The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of a system of least prompts procedure and use of a graphic organizer to teach an academic standard for elementary students with moderate intellectual disabilities. A multiple probe (days) across participants design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of using a system of least prompts and a graphic organizer to teach students how to compare two characters from adapted text. The results showed a system of least prompts and the use of graphic organizer was effective in teaching an academic standard for students with moderate intellectual disabilities.

Very little research has occurred about students with severe disabilities and verbal difficulties and their ability to learn phonics, decoding, and other early literacy skills(Ainsworth et al., 2016 and Johnston et al., 2009b). Ainsworth et al. (2016) used the Accessible Literacy Learning curriculum to teach phonics and decoding. Johnston et al. (2009b) used a three-step instructional strategy, step one - increased opportunities for adult-directed teaching and active teacher child interaction, step two- use of time delay to teach, step three-consequences, to teach phonics and decoding. While both studies utilized time delay in some fashion, they were not entirely based upon the evidence-based practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine whether constant time delay is effective in teaching phonics and decoding to students with severe disabilities and verbal difficulties and if students can generalize the skill to words that have not been explicitly taught. Results indicated a functional relation between the use of constant time delay and decoding of CVC words. Additionally, students were able to maintain and generalize learning. Students with severe disabilities and verbal difficulties can effectively learn decoding of CVC words through constant time delay and can maintain and generalize the skill. Results were similar to other studies which implemented constant time delay to promote emergent literacy skills (e.g., Browder et al., 2012; Dessemont et al., 2019; Spooner et al., 2015; Tucker Cohen et al., 2008). Practitioners can use constant time delay to teach decoding to students with severe disabilities and verbal difficulties and to promote early reading skills. Future research should replicate the study with students from different age groups as well as examining the effects of this strategy on the acquisition of CCVC and CVCC words.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of constant time delay on decoding letter sounds within consonant-vowel-consonant words and to read constant-vowel-constant words skills for students with severe disabilities and verbal difficulties. This study used a multiple probe across participants design with four students with severe intellectual and/or development disabilities. Results indicated a functional relation between the use of constant time delay and decoding of CVC words. Additionally, students were able to maintain and generalize learning. Results were similar to other studies which implemented constant time delay to promote emergent literacy skills. Practitioners can use constant time delay to teach decoding to students with severe disabilities and verbal difficulties and to promote early reading skills. Future research should replicate the study with students from different age groups as well as examine the effects of this strategy on the acquisition of CCVC and CVCC words.

Engagement is the active involvement in experiences which allows for development. For children with severe mobility impairments however, challenges arise in accessing experience which can lead to learned helplessness. Due to these challenges powered mobility has been suggested as a mechanism for the provision of self-initiated access to experiences. However, powered mobility is out of reach of the majority of children with disabilities in South Africa hence a non-powered alternative has been sought. This study sought to determine the effect of non-powered, self-initiated mobility on the engagement of young children, with severe mobility impairment, in play. A multiple probe design across participants was used. Four participants, aged 2 years 10 months to 6 years 9 months with severe mobility impairment (Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS) level V) underwent a minimum of 5 baseline sessions, followed by 8 intervention sessions. Engagement was measured during each session using the Individual Child Engagement Record –Revised (ICER-R). The data was analysed using visual graphic and statistical analysis. All participants demonstrated an improvement in engagement in play with the introduction of non-powered, self-initiated mobility. A reciprocal deterioration in non-engagement was also recorded. A decrease in engagement in play at the start of intervention was attributed to the focus of engagement being on mobility skills as the device was introduced but this reverted as the participants spent more time on the mobility device. Functional abilities were identified as having a greater role in engagement than age. The introduction of non-powered, self-initiated mobility correlated with the improvement of engagement of young children with severe motor impairment. Non-powered, self-initiated mobility is a viable, cost effective mechanism for mobility at a young age. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / PhD / Unrestricted

This research analyzed all available hearings from 2013 to 2015 in a national database of due process hearings regarding placement issues and determinations of the least restrictive environment for individual students with significant disabilities. The main research question was whether parents/guardians and due process hearing officers sought placements for these children with significant disabilities that considered creatively and holistically a range of options rather than just a dialogue between already extant possible programmatic offerings. The research resulted in a description and taxonomy of the types of issues and factors arising in the hearings for students with significant disabilities from 2013 to 2015. This research shows almost no evidence of creative or holistic thinking in these due process decisions, and there was little evidence of parent advocacy for general education classes and creative options for their students with significant disabilities beyond existing offerings. The most unique placements to be found in public school settings for these students were in general education classes. Twenty-four students in this analysis were offered general education classes with their typically achieving peers. In general, though, for this unique group of students with significant disabilities, very few due process hearings could be found to have demonstrated creativity, or the consideration of holistic options, for such students. In general, in due process hearings for students with significant disabilities from 2013 to 2015, parents were overwhelming advocating for, and due process hearing officers were deciding among, options on the continuum of placements already traditionally considered for students with significant disabilities.