Thesis advisor: C. Patrick Proctor / During adolescence, students engage in identity-formation processes that impact motivation to learn, as well as education and career choices moving forward. Adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) face particular challenges in developing a positive identity as a learner: feelings of decreased academic competence (Gans, Kenny, & Ghany, 2003; Terras, Thompson, & Minnis, 2009), increased school dropout rates (Deshler, 2005), and decreased feelings of global self-worth (Boetsch, Green, & Pennington, 1996) as compared to non-LD peers. Literacy is an area of particular concern. Given the importance placed on literacy skills in our society, it is unsurprising that difficulties in literacy learning impact the beliefs that students with LD develop about themselves (Burden, 2008). This study presents the results of an investigation into a group of students’ identity beliefs with regard to motivation, literacy and LD; how those beliefs were related to one another; and how those beliefs both shaped, and were shaped by, literacy experiences, using data collected during the 2014-2015 school year at one of the seven schools participating in the National Center on the Use of Emerging Technologies to Improve Literacy Achievement for Students with Disabilities in Middle School (CET; CAST, Inc, 2015; PIs: David Rose and Ted Hasselbring). Data gathered for the 11 participants included a literacy motivation battery; classroom observations; student interviews; and teacher interviews, informed by the Reading Engagement Index (REI; Wigfield et al., 2008). Both directed content analysis (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005) and thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) were used to analyze the data. Developing a greater awareness of the role of motivation in the literacy practices of adolescents with LD will enable educators to better understand the conditions under which these students read and write most willingly. This knowledge can be incorporated into school-based curricula, interventions, and professional development, such that these students have reason both to value the learning challenges placed before them, and to expect to succeed at meeting those challenges.

This study was conducted to investigate factors that contribute to resilience in students with learning disabilities (LD). The risk-resilience framework provided the theoretical base for selecting school and personal factors that might predict resilience. School and personal data were requested from large, culturally and linguistically diverse samples of individuals diagnosed with LD. A 12 variable model and three cluster models (combined variables) were developed. Discriminant analysis and tests of significance of hit rates were conducted to assess the accuracy of the full model (all 12 variables) to the prediction of resilience, and full versus restricted model testing was done to assess individual variable and cluster (combinations of some variables) contributions to the model. Additionally, analyses of environmental, intrapersonal, and interpersonal cluster models were investigated to determine their relative contribution to the prediction of resilience in relation to the others. Results of the full model analysis and subsequent tests of significance of hit rate indicated modest cross validated classification accuracy for the total group, resilient group, and non-resilient group. However, the model was not significantly better than chance, overall, at predicting resilience and non-resilience in students with LD. Results of the analysis of individual predictor variables’ and clusters’ contributions to the model’s classification accuracy indicated that no individual variable within the full model, nor cluster of interrelated variables contributed significant incremental improvement in classification accuracy above and beyond that which is available from all other variables contained in the full model. The independent analysis of interrelated personal and school related factors clustered as environmental, interpersonal, and intrapersonal clusters revealed that, as unique and separate models, classification accuracy of cross-validated group cases were less than optimal for each cluster. The results further demonstrate that resilience is affected by both internal and external factors. Although the results also demonstrate that factors work together, a great deal is still to be learned regarding factors affecting resilience as well as their interplay in clusters of factors that affect resilience. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The current study evaluated the impact of a 20-week mindfulness training program on executive function, internalizing and externalizing behaviour, and social skills in a clinical sample of adolescent boys with learning disabilities (LD). Mindfulness Martial Arts (MMA) is a manualized group treatment program incorporating elements of mindfulness meditation, cognitive behavioural therapy, and mixed martial arts. Sixty-five boys (ages 12 – 18) with LD were assigned to the MMA or waitlist control group (WL). Adolescents and their parents completed standardized questionnaires before and after training. Analysis of adolescents with distinct clinical profiles showed promising effects. Compared to the WL group, MMA participants with co-occurring ADHD improved on parent-rated externalizing behaviour, oppositional defiant problems, and conduct problems. Boys with elevated hyperactive/impulsive symptomotology improved on parent-rated social problems and monitoring skills. Boys with elevated anxiety reported decreased anxiety. MMA shows promise as an alternative treatment option for youth with LD and co-occurring difficulties.

The current study evaluated the impact of a 20-week mindfulness training program on executive function, internalizing and externalizing behaviour, and social skills in a clinical sample of adolescent boys with learning disabilities (LD). Mindfulness Martial Arts (MMA) is a manualized group treatment program incorporating elements of mindfulness meditation, cognitive behavioural therapy, and mixed martial arts. Sixty-five boys (ages 12 – 18) with LD were assigned to the MMA or waitlist control group (WL). Adolescents and their parents completed standardized questionnaires before and after training. Analysis of adolescents with distinct clinical profiles showed promising effects. Compared to the WL group, MMA participants with co-occurring ADHD improved on parent-rated externalizing behaviour, oppositional defiant problems, and conduct problems. Boys with elevated hyperactive/impulsive symptomotology improved on parent-rated social problems and monitoring skills. Boys with elevated anxiety reported decreased anxiety. MMA shows promise as an alternative treatment option for youth with LD and co-occurring difficulties.

This study examined mechanisms by which sibling relationships may buffer the harmful effects of negative peer experiences on the psychological adjustment of children with mental retardation (MR) or learning disabilities (LD). The study broadened existing findings with typically developing children and examined the effects of sibling social competency training on peer experiences and the impact of sibling relationship qualities, including warmth and positivity, supportiveness, conflict, and negativity, on children’s loneliness, internalizing, and delinquent behavior problems. The participants included 100 families with children who were between 8 and 10 years old. The families had a sibling dyad in which the target child had MR (n = 36), an LD (n = 43), or was typically developing (n = 21), while siblings were typically developing. Parents, target children, and siblings completed questionnaires and interviews assessing family and peer relationships. Sibling dyads completed a video-taped interaction. Results indicated that, as predicted, children with an LD or MR experienced significantly lower rates of positive peer experiences and significantly higher rates of negative peer experiences than did typically developing children. They exhibited significantly higher rates of loneliness and internalizing, but not delinquent, behavior problems than typically developing children. There was only partial support for the hypothesized protective effects of siblings on children’s development of adverse peer experiences. In particular, there was an indirect effect of one form of social competency training: social involvement mediated the effect of learning disabilities on adverse peer experiences. As predicted by the buffering hypothesis, emotional supportiveness by siblings moderated the impact of negative peer experiences on children’s internalizing and delinquent behavior problems. In addition, negativity within the sibling relationship moderated the effect of negative peer experiences on children’s internalizing problems while sibling conflict moderated the effect of positive peer experiences on loneliness. There were no significant effects for sibling warmth and positivity. Findings that siblings of children with MR or an LD can buffer some of the harmful effects of adverse peer experiences on psychological well being in specific instances suggest that including siblings in interventions aimed at improving peer experiences and psychological functioning may be relevant under certain circumstances.

Jaye K. Luke Numeracy skills are needed for daily living. For example, time management and budgeting are tasks that adults face on a frequent basis. Instruction for numeracy skills begins early and continues throughout childhood. Obtaining numeracy skills is difficult for some students. For example, there may be an inadequate fit between the student’s knowledge and the design of the instruction, the student may be unable to select an appropriate strategy for solving the problem, or the student may have a learning disability. Students with a learning disability comprise approximately 40% of identified children with disabilities who receive special education services (U.S. Department of Education, 2005). The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics helps teachers mediate the difficulties students may have in math. The council recommends problem solving and representation with physical objects as a teaching method. Chapter 1 presents a literature review on children with a learning disability, the use of manipulatives, and problem solving. The literature review indicates that children with a learning disability are poor problem solvers, but that further research is needed to investigate best instructional strategies. Chapter 2 presents a study on the impact of manipulatives on the accurate completion of money word problems. Three populations were included: adults who struggle with numeracy (n = 20), children with a learning disability (n = 20), and children who are typically developing (n = 23). Participants were administered a measure of 10 money word problems and were asked to solve them without the use of manipulatives. Participants were then randomly assigned to one of two groups: perceptually rich and perceptually bland manipulatives. Results indicate that none of the participants performed better with manipulatives than they performed without manipulatives. There was an interaction of Condition x Type of participant with the participants with a learning disability in the bland condition performing significantly worse than the other participants. More research is warranted to understand the impact of manipulative use in mathematics instruction for adults who struggle with numeracy, children with a learning disability, and children who are typically developing.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2001. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-129). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (M.S. in Education)--Shenandoah University, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

It is critical that students develop computational skills with basic facts to attain more advanced mathematical skills (e.g., algebra and fractions). A limited ability in accuracy and fluency with basic facts by students with learning disabilities (LD) who have Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals in mathematics can hinder their performance with more advanced mathematical skills. Thus, it is imperative to provide effective instruction to help students with LD to improve their basic fact skills. Explicit, strategic instruction has been highly recommended as an effective method for helping students with LD to improve basic fact skills. In addition, recent studies reported tablet computers such as iPads have potential for teaching basic fact skills. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of explicit, strategic teacher-directed instruction with iPad application practice on the multiplication fact performance of 5th grade students with LD. A single-case, multiple probe design across participants was applied for this study. Four 5th grade students with LD who had IEP goals in mathematics received fifteen 1:1 intervention sessions in multiplication facts (×4s and ×8s). Digits correct per minute in daily probes, use of a doubling strategy in strategy usage tests, and perspectives of students toward the intervention were measured. Results showed that all students improved their performance with multiplication fact proficiency; one student achieved the mastery level while the three other students approached mastery. All students also maintained the intervention gains, two weeks following the intervention. Additional findings showed that students increased their use of the doubling strategy to solve facts and were able to answer facts automatically following the intervention. Social validity interviews revealed that the intervention was viewed favorably by all students by their expression of positive perspectives toward using the doubling strategy and an iPad application to practice. / text