Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

The Integration Of Constructive Visualization, Self-Talk, And Relaxation In The Acquisition Of Social Skills, Karen Sue Campbell

All Graduate Projects

The need for teaching social skills, imagery, relaxation, and self-talk was studied and confirmed. Review and use of many of these curriculums revealed overlap among some curriculums, but none fully integrated skills from each of the diverse approaches to teaching social competence. The purpose of this project was to integrate a select body of information addressing social skills, self-talk, relaxation, and imagery into a developmental curriculum for use with children and adolescents.

The Inter-Rater Reliability Of The American Association On Mental Deficiency Adaptive Behavior Scale (School Edition) Using Secondary Special Education Personnel As Raters, Jimmy L. Camp Jr.

Masters Theses

The concept of adaptive behavior has been present in the definition of adaptive behavior for many years. With the advent of intelligence testing, adaptive behavior was deemphasized, but later reemerged as widespread dissatisfaction with the testing movement grew among researchers in the area of mental retardation. The importance of the concept of adaptive behavior has been affirmed by the American Association on Mental Deficiency (A.A.M.D.), which developed a dual criteria system of defining mental retardation that included adaptive behavior as a major component. The Federal government later adopted this classification system for funding purposes in P.L. 94-142.

The valid and …

A Suggested Personal And Family Care Curriculum For The Vocational Skills Centers Of The Special School District Of St. Louis County, Ruth Elaine Hellweg

Theses

A Suggested Personal and Family Care Curriculum for the Vocational Skills Centers of the Special School District of St. Louis County is designed to provide an open entrance-open exit approach to developing skills for coping with specific activities of daily living. It is intended for use with handicapped students of all categories including BD, LD, MR, SH, and orthopedically handicapped and could be used with slow learners in any area. It is a task analyzed curriculum, written with measurable behavioral objectives to facilitate IEP formulation. Areas covered are grooming and hygiene, nutrition, food preparation, first aid, home health, safety, substance …

Silent Reading Before Oral Reading On The Iri: Implication For Diagnosis And Instruction, Catherine P. Benedetti

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to test the effect of silent pre-reading on the number of oral reading errors a student makes on an IRI. Twenty children read passages silently and then orally read passages without pre-reading. The results supported the null hypothesis that there would be no statistically significant difference on oral reading performances for disabled second and fourth graders. Implications for diagnosis and instruction are discussed.

Recruitment And Retention Of Special Educators For Rural School Systems, Margie Oliver-Hay

Theses and Dissertations

There is nothing new about teachers leaving their profession. Teacher turnover has always occurred. But when education loses its most experienced and mature teachers, there is cause for concern. When smaller rural districts lose their best teachers both in regular and special education teacher turnover may be a crises!

Recruitment and retention of special and regular educators is becoming an extremely serious problem for rural areas. Enrollments in college and in education departments are decreasing. Women, who once were the dominant force in the teaching ranks, are being attracted to other fields such as medicine, engineering, computer science, and law. …

The Implementation Of Teacher Assistance Teams As A Prereferal, Cathy C. Webb

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing population of special education is a problem. The framework of PL 94-142 guarantees a free and appropriate education to all children in the least restrictive environment. The U.S. Department of Education figures show that from 1976-1977 the states provided special education and related services to 8.2 percent of children enrolled in public schools. The figure for 1970- 1980 grew to 9.5 percent (Algozzine, Ysseldyke, & Christenson, 1983) which was a three percent per year growth rate. Further analysis of Algozzine, Ysseldyke and Christenson's studies (1983) showed that approximately 92 percent of those students referred were tested and 73 …

Teacher Effectiveness In Special Education, Christy Dee Mandrell

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Parents, Teachers, And Administrators Of The Learning Disability Programs Of The Macon, Moweaqua, And Warrensburg-Latham School Districts, Carl R. Hall

Masters Theses

Purpose

The purpose of this field study was to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of the learning disability resource services, the model used to deliver services in Macon, Moweaqua, and Warrensburg-Latham School Districts, from the parents’, regular teachers’, resource learning disability teachers’, and administrators’ perspectives.

Assessing the perspectives currently held of the resource services by regular teachers, parents, resource learning disability teachers, and administrators served as an initial step in planning for future program needs and may help in establishing future goals for learning disability students. Discrepancies in the perceptions of these four groups may represent communication problems and identify areas …

Social Interpersonal Skills Of Handicapped And Nonhandicapped Adults At Work, Benjamin Lignugaris / Kraft, S. Rule, Charles L. Salzberg, J. J. Stowitschek

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

The pattern and content of social interactions of successful handicapped and nonhandicapped employees were observed in two employment settings. Data suggest that both groups were active social interactants who frequently worked cooperatively, yet interacted relatively infrequently with their supervisors. Implications for future research are discussed.

Social Interaction Patterns Among Employees In Sheltered And Nonprofit Business Settings, Benjamin Lignugaris / Kraft, Charles L. Salzberg, J. J. Stowitschek, E. K. Mcconaughy

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

Recently, researchers have identified a number of social behaviors considered important for job success. Important social skills for entry-level employees include following instructions, clarifying instructions, providing assistance, and providing job-related information to co-workers (Buehler, 1969; Johnson & Mithaug, 1978; Rusch, Schutz, & Agran, 1982; Salzberg, Agran, & Lignugaris/Kraft, in press). Researchers have also recognized that these behaviors must be examined in the context in which they occur in the workplace (Berkson & Romer, 1980; Brody & Stoneman, 1977).

The context of a social interaction might be described in terms of the job setting in which the interaction occurs (e.g., restaurant, …

School Psychologists' Reports: Special Educators' Preferences, Claudia Downey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Special educators were surveyed in order to determine which of two distinct styles of school psychologists' reports, (psychological vs. psychoeducational) was perceived to be most useful. The sample population consisted of 39 special educators employed by the Bowling Green (Ky.) Independent School District and the Warren County (Ky.) Board of Education. Teachers' rankings of the ten report sections (five per style of report) were compared by an analysis of variance. Results of the 2 (report style: psychological vs. psychoeducational) by 5 (report sections: referral vs. background and observations vs. tests/procedures vs. diagnosis or conclusions vs. recommendations) ANOVA revealed no significant …

Amounts Of Nonverbal Behavior In Students Labeled Behaviorally Impaired And Comparison Students, Christine Rudolph

Student Work

The child’s behavioral and communicative skills are comprised of verbal and nonverbal components. The importance of a nonverbal context for smooth communication and interaction is often only evident when it is absent or defective, such as in children with severe behavioral disorders (autistic, schizophrenic). Actions and the way of saying things, rather than words, are essentially important since they are used deliberately or inadvertently to convey feelings or attitudes and determine the effectiveness of social and working relationships.

Perceived Role Responsibilities Of Physical Therapists And Adapted Physical Educators In The Public School Setting, Mindy Blumenkopf, Pamela Levangie, David L. Nelson

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

Right to Education legislation has brought physical therapists and adapted physical educators together in the public school setting to serve the child with special needs. Investigation of the role responsibilities of these professionals would facilitate not only communication between the groups, but also understanding of their functions by other school personnel and administrators. We analyzed questionnaires returned by 79 physical therapists and 30 adapted physical educators to determine areas of uniqueness or similarity in 18 identified role responsibilities performed by these two groups. Each subject rated the appropriateness of each role to physical therapists and to adapted physical educators. On …

Behavior Of Retarded Clients As A Function Of Access To Leisure Activities Oriented Toward Task Completion, David R. Keltner

Home Economics and Family Living Theses

This thesis represents an investigation of the effects of increased access to task completion activities on the behavior of institutionalized retarded clients. The hypothesis was that increased access to task completion leisure activities (non-competitive free time activities requiring the subject to attend to a constructive task during at least five free time periods over the course of the study) would result in reduced frequency of unacceptable social behaviors in a group of institutionalized retarded clients. A hobby kit designed according to the experimental definition of leisure activity was made available to each subject in the experimental group. Target behaviors (social …

An International Exchange Program: Self-Esteem Building And Relationship Development For Youth And Staff, Norman Powell, Tony Maciocia

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty and Staff Research

Troubled youth can manage, and benefit from, short intensive relationship-centered experiences. This article reports on an innovative staff and client exchange program involving groups from Montreal, Quebec and Washington, D.C. Such experiences, as well as enhancing the youths' cultural awareness and self-esteem, provide exciting staff-development opportunities.

Teaching Multiplication And Division To Learning Disabled Children, Vickie Singley

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Activities To Increase The Social Awareness Of Learning Handicapped Children In Kindergarten, Marcheta Herbranson

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Mainstreaming In The Elementary School, Judy Lachman

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Test-Taking Instruction Upon The Test Scores Of Students Labeled As Learning Disabled, Deborah Wolfson

Masters Theses

A multiple-baseline design was used to investigate the effects of test-taking instruction upon the social studies test scores of four seventh grade students labeled as learning disabled. This two-phased (baseline and post-intervention) study ran for two semesters and included 14 test entries. All the tests were administered in the subjects' social studies class and scored by the subjects' social studies teacher. The teacher was not informed as to the nature of this study while it was in progress. The 10- day, individually instructed intervention package included activities in (a) test preparation (b) general test-taking principles (c) clue words (d) following …

Notification Of A Commercial Reading Program Presented As Learning Activity Packets For Learning Disabled Students, Edna M. Meyers

All Graduate Projects

This project represents a modification of a commercial reading program, with individual learning activity packets as the management tool for the program. The project plan provides for:

1. Program goals and objectives

2. An initial placement test

3. Unit criterion tests

4. Mastery level tests

5. Individual learning activity packets

Each learning activity packet includes:

1. Individual student record and assignment page

2. Individual story report forms

3. Vocabulary words

4. Detailed comprehension questions

5. Individual student/teacher reading contract

This project provides a reading program that meets the unique instructional needs of the learning disabled student in a financially feasible …

Graduate Bulletin, 1985-1987 (1985), Moorhead State University

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Language Processing Strategies Upon Reading Comprehension, Kathy Ann Kirby

Masters Theses

In 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed providing educational services for children with exceptionalities. Learning disabilities was one of those exceptionalities whose definition used a language disorder as its major criteria for the identification and classification of a specific learning disabilities. The inclusion of language disorders within its definition brought about greater interest in language and the understanding of language development, acquisition and processing and how these aspects related with academic learning, particularly with reading.

The purpose of this study was to address the issue of language processing strategies in the remediating of language deficits and …

An Assessment Of Communication And Service Needs To Be Provided To The Regular Education Teacher By The Resource Teacher, Jacqueline Lee Holt

Masters Theses

This study was designed to determine the types of communication and assistance that should be provided to regular education teachers by the resource teachers. This study also attempted to determine if there was any significance in the needs of regular education teachers based on the grade level, level of education, and/or sex of the respondents. An open-ended questionnaire was distributed to students enrolled in graduate level classes at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. Responses obtained from the questionnaire were used to construct a second, multiple choice questionnaire. The questionnaire analyzed three main areas (a) consultation, (b) materials, and (c) …

Effect Of Father-Presence And Father-Absence On The Self-Concept Of Black Males In Special Education And Regular Education Classes, Queen Esther Woodard

Dissertations

This study compared the self-concept of Black males residing in father-present and father-absent low socioeconomic status homes, who were between the ages of 8-12, and who were enrolled in emotionally impaired, or regular education classes. Literature indicated that since 1970, the number of children reared in one-parent homes has increased by over 60%, with over 90% of these children living with their mothers. This changing lifestyle has prompted researchers to investigate the effects of father-absence on children; especially on boys.

It was hypothesized that self-concept would be influenced by father status, chronological age, and class placement. These three independent variables …

The Relationship Among Parent Knowledge Of Special Education, Assertiveness, And Participation In Planning Their Handicapped Child’S Educational Program, Lynne Faxon Croxton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study addressed the relationship among parent assertiveness, parent knowledge of special education and the handicapping condition of their child, and parent participation in the annual meeting of the School-Based Admissions and Release Committee (SBARC). Fifty-one (51) parents of learning disabled and mentally handicapped children in a suburban area of Kentucky participated in the study. The effects of the child’s handicapping condition and the number of years the child’s handicapping condition and the number of years the child had received special education on parent assertiveness, knowledge, and participation were also analyzed. Parents were given the Special Education Knowledge Survey, and …

A Study Of Olga Smyth, Director, High Valley School: 1934 Graduate Of Bank Street, Deborah Stone

Graduate Student Independent Studies

A study is made of the educator Olga Smyth, 1934 graduate of Bank Street. Examins her particular style of working with children, and what it is based on in her history, education, and personality. The continuity of her work and the consistency of her approach is shown, from her days at Bank Street through the making of "Incitement to Reading" (film by L. J. Stone showing her teaching first graders at the Poughkeepsie Day School in the 1950's) to her work at her own school with children whose emotional and learning problems make it impossible for them to succeed in …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Processing Rate And Memory Span In Learning Disabled Children, Jeffrey Wayne Gray

Student Work

Slow rate of information processing has been offered as an explanation for the short-term memory problems of learning and/or reading disabled children (e.g., Spring & Capps, 1974). The present investigation used an item identification task and a memory span task to determine whether, when learning and/or reading disabled and non-disabled children are equated with regard to the speed with which they process information, their measured memory spans are also equal. It was hypothesized that the observed memory span differences would be eliminated by equating the two groups on a measure of processing rate.

Computers And Composition: Using A Word Processor To Teach Sentence Combining With Learning Handicapped Elementary Students, Judith J. Mcconahay

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

A Plan For Reducing Stress In Teachers Of The Trainable Mentally Handicapped And Their Students Through Vigorous Exercise, Randy A. Lester

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Clarification Of Issues In Special Education: Relating To The Learning Handicapped Junior High School Student, Kathryn R. Guerin

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.