Thesis (Doctor of Education) in Individualized Ph. D. Program--University of Maine, 2003. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 216-221).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 1999. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-107). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users. Address: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p9955922.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Texas at Arlington, 2009.

A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. / Objectives: To investigate second-year medical students’ change in comfort level after a disabilities-focused interactive session, with regards to disability etiquette and greeting, interviewing, and examining patients with disabilities. Setting: The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix Campus, doctoring suites. Students interacted in a clinical setting with volunteers with disabilities, including volunteers with blindness, deafness, mobility impairment, and language impairment. Students received 3 surveys during the study duration: the first before the event, the second after they had prepared for the event with didactic materials, and the third after the event. Participants: 46 second-year medical students participated in the event, and 29 students completed all surveys. Methods: Survey data was analyzed using paired t-tests wherever possible, with P <0.05 being interpreted as significant. 5 Results: Comfort level for disability etiquette and greeting, interviewing, and examining patients with disabilities improved significantly for patients with blindness, deafness, mobility impairment, and language impairment. Although this change was significant for most measures from pre-event to post-event, it was significant for every measure from post-materials to post-event. Conclusion: A pre-clinical disabilities event in which second-year medical students interact with people with disabilities is effective in increasing student comfort level. / Objectives: To investigate second-year medical students’ change in comfort level after a disabilities-focused interactive session, with regards to disability etiquette and greeting, interviewing, and examining patients with disabilities. Setting: The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix Campus, doctoring suites. Students interacted in a clinical setting with volunteers with disabilities, including volunteers with blindness, deafness, mobility impairment, and language impairment. Students received 3 surveys during the study duration: the first before the event, the second after they had prepared for the event with didactic materials, and the third after the event. Participants: 46 second-year medical students participated in the event, and 29 students completed all surveys. Methods: Survey data was analyzed using paired t-tests wherever possible, with P <0.05 being interpreted as significant. Results: Comfort level for disability etiquette and greeting, interviewing, and examining patients with disabilities improved significantly for patients with blindness, deafness, mobility impairment, and language impairment. Although this change was significant for most measures from pre-event to post-event, it was significant for every measure from post-materials to post-event. Conclusion: A pre-clinical disabilities event in which second-year medical students interact with people with disabilities is effective in increasing student comfort level.

No description available.

This dissertation explores how an interdisciplinary analysis may contribute insight into how literary and policy discourses construct the life experiences of people who have mental disabilities that impair their ability to communicate their own life stories. Chapter One explains why a more comprehensive understanding of the cultural construction of mental disability may be achieved by exploring interdisciplinary relationships between social work, disability studies and literary theory. Subsequent chapters examine theoretical assumptions and frameworks associated with these contributing disciplines in greater detail, across systematic and interpretive analytic approaches. In addition, key concepts and questions relevant to constructing a vocabulary that facilitates collaboration between the contributing disciplines are considered. This literature review informs a methodology for undertaking an interpretive discourse analysis of pertinent policy and novels that depict disability within the context of Ontario's 'Institutional Cycle'. Specifically, the research attempts to answer the following questions: What is the relationship between the representation of mental disability in literary narratives and public policy discourses about mental disability; and, how may an interdisciplinary analysis of literary and policy discourses inform policy planning and the provision of services for people with mental disabilities in Ontario? Chapters 6-8 analyze the literary and policy data across Establishment, Reform and Dismantlement phases of the Institutional Cycle to arrive at a set of findings and recommendations that explain relationships between policy and novels across the phases of the Cycle. Finally, key themes for consideration in policy planning for people with mental disabilities are identified as priorities for action in an emerging 'post-institutional' era, in Ontario.

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is an alternative augmentative communication system that uses a variety of behavioural techniques to teach nonspeaking individuals functional communication skills. Ten empirical evaluations of PECS have been reported in the literature since it was developed, many of which have considerable weaknesses such as lack of a baseline assessment of using PECS, lack of relevant discrimination skills of the participants, and a lack of treatment integrity measures. The purpose of this study was to provide further empirical data regarding the efficacy of PECS with adults with severe intellectual disabilities. During initial baseline assessments of three participants, all three demonstrated some of the skills required for PECS (e.g., removing a picture from a binder and giving it to the experimenter). However, none of the participants were able to reliably select the food item that corresponded to the picture they had selected. Therefore, training for this skill was provided in a modified multiple-baseline design across participants. Participants 1 and 2 met mastery criterion after considerable training using individualized fading programs. Participant 3 showed an overall improvement across baseline assessments and therefore training was not implemented. Correspondence between picture and subsequent item selection is an important component of PECS and results of this study suggest that this skill may require extensive training for some persons with severe intellectual disabilities. Baseline discrimination skills that could significantly impact learning efficiency and future research are discussed.

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is an alternative augmentative communication system that uses a variety of behavioural techniques to teach nonspeaking individuals functional communication skills. Ten empirical evaluations of PECS have been reported in the literature since it was developed, many of which have considerable weaknesses such as lack of a baseline assessment of using PECS, lack of relevant discrimination skills of the participants, and a lack of treatment integrity measures. The purpose of this study was to provide further empirical data regarding the efficacy of PECS with adults with severe intellectual disabilities. During initial baseline assessments of three participants, all three demonstrated some of the skills required for PECS (e.g., removing a picture from a binder and giving it to the experimenter). However, none of the participants were able to reliably select the food item that corresponded to the picture they had selected. Therefore, training for this skill was provided in a modified multiple-baseline design across participants. Participants 1 and 2 met mastery criterion after considerable training using individualized fading programs. Participant 3 showed an overall improvement across baseline assessments and therefore training was not implemented. Correspondence between picture and subsequent item selection is an important component of PECS and results of this study suggest that this skill may require extensive training for some persons with severe intellectual disabilities. Baseline discrimination skills that could significantly impact learning efficiency and future research are discussed.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Case Western Reserve University, 2009 / Title from PDF (viewed on 30 July 2009) Mandel School of Applied Sciences, Department of Social Welfare Includes abstract Includes bibliographical references Available online via the OhioLINK ETD Center