Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Prevocational Learning Kit For Those Using The Brigance Inventory Of Essential Skills, Anne Marie Ireland

All Graduate Projects

The problem was that the Brigance Inventory of Essential Skills gives a good assessment of skills a student possesses, but it does not provide activities or materials necessary to teach the objectives. A special education teacher who instructs a wide range of students with different handicapping conditions could benefit from an assessment tool that coordinates objectives with activities and materials.

A Mobile Summer Camp For The Mildly/Moderately Mentally Retarded, Jerrianne C. Sorensen

All Graduate Projects

A mobile camp for the mildly/moderately mentally retarded was designed to provide first-hand experience in the essentials of obtaining food, shelter, and social skills of cohabitation along with their interdependency with flora, fauna, and the topographical environment. The camp design consists of 10 days of camping in tents and staying in motels. The campers travel by bus along the Washington coast, Puget Sound, and San Juan Islands. Areas of academic instruction include plants and animals along the route.

The Effect Of An Intensive Study Skills Approach On Grade Point Average Of Secondary Learning Disabled Students, Jeanne Lancaster Vaughan

All Master's Theses

This study compared an intensive study skills approach with remedial instruction in basic skills for their effects on grade point average of secondary learning disabled students. The experimental group consisted of 12 students, as did the control group. Grade point was tabulated at the onset and conclusion of the study. The statistical analysis consisted of a t-test which showed no significance at the .05 level. The null hypothesis was retained. Discussion follows.

The Development Of A Special Education Handbook For Community Unit School District No. 20, Lawrenceville, Illinois 62739, Mary M. Shaffer

Masters Theses

The obligation to provide a free appropriate education to all children regardless of their physical or mental capabilities resides with those officials responsible for administering the education program. This study was done to write a special education handbook for parents of handicapped children. The handbook will be used to inform parents about special education programs and explain how parents can be involved in the educational process. There is a definite need for an introduction process for parents. Previously in Unit District No. 20, information was mailed to parents or sent home by the child. The handbook will provide a tool …

The Experience Of Learning Disability: A Qualitative Time Series Study., Jimmy D. Lindsey

Research, Publications & Creative Work

A time series study of 60 individuals (elementary through postsecondary levels) who had been labeled learning disabled in the public schools revealed their likes (such as sports and field trips) as well as dislikes (formal learning). They specified what could have made a difference in their learning experiences. (CL)

A Survey Of Custodial Manager’S Perceptions Of Employee Problems And Related Implications For The Training Of Mentally Retarded Workers, Patricia Jo Slobojan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A survey was conducted of custodial manager's perceptions of employee problems and related implications for the training of mentally retarded workers. Specifically, the study investigated career-related problems of handicapped and nonhandicapped custodial workers. The survey questioned the managers of these workers to find out what problems existed and how often they occurred. The results of this survey were then used to prioritize problems and to indicate specific areas of needed training for custodial workers in general, and for the mentally retarded worker in particular. Specific training of the mentally retarded worker in these deficit skill areas should improve chances of …

Attitudes Of Secondary Teachers Toward Mainstreaming Mildly Educationally Handicapped Students, Joan D. Barringer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

With the enactment of Public Law 94-142, the Education For All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, while most educators have been influenced by the requirement to meet the needs of youngsters in the "least restrictive environment," onus of responsibility generally filters down to the classroom teachers. It was the purpose of this study to determine just what are the attitudes of secondary teachers toward integrating the mildly educationally handicapped student into the regular class. The primary question was whether exposure to the concept of mainstreaming positively influences attitudes.

The investigation involved 501 secondary teachers selected by a stratified random sampling …

The Effects Of Locus Of Control And Agent Delivering Reinforcement On Performance Rates Of Junior High Emotionally Disabled Students, Mary Jean Blaisdell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A single subject treatment comparison study was made with 2 junior high boys in a classroom for the emotionally disabled to determine the effects of their perceived locus of control on their response to different agents of reinforcement. Out of 7 students from a middle class background, the most internally and externally oriented students were chosen. Student orientation was determined by the results of the Modified Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire, an instrument designed to assess the degree to which students perceive themselves to be responsible for the events in their lives. The study consisted of data collection under teacher reinforcement, …

Increasing The Work Rates Of Visually-Impaired, Mentally Retarded Adults Through The Treatment And Prevention Of Overselectivity (Overshadowing) And Masking, John Schwade

Masters Theses

In Experiment 1, three legally-blind, mentally retarded adults were given 10 to 12 applications of discrimination training between pairs of sequential compound stimuli with immediate tactile and delayed (3- 3.5 sec) visual elements. Sorting responses were brought under the control of these stimuli. In 29 of 33 applications, discrimination training resulted in reduced sorting rates concommittant to overselectivity (overshadowing), such that stimulus control was acquired by only delayed visual elements. Single-stimulus discrimination training (SSDT) between the previously-overshadowed immediate tactile elements produced expression of stimulus control by those elements of compound stimuli in 5 of 6 cases. SSDT with novel stimuli …

An In-Service Model For The Training Of Secondary Special Education Instructional Aides, Jane H. Evans

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of the project was to develop a workshop to provide on the job training for aides in secondary special education programs in Bremerton, Washington. A needs assessment was conducted to determine the validity of the perceived need and to identify and prioritize training areas. Existing training programs were examined and a literature search conducted. The resulting training model was designed to increase the effectiveness of aides and thereby maximize the delivery of instruction in special education.

The Effect Of A Fine Arts Program On The Intelligence, Achievement, Creativity And Personality Test Scores Of Young Gifted And Talented Students, Geneva H. Dillard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem of this study was to determine if young gifted and talented students who participate in a special program of the fine arts score significantly higher on tests of intelligence, language arts achievement, creativity, and personality than young gifted and talented students who do not participate in the program. For the study 102 students from kindergarten, first, second and third grades were selected. At the end of the study, ninety-seven students were posttested. Five students had moved from the school district. The students were selected for the program on the basis of teacher recommendations and on the basis of …

Burnout Among Elementary And Secondary Special Education Teachers In Self-Contained And Resource Classrooms, Pamela Knox Jones

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The goals of the present study were threefold: (1) to determine if there is a difference in the degree of reported burnout between elementary and secondary special education teachers, (2) to determine if there is a difference in the degree of reported burnout between self-contained and resource special education teachers, and (3) to identify the characteristics inherent in the role of special education teachers that best predict the presence of burnout. Ninety-three subjects from three school systems responded to a 16-item Likert scale describing potential correlates of

burnout, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and a demographic data sheet. Type of class, …

The Effects Of Modeling And Direct Instruction On Learning Disabled Children's Atypical Numerical Cognition, Mary Crossland Phelps

Communication Disorders & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Despite the widespread nature of mathematical learning disabilities, research within this area has been minimal. This study investigated the basis of atypical numerical concept development. Seriation, one of the most important components of concrete logical reasoning, was studied to determine the existence of a developmental delay or horizontal decalage in the Piagetian stage transition from preoperational to concrete operational thought. The influence of modeling and modeling plus direct instruction on the induction of seriation behavior was examined, using 60 learning disabled children and 40 remedial math students in a 4 x 2 analysis of covariance. Students were selected on the …

A Comparison Of Emotionally Disturbed Adolescents' Math Achievement On The Wrat Piat And Key Math, Bridget Dalton Gorman

Communication Disorders & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated performance on the Key Math, WRAT Arithmetic and FIAT Math subtests. One hundred thirty emotionally disturbed adolescents undergoing inpatient treatment at a psychiatric hospital were administered the FIAT and WRAT. Sixty low math achievers were also administered the Key Math. Sixty-five subjects each were assigned to the Average Achievement and Below Average Achievement groups based on FIAT total test scores, FIAT math and WRAT arithmetic grade equivalent scores (GE) and standard scores (SS) correlated significantly for all groups. Key Math GE scores correlated significantly with FIAT math and WRAT arithmetic GE scores. Analyses of variance were computed …

The Effect Of Syntactic Structure And Semantics Of The Comprehension Of Content Area Prose By Mainstreamed Learning Disabled Adolescents, Kathleen Charlotte Shelton

Communication Disorders & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of syntactic structure and/or semantics on the comprehensibility of content area prose. The population consisted of learning disabled junior high school students who were mainstreamed into a minimum of four out of six regular classes. Drawn from subjects obtaining parental permission, 92 students were selected utilizing a table of random numbers to constitute the sample. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups or a control group and were administered a history textbook passage that contained syntactic and/or semantic changes or one that contained no changes. The …

Behavioral Disorders: A Nutritional Checklist For The Educational Practitioner, Ronald F. Bobner, Louisa M. Marchionda, Carolyn Ridenour, Isadore Newman, Mary J. Beaubien

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Millions of dollars are spent annually on special educational programs for children whose severe behavior disorders prevent them from participating in the regular school setting despite average or above average intellectual capacity. A growing body of research indicates that some of these behavior disorders are related to nutritional problems. (Pfeiffer and Iliev 1972; Kittler 1973; Mayron 1979; and Buckley 1977), and many clinicians support the view that no matter what the etiology of behavioral disorders, nutritional programs can improve the baseline data on medical, social and intellectual achievement, and on personality measures (Palmer 1978). Our purpose here is to present …

Prediction Of Things To Come For Exceptional Children And Adults As Seen Through The Eyes Of Science Fiction Writers, Claud Barrett

All Graduate Projects

The problem is that education has not, to any degree, looked at science fiction as a source of information related to future problems in the lives of exceptional children and adults.

By looking at science fiction that has won the Hugo and Nebula awards, it will be the purpose of this paper to examine a number of problems.

1, It will be the task of the author to show that science fiction has both in intent and by accident been a reliable predictor of future events.

2. The author will look at science fiction and identify the ways science fiction …

A Study Of The Predictive Utility Of Search As A Means Of Early Identification Of Potential Learning Problems, Sheila Ann Miller

Communication Disorders & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to assess the predictive utility of SEARCH, a screening instrument for the identification of potential learning problems. The 46 subjects of this study were drawn from the kindergarten and first grade population of Norfolk Christian School, a private independent school in Norfolk, Virginia.

Both concurrent and predictive criterion validity were assessed using the statistical analyses of Pearson Product-Moment Correlation and stepwise multiple regression.

The results of this study revealed a significant positive correlation between the number of SEARCH subtests passed and the Metropolitan Readiness Test composite raw score. Correlational analysis also yielded slight …

A Developmental Curriculum For Multiply Handicapped Preschool Children In The Areas Of Visual Motor, Fine Motor, And Sensory Skills, Denise Ghislaine Wentz Page

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to design a developmental curriculum of activities for nonambulatory-multiply handicapped preschoolers, ages birth to 5 years. Visual motor, fine motor, and sensory skills were the areas specifically designed for the curriculum. A review of literature was conducted, investigating current information of curriculum for preschool nonambulatory-multiply handicapped children. Samples of curriclum from a variety of preschool project models were examined. A compilation of data resulted in a preschool curriculum for nonambulatory-multiply handicapped children.

A Curriculum Enrichment Guide For Special Education Teachers To Aid In Developing Strategies To Teach Social Studies, Claudia Moody Wiggins

All Graduate Projects

A curriculum enrichment guide was developed to help intermediate special education teachers to adapt social studies material to meet the needs of each individual special education student. Eight supplemental units were developed to be used in conjunction with the Follett Social Studies text Exploring Our World: The Americas, level 5, (Ahlschwede, 1977). Each unit included: 1) key concepts; 2) vocabulary; 3) strategies for instruction; and 4) student involvement.

The Effect Of Intelligence Quotient Scores On Special Education Teacher Expectations For Job Success Of The Mildly Handicapped, Janice Ann Tornow

All Master's Theses

The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether intellectual deficiency connotes vocational deficiency in programming decisions made by educational personnel who work with secondary age mildly handicapped students. The influence of the two levels of job difficulty and teacher attitude toward the importance of academic skills for job success on educators' judgements of vocational potential were also evaluated. Questionnaires were sent to 30 educators identified as "leaders" in secondary special education in the State of Washington. Analysis of the data revealed that educators rate the vocational potential of a mildly handicapped person with a high IQ (IQ= 80) …

An Elementary Special Education Program, Community Unit District #3, Georgetown, Illinois, Nancy B. Thompson

Masters Theses

In February, 1977 Supportive Services (SS) was designed as a special education program for the elementary schools in Community Unit District #3, Georgetown, Illinois. Georgetown has 900 students in grades kindergarten through eight.

Three special education teachers developed the supportive services program with input from other district specialists who work with exceptional children. Following study sessions and writing the program, approval was sought from the director of the special education district, the school principal, and the school district superintendent. Upon request of the superintendent, the teachers presented the program to the school board for approval. After approval was received from …

The Effects Of Total Communication On The Expressive Language Behavior Of Individuals Labeled Trainable Mentally Retarded, Lenore Aebischer

Masters Theses

The practice of total communication in language training for non-deaf individuals labeled mentally retarded has been guided by very little empirical evidence. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of a total communication approach facilitates an increase in the frequency of expressive language behavior in children labeled trainable mentally handicapped. The three subjects studied, one male and two females, were selected on the basis of age and I.Q. They were enrolled in a self-contained, public school which was located in a rural area of Illinois. A multi-element baseline procedure was used. Stimuli were presented using …

An Examination Of The Verbal-Performance Differences And The Bannatyne Pattern Of The Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children-Revised, Susan Hanft Bowyer

Masters Theses

Many psychologists use the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised (WISC-R) in the diagnosis of learning disabilities. They often place the results of the WISC-R into either the Bannatyne pattern or use the difference between the Verbal IQ and Performance IQ to help determine whether the child is learning disabled or non-learning disabled. This paper examined the feasibility of using either of these methods in determining learning disabilities. The case files of 300 children (211 males and 89 females) between the ages of 5 years, 10 months and 17 years, 3 months (X CA = 10.73 years, SD = …

A Diagnostic-Teaching Investigation Of The Feasibility Of Using The Hutchings' “Low-Stress" Algorithm For Addition Skill Development In Trainable Mentally Impaired Pupils, Joann Bankston Mckay

Masters Theses

The feasibility of using the Hutchings' "Low-Stress" algorithm for the development of addition skills in trainable mentally impaired pupils was investigated in this exploratory diagnostic study. The four subjects were identified as trainable mentally impaired pupils (IQ 44-63), three females and one male, between eighteen and twenty years of age. Results indicate increased power with counting and numeral recognition. Results from "Low-Stress" training phases indicate an increasing trend in binary accuracy and rate. Diagnosis of error patterns resulted in adjustments in teaching strategies. Results support the feasibility of "Low-Stress" algorithm for addition skill development in trainable mentally impaired pupils with …

Schedule Effects And Interim Activities In Two Retarded Subjects, Raymond G. Miltenberger

Masters Theses

Fixed interval (FI), fixed time (FT), and fixed ratio (FR) schedules of reinforcement were implemented with two retarded subjects and the effects on operant responding and interim activities were evaluated. One subject responded under FI 1 min, multiple FI 1 min, and multiple FI 1 min extinction schedules. Three interim activities were observed to occur under each schedule. The second subject responded under FI 1 min, FI 3 min, FR 20, FR 25, FR 35, multimple FR 35, FT 1 min, and multiple FR 35 extinction schedules. Two interim activities occured, primarily in the FI and FR schedules. Both subjects' …

The Development Of Instructional Materials To Facilitate The Interaction Of Handicapped And Nonhandicapped Third Grade Students In Selected Parochial Schools, James Nicholas Gonwa

Dissertations

This study focused on the development and use of instructional materials for teaching handicap awareness to elementary third grade children. The purposes of the study were (1) to determine if there is a need for instructional materials to teach handicap awareness, (2) to determine how teachers and experts would use instructional materials, (3) to determine the opinions of teachers and experts about the Handicap Awareness Series developed in this study and (4) to determine the opinions of children about the Handicap Awareness Series. The materials developed in this study were evaluated as an instructional method which could be used to …

A Service Delivery Model For A Handicapped Preschool In A Rural Area, Karen Louise Holenbeck

All Graduate Projects

A preschool model for 3-5 year old rural handicapped children is based on developmental skills in the areas of receptive and expressive language acquisition, fine and gross motor movement and beginning cognitive skills. Also included, to facilitate the establishment of a new rural preschool is a list of materials needed to begin the program and a list of free and low cost legal, medical, and assessment services. The need for rural preschool programs is discussed as well as reasons for growth of preschool in Washington state.

Parental Involvement In Education: Issues And Procedures, Nancy Jane Nelson

Masters Theses

The topics that will be covered in this review of the literature will include parents' reactions upon discovering their sons or daughters are handicapped, needs of parents with handicapped children, the importance of parental involvement, and parent training. The sources used in this review are from published literature and from previous research bearing on the topic. The central thesis of the paper is the importance of involving parents in the education of their handicapped children. Prior to such involvement parental reactions need to be resolved and specific parental needs met. The major conclusion drawn is that parent training is a …

An Age Related Feature Analysis Of The Autocom, Nancy Jo Blair

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The current research was designed to outline the Autocom features, develop teaching sequences which incorporated these features and determine the ability of prefirst and third grade subjects to operate the features for functional conmunication. The population was comprised of 20 physically and intellectually normal children-- 10 prefirst graders and 10 third graders. The subjects were met with individually at the La Sierra Hearing, Speech and Language Center for one or two sessions, for approximately 45 to 60 minutes per session.

Using teaching sequences developed by the investigator, the subjects were taught to operate each feature of the Autocom. At specific …