This thesis examines how mothers of children labeled ‘learning disabled’ negotiate with educational professionals as advocates for their children. Previous scholarship has not adequately addressed the role that parents, particularly mothers of children labeled ‘learning disabled’ play in the education of their children. Through analyzing the ways in which these educational practices shape people’s experiences and identities, we can gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which labeling processes are experienced, managed, constructed, negotiated and/or resisted. This subject was explored through in-depth interviews with six mothers, using interviewing practices informed by standpoint methodology. My analysis follows two major themes. The first theme deals with the contradictory nature of psychoeducational assessments in the classrooms of the educational system. I demonstrate how psychoeducational assessments act as a set of rules, regulations and rights. I demonstrate how the mothers in my study used these as tools for empowerment and resistance to educational structures and discourses of normalcy. I also demonstrate the limitations of these texts to secure the educational interest and rights of children labeled ‘learning disabled’. The second theme deals with transformation processes. I ask, how do mothers of children labeled ‘learning disabled’ change as a result of negotiating their child or children’s ‘learning disability’. I demonstrate how being a parent of a child labeled ‘learning disabled’ is outside the sphere of ‘regular’ parenting and the sphere of the formal educational system and the economic, social and health-related consequences of such negotiations.

We live together in society that is composed of individuals who have normal development and individuals who have some developmental delays or disabilities. Therefore, it is important to know and understand what disability is and how it affects the lives of the family members individually also a mother and family as whole. O&#039 / Connor (2002) indicates that being a parent of a child who has a developmental delay is a challenge for the parents. This qualitative, mother-focused study examines the experiences of a mother who is rearing multi-disabled children consisting of mental disabilities, a hearing impairment and physical disabilities / and the effects of having more than one child with multi-disability on mother&rsquo / s psychological well-being. Another objective of the study is to explore how a mother copes with this issue in a family setting and the kind of coping strategies the mother uses to manage the difficulties. Case study design was conducted with the mother of multi-disabled children. Qualitative in-depth interviews are conducted with the mother, and information was gathered in the areas of daily stress, coping, family reactions and well-being. Family Systems Theory provides the theoretical framework of the study. The experience, reaction and communication of the mother with both her disabled children and other family members are examined with the light of the family systems theory in order to understand the interrelation among the family members.

Thesis (M. Occ. Ther.(Faculty of Health Sciences))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.(Psychotherapy))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 188-205).

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2001. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-85). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ71633.

Communication is an integral part of life that allows for independence. It is common for individuals with disabilities to have deficits in communication, which often coincide with an increased presence of challenging behavior. One successful method of addressing this issue is the use of functional analysis to determine the function of challenging behavior. Next, functional communication training is used to teach the individual an a socially-appropriate and functionally-equivalent method of communication so that he/she no longer relies on challenging behavior in order to get his/her needs met. While functional communication training has proven to be a helpful procedure, it has been noted that it should be combined with other procedures for maximum efficiency. Additionally, very little research has targeted the generalization of skills acquired via functional communication training, although, research clearly identifies that generalization of skills as an area of difficulty among individuals with developmental disabilities. One possibility of improving both the intervention and the generalization of skills is the use of motivating operations. Motivating operations are any environmental change that alters the value of a reinforcer. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the effects of potential motivating operations on functional communication training and generalization of newly acquired skills across four participants. This was accomplished by conducting functional analyses on each participant. The maintaining condition was repeated with pre-session conditions of either no access to the reinforcer or satiation with the reinforcer to identify motivating operations. These pre-session conditions, which were identified as motivating operations, were then implemented prior to functional communication training sessions, in the effect of no prior access to the reinforcer or 15 minutes of prior access to the reinforcer. This was again repeated with four different generalization assessments. Several patterns of behaviors resulted. First, functional communication training was improved for two participants when prior access to the reinforcer was implemented. Second, approximately half of the generalization assessments also showed improved responding when the participant had prior access to the reinforcer. Also, prior access to the reinforcer rarely impaired intervention or generalization. The results, limitations, and further research are discussed. / text

A series of syntheses and consensus reports provides converging evidence regarding effective reading instruction (e.g. NICHD, 2000; Snow, Burnes & Griffin, 1998; Swanson & Hoskyn, 1998). However, findings from recent observation studies of reading instruction provided to students with learning disabilities (LD) are disappointing, with few scientifically based reading instructional components observed (e.g. Vaughn, Moody & Schumm, 1998; Moody, Vaughn, Hughes & Fischer, 2000). In addition, since 2001, only one observation study of reading instruction for students with LD has been published (Rieth, Bryant, Kinzer, Colburn, Hur, et al., 2003), and only two such dissertations (Brasnahan, 2001; Kethley, 2005) have been completed, all three of which were conducted in classrooms for students in middle or high school. Thus, no observation study of reading instruction for elementary students with LD has been published in the past seven years. Within this timeframe, however, systematic and wide-spread efforts have been made to bridge the gap between research and practice in the area of reading instruction (see Reading First Teacher Education Network at www.rften.org). The purpose of this study was to document the extent to which effective reading instruction was provided to students with LD served in the resource room setting. The amount of student and teacher text reading, grouping strategies used, and student achievement over the course of one semester was examined as well. Ten special education resource room teachers were observed during the spring academic semester. Information was gathered through direct observation and standardized measurement of student academic outcomes. All observations were conducted during reading instructional time. Results indicated a range of scientifically based reading instruction of average to high average quality. Students made no stastically significant growth on more distal measures of reading achievement. However, statistically significant growth was detected in oral reading fluency using passages one grade level below student assignment. / text

Not available / text

Not available / text