Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Is Special Education A Life Sentence? Examining Disproportionality In The Declassification Rates Of Students Of Color In An Urban School District, Rasheed Bility

Theses and Dissertations

Federal law states that any student suspected of having a disability must meet initial eligibility requirements to qualify for special education services. Furthermore, an individual education program (IEP) team is required by federal law to re-evaluate each student with a qualified disability tri-annually to assess his or her ongoing need for such services. The pathway toward initial eligibility is explicitly outlined within federal legislation; however, the law does not explicate an avenue for declassification or exiting from special education. As a result, many students may remain in special education and are labeled as students with a disability when they may …

Employer Perspective On Augmenting Work Experiences For Individuals With Disabilities, Liza A. Laurino-Siegel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate employer perspective on augmenting work experiences for individuals with disabilities in the workplace through a qualitative case study approach. This study utilized two specific workplaces that are structured, have core values, are mission-driven and support individuals with differing abilities. The goal was to develop an understanding on how these workplaces continue to help individuals gain meaningful employment while supporting their differences and unique learning approaches in the workplace. Data collection included employer interviews, employee insight, an employer focus group, observations of employees at the work sites, artifacts, photos and the researcher’s journals. …

A Latinx Critical Race Theoretical Approach To Testimonios Of Latinx School Psychologists, Karen Yulieann Ramírez

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

As a Latina school psychologist, I use Latinx Critical Race framework with testimonios as methodology to document the individual and collective experiences and perspectives of six Latinx school psychologists in urban and suburban school settings regarding the role that race plays in the special education process. Their testimonios reveal how they are racialized in their profession through their intersecting identities of race, ethnicity, culture, and language. In particular, they testify to their everyday experiences of racial microaggressions, in which they are viewed through a deficit lens by supervisors, colleagues, and the parents of the students they serve. In addition, their …

Impacts Of Social And Emotional Learning Interventions In Special Education Students, Cassandra R. Drusch

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social and emotional learning is educational programming that can help the student learn to recognize emotions, set goals, perspectively think, maintain positive relationships, make decisions and learn conflict resolution (McCormick, 2019). Research has shown that social and emotional learning is beneficial to not only the general education population but also special education students. The author of this thesis researched the impact of social and emotional learning on students with disabilities in the five disability categories; emotional behavioral disorders, autism spectrum disorders, developmental cognitive disorders, specific learning disability, and other health disabilities. A literature review was conducted to determine the impacts …

Impacts And Strategies In Positive Student-Teacher Relationships, Cassandra C. Eckart

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers, educational professionals, and classroom teachers consistently seek out ways to engage students in the classroom. For some students, engagement comes naturally. They connect easily with people and are by nature, curious and active learners. For these students, traditionally taught textbook engagement strategies are often very effective and lead to a vibrant classroom experience. Conversely, in almost every classroom there are one, or two students. The one who the classroom teacher struggles to connect with. The student is disengaged in the classroom, does not complete work or participate in class lectures and discussions. Though well educated in engagement strategies, classroom …

Benefits Of Physical Activity For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Trey Lewis Benhart

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents with autism live a more sedentary lifestyle than those without an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Lack of exercise results in increased health risks, obesity, and decreased quality of life, exercise, motor skills, and peer interaction. Exercise can serve as a treatment for those with autism that increases quality of life, improves peer relationships, overall health, and increases expected behaviors. Special education providers should receive training about the benefits of physical activity along with strategies to best incorporate physical activity into daily routines, instruction, and goals. Due to lack of systemic resources and social opportunities, researchers cite many benefits to …

The Effect Of Classroom Physical Activity Breaks On Students' Academic Performance And Executive Functioning Skills, Barb J. Diemer

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Classroom-based Physical Activity (PA) has gained attention among teachers and schools due to the potential to enhance learning while also providing the opportunity for children to increase their physical activity level. Children are not meeting the recommended amount of daily physical exercise and the increase in obesity is alarming. Implementation of PA breaks at school has been identified as a way to address the need for more physical activity as well as providing an intervention to target learning. Classroom breaks that have been studied include active learning, which takes place by combining PA with academic material or breaks that are …

Developing Collective Teacher Efficacy To Help Secondary Teachers Feel Confident In Their Positions, Katherine E. Cabieses

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates the resources available to develop the efficacy and the collective teacher efficacy of Secondary School Teachers in handling students’ misbehavior, resulting in effective teachers satisfied with their teaching positions and students succeeding socially and academically. This study also examines the reasons and factors that cause teachers’ stress, burnout, and dissatisfaction at work. This literature review focuses on and highlights how self-efficacy and collective efficacy influences teaching, learning, and achievements in school. The studies reviewed in this study provide great information that supports my thesis statement. They indicated that collective efficacy enhances job satisfaction in teachers, influences student …

Avoiding The Services Cliff: An Extensive Look At Effective Strategies To Prepare Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders (Asd) For Life And Work, Danielle Marie Carter

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A fundamental objective of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) is to safeguard that all students with disabilities have available to them a Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE) that affirms special education and related services designed to meet their individual needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living. This thesis addresses evidence-based efforts to prepare students on the autism spectrum for life and work. It provides an overview of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) which includes; a definition, common challenges that students on the autism spectrum experience as they grow, and evidence-based strategies to address those challenges. If …

The Lived Experience Of College Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Mary Lindell, Jessica Daniels, Mary Schulze Michener

Graduate School Faculty Publications

Within a private university in the United States, BUILD is a two-year program for individuals with intellectual disabilities. BUILD provides inclusive opportunities in coursework, employment, residential, and social activities with traditional students, as well as life skills and career training in courses specific to BUILD students.

This empirical phenomenological research study explored the lived experience of students with intellectual disabilities enrolled in the BUILD program. From interviews with six participants, the themes of social experience, independence, safety, and belonging emerged. The findings of this research indicate that the opportunity-rich environment, a network of support, and a community of belonging contributed …

The Educational Impact That Social Media Has On School Age Children's Mental Health And Educational Experiences, Kasondra Janc

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies have shown that school involvement and the policies that they have created can impact adolescents’ mental health. Social media is one of the most widely used online platforms and a reason why school-aged children want cell-phones, tablets and computers. There are several types of social media platforms, both online, on the TV, and advertisements posted on online and on billboards. However, the lack of power over the social media world is cause for concern. If school age students have access to social media twenty-four seven, and many school districts are turning a blind eye to it, this is unacceptable. …

The Effects Of Teacher-Delivered E-Coaching On Paraeducators And Students, Annemarie L. Horn, Marcia L. Rock, Andy M. Markelz (Ed.)

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Paraeducators play a vital role in providing special education services to students with disabilities, yet they often enter the classroom with inadequate training. Using a multiplebaseline across participants research design, we evaluated the effects of job-embedded bug-in-ear (BIE) coaching delivered to paraeducators on their use of behavior specific praise (BSP) while working 1:1 with transition-age students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Results showed all paraeducators used optimal rates of BSP during the intervention condition while receiving immediate feedback from the special education teacher (i.e., eCoach). High rates of BSP were sustained over time, and changes in expressive social and communicative …

Because I Said So: The (Re)Production Of White, Ableist Narratives Through Legal Discourse In Endrew F. V. Douglas County Re-1, Stephen F. Fusco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As families and advocates of students of color labeled with dis/abilities face mounting inequities they turn to the courts seeking protection. Unfortunately, even after courts issue written decisions ostensibly designed to protect students labeled dis/abled, these students continue to experience systematic oppression in school. This is due, in part, to the discourse used by the courts when addressing issues affecting students labeled dis/abled and the elitism of the judicial system. The purpose of this study was to examine the legal discourse used in the most recent Supreme Court case concerning the education of students labeled dis/abled, Endrew F. v. Douglas …

Effectiveness Of Collaborative Handwriting Curriculum: Handwriting Without Tears And Orton-Gillingham, In Kindergarten Classroom Setting., Merry G. Harper

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Formal handwriting instruction, using evidence-based, developmentally appropriate handwriting programming, in school based occupational therapy is necessary to support the role of a student. Handwriting is an occupation of children in the school environment. Without formal handwriting instruction in place there is evidence to support occupational therapy intervention providing a handwriting program can improve handwriting success.

Purpose: The purpose of this research study is to determine the clinical efficacy of a hybrid approach to handwriting instruction pairing the Handwriting Without Tears and Orton-Gillingham instructional programming for prewriting and handwriting skills in the kindergarten population. The research question addressed is: Will …

International Baccalaureate Primary Years Teachers´ Perceptions On Educating Students With Dyslexia, Jennifer Preschern

Theses and Dissertations

Global organizations, such as the United Nations, have increasingly focused on ensuring that students with special needs are receiving high quality education. With schools in over 158 countries worldwide, the International Baccalaureate (IB) system provides an ideal forum to investigate if students with dyslexia globally are receiving adequate instruction. Yet, there is a general lack of research investigating IB schools, specifically for students with learning differences such as dyslexia. Providing a curriculum framework for students ages three to 12, the Primary Years Program (PYP) forms the foundation of the IB system. This quantitative research study used online survey methods to …

Investigating Special Education Services For Elementary English Language Learners Within The South-Central U.S.: A Survey Of General Education, Special Education, And Esl Teachers, Kylie Bray

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This paper explores solutions to the issue of overrepresentation in special education among the English Language Learner (ELL) population. Reasons for overrepresentation of this population can be summarized into three main categories: diagnostic problems, TESOL shortages, and improper assessment tools. By educating future and current teachers on proper ways and techniques to teach, academic failure among ELL students is prevented. Assessment forms need to be revised and accountability needs to exist to ensure that poor teaching and learning environments are not being diagnosed as a disability. An attempt to find how effectively these solutions have been implemented into schools, overrepresentation …

The Perceptions Of Scaffolding On Literacy Instruction For Middle School Students With Learning Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elizabeth Defantis

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused uncertainty in major aspects of national and global society. This pandemic has had an extreme impact on education. Since March, 2020, the education system has changed drastically. Schools, educators, families, and students are experiencing unprecedented times and are finding a way to navigate and determine the best way to educate students. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, middle school students, particularly middle school students with learning disabilities have had a difficult time obtaining support for reading/literacy instruction. According to Allington (2011), much of the literacy instruction support is given to elementary school students and middle …

Project Search: Analysis Of Employment Outcomes For Students With Disabilities Across Two Districts, Mariya T. Davis, Ingrid K. Cumming, Nicole M. Park, Carl J. Sheperis

Special Education Faculty Publications (Archived)

Rehabilitation professionals have a major focus on competitive employment, which is a central component of adult life that provides not only economic benefits, but also a social network and enhanced self-esteem. The employment gap for individuals with disabilities has remained consistently high despite concerted efforts to provide access to quality job readiness training and a simultaneous increase in awareness of the value of diversity in the workforce. This study examined the outcomes of Project SEARCH, an employer-based transition program for young adults with disabilities that promotes partnerships among the school and community by utilizing a unique collaborative approach that brings …

Using Eye Tracking To Explore Visual Attention In Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Anne M.P. Michalek, Jonna Bobzien, Victor A. Lugo, Chung Hao Chen, Ann Bruhn, Michail Giannakos

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Video social stories are used to facilitate understanding of social situations for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study explored the use of eye tracking technology to understand how adolescents with and without ASD visually attend to video social story content and whether visual attention is related to content comprehension. Six adolescents, with and without ASD, viewed a video social story of visiting a dental office. Eye gaze metrics, including fixation duration and count, and visit duration were collected to measure visual attention, and a knowledge assessment was administered for comprehension. Results indicated adolescents with ASD fixated and maintained …

Understanding Parent Beliefs And Attitudes Regarding Healthy Relationships And Sexuality Education: Bridging The Inclusivity Gap, Marie C. Zarrilli

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Children, adolescents, and young adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) are often excluded from receiving Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), even though they are at increased vulnerability for sexual abuse and exploitation. Although some curricula are emerging that are adapted for individuals with IDD, rigorous effectiveness studies are sparse. The purpose of this capstone project was to empirically explore the beliefs, attitudes, and comfort level of parents with sexuality education program types and content regarding their own parent/child communication and the need for training and resources. This capstone project used a quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive survey design. The survey consisted of …

Get The Wiggles Out: Sensory Paths A Motor-Based Intervention To Decrease Out-Of-Seat Events In Preschool Children With Special Needs., Teresa Ludwig

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Sensory Paths are sensory motor-based interventions that will provide opportunities for teachers to incorporate structured movement into the natural classroom routine, such as before circle time, to help the children in their classes be ready for learning by increasing attention and decreasing out of seat events.

This single subject A-B-A design project, rooted in the Ecology of Human Performance framework, explored providing structured sensory motor-based opportunities prior to circle time throughout the classroom day to decrease interfering behaviors in the classroom, such as out of seat behaviors and improve attention during circle time.

The results indicate that the Sensory Paths …

Cultural Competency In Classroom Libraries

The Graduate Review

No abstract provided.

The Strengths And Challenges Perceived By Special Education Teachers Of Students With Emotional Disturbance: A Mixed Methods Study, Brittany Severino

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

High school-aged students who qualify for special education services with the disability of Emotional Disturbance (ED) are at elevated risk of experiencing negative school and life consequences (Balagna et al., 2013; Billingsley & Bettini, 2019; Maag, 2006). Likewise, special education teachers who instruct this population of students are at greater risk of leaving the occupation within the first couple of years (Billingsley & Bettini, 2019; Cancio et al., 2018). These two alarming trends create the need for research to provide insight into how retention can be increased and attrition can be reduced for Emotional Support Teachers (ESTs). This study utilized …

Literature Review: Progressive Time Delay As An Instructional Method For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mindy Medrana, Natalia Allen

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

We conducted a review of the literature on articles published between 1990 and 2020 that measured the effects of progressive time delay (PTD) on skill acquisition in students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In all, 11 experimental research articles, each of which employed a single-case methodology, were deemed appropriate for our review according to inclusionary criteria. We analyzed studies according to methodological details, including participant information, dependent variables, skill acquisition, generalization, and follow-up measures. Findings from our review support the efficacy of PTD as an instructional procedure used to teach students with ASD. That is, all of the reviewed empirical …

The Effects Of Inclusive Classrooms On Students With Disabilities And Effective Inclusive Classroom Strategies, Erin Rose Welter

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this literature review was to research the effectiveness of inclusive classroom strategies pertaining to academic achievement and social/behavioral achievement in students with disabilities along with which inclusive classroom strategies were more effective. Twenty-five research studies based on inclusive classrooms were reviewed and summarized throughout this literature review. While there were studies that saw a positive impact on a student’s academic success after being in an inclusive setting, a majority of the studies used in this literature review found no correlation between students with disabilities being included in an inclusive classroom and their academic achievement. It can also …

The Dyslexic Diaries, Skye Malik

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis consists of three components: a critique of existing children’s literature about dyslexia, an original piece detailing personal events with dyslexia, and a lesson plan to support teachers using the new book with groups of students.

Covid And The Classroom: The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Special Education And Policy Implementation, Danielle Lange

Honors Theses

This research examines how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the learning of special education students and the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in the United States. The importance of this research is reflected in the unprecedented and novel context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Never at any point in IDEA history have all special education students been simultaneously denied the services that are considered essential for their development and advancement. While some previous research has looked into how constraints such as natural disasters have impacted students, never has anything this drastic been studied. In this study, I found …

Serving Culturally And Linguistic Students Identified With A Communication Disability In The K-12 Educational Environments, Lashell Dauterman

Theses and Dissertations

As more and more students enter public schools with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds that require services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, facilitators must be more sensitive to the needs, especially in the area of communication. Augmentative and alternative communication devices and other assistive technology are required by law to be utilized with individuals identified as disabled. However, due to the challenges that exist in properly identifying and implementing intervention plans for children who require services as English language learners and special education, communication needs are often misidentified or not provided. Another issue that exists is the lack …

Collaborative And Culturally Responsive Practices Of Transition Professionals To Support Black Students With High Incidence Disabilities, Amber Ruiz

Theses and Dissertations

Black students with high incidence disabilities have some of the most concerning postsecondary transition outcomes compared to their White and nondisabled peers (Awsumb et al., 2020; Hussar et al., 2020; Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission [JLARC], 2020). Different government reports cited the lack of collaborative practices and various transition researchers imply the need for culturally responsive practices when supporting Black students (Federal Partners in Transition [FPT], 2015; Government Accountability Office [GAO], 2012; Thoma et al., 2016). To address these gaps in the literature, this study explored the collaborative and culturally responsive practices of transition professionals to support Black students …

A Quantitative Study Of Factors Influencing Special Education Teachers’ Attrition: The Relationships Between Burnout, Personality, And Organizational Factors, Erin Lavery Wanat

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine if there is a relationship between independent variables—special education teachers’ emotional/interpersonal stressors, personality type, and worklife variables—and special education teachers’ burnout. Burnout is as complex as it is destructive for the special education teachers, who are likely to cite burnout as a major factor contributing to their pre-retirement departure from education. Burnout consists of three factors: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization/cynicism, and decreased estimation of personal contribution to the work. Six-hundred and ninety-two (n = 692) of Minnesota’s Tier Four licensed special education teachers participated in the study by completing a survey related to …