<p> Students receiving special education services for an emotional and/or behavioral disorder (EBD) have shown minimal gains academically and behaviorally in longitudinal studies conducted since the 1980&rsquo;s (Bradley, Doolittle, &amp; Bartolotta, 2008). The purpose of this study was to investigate the functional relation of a self-monitoring strategy with a cross-aged peer-mentoring intervention on the disruptive behaviors of elementary students with EBD who struggle to regulate their behaviors in the classroom. This study used a multiple-baseline across participants and changing conditions combined design to investigate the functional relation of self-monitoring with a cross-age peer mentor component for students with EBD. The results from this study did not indicate a functional relation between the use of a self-monitoring checklist and the use of a self-monitoring checklist with a cross-age peer mentoring component. However, there were promising components to continue to build on intervention research for students with EBD.</p>

The passage of PL 94-142 in 1975 required educational agencies to develop a continuum of placement options allowing children with disabilities to be educated with children who are not handicapped. The acceptance handicapped children receive from normally developing peers appears to be a factor in determining the success of mainstreamed settings. School systems have an ongoing responsibility to educate students about differences since knowledge deficits contribute to negative peer perceptions and greater social distance. / This study has examined changes that occurred when third grade children received one of three instructional programs about children with disabilities and their associated etiologies. A pretest-post test multigroup design was used to measure program effects. Experience, knowledge, and social distance scales were administered. / Puppets presented informational content about blindness, deafness, retardation, cerebral palsy and learning disabilities. A second group was shown a video featuring the same five handicapping conditions. Group three received both the puppets and video. A control group received no planned intervention. / The first hypothesis concerned the effects prior experience with a handicapped person would have on knowledge and social acceptance. With more than 520 Colquitt County, Georgia third grade students participating in the study, experience was not found to have a significant effect on either students' pretreatment knowledge or social distance. Repeated Measures Analyses of Covariance did, however, indicate that third grade girls were more positive than boys about the possibility of having peers with disabilities as potential classmates or friends. / A second and third series of hypotheses postulated expectations about the students' knowledge and social distance following three treatment interventions. Repeated measures ANOVA analyses were used in the comparisons. Gains in both knowledge and social distance were clinically significant for all three treatment methods. Mean knowledge gains were greatest in the group receiving the combined video/puppet treatment, followed by the puppets, then the video. Mean social distance differences were highest for the puppet group, followed by the combination treatment, with the video ranking third. / With all treatment conditions showing significant gains in both knowledge and social acceptance, the implications are that both puppetry and film have potential for reducing children's disability related concerns while instilling more positive perceptions of people with disabilities. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-11, Section: A, page: 3793. / Major Professor: Virginia P. Green. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1992.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of oral, silent, and listening repetitive reading of expository text on the fluency and comprehension of learning disabled students at the intermediate level. The effects of these methods were assessed on two measures of fluency (words per minute and errors per minute) and two measures of comprehension (comprehension questions and passage retell). / Sixty subjects were ranked on reading achievement test score, blocked into groups of three, and randomly assigned to treatment groups. One 498 word expository text passage was divided into two parts. Subjects in the oral repeated reading condition read the first 242 words of that passage orally, twice, before reading it a third time orally. In silent repeated reading, subjects read the passage twice, silently, before reading it orally a third time. In the listening repeated reading condition, subjects listened to the passage twice before reading it aloud. Comprehension measures were then administered followed by the oral reading of passage two to assess within passage transfer. Comprehension measures were again administered. / Results of a 3 (group) x 2 (passage) MANOVA revealed no differences between the three treatments on measures of fluency and comprehension. In the analysis of within passage transfer on each of the dependent measures, repeated measures ANOVAs revealed significant decreases in rate and accuracy from passage one to passage two. A significant increase was found in passage recall. Analysis of oral repeated readings of passage one revealed a significant increase in reading rate from the first to the third reading. Implications of this study indicate that the type of repeated practice is inconsequential, but overall, repeated readings of expository text can significantly increase reading performance of learning disabled students. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-12, Section: A, page: 3919. / Major Professor: Andrew Oseroff. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

The Repeated Reading method of reading instruction is a supplemental practice technique designed to increase word identification and reading skills in general. Two variations of the Repeated Reading technique were employed in a study with 28 learning disabled subjects. The study was designed to assess the effects of 16 sessions of Repeated Reading training on the students' reading speed, accuracy and comprehension. In addition, the differential effectiveness of each variation of the technique was assessed. One variation of the technique included a comprehension variable as well as fluency training while the other focused only on increasing speed and accuracy. Data was collected on each of the variables in pre and post testing, and in each of the 16 training sessions. Results demonstrated significant increases in speed and accuracy from pre to post testing for both groups. No differential effects between groups were found. Across session analyses indicated a significant increase in accuracy, but not in speed for both groups. Again, no group differences were found. The comprehension manipulation was found to have had a small but positive effect on the comprehension focus group. Results lend credence to the use of Repeated Reading as a viable supplemental reading technique. Further longitudinal research is needed to tease out the important components of this encouraging method of reading instruction. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-02, Section: A, page: 0467. / Major Professor: Joseph Torgesen. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

The purpose of this investigation was to describe the intentional communicative behaviors of profoundly mentally retarded children. Ten 6 to 12 year old subjects, equally grouped according to age, participated in communication sampling with familiar and unfamiliar adults. Intentional communicative acts were collected using structured communication tasks and subject-initiated free-play. Acts were identified and coded according to communicative function, communicative means, discourse structure, and, when applicable, syllable shape. / Findings revealed communicative profiles characterized by a predominance of functions to regulate others' behavior and by gestural means. The majority of older subjects demonstrated more communicative acts per minute and a broader range of communicative functions than their younger counterparts. Initiated acts predominated as did vocalizations without consonants. Self-injurious and aversive behaviors were evident only in older subjects' samples. No substantial differences in subjects' communicative abilities were observed during sampling with familiar and unfamiliar adults. / The use of the communicative sampling and analysis procedures implemented in this investigation with profoundly mentally retarded persons is discussed. Some suggestions for how these procedures can be used to generate communicative profiles instrumental to intervention planning are offered. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-12, Section: A, page: 3550. / Major Professor: Amy Miller Wetherby. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1988.

The present study investigated the effects of two computer programs, developed to enhance decoding ability, on the long-term reading performance of learning-disabled students. Fourteen students selected for their slow, laborious reading style received 15 minutes daily of computer-guided practice with the Hint and Hunt and Construct A Word programs designed by DLM. A matched control group received the same amount of computer time over a full school year in areas other than reading. Pre and post measures of reading included speed and accuracy on a computer based task of individual word reading and a sentence verification task. In addition, standardized measures of reading such as the Gilmore Oral Reading Test and the reading subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational battery were employed. Although substantial reading gains were made over the course of the year by both groups, differential gains favoring the treatment group were detected only for the speed and accuracy measures on the individual word reading task. Thus, the computer-guided practice led to significant gains in decoding accuracy and efficiency but these gains did not translate into broader enhancement of reading performance. These data are interpreted as supporting the weak version of the verbal efficiency theory, rather than the strong version. That is, this study supports the notion that efficient decoding may be a necessary but not sufficient component of skilled reading. Recommendations for the use of computers in special education classrooms are offered. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-07, Section: A, page: 2014. / Major Professor: Joseph K. Torgesen. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

This study was conducted to assess the impact of SEDNET, the Multiagency Network for Severely Emotionally Disturbed Students, established by the Florida Legislature in 1982, and designed to increase collaboration among agencies enabling them to offer a comprehensive continuum of educational, mental health, and residential services for severely emotionally disturbed children. / This study focused on this question: Has SEDNET accomplished these goals designed by the Florida Legislature? / Goal 1. Provision of a complete array of education, mental health treatment, and residential services for severely emotionally disturbed students; / Goal 2. Improvement of the quality of existing education, mental health treatment, and residential services for severely emotionally disturbed students; / Goal 3. Continuous multiagency planning, implementation, and evaluation of education, mental health treatment, and residential services for severely emotionally disturbed students; / Goal 4. Diffusion of exemplary policies and procedures developed by the pilot projects. / Data for this policy were drawn from the 1989 SEDNET Annual Reports submitted by the fifteen SEDNET Project Directors to the Florida Department of Education, from examination of State Department records, and from interviews with selected Key Informants. These data were examined to evaluate the effectiveness of the SEDNET projects according to the criteria established by the Legislature. The investigation focused on SEDNET's impact on the personnel within the collaborating agencies which provided education, mental health, or residential services for severely emotionally disturbed students, and on the effectiveness of the collaborative process in expanding and improving the array of services. Findings of this study showed that in most Florida districts, SEDNET acted as a catalyst for change and provided a community forum for emotionally disturbed children's issues. SEDNET had a positive influence in developing interagency relationships and increasing understanding. It was determined that while progress had been made in all areas, the Legislative goals for SEDNET had not been accomplished statewide. / Ten recommendations were offered which included renewal of SEDNET Legislation with increased funding, increased planning for future needs, and more in-depth evaluation of SEDNET projects. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-12, Section: A, page: 4089. / Major Professor: John H. Hansen. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--The Florida State University, 1990.

The problems addressed in this study are twofold: (1) the lack of information about evaluation frameworks in arts administration literature for use in decision making, and (2) the limited availability of appropriate existing evaluation models for the multisite nonprofit arts organizations. Through the development of a context-based evaluation framework, the present study investigated the theoretical and methodological aspects of evaluation models currently used in community arts service organizations. A target population, Very Special Arts Florida, was identified to illustrate the complexity of evaluation in a multisite nonprofit arts organization. / The case study methodology utilized a systems perspective and systems theory in evaluation to develop multisite self reports. This evaluation system was designed to function by supplying information specific to each site, yet generalizable to the statewide organization. It was intended to serve as a framework for stakeholders anticipatory decision making. In this methodology the instrument attempted to facilitate information processing for the complex staff structure of nonprofit organizations with multiple hierarchies of leadership and interdependence for resource development. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-10, Section: A, page: 3506. / Major Professor: Betty Jo Troeger. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

The effects of a training program on the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of seat belt use by mentally retarded persons attending a day training center was investigated. In the first study, a behavioral assessment of seat belt use was conducted to determine which clients at the center needed training in order to use their seat belts on the center buses on which they were passengers. The behavioral assessment identified 13 clients that were unable to fasten their seat belts when verbally prompted. These clients participated in a second study which used a task analysis of seat belt use and an increasing assistance training procedure to teach correct seat belt use. Eleven of the 13 clients learned to buckle their seat belts during the acquisition study. In addition, they learned to use different types of seat belts for which they did not receive training, which demonstrated stimulus generalization. Seat belt use maintained following acquisition for up to 13 weeks when clients were asked to buckle up by a trainer. However, few clients were observed to buckle up when they departed from the center in the afternoon without being asked. A third study then transferred control of client seat belt use from the trainers to the bus drivers by having the drivers ask the clients to buckle when they boarded the bus. Following the general prompt, high levels of seat belt use occurred. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-03, Section: A, page: 0481. / Major Professor: Jon S. Bailey. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1987.

Traumatic events at birth may interfere with the organization and interpretation of multiple stimuli. The residual effects of these events influence infants for the rest of their lives. Subtle cues that infants use to communicate their inability to organize information are often misinterpreted. / This study was conducted at a regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) follow-up clinic to investigate the impact of a stressful birth on infants' performance. Infants between the adjusted ages of 91 and 240 days were observed during three tasks that required integrating multiple stimuli, (a) a task of spatial perception, (b) a task intermodal representation of speech, and (c) a contingency learning task. / Seven birth status variables (gestational age, birthweight, adjusted age, length of ventilation, 5-minute Apgar scores, parent education and income levels) compiled from hospital records were compared to seven performance variables (reach, vision, smile, fuss, attention, speech, and contingency). Multiple regression analyses were applied to the data. / Findings from the study indicate that (a) mechanically ventilated infants were more irritable than non-ventilated infants, (b) infants from lower income families were fussier than infants from higher income families, (c) lower birthweight infants were more successful on the visual task than higher birthweight infants, (d) 5-minute Apgar scores were more predictive of infants success than 1-minute scores on the visual task, (e) older infants were more accurate during the reaching task than younger infants. There were marginal relationships between higher parental educational level and attention and adjusted age and smiling. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-03, Section: A, page: 0882. / Major Professor: Pearl E. Tait. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.