Identification Of Disabilities Research Articles

Bullying and Students With Disabilities: Examination of Disability Status and Educational Placement

.Students with disabilities are disproportionately represented within the bullying dynamic. However, few studies have investigated the interaction between disability identification and special education services. The current study evaluated bullying involvement (direct victimization, relational victimization, cybervictimization, bullying, fighting, relational perpetration) among 1,055 students with specific disabilities in inclusive and restrictive settings and their demographically matched (race, gender, grade) peers without disabilities. The results suggest that students with disabilities experience higher rates of victimization and engage in more fighting than students without disabilities. However, students with learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders tended to report higher rates of victimization in inclusive environments, whereas students with intellectual disabilities and emotional and behavioral disorders reported higher rates of victimization in restrictive settings. Increased fighting was primarily associated with students identified with autism spectrum disorders, emotional and behavioral disorders, and other health impairments within restrictive environments. Implications and future directions are presented.

State learning disability eligibility criteria: A comprehensive review.

For many decades, discussions regarding the definition and identification of learning disabilities have been contentious; one result is the varied practices across states and school districts. This study reviewed learning disability (LD) regulations and guidelines from the 50 United States and the District of Columbia that were employed during 2013. Two authors independently coded components of all LD regulations and guidelines. Results showed considerable variability in the state policies and practices governing LD identification. Only 67% of states allow for use of the ability-achievement discrepancy approach, and 20% of states explicitly prohibit its use. Approximately 16% of states require the sole use of response to intervention (RtI) models in LD identification, and there is considerable variability in the guidance states provide regarding how to implement RtI models to identify LD. Finally, about half of states do not allow use of "pattern of strengths and weaknesses" (PSW) models, and most states allowing these models provide little information regarding ideal identification practices. These results can inform school psychology practice, training, and related research.

Identification of neurodevelopmental disabilities in underserved children using telehealth (INvesT): Clinical trial study design

BackgroundChildren living in poverty are at high risk for delays in development of language and behavior and they experience a discrepancy in diagnosis and access to intervention services. This gap is partially caused by barriers in access as well as traits that are specific to each child and family. The Identification of Neurodevelopmental Disabilities in Underserved Children using Telehealth (INvesT) trial is a novel intervention approach that was specifically designed to address these barriers. AimsThe INvesT trial has three primary aims: 1) to reduce the age of identification of neurodevelopmental disability for high-risk, low-income children. 2) To validate the INvesT protocol as a service delivery model that will decrease age of identifications of neurodevelopmental disability for high-risk, low-income children; and 3) to identify important child-specific factors, family-specific factors, and environmental factors that impact feasibility and success of the INvesT trial for high-risk, low-income children. MethodsThe INvesT trial is an open-label, double-blinded, placebo-controlled multi-level study that includes telehealth risk assessment, telehealth screening, traditional full assessment, and follow through to enrollment in early intervention. The trial is conducted in partnership with an urban community health clinic that largely serves a low-income patient population. ConclusionsThe results of the INvesT trial will provide evidence for the use of a telehealth service delivery model to improve access to care for neurodevelopmental disabilities for high-risk, low-income children.

‘We aren’t heroes, we’re survivors’: higher education as an opportunity for students with disabilities to reinvent an identity

The partial results of ongoing research in the ‘University Barriers and Aids Identified by Students with Disabilities’ Project are presented. This four-year study (2011–2014) was carried out by a University of Seville research team with lecturers from a variety of fields and areas of knowledge (Educational Sciences, Economics, Health Sciences and Experimental Sciences). The general aim was to discover, from listening to the students themselves, barriers and aids they identified as affecting access, academic performance and overall perception of their higher education experience. The biographical narrative method, which allows the participants to talk freely about themselves without silencing their subjectivity, was used. This information was acquired by data collection techniques, such as in-depth interviews, observations, photographs and interviews with key persons in the life of each student. A structural analysis was implemented using an inductive system of categories and codes included in the MaxODA10 data analysis program. This study revealed the most personal and private feelings of the participants as they discussed such things as their perception as students, identification of disabilities or their strategies for facing ‘adversities’. The discourse revealed higher education as a privileged scenario in which they are socially included and able to reinvent an identity that may have deteriorated during other stages of their education.

The effect of achievement test selection on identification of learning disabilities within a patterns of strengths and weaknesses framework.

Few empirical investigations have evaluated learning disabilities (LD) identification methods based on a pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses (PSW). This study investigated the reliability of LD classification decisions of the concordance/discordance method (C/DM) across different psychoeducational assessment batteries. C/DM criteria were applied to assessment data from 177 second-grade students based on 2 psychoeducational assessment batteries. The achievement tests were different, but were highly correlated and measured the same latent construct. Resulting LD identifications were then evaluated for agreement across batteries on LD status and the academic domain of eligibility. The 2 batteries identified a similar number of participants as having LD (80 and 74). However, indices of agreement for classification decisions were low (κ = .29), especially for percent positive agreement (62%). The 2 batteries demonstrated agreement on the academic domain of eligibility for only 25 participants. Cognitive discrepancy frameworks for LD identification are inherently unstable because of imperfect reliability and validity at the observed level. Methods premised on identifying a PSW profile may never achieve high reliability because of these underlying psychometric factors. An alternative is to directly assess academic skills to identify students in need of intervention.

The Discursive Analysis of Mental Health Promotion Efforts Targeting Community-Dwelling Young Adults at High Risk of Mental Illness

The mental health of adolescents and young adults is an issue of concern worldwide due to the increase in violent incidents that have been perpetrated by members of this age group. Young people at high-risk of mental disability are easily ignored. Therefore, social tensions in society have increased due to safety issues arising from the problems that are associated with mental disabilities in this population. This paper discusses the importance of early identification and early prevention of mental disabilities in high-risk young people, defines high-risk mental illness, and identifies the various subcategories of mental diseases. Based on our review of the literature, the present paper suggests targeting young people in high-risk categories with health promotion that addresses the following six health-promotion lifestyle habits: engaging in regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, managing stress, engaging in social relationships, taking responsibility for personal health, and fulfilling self-actualization. This discursive analysis discusses these strategies as safe and sustained interventions for adolescents and young adults that may improve self-awareness and thus maintain health and enhance opportunities to promote an ideal health status.

Minorities are Disproportionately Underrepresented in Special Education: Longitudinal Evidence Across Five Disability Conditions.

We investigated whether and to what extent minority children attending elementary and middle schools in the U.S. are over- or under-identified as disabled and so disproportionately represented in special education. To address existing limitations in the field's knowledge base, we (a) analyzed multi-year longitudinal data, (b) used hazard modeling to estimate over-time dynamics of disability identification across five specific conditions, and (c) extensively corrected for child-, family-, and school-level potential confounding variables (e.g., child-level academic achievement and behavior, family-level socioeconomic status, school-level state location). Despite long-standing and on-going federal legislative and policy efforts to reduce minority over-representation in special education, our analyses indicated that this has not been occurring in the U.S. Instead, minority children are less likely than otherwise similar White, English-speaking children to be identified as disabled and so receive special education services. From kindergarten entry to at least the end of middle school, racial and ethnic minority children are less likely than otherwise similar White children to be identified as having (a) learning disabilities, (b) speech or language impairments, (c) intellectual disabilities, (d) health impairments, or (d) emotional disturbances. Language minority children are less likely to be identified as having (a) specific learning disabilities or (b) speech or language impairments.

Disability Group Identification and Disability-Rights Advocacy

Following social identity theory, the present investigation examines the political benefits of self-identification as a member of the disability community for disability-rights advocacy across college ( n = 204), community ( N = 93), and international ( N = 268) samples of adults with disabilities. Consistent with predictions, emerging adults (EAs) with disabilities ( n = 204) demonstrated more political conviction and were twice as likely to be involved in disability-rights advocacy as nondisabled peers ( n = 1,111). Studies 2 and 3 revealed that disability identification predicted disability-rights advocacy, preferences for affiliation with other disabled people, and stronger perceptions of solidarity, personal, and group discrimination. Age-group moderated effects in Study 2 such that EAs least identified as disabled reported the lowest levels of solidarity and the least awareness of discrimination. Implications of social identification for the political involvements of stigmatized groups are discussed along with complexities related to age, impairment visibility, and duration of disability.

Prevalence and functions of mental disability caused by mood disorders in China: A national sample

BackgroundMood disorders are common mental illness in China, but little was known about mental disability caused by mood disorders. In this study, we aimed to describe the prevalence rate of mental disability caused by mood disorders, and resulting impairment on physical and social functions. MethodsData were derived from the 2006 second China National Survey on Disability (CNSD), and identification of mental disability caused by mood disorders were based on consensus manuals. ResultsThe prevalence rate of mental disability caused by mood disorders in China was 0.366‰ (95% CI=0.334–0.398). Prevalence rate of mental disability caused by mood disorders was higher among female, elderly people, illiterate population, people currently not married, and people with an annual family income equal or lower than national average. People with mental disability caused by mood disorders were less likely to have severe or extreme difficulty in all 6 aspects of functions. ConclusionsThis study revealed a lower prevalence rate of mental disability caused by mood disorders. The findings indicate that more studies are needed to obtain a precise overview of mood disorders in China, and intervention programs aimed at early identification and treatment for mood disorders should be developed.

Exploring assistive technology and post-school outcomes for students with severe disabilities

Purpose: This study sought to understand the extent to which students with severe disabilities receive assistive technology in school and out-of-school, and the relationship between receipt of assistive technology in school and post-school outcomes for these students. Method: This study was a secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) from the USA. To analyze the data in this correlational study, researchers conducted frequency distributions, Chi Square Tests of Associations, significance tests and logistic regressions. Results: The main results suggest (a) receipt of assistive technology in school varied greatly by disability identification; (b) receipt of assistive technology post-school also varied by disability identification, but receipt was generally lower; and (c) few statistically significant post-school outcome differences existed between students who received assistive technology and those who did not. Conclusion: An under-utilization of assistive technology exists in practice in the USA for students with severe disabilities.Implications for RehabilitationAn under-utilization of assistive technology for secondary students and adults with severe disabilities likely exists.A need exists for improved collaboration between professionals in rehabilitation and professionals in schools to ensure continuation of needed services or aids, such as assistive technology.Additional research is needed to better understand the adult life (or post-school) outcomes of individuals with severe disabilities, factors from PK-12 schooling or post-school services that positively and negative impact those outcomes.

THE BULLYING DYNAMIC: PREVALENCE OF INVOLVEMENT AMONG A LARGE‐SCALE SAMPLE OF MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES

Bullying has been the topic of much debate and empirical investigations over the past decade. Contemporary literature contends that students with disabilities may be overrepresented within the bullying dynamic as both perpetrators and victims. Unfortunately, prevalence rates associated with the representation of students with disabilities is limited due to measurement, disability status identification, and definition issues. The present study attempted to address these issues by assessing the prevalence rates of specific subgroups of students with disabilities in a large‐scale cross‐sectional study with 13,325 students without disabilities and 1,183 students with disabilities in Grades 6 through 12. Results suggest that overall, students with disabilities reported proportionally higher rates of bullying, fighting, relational aggression, victimization, online victimization, and relational victimization than did their peers without disabilities. These findings suggest that schools must begin to establish targeted interventions to support skill development based on characteristics associated with specific disability identification.

The School Counselor and Special Education: Aligning Training With Practice

The intent of this article is to discuss the importance of training school counselors in providing adequate services to students with special needs, as mandated by special education law and supported by school counseling standards created by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). In addition, the lack of adequate and unified training for school counselors in this area will be explored. This article suggests implementing a more consistent school counselor education program across institutions that would include coursework and experiences in special education that are in alignment with the standards of ASCA, legal obligations, and daily counselor roles. Examples of ways to incorporate such experiences and assignments into courses across counselor training programs are provided.Keywords: counselor education, school counselor, special education, counselor training, American School Counselor AssociationThe enactment of special education laws and mandates such as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which require schools to provide free appropriate public education to all students within the regular education setting, have immensely impacted the school counseling profession (Bowen & Glenn, 1998; Dunn & Baker, 2002; Milsom, 2002; Owens, Thomas, & Strong, 2011). The number of students identified as appropriate to receive special education services is growing (Dunn & Baker, 2002; McEachem, 2003; Owens et ah, 2011). Therefore, school counselors are now required to provide equal services to more students with special needs within the regular education setting. Similarly, school counselors are required to take a more active role in the Individual Education Program (IEP) process, from identification to implementation, than what was previously expected in the past (Dunn & Baker, 2002; Milsom, Goodnough, & Akos, 2007; Owens et ah, 2011). School counselors' involvement in special education is not only required by specific legislation, but also poses ethical considerations regarding to direct and indirect services for students with special needs. In response to legislation, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has advocated for school counselor involvement in special education and published guidelines for servicing students with special needs (Isaacs, Greene & Valesky, 1998; Myers, 2005; Studer & Quigney, 2005).Despite a study conducted by Studer and Quigney (2003) which showed that school counselors are becoming more involved with special education by serving on teams that assist with disability identification and implementation of services, counselor education programs are not adequately training future school counselors to deal with changing roles and responsibilities included in servicing students with special needs (McEachem, 2003; Milsom & Akos, 2003; Romano, Paradise, & Green, 2009; Studer & Quigney, 2005). Additionally, there is a dearth of recent research in the literature addressing concerns that special education is not being adequately addressed in school counselor preparation programs. Although there is an increasing trend in school counselor training programs to include some instruction about special education (Studer & Quigney, 2005), no specific suggestions for implementing such content into the curriculum have been published to date. In response, this article provides ideas and recommendations for infusing special education content throughout the school counseling curriculum required by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Counselor education programs must recognize the importance of the school counselor in the lives of students with disabilities, and adequate training should become a priority.Students with Special Needs, the School Counselor and the LawSince the enactment of special education laws and mandates such as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142) and IDEA, the role of the school counselor has continued to evolve (Bowen & Glenn, 1998; Dunn & Baker, 2002; Milsom, 2002; Owens et al. …

Genetic causes of intellectual disability in a birth cohort: a population-based study.

Intellectual disability affects approximately 1–3% of the population and can be caused by genetic and environmental factors. Although many studies have investigated the etiology of intellectual disability in different populations, few studies have been performed in middle‐income countries. The present study estimated the prevalence of genetic causes related to intellectual disability in a cohort of children from a city in south Brazil who were followed from birth. Children who showed poor performance in development and intelligence tests at the ages of 2 and 4 were included. Out of 4,231 liveborns enrolled in the cohort, 214 children fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A diagnosis was established in approximately 90% of the children evaluated. Genetic causes were determined in 31 of the children and 19 cases remained unexplained even after extensive investigation. The overall prevalence of intellectual disability in this cohort due to genetic causes was 0.82%. Because this study was nested in a cohort, there were a large number of variables related to early childhood and the likelihood of information bias was minimized by collecting information with a short recall time. This study was not influenced by selection bias, allowing identification of intellectual disability and estimation of the prevalence of genetic causes in this population, thereby increasing the possibility of providing appropriate management and/or genetic counseling. © 2015 The Authors. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Applying Generalizability Theory for Making Quantitative RTI Progress-Monitoring Decisions

Language in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) allows the use of response-to-intervention (RTI) methodology in the identification of specific learning disabilities. However, there is no consensus on decision rules using curriculum-based measurement of oral reading fluency (CBM-R) for defining responsiveness. The purpose of this article is to describe how to apply generalizability (G) theory for making quantitative high-stakes RTI decisions. A sample of 68 first-grade students (36 females and 32 males) was randomly administered the first-grade Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills oral reading fluency probes and correct words per minute (CWPM) were calculated for conducting both a generalizability (G) study and a decision (D) study using G theory. The results showed that the average raw scores (CWPM) across 20 probes encompassed a wide range from a low of 69 CWPM to a high of 88 CWPM. In addition, 90.2% of the variance was due to student reading skill, 7.0% was due to unaccounted sources of error, and only 2.8% was due to passage or probe variability. Also, the increasing number of probes administered (from 1 to 9) considerably reduced the values of standard error of measurement and increased the reliability coefficients. An example is provided to demonstrate how to apply G theory in using CBM-R data to guide psychometrically valid RTI decisions at the individual student level.

Effectiveness of training community-based rehabilitation workers on multiple disabilities: A pilot study

Context: Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) as a developmental strategy addresses the needs of people with disabilities and their family. CBR personals at remote rural play an important role in early detection and prevention of disabilities. The identification with proper guidance can help to overcome the scarcity in early detection. An effective training for rehabilitation workers should contain training program emphasis on multiple disabilities. Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of training CBR personal with relation to knowledge on multiple disabilities. Settings and Design: An experimental design of 12 month's intervention confined to Chamarajanagar district. Subjects and Methods: A total of 20 subjects of trained CBR personals with the age group of 20–45 years were included in this study. The initial baseline evaluation was performed with a pretest questionnaire to assess their knowledge. The training with practical exposure on multiple disabilities was carried out at an interval of 3 months. The posttest at 12 months was analyzed. Statistical Analysis Used: SPSS version 16 for Windows was used for analysis. The results were statistically analyzed using paired test, Chi-square test, and ANOVA for between and within the groups. Results: The results showed significance on effectiveness of training. There was an improvement in outcome measures reflecting on identification and management of disabilities. Conclusions: The knowledge regarding early identification of disabilities plays an important role. Implementation of training methods on a regular interval and as a part in continuing education plays an important source for better outcome.

Conservatism and the Underidentification of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in Special Education

Underidentification of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD; emotional disturbance or ED in federal language) is a critical issue, perhaps explainable in part by causal attributions of problem behavior associated with conservatism. Conservatism in 58 counties in the state of California was measured by finding the percentage of voters in the county voting in favor or Proposition 8, a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, under the assumption that opposition to gay marriage is an indicator of conservatism. We conducted a series of hierarchical regression analyses in which conservatism, ethnicity, free/reduced lunch, and suspension/expulsion were used to explain county rates of ED, intellectual disability, and learning disability identification. The model for county identification of ED accounted for 45% of the variance from county to county, with conservatism being the strongest predictor (β = −0.78, p < 0.001). More conservative counties had lower rates of ED identification. Other variables may contribute to under-identification, but causal attributions associated with conservatism may play a significant role.

Resisting Disability, Claiming HIV: Introducing the Ability Contract and Conceptualizations of Liberal Citizenship

This paper interrogates the ambiguity of disability identification for women living with HIV, drawing on a nine-month field research project where participants formed a book group, reading memoirs about chronic episodic conditions such as HIV, lupus, MS, and chronic depression, and discussed their relationships to disability. In investigating this ambiguity, this paper re-reads Social Contract Theory, primarily the work of John Locke, Mills, Pateman, and Winnubst, to introduce the Ability Contract. Social Contract Theory can provide us with an understanding of labor’s centrality in the construction of the liberal subject, which implicitly shapes construction of dis/ability. Several scholars have written about Social Contract Theory’s applicability to gendered subjects and racialized subjects, but few scholars have used dis/ability to interrogate Social Contract Theory. This project looks at John Locke to argue that his understanding of labor, utility and waste, and the predictability of what will be produced, is a result of understanding one’s bodily boundaries. The Ability Contract is this triad of labor-utility-predictability that is foundational to liberal subjectivity. Disability upsets this construction of liberal subjectivity, which in turn, enables an unstable negotiation of identity that extends Chicana feminist theorist Chela Sandoval’s theorization differential consciousness. For women living with HIV, disability identification is useful for accessing temporary assistance but ultimately, the women who participated in this nine-month book group, disidentified with disability through a negotiation of labor. Through the Ability Contract, and the centrality of labor-utility-predictability, we can understand that a stable identification with disability is a privilege dependent upon male-bodied whiteness.

"Waiting to Fail" Redux: Understanding Inadequate Response to Intervention.

This introduction to the special issue provides an overview of the promise, but also the ongoing challenges, related to Response to Intervention (RTI) as a means of both prevention and identification of reading disabilities. We conclude by describing the articles in this special issue and considering their implications for future research.

IQs ARE VERY STRONG BUT IMPERFECT INDICATORS OF PSYCHOMETRICg: RESULTS FROM JOINT CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS

The most global score yielded by intelligence tests, IQs, are supported by substantial validity evidence and have historically been central to the identification of intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, and giftedness. This study examined the extent to which IQs measure the ability they target, psychometric g. Data from three samples of children and adolescents (Ns = 200, 150, and 135) who completed varying pairs of individually administered, multidimensional intelligence tests were analyzed using a joint confirmatory factor analysis to generate correlations between IQs and general factors representing psychometric g. The resulting values, expressed as g loadings, for the six IQs ranged from .88 to .95 (M = .92). The accuracy of IQs in measuring psychometric g, the meaning of reliable specific ability variance in IQs not accounted for by psychometric g, and the use of IQs in schools and related settings are discussed.

To 'Promote, Protect and Ensure': Overcoming Obstacles to Identifying Disability in Forced Migration

Every year, millions of people are forcibly displaced as a result of natural or human-made disasters. Although a significant proportion are persons living with a disability, remarkably little is known about the incidence and type of disabilities they experience. To design services that best respect rights and address needs, effective procedures must be devised to identify persons with disabilities in situations of displacement. This article draws on initial findings from research funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs, conducted with the cooperation of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in four countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Uganda. It examines methods used by UNHCR and its partners for identifying disability in populations of displaced persons. The authors present a tool for the identification of disabilities designed to overcome some of the challenges observed. They argue that to reflect the values enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, identification tools should not focus simply on impairment, using a medical approach or disability labelling. Rather, questions should be asked about functionality and a person’s assistance needs. Proper identification of disability would go some way to ensuring equal access to appropriate assistance and protection for all refugees.