Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Goals, Properly Technical: Special Education Teachers Using Chatgpt To Develop Individualized Student Goals, Travis Hammond

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Educators’ responsibilities extend well beyond instruction to include administrative duties such as grading, maintaining records, and documenting student behavior, as well as ongoing meetings and professional development requirements (Billingsley et al., 2019; Darling-Hammond et al., 2017). These demands can create a disconnect between role expectations and daily realities (Brunsting et al., 2023). Special education teachers (SETs) face these same responsibilities alongside additional paperwork requirements, which may account for up to 20% of their workday (Carlson et al., 2002; Suter & Giangreco, 2009; Vannest et al., 2011). A central task is the development of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), including measurable annual …

The Effect Of Dialogic Reading With An Adapted Reader On Narrative Reading Comprehension Of High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Ramella Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Reading comprehension is essential for accessing grade-level content; however, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate narrative comprehension difficulties related to language inferencing and self-regulation (Constable, 2013; Duke & Cartwright, 2021). Dialogic reading is an evidence-based shared reading practice that uses systematic prompts and contingent consequences to strengthen verbal behavior (Whitehurst et al., 1988; IES, 2007). Despite demonstrated effectiveness with young children with ASD, experimental research on dialogic reading with secondary school-aged students, particularly those requiring adapted instructional materials, remains limited (Hudson & Test, 2011; Spooner et al., 2012). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects …

Expanding Access To High-Quality Child Care For Infants And Toddlers With Disabilities And Their Families In Nevada, Turia M. Penkalski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Access to high-quality child care significantly impacts outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, yet persistent inequities remain. This dissertation employed an instrumental case study design (Stake, 1995; Stake & Visse, 2023) to investigate Nevada's state-level policies and procedures that shape the accessibility and quality of child care for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Using a triangulated approach that integrates document analysis, family interviews, and a survey with state leaders, this study explored the perspectives and experiences of diverse key players. The research illuminates how policy intentions align with or diverge from system-level perceptions and the experiences …

An Ex Post Facto Study: The Social Validity Of Two Evidence-Based Instructional Practices, K. Ryan Wennerlind

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For over 15 years, the opportunity for individuals with intellectual disabilities to continue education in inclusive postsecondary education programs has steadily risen (Baker et. al, 2018). Poor employment trends for these individuals has motivated institutions to provide more educational opportunities by increasing the number of such programs. Education is consistently linked to greater employment opportunities and the potential for greater earnings as more education is achieved (BLS, 2023). Research attests this connection by studying individuals’ experiences in education after high school. In addition to greater employment opportunities, those individuals receiving postsecondary education services are also earning wages at a higher …

Beyond Barriers: Improving Employment Outcomes For Young Adults On The Autism Spectrum, Kendra L. Cope

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continue to face persistent barriers to employment, often stemming from challenges in communication, adaptability, and multitasking. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool to strengthen these employment skills through immersive, low-stress practice. This study evaluated a VR-based intervention using Floreo VR modules, guided practice, and performance feedback to enhance job readiness among high school students with ASD. A multiple-probe design across three skill domains: multitasking, handling interruptions and changes, and workplace communication to examine skill acquisition and maintenance with three students with ASD aged 16–18. Data from task-analysis checklists, interobserver agreement …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Adolescents With Emotional Behavioral Disorders In High School, Melissa Lawson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) face significant challenges in forming and maintaining peer relationships, yet their voices and lived experiences remain largely absent from the research literature. This phenomenological study explored how high school students with EBD perceive the impact of peer relationships on their academic, social, and emotional experiences at school. Using Moustakas's (1994) modification of the StevickColaizzi-Keen method, the researcher conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with seven high school students (ages 15-18) who had received special education services under the EBD eligibility category for 5 to 10 years in a large, urban southwestern school district.

Five universal …

'We Owe, You Know, The World Our Perfection': How The Neurodiversity Paradigm Informs Autistic Women's Self-Perceptions, Katybeth Adamo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This qualitative, phenomenological study examines how autistic women characterize and interpret their experiences, beliefs, and self-perceptions within the framework of the neurodiversity paradigm. Guided by a social constructivist epistemology, this study explores the complex intersections between autistic women’s experiences of diagnostic processes, gendered socialization, and identity formation in autistic women. Through semi-structured interviews with ten autistic women, themes emerged around gender differences between autistic men and women, external versus internal self-perception, diagnostic age and self-perception, sensory overload and its consequences, and the journey from feeling othered to finding one’s place socially. Findings suggest that delayed diagnosis and persistent societal pressures …

Teacher Perceptions Of Their Role In Aspiration Development With Diverse Students With Disabilities, Joseph Edward Simmons Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Aspirations stem from a humanistic perspective, emphasizing the person as a whole. They serve as a foundational and predictive component of an individual’s life. Teachers play a critical role in shaping the successes and challenges their students encounter (Zolkoski, 2019). Aspirations, as a cognitive process grounded in forward-thinking, are essential to personal development and evolve through experiences (Hart, 2016). However, students with disabilities often lack opportunities to explore their aspirations within schools. These students are frequently constrained by both teachers and systemic practices within the school environment (Gilmour et al., 2019). Aspiration exploration is crucial because children and youth need …

Effects Of Parent-Implemented Video Self-Modeling On Conversational And Play Skills Of Young Children With Developmental Delays, Jessica Ain

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social skills are an important part of child development, and children with developmental delays (DD) often show delays in conversational and play skills. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effectiveness of parent training on parent implementation fidelity, effectiveness of parent-implemented video self-modeling (VSM), and evaluate the parents’ experiences and perspectives of the intervention. A nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants was used to determine a functional relation of parent training to parent implementation fidelity and parent-implemented VSM to the scripted and unscripted play actions and vocalizations. A thematic analysis was conducted on parent interviews to determine the …

Internationally Trained Teachers: Filipinos Working With Children With Disabilities In The U.S.: A Multiple Case Study, Joseph C. Abueg

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States (U.S.) is a major destination for teacher migration, with teachers being hired to fill shortages in math, science, and special education. In fact, the nation’s shortage of special education teachers has hit critical levels, further exacerbated by high levels of attrition. For these reasons, some school districts hire teachers from outside the United States on J-1 visas, including the Philippines.

To ascertain the experiences of special education teachers from the Philippines working in the U.S. on J-1 visas, a multiple case study was conducted. The study was anchored in the transnationalism tenet of AsianCrit, allowing participants to …

Early Childhood Teacher Knowledge: Distinguishing Between Developmentally Appropriate Behavior And Maladaptive Behavior, Michela Carattini

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of a professional development program aimed at enhancing early childhood education (ECE) teachers' abilities to identify and address developmentally appropriate versus maladaptive behaviors in young children. Utilizing an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, the study involves pre- and post-intervention surveys, a post-intervention focus group, and the implementation of four asynchronous learning modules. The participants, pre-service teachers from a large urban university, were evaluated on their knowledge and application of distinguishing between behaviors in early childhood settings.The literature review highlights the struggles ECE teachers face in identifying maladaptive behaviors and the need for targeted professional development. …

Causal Attribution Tendencies Of Early Childhood Practitioners And The Efficacy Of Attribution Retraining, Alex J. Faucheux

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Early childhood practitioners frequently attempt to identify the cause of outcomes experienced by their learners. This is sometimes referred to as causal attribution. Causal attribution may be affected by prior success and failure of a learner, the amount of effort exerted by the learner, the ability level of the learner, and knowledge of any disability associated with the learner, all of which can be considered controllable or uncontrollable, stable or unstable, and internal or external (Weiner, 1986; Woodcock & Vialle, 2011). As practitioners attribute cause to outcomes, they start to develop attributional tendencies; these tendencies, along with the cues and …

Enhancing The Relationships Between Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders And Their Teachers, Jack Watts

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Outcomes of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) have failed to meet the standards of educators and educational researchers. For several decades, such students have had worse academic and postsecondary outcomes than any other student population. This has led to emphasis on implementation of evidence-based practices to combat the negative outcomes associated with educational diagnoses of EBD (i.e., behavioral outbursts, suspension, and expulsion). Despite this increased attention, little improvement has occurred, leading to the question of whether practices implemented for students with EBD have been addressing the underlying causes of these students’ negative outcomes. Student–teacher relationships could be an …

Exploring Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education Personnel Preparation For Teaching Social Emotional Skills And Addressing Challenging Behavior, Melissa Yarczower

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social emotional development is crucial for all young children. Children who develop age-appropriate social emotional skills engage in positive peer relationships, establish friendship skills, and have competent problem-solving skills. Without adequate social emotional skills, young children are at risk for detrimental long and short-term consequences such as academic failure, exclusionary practices, and school dropout. Interventions and support from well-trained teachers are essential for young children to acquire these skills. Using an explanatory mixed method approach, this study investigated how early childhood (EC) and early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers were trained to teach social emotional skills and address challenging behavior. …

Teachers’ Relationship Ratings Of Adolescents With And Without The “Emotional Disturbance” Label, Ashley Colson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The importance of student-teacher relationships is well established. However, research suggests that students in special education tend to experience lower quality student-teacher relationships than their peers in general education. Of particular importance is the developing research indicating that students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs), and especially females, are at the highest risk of poor relationships with teachers. The purpose of this study is to examine whether the presence of an emotional disturbance (ED) label may impact teachers’ perceptions of relationships with adolescents who exhibit behavior that meets ED criteria. A correlational research design with a between-subjects analysis of the …

Activity-Based Intervention And One-To-One Correspondence For Children With Developmental Delays, Cyndy Anang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

PreK children with developmental delays in inclusive classrooms need access to math interventions helps them develop foundational math skills that are needed to succeed during their K-12 education. Research is significantly lacking that addresses increasing math skills for children with disabilities in PreK classrooms. The purpose of this study was to examine how using activity-based intervention (ABI) increases one-to-one correspondence for children with disabilities in an inclusive classroom. A single subject multiple probe design across participants was implemented to embed one-to-one correspondence math goals into daily routines and preferred activities. The participants of the study were two 3–5-year-old children categorized …

Exploring The Intersection Of Stress, Resiliency, And Relationship With Teacher Among High School Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Scotia Hammond

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Experiencing stress at high levels during pivotal developmental years can have a detrimental impact on adolescents’ overall development and well-being (Rahdar & Galvan, 2014; Romeo, 2013). Extensive research has shown the positive effects a strong student-teacher relationship has on students’ resiliency to counteract the negative effects of stress (Akin & Radford, 2018; Johnson, 2008; Masten et al., 2008; Mulloy, 2011; Sanders et al., 2016; Stewart & Sun, 2004). Unfortunately, these studies rarely include students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Students with EBD are more likely to have higher levels of stress, lower levels of resilience and often struggle forming …

Technology-Based Self-Management Of Initiations For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Low Communication Who Participate In An Alternate Assessment, Amelia Fuqua

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Self-management as a behavioral intervention has been used with students who have autism spectrum disorder for a variety of behavioral targets, including communication. Research has been conducted on self-management of communication initiations for students who have autism spectrum disorder in primary grades through high school. The process of self-management includes monitoring one’s own behavior to change that behavior. Currently, there are no studies using technology with self-management for the initiations of students with autism spectrum disorder and low communication who also participate in an alternate assessment. The purpose of this study was a systematic replication of Newman and Ten Eyck …

The Effects Of Coaching Provided Via Video-Conferencing To Caregivers Of Children With Asd, Kendra L. Antill

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The ability to communicate effectively to others is a pivotal skill necessary to get one’s needs and wants met; however, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have significant delays in communication skills. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices provide an alternative means for children with complex communication needs to express their needs and wants. Communication interventions involving AAC have been largely conducted in school and clinical settings, despite young children spending a significant amount of their time at home and in the community. Family involvement plays a critical role in improved outcomes for young children with disabilities. Recent shifts …

Pre-Service Teacher Perceptions Of Persistently Challenging Behaviors, Swpbis, Cico And Student-Teacher Relationships, Elizabeth Lynn Messina

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Teacher perceptions of behaviors have a large impact on the quality of student-teacher relationships. Such relationships trickle down and affect academic and social-emotional-behavioral performance. With the wide prevalence of School-Wide Positive Behavioral and Intervention Support (SWPBIS), questions about why there is not a greater efficacy in improving relationships and related outcomes are being raised. While it is widely documented that teachers often have negative perceptions of children with Persistent Challenging Behaviors (PCBs), the origins of such perceptions are unknown. Additionally, the use of SWPBIS is also widely used (Sugai et al., 2008); however, knowledge of SWPBIS in such sufficiency as …

Exploring Teachers’ Beliefs And Practices On Mathematical Discourse For Diverse Students In Inclusive Classrooms, Gloria A. Carcoba Falomir

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The recent implementation of rigorous standards in mathematics education has required shifts in classroom practices. Standards-based instruction places large emphasis on students’ conceptual understanding, requiring them to demonstrate high cognitive levels of mastery of the content through communication of their mathematical reasoning. Teachers and students’ mathematical discursive practices in the classroom can lead to meaningful discussions that integrate students’ explanation, justification, and arguments of ideas or claims and understanding of the content. Research on teachers’ discursive practices has shown that (a) teacher talk tends to dominate classroom instruction and (b) classroom discourse lacks frequent opportunities for teacher-student and peer interactions. …

A Parent-Mediated Intervention To Teach A Generalized Repertoire Of Auditory Tacts To A Child With Autism, Hazim Aal Ismail

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Tact is the most important verbal operant (Skinner, 1957) due to the uniqueness of stimulus control and its role in facilitating acquisition of another verbal (e.g., mands, intraverbals) and nonverbal (i.e., listener) operants (Sundberg, 2015). Teaching tacts to children with ASD and the research on this area, however, are largely focused on visual stimuli. Teaching tacts of auditory stimuli to children with ASD is important as they constantly experience various auditory stimuli (e.g., vehicles, pets, machines, music) in the natural environment. Adding auditory and other nonvisual tacts to tact repertoire increases its effectiveness (Sundberg & Partington, 1998). Furthermore, teaching auditory …

Factors Affecting Registered Behavior Technicians’ (Rbts’) Intent To Stay Or Leave: A Delphi Study, Samantha Joy Villanueva Jasa

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Approximately one in 54 children in the United States were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in 2020 (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). The most common treatment for children with ASD is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which uses and applies behavior analytic principles to various interventions to increase social skills, self-help skills, and communication skills, as well as decrease protest or self-stimulatory behaviors (BACB, 2021a; Dixon et al., 2017). Registered behavior technicians (RBTs; BACB, 2021d) are the individuals necessary to work directly with children with ASD providing ABA services, however, the estimated turnover rates for RBTs range from …

Teaching A Communication Protocol Via Graduated Guidance On The Ipad To Assist In Functional Communication Training For Nonverbal Children With Asd, Janelle Saunders

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Non-verbal children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) often struggle with functional communication, and are often not able to express their wants, needs, emotions, or engage in meaningful conversations (Hudry et al., 2010; Luyster et al., 2008; Weismer et al., 2010). Picture exchange systems as well as AAC devices (e.g., the iPad) have emerged as viable options to teach this population how to communicate effectively (Charlop-Christy et al., 2002; Couper et al., 2014; Dogoe et al., 2010; Ganz et al., 2015; Greenberg et al., 2012; Logan et al., 2017). PECS has been widely established as an evidence-based practice and is often …

Effects Of An Online Learning Module For Pediatricians Regarding Early Intervention Services, Nicole L. Atwell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Pediatricians serve a vital role in identifying young children with developmental delays and disabilities and referring families for services to support their children’s development and learning. However, past researchers indicated there is minimal research on training pediatricians on the Part C early intervention (EI) process that supports young children with developmental delays and disabilities. This study examined the effectiveness of a web-based training on pediatricians' knowledge of EI services and referral processes. The training components included interactive, online modules and paper resources directed towards an understanding of EI services. A convergent parallel mixed-methods study design was used to determine the …

Finding Ways To Increase Physical Activity In Students With Disabilities In A Social Distanced World, Paula Kerchenski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Obesity in the United States is becoming a problem that negatively affects the life expectancy of young children, which for the first time in history is moving in the wrong direction (Ogden et al., 2014). According to obesity trend data, obesity has tripled in children from 5% in 1978 to 18.5% in 2016 (Anderson et al., 2019). For our students with disabilities, obesity rates are two times higher than students without disabilities (Neter et al., 2011). Although physical activity is considered an essential component of a young child’s health and development, the lack of physical activity attributes to the obesity …

Cognitive Autonomy Supportive Teaching Behaviors: Perceptions Of Four Groups Of Educators, Fatmana Kara Deniz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Cognitive autonomy skills are essential for all students to further their academic performance, prepare for adulthood, and gain better employment opportunities (Beckert, 2007; Beckert et al., 2012; Benlahcene et al., 2019; Harris & Beckert, 2018; Kim et al., 2019; Lee et al., 2010; Michael & Attias, 2016). These skills involve the ability to evaluate thinking, voice opinions, make decisions, self-assess, and comparatively validate oneself (Beckert, 2005, 2007). Autonomy, as a broader construct of cognitive autonomy, is not an innate ability and learners must be provided opportunities to experience, develop, and achieve these skills in the classroom (Berry et al., 2012; …

Effects Of Embedded Tacting Trials And Systematic Prompting On Intraverbal Skill Acquisition, Sarah Ilana Katz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For all students, the ability to communicate is the most fundamental educational outcome leading to academic success (Kearns et al., 2011). Students with autism (ASD), however, demonstrate particular difficulty with spontaneous communication and use of functional language throughout a variety of settings (CDC, 2018), including academic contexts. The framework of verbal behavior and training of tacting and intraverbal responses has been widely used to increase the language for students with autism (Sundberg & Michael, 2001), but these skills do not begin in or generalize to academic contexts, particularly during reading instruction. Embedded instruction (Jimenez & Kamei, 2015) and systematic prompting …

Exploring The Attitudes Of Students Enrolled In A Teacher Certification Program Through A Disability Awareness Documentary Film Intervention, Eunhye Choi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Negative attitudes towards individuals with disabilities can lead to a lack of opportunities in society as well as educational settings. Therefore, it is essential to promote positive attitudes to provide equal opportunities and rights to individuals with disabilities. However, there have been insufficient attempts to explore the attitudes of students enrolled in teacher certification programs. Diverse disability awareness programs have been utilized to enhance positive attitudes, and documentary films are frequently used to deliver such interventions. The current study implemented a series of documentary films as an intervention tool and examined the effects of the disability awareness documentary film intervention …

Examining Grit With Middle Schoolers In Diverse General Education Classrooms – Validating The Grit Scale, Cristina Liliana Reding

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Educators and researchers are still attempting to narrow the achievement gap for students in diverse needs general education classrooms. In this quest, non-cognitive skills are being researched for their potential to influence behavioral changes and to increase the academic success of diverse needs students. Grit, a newly defined non-cognitive skill, is defined as perseverance and passion for long term goals. This construct has been explored in a variety of settings but not in diverse general education classrooms, with participants from culturally, linguistically and ability diverse groups. The validity of instruments is paramount for successful studies, and current scales measuring non-cognitive …