Since the beginning of the Global War on Terrorism in 2001, the United States has relied heavily on volunteer National Guard troops to protect our country. Thousands of youth have been affected by deployment, yet we rarely hear their stories. This thesis explores how digital storytelling, as an applied theatre practice, can help increase youth visibility and voice in the Army National Guard community. Through qualitative research methods of narrative thematic analysis and thematic coding methods, the author examines how digital storytelling can be used to build community among Army National Guard youth, as well as provide an agentive space for youth to name their experiences and perspectives while self-advocating for their needs and desires. Their digital stories became a site for youth to play with the complexity of naming their experiences, as well as a way to increase their visibility within military spaces. The document concludes with a discussion of how digital storytelling and applied theatre functions within National Guard youth communities, the limitations of the research and model, as well as a discussion of sustainability for applied theatre programs in this community. / text

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of explicitly teaching self-advocacy skills to three middle school students with mild/moderate disabilities by having them memorize a script and request accommodations in a training and generalization setting. The intervention components included 16 lessons comprising discussion and reflection about their disabilities and educational rights under IDEA, a four-part script, and a prompting procedure. The script included (a) greeting teacher and asking if it's a good time to talk, (b) expressing concern with assignment, (c) asking for accommodation, and (d) thanking teacher. The dependent variables were (a) frequency, measured by the number of cumulative requests made over the course of the study, and (b) accuracy, measured by number of steps aligning with the pre-rehearsed script. Results, evaluated using a multiple-baseline across-participants design, indicated a functional relationship between the intervention and the dependent variables. Results suggest that special education teachers can effectively teach self-determination skills, allowing students with disabilities to self-advocate for accommodations in the general education setting. Further research is needed to confirm current findings.

Although much has been written about the relationship between career maturity and career decision self-efficacy of college students, the literature review provided no studies that investigated the relationship between career maturity, career decision self-efficacy, and self-advocacy; therefore the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between career maturity, career decision self-efficacy, and self-advocacy of college students with and without disabilities. An increasing number of college students with disabilities are attending postsecondary institutions, and the figures are continuing to increase; however, students with disabilities earn lower grades in college than their peers without disabilities, take longer to complete their degrees, have higher dropout rates, and are more likely to be unemployed after college. This quantitative study responds to recent calls in the postsecondary literature for individuals with disabilities to be better prepared when they transition from college. Participants included 347 postsecondary students, 89 of whom reported having a disability. Primarily focused on students with disabilities, this study gathered information regarding postsecondary students' attitudes toward careers, beliefs in their ability to pursue careers, and their self-advocacy knowledge in order to investigate the relationship among them. This study provides empirical support that there is a relationship between career maturity, career decision self-efficacy, and self-advocacy. The results of the correlation, MANOVA, ANOVA, and hierarchical regression analyses provided four major findings and implications. First, there was a positive correlation between career maturity, career decision self-efficacy, and self-advocacy of college students with and without a disability. Second, the results of the study indicated that students without a disability had higher levels of career maturity and self-advocacy than students with a disability; however, the self-efficacy scores were similar for students with and without a disability. Third, the results of the study focusing specifically on students with disabilities indicated that the career maturity of students who had a high level of self-advocacy was higher than for the students who had a low level of self-advocacy. However, there was no difference in levels of self-advocacy and career decision self-efficacy of college students with disabilities. Fourth, the results of this study focusing specifically on students with disabilities indicated that self-advocacy and career decision self-efficacy were the only variables that positively affected career maturity. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Self-determination and self-advocacy skills, necessary for students to successfully transition to secondary education and beyond, are often missing in students with disabilities. These skills are an important part of the process of addressing transition in an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The purpose of this case study was to gain an understanding of general education teachers' perceptions about self-determination and self-advocacy skills in students with disabilities. Guided by Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory, this study examined general education teachers' perceptions about self-determination and self-advocacy skills in students with disabilities, and attempted to determine how these skills changed after students with disabilities worked with a peer advocate. General education teachers' perceptions about self-determination and self-advocacy were identified, as well as differences in perceptions regarding students who worked with a peer advocate and those who did not. A purposeful sample of 5 general education teachers was selected to participate in this study. Teachers participated in 1 interview, completed an anonymous survey, and participated in 1 classroom observation. Descriptive analysis was used to present the information in a narrative. Participants felt that self-determination and self-advocacy skills were important for students with disabilities. Teachers with the experience of having peer advocates in their classroom noticed an increase of self-determination and self-advocacy skills in students with disabilities. This study may provide positive social change by giving insight to educators on ways to utilize peer tutors or advocates with students with disabilities to aid in their academic and social success, resulting in successful student participation in the IEP process and transitioning from middle school to high school.

Thyroid disease, a chronic illness, affects nearly 200 million people worldwide and is more common among women than in men. Numerous factors make diagnosing and treating thyroid disease in women challenging. The standard blood test for diagnosing thyroid disease and determining treatment effectiveness is inconsistent in its accuracy. Many women with thyroid disease are misdiagnosed or struggle with symptoms even once receiving treatment. Although thyroid disease is highly prevalent among women and the doctor-patient relationship is known to influence treatment outcomes, there is a gap in the literature regarding the treatment experiences of women with thyroid disease and the doctor-patient relationship. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore female thyroid patients' experiences of treatment and the doctor-patient relationship. Sixteen female thyroid patients, ages 18 and older and members of an international online support group, were individually interviewed via online chat. Data interpretation was guided by social constructionism and feminist theory and was accomplished via Moustakas's analytic method. Themes related to the doctor-patient relationship were identified, including the culture of the medical profession, diagnostic bias, and gender differences in communication. Emergent themes included patient education level, patient self-advocacy behaviors, and the use of natural thyroid medication. The results of this study may contribute to positive social change by enhancing doctors' understanding of thyroid disease in women and the influence of the doctor-patient relationship in determining positive treatment outcomes, thus equipping doctors with enriched knowledge for providing their female thyroid patients with the highest quality of care.

Self-advocacy for persons with disabilities involves demonstrating knowledge of oneself and knowledge of rights afforded to individuals with disabilities through one's communication with others and leadership skills. These self-advocacy skills are significantly associated with positive outcomes after high school for students with a range of disabilities. However, knowledge of elementary students' self-advocacy skills is limited. One reason for this lack of evidence is that a psychometrically sound instrument designed to measure the cumulative skills within the self-advocacy construct did not exist. The purpose of the current study was to create a measure of self-advocacy skills that can be used with elementary students identified as having ADHD: the Self-Advocacy Measure for Youth (SAMY). Seventy-six parents/caregivers of elementary school youth identified as having ADHD and an IEP or Section 504 plan were included in the preliminary validation study. Analyses of their responses provided initial support that the items included in the SAMY fit the theoretical construct of self-advocacy as no items were indicated for removal or modification. Strong internal consistency was indicated for the Total Scale (α = .93) and subscales (Knowledge of Self, Knowledge of Rights, Communication and Leadership Skills α = .87, .87, .79, and .84 respectively), and test-retest analyses based on 20% of respondents (n = 14) provided evidence for the reliability of the interpretation of Total Scale (r =.865, p < .01) and subscale scores across one month of time. The theoretical framework, principal components analysis, and parallel analysis supported four-, six-, and two-factor measurement models, respectively, indicating the need for additional research prior to determining the most appropriate model for interpreting the SAMY scores for youth identified as having ADHD. A moderate correlation (r = .47, p < .01) between overall scores on the SAMY and on the American Institutes for Research Self-Determination Scale (AIR) provided evidence of discriminant validity. An independent t-test indicated no significant difference in the Total Scale scores for students with an IEP (M = 49.66, SD = 19.75) compared to students with a Section 504 Plan (M = 52.54, SD = 16.52); t(74)=0.68, p = .50); similar analyses performed for each subscale revealed no significant differences. A statistically significant difference existed between the Total Scale scores for students in grades K-2 (n = 23; M = 41.57; SD = 14.30) compared to students in grades 3-5 (n = 53; M = 55.08; SD = 18.41; t(74)= -3.13, p = .003) based on independent t-tests. The Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a significant, moderate correlation between school level and SAMY Total Score, r =.34, p < .01. This positive correlation between overall self-advocacy skills and elementary school level supported the theoretical progression of self-advocacy skill growth mirroring overall development. Implications for school psychologists and suggestions for future research are discussed.

As educational professionals strive to help students become efficient and effective learners, they must assist in the development of student learning strategies and a greater understanding of the learning process. The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the learning pattern preferences of middle and high school students in general education and special education settings. The results of this study were intended to help guide teachers and other education professionals to make informed decisions about differentiating instruction in a way to reach more, if not all, students in their classroom. The results could furthermore assist educators in fostering greater self-knowledge and self-advocacy in students, which then can assist them to become active participants of their own learning experiences. Archival data was examined using scores of middle and high school students on the Learning Connections Inventory (LCI), the survey associated with the Let Me Learn Process®. 251 students LCI scores were studied on the basis of grade level and special education classification.&lt;br&gt;Research questions utilized one-way MANOVA's in order to determine preference for particular individual patterns on the LCI. The first set of research questions compared students in special education and students in general education. The second set of questions compared students in special education broken down by classification, specifically, Other Health Impairment and Specific Learning Disability. Analyses revealed preference for certain LCI patterns between the groups examined. This study was intended to be a starting point for the analysis of the learning patterns of special education students. Once pattern preferences and the interactions between preferences are identified, and the utility of the Let Me Learn Process® is examined, a greater understanding of learning will occur in combination with the development of self-advocacy skills in the classroom. Overall, the Let Me Learn Process® has been shown to have promise in utilizing cognition, conation and affectation approaches in order to assist in developing effective learning strategies. As each of these elements is taken into consideration, this process can allow learners to become active participants in their own learning process. / School of Education; / School Psychology / PhD; / Dissertation;

Self-advocates and professionals in the field agree on the critical importance of providing self-advocacy and leadership training to youth with disabilities. Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) programs have been developed and implemented nationwide to provide a training venue for youth with disabilities to gain self-advocacy and leadership skills. The problem is the lack of empirical evidence validating the effectiveness of self-advocacy training provided through the YLF training format. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the Texas Statewide Youth Leadership Forum (TXYLF) summer training event on the self-advocacy abilities of high school students with disabilities, and to examine the interaction effect of disability type and gender on the improvement of self-advocacy abilities. To accomplish this purpose, a Non-Equivalent Groups Design (NEGD) was selected and used. The target population for this study was high school youth with disabilities in the state of Texas. The final sample included 68 youth. The TXYLF Pre/Post Questionnaire was the instrument used to measure the participants? self-advocacy abilities. The pretest was administered the week prior to the training event. The posttest was administered to the treatment group immediately following the training event and to the control group in the two weeks following the training event. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted to answer the primary and the exploratory questions. The inferential analyses included an ANCOVA and two factorial ANOVAS. Results indicated that the training had a positive effect on the selfadvocacy abilities of the participants. The results of the ANOVAs indicated (a) type of disability did not interact with treatment to affect the self-advocacy abilities of these participants, and (b) gender did not interact with treatment to affect the self-advocacy abilities of these participants. A descriptive and inferential post hoc examination of the treatment group data yielded an interaction by treatment effect for disability type indicating the treatment was more effective for participants with Developmental Disabilities. Future research studies should focus on replication of the current study results and examination of the long term effects of the self-advocacy training for youth with disabilities. In designing these studies, group designs should be considered and used.

For students with physical and health disabilities, the development of self-advocacy skills is critical to their future success. Characteristics that may inhibit the development of self-advocacy skills in this population include reliance on others for assistance across multiple areas requiring physical abilities, deficits in communication skills, and the development of learned helplessness. Instruction in self-advocacy is needed for this population of students in order to maximize future success and decrease learned helplessness (Angell, Stoner, and Fulk, 2010; Macdonald & Block, 2005; Roberts, 2007). For this study, the researcher provided instruction to four elementary age students with physical disabilities who exhibited characteristics of learned helplessness, including ineffective initiation of requests. Students used speech, sign, or gestures as their primary form of communication, and were able to use this form of communication as a reliable means of response during typical classroom activities, including social interactions and when responding to questions. When they needed to initiate a request for required materials during classroom activities, they made no response, ineffectively gestured, or made unrelated comments when prompted to complete an activity. Students who initiated requests ≤ 50% of presented opportunities were eligible to participate in this study. The intervention consisted of combined use of environmental arrangement and the system of least prompts in a multiprobe multiple baseline across participants design. Environmental arrangement strategies included missing materials or materials that were out of reach. The system of least prompts involved the following levels of prompting: (a) independent, (b) verbal – restatement of direction, (c) indirect verbal, and (d) verbal/model. Analysis of the data indicated that three of the four students increased their effective initiation of requests during intervention, and generalized this skill to new materials and novel settings. The fourth student exhibited noncompliant behaviors that interfered with his ability to reach criteria during intervention. These results support the effectiveness of this intervention in decreasing learned helplessness and increasing the self-advocacy skill of initiating requests with students with physical disabilities who have no interfering behaviors.

Although more students with learning disabilities (LDs) are attending postsecondary institutions, faculty lacks the necessary training to educate students with LDs. A need exists to ensure that their college experiences include resources or support services to help students meet their academic requirements. Without support services, students may encounter poor outcomes in postsecondary education. This bounded, qualitative case study was designed to explore perspectives and experiences of students with LDs related to student services and accommodations at a postsecondary institution. Knowles's theory of andragogy formed the study's conceptual framework. A purposeful sample of 6 students, who were medically diagnosed as having a learning disability and who were, at the time of the study, receiving support services from the office of student support services, participated in the semistructured interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed using open and axial coding to search for patterns and emerging themes. Key results included that even though students were satisfied overall with the services and accommodations provided by the university, they lacked adequate support from some of the faculty on the importance of accommodations and services and how they influence academic success in postsecondary education. Based on the findings, a 3-day professional development training was developed to educate faculty in learning disabilities, understanding accommodations, and enhancing their abilities to provide support in working with students with LDs. These endeavors may promote positive faculty-student relationships and increased academic success of students with LDs in postsecondary education.