Inclusion is the practice of serving the needs of all students, with a full range of abilities and disabilities, in the general classroom with appropriate in-class support. Using qualitative case studies, this thesis explores the inclusive placement of three students with a hearing impairment. The students came from non-English speaking backgrounds, used hearing technology to access the class program and were eager to attend their local primary school. They had different types of hearing losses and were the only hearing-impaired students enrolled at their school. Five variables were examined which influenced the success of the inclusive placement. These included the student's academic, social and physical performance, the school environment and parental/family support. The constant comparative method was used to analyse data collected in each case study. Findings from the case studies identified strengths and weaknesses in the students' inclusive placement, and also provided data for future research and discussion on inclusive education / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The current study sought to examine predictors of language acquisition for deaf children who received cochlear implants in a large, multi-center trial. General maternal sensitivity as well as two specific types of maternal sensitivity, cognitive and linguistic stimulation, were all evaluated in relation to speech production. Characteristics of the family and child (e.g. maternal education, family income, age at implantation, etc.) were also evaluated. The hypotheses tested were: 1) child age at implantation and gender, maternal education, and family income were expected to predict speech production across 6 and 12 months post-implantation, 2) both Cognitive and Linguistic Stimulation were expected to predict the growth of speech production at 6 and 12 months post-implantation, and 3) Cognitive and Linguistic Stimulation were expected to predict speech production above and beyond that predicted by general Maternal Sensitivity. Results indicated that, of the demographic variables, only child age at implantation was a significant predictor of speech production. Cognitive and linguistic stimulation were significantly associated with the development of speech production in the first year following activation of the implant. Furthermore, these important maternal behaviors accounted for gains in speech production beyond that accounted for by general maternal sensitivity. These findings have several clinical implications, including the development of formalized training for parents of children who receive cochlear implants.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on September 19, 2008). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-115). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

No description available.

Οι περισσότερες έρευνες επικεντρώνονται στις ελλείψεις και τις αδυναμίες των κωφών μαθητών- κυρίως αυτών που φοιτούν σε γενικά σχολεία και πλαίσια ενσωμάτωσης- παρά στις επιτυχείς στρατηγικές που χρησιμοποιούν οι ικανοί κωφοί αναγνώστες (Banner & Wang, 2011). Γι’ αυτό σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας είναι η διερεύνηση των παραγόντων που σχετίζονται με την κατανόηση της ανάγνωσης των κωφών και βαρήκοων μαθητών που φοιτούν σε ειδικό σχολείο κωφών. Ειδικότερα, εξετάστηκαν οι παράγοντες που διαφοροποιούν τους ικανούς από τους φτωχούς αναγνώστες καθώς και οι στρατηγικές ανάγνωσης και μεταγνώσης που χρησιμοποιούν οι ικανοί αναγνώστες. Οι παράγοντες που εξετάστηκαν είναι το φύλο, η ηλικία, η ηλικία διάγνωσης της απώλειας ακοής, ο βαθμός απώλειας ακοής, η χρήση ακουστικών βοηθημάτων (ακουστικά βαρηκοΐας, κοχλιακά εμφυτεύματα), η συμμετοχή των γονιών σε πρόγραμμα έγκαιρης παρέμβασης, η ακουστική κατάσταση των γονέων, η εκπαίδευσή τους, η εθνικότητα, ο προτιμώμενος τρόπος επικοινωνίας των μαθητών, η ικανότητά τους στην ομιλούμενη Ελληνική και την Ελληνική Νοηματική Γλώσσα (ΕΝΓ), τα κίνητρα, η ποσότητα της ανάγνωσης και η φωνολογική επίγνωση. / Most of the researches focus on the deficiencies in reading of deaf students, mainly of those who attend general education or mainstreaming programs, rather than on the successful strategies used by good deaf readers (Banner & Wang, 2011). The purpose of the present study was to examine the factors related to reading comprehension of deaf/ hard of hearing (hh) students who attend a special school of the deaf. Specifically, the factors that differentiate good from poor readers were examined as well as the reading and metacognitive strategies used by them. Factors examined were sex, age, age of hearing loss, level of hearing loss, use of hearing aids, parents’ involvement in early intervention programs, parents’ education and ethnicity, the preferred way of communication, ability in spoken and sign language, reading motives, reading amount and phonological awareness.

No description available.

No description available.

The present study investigated deaf children's performance on several modified tests of the original Halstead Reitan Neuropsychological Battery for Older Children (HRNB-C). Specifically, performance of 42 deaf children (mean age = 13.3 years, SD = 0.7 yrs.) and a matched sample of 42 hearing peers was examined on the HRNB-C Category, Tactual Performance, and Trail Making tests.In Study 1, a computerized version of the Category Test was administered. Step-down F tests were used to examine differences in total errors and the unique contribution of response time. In Study 2, the Tactual Performance and Trail Making scores were dependent variables. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore multivariate intergroup differences.The major finding of this research was that neuropsychological abilities of deaf children who have no additional handicapping conditions or impairments are, in general, similar to matched hearing controls. Few clinically relevant differences were found. No quantitative differences were found on Trail Making Part A or the total number of Category Test errors. Noteworthy, from a qualitative stance, was the role of response time and its unique contribution within the Category Test. Deaf subjects had significantly greater response times to individual items regardless of correctness of answer. Deaf children were also found to take longer on Trails B, although they performed within normals limits. With respect to the Tactual Performance Test (TPT), deaf children did slightly better than their matched hearing peers on TPT total time and location. In addition, Trails B and TPT location scores were the best multivariate composite of discriminators of deaf versus hearing performance. Notwithstanding, overinterpretation of statistical differences found in both studies was cautioned and the similarities of performance between deaf and hearing children emphasized.These findings offered information of deaf children's neuropsychological functioning compared to hearing controls in the clinical setting. Moreover, the results of the present study should be generalizable to other "non-impaired", 12-14 year old deaf children within a residential academic environment. / Department of Educational Psychology