Perceptions Of Accommodations Research Articles

Visual training for the treatment of retinal photoreceptor inner and outer segment connection (IS/OS) fracture: A case report.

The inner segments and outer segments (IS/OS) of the retinal photoreceptors are the areas that receive light signals and are the most initial sites for generating visual impulses, and the integrity of the IS/OS has a direct impact on visual sensitivity. We performed OCT on a 6-year-old child with vision loss and found that the cause of his vision loss was a retinal IS/OS fracture, and the child underwent some treatments to improve microcirculation and nourish the retina at a higher-level hospital, but his vision never improved. Our examination of this child revealed that this child not only had decreased visual acuity, but also hypermetropia, but his near stereopsis was normal. The symptoms were similar to those of amblyopia, so we tried to use visual training as a treatment. First, 6 sessions of fine visual stimulation were given, followed by 3 sessions of accommodation training, and we followed the 4 stages of accommodation training: perception of accommodation, amplitude of accommodation, sensitivity of accommodation, and autonomic accommodation. After 9 consecutive visual training sessions, the child's visual acuity was stabilized at 0.6, and then we added eye movement training, and after the child's visual acuity was improved to 0.7, we suppressed the visual acuity of the left eye to 0.6, so as to make the visual acuity of both eyes similar, which would promote the establishment of binocular stereo vision, and then we carried out 9 more visual training sessions, and the patient's visual acuity was stabilized at 0.8 gradually. OCT review showed that the child's retinal IS/OS fracture was basically closed. In conclusion, our study found that visual training can restore visual acuity in children with monocular IS/OS fracture and also promote repair of IS/OS fracture, which increases our understanding and knowledge of the treatment of retinal IS/OS fracture, and this case may provide some lessons for the treatment of retinal IS/OS fracture in children. We hope to have more samples of retinal IS/OS fracture in the future to evaluate the efficacy of visual training for retinal IS/OS fracture.

A herniated disk is like a jelly donut: the impact of provider explanation strategies and delivery format on perceptions of accommodation and recall

ABSTRACT Many patients struggle to understand complex health information. Guided by communication accommodation theory, this study used experimental methods to examine the influence of healthcare provider explanation strategies (control, analogy, visual analogy/demonstration, analogy plus non-example) and delivery format (video, vignette) on perceptions of accommodation, recall, clarity, perceived understanding, and likelihood to make a future appointment. The explanation strategies consisted of variations of a jelly donut analogy to describe a health issue. U.S. adult participants completed an online survey consisting of either watching a video of an actor provider giving a message or reading a vignette of a provider message, imagining they were being diagnosed with a herniated disk. The video format and the use of analogies plus non-examples were perceived as more overaccommodating than the control or visual analogy/demonstration conditions. No significant effects were found for perceived clarity or perceived understanding, but for recall and likelihood of making a future appointment, the written format was superior to the video format. Providers may want to consider using written materials for explanations of health issues.

'What are they saying to me?': Perceptions of Accommodation and Nonaccommodation of Spanish-speaking Latin American Immigrants in the Canadian Workplace

Abstract: Guided by Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT; Giles et al. 1987), this qualitative study documents the perceptions of Spanish-speaking Latin American immigrants regarding the communicative behaviors that native speakers make when interacting with them in the Canadian workplace. The findings of this phenomenological study resulted from a thematic analysis of 24 semi-structured interviews. Participants gave their accounts of those communicative behaviors by native speakers that they considered helpful to facilitate interactions and enhance their relations (accommodation). Participants also shared examples of nonaccommodative instances where they perceived that their native-speaking peers did not adjust or sufficiently adjust their communicative behaviors (underaccommodation) or engaged in a communicative behaviour that went beyond what was necessary for the interaction (overaccommodation). Based on these findings, this study offers insights into those behaviors and practices that could contribute to constructive interactions between nonnative and native speakers in the workplace. Résumé: Guidée par la théorie de l'accommodation de la communication (CAT ; Giles et al. 1987), cette étude qualitative documente les perceptions des immigrants latino-américains hispanophones concernant les comportements de communication que les locuteurs natifs adoptent lorsqu'ils interagissent avec eux sur le lieu de travail canadien. Les résultats de cette étude phénoménologique résultent d'une analyse thématique de 24 entretiens semi-directifs. Les participants ont donné leur avis sur les comportements communicatifs de locuteurs natifs qu'ils considéraient comme utiles pour faciliter les interactions et améliorer leurs relations (accommodation). Les participants ont également partagé des exemples de cas non accommodants où ils ont perçu que leurs pairs de langue maternelle n'avaient pas ajusté ou suffisamment ajusté leurs comportements de communication (sous-accommodation) ou s'étaient engagés dans un comportement de communication qui allait au-delà de ce qui était nécessaire pour l'interaction (sur-accommodation). Sur la base de ces résultats, cette étude offre un aperçu des comportements et des pratiques qui pourraient contribuer à des interactions constructives entre locuteurs non natifs et natifs sur le lieu de travail.

The gap between research and practice revisited: Accommodation practices amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

Previous research suggests that there is a demonstrated need to provide instructional and assessment accommodations for students with special needs in Canada and worldwide. Therefore, we conducted nine semi-structured interviews to better understand how Canadian elementary special education teachers’ perceived understanding of accommodations affected their practices before the COVID-19 pandemic, during school closures, and after school reopened in the province of Saskatchewan. Our interview data show that teachers’ perceptions of accommodations did not align with research and theory. Elementary teachers tended to utilize groupwise strategies for students with special needs. Overall, teachers’ perceptions and practices of accommodations remained constant prior to school closures and after school reopened, excepting some practices that were changed due to the COVID-19 safety protocols.

Pediatric Trainees as Parents: Perspectives From a Pandemic.

Resident parents are at the intersection of converging challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and their perspective has yet to be explored. This qualitative study aimed to identify themes related to the experience of pediatric resident parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. We performed semistructured interviews with pediatric residents who were also parents. Using thematic analysis, transcripts were analyzed iteratively until theoretical sufficiency was achieved. Twelve residents were interviewed from 9 pediatric residency programs. Five major themes, representing conflicts or tensions experienced by participants, were defined by the data: 1) Duty as a doctor versus duty as a parent; 2) Balance of work obligations versus childcare challenges; 3) Appreciation of added support versus worry about peers' perceptions of accommodations; 4) Gratitude for the recognition of challenges faced by resident parents versus fear of reversion to the norm; and 5) Protective impact of parenthood versus challenges to mental health. Both parents and healthcare workers faced innumerable challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this exploration of the experiences of pediatric resident parents provides a unique lens for examining the tensions that this group faced. Our results may allow residency programs to better support their pediatric resident parents during this crisis.

The Role of Inferred Motive in Processing Nonaccommodation: Evaluations of Communication and Speakers

Building on recent revisions to communication accommodation theory (CAT), we propose and test a model relating inferred motives, perceptions of accommodation, and evaluative responses to nonaccommodation. In a vignette scenario, inferring a positive (i.e., helping) motive was found to influence evaluative responses to nonaccommodative communication, and the same communicative behavior was experienced as more accommodative (i.e., appropriately adjusted) to the extent that it was seen as more positively motivated. Our results also indicate that the consistent differences in evaluations of over versus underaccommodation found in previous research can be a result of listeners’ inferences about speakers’ motives.

Accommodation for Challenge, Diversity and Variance in Human Characteristics

Assessment accommodations emerged during the 1990s as the avenue to access for students with disabilities. Defined at that time as changes in materials or procedures that provided access to largescale assessments, accommodations became both the hope of students, parents, and educators of students with disabilities, and the bane of test developers and psychometricians.Accommodations were seen as the way to ensure that students with disabilities could participate in national, state, and district assessments at a time when lack of participation was the norm rather than the exception (Kantrowitz & Springen, 1997; Shriner, Spande, & Thurlow, 1994; Ysseldyke, Algozzine, & Thurlow, 1992; Ysseldyke, Thurlow, & Linn, 1999; Zlatos, 1994). Today, accommodations are viewed as a way to ensure that assessments really avoid measuring construct irrelevant variance and instead measure what students with disabilities know and are able to do. Accommodations are defined in a variety of ways that conform to this critical element-the validity of results when accommodations are used (Bolt & Roach, 2009; Laitusis & Cook, 2007).Much has changed since the early 1990s, with nearly 99% of students with disabilities now participating in state assessments (Thurlow & Vang, 2014). Just as participation rates and perceptions of accommodations have changed, so too has the context of instructional and assessment systems. These changes are part of an evolution that leads to continued questions about the extent to which accommodations are needed, and who needs them.The purpose of this article is to explore some of the continuing evolution in instructional and assessment accommodations. This will be done by providing background on the theoretical perspectives underlying assessment accommodations, including the history of accommodations, accommodation policies, and validity considerations. The author will address changing perspectives on accessible assessments and the implications of these changes for instructional and assessment accommodations. Also, the author will explore ways in which educational needs, not due to disability or limited English proficiency, are being addressed through greater accessibility in assessments and through the provision of accommodations. This topic is particularly relevant to students from diverse backgrounds. Many of these students are identified as struggling learners, and are frequently among those identified as having a disability or limited English proficiency. Finally, lessons learned from disability research and practice will be summarized that have application to students other than those with identified disabilities or limited English proficiency while not attempting to address accommodations in the array of alternate assessments that federal policy has allowed for students with disabilities.A landmark study by the National Research Council (McDonnell, McLaughlin, & Morison, 1997) explored the apparent exclusion of students with disabilities from many of the benefits of educational reform. It confirmed the importance of the participation of students with disabilities in large-scale assessments, particularly statewide assessments, if students with disabilities were to benefit from standards-based educational reforms. This study also pointed to the importance of accommodations for students in order for them to have access to the general curriculum, and to be able to show their knowledge and skills on assessments.Perspectives on assessment accommodations have changed quite dramatically over time. Initially, accommodations were viewed as a way to level the playing field as well as to improve the validity of assessment results (Bums, 1998; McDonnell, McLaughlin, & Morison, 1997; Thurlow, Elliott, & Ysseldyke, 1998) and to provide a way for students to take assessments when they otherwise would not be able to take them. These goals do not necessarily mean that student performance will improve (Thurlow, Elliott, & Ysseldyke, 2003). …

Students’ Perceptions of Testing Accommodations: What We Know, What We Need to Know, and Why It Matters

Students with disabilities are often given tests under accommodated conditions to reduce the effect of their disability on their scores. Students’ perceptions of their own accommodations are important for several reasons and have been the topic of a number of research studies. Some studies have tested students under multiple conditions and asked for their reactions; other studies have given general attitude surveys about accommodations. Research has shown that accommodations generally reduce anxiety and discomfort during testing, but students’ opinions about the practice of providing accommodations are often conflicted and depend on the particular accommodation under discussion. This review describes the current research on students’ perceptions of accommodations, derives implications for practicing school psychologists, and offers further questions to guide future research.

Students’ Perceptions of Accommodations in High School and College

A total of 55 college students with reading- and writing-related disabilities were asked to report on their high school and college experiences with 14 accommodations. Receiving assistance with having materials read aloud, extended time, and individual setting were the accommodations reported as being used by most students. Students tended to report that accommodations were helpful. Some students reported using particular accommodations more frequently than others. More than one third of the students who participated reported not receiving special education or 504 plan services during high school, and thus numbers of students reporting use of accommodations in college tended to be higher than for high school, although use did vary by specific accommodation. A variety of perceived barriers and facilitators to their use of accommodations was reported, including system-level variables, instructor knowledge and attitudes, and students’ own self-advocacy efforts. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Semi-Communicatie - Het Effect Van Accommodatie Door de Spreker

In inter-Scandinavian communication, participants usually speak their mother tongues, accepting certain comprehension problems, but not expecting those problems to lead to a break down in communication. People often tend to apply convergent accommodation strategies, such as a slightly lower speech rate, a more distinct pronunciation, or avoidance of words known to be difficult to understand. This paper takes a look at the effects of comprehension understanding of Swedish in Denmark when accommodation strategies are used. In an experiment, comprehension of four Swedish texts was tested under the following conditions: (A0) no accommodation, (Al) (use of one) accommodation strategy, (A2) a combination of two strategies, and (A3) a combination of three strategies. Results show a moderate increase in comprehension between A0 and Al, Al and A2/A3 and a robust (significant) increase between (A0) and A2/A3. This effect, however, does not depend on hearers' perception of accommodation and must therefore be explained by objective criteria, such as the rise in processing time following from a lower speech rate. No effect of accommodation was seen between A2 and A3. This means that the maximum effect of accommodation is reached when speakers use a combination of two different accommodation strategies.

Communicating across and within generations

Previous studies of people’s perceptions of intergenerational communication in many countries around the Pacific Rim suggest that aspects of intergenerational communication in some East Asian nations may be more problematic than in some Western ones. This study extends the earlier work by considering similarities and differences between Taiwanese and American young adults’ perceptions of communication with same-age peers and adults 65 years of age and older. As well, in an attempt to discover how the acculturation process may affect intergenerational relations, the perceptions of young Chinese-Americans were also examined. Two-hundred and three participants (including 98 Taiwanese, 47 Euro-Americans, and 59 Chinese-Americans) completed a questionnaire that assessed their perceptions of accommodation and nonaccommodation from members of the two age groups. Also assessed was the extent to which the participants felt deferential towards and avoidant of communication with these two age groups, as well as the experience of positive emotions in these interactions. Consistent with earlier work, young adults were more positive with regards to communication with other younger adults than with older adults, and Euro-Americans generally perceived interactions more positively than people in Taiwan. The Chinese-Americans were similar to the Taiwanese in some respects and similar to the Euro-Americans in others.