Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Teaching Students With Intellectual Disability To Create A Slope-Intercept Equation, Andrew Wojcik Ph.D., Alison R. King Ph.D.

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Increasingly individuals with Intellectual Disability (ID) are showing the capability of learning abstract mathematical skills like algebra. The purpose of the study was to show a method for teaching high school-aged individuals with ID the algebra skill of creating an equation from a line using a time-delay strategy and equation template. We employed a non-concurrent multiple probe across participants design with four participants who showed an increase in performance after the intervention. All participants showed improvements with a percentage of a nonoverlapping data effect size of 86.84%. The study supplied more evidence that the use of time delay approaches can …

Impact Of School-Based Mentorship Programs For Students With Disabilities, Ranita Brown

Dissertations

Mentorship in secondary schools can affect the course of students’ academic and personal life trajectories. Human association based on trust is the paste that connects students’ academic and individual lives and helps them sort out their fates. The purpose of my study was to determine how strong mentoring relationships between adults and children at risk for social and academic failure have been associated with improvements in academic performance, school attendance, and self-image. My study explored the efficacy of the development and implementation of one specific school-based mentoring program for students with disabilities. Through this study, I endeavored to demonstrate the …

Activities Negatively Influencing Retention Of African American College Students And Leadership Strategies To Increase Retention, Melvaughn Thompson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to recognize the decrease in retention of African American college students. What are some of the reasons for a decrease in retention and what do the leaders do about it? Leadership can develop and implement to recruit and increase retention of some of these African American academic students. The college dropout rates on college campuses overall are 40%, with 30% of these students being freshman and sophomores. The theoretical framework for this study is based on the expectancy theory of motivation which is a process theory of motivation (Vroom, 1964). An individual's motivation (Valence) …

A Paragraph Text-Writing Intervention For Adolescents With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Derek B. Rodgers, Shawn M. Datchuk, Lanqi Wang

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Paragraph text-writing refers to constructing multiple words and sentences into the form of a paragraph. It is critical to overall written expression; unfortunately, many students with disabilities struggle to develop it to fluency. The present study investigated the effects of a multicomponent intervention on the accuracy and fluency of paragraph text writing skills of three adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The intervention procedures featured a combination of explicit instruction and timed practice delivered through a series of short, supplemental lessons. Intervention was delivered one-on-one, and a multiple probe across participants designed was used. Results were mixed, with two of …

Using Parental Tutoring To Improve The Oral Reading Fluency Of Students With Disabilities In Rural Settings, Susan M. Farra M.Ed., Ms, Jd, Todd Whitney Ph.D., Justin T. Cooper Ed.D., Amy S. Lingo Ed.D., Maqenzi Hovious-Furgason M.Ed., Bcba, Lba

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Although rural special educators face many challenges in meeting the needs of students with disabilities, they often report having positive relationships with their students and families. Rural educators have the opportunity to leverage this relationship with families by having parents implement academic interventions with their child at home. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of the Great Leaps Reading program when implemented by parents of students with disabilities in rural settings. Using an A-B design replicated across four participants, results showed that each participant’s reading rate increased as a result of the intervention. Additionally, parents, …

A Descriptive Probe Into Current Introduction To Adapted Physical Education Courses In The United States Of America, Kylie Wilson M.A., Scott W.T. Mcnamara Ph.D., Lauren J. Lieberman Ph.D.

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

The number of public-school students with disabilities has increased in the last decade, as has support for teaching students with and without disabilities in the same setting. Consequently, sufficient adapted physical education (APE) training for pre-service physical education teachers is critical to ensure meaningful physical education experiences for all students. Few studies on how physical education teacher education (PETE) programs are preparing future physical educators to teach students with disabilities exist. The purposes of this study were to preliminarily describe current undergraduate APE introductory courses, including: (a) instructor demographics, (b) course characteristics, (c) course content and (d) practicum experiences. Twenty-six …

Providing Multiple Means Of Action And Expression In The Early Childhood Classroom Through A Universal Design For Learning Framework, Katrina A. Hovey, Ariane N. Gauvreau, Marla J. Lohmann

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

In order to ensure the success of all children in an inclusive preschool classroom, teachers must utilize evidence-based practices as outlined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Developmentally Appropriate Practices and the Council for Exceptional Children’sDivision of Early Childhood Recommended Practices. This can be achieved through the implementation of theUniversal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. UDL is a proactive approach to classroom instruction that provides multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression. This article provides a brief overview of UDL, with a specific focus on multiple means of action and expression in the early …

A Phenomenological Study Of One-To-One Paraeducators' Self-Efficacy In Self-Contained Special Education Programs, Deborah Schloemer-Frazer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences and self-efficacy of one-to-one paraeducators assisting high school students with disabilities in self-contained classrooms. The theory guiding this study is Bandura's social cognitive theory, which describes self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is a person's belief in their ability to complete a designated task (Bandura, 1997a). Bandura purports that there are four elements that contribute to one's self-efficacy: performance outcomes, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and physiological and affective state (Bandura, 1997b). In this phenomenological study, eleven one-to-one paraeducators within one school district in western Washington participated in interviews, focus groups, …

Harmonica Pedagogy For The Full Inclusion Instrumental Music Classroom, Expanding Opportunities For Students With Disabilities, George Wallace Miklas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The harmonica was once taught in American public schools coast to coast from the 1920s through the 1940s when imports of harmonicas were curtailed due to World War II's efforts. Since then, American public-school instrumental music curricula have long forgotten the only wind instrument that makes music when the student inhales or exhales. The harmonica provides a natural calming effect to the player and medical benefits, including being a tool for overcoming mental health issues and expressing needs and feelings without words. During the era when the harmonica was taught, pedagogy lacked uniformity. Consequently, confusion about the instrument's unique tuning …

Effects Of Music Therapy On The Impulse Control Of A Student With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Danielle Amelie Bella

LSU Master's Theses

One academic concern of students with autism spectrum disorder is a lack of impulse control. Impulse control involves behaviors such as turn-taking, blurting out, waiting, and reaching for desirable items. To reduce problematic impulse control behavior in a student with autism spectrum disorder, a program of music therapy activities was performed with a second-grade student in a special education classroom. A single-subject reversal design was implemented during morning activities. Results suggest there was a slight reduction in observed impulsive behaviors within the classroom during the implementation of the music therapy activities.

A Qualitative Study On Nurse Facilitators Of Mind-Body Skills Groups, Paula D. Blake-Beckford

Mindfulness Studies Theses

The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM), founded by Dr. James Gordon, provides communities with evidence-based Mind-Body Skills Groups (MBSGs) that foster self-care, self-awareness, and self-expression. MBSGs range from 8 to 12-week series on various mind-body practices wherein group members meet, practice, and reflect on the impact of mind-body skills in their lives. Research has demonstrated that participants in MBSGs have positive outcomes. Healthcare professionals (HCPs), especially nurses, gain resiliency from MBSGs. As facilitators of MBSGs, nurses develop essential skills transferable to clinical and educational settings. MBSGs are therapeutic for adult participants with chronic stress. Prior to this thesis, only one …

Drama Therapy Interventions That Support Students With Asd During Covid-19, Olivia Reyes

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that began in December 2019, many people experienced traumatic losses, environmental stressors, and overall daily challenges. One of the populations most at risk during this time were those with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Those with mental health illness and developmental differences are experiencing the pandemic in different ways. Individuals with ASD tend to have both developmental differences and mental health challenges that motivate individuals to seek medicinal and therapeutic help, along with other services to support their daily needs. This literature review addresses the negative and positive impacts COVID-19 has had on the …

An Embodied Drama Therapy Approach To Restorative School Practices: A Method, Sarah Harmer

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Restorative School Practices offer schools a circle structure to shift the punitive mindset and power dynamics commonly found in America’s schools, to a model that focuses on relationship, connection, and mutual respect. Drama therapy interventions utilize embodied or active work that engage the entire person. The purpose of this thesis was to create a method to explore the addition of embodied drama therapy techniques to deepen the experience of the restorative school circle process. Three community-building and social emotional learning focused circles, in a second, fourth, and sixth grade class, were compared using the traditional scripts and then the same …

Educating Students With Learning Difficulties In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Apryl L. Poch, Duaa Alzahrani, Jawaher Aljuwayhir, Maram Alnahari

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Identification of and services for students with learning disabilities share both similarities and differences across cultures, including the term(s) used to label and subsequently provide services for these students. Learning disabilities, in Arabic, translates to “learning difficulties.” This column provides a brief overview of the current educational system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia including the identification and services available for students with learning difficulties and concludes with future directions. Much opportunity remains for supporting the needs of students with learning difficulties in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Finding Motivation And Connectedness For Learning With Special Education Students Qualifying Under Emotional Disturbance, Nikole Denton

Education | Master's Theses

The purpose of this research seeks to understand the conditions for motivation among disengaged high school students in special education who qualify under emotional disturbance (ED) and support them in rediscovering their desire for learning while also determining how educators can be supportive in cultivating academic engagement and agency. The theoretical framework looks toward co-created curriculum through an understanding of intrinsic motivation (Ryan et al., 2021), self-Determination theory (Niemiec & Ryan, 2009), and critical pedagogy (Shih, 2018). Currently, there is a lack of empirical research on the effectiveness of pedagogical approaches in determining what works in engaging special education students …

Pockets Of Promise: A Phenomenological Study Of Experienced Special Education Teachers Working With Students With Emotional Disturbance In An Alternative Program, Jennifer L. Dibello

Dissertations - ALL

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and understand, from the perspective of experienced Special Education Teachers, successful practices and barriers in meeting the needs of students with emotional disturbance (ED) in Special Education Alternative programs. The study aims to gain an in-depth understanding, from the lived experiences of special education teachers, the critical elements required for comprehensive instructional and social-emotional learning (SEL) supports and services in meeting the diverse needs of ED students. Additionally, this research was conducted to gain insight into the barriers and systematic challenges in fulfilling the school's original intention of transitioning students …

Examining Parental Perceptions And Experiences Regarding Social Skills Interventions For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mary Jimerson

Special Education ETDs

ABSTRACT

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families often engage in various interventions to address social skills as this is a core area of development and often described as a challenge for individuals with ASD. Although interventions may vary in service delivery and the interventionists’ training and background, all encompass social skills interventions. The purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative investigation to explore the experiences and perceptions family members had while their child participated in social skills interventions. Five family members participated in this study which included a questionnaire and an individual interview. Qualitative analyses …

Transition: Early Intervention To Preschool, Kim Thiesse

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA) requires all Individualized Family Service (IFSP) plans to address transition. Early Intervention programs must initiate and discuss the transition process from early intervention to school-based services with each family at least 90 days before the child’s third birthday. Transition should be a process of information sharing and planning for each individual family. The transition process can be very stressful for many families because services, service providers, location, and delivery of services change. Preschool is often a family’s first experience with a school environment, successful collaboration and communication through the transition phase enhances the …

The Effectiveness Of Practicums On Preservice Physical Educators’ Attitudes And Self-Efficacy Toward Teaching Individuals With Disabilities., Megan E. Johnson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The aim of this study was to explain the effects a practicum had on the attitudes and perceived self-efficacy of preservice physical educators toward teaching students with disabilities in an inclusive learning environment. Existing literature established most physical educators receive one semester-long course in adapted physical education (APE), which often leads to feelings of unpreparedness and negative attitudes toward teaching students with disabilities in the general physical education (GenPE) classroom. The present study utilized a mixed-methods approach to combine quantitative data results from the Physical Educators Attitudes toward Teaching Individuals with Disabilities (PEATID-III) survey (Rizzo, 1993) and qualitative data findings …

Preparing Paraprofessionals To Be Effective In Physical Education, Chelsey Lieffring

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Students with autism often struggle in their physical education class due to the complex needs that arise in a gymnasium. When the TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication Handicapped Children) program is implemented, students are engaged with their peers and are able to be successful in a challenging environment through visual schedules, physical structure, and task organization. It’s important that paraprofessionals and physical education teachers are aware of this programming in order to decrease challenging behaviors and increase student success in the physical education setting.

Paraprofessionals are such a vital part of the special education team. They are …

Everything Is Bigger In Texas: Including The Horrendously Inadequate Attempts At Providing Special Education And Related Services To All Children With Disabilities, Alexandria R. Booterbaugh

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Without immediate action, the “corrections” made by the Texas legislature to meet the appropriateness requirement for special education will result in imminent peril for students with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as their parents. Tens of thousands of children fall between the cracks as a result of Texas’ illegalities and the lack of responsibility Texas’ lawmakers and Texas Education Agency (TEA) have for special education. If Texas does not fully devote itself to a significant overhaul of its special education practices, students will continue to be left behind.

Congress enacted the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) because …

Adults Perspectives Of Friendships And Social Interaction Between Students With And Without Complex Support Needs During A Pandemic, Jorden Morales

Special Education ETDs

Social interactions and friendships are important for all individuals including those with complex support needs (CSN). The voices of adults including parents/guardians, primary caregivers, teachers, and related service providers who responded to a survey provided insight into supporting social interactions and friendships for children with CSN during the Covid-19 pandemic This mixed methods study used thematic analysis to explore participants’ responses to open-ended questions while multiple choice questions were analyzed through descriptive statistics. Additionally, this study included a research narrative to speak to the various roles I hold related to this study (i.e., parent, educator, researcher). Three themes emerged from …

Autism: A Teacher's Guide, Kaitlyn Schaps

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Studies have shown that many educators are not prepared to teach children with ASD in their classrooms, as they may not be familiar with the characteristics of these children (Jiar Yeo & Teng, 2020) and do not have the knowledge needed to help them succeed.

In this guide, we discuss the different characteristics of ASD, how they affect a child’s education, how to collaborate with families, and research and evidence based (proven to be effective through research and quality studies) intervention strategies that will assist general education teachers, paraprofessionals, special education teachers, and any other professional in the educational field …

Parenting Isn't Easy: Parent Newsletters For Social/Emotional Learning In Early Childhood, Lauryn Meyer

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Abstract

Most educators know that it is very important to a child’s overall success to be supported socially and emotionally, especially in Early Childhood. We understand that children do not just act out the way they do because they feel like misbehaving. The challenging behavior is usually the cause of some other sort of reaction the child might not know how to explain or verbalize, for example: feeling tired, hungry, or uncomfortable in a certain situation.

In Early Childhood, educators work closely with parents and caregivers in order to continue the same level of learning at home as well. As …

Self-Advocacy Perceptions Of Special Education Students In The General Education Setting, Ann Anderson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Self-advocacy is an important skill that all students should learn. It plays a vital role in many aspects of life at home, in school, in the community, and at work. This is especially important for special education students who have more challenges than their peers. It begins by improving communication with teachers, giving students the confidence to voice their needs, and acquiring appropriate modifications and accommodations that allow them to show their true abilities and reach their full academic potential. Students that are able to self-advocate are more likely to be more successful in school as well as later on …

The Role Of Family Members Or Caregivers And Their Involvement In A Loved One’S Usage Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication In The Preschool Setting From The Perspective Of An Slp, Megan Hintz

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can be used by an individual to supplement or support communication modalities when there is difficulty with verbal communication. ASHA, n.d.a delves further into the true meaning of AAC and defines the terminology of augmentative as adding to a person’s spoken language and alternative as other methods used to produce verbal communication. The purpose of this research study was to explore the perceptions of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) concerning the involvement and/or role of caregivers or family members when their loved one is utilizing an AAC device for communication across the preschool setting. Four semi-structured interviews …

Coding Protocol: A Meta-Analysis Of Early Numeracy Curriculum-Based Measurement, Gena Nelson

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code 21 studies that met inclusion criteria for a meta-analysis. The focus of the meta-analysis was to determine the average correlations between four common early numeracy curriculum-based measure measurement (CBM) tools (i.e., oral counting, quantity discrimination, missing number, and numeral identification) and mathematics achievement criterion measures. We also identified moderating factors of the relationship between CBM and the criterion measures. Studies were included if they focused on at least one of the four common early numeracy CBM, and included correlations for students in …

Trauma Healing With The Neurosequential Model Of Therapy And Bal-A-Vis-X, Becky Johnston

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Stigma related to childhood trauma is shifting with the help of advancements in the understanding of neurobiology and interventions that are proving to be effective for healing. There are immense costs and consequences for survivors of childhood trauma and their loved ones that were not so long ago considered irrelevant and the notion that kids bounce back from adversity was previously popular in the psychological community (Perry & Szalavitz, 2017). The broad strokes of Dr. Bruce Perry’s clinical intervention model, The Neurosequential Model of Therapy (NMT) describes a trauma-sensitive, sequential approach to changing the stress response within mental health counseling. …

Coding Protocol: A Meta-Analysis Of Mcomp And Mcap Curriculum-Based Measurement, Gena Nelson, Robin Codding

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code 26 studies that met inclusion criteria for a meta-analysis. The focus of the meta-analysis was to determine the average correlations between MCOMP and MCAP curriculum-based measurement (CBM) and mathematics achievement criterion measures, as well as to determine the moderating factors of this relationship. Studies focused on grades 2 through 8 MCOMP, MCAP, and mathematics achievement. We coded 26 studies published between 2005 and 2021, including 15 peer-reviewed journal articles and 11 doctoral dissertations. Across studies, we coded variables such as basic study …

Representation In Visual Schedules For Individuals With Disabilities, Colleen Fowkes

Masters Theses, 2020-current

A visual activity schedule (VAS) is an evidence-based intervention that can assist individuals to follow a routine, see what is coming next, reduce dependence on others, and aid in transitions. A VAS is a sequence of visuals (photographs, avatars, line drawings, etc.) that can be used to show the user what they are to do in a specific order. A VAS acts as a template for the task the user is supposed to accomplish. Visual schedules can be beneficial for a wide range of users; they have been seen to be especially effective when used with individuals with disabilities, autism …