This study investigated the efficacy of three different modes of teaching elementary school students identified as severely mentally handicapped. The modes of instruction used were one-to-one instruction, sequential group instruction, and combination concurrent/sequential. The skills trained with these methods were the operation of three recreation and leisure skills: a Spiromatic, a hand held pin ball game, and a radio. The modes of instruction were then compared on the basis of effectiveness, efficiency, and situational generalization.Three children, ages 7 to 11, from an elementary school classroom for students identified as severely and profoundly mentally handicapped were employed as subjects. Each of the three leisure skills were task analyzed and taught with a forward chaining procedure and a least-to-most intrusive form of prompting in the classroom setting.An alternating treatment design was used. The design consisted of three phases: baseline phase, experimental treatment phase, and application phase. During the experimental treatment phase the three treatment conditions were run in a counterbalanced order. The application phase involved applying the most effective training condition to teach the remainder of the three tasks to the participants.Both visual and statistical analyses were used to examine the data obtained. The split middle approach was employed to conduct the visual analysis. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance was used for the statistical analysis.Results of the analyses generally suggest that one-to -one instruction was superior in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. This was true for all subjects with the exception of one subject for whom one-to-one and sequential instruction were found to be equivalent in terms of effectiveness. However, the degree to which this method was better did vary among subjects. Situational generalization occurred equally with all three modes examined. / Department of Special Education

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the performances on the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML; Sheslow & Adams, 1990) of children with different developmental and neurological disorders. The primary question was whether the WRAML subtests significantly differentiate among children with Developmental Reading Disorders (RD; n = 44), with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; n = 37), with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI; n = 30), and without developmental or neurological disabilities (n = 103). Archival data from the TBI Project at James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children and from the Division of Psychology at Alfred I. duPont Institute was analyzed. The results of a discriminant functions analysis indicated that significant differences among the groups do exist on the WRAML and that the groups were discriminated from one another by three distinct types of tasks (i.e., functions): rote memory, verbal learning, and meaningful memory. Furthermore, based on WRAML performance alone, participants had a 63% chance of being classified into their proper diagnostic group. In addition to supporting the use of multi-dimensional tasks to assess memory, the results of this study have clinical relevance for developing diagnosis-specific recommendations for memory and learning problems. / Department of Educational Psychology

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the construct validity of the Differential Ability Scales (DAS) with a mentally handicapped population. The DAS is an individually administered, standardized test of intelligence. The stated purposes of the DAS are to provide a composite measure of conceptual reasoning abilities for classification and placement decisions and to provide a reliable profile of relative strengths and weaknesses for diagnostic purposes. With these goals in mind, it follows that this cognitive measure would be used often with mentally handicapped students. The DAS was developed using an hierarchical model based upon exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The model assumes that ability measures or subtests will load on a general factor g and will form subfactors at a lower level. The model also assumes that as children get older, the number of subfactors will increase because of development and differentiation of abilities. How mentally handicapped children would fit into this model was the subject of the current research.Using a sample of 100 mildly and moderately handicapped children ages 8 years, 0 months to 17 years, 5 months, confirmatory factor analysis was used to explore the factor structure of the DAS with this population. Three separate models were investigated: Model I, in which a one factor solution was proposed, Model II, in which two factors, Verbal Ability and Nonverbal Ability, were proposed, and Model III, in which three factors, Verbal Ability, Nonverbal Reasoning Ability, and Spatial Ability, as proposed by the test's authors, were investigated. Results of the analyses support the use of a one factor interpretation when using the DAS with mentally handicapped students. In practice, only the broadest score, the General Conceptual Ability Score (GCA), can be interpreted with confidence. Further, case study investigation illustrates the inconsistencies encountered in scoring at the lower end of the norms, as well as in using the outof-level procedure proposed by the test's authors. / Department of Educational Psychology

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if relationships exist among the constructs of field dependence, simultaneous processing and sequential processing. The interrelationships among these constructs and ability and achievement were also explored. Regression and discriminant analyses, as well as t-tests were used in the statistical treatment of the data.The 56 student subjects, equally divided by sex, were randomly selected from sixth-grade classrooms in a suburban school corporation in central Indiana. The GEFT and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) were administered. Results from the comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) and the Test of Cognitive Skills (TCS) were obtained from school personnel.Overall, there were higher correlations among individual and among group tests than were found between the two types of tests. The GEFT, whether treated as a continuous or categorical variable, was found to correlate significantly with group-administered tests of ability and achievement. The TCS and the CTBS were also found to be significantly related. Intercorrelations among selected Global Scales of the K-ABC were significant. There were no significant zero-order correlations between the K-ABC processing scales and the TCS. There were significant correlations between the K-ABC Achievement measure and group-administered tests of both ability and achievement. While the Achievement Scale of the K-ABC had a significant positive relationship with the LEFT, results of a t-test revealed no significant difference between the performance of field dependent and field independent subjects on the Achievement Scale. A significant positive relationship was found between the GEFTand the Simultaneous Processing Scale as well as the Mental Processing Composite. However, in a regression analysis the principal component of the linear composite was the Simultaneous Scale.

No description available.

The thesis reviews the literature on early communication development, communication intervention with persons with severe intellectual disability, and on picture recognition and use. Drawing from both developmental and behaviourist perspectives, a theoretical base is described for designing intervention and assessment strategies to teach and monitor picto-graphic symbol use for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). These strategies were investigated with students with severe intellectual disability, little or no spoken language, poor verbal comprehension and poor picture recognition skills. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (M. Ed.)--Kutztown University, 1989. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2749. Abstract precedes title page. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2002. / Bibliography.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, 2005. / Title from title screen (viewed 16th July, 2007). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney. Degree awarded 2005. Includes bibliographical references. Also issued in print.