<p> This research study was done to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative seating for a student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder when completing a given task. The aim of this study was to note the difference in task completion duration when given the alternative form of seating. Research was done through observation and data collection over a four-week timeframe at a public school in Olympia Fields, Illinois. This elementary school serves a population of both general education students and special education students. The study looks at a special education kindergarten student who is placed in the general education setting for a majority of his school day. During the study, data was collected in the special education room during the students&rsquo; resource minutes in the morning half of the school day. The aim of the study was to observe the effects of the use of a standard classroom chair to the use of a Kids Stay-N-Play Ball when performing task completion. Data from the five-week period was analyzed as well as interviews with the staff and student, and field notes from the researcher. This study found that the implementation of a yoga ball as alternative seating with a student diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was beneficial during academic instruction. There was both a decrease in task completion duration and a decrease in maladaptive behaviors for the student being directly observed. Based on the data collection, observations, and interviews, the use of alternative seating showed an increase in time-on-task as well.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a self-regulation curriculum, the Zones of Regulation (Kuypers &amp; Winner, 2011), on the problem behaviors of an elementary male student in a rural public school setting. This single subject study used an ABAB design in which baseline data was collected during Phase 1 (one week), the Zones of Regulation Curriculum was implemented during Phase 2 (two weeks), the Zones of Regulation Curriculum was withdrawn during Phase 3 (one week), and then re-implemented during Phase 4 (two weeks). The data collected were the number of problem behaviors displayed by the subject each day during the study. Problem behaviors were defined as talking out of turn, non-participation in instructional activities, off-task in the classroom, non-compliance, aggression, verbal offense, lying, and defiance. Results indicated that the overall frequency of problem behaviors increased during the study; however, specific types of behaviors decreased while other types of types of behaviors increased. Implications for practitioners based on these results are discussed.</p><p>

<p> The project will consider how paraprofessionals are trained for their jobs and how this can affect how they feel about their place of employment. Paraprofessionals are called upon to provide service and care to individuals who need extra assistance. However, in order to properly perform specific parts of their jobs, they need to have proper trainings that explain how to execute these responsibilities. This project will examine how paraprofessionals are trained for their job by comparing the checklist of training required by one school&rsquo;s HR department along with what is actually occurring within the classrooms they work in on a daily basis and how these trainings can affect job satisfaction based upon self-disclosure. Some of these responsibilities include taking proper academic data and behavioral data, implementing specific strategies such as when to offer an individual a break, and knowing when to give a consequence such as implementing classroom management strategies.</p><p> In this study, paraprofessionals will use rating scales to evaluate themselves and how they feel about their skills for particular tasks they complete on a daily basis such as helping students with toileting, following and implementing behavior plans, using sensory strategies, and modeling communication through the use of a communication device as well as their overall job perceptions. In addition, experts will be rating the paraprofessionals within their field of expertise, which means the Speech and Language Pathologist will rate the paraprofessionals&rsquo; performance in using communication strategies, the Occupational Therapist will rate the paraprofessionals&rsquo; use of OT/sensory strategies, the Behavior Therapist will rate the accuracy of behavior data and implementing behavior strategies, and the classroom teacher will rate the accuracy of academic data and pushing the students to become more independent within the classroom. Each expert will then lead a paraprofessional training session and provide tips and strategies that the paraprofessionals can then use when their students. Once all the trainings are completed, the paraprofessionals will rate themselves again and the experts will rate the paraprofessionals&rsquo; performance. These ratings will then be compared to the ratings conducted at the beginning of the project to determine if the trainings had any effect on the paraprofessionals&rsquo; job performance and job perceptions.</p><p>

<p> The prevalence rate of children with autism has been on the rise for the past 20 years. A hallmark characteristic of this disorder is the presence of stereotypic behaviors. Children who engage in stereotypic behaviors experience difficulties in effectively interacting with their surrounding environment. Both consequence-based and antecedent based interventions have been successful in decreasing these interfering behaviors. The performance of physical exercise has shown positive results as both a consequence based and antecedent based intervention in reducing stereotypic behaviors. The current investigation conducted a meta-analysis on the effects of physical exercise on stereotypic behaviors in individuals with autism. This study was able to run this meta-analysis using both aggregate score studies and single subject design studies. This study identified 10 research articles that met all of the inclusion criteria. The 10 articles were coded according to sixteen primary moderators and four peripheral moderators. The 10 articles produced an overall large effect size of <i>d</i> = -.456. This large effect size demonstrated that physical exercise is effective in decreasing stereotypic behaviors in individuals with autism. However, no significant statistical difference was observed within any of the primary and peripheral moderators. The lack of significant statistical difference within any of the moderators lead the current investigator to conclude that the effect of physical exercise on stereotypic behaviors in individuals with autism may not be impacted by external factors. Further research is needed to determine the internal neurobiological effects of physical exercise on stereotypic behaviors in individuals with autism.</p><p>