abstract: Autism has a unique history. The definition has broadened and changed over time, from an emotional disturbance with psychogenic origins to a neurodevelopmental disability with suspected environmental and genetic origins. Diagnosis occurs later than children born with obvious disabilities such as cerebral palsy or Down syndrome, but earlier than milder, high-incidence disabilities such as dyslexia or attention deficit disorder. Historically, parents have advocated for changes in the way children with autism receive services and how federal funding and educational services are provided. There is often tension between these parents and the medical establishment. There can also be tension between the community of parents and the community of adults who have high functioning autism and Asperger syndrome. Studies have examined individual aspects of autism, from the diagnosis, caring for a child with autism, educational interventions, and genetics to characteristics of the internet community of adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). This study includes interviews with mothers whose children were diagnosed with autism between 1974 and 2004, observations of appointments with developmental pediatricians at which diagnoses were given in 2010, and an analysis of media representations of autism over the same time period. These different data were analyzed together to create a new understanding about the history and present state of autism diagnosis. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Special Education 2011

<p> Research indicates that the trend of students with disabilities choosing to attend college is continually increasing. However, research also suggests that this population may be ill prepared to meet the increased academic demands and level of independence needed at the college level. Research in the field indicates that high schools may not be engaging in practices that are aligned with the transition-planning mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004). The current study explored the extent to which high schools are compliant with IDEIA (2004), and are engaging in best practices in transition planning for college-bound students. Results showed that students who had transition plans with a greater level of compliance and college-specific best practices had higher grade point averages. These results have implications for stakeholders at the secondary level in assessing quality of transition planning to promote positive outcomes for students with disabilities pursuing postsecondary education.</p><p>

Since the fifth century, the theatre has been a place for seeing. In spite of this, blind figures repeatedly appear on the stage, from Oedipus, Polymestor, Tiresias and the Cyclops to Shakespeare's Gloucester, Beckett's Hamm, Friel's Molly Sweeney and Kane's Ian. These blind characters have an important role to play in articulating the task of the spectator, both in their aural and imaginative construction of the fictional world in pre-naturalistic theatre, and also in their ability to see through the dramatic illusion in later drama. These scenes of blindness and blinding also have consequences for reception studies, since the relationship between them is not straightforwardly a textual reception history. Instead, these blind characters and the scenes in which they appear are read as what Deleuze and Guattari term an 'assemblage': a heterogenous multiplicity that is produced at the moment of reading / watching with reference to other scenes of blindness and blinding. This thesis sketches out a grammar for such an assemblage, and each chapter focuses on a rule in this grammar. When read as part of an assemblage of blindness, blind characters always have a special relationship with death (Chapter 2), showcase their own performance (Chapter 3), undermine the fictional setting that has been established onstage (Chapter 4), have access to a kind of superhuman knowledge (Chapter 5) and alter the position of their spectators (Chapter 6). Each chapter is structured around a particular moment when the theatre's interest in blind characters resurges, as a response to changes in the social, cultural or scientific understanding of vision and visual impairment. In each chapter, the grammar that is outlined in Chapter 1 with reference to ancient plays returns to the fore, but is refracted through the historical period back on to the grammar of the assemblage.

<p> This phenomenological study examined the experiences of students with learning disabilities (LD) in acquiring the metacognitive skills necessary for success in California community college. Within 8 years of high school graduation, over 67% of young adults with LD will enroll in post-secondary education, many choosing a community college. The rate of community college completion for adults with LD, however, is nearly 10% lower than the general population (National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2014). Metacognitive skills have been shown to contribute to the success of LD students in college. </p><p> To identify college-level students who have acquired metacognitive ability, the researcher employed the Metacognition Awareness Inventory (MAI). Five students who scored at least 70% on this instrument were interviewed using a semi-structured interview protocol. Analysis of the interview data was conducted using the a priori codes that emerged from the review of literature. </p><p> The study revealed that the research participant&rsquo;s used a variety of metacognitive skills and strategies to accomplish their individual and academic goals. The three major strategies that LD students used to learn metacognition were a) formal learning, b) informal learning, and c) adaptation over time. Given California&rsquo;s community college system being the largest system of postsecondary education in the world and the number of students with LD who are enrolled in the system, the results of this study could affect the way community colleges educate thousands of students with disabilities. </p><p>

<p> The prevalence rate of children with autism has been on the rise for the past 20 years. A hallmark characteristic of this disorder is the presence of stereotypic behaviors. Children who engage in stereotypic behaviors experience difficulties in effectively interacting with their surrounding environment. Both consequence-based and antecedent based interventions have been successful in decreasing these interfering behaviors. The performance of physical exercise has shown positive results as both a consequence based and antecedent based intervention in reducing stereotypic behaviors. The current investigation conducted a meta-analysis on the effects of physical exercise on stereotypic behaviors in individuals with autism. This study was able to run this meta-analysis using both aggregate score studies and single subject design studies. This study identified 10 research articles that met all of the inclusion criteria. The 10 articles were coded according to sixteen primary moderators and four peripheral moderators. The 10 articles produced an overall large effect size of <i>d</i> = -.456. This large effect size demonstrated that physical exercise is effective in decreasing stereotypic behaviors in individuals with autism. However, no significant statistical difference was observed within any of the primary and peripheral moderators. The lack of significant statistical difference within any of the moderators lead the current investigator to conclude that the effect of physical exercise on stereotypic behaviors in individuals with autism may not be impacted by external factors. Further research is needed to determine the internal neurobiological effects of physical exercise on stereotypic behaviors in individuals with autism.</p><p>

<p> A large career-centered university in the state of Florida has received a grant to fund what is known as a multidisciplinary center (MDC), which will utilize innovative information communication technologies (ICT), such as video conferencing, to support educators of students with disabilities in eight primarily rural school districts in south-central Florida. Through using video conferencing technologies (VCT), rural educators can request and receive 1:1 consultation, training, and technical assistance from non-rural MDC staff on instructional strategies and interventions geared toward students with complex disabilities. Research on technology acceptance suggests that technology systems aimed at improving job performance may go underutilized if organizations fail to understand the ways certain variables impact end-user decisions to accept and use a given technology system (Venkatesh &amp; Davis, 2000; Venkatesh, Morris, Davis &amp; Davis, 2003). This instrumental collective case study utilizes the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) framework theorized by Venkatesh et al. (2003) to guide the exploration and understanding of end-user perceptions of a video conferencing technology system. Findings suggest that the collective case base their overall decision to accept and use VCT on the belief that using the system provides more timely access to service providers and that these services add value to job-related duties.</p><p>

<p>The topic for this study was online professional development for college composition teachers that may help support dyslexic learners. Two populations samples, both impacted by the problem, were chosen for this qualitative multiple case study. The populations were college composition faculty and college dyslexic learners or graduates. The samples were collected from composition instructors at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, and people with dyslexia living in the U.S. The dyslexic participants needed a formal diagnosis of dyslexia and either were in college, or had some college, or graduated from college. Besides two populations, two theories were addressed: the Experiential Learning Theory and the Technology Acceptance Model. The purpose of this study was to explore how online professional development for college composition faculty can build dyslexia awareness and identify writing strategies for college dyslexic students. Four research questions based the study. Three instruments were used: online surveys, modules and a discussion focus group. The participants? responses to the questions resulted in extracting seven themes, after the data was collected, coded and analyzed. Findings showed no faculty participants had training on dyslexia; the five dyslexic participants and about half of the seven faculty participants associated dyslexia with not only reading but also writing problems; and both groups had found some self-regulated writing strategies, showing potential for helping college dyslexic students in an inclusive classroom. Conclusions were online PD programs on college students with dyslexia and writing strategies should be available for college composition faculty. A gap exists in this area. Thus, the researcher recommends study replication, for future research. For practice, the researcher encourages college composition instructors try the writing strategies in this study to hopefully help future college dyslexic learners to learn academic writing.

The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of adolescents with disabilities who identify as a sexual or gender minority within four ecological domains of self, school, family, and community and of how those experiences shape identity, sense of self, and beliefs about the future. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews, this research was conducted with an intersectionality framework that examined how the intersection of markers of difference inform individual reality and lived experiences for young adults with disabilities who identify as a sexual or gender minority. The sample included eight adolescents in high school across the state of Oregon who had a 504 plan or an Individualized Education Program and identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, or queer. A multiple-phase data analysis led to in-depth descriptions of each individual's experiences as well as consistent cross-case themes. Key themes in the individual context included: identity development, positive beliefs about identity, navigation of identity labels, strategies for facing discrimination, and relationships. Experiences in the home context that shaped identity focused on the key areas of support, rejection, and religion. Concerning the school social context, the themes that emerged were the overlap of queerness and disability in the schools, Gay Straight Alliances and extracurricular clubs, and desired staff characteristics for an adult ally in school. No consistent themes were identified in the community domain. These findings contributed to the participants' descriptions of their beliefs about the future, focusing on independent living, postsecondary education, and employment. Analysis extends the limited research available for this subgroup, shedding a light on the importance of inclusive research. In addition, findings support implications for changes in how we work with students with disabilities who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, queer, transgender, or intersex as well as how we train and support our teachers to work with all students and engage in anti-discriminatory practices.

<p> This study used a transformative, convergent mixed methods design, with a crossover analysis, to investigate the K-12 and postsecondary experiences young adults with disabilities perceive as influencing their persistence in postsecondary education. </p><p> Thirteen young adults who were persisting in or had completed postsecondary education programs participated in this study. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were collected through a survey that included measures of demographics, high school experiences (based on the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition&rsquo;s <i> Predictor Implementation School/District Self-Assessment</i>, 2015), self-determination (AIR Self-Determination Scale; Wolman, Campeau, Dubois, Mithaug, &amp; Stolarski, 1994), and disability identification subscale (Nario-Redmond, Noel, &amp; Fern, 2013). </p><p> Qualitative findings suggested forty-one themes important to participants&rsquo; persistence. Specifically, eight facilitators and 11 challenges at the K-12 level, and 12 facilitators and 10 challenges at the postsecondary level emerged from the data. Participants&rsquo; experiences could also be categorized into four &ldquo;transition profiles,&rdquo; based on their experiences as they adjusted to their postsecondary programs: smooth, culture shock, huge leap, and smooth despite struggles. </p><p> Quantitative findings revealed that participants reported strong academic achievement, high levels of self-determination, and neutral identification with a disability community. Self-determination and disability identification showed a statistically significant correlation. </p><p> Integration of qualitative and quantitative findings occurred through the use of data matrices and multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), a multivariate technique that can be applied to categorical data. MCA was used to describe and display relationships among participant characteristics and emergent themes. </p><p> Synthesis of qualitative, quantitative, integrated, and crossover results suggested five multidimensional findings: (a) current definitions of established high school predictors of postsecondary education participation are incomplete; (b) positive K-12 experiences do not necessarily lead to smooth transitions; (c) postsecondary experiences unique to students with disabilities and universal to all students are intertwined; (d) parents fill educational gaps in K-12 years and beyond, but support is complex; and (e) disability identification and self-determination are nuanced across transition profiles, disability characteristics, and gender. </p><p> Through the lens of the transformative framework, implications of the findings for social justice and recommendations for policy, research, and practice are discussed.</p><p>

<p> This qualitative grounded theory research study explored whether there is evidence of disablism on Councils on Developmental Disabilities. Utilizing a semi-structured interview method, this research interviewed executive directors of Councils on Development Disabilities to determine their perceptions of disablism within their individual Councils. The data collection process yielded three conditions and one overarching condition. The overarching condition of communication is an essential component to the three remaining conditions of appointments, accommodation, and culture. The four conditions, while intertwined, are elements that promote or discourage disablism. These conditions led to the emergence of seven themes: a) mindfulness of communication, both verbal and nonverbal; b) involvement in the appointment process; c) perception of accommodations; d) creation of a culture that fosters acceptance, affirmation, and respect; e) equal distribution of power diminishes disablism, (Arnstein, 1969); f) prevention of disablism requires attentiveness; and g) disablism, while seemingly superficial, is evident. Each of these themes led to the development of a new substantive theory regarding disablism on Councils. The key to eliminating disablism is the application of the themes equally to both members with developmental disabilities and members without disabilities. Through such application, no segment of the Council membership would experience discrimination.</p><p>