social capabilities, and (b) determine if the skills learned in classroom-based instruction can be generated to the school store. Three 9th grade students aged 15-16 participated in the study. They were learning lessons adopted from Talkabout for Teenagers, taught 30 minutes a day, once a week for 12 weeks during social skill training/instruction. An observation chart was used before and after social skill instruction and a total was calculated at the end of each observation session to measure their social …

Connection Between Effort And Academic Success In Learning Disabled Students Identified With Learned Helplessness, Nancy D. Braunwell

Theses and Dissertations

This research was conducted with high school students eligible for special education services that have also been identified with learned helplessness. Students were given the intervention of study activity and exposure to success via assessments to determine if they would make a connection between their effort and their academic success. This connection is typically absent in learned helpless students. The data indicated that these students did make that connection and would continue the study activity on their own time after the intervention period to continue to experience success.

The Effects Of Cognitive Strategies Paired With Hands-On Or Virtual Manipulatives On Math Instruction For Students With Mathematical Learning Disabilities To Learn Word Problem Solving Skills, Kimberly Plute

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of using cognitive strategies with hands-on manipulatives, and cognitive strategies with virtual manipulatives to enhance problem solving skills of students with Mathematical Learning Disabilities (MLD), as well as their satisfaction with those strategies. Five, 5th graders with MLD participated in the study to learn word problem solving skills in a math class for 80 minutes, 5 days a week for 10 weeks. A single subject research design with ABC phases was used in the study. Results showed each student gained from 3.6 to 5.2 mean points of the weekly quizzes …

The Effects Of Google Classroom On Teaching Social Studies For Students With Learning Disabilities, Kathleen M. Dicicco

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of Google Classroom on teaching social studies for students with learning disabilities. Six 7th graders with learning disabilities, attending a resource classroom participated in the study. A single subject design with ABC phases was used to evaluate their learning outcomes in both areas of knowledge of content and vocabulary words. During the baseline, students were taught with the traditional way of using textbooks. During the intervention, students were required to complete various assignments using Google Classroom daily for 9 weeks and were assessed by unit tests and vocabulary quizzes using …

The Effects Of Self-Monitoring Using An Ipad To Increase On-Task Behaviors Of High School Students With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd), Christina Bamford

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect of using an iPad to increase on-task behaviors of high school students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Four students attending a Resource Center during the class of United States’ History II participated in the study. A single subject design with ABAB phases was used. During the baseline, students were observed for 20 minutes in class, and their behaviors were recorded with a checklist. During the intervention, each student was taught to identify one to two on-task behaviors as a goal and to use an iPad with Choiceworks App for self-monitoring for 8 days. The iPad …

Effects Of Professional Development On Co-Teaching On 5th Grade Students With Exceptional Learning Needs, Wade J. Chilmonik

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of professional development in co-teaching to see if it can improve teaching relationships and the classroom achievement of 5th grade students with exceptional learning needs. This study included eight educators with experience levels from two to thirty five years. All of the educators in the study were teachers of students with and without disabilities who worked in co-teaching classrooms in the middle school subject areas of language arts, social studies, math and science. The participants consisted of 6 white females and 2 white males, ages 26-62. There were ten middle school students that also participated …

Comparing Video Modeling To Discrete Trial Teaching For Teaching Daily Living Skills, Nicole Angelina Gubernick

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine the effectiveness of implementing video modeling to teach daily living skills to a fifteen year old boy who is diagnosed with autism. This was a single subject, repeated measures research design with the repeated measures being teeth brushing, making a sandwich, and doing the dishes. The daily living skills chosen were based upon a rating scale administered to the parents. Baseline data was collected for the three daily living skill tasks using task analysis probing. Once baseline data was collected, discrete trial teaching with implanted. Data was collected and the level of …

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Two Verbal Problem Solving Strategies: Solve It! And Cubes, Margaret Tibbitt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to find which problem solving strategy was more effective for special education students in the general education classroom; CUBES or Solve It! The students completed a pre-test, solving five single step and five multi-step word problems. The students then received four instructional and activity sessions on the CUBES and Solve It! strategies. The results indicated that the six fourth grade special education participants increased their problem solving skills after using each strategy. The Solve It! strategy resulted in a larger increase then the CUBES strategy. The students showed a slightly larger decrease in the …

The Effects Of Using The Gomath Program On Teaching Computation Skills For Students With Learning Disabilities, Patricia Virginia Giordano

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects on teaching math computation skills to students with learning disabilities (LD) using the GoMath program and to examine the teachers’ and students’ satisfaction with this program in their teaching and learning. Four, 3rd and 4th graders with LD were taught by one special education teacher in a resource room and participated in learning computation skills for 60 minutes, 5 days per week for 12 weeks, using the Go Math program. A multiple baseline research design with A B phases across students was used to evaluate their performance. The findings indicated …

Effects Of A Self-Advocacy Intervention On The Ability Of High School Students With High Incidence Disabilities To Advocate For Academic Accommodations, Nancy J. Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

One factor that may contribute to the success of students with disabilities in postsecondary educational settings may be their ability to advocate for academic accommodations (Garrison-Wade, 2012; Getzel & Thoma, 2008). By incorporating self-determination practices into the curriculum and transition process during high school, students with disabilities may acquire the self-advocacy skills to be successful in postsecondary settings. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a self-advocacy intervention on the ability of five high school students with high incidence disabilities to request academic accommodations in a high school general education course. Specifically, this study was a …

The Effects Of The Ride Strategy On Teaching Word Problem Solving Skills To Students With Learning Disabilities, Sandra Kay Locke

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the RIDE, a mnemonic device on solving word problems for middle school students with Learning Disabilities and to examine the teacher and student satisfaction in teaching and learning using RIDE to solve word problems. Two male 8th graders participated in this study. They were both classified as having learning disabilities and were learning mathematics at a 3rd grade level. A single subject design with ABC phases was used in this study. During the baseline, the students were given a quiz with 5 word problems each day for ten …

Affects Of Extracurricular Activities On Youth In The Asd Population, Kristina Munyon

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) lack the understanding of appropriate communication and social skills. Considerable research has proven that extracurricular activities boost numerous positive effects academically, emotionally, and behaviorally. Given that participating in extracurricular activities provide such outstanding benefits to overall quality of life, it is important to understand the opportunities presented to youth with ASD. Research suggests that poorer school districts who suffer budget cuts have been forced to reduce funding for extracurricular activities. Furthermore, more affluent school districts are able to seek extracurricular activities through private resources, in addition to their already plentiful selection of programs. This …

The Effects Of Using Direct Instruction And Computer-Assisted Instruction On Teaching Decoding Skills To Elementary Students With Learning Disabilities, Jessica Lauren Schramm

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study are to examine the effect of the Project Read program in teaching decoding skills to students with learning disabilities, and evaluate the effects of the supplemental computer program, Explode the Code. Three second grade students with learning disabilities participated in this study. Both interventions were administered to each student, at different times, during the school day. Project Read was administered followed by 15-20 minutes of Explode the Code. A multiple baseline research design across students with A B phases was used in this study. The results of the current study showed significant growth in the …

Social Positioning: Positioning Adults With Severe And Multiple Disabilities And Complex Communication Needs For Social Interaction, Dena Bonnike

Theses and Dissertations

This single subject multiple probe study across dyads investigated the effects of social positioning on the nonsymbolic and symbolic communication of adult peers with severe and multiple disabilities and complex communication needs (SMD-CCN) when they were out of their wheelchairs. Social positioning referred to the positioning of adults with SMD-CCN in proximity and facing one another (no more than three ft apart) with access to speech generating devices (SGDs) with appropriate messages for communicating and socializing with peers. Videotapes of the adults were analyzed to collect event recording data of their nonsymbolic (eye gaze, reaching, and vocalization) and symbolic (SGD …

Elementary General Education Teachers' Perspectives Towards The Inclusion Of Students With Emotional Disturbances, Leona E. O'Dear

Theses and Dissertations

Inclusion of students with emotional disturbances (ED) is encouraged nationally through litigation and legislation. Despite this fact, 38.1% of the students with ED spend less than 40% of their day in a regular education classroom due to several barriers. Research has demonstrated that one of the barriers to inclusion exists in general education teachers’ attitudes towards the inclusion of students with disabilities. The purpose of this research study was to use a qualitative design to study the perspectives of general education teachers at the elementary level in an urban Illinois school district towards the phenomenon of the inclusion of students …

Parent-Implemented Intervention Using An Ipad To Enhance Expressive Language In Young Children, Yvette Renee Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Early childhood special educators face many challenges teaching young children with expressive language delays. One of those challenges is teaching parents effective strategies to address the expressive language delays in the home setting. The purpose of this multiple probe single-subject design study was to provide a systematic approach that included the use of mobile technology for parents to promote their child’s expressive language development. To accomplish this goal, a four-week intervention implementing the Joint Attention Mediated Learning-Focus on Verbal Expression with Technology (JAML-FVET) strategy across four families was conducted. The researcher provided the intervention while training the parent. Specifically, the …

Outcomes From In-Person Interdisciplinary Continuing Education For Autism And Online Delivery Of The Same Content, Rachel Ann Trayner

Theses and Dissertations

Because of the growing prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), there is an increased need for effective professional training models for autism treatment and education. Individuals with ASD receive care and therapy across multiple disciplines, so such training models should also be interdisciplinary in nature. In the medical field, pediatricians, nurses, psychiatrists, and many others work with individuals with ASD. In the education field, teachers, speech language pathologists, school psychologists, and others work with children with ASD. Some therapists work in both systems. Thus far, there has been little research done considering training delivery models (i.e., in-person and online training) …