Dissertation (Ed.D.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2010. / Directed by Carl Lashley; submitted to the Dept. of Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Jul. 9, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 160-164).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Full text release at OhioLINK's ETD Center delayed at author's request

This study explored teachers’ perspectives of AT use, effectiveness of AT, elements teachers’ take into consideration when selecting AT, barriers, and resources needed for effective use of AT with students with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. In order to answer this study’s research questions, I employed a sequential explanatory mixed methods design. I conducted a self-administered online survey and online interviews to collect data from participants. This study consisted of two phases, quantitative followed by qualitative interviews. A total of 92 special education teachers from four special education institutes were surveyed, and five teachers in the second phase were interviewed to provide interpretations for the data analyzed from the first phase. Results demonstrated that there was a lack of AT use, with teachers reporting higher use of low-tech than mid-tech and high-tech. The most reported barriers were lack of AT devices, lack of funding, and lack of training. The results also demonstrated that there were statistical differences in the use of AT between the four special education institutes, teachers with AT training, and teachers’ familiarity with AT. In the second, qualitative, phase, four major themes emerged from the interviews, as well as several sub-themes. The four themes were (a) the use of AT, (b) considerations, (c) barriers, and (d) professional development. These themes and sub-themes made it possible to interpret and elaborate on the data collected in the first, quantitative, phase.

Therapeutic landscapes involve the collaboration of landscape architecture, architecture, planning, and behavioral psychology. By incorporating research from each field and tailoring the design to a generalized special education elementary school, this project aims to create a multisensory experience that incorporates opportunities for play, education, community, and relaxation. Preliminary research explored the history of therapeutic landscapes and architectural design in historical psychiatric facilities, which then led to the current literature on therapeutic design for educational campuses. Findings show that the use of these therapeutic design principles are becoming more common, but there is still room for improvement. The proposed school site is based on the Bedford School in Fairburn, Georgia, but does incorporate the current academic program. The theoretical program for grades 1-6 focuses on cognitive ability, and relies on the outdoor space as an important part of the educational program. The proposed site design includes aromatherapy, tactile therapy, audial therapy, visual therapy, and levels of enclosure. The design will incorporate an open lawn area, a traditional playground, a music area with equipment and instruments, several outdoor classrooms, a produce garden, small, enclosed quiet rooms, a path with seasonal plants and seating areas, and a relocated soccer field. Given the constraints placed on this project, such as time, inability to visit the site, and inability to have discussions with the client, it is as complete as possible. That being said, future advancements in the field may build on it and create a fuller set of guidelines for multisensory therapeutic design. / Master of Landscape Architecture / Therapeutic landscapes involve the collaboration of landscape architecture, architecture, planning, and behavioral psychology. By incorporating research from each field and tailoring the design to a generalized special education elementary school, this project aims to create a multisensory experience that incorporates opportunities for play, education, community, and relaxation. Preliminary research explored the history of therapeutic landscapes and architectural design in historical psychiatric facilities, which then led to the current literature on therapeutic design for educational campuses. Findings show that the use of these therapeutic design principles are becoming more common, but there is still room for improvement. The proposed school site is based on the Bedford School in Fairburn, Georgia, but does incorporate the current academic program. The theoretical program for grades 1-6 focuses on cognitive ability, and relies on the outdoor space as an important part of the educational program. The proposed site design includes aromatherapy, tactile therapy, audial therapy, visual therapy, and levels of enclosure. The design will incorporate an open lawn area, a traditional playground, a music area with equipment and instruments, several outdoor classrooms, a produce garden, small, enclosed quiet rooms, a path with seasonal plants and seating areas, and a relocated soccer field. Given the constraints placed on this project, such as time, inability to visit the site, and inability to have discussions with the client, it is as complete as possible. That being said, future advancements in the field may build on it and create a fuller set of guidelines for multisensory therapeutic design.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2009. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf [181]-194.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-108). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-108). Also available on the Internet.

There were two goals of this study. The first was to continue reliability and validity investigations of the Body-Karlson Adolescent Development Inventory (BKADI). The second was to compare college students with a learning disability to a control group of college students focussing on adolescent development issues. The study used a matched sample procedure of 40 students diagnosed with a learning disability and 40 students without a learning disability diagnosis at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. The students were administered the BKADI, The College Adjustment Scales (CAS), and the Seligman Learned Optimism Inventory (SLOT). The BKADI assesses seven developmental concerns: Body Image, Autonomy Within the Family, Life in School, Interpersonal Relationships, Career and Lifestyle, Gender Identity, and Comfort with Changing Cultural Values while the CAS contains nine clinical scales including Anxiety, Depression, Suicidal Ideation, Substance Abuse, Self-esteem Problems, Interpersonal Problems, Family Problems, Academic Problems, and Career Problems. The SLOT assesses overall perceptions the person has about good and bad events happening in their life, as well as, a hopelessness rating, and a self-esteem rating. This study reveals a strong reliability for the BKADI for both LD and non-LD groups. Also concurrent validity was found. Comparative results of the BKADI indicated that LD students scored significantly less on the Life in School and Career Lifestyle scales. Also, results of the comparative study from the CAS showed LD students scored significantly more problematic on the scales of Academic Problems, Career Problems, Self-esteem, Family Problems, Anxiety, and Depression. Total percentages of LD students falling within the problematic ranges are significant in the previous scales, as well as, Suicidal Ideation and Substance Abuse. On the SLOT, results indicated that LD and non-LD students explained good and bad events in their life similarly. LD students, however, were significantly more optimistic on the Personalization Good scale. Conclusions related to previous research and implications for policy and practice are included.

Syftet med föreliggande uppsats är att belysa frågan om förekomsten av musikterapeutisk kunskap och kompetens i olika skolformer i Sverige. Musikterapi kommer emellanåt till användning i musikundervisning med elever som har funktionsnedsättning, främst synes detta gälla då en musiklärare också är utbildad musikterapeut. Ett problem är vilka musikterapeutiska kunskaper och vilken kompetens som egentligen kan komma till användning i arbetet med elever med funktionsnedsättning i skolan. Ett annat problem är på vilka sätt lärare i musik ges möjlighet att ta del av musikterapeutiska kunskaper och kompetens i sin utbildning. Hypotesen som ligger till grund för föreliggande studie är att lärare i musik har behov av kunskap och kompetens om musikterapi i undervisning med elever med olika funktionsnedsättningar. Studien baseras på en kvantitativ enkätundersökning riktad till lärare i musik som undervisar elever med funktionsnedsättning. Studiens forskningsfrågor lyder: Hur stor andel av musiklärarna i undersökningen har någon form av musikterapeutisk utbildning? Hur många använder sig av någon form av insatser som kräver musikterapeutisk kunskap eller kompetens i sin undervisning? Och hur ofta sker detta i så fall? Hur ser lärarna på användning av musikterapi i skolan? Resultatet visade att lärarna ansåg att det behövs fler utbildade musiklärare med musikterapeutisk kompetens i alla skolformer för att ge elever ett nödvändigt stöd i utvecklingen. Lärarnas tankar om hur musikterapi och musikterapeutiska redskap kan komma till användning som en hälsofrämjande, utvecklande resurs i det pedagogiska arbetet i olika skolverksamheter och som en del av elevhälsa utgör en del av resultatet. Studiens slutsats är att det behövs en modell eller ett koncept för utarbetande och användning av musikterapeutisk kunskap och kompetens i musiklärarutbildning och i arbete med elever på skolor. / This study’s purpose is to illuminate issues about the use of music therapy at schools in Sweden. Music therapy occasionally comes into use during music education with students who have disabilities. Primarily this seems to apply when a music teacher is also a trained music therapist. One problem is which type of music therapeutic knowledge and competence can actually be used when working with students with disabilities in schools. Another problem is the way in which music teachers are given the opportunity, to take part in music therapeutic knowledge and skills during their education. The hypothesis that forms the basis of the present study, is that music teachers need knowledge and competence about music therapy when teaching students with different development disorders. The study is based on a quantitative questionnaire survey, aimed at music teachers who teach students with disabilities. The study's research questions read: How many of the music teachers in the survey have some sort of music therapy as part of their education? How many people use some form of intervention that requires music therapeutic knowledge or competence in their teaching? And how often does this happen? How do teachers see the use of music therapy in schools? The result showed that the teachers felt that more educated music teachers with music therapeutic competence were needed in all school forms to provide students with the necessary support in development. The teachers’ thoughts about how music therapy and music therapeutic tools can be used as a health-promoting, developing resource in the pedagogical work in different school activities and as part of student health are part of the result. The study's conclusion is that a model or a concept is needed for the preparation and use of music therapeutic knowledge and competence in music teachers training when working with students at schools.

The purpose of this narrative study is to investigate how two former students with mildintellecual disabilities describe the years in special schools, how they talk about theirdiagnosis and how they experienced their identity development. The study aims to examinethe following questions: What told experiences have young adults with intellectual disabilities of their schoollife? What and how do young adults narrate about being diagnosed with intellectualdisabilities? What identity appearances do the young adults make in their narrations?To collect data has the narrative method been used. It is a sort of qualitative researchinterviews that have focus on the story about a person´s life or about selected parts of apersons life. The social constructivist perspective been the theoretical starting point of thestudy. In that perspective the language and the social interaction are prominent for humanidentity development.The study results indicate that young people who have passed special schools experience thatthey have had friends but not friends outside the school. They have grown as people thanks tomanageable challenges. The study shows that it is not sufficiently great intellectualchallengers for the students at special schools. It happens that teachers give misguided supportor takes measures late in the training.It differs when the informants became aware of their disability and how that has affectedthem. The results indicate the importance of understanding and knowledgeable adults in thestudents close during school time and the first time as a young adult. The adults can beteachers, parents, managers and other staff.To share life stories provide a greater understanding into the situation of people withintellectual disorder. This is of importance for special education teachers to createopportunities for each student to optimal development. / Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur två före detta elever med lindrig intellektuellfunktionsnedsättning beskriver sin skoltid i särskolan (grundsärskola och gymnasiesärskola),hur de berättar om sin diagnos och hur de upplevt sin identitetsutveckling. Studien ämnarbesvara följande frågeställningar: Vilka berättade erfarenheter har de unga vuxna med lindrig intellektuellfunktionsnedsättning av sin skolvardag? Vad och hur berättar de unga vuxna om diagnosen lindrig intellektuellfunktionsnedsättning? Vilka identitetsframträdanden gör de unga vuxna i sina berättelser?För att samla in data har den narrativa metoden använts. Det är en typ av kvalitativforskningsintervju som riktar in sig på att i samtal låta personer berätta om sina liv eller som istudien om valda delar av sina liv. Den teoretiska utgångspunkten för studien är detsocialkonstruktivistiska perspektivet som betonar språket och det sociala samspelets betydelseför människans identitetsutveckling.Resultat visade att unga som har gått i grundsärskola och gymnasiesärskola upplever att dehar haft vänner, men inte utanför skolvardagen, och att skoltiden har gett dem utmaningar somutvecklat dem som människor. Studien visar också att det inte ges tillräckligt storaintellektuella utmaningar för eleverna och att lärare och annan personal ger ibland missriktatstöd eller sätts stödet in sent under utbildningen. Det skiljde sig åt när informanten blevmedvetna om sin funktionsnedsättning och på vilket sätt det har påverkat dem. Resultatetpekar på betydelsen av förstående och kunniga vuxna i ungdomarnas närhet under skoltidenoch den första tiden som ung vuxen, exempelvis lärare, föräldrar, chefer och annan personal.Att ta del av livsberättelser ger en ökad förståelse för människor med intellektuellfunktionsnedsättnings situation. Detta är av vikt för att speciallärare ska kunna skapaförutsättningar för varje elevs möjlighet att utvecklas optimalt