Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South African schools teachers are currently being expected to make major changes in the way they understand teaching and learning in the process of adapting to an entirely new curriculum like Curriculum 2005 or Outcomes Based Education (Engelbrecht, Green, Naicker & Engelbrecht, 1999:70). Research asked the question about what the needs of teachers are towards support to facilitate the implementation of inclusive education in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. A case study was conducted, the purpose being to inform support programmes for teachers. The target population included a selected primary school, the Mutondo Primary School in the Vuwani Area of the Limpopo Province. Participants included 20 voluntary teachers. A literature review was undertaken on the implementation of inclusive education in South Africa. It indicated that teachers showed negative and positive attitudes towards inclusive education in schools. It also showed that that teachers needed support to facilitate positive change in their attitudes toward inclusion in South Africa. Engelbrecht, Green, Naicker and Engelbrecht (1999:157) also emphasised that support was crucial for teachers as they felt that they did not have enough training in order to meet many challenges they come across. The aims of the study was to identify the need for a support programme towards inclusive education for teachers in the Vuwani Area of the Limpopo Province, to provide information to teachers on the implementation of inclusive education and to evaluate the needs for a support programme on the implementation of inclusive education in this area. Information was gathered at the hand of workshops with focus group interviews. The main themes that emerged from the data was the number of learners in a class, resources, the need for in-service training, a culture of respect and acceptance and a flexible curriculum. Findings suggested that a support programme could implement the policy of inclusive education more effectively when teachers' needs for training and support were being met. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Suid-Afrika word dit tans van onderwysers verwag om groot veranderinge aan te bring in die wyse waarop hulle onderrig en leer om sodoende te kan aanpas by 'n nuwe kurrikulum soos Kurrikulum 2005 of Uitkomsgebasseerde Onderwys (Engelbrecht, Green, Naicker & Engelbrecht, 1999:70). Hierdie stuk navorsing vra die vraag oor die behoeftes van onderwysers ten opsigte ondersteuning om die implimentering van inklusiewe onderwys binne die Limpopo Provinsie van Suid-Afrika te fasiliteer. 'n Gevallestudie is onderneem met as doelom inligting te verskaf ten opsigte van 'n ondersteuningsprogram vir onderwysers. Die teikenbevolking het ingesluit 'n geselekteerde primêre skool in die Vuwani gebied van die Limpopo Provinsie, naamlik die Mutondo Primêre Skool. Deelnemers het 20 vrywillige onderwysers ingesluit. 'n Literatuurstudie is onderneem oor die implimentering van inklusiewe onderwys binne Suid-Afrika. Dit het getoon dat onderwysers beide positiewe en negatiewe houdings openbaar teenoor inklusiewe onderwys binne skole. Dit het verder aangetoon dat onderwysers ondersteuning benodig ten opsigte van die fasilitering van positiewe veranderings in hul houdings jeens inklusiewe onderwys in Suid-Afrika. Engelbrecht, Green, Naicker en Engelbrecht (1999: 157) beklemtoon dat ondersteuning uiters belangrik is vir onderwysers aangesien hulle voel dat hulle nie genoegsame opleiding het om nuwe uitdagings aan te spreek nie. Doelwitte binne hierdie studie het ingesluit die identifisering van die behoefte aan 'n ondersteuningsprogram vir onderwysers binne die Vuwani area van die Limpopo Provinsie, die deurgee van inligting aan onderwysers rakende inklusiewe onderwys en die evaluering van behoeftes vir 'n ondersteuningsprogram rakende die implimentering van inklusiewe onderwys in hierdie gebied. Data is ingesamel aan die hand van werkswinkels met fokusgroeponderhoude. Die hooftemas wat uit die navorsing na vore getree het, was die aantalleerders binne klasse, hulpmiddele, die behoefte van indiensopleiding, 'n kultuur van respek en aanvaarding en laastens 'n buigsame kurrikulum. In kort is bevind dat 'n ondersteuningsprogram die implimentering van inklusiewe onderwys kan vergemaklik.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Child abuse is a problem worldwide and also a serious problem in South Africa. Recent statistics revealed an increase in reported cases. Incidence of abuse is difficult to determine accurately but there might be a million children involved annually (Berkow 1977: 1040). Available research indicates that disabled children across all types of disabilities are at a greater risk of all forms of abuse than non-disabled children. The causes of child abuse are complex and involve social factors. The general effect of poverty, unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse are likely to be associated with child abuse. In addition the disability and its effects on the child and family as well as wider societal views of disability exacerbates the risk for disabled children and make apprehending and bringing perpetrators to justice more difficult. But, the topic requires further exploration. Thus the study evolved with the aim to explore parents‟ and caregiver‟s knowledge, attitudes and practices towards the abuse of children with disabilities in the Willowvale area of the Eastern Cape of South Africa. A qualitative, descriptive study with a small quantitative component was done. The sample consisted of 24 participants, identified through snowball sampling, in five purposively sampled study areas in the Eastern Cape. Data was collected in March 2009 through a self-designed questionnaire that focused on knowledge of abuse and a focus group discussion in each site. Content analysis of data according to pre-determined themes was done. Results indicated low levels of knowledge on abuse as well as difficulties defining the concepts of disability and abuse. However, participants had a general awareness of the presence of abuse of children with disabilities and could provide many an example from personal experience. In addition participants indicated challenges with reporting of abuse such as being unsure what constitutes a criminal offence, what the lines and procedures of reporting are, being scared of the perpetrator and his or her family, being scared of losing social support and poor support from the police and legal system. It is recommended that customized education programs on disability and child abuse are developed and implemented for both parents of children with disabilities in the study communities as well as the communities at large. Developing and implementing these educational packages can be structured along community based rehabilitation guidelines. The current study participants can form the core group to represent children with disabilities. Implementation, monitoring and evaluation can be linked to local rehabilitation projects. In addition various local and provincial departments such as social services, health, education and safety and security must collaborate to develop and assist with implementing the education programs and materials. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Statistiek dui op `n toename in kindermishandeling. Die probleem kom wêreldwyd voor en neem ook in Suid Afrika ernstige afmetings aan. Spesifieke insidensiesyfers is moeilik bepaalbaar, maar dit wil voorkom asof `n miljoen gestremde kinders jaarliks mishandel word. Die risiko van mishandeling is groter vir gestremde kinders as vir nie-gestremde kinders. `n Komplekse interaksie tussen sosio- ekonomiese faktore soos armoede, werkloosheid, alkohol- en dwelmmisbruik kan dikwels met kindermishandeling geassosieer word. In die geval van gestremde kinders dra die effek van die gestremheid op die kind en familie, sowel as gemeenskappe se negatiewe houding teenoor gestremde kinders, by tot die risiko vir mishandeling en vergroot die uitdaging om die oortreder op te spoor en suksesvol te verhoor. Daar is egter steeds verskeie onduidelikhede oor die onderwerp en verder studie is nodig. Die huidige studie het beoog om ondersoek in te stel na die kennis, houdings en optrede van ouers en voogde van gestremde kinders in die Willowvale area van die Oos-Kaap, Suid-Afrika, ten opsigte van mishandeling van gestremde kinders. `n Kwalitatiewe beskrywende studie met `n klein kwantitatiewe komponent is gedoen Vier en twintig ouers of voogde van gestremde kinders uit vyf plekke in die Willowvale-gebied het aan die studie deelgeneem. Die studieplekke is doelbewus geselekteer en die deelnemers is deur middel van sneeubalseleksie geïdentifiseer. Data-insameling is deur middel van fokusgroepbesprekings en `n vraelys oor kennis van kindermishandeling in Maart 2009 gedoen. Die inhoud van die fokusgroep-besprekings is volgens voorafbepaalde temas geanaliseer. Die resultate dui daarop dat die deelnemers beperkte kennis van kindermishandeling het. Hulle het ook gesukkel om begrippe soos gestremdheid en kindermishandeling te definieer. Hulle was egter bewus daarvan dat mishandeling van gestremde kinders voorkom en kon vele voorbeelde uit eie ervaring opnoem. Volgens die data het deelnemers verskeie probleme met betrekking tot die aanmelding van kindermishandeling ervaar. Die probleme sluit onsekerheid oor wanneer mishandeling `n kriminele oortreding is, watter prosedure om te volg om mishandeling aan te meld, vrees vir die mishandelaar en sy/haar familie, vrees dat die gemeenskap hulle sal verwerp, asook onvoldoende ondersteuning van polisie en regssisteme in. Na aanleiding van die bevindinge word aanbeveel dat `n opvoedingsprogram oor gestremheid en kindermishandeling saamgestel en in die studiegemeenskappe geïmplimenteer word. Die program behhort op ouers en voogde van gestremde kinders sowel as op die breër gemeenskap te fokus. Deelnemers aan hierdie studie en bestaande gemeenskapsrehabilitasieprojekte kan genader word om die proses te bestuur. Voorts moet plaaslike en provinsiale regeringsverteenwoordigers van Gesondheid, Gemeenskaspontwikkeling, Opvoeding sowel as Veiligheid en Sekuriteit betrokke wees by die ontwikkeling, implementering en monitoring van die opleiding.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an evaluation procedure designed to assist special educators improve their instruction. A single subject, multiple baseline across subjects design was used to test this evaluation procedure, the Special Educator Improvement Procedure (SEIP), with six teachers of self-contained special education students over a seven week period. The SEIP was composed of the following components: (1) presenting multiple videotaped samples of the subject's teaching performance to a team of evaluators, including the subject, the subject's supervisor, a peer and another educator chosen by the subject; (2) having the evaluation team assess the subject's instruction using the revised Teacher Performance Assessment Instruments (TPAI-R); (3) allowing the subject to compare his or her self assessment with the assessments of other evaluation team members; and (4) having team members make specific suggestions as to how the evaluatee might improve his or her instruction. Following the seventh week of the study, two independent observers used the TPAI-R to rate videotaped samples of the subjects' teaching. These ratings were used to test the prediction that subjects who participated in the SEIP would be ranked higher on the TPAI-R than would subjects who had not yet participated in the SEIP. However, the results of statistical analyses using Revusky's R(,n) statistic and Tukey's HSD procedure did not support this prediction. At the conclusion of the study, evaluation team members completed an experimenter developed questionnaire. An analysis of their responses supported the predictions that (1) the participants would rate the SEIP as being very beneficial for helping special educators improve their teaching and (2) the TPAI-R was a good instrument for assessing the adequacy of special educator's teaching, but failed to support the prediction that the participants would rate their participation in the SEIP feedback session as being very beneficial. It was concluded that the results of the study were inconclusive regarding the effectiveness of the SEIP in assisting special educators to improve their instruction. It was suggested that additional research be conducted using a revised version of the SEIP.

The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges parents of children with mental health disabilities and disorders in Namibia face when attempting to access mental healthcare resources. The study used a qualitative exploratory approach. Purposive sampling was used to include parents, caregivers and relatives of children with metal health disabilities and disorders. The sample also included key informants. Data was collected through focus group discussions with the participants and individual interviews with the key informants. Overall, a total of 41 people provided information for this study. Thematic data analysis was used to assess the data. The results suggest that parents/caregivers and relatives of children with mental health disabilities and disorders do experience barriers accessing mental health care. The challenges go beyond commonly-reported problems in the literature such as stigma and discrimination and include basic challenges such as a lack of transportation to healthcare services and a lack of acceptance of the mental health disorders by the parents. The study offers recommendations for how service provision can be improved and how parents of children with mental health challenges can have better access to services.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--New York University, School of Education, 1934. / Typescript; Abstract of thesis included as last 8 leaves. Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 301-338). Available at the SUNY Digital Repository, dspace.sunyconnect.suny.edu.

Thesis (Psy.D.)--Rutgers University, 2009. / "Graduate Program in School Psychology." Includes bibliographical references (p. 112-123).

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1986.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education

Shows handicapped pre-school children at the White Mountain Apache Head Start Program and the services available at Head Start.