In hopes to add to the existing, yet limited literature surrounding music educators’ experiences with students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), our study surveyed n=62 high school band directors currently serving in the state of Tennessee about their knowledge, perceptions, and training regarding the teaching of such students. By administering an originally designed, twelve-item survey, it was discovered that the majority of respondents had been underprepared in both their preservice and in-service training to effectively address the needs of students with ASD. Despite their lack of preparedness, an overwhelming amount of the surveyed band directors reported their students experiencing social, behavioral, and academic growth following participation in band. These revealed benefits of band participation further affirm the need for improved training for all music educators, both prospective and current.

Magister Artium (Child and Family Studies) - MA(CFS) / Parents become the first teachers of the child and therefore the parent-child relationship is important for the development of a child. Parents who have a child with a disability are often more challenged than parents who do not. In South Africa, there are programmes and policies which are implemented to support parents or primary caregivers who have children with disabilities; however, there is no data or reviews available that provide information regarding the capability of parental strategies to ensure the health and well-being of their children with disabilities.

The experiences of those with difficult to diagnose conditions, chronic illnesses, and disability lack intelligibility in an able-bodied world. Much of this originates in the disjuncture between first- and third- person experience as accounted for between patients and their doctors, caregivers, and the greater public. Utilizing the insights of feminist philosophy and disability studies, I will explore how these marginalized identities face consequences in the real world for their embodiment. I propose that the best methodology to examine the experiences of chronically ill, hard to diagnose, and disabled individuals’ experiences is through the phenomenological perspective. Through utilizing case studies, I will demonstrate the importance of first- to third- person encounters in medicine and receiving adequate treatment. By examining such experiences, as well as my own, through such a perspective, I argue we can work towards creating a more equitable world for the chronically ill, hard to diagnose, and disabled. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

In medieval and early modern literature, people with psychological disabilities are commonly represented as nuisances, monsters, and pitiable wretches. This ableist paradigm is partly attributable to the fact that ‘mad’ characters evoke economic anxieties rooted in the socioeconomic climate of the societies in which the respective texts are created. Fictional ‘madmen’ are used as symbols of or scapegoats for economic problems such as rising poverty, price fluctuations, wealth inequality, and evolving inheritance systems. This exacerbates a prevailing belief that the psychologically disabled are undeserving of respect and care, or even that they are less than human. My goal in this dissertation is to document occurrences of this paradigm and analyse how they contribute to the cultural degradation and dehumanisation of people with psychological disabilities. Applying analytical frameworks provided by disability theorists regarding neurodiversity and sanism to medieval and early modern literature, this dissertation will attempt to expand and invigorate the conversation around disabled people’s cultural history. Each chapter finds the seed of its primary focus in scripture – for example, I examine Herod when discussing madness’s effect on the domestic realm and Noah when discussing madness in old age – and each proceeds in a generally chronologically fashion from scripture to medieval literature and finally early modern literature. The medieval texts I analyse are diverse and range from religious poems such as John Gower’s Confessio Amantis (c. 14th century) to the chivalric romances of Chrétien de Troyes. Likewise, the early modern texts under scrutiny include Ben Jonson’s city comedies and Shakespeare’s tragic Timon of Athens (1607). The wide-ranging nature of the texts I examine is intended to indicate that the ableist notions being unpacked are not limited by genre or period

This paper uses narrative theory to take a look at how speech is represented in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and how speech is connected to the characterisation of Frankenstein's Creature. The paper also looks at how the Creature's characterisation changes when he is made non-speaking in Richard Brinsley Peake 1823 stage play Presumption and the 1931 film Frankenstein. In these two adaptations, the Creature's characterisation is changed to make him less complex, and simultaneously both more innocent and more monstrous. By connecting this change to Disability Studies, this paper finds that using disabled traits to dehumanise disabled people is not uncommon in fiction, and that using an autistic trait in a fictional monster can reinforce harmful stereotypes about autistic people.

Individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability (ID/DD) may not have had the experiences to develop social skills for long term relationships. While society has denied the sexuality of these individuals, the individuals have identified their desire for intimate relationships. The purpose of this study was a qualitative inquiry to identify what individuals with ID/DD expect from a sex education program. A small sample size of three participants identified three themes. Data emerged for the future focus of sex education programs to include: friendship, relationships, and safe sex behaviors. The study also revealed methods of education to be used for the program setting. While the generalizability of the study is limited, due to the small number of participants, data from this study can be used for future inquires aimed at the identification of meaningful sex education programs for individuals with ID/DD.

Background: Anemia is common in congestive heart failure, and it has been associated with poor prognosis. The effect of anemia on functional ability in heart failure has not been described. We evaluated the relationship of anemia, physical disability, and survival in patients with heart failure. Methods and Results: One-year longitudinal study of 567 non-disabled, hospitalized heart failure patients, age ≥65 years, enrolled in the Italian Group of Pharmacoepidemiology in the Elderly Study. Anemia was defined according to the World Health Organization criteria. Physical disability was defined as dependence in performing at least 2 basic activities of daily living. After adjustment for disease severity and health-related variables, anemia was associated with higher risk of disability (odds ratio = 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12-4.24). After stratification according to gender, a strong relationship of anemia and risk of disability persisted in women, but it was reduced in men. Anemic women were significantly more likely to die during the follow-up, even after adjustment for potential confounders (hazard ratio = 2.33; CI = 1.02-5.30). Conclusion: Anemia is a predictor of physical disability in older heart failure patients, and in women anemia is associated with increased mortality.

This thesis investigates the use of Inclusive theatre to disengage the ‘disabled'/ ‘non-disabled' binary for transformation to inclusive cultures. The research extends existing scholarship in Inclusive and applied theatre practices by documenting selected case studies in west and southern Africa. A sociocultural lens defines disability as a social construct, problematizing community reactions, systemic oppression and societal barriers as the disabling force rather than any physical or cognitive impairment. A series of participatory action research projects explore inclusion through an applied theatre praxis and critical/performance ethnography. Progressive pedagogy informs the methods, ethics, and values of each cross-cultural inclusive project. Participants with neurodivergent, or atypical (dis)abilities are contextualized as heroes within the metaphoric framework of the hero's journey as popularized by Joseph Campbell. Campbell's stages are juxtaposed with project workshops and performances to emphasize the universal application of inclusion, and the educational power of storytelling. The primary journey follows the development of Nigeria's premier inclusive theatre company; from drama-as-therapy beginnings to their professional performance of How to be a Superhero: A Guide to Saving the World. Supplementary projects with Hijinx Theatre in Lesotho and the Oasis Association in South Africa provide stories of igniting hidden talents and overcoming the obstacles that create barriers to inclusion in both the arts and society. An enabled dramaturgy details accessibility, authenticity, engagement, transformation, and aesthetics to debate the allies/enemies of inclusive theatre. Each project reveals the boons of adapting practices through considerations of accessibility, accommodations, and modifications. The culminating performances of each project provide evidence that storytelling, building relationships, transforming and engaging participants and audiences through theatre forges empathy, increases representation, and encourages visibility. Psychologist Philip Zimbardo argues that “Heroism can be learned, can be taught, can be modeled, and can be a quality of being to which we all should aspire.” (2011). This research, inspired by Campbell and Zimbardo, argues that inclusion, like heroism, can be learned, taught and modeled through theatre to create a culture of inclusion.

Children are negatively affected by parental incarceration, and peoples’ discretion in sentencing determines for how long parents are taken away from their children. Although federal laws explicitly state that people should not consider family responsibilities and defendant gender when sentencing, psychological theory and research suggests that people might be sensitive to defendants’ gender and the age of their children. The novel question is whether child age influences sentencing decisions. To test these effects, the age of the defendant’s child and defendant gender were manipulated in two experiments – in a 3-sentence vignette in Study 1 and a presentence investigation report in Study 2. Study 1 tested a 2 (gender: man, woman) X 8 (age of child: 6-months, 1-year, 3-years, 5-years, 8-years, 13-years, 15-years, no child) between- subjects design, and Study 2 tested a 2 (defendant gender: man, woman) X 3 (no child, 1-year- old, 13-year-old) design. Participants in both studies were adults in the United States recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk, n = 461 in Study 1 and n = 362 in Study 2.Results revealed that in Study 1, defendants with a 1-year-old received less prison time than defendants with a 13-year-old; defendants with a 1-year-old received less prison time than defendants with no children; and defendants with a 13-year-old and defendants with no children received similar prison times. Contrary to prior work, women did not receive more lenient sentences than did men. As in Study 1, Study 2 found that men and women received similar prison times. Thus, results from both studies suggest that perhaps people are becoming more egalitarian in their sentencing decisions for men and women, and thus, are not influenced by traditional gender rolesResults from Study 2 revealed that defendants with a 1-year-old child received similar sentences to defendants with a 13-year-old child. Further, defendants without children received similar sentences to defendants with children. Thus, Study 1 and Study 2 found inconsistent results of whether child age influenced sentencing decisions. Therefore, results from both studies suggests that child age might influence sentencing decisions when little information is given. However, when more information is given (e.g., criminal history and details about the crime), child age does not influence sentencing decisions.Another important component of the present research was to determine why people might sentence defendants differently based on child age and defendant gender. Results from Study 2 revealed that people’s general concern for the child did not mediate the relationship between child age and prison time, and perceptions of the defendant’s moral character did not mediate the relationship between parental status and prison time. However, people’s general concern for the child and defendants’ moral character predicted prison time for the defendant, suggesting that people are influenced by their concern for the child and their perceptions of the defendants’ moral character when making sentencing decisions. Considering the defendant’s moral character when sentencing is a biased decision that impacts defendants’ outcomes, creating a disparity between defendants who are perceived to be more moral than others. However, considering the concern of the child when making sentencing decisions is desirable because children of parents who offend are less likely to be separated from their parents, thus protecting them from a whole host of negative outcomes (e.g., future delinquency, internalizing and externalizing problems).

Stereotypical definitions associating disability with incapacity or abnormality, marginalise persons with disabilities and subject them to discrimination, neglect and abuse. Although societal inclusion of persons with disabilities is progressively recognised as a human right, many obstacles still prevent them from participating in all aspects of community life, including church activities. The paucity of literature on disability within religious environments include few studies applicable to the diverse Southern African socio-cultural context. The purpose of this study was to determine and describe the perceptions of persons with disabilities, primary caregivers of persons with disabilities, and church leaders within a specific Christian congregation, to determine what they deem barriers and facilitators to participation within their unique context. The study was framed within a qualitative, descriptive case study design. Using focus groups with three different participant groups as the data collection method, a comprehensive and in-depth account of the participants’ (n=17) perceptions was documented. Data analysis occurred inductively and deductively. Emergent themes were linked to the relevant theoretical framework, the ICF. Themes included perceptions concerning the social status of persons with disabilities, and how this relates to addressing and accommodating their needs, based on the levels of awareness and understanding of disability. Additionally, perceptions surfaced around access to the physical environment and necessary resources. Numerous connections between the themes and the ICF environmental codes verified the participants’ perceptions that factors in their congregation’s environment hinder, rather than enable, the participation of persons with disabilities in church-related activities. The findings were presented by a social deconstruction of disability, describing disability from a systems thinking perspective. The results implied the need for practical measures to ensure the participation of persons with disabilities in church ministries, and for open communication among all the stakeholders. It is essential to recognise and change the mental conceptualisations that sustain exclusion. The findings also provide recommendations where future research can make additional contributions to the relatively small body of knowledge addressing participation in local churches. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / MA / Unrestricted