A total of 60 school psychologists and educational diagnosticians across Texas completed a survey to identify the instruments used to screen and diagnose learning disabled (LD) students, and to identify the criteria on which the final diagnosis and placement of LD or non-LD is made. The results of this survey indicate that consistent methods and criteria are not being used for identifying children as LD within the state. Many of the instruments currently used may not be technically adequate for use with a LD population. Implications of the use of inconsistent criteria, inadequate screening and assessment measures are discussed.

Title “Meeting between children from different types of schools and peer relationships”  – A study of an elementary special school, that is integrated in an elementary school.   Health and Society   The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential of children with intellectual disabilities to be involved in school activities if their special school is located in the same building as the elementary school. The focus is on the opportunities for interaction between children from compulsory school and children from other school types and their peer relationships. The study was done in a school that had a special school in the same building as the elementary school. The study included four students from special school, their special education teacher and an assistant principal. Observations and interviews were used to gather information. Time geography were used both as a method and theory. Results were interpreted with the central time geography’s concepts resource restriction and projects. The results show that the students are treated differently depending on which school they attend even though the goal is another. Collaboration between different types of schools is done on a project basis, and the school offers co-operation across different types of schools. This does not lead to that children from the primary school get peer relationships with children from elementary school. Key-words: Basic learning disabilities, integration / inclusion, participation, relationship, comrades.

This research is an exploratory investigation into the convergence of Asperger‟s syndrome and Nonverbal learning disability and the inclusion of these learners into mainstream schools. Conceptual research has been used based on questions asked around Asperger‟s syndrome, Nonverbal learning disability, convergences and differences between the disabilities based on the history, etiology, assessment and diagnosis of each disorder as well as alternative forms of assessment and diagnosis. Due to the wide body of literature available in this area of research and the nature of conceptual research, this study is largely literature based. The aim of the research is to look at the literature that supports the convergence between Asperger‟s syndrome and Nonverbal learning disability and to study the assessment tools that are being used to diagnose Asperger‟s syndrome and Nonverbal learning disability to see if various tools can be taken from both batteries of tests and used as one. An important part of this research is its placement in the educational context of inclusion. The results from this research will add to the literature already available on this topic, emphasising the importance of accurate and thorough investigation and assessment towards reaching a diagnosis and the implementation of a valid support plan. The research also offers a discourse concerning learners who are not in a position to be assessed for diagnosis and the benefits of using the SIAS strategy for these learners. The research confirms that there is a convergence between Asperger‟s syndrome and Nonverbal learning disability. It also confirms that, despite the convergence, the assessment and intervention for each disorder is mostly different and a misdiagnosis would not be beneficial to the learner. The findings of the research are also largely confirmatory of literature and other research studies in this area. Finally, the research takes a critical look at the purpose, benefits and possible downfalls of labelling a learner with a specific disability, and how labelling could either help or hinder a learner in their educational pursuits. Possible directions for future research into Asperger‟s syndrome, Nonverbal learning disability, assessment tools and support structures are discussed

MSc, Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand / The effect of assistive devices on the speed and legibility of a child’s writing is not fully understood in the literature. This study therefore investigated the effects of Stetro pencil grips, soft splints and inclined surfaces on handwriting speed and legibility in order to better guide occupational therapists with regard to handwriting intervention. A writing legibility score sheet was developed to measure the factors of handwriting requiring assessment in this study namely: letter formation, spacing between words, letter spacing between lines, accuracy and general appearance. The study also compared the handwriting speed and legibility of grade two learning disabled learners with grade two mainstream learners. In analysing the results, letter formation and general appearance were the two areas where the learning disabled sample scored significantly worse than the mainstream sample. The various assistive devices were shown to have different impacts on writing speed and the five areas of legibility.

Faculty of Humanities School of Education 9805090w NATALIE@WBS.CO.ZA / Learning disabilities have become of increasing concern for educators. More and more children are having difficulty learning to read and write. This dissertation investigates what constitutes a learning disability, its etiology and whether or not it is possible to identify these disabilities in early childhood. The investigation further aims to discover if these learning disabilities are comprised of sub-disabilities and if these can be identified as such. To this end the research aims to determine the most appropriate remedial intervention strategies used for learning disabilities. Multisensory intervention is therefore explored. On the basis of this the Montessori Method is examined to ascertain whether or not the method can contribute to multisensory intervention at the preschool level. It is argued that the Montessori Method is admirably suited to making such a contribution. Further empirical research for these claims is indicated.

Inclusive education policies in South Africa aim to reduce the barriers to learning of learners with learning disabilities (LDs).(1) Occupational therapists play an important role in identifying these barriers and collaborating with the educators to implement environmental modifications (EMs) in the classroom to enhance the academic performance of learners. This study aims to explore the use of as well as the effectiveness of EMs in grade two classrooms of learners with special education needs (LSEN) schools in the greater Johannesburg area. Eight semi structured interviews were conducted. The qualitative data was analysed using priori categories based on a framework provided by Mulligan(2). A wide variety of EMs were identified by the participants, indicating the effectiveness of the modifications used. In conclusion the EMs were more concisely divided into three categories, namely behavioural modifications, physical modifications and modifications to the delivery of the curriculum, demonstrating a diverse interrelationships between the categories. Keywords: Occupational therapy, learning disabilities, environmental modifications, classroom environment, LSEN schools.

Thesis advisor: Richard Jackson / A significant body of research has examined the impact of technology on pedagogy (Cuban, 1999; Enyedy, 2014), student achievement (Schachter, 1999; Cheung & Slavin, 2013, OECD, 2015), and equity (Reich, Murnane & Willett, 2012; Van Deursen & Van Dijk, 2011) with both positive and negative results within each domain. Research has also examined the impact of technology on the success of students with disabilities in various domains (Corn, Tagsold, & Argueta, 2012; Hargreaves & Braun, 2012; Harris & Smith, 2004; Penuel, 2006). However, no research has assessed the impact of one to one technology, in particular, on the self-efficacy of students with specific learning disabilities in educational settings. This dissertation examined the experience of nine middle school students with specific learning disabilities in the first year of a one to one laptop program. Among the guiding questions for this research was the following: What characteristics of 1:1 programs present particular challenges or opportunities for students with learning disabilities? A series of interviews with students, parents, and teachers, as well as pre and post-surveys gauging student self-efficacy, were organized within the frame of activity theory and analyzed using a case-study narrative approach. Findings from the research suggest the presence of several critical conditions that support student self-efficacy in this one to one program. These critical conditions include the presence of a culture of collaboration, putting the needs of teachers first in terms of comfort with technology, providing a system of professional development for both students and teachers, encouraging the philosophy of a growth mindset in relation to technology, and adopting a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework as a model for curriculum design that emphasizes equity through flexibility. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

This thesis explores how government policy impacts everyday support settings in UK-based learning disability social care. The empirical research took the form of an ethnography conducted within two learning disability social care provider organisations based in the South West of England. I spent time with people with learning disabilities and staff members in a range of settings, including home and day services. I also spent time with independent community organisations, including an advocacy service and a café supporting people with volunteering opportunities. Contemporary social care policy aims to reduce the exclusion and inequalities that people with learning disabilities experience by empowering them, as much as possible, with independence and equal access to community life. Within this, a range of social, political and economic philosophies have come to shape policy objectives, constructing different identities for people with learning disabilities. Yet, despite this, across the decades, services have continued to be plagued by cases uncovering fundamental failings, which at worse, have led to terrible abuses of people with learning disabilities. To unpick further the complexities of empowering people with learning disabilities, I used ethnography to understand the ways that policy objectives were experienced in everyday practice. The key findings from my research challenge current empowerment approaches which aim to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities. The expectation is that aspirations of independence and community living are possible to achieve if the necessary resources are made available. However, for people with learning disabilities, their intellectual – and for some physical – impairments meant that they tended to experience difficulty in meaningfully assuming the rights and responsibilities that accompany these aspirations. Yet, the focus within policy that these are aspects of a ‘normal’ life is such that, in everyday settings, people were compelled to partake in a performance, which sustained the notion that these are realistic expectations. Ultimately, these factors undermined relationships between people with learning disabilities and the people supporting them, alienating them from each other.

This study sought to determine the effectiveness of using Content Acquisition Podcasts (CAPs) to teach children with learning disabilities scientific vocabulary. CAPs are multimedia instructional podcasts that combine images and sound to teach supplemental vocabulary. Four children ages 9 to 10 with learning disabilities were taught vocabulary words to prepare them for end-of-year testing. Words were taken from units about rocks, soil and fossils. This study used a multiple probe multiple baseline across units design. Data analysis showed that three of four participants experienced significant improvement in at least one of three units. Social validity questionnaires showed that all four participants enjoyed being a part of the study and felt like they had learned important information. These results indicated that CAPs can be another method for delivering science instruction. They are easy to make, have an impact on learning and incorporate a modality of learning that is appealing to children.

Despite instructional changes and administrative support, students with learning disabilities in a middle school located in Georgia did not meet the state expectations to perform at their grade level in core subjects on the state's standardized test. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine whether a relationship existed between teachers' familiarity with Gardner's multiple intelligences (MI) theory and the MI instructional strategies they used in the classroom setting. Gardner's MI theory was used as the theoretical foundation, which supports the idea that if teachers can identify the intelligences (e.g., interpersonal, intrapersonal, visual/spatial, musical, bodily/kinesthetic, mathematical/logical, verbal/linguistic, and naturalistic) in each child and then teach to those abilities, the child will learn better. The sample included 61 middle school teachers who participated in Gardner's MI familiarity and MI practices online self-report survey. Data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially using correlations and regression. The results revealed that a majority (61%) of teachers were unfamiliar or only somewhat familiar with Gardner's MI theory. A simple linear regression revealed no significant relationship between teacher classroom practices and familiarity with Gardner's theory. Recommendations included conducting additional research on MI with a larger sample; additional research was also recommended on the best classroom practices for teachers to support a wide range of diverse learners. Implications for positive social change include providing the local site with information and recommendations that will further the dialogue related to what schools can do to promote learning and academic success for all students.