The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of trained hearing peer tutors on the physical activity levels of deaf students in integrated elementary physical education classes. This study utilized a single subject multiple baseline design across subjects. Eight deaf 4th and 5th grade students and eight hearing 4th and 5th grade peer tutors participated in the study. The students were observed during their physical education class and data were analyzed on physical activity levels and peer tutor behavior. The deaf students and peer tutors were first observed during a baseline period of 4-6 classes with no intervention. The peer tutors were trained toward the latter part of the baseline period. The peer tutor intervention lasted from 11-13 classes. During the intervention, the peer tutor and deaf student participated in pairs for the fitness portion of the class. The results of the intervention demonstrated that the implementation of trained hearing peer tutors improved the physical activity levels of both the deaf students and peer tutors. The training of the peer tutors consisted of signs pertaining to: instruction, physical fitness, and teaching techniques in the areas of: cueing, feedback and reinforcement. The cueing approach followed the system of least prompts and included verbal cueing, modeling, and physical assistance. Feedback consisted of positive general and positive specific reinforcement. Peer tutors were trained over four to five 30 minutes sessions. Pre-established criteria required the peer tutors to implement the teaching behaviors with the researcher a minimum of 4 out of 5 times, and receive a score of 90% or better on the peer tutor quiz. All peers were successful at meeting this criteria. Data were collected on the peer tutors tutoring behavior throughout the study by systematic observation. The results of the peer tutor data revealed that the tutors were able to implement the tutor training program. The results of this study demonstrate that elementary aged deaf students and their hearing peers can improve their physical activity levels upon intervention of trained hearing peer tutors. It was also shown that elementary aged peer tutors can be trained to provide assistance to deaf students in integrated physical education classes. Recommendations for future research are provided based on the results of the study. / Graduation date: 1996

Individuals with mild developmental disabilities have traditionally been excluded from full participation in their career decision making due to the stereotyping of their perceived incompetence. This view forms a mind-set or stigma that is recognized as the disability myth. This study initially addressed the vocational development of individuals with mild developmental disabilities. A selected group of seven were identified from a population of 70. These seven had participated in a high school intervention program that was vocationally based and were deemed as most likely to demonstrate vocational maturity. They provided information regarding their vocational development through unstructured interviews. Donald Super speculated that individuals with disabilities could benefit from the existing theories of vocational development; his theory of vocational development described the seven participants. All seven were vocationally mature. All had independent adult status. All were employed and had continuous employment histories. None of the seven were receiving income replacement or benefits from dependency programs, such as, Medicaid, Food Stamps, or Supplemental Security Income. All seven participants had well defined vocational self-concepts and well developed self-concept systems. Super further speculated that persons with disabilities may need a special application of a vocational development theory although not a different one; this conjecture was not applicable to the seven participants. Further research on the applicability of Super's theory should focus on other individuals with mild developmental disabilities who are not employed; those receiving assistance from income replacement or dependency programs should also be studied. Qualitative methods will be essential to conducting these studies. The applicability of his theory to those with other types of disabilities should also be tested. The seven participants seemed to have benefited from the vocationally-based intervention program. The relative benefit of each component of the intervention should be studied. / Graduation date: 1994

<p>Physical inactivity together with overweight and obesity has emerged as a major health risk factor for chronic disease of lifestyle as coronary heart disease, diabetes type 2, and hypertension affecting adolescents with physical disabilities in developed countries. This has contributed to the increase of social and economic costs of healthcare and social services in these countries. Review of literature has revealed that little has been documented about the status of adolescents with physical disabilities in developing countries. This study, therefore, aimed at establishing the degree of physical inactivity among high school adolescents with physical disabilities in Kenya.</p>

The purpose of this study was twofold. First, to determine if planned interventions could increase untrained undergraduate students' use of positive and specific skill feedback while a teaching fundamental motor skill to children who are disabled. Second, to qualitatively assess the effect of specific verbal feedback on student motor performance. Six undergraduate students enrolled in the Adapted Physical Activity and Lab class at Oregon State University served as teachers for 6 children who were classified as having a mild to moderate disability. Teachers were individually videotaped teaching the same fundamental motor skill each week for 14 weeks in the actual clinic setting. Week 4 teachers were sequentially introduced to the intervention package which included: (a) defining specific skill feedback and discussing its role in skill development, (b) a single viewing of a master teacher videotape, (c) verbally and physically reviewing critical elements of skill being taught, and (d) reviewing teacher feedback and student motor performance each lesson. A variation of the single subject, multiple baseline design across subjects was used to assess the effect of the intervention package on teacher feedback and student motor performance. Single subject data analysis techniques indicated untrained teachers were already using corrective specific feedback while the intervention package developed successfully increased their use of positive specific skill feedback. In addition, evidence suggests a positive relationship between teachers' use of specific skill feedback and student motor performance. Based on these findings, it appears specific verbal feedback behavior of untrained volunteer teachers can be increased as a result of the intervention package developed. It is recommended that future studies replicate this study with a larger number of teachers/students and over a longer period of time. / Graduation date: 1992

Since the mid-1980¡¦s, the delivery of social welfare services in developed countries has follwed a diversification trend. The method of ¡§government-institued, privately operated¡¨ social welfare services represnets one that has received higher approval and been used more widly. The ¡§government-instituted, privately operated¡¨method combines government and private resources to create social welfare service institutions that are otherwise less likely accomplished by either the government or the private sector alone. This should be a good policy of social welfare services, but in the wake of the differences in the position and role perspective of the two cooperating parties, division of labor between the government sector and the private sector and expectation and collateral interactions between the two parties show differences. Moreover, previous studies focused on the investigation into the interactions between the government and the private sector; they rarely dealt with how the service receivers in the ¡§government-instituted, privately operated¡¨ policy feel about the services. Third, previous studies also paid more attention to the discussion of the interactions between central government and nonprofit organizations at the national level. This study focueses on the interactions between local governments that are disadvantaged as far as resources available to them are concerned and regional small nonprofit organizations. This artcle is an explorative case research on ¡§A Family Workshop,¡¨ a ¡§government-instituted, privately operated¡¨ institution. The reseatcher conducted in-depth interviews on the Labor Bureau of Kaohsiung County government, Fire Phoenix Cultural and Educational Foundation, and the physically, mentally handicapped students in the workshop, and conducted related literature review so as to obtain depth discovery of the conducted related literature review so as to obtain depth discovery of the interactions between the three parties. Finally, the researcher put forth policy suggestions related with three aspects: government policy, assisting interactions, and support.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1979.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1976. / Typewritten.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1982.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1986.