Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

The Effects Of Professional Development On Co-Teaching For Special And General Education Teachers And Students, Chelsea Miller, Kevin Oh

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

As we progress into a future where more students with IEPs are in general education classes, teachers must be innovative, creative, and passionate about providing an opportunity for all students to succeed in the classroom. Rather than students with IEPs be taken from their classrooms to receive remedial services from their special education teacher, it is more beneficial to all students and teachers to have education specialists and general education teachers co-teach classes (Conderman, 2011). Education specialists have extensive knowledge in acquisition of literacy skills, how to scaffold, and present information through multiple mediums. General education teachers are experts in …

Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support In Mathematics: Findings From Two Schools, Erin Donovan, Katharine Shepherd

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

This study examined the benefits and challenges associated with implementing RtI in the area of mathematics in an elementary and a middle school in a rural district in the northeastern United States. We sought to document the ways in which two schools approached implementation of RtI and to explore the issues they encountered with respect to instruction, intervention, and assessment. Five themes were identified that described implementation of the RtI framework: Shifting roles and changing structures, increasing opportunities for collaboration and communication, increasing instructional and assessment support for students who struggle in math, increasing knowledge of support strategies for learners …

Attitudes About Inclusion: Through The Lens Of Practitioners And Novices, Janet R. Desimone, Nancy Maldonado, M. Victoria Rodriguez

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of preservice and inservice education students, towards inclusion in school settings. Graduate students working on their New York State teacher certification in early childhood special education (n= 152) completed a survey, Attitudes Toward Inclusion. The survey addressed the following: attitudes towards various disabilities; perceptions of preparedness to modify instruction for students with disabilities and to meet their needs; willingness to include students with more severe disabilities in their classrooms; placement issues; and impact on general education students. The findings revealed three major themes: 1) inclusion for some students with special …

Teachers Of Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders’ Perceptions Of The Importance Of Selected Professional Standards Of Practice, Mandy E. Lusk, Lyndal M. Bullock

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Utilizing the Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) standards delineated for preparation programs in teaching students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), the present study sought to determine how graduates of one teacher preparation program perceived the importance of the standards in their work with students with EBD. Results indicated that graduates viewed the CEC standards as important to their work. Further, a multiple regression model examined specific demographic variables (i.e., total years of teaching experience, positions graduates currently held, graduates’ feelings about working with students with EBD, and their feelings as to causal factors leading to EBD) as predictors for …

Relationships Between Risk Factors, Perceptions Of School Membership And Academic And Behavioral Engagement Of Students Who Attend An Alternative School For Behavioral And Emotional Challenges, Sunyoung Ahn, Richard Simpson

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between the perceptions of school membership, risk factors, and behavioral and academic engagement among a sample of alternative school students. The study subjects were 48 7th-9th graders who were at high risk for school failure because of their serious and chronic behavioral and academic problems. All subjects had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). A 25 item school membership questionnaire adapted from existing school membership surveys was used to assess students’ perceived school membership. The study participants reported a moderately positive school membership score. The findings indicated that commonly known risk …

The Accessibility Of A Children’S Museum, Mary G. Curtis, Limor H. Chavez

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Service learning is an effective means of implementing course curriculum in the real world (Driskoll, 2009). As a Carnegie Foundation classified campus for the Advancement of Teaching, Community Engagement, the University of Texas Brownsville actively promotes service learning and partnerships with community agencies (www.utb.edu/vpaa/cce/Pages/). While enrolled in a graduate course in assistive technology, graduate participants in special education were challenged with a service learning project for the local children’s museum. To help meet the needs of the museum, the graduate students were charged with task of evaluating the accessibility of the museum exhibits for children with disabilities. This project provided …

Performance As Therapy: An Intervention For Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Emily A. D'Annunzio

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The research thesis titled, “Performance as therapy: An intervention for adults with developmental disabilities” examined how adults with developmental disabilities (DD) respond to this specific dance/movement therapy intervention. It shows how this intervention method addresses the psychosocial goal of increasing interpersonal skills. The research took place at a day rehabilitation center, located in Chicago, IL. The co-researchers are participants of a day rehabilitation program, which offers creative arts therapies. The co-researchers are both male and female who range in age from 21 to 60. Caucasian, African American and Hispanic ethnic backgrounds are represented. Co-researchers have DD, which include diagnoses of …

The Effects Of Mnemonics To Increase Accuracy Of Multiplication Facts In Upper-Elementary School Students With Mild To Moderate Disabilities, Logan James Eubanks

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The intent of this project is to replicate a specific instructional method used in Wood et al.’s study focusing on the use of the pegword mnemonic strategy paired with stories and illustrations for 15 targeted multiplication facts remaining after mastering math facts in the zeros, ones, twos, fives, or nines groups. Three questions will be asked during this project on the effects of mnemonic instruction using pegword strategies on the percentage of multiplication facts answered correctly by third, fourth, and fifth grade students with learning disabilities? 1) Does pegword instruction paired with stories and illustrations result in immediate improvement for …

The Development And Evaluation Of An In-Service Training For Informing Elementary School Personnel About Culturally Responsive Assessment And Instruction For English Language Learning Students, Mallory Whitney Poole

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The purpose of this project is to develop and present a training session for elementary school teachers and other Personnel who teach and work with English Language Learners (ELL). The training provides information on evidence based instructional strategies to help teachers improve their teaching methods with students who speak languages other than English. The lack of teacher knowledge in utilizing culturally and linguistically responsive teaching methods may be contributing to the over identification of ELLs in special education. This situation reinforces the need for additional teacher training for those who teach students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This creative …

Instructional Strategies For Implementing Utah's Early Childhood Core Standards, Mark R. Noyce

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Children who are pre-lingually deaf or hard of hearing are often delayed in the acquisition and development of spoken language. Educators of the deaf and hard of hearing, of necessity, adapt and modify curriculum to ameliorate the delays inherent with hearing loss. Teachers utilize specialized strategies and techniques of presentation to adjust to the language and communication learning needs of children with hearing loss.
Curricula are written to identify the developmental sequence of concepts and skills expected of typically developing children. The Utah Early Childhood Core Standards (UECCS) was established to help prepare children to have the pre-requisite skills and …

Assistive Technology User Groups And Early Childhood Educators, Howard P. Parette, Jack J. Hourcade, Craig Blum, Emily H. Watts, Julia B. Stoner, Brian W. Wojcik, Shannon B. Chrismore

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article explores the potential of User Groups as a professional development venue for early childhood educators in developing operational and functional competence in using hardware and software components of an Assistive Technology (AT) Toolkit. User Groups are composed of varying numbers of participants having an interest in technology, and are led by one or more skilled facilitators who meet with participants across time to help them acquire and demonstrate new technology skill sets. A series of these groups were conducted with seven early education professionals serving young preschool children who were at risk or who had disabilities. The impact …

Standardized Testing Of Special Education Students: A Comparison Of Service Type And Test Scores, Christine L. Hogan-Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program Modified Academic Achievement Standards (TCAP MAAS) achievement test scores for special education students who receive their instruction in the resource classroom or in an inclusion classroom. The study involved third, fourth, and fifth grade special education students in an east Tennessee school district. The TCAP MAAS scale scores used were from the 2011-2012 school year. An independent samples t-test was implemented in this study. The dependent variable in the study was the TCAP MAAS scaled scores. The independent variable was student placement. …

Professional Development And Teacher Perception Of Efficacy For Inclusion, Susan E. Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed for the purpose of quantitatively examining the significant elements of reform-based professional development and their relationship to teachers’ self-efficacies for inclusion. The theoretical frameworks for this study were drawn from Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy and social cognitive theory in addition to pre-existing research pertaining to professional development and teacher efficacy for inclusion.

A web based survey was developed and made available for voluntary participation to a total population of 385 elementary school teachers in one East Tennessee school district. Data were collected from 79 elementary school teachers in 14 of the district’s elementary schools.

Findings included no …

The Leadership Role In Transitioning An Urban Secondary School From A Traditional Service Delivery Model To A Co-Teaching Service Delivery Model For Students With Disabilities: A Phenomenological Case Study, Ginni Elizabeth Mcdonald

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research studies the leadership role in transitioning from a traditional service delivery model to a co-teaching service delivery model for students with disabilities. While there is an abundant amount of information on the service delivery model of co-teaching, sustaining co-teaching programs, and effective co-teaching programs for students with disabilities, the actual studies for the leadership role in transitioning to co-teaching are fewer. This phenomenological case study explores the leadership role in effectively transitioning an urban high school from a traditional service delivery of special education services to a larger continuum of services, specifically co-teaching for students with disabilities. Participants …

Parents' Perspectives On The Literacy Instruction Received By Their Children With Intellectual Disabilities, Michelle A. Duffy

Reading and Language Arts - Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to explore the perspectives of 22 parents of children with intellectual disabilities on the literacy learning opportunities the children were provided in school. It asked: 1) What are the perspectives of such parents on the literacy instruction offered to their children?, and 2) What are the perspectives of such parents on the opportunities available to them to participate in decision-making about this literacy instruction?

This study was grounded in disability studies and critical interpretivist frameworks, which provided a lens for understanding participants' views in the context of our society's historically unjust treatment …

Central Auditory Processing Disorder: A Literature Review On Inter-Disciplinary Management, Intervention, And Implications For Educators, Lauren Patrusky

HIM 1990-2015

Clinical Questions: What top-down and bottom-up interventions across the psychology, audiology, educational, and speech language pathology domains are most effective for children and adolescents with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD)? What considerations for planning research and intervention might be offered to a classroom teacher to further support students diagnosed with CAPD, especially in relation to the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), formerly known as Response to Intervention (RTI)? Method: Inter-Disciplinary Literature Review Study Sources: PsycInfo, Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts, ProQuest, International Journal of Audiology, American-Speech-Language Hearing Association, Journal of Neurotherapy, Medline-Esbcohost, ERIC Ebscohost, Professional Development Collection Education, and What …

The Differential Contributions Of Auditory-Verbal And Visuospatial Working Memory On Decoding Skills In Children Who Are Poor Decoders, Katie E. Squires

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the unique contributions of simple and complex auditory-verbal and visuospatial working memory (WM) in isolation or in conjunction with other skills known to affect decoding such as phonological awareness, orthographic knowledge, and nonverbal and verbal intelligence. Thirty-two second-grade students and 22 fifth-grade students, all identified as poor decoders, participated in this study.

For the second-grade students, a measure of complex auditory-verbal WM was correlated with word attack (reading psuedowords). For fifth-grade participants, there was a negative correlation between a complex visuospatial WM measure and word attack. A measure of simple auditory-verbal WM was correlated to word identification …

Using Video Modeling Delivered Through An Ipod Touch To Teach Purchasing Skills To Students With Severe Cognitive Disabilities, Sarah M. Stone

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Video modeling is a recent buzzword in the vocabulary of special educators and other professionals who work with individuals with disabilities. This type of modeling has proven effective in many studies specifically for individuals with autism. Recent studies show the effectiveness of acquiring skills through observing a video recording of a model (themselves or another person) performing the skill correctly. The technique used in this study is video modeling with another individual as the model (VMO). The researchers looked at the acquisition of purchasing skills based on viewing the video model in the grocery store. The VMO was presented using …

The Effects Of Simultaneous Script-Training And Fading Procedures On The Mand Variability Of Children With Autism, Kristen N. Kelley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Individuals with autism often display rote and repetitive responding across behavioral topographies. One area that is often affected is the individual’s verbal repertoire. In an attempt to build and expand verbal repertoires, script and script fading procedures have often been implemented to teach individuals new and varied verbal behavior. Script training and fading procedures have also been used specifically to remediate deficits in an individual’s mand repertoire. Researchers have examined the effects of script training and fading procedures on the variability within an individual’s mand repertoire. This line of research is of great importance since a lack of variability in …

Sensitivity Of Human Choice To Manipulations Of Parameters Of Positive And Negative Sound Reinforcement, Joseph Michael Lambert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine whether altering parameters of positive and negative reinforcement in identical ways could influence behavior maintained by each in different ways. Three undergraduate students participated in a series of assessments designed to identify preferred and aversive sounds with similar reinforcing values. Following reinforcer identification, we conducted parameter sensitivity assessments for both positive and negative reinforcers. Parameter manipulations influenced behavior in the same way across reinforcement processes for two participants. However, for one participant, the way in which parameter manipulations influenced behavior differed according to the reinforcement process. Our results suggest that, for at …

An Evaluation Of A Computer-Based Training On The Visual Analysis Of Single-Subject Data, Katie Snyder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Federal education policies, such as No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, mandate the use of scientifically-proven or research-based curricula and interventions. Presumably, interventions that have a large amount of scientific evidence documenting their success are more likely to be effective when implemented with students in school settings.

In special education, single-subject research is the predominant methodology used to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. In single-subject research, a target behavior is measured under baseline conditions (i.e., before the intervention of interest is implemented) and intervention conditions. The data for each condition are graphed, and analyzed …

Perceptions By High School Teachers Of Mathematical Readiness Of Students With Disabilities Transitioning To College, Adam Dwight King

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

More and more students with mild disabilities enroll in and attend college. However, test scores and other achievement measures show that they are well behind
their regular education peers in math achievement, and thus unprepared for the rigors of college. While much has been done to revise laws and policy involving students with disabilities and academic core standards to increase preparedness, it is still what happens in the classroom that has the greatest effect on student preparation. Due to
the nature of pullout/resource classes where pacing is typically slower and less content is covered, special education teachers make a myriad …

A Comparison Of Social Media Job Search Versus Traditional Job Search Methods On Employment Of Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities, Janalyn Duersch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the effects of social media on employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Participants included 37 transition students with moderate to severe disabilities in a Western state school system. The student researcher divided 37 participants into two groups: (a) social media job search, or (b) traditional job search. Social media and traditional groups consisted of 18 and 19 participants, respectively. The control group implemented traditional job search methods. The social media group learned to use social media to further employment. Variables examined included (a) job placements, (b) job interviews, and (c) job referrals. The students in all groups …

Comparison Of The Pervasive Developmental Disorders Screening Test And Modified Checklist For Autism In Toddlers: Which Is The Better Predictor Of Autism In Toddlers?, Vanessa Marie Fessenden

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has significant impact on children and families. Early intervention optimizes long-term diagnosis for children with ASD. Unfortunately, many children with ASD are not diagnosed until after age three and often receive services from a local school district rather than through early intervention services. However, many of the symptoms of ASD can be hard to identify because symptoms during infancy may be more difficult to detect or may present differently than manifestations of the symptoms at older ages. Despite the difficulty in identifying symptoms of ASD in young children, there are certain …

Parental Stress, Family-Professional Partnerships, And Family Quality Of Life: Families Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Yun-Ju Hsiao

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among the quality of life of families that have at least one child with autism spectrum disorder, parental stress level, and partnerships between the family and professionals. Also, parent perceptions of parental stress, family quality of life, and family-professional partnerships were assessed to ascertain if they could be predicted from different variables (e.g., ethnicity, educational levels, income levels, and parental relationship status, etc.). The study examined the relationship among the three variables (e.g., family quality of life, parental stress, and family-professional partnership). Participants were recruited from an autism center located …

Decoding Skills Of Middle-School Students With Autism: An Evaluation Of The Nonverbal Reading Approach, Patrick Allen Leytham

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Students diagnosed with autism demonstrate a deficit in communication skills, which affects their literacy skills. Federal legislation mandates that students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education, be taught how to read, and have access to the general education curriculum. Students with autism are being included more in the general education classroom. Prior literacy instruction for students with moderate to severe forms of disabilities has shown promising results. The whole language approach to teaching students with autism how to read has been researched extensively, particularly in the area of sight-word identification. One major limitation to this approach, however, is …

School Psychologists' Perspectives Of Response-To-Intervention: Training, Practices, And Implementation, Michelle Nathan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Specific learning disabilities currently account for the 39 percent of the 6.6 million students who receive special education services in a public school setting (Aud, Husser, Planty, Snyder, Bianco, Fox, et al, 2010). The current federal definition of what constitutes a specific learning disability states that school districts are allowed to use either the aptitude-achievement discrepancy model or alternative assessment methods, thereby legitimizing the use of response-to-intervention (RTI) (Dykeman, 2006).

The current study provided an investigation into the current training and practices of school psychologists and the barriers they face when implementing RTI within a school setting. The purpose of …

A Comparison Of Two After School Strategies For Improving The Parenting Knowledge And Parenting Perceptions Of Preschool Families Enrolled In A Title 1 Program, Rae Ette Veronna Newman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A parent is a child's first educator in communication, social/emotional skills, motor development, and academics. As the achievement expectations placed on schools increase and the schooling population continually diversifies, the need to increase the overall parental involvement in schools and their ability to assist with academics in the home becomes more significant to ensure academic success for all children. By acquiring the fundamental parenting knowledge and skills, despite the barriers and additional disadvantages, parents can overcome daily obstacles, reduce family stress, and support developing proficient children. By encouraging positive parenting skills, parents can increase their parenting self-efficacy.

The purpose of …

Development And Implementation Of A Video-Based Activity Preference Assessment For Children With Autism And Their Parents, Lena Sankovich

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Development and Implementation of a Video-Based Physical Activity Preference Assessment for Children with Autism and Their Parents

Individuals with autism often lack the necessary motivation to engage in physical activity. In addition, due to the characteristics defining autism, such as deficits in social skills, motor coordination, and behavior, individuals with autism are less likely to participate in physical activity with their peers than individuals without autism. Additionally, poor motor functioning, sedentary lifestyle, lack of information and lack of access to physical activity may be barriers to physical activity for individuals with developmental disabilities. These barriers, in addition to the characteristics …

An Analysis Of English Language Learning Instruction Provided In Teacher Education And Inservice Training Programs For General And Special Educators, Lidia E. Sedano

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

It is essential that English language learners (ELLs) are able to effectively receive an education. Recent national data indicates that the achievement gap between English and non-English learners in school is approximately a two grade-level difference (NCES, 2012). The increase of students who are learning English and who have a disability is a challenge for schools in terms of curricula adjustments, to meet the needs of this population. (Artiles & Ortiz, 2002).

The need to prepare general and special educators to provide appropriate instruction to ELLs is crucial for positive learning outcomes (Shyyan et al., 2008; Youngs & Youngs, 2001). …