Volume: 23.1
Year: 2008

Directions:

1. Select articles from one of the following issues:
Year 2014 Volume 29 Number 3
Year 2014 Volume 29 Number 2
Year 2014 Volume 29 Number 1
Year 2013 Volume 28 Number 3
Year 2013 Volume 28 Number 2
Year 2013 Volume 28 Number 1
Year 2012 Volume 27 Number 3
Year 2012 Volume 27 Number 2
Year 2012 Volume 27 Number 1
Year 2011 Volume 26 Number 3
Year 2011 Volume 26 Number 2
Year 2011 Volume 26 Number 1
Year 2010 Volume 25 Number 3
Year 2010 Volume 25 Number 2
Year 2010 Volume 25 Number 1
Year 2009 Volume 24 Number 3
Year 2009 Volume 24 Number 2
Year 2009 Volume 24 Number 1
Year 2008 Volume 23 Number 4
Year 2008 Volume 23 Number 3
Year 2008 Volume 23 Number 2
Year 2008 Volume 23 Number 1
Year 2007 Volume 22 Number 3
Year 2007 Volume 22 Number 2
Year 2007 Volume 22 Number 1
Year 2006 Volume 21 Number 3
Year 2006 Volume 21 Number 2
Year 2006 Volume 21 Number 1
Year 2005 Volume 20 Number 2
Year 2005 Volume 20 Number 1
Year 2004 Volume 19 Number 2
Year 2004 Volume 19 Number 1
Year 2003 Volume 18 Number 2
Year 2003 Volume 18 Number 1
Year 2002 Volume 17 Number 2
Year 2002 Volume 17 Number 1
Year 2001 Volume 16 Number 2
Year 2001 Volume 16 Number 1
Year 2 Volume 28 Number 2013

2. Click on [more] at the end of the abstract of the article you wish to read

Title Year Vol. No. Size
UNIVERSITY POSITION AVAILABLE- HONG KONG 2008 23 1 26 KB
administration
University of Hong Kong

Text of ad for Professor/Associate Professor in Special Education and Educational Psychology (Ref.: RF-2007/2008-655) – University of HONG KONG ... [more]


SOCIAL VALIDATION OF SERVICES FOR YOUTH WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS:A COMPARATIVE STUDY 2008 23 1 62 KB
Kathleen M. Beaudoin, Richard Knuth &Gregory J. Benner
University of Washington, Tacoma

This study investigated the perceptions of 302 building administrators regarding their building level programs serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Comparisons were made between administrators of schools that housed self-contained programs and administrators from schools without self-contained programs on factors regarding the adequacy of academic and behavioral services for students with EBD. No between-group differences were found on administrator ratings of the proficiency of special education teachers with regard to the provision of academic services. However, special education teachers in self-contained programs were rated significantly higher than their counterparts teaching in less restrictive settings on their proficiency to determine students’ behavioral needs, to make adjustments to behavioral interventions, and to measure behavioral progress. In addition, students with EBD were perceived as receiving better quality of services in self-contained programs than in the less restrictive settings.... [more]


SELF-CONCEPT OF STUDENTS IN INCLUSIVE SETTINGS 2008 23 1 132 KB
Majda Schmidt and Branka Cagran
University of Maribor

The present evaluation case study investigates the self-concept of the students from 7th grade in regular primary school. The study results indicate that, in comparison to their hearing peers, integrated students with a hearing impairment have a lower academic and social self-concept, as well as a general self-concept but a higher physical self-concept. There are differences among students with a hearing impairment in both the individual dimension and general self-concept. There are no statistically significant differences between the class with integrated students, on the one hand, and the class without them, on the other; however, there is a noticeable advantage for the students from the class with integrated learners over the other class serving as control group in all three individual dimensions as well as in general self-concept.... [more]


A QUESTION OF EFFECTIVENESS: RECRUITMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATORS WITHIN HIGH SCHOOL PEER SUPPORT GROUPS 2008 23 1 198 KB
Victoria Zascavage, Kathy Winterman, Philip Armstrong and Jennifer Schroeder-Steward
Xavier University & Texas A&M University

The present study combines information about support groups for students with disabilities from 187 East Texas high schools with explanatory variables taken from data of the Texas Education Agency Academic Excellence Indicator System. This study is a tangential section of a larger study on the influence of peer support groups in East Texas (Zascavage, Schroeder & Armstrong, in print 2008). Our primary goal was to refine our special education recruitment focus using statistical determinants on peer support activities for students with disabilities in East Texas based on the demographic characteristics of the school districts most likely to have peer support. Based on the field literature position that peer support groups would be effective recruitment pools, the analysis investigated variables in a given school district with the purpose of determining which of these variables would influence future recruitment drives and funding allocations. Since teacher shortages are often location specific and requires innovative local solutions (Allen, 2005), what works one place may not be effective in another location. However, peer support groups are present or absent throughout the US, lending this study very likely to reflect the situations in many school districts. At this time, there are very few adequate empirical studies on the effectiveness of special education recruitment (Allen, 2005). Our study presents one possible cost effective, pro-active premise to impact local special education recruitment, the local determination of the presence or absence of peer support groups for students with disabilities.... [more]


PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES AND CONCOMITANT DRUG TREATMENT IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION POPULATION 2008 23 1 132 KB
Sara Totten, William Frankenberger, and Jennifer Stroh
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

The purpose of this study was to determine the types of psychiatric disorders and the corresponding medications prescribed to children enrolled in Early Childhood Special Education Programs (ECSE) and to ascertain teacher attitudes related to this topic. Data were collected via surveys disseminated to five hundred-twenty five Early Childhood Special Education teachers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. Approximately 40% of the teachers surveyed provided information on children enrolled in their ECSE class. Two hundred and eleven (8%) children enrolled in ECSE Programs were identified as having a psychiatric disorder with 84% of those identified receiving one or more psychiatric medications for their diagnose(s). Overall, teachers tended to agree that psychotropic medication helped students maintain control of their behavior. The more strongly teachers believed that medication aided in classroom control, the more likely children in their classes were receiving psychiatric medication.... [more]


PARENTS AND SPECIAL EDUCATORS: PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ DISCUSSION POINTS 2008 23 1 101 KB
Rita Mulholland & Norma Blecker
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey

Students in a pre-service teacher education course, an overview of special education, were required to interview a parent of a special needs child, as well as a special education teacher as a course assignment. Because most educators have little or no training in family involvement and pre-service teacher training in this area is at best limited, the purpose in this effort was to increase the opportunities for pre-service teachers to interact with special educators and parents of special needs children through an interview assignment designed to help them gain a fuller understanding of each of their roles and the need for partnerships. This investigation summarizes the class discussions from 90 undergraduate students over a three-year period to highlight their reflections which point out the need for teacher-parent collaboration.... [more]


FINDING WAYS TO TEACH TO STUDENTS WITH FASD: A RESEARCH STUDY 2008 23 1 195 KB
Kelly Edmonds and Susan Crichton
University of Calgary

This study examines a unique educational program designed for youth with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder [FASD] in Alberta, Canada. Care was taken to include the participants’ voice in this case study resulting in key insights and strategies for working with youth and/or students struggling with FASD. Using observation notes, survey and interview responses, and literature reviews, participants’ perceptions were used as a lens to describe characteristics, experiences and learning needs of this population. Studying their ability and how these participants struggled unfolded specific needs in the program. Additionally, in exploring the impact of the program on the participants’ learning, growth and progress, key strategies for teaching and learning were revealed. The appendix offers sample lesson plans and resources as used in this educational program. As a whole, this qualitative study offers those working in the field of FASD and learning disabilities insights and strategies from the perspective and feedback of the participants.... [more]


INSTRUCTION OF KEYBOARDING SKILLS: A WHOLE LANGUAGE APPROACH TO TEACHING FUNCTIONAL LITERACY SKILLS TO STUDENTS WHO ARE BLIND AND HAVE ADDITIONAL DISABILITIES 2008 23 1 75 KB
Mary Stauffer
The Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children

This article describes an unconventional method to teach un-contracted braille reading and writing skills to students who are blind and have additional disabilities. It includes a keyboarding curriculum that focuses on the whole language approach to literacy. A special feature is the keyboard that is adapted with braille symbols. Un-contracted braille reading is not taught, but is acquired simultaneously while embedding essential concept skills.... [more]


THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PSYCHOMETRICALLY-SOUND INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE TEACHERS’ MULTIDIMENSIONAL ATTITUDES TOWARD INCLUSIVE EDUCATION 2008 23 1 123 KB
Marian Mahat
Monash University

The Multidimensional Attitudes toward Inclusive Education Scale (MATIES) was developed to effectively measure affective, cognitive and behavioural aspects of attitudes, within the realm of inclusive education that includes physical, social and curricular inclusion. Models within Item Response Theory and Classical Test Theory were used for calibrating the subscales. Using a sample of primary and secondary school regular teachers in Victoria, pilot study analyses indicate that the final three subscales of eighteen items successfully met standards for internal reliability, content validity, construct validity, criterion validity and convergent validity; and provide preliminary evidence to warrant further use of this instrument for the purpose of measuring teachers’ attitudes toward inclusive education.... [more]


PRF CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY OF LITHUANIAN STUDENTS, TEACHERS,AND SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS 2008 23 1 184 KB
Michael E. Illovsky, Jacqueline Rickman, Marijona Belekiene, Karl Janowitz, Grazina Gintiliene, & Laima Bulotaite
Western Illinois Universit, Vilnius University, Chicago Lighthouse, Chicago, University City High School West Philadelphia

The Personality Research Form (PRF) was used to study the psychological traits of Lithuanian college of education students, teachers, and special education teachers. A sample of American college students was also used for comparison. Chi-square results indicated no statistical differences among the groups. Interpretations of the lack of significant results include: the PRF was unable to detect real differences; Lithuanian students, teachers, and special education teachers, and American college students are similar on the PRF scales. The authors discuss the value of psychologists, educators, and researchers testing their instruments on other cultures. Such studies can provide information into the robustness and validity of their instruments as well as offer insight into the learning and teaching process across cultures.... [more]


BREAKING STEREOTYPES WITH CHILDREN’S FICTION: SEEKING PROTAGONISTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS 2008 23 1 45 KB
Beverley Brenna
Saskatoon

North American children’s authors have not been inclusive of characters with special needs when it comes to assigning the role of protagonist. While books with depictions of characters with identified exceptionalities have appeared on bookstore shelves and awards’ lists, these characters have generally been relegated to subsidiary positions, assisting other main characters in their growth and development without demonstrating parallel learning. Children require book collections which explore a broad array of characters, encouraging them to discover real life heroes within and among themselves. ... [more]


REFLECTIONS ON AN UNCOMMON JOURNEY: A FOLLOW-UP STUDY OF LIFE MANAGEMENT OF SIX MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WITH DIVERSE DISABILITIES 2008 23 1 98 KB
Kate Scorgie & Lorraine Wilgosh
Azusa Pacific University and University of Alberta

This qualitative follow-up study examined life management strategies of parents of children with disabilities, who were originally interviewed in the mid-1990s. The purpose was to determine whether the life management strategies reported in the original study were consistent across almost a decade of time, and whether thematic content of life management strategies shifted across family and child life-cycle stages. Generally, thematic analysis confirmed that parent life management themes held constant across time and circumstances for the six interviewed mothers, with many of the strategies, found to be effective earlier, continuing to prove valuable in effective life management.... [more]


GENERAL AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN JORDAN: PRESENT AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES 2008 23 1 93 KB
Mohammad Al Jabery and Marshall Zumberg
Wayne State University

Educating a student with special needs became an interest in Jordan at the end of the 1960s. This article provides an overview of the general and special education systems in Jordan. Historical and demographical information is included for the purpose of placing the education of children in Jordan within the context of its land and the population of Jordan. The general education system and special Education system in Jordan is reviewed in depth. Issues related to the current practices and limitations of services for students with disabilities in Jordan are discussed. Suggestions to improve the current system is provided... [more]


THE IMPACT OF SELF-QUESTIONING STRATEGY USE ON THE TEXT-READER ASSISTED COMPREHENSION OF STUDENTS WITH READING DISABILITIES 2008 23 1 307 KB
Genevieve Manset-Williamson, Michael Dunn, Rebecca Hinshaw, Jason M. Nelson
Indiana University, Indiana State University, University of Montana

This study involved an examination of the impact of a self-questioning strategy on the text-reader assisted comprehension skills of six students in grades five through eight with reading disabilities (RD). The purpose of this study was to determine the degree older children with RD comprehend text-reader assisted text that is at or above their actual grade level and whether comprehension of text-reader assisted text be could be enhanced if students with RD were taught and prompted to used self-questioning strategies. Students were asked to listen to and visually track sixth to seventh grade level text that was read to them using the Kurzweil 3000 text-reader software. They were then asked to answer seven multiple-choice inferential questions and to summarize the passage in a retell. Data were analyzed using a multiple-baseline, single subject design and a repeated-measures ANOVA. Results suggest that students with RD can have comprehension difficulties that are not resolved by text-reader software, and that self-questioning strategies significantly improve their ability to comprehend text supported by text-reader software. Results, however, varied between students. Implications for the use of text-reader software and comprehension instruction are discussed.... [more]


UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIOR DISORDERS: THEIR PERCEPTION, ACCEPTANCE, AND TREATMENT- A CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISON BETWEEN INDIA AND THE UNITED STATES 2008 23 1 117 KB
Sumita Chakraborti-Ghosh
Tennessee State University

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions, identification and treatment of students with behavior problems or disorders in India and the United States. Participants in the study were students and teachers in the United States and India. A qualitative approach included in-depth interviews and participant observations. These were conducted in classrooms both in India and the United States with teachers, students, and their parents/guardians. Data analysis reflected ongoing reflective journals, audio and video recordings, still photographs, and collections of ethnographic information which were gathered during interviews and observations by the researcher. Findings indicated that there were several factors i.e., family backgrounds, socioeconomics, environments, peer influence, cultural practices, societal expectations, and cultural gaps between home and school which influenced teachers’ perceptions and understanding of behavior problems and disorders in the United States and India. Implications for educators and recommendation of future research are included.... [more]


ENHANCING INSTRUCTIONAL EFFICIENCY THROUGH GENERALIZATION AND INSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK: A SINGLE-SUBJECT STUDY WITH CHILDREN WITH MENTAL RETARDATION 2008 23 1 668 KB
Elif Tekin-Iftar, Onur Kurt and Gazi Acar
Anadolu University

The purpose of this study was to analyze (a) the acquisition and maintenance effects of the simultaneous prompting (SP) procedure on teaching to name objects to two participants with mental retardation, (b) the effects of multiple exemplar approach for generalizing the acquired skills over three non-trained examples (sample), and (c) the effects of presenting instructive feedback stimuli on acquiring non-target information. A multiple probe design across behaviors was used and replicated across a subject in the study. The results showed that SP was effective on the acquisition and maintenance of the target behaviors by the participants in the study. The participants generalized the acquired skills to three examples with at least 91% accuracy and were able to gain instructive feedback stimuli to some extent. Future research needs are discussed based on the findings.... [more]


COUNSELING INTERVENTIONS FOR ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN PENAL INSTITUTIONS 2008 23 1 110 KB
Stavros Kiriakidis
University of Thessaly

The present study focuses on the counseling interventions for adolescents and young people held in custody. The study analyses the social effects of imprisonment, the incapacitation effects of custody, the need for delivering counseling in custody. In addition it reviews evidence regarding the effects of delivering counseling interventions in custody on reduction of recidivism, what type of intervention is more effective and what would be ways to improve the effectiveness of counseling interventions in custody. Finally, it proposes, based on the available evidence, that correctional treatment, in general, could fruitfully focus on the proximal criminogenic needs of youngsters held in custody so as reduction of general recidivism rates can be achieved.... [more]


EFFECTS OF TRAINING IN FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENT 2008 23 1 168 KB
Charles Dukes, Howard Rosenberg and Michael Brady
Florida Atlantic University

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of training special education teachers in the process of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and subsequent development of recommendations to promote behavior change. An original evaluation instrument was developed that included measures of special education teachers’ knowledge of function of problem behavior and their ability to generate recommendations to promote behavior change. The instrument was distributed to elementary, middle, and high school special education teachers in a large urban school district. Teachers trained by the school district in the FBA process were compared to untrained teachers. The study incorporated a post-test only design, with data analyzed using a factorial ANOVA. Those teachers who were trained in the district FBA program answered multiple-choice questions related to the function of problem behavior more accurately than those who did not receive training. There was no significant difference between trained and untrained teachers on their ability to make recommendations to promote behavior change. The results of this study have implications for the development of initial and sustained training efforts for teachers in functional behavioral assessment methods.... [more]


EMPOWERING LEISURE SKILLS IN ADULTS WITH AUTISM: AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION THROUGH THE MOST TO LEAST PROMPTING PROCEDURE 2008 23 1 537 KB
Sezgin Vuran
Anadolu University

The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a most to least prompting procedure in the learning of practical leisure skills for adults with autism. The selected activity was making a basket form from clay and was carried out with two adults in the clay studio at a private center for special education for individuals with autism. A multiple probe design was used and the dependent variable was the skill to make a basket from clay. The independent variable was to teach the skill with the most to least prompting procedure. The research results showed that the method was effective not only in teaching to make a basket from clay, but also in maintaining the learned skill.... [more]