Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 2001. / Title from title page screen, viewed March 14, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Mark E. Swerdlik (chair), David L. Wodrich (co-chair), Valeri Farmer-Dougan, Alvin House. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [106]-117) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis--University of Oklahoma. / Bibliography: leaves 97-100.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2004. / Title from title page screen, viewed May 23, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Maureen E. Angell (chair), Jeffrey P. Bakken, Howard P. Parette, Jr., George Peterson-Karlan. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-149) and abstract. Also available in print.

Summaries en Afrikaans and English / Text in Afrikaans / Een van die kenmerke van leergestremde kinders is dat hulle, benewens hul leertekorte, dikwels ook gedragsprobleme manifesteer wat nie net hul leer benadeel nie, maar ook hul uiteindelike volwassewording. Talle skoolse opvoeders wat met hierdie kinders gemoeid is, is nie in staat om hierdie kinders se gedragsprobleme na behore aan te spreek nie. Die doel van hierdie studie is om enkele onderrigstrategiee daar te stel aan die hand waarvan bepaalde gedragsprobleme van leergestremde laerskoolkinders in die hoofstroom van die onderwys aangespreek kan word. V oordat daar oorgegaan is tot die beplanning van hierdie onderrigstrategiee, is daar op die etiologie en manifestasies van leergestremdheid gefokus. Vervolgens is enkele bestaande hulpverleningspraktyke bespreek en aan die hand van ortopedagogiese beginsels geevalueer. Aangesien hierdie hulpverleningspraktyke as ortopedagogies verantwoordbaar beskou is, kon dit as basis dien vir onderrigstrategiee vir die bantering van die volgende gedragsprobleme: aandagtekorte, hiperaktiwiteit, impulsiwiteit, hipoaktiwiteit, katastrofiese gedragsuitinge en aggressie. / One of the characteristics associated with learning disabled pupils is that they not only experience learning difficulties, but often manifest behavioural problems that impede their learning and eventual adulthood. Many educators involved with learning disabled pupils are unable to address the behavioural problems of these children effectively. The purpose of this study is to compile instructional strategies that could be put into practice when dealing with the behavioural problems of learning disabled pupils who are in the mainstream of education. Before planning these strategies, the etiology and manifestations of learning disabilities were addressed. Thereafter, orthopedagogical criteria were applied to evalute certain schools of thought regarding orthopedagogical practices. Having ascertained that the practices in question are orthopedagogically sound, instructional strategies, based on these practices, were planned to address the following behavioural problems: attention deficits, hyperactivity, impulsivity, hypoactivity, catastrophic reactions and aggression. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Orthopedagogics)

Thesis (MTech (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2006 / The study focuses on the identification and development of teaching strategies and the factors that impact on the strategies when supporting learners with learning difficulties in mainstream Foundation Phase classes. The study was carried out by interviewing a focus group of Foundation Phase teachers from public schools in the Cape Metropolitan area. The findings from the focus group discussion was verified and amplified by responses from Heads of Department, Foundation Phase within the same area. The research methodology was that of a two-stepped investigation. Firstly, a focus group discussion was conducted using an open ended question framework with the intent of exploring how mainstream Foundation Phase teachers develop teaching strategies and what factors impact on these strategies when supporting learners with learning difficulties. The data collected was analyzed and a qualitative questionnaire compiled for Heads of Department: Foundation Phase to verify and amplify the data collected during the focus group. The study indicated that past and recent teacher training does not equip teachers with the necessary skills to support learners with learning difficulties in mainstream classes. The study also found that current workload levels inhibited further self study. The research findings contributed to the fund of knowledge with regard to the training of Foundation Phase teachers to support all learners, regardless of the degree of learning difficulty, in mainstream classes in public schools.

``Integration of Handicapped Children at Educational Institutions for Special Interest Training{\crqq} is the title of my thesis and it deals with the importance of participation of handicapped children in leisure activities, the current status and possibilities of incorporating of handicapped children into leisure activities. I wanted to find out the factors which influence the integration of handicapped children at educational institutions for the training of special interests, detect obstacles which hinder from integration of handicapped children at educational institutions for the training of special interests, and last but not least, to evaluate the interest of handicapped children, as well as their legitimate representatives, in their integration at educational institutions for the training of special interests.

Este estudo objetivou identificar na literatura de saúde textos que abordassem aspectos do desenvolvimento de crianças dependentes de ventilador; caracterizar ações de cuidado realizadas ou propostas para a promoção do desenvolvimento dessas crianças, assim como, analisá-las, segundo o referencial de necessidades essenciais da infância proposto por Brazelton e Greenspan (2002). O processo de busca bibliográfica realizado nas bases de dados PubMed, Lilacs, Embase e Cinahl e a leitura dos resumos, possibilitaram a organização dos artigos localizados em 17 grupos temáticos, sendo eleitos para a análise temática de conteúdo somente os que potencialmente continham informações relacionadas às perguntas da pesquisa. O corpus da análise constituiu-se de 35 artigos internacionais que pertenciam aos seguintes grupos temáticos: (1) processo de transição do hospital para casa/comunidade, (2) experiência da criança e da família, (3) interação criança-cuidador, (4) qualidade de vida, (5) proteção e segurança e (6) artigos de revisão. Os critérios para seleção dos documentos e análise pautaram-se no modelo metodológico de análise de Bardin (1977). A análise temática possibilitou a construção de duas categorias sobre o ambiente de cuidados e o desenvolvimento de crianças dependentes de ventilador. A categoria Concepções e práticas que resultam em cuidado desigual agrupou as diferentes concepções sobre infância e dependência de tecnologia ventilatória, e, como conseqüência, os contextos de assistência diversos, ou mesmo, opostos aos quais as crianças em ventilação prolongada foram submetidas. Revelou as ações, pensamentos, experiências e situações que dão existência ao contexto desfavorável ao atendimento das necessidades integrais da criança ou do adolescente dependente de ventilador, assim como aquelas que proporcionam condições mais favoráveis ao desenvolvimento. Sinalizou tanto as oportunidades como os desafios que estavam presentes em todos os cenários de atenção à saúde da criança e estabeleciam-se nas interações entre criança, ambiente e cuidador, resultando em maior ou menor desenvolvimento do potencial de cada criança. A categoria Potenciais de desenvolvimento efetivados versus potenciais de desenvolvimento comprometidos forneceu evidências sobre a competência da criança dependente de ventilador nas tarefas esperadas do desenvolvimento, tais como a socialização e o aprendizado, favorecidas no contexto de cuidados integrais. Ainda, descreveu distúrbios físicos, comportamentais e de desenvolvimento, potencialmente associados a contextos desfavoráveis, marcando os prejuízos a que seu potencial foi submetido. Notaram-se, nos artigos analisados, a preocupação e o empenho dos pais, profissionais e instituições para melhorar o contexto de atenção às necessidades de saúde das crianças dependentes de ventilador. No entanto, destacaram-se as ações que privilegiam a necessidade de proteção física e segurança em detrimento das demais necessidades essenciais para o desenvolvimento / This study aimed to identify in health literature papers that dealt with developmental aspects of ventilator-dependent children, to characterize care actions proposed or given so as to promote these childrens development, and at the same time to analyze such actions according to the Irreducible Needs of Children framework proposed by Brazelton and Greenspan (2002). Search for bibliography in PubMed, Lilacs, Embase and Cinahl and abstract reading made it possible to organize articles in 17 theme groups. However, theme analysis was carried out using only the articles that potentially contained information related to the research questions. Analysis corpus is made up of 35 articles from foreign sources belonging to the following group themes: (1) transition process from hospital to home/community, (2) childs and familys experience, (3) child-care giver interaction, (4) life quality, (5) protection and safely and (6) review articles. Criteria to select documents and analysis followed Bardins (1977) methodological model analysis. Theme analysis enabled the construction of two categories about care settings and ventilator-dependent children. The category Concepts and practices resulting in unequal care encompassed different concepts about childhood and ventilation technology dependence and thus the different or even opposite settings concerning care to which prolonged ventilator-dependent children are submitted. This concept also revealed actions, thoughts, experiences and situations that bring about both the unfavorable setting of providing for the comprehensive needs of ventilator-dependent child or adolescent and those that provide more favorable conditions for their development. It also pointed to opportunities and challenges present in all settings pertaining to the childs health care that are established in the interactions between child, environment and caregiver, resulting in higher or lower level of development of each childs full potential. The category Effective developmental potentials vs. Compromised developmental potentials provided evidences about competences of the ventilator-dependent child to perform developmental tasks, such as socializing and learning, which a comprehensive care setting favors. It also described physical, behavioral and developmental disorders potentially associated with unfavorable settings which compromise the childs and adolescents full potential. The analyzed studies showed that parents, health care professionals and institutions are concerned and making efforts to improve the health care setting of ventilator-dependent children. However, actions aimed at providing physical protection needs and safety are more favored to the detriment of other essential needs for their full development

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Social interaction plays a key role in children’s social development and learning. Hence, social interaction is important for everyone, including individuals with intellectual impairment. Researches such as Vygotsky, Dockett and Perry (2003) has shown that opportunities for social interaction for people with intellectual impairment can facilitate increased community integration, improved quality of life, greater sense of life-satisfaction and wellbeing, the development of friendships, and increased social skills. I engaged with relevant literature in order to understand the characteristics of children with intellectual impairment and their social functioning. My theoretical framework was based on a socio-cultural theory. The research was conducted at a school in the East Rand region of Gauteng that caters for children with intellectual impairment. The sample of participants that participated has played a prominent role in the school concerts and their age range between 12 years and 23 years old, with intellectual impairment as their primary disability. A phenomenological research design was followed so as to understand social and psychological phenomena from the perspectives of the people involved, in how they experience the school concert. Data was collected from various participants form the school’s environment, such as educators, the identified participants parents/caregivers, support staff the participants themselves. I conducted unstructured and semi-structured interviews, such as focus group discussions and individual interviews, with participants, parents/caregivers, educators, and support staff (speech therapist). After the research was conducted, the central findings about the research is the use of creative expressive arts helps children with intellectual impairment to become more focussed and increase their communication skills, developing a sense of self and building relationships. The school concert boosted their self-esteem and their confidence, improving their social interaction.

M.Ed. (Psychology of Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract