<p> The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a self-monitoring practice in a middle school setting. A total of three participants who received special education services utilized this self-monitoring practice to evaluate their individual behaviors. This investigation took place in an inclusive classroom setting where the participants received instruction from a certified teacher alongside their non-disabled peers. A multiple baseline ABAB design was employed to determine the effectiveness of a cuing procedure on two specific measures; 1.) staying on task and 2.) following directions. The participants recorded data on their individual intervention sheets during the intervention phases. Each of the participants made improvements toward the two specified measures. This investigation revealed that self-monitoring practices can be used to manage students&rsquo; behaviors and to assist teachers with classroom management.</p>

<p> I selected 10 typically developing preschool students between the ages of 2 and 3 years from a preschool facility. I tested their listener and speaker responses to common stimuli to determine whether they demonstrated differences in their listener and speaker repertoires. I selected the 6 children with the largest discrepancy in their listener and speaker repertoires to participate in Naming probe sessions to measure for the presence of Naming (a capability which allows an individual to acquire language incidentally). None of the participants had the full Naming capability at the onset of the study. A delayed multiple probe design across participants was implemented to test for the emergence of speaker responses for stimuli the participants could only respond to as a listener prior to the acquisition of Naming. Multiple exemplar instruction (MEI) across speaker and listener responses was implemented to induce Naming in these participants. Following the acquisition of Naming the experimenter re-tested listener and speaker responses, finding that the participants could respond as a speaker to the stimuli they previously could only respond to as a listener, thereby demonstrating the transformation of stimulus function from listener to speaker responses. Following the acquisition of Naming, 5 of the 6 participants acquired over 50% of untaught responses with the exception of 1 participant who acquired 30% of untaught responses following the acquisition of Naming.</p>

<p> In order to investigate the actual instructional experiences for students with reading disabilities in Taiwan, a qualitative study was conducted using the method consisted of observation of the special education environment and interviews with two students with reading disabilities, one parent of the student, and three Resource Room teachers. On a macroscopic scale, the researcher looked at the special education system&rsquo;s implementation in a public middle school in Taiwan, while on a microscopic scale, the researcher focused on the remediation of the reading disabilities that the students were receiving in special education. The ultimate goal of this research was to benefit the special educational system in Taiwan in educating students with reading disabilities. Therefore, this was written in both English and Mandarin for the benefit of readers in Taiwan and in the U.S.</p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative design study was to better understand the experiences of high school general education English teachers who have students with Asperger Syndrome in their classes. More specifically, this researcher wanted to better understand the teacher&rsquo;s perception of the IEP-denoted accommodations the general education teachers are responsible for implementing. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, journal entries and collection of artifacts. Findings of this study include: the IEP document and IEP process from the lens of the general education teacher do not provide adequate information when considering the unique needs of students with Asperger Syndrome; general education English teachers are committed not only to forming relationships with students with Asperger Syndrome, but often take it a step further, taking on the role of advocating for the student as well as encouraging the student to advocate for himself or herself; and general education English teachers are committed to doing what works for the student, regardless of what information can be found in the IEP document.</p>

The relationship of immune disease, headaches, and handedness to learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder (ADD) was investigated. Questionnaires were completed by the parents of learning disabled (LD) and regular education students attending public middle school. A measure of ADD was included to separate the sample of LD students into two categories: those with academic and behavior disorders and those with only academic disorders. Discriminant analyses failed to indicate a significant difference between the LD and regular education students on measures of immune disease, headaches, handedness, or attention deficit disorder. Chi-square analyses of the data indicated that the only significant difference between LD and regular education students was on a measure of allergies to food and drink where the LD students reported a higher incidence as compared to regular education students. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Deaf children of monolingual Hispanic families possess unique linguistic needs and are recognized as a "minority within a minority" because of their unique language situation, in which case, American Sign Language (ASL), is not available in their environment, and both Spanish and English are essentially spoken languages and not accessible to them. In order to develop a strong language foundation, deaf children need exposure to ASL. Moreover, their own parents, if non-signing, also need exposure to ASL to serve as a language model and to maintain reciprocal and effective communication. A formal signed language intervention program is critical for deaf children and their families of non-English-speaking backgrounds. In response to the linguistic and educational challenge posed by Hispanic deaf children, a complete approach has been developed and utilized in this case study. The ASL intervention project is especially designed to explore the feasibility and outcome of this study in meeting the unique linguistic needs of the Hispanic deaf child and the family.

This study was designed to examine the effects of ethnicity and gender on African teachers' judgements regarding potential special education placement. The participants were to be 120 randomly-selected black-African teachers in the Southern African country of Botswana. The selection was to have been stratified on the basis of gender and district. Fictitious and equivocal information was given regarding the ability, behavior and academic performance of a nine-year-old student. Due to methodological problems, the study did not yield quantitative data thus a descriptive analysis was performed. Significantly fewer questionnaires regarding Negro students were returned than those depicting Caucasian students. Also, more females than males were suggested for referral, though the difference was not statistically significant. Future research in this area would be beneficial to the understanding of the role played by gender and ethnicity in special education referrals.

The following thesis explores the use of the DISCOVER Assessment with children who are Deaf. Nine students from two 3rd-4th grade classrooms at a residential school for Deaf children participated in this study. The participants were given the DISCOVER Assessment as a group and within their own classrooms. The instructions and communication throughout the assessment were expressed in the preferred language of the students (e.g. American Sign Language and/or Simultaneous Communication; signing and talking at the same time). Two observers collected data about the students problem-solving behaviors during the assessments. One observer was Deaf and one was hearing. Both observers were proficient in the preferred language of the students. Results show that the DISCOVER Assessment is an effective method for assessing Deaf children's strengths. In addition, two out of nine students were determined to be gifted, although none were considered gifted according to standardized IQ tests.

<p> This qualitative study explores the level of satisfaction of parents regarding early identification/intervention services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). The purpose of this study is to compare the progress of children who are D/HH with their hearing peers on elements used to measure the readiness of students to enter the first grade as measured by teacher and parental perception/satisfaction. This study will include a qualitative exploration of assistive strategies and parental choices regarding early-intervention services, amplification, and modes of communication. Furthermore, it will provide and analyze data concerning teacher and parent perception of the relative success of the various pre-school interventions for children with hearing losses. </p><p> The study employs a qualitative case-study methodology using an in-depth guided-interview format to collect data. Participants include four families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Triangulation of data sources is achieved through guided in-depth interviews with parents, document review, verbatim transcripts of all interviews, and personal observations. The findings reveal levels of functioning for children who are D/HH upon entry into the school system through the end of their kindergarten year and levels of parental satisfaction concerning their choices made about early-intervention services prior to their children's entry into the school system.</p>

<p> This case study produced evidence regarding the relationship between parents&rsquo; and educators&rsquo; partnership in the creation and implementation of a child&rsquo;s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and regular elementary educators&rsquo; perceptions of the mainstreaming process. The quantitative research portion included the collection of Likert scale surveys (<i> N</i> = 62) from kindergarten through fifth grade regular elementary teachers and parents of students mainstreamed into the regular education classroom. The qualitative portion of the research involved interviews (<i>n</i> = 6) with kindergarten through fifth grade educators teaching in a regular education classroom. Data from the quantitative data were analyzed prior to the qualitative data, but the data were analyzed to monitor for ways data were related after separate analysis was completed. The results indicated that the opinions of parents and educators did not differ significantly when asked about the IEP process. Participants in the qualitative portion of the research supported what was found in the literature review. Teachers have had both positive and negative experiences with mainstreaming. Negative experiences generally related to having little or no training related to handling students with special needs outlined in an IEP, misbehaviors interfering with the classroom environment, unclear expectations of student accommodations and paraprofessionals (paras), and unsuccessful attempts at mainstreaming due to lack of support or communication with stakeholders. Positive experiences reported during interviews included some paras working well inside the classroom, success with support received from administration, and students with IEPs working alongside their grade level peers.</p>