Special Education Classrooms Research Articles

Cooperative Inquiry Extended: Creating Technology with Middle School Students with Learning Differences

Cooperative Inquiry is a method of developing technology in which children and adults are partners in the design process. Researchers use Cooperative Inquiry to empower children in the design of their own technology and to design technology that is specific to children's needs and wants. As Cooperative Inquiry is continually evolving and expanding, it is important to consider how researchers can extend this inclusive design approach to work with populations of children with disabilities. In a semester-long case study, researchers explored the use of Cooperative Inquiry in a classroom of middle school boys with learning differences, including mild to moderate autism, specific learning disabilities, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The participating class of 10 boys ages 11–12 designed a browser-based computer game using Cooperative Inquiry over the course of six design sessions. During the project, the children had overall positive experiences and were able to form partnerships with the adult researchers to develop the game. Based on the experiences of all the team members, researchers make recommendations for employing Cooperative Inquiry in special education classrooms. These include adding informal time during the design sessions, maintaining a high adult-to-child ratio, giving instructions using many modalities, and planning for high engagement. Through this work, researchers broaden Cooperative Inquiry's applicability to a new population in a classroom setting, and provide guidance for designing with populations of children with special leaning needs in the future.

Multimodal Composing in Special Education: A Review of the Literature

Focus on multimodal learning, especially composition, is increasing in K–12 classrooms, particularly among those whose populations are struggling academically. This shift toward multimodal learning also is evident in special education classrooms. This review explored multimodality and its impact on the composition practices of students with disabilities. Eleven empirical studies discussing research designs, research questions, and various sample characteristics were included. Themes from the findings and implications included the role of technology in instruction, its use in providing scaffolds, and its impact on student success. Additionally, several nonempirical articles advocating the use of multimodal composition were addressed. This review concludes with implications for teachers and researchers, focusing on the benefits of multimodal composition, particularly the underexplored area of digital video (DV) composition, for students with disabilities.

A play and joint attention intervention for teachers of young children with autism: A randomized controlled pilot study

The aim of this study was to pilot test a classroom-based intervention focused on facilitating play and joint attention for young children with autism in self-contained special education classrooms. Thirty-three children with autism between the ages of 3 and 6 years participated in the study with their classroom teachers (n = 14). The 14 preschool special education teachers were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) symbolic play then joint attention intervention, (2) joint attention then symbolic intervention, and (3) wait-list control period then further randomized to either group 1 or group 2. In the intervention, teachers participated in eight weekly individualized 1-h sessions with a researcher that emphasized embedding strategies targeting symbolic play and joint attention into their everyday classroom routines and activities. The main child outcome variables of interest were collected through direct classroom observations. Findings indicate that teachers can implement an intervention to significantly improve joint engagement of young children with autism in their classrooms. Furthermore, multilevel analyses showed significant increases in joint attention and symbolic play skills. Thus, these pilot data emphasize the need for further research and implementation of classroom-based interventions targeting play and joint attention skills for young children with autism.

Quality of the Literacy Environment in Inclusive Early Childhood Special Education Classrooms

The purpose of this study was to examine the quality of the literacy environment in inclusive early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms ( N = 54). The first aim was to describe the quality of the literacy environment in terms of structure (i.e., book materials and print/writing materials) and instruction (i.e., instructional support). The second aim was to examine the interrelationships among teacher and classroom factors and the quality of the literacy environment. Results showed that, on average, the quality of the structural literacy environment was low to moderate, and the quality of the instructional literacy environment was generally low. Only one factor, the number of children who were dual-language learners, related to the quality of the structural literacy environment, whereas the quality of the instructional literacy environment was positively associated with two teacher-level factors (teacher education and self-efficacy) and negatively associated with one teacher-level factor (the number of language and literacy workshops attended). Study findings suggest the need to examine ways to improve the literacy environment of ECSE classrooms and to better understand sources of variance with respect to the literacy environment.

A Practical Guide to Early Numeracy Instruction for General and Special Educators

This report summarizes recommendations from NCTM, NRC, CCSSM, NMAP, and IES to guide early numeracy instruction for elementary age students in general and special education classroom settings. We highlight common threads among general and special education research recommendations and provide a numeracy intervention curriculum model connecting intervention and instructional principles.

A Case Study of Learning Environment by Problem-Posing in Special Education Classroom

A Case Study of Learning Environment by Problem-Posing in Special Education Classroom

Improving Appearance, Organization, and Safety of Special Education Classrooms: Effects of Staff Training in a Human Services Setting

Previous research has evaluated applied behavior analysis (ABA) interven- tions targeting environmental modifications in different dependent-care set - tings. In this study, we implemented several procedures for training practi- tioners to improve appearance, organization, and safety of their classrooms at a school for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Im- plemented in a multiple baseline design across classrooms, positive results were achieved by combining task directives, daily supervision, and graphic performance feedback. Classroom staff was able to maintain their classrooms favorably two-weeks post-intervention. We discuss implications of the study for planning and implementing environmental-change procedures within educational settings.

An Enriched Writers' Workshop for Beginning Writers with Developmental Disabilities

This article describes comprehensive, high-quality writing instruction for students with developmental disabilities. The Enriched Writers’ Workshop combines differentiated writing process instruction with social communication instruction and cognitive strategy instruction for students with complex writing needs across a wide range of ages. It draws on research-based writing practices for all students, with reference to the U.S. Common Core State Standards for writing but with modifications for students with developmental disabilities. Appropriate populations include students with autism spectrum disorders, intellectual developmental disabilities, and complex communication needs, requiring augmentative and alternative communication supports. This article describes the Enriched Writers’ Workshop framework of instruction, its tools, and the skills and strategies it targets. Illustrations are drawn from pilot implementation in special education classrooms team taught by special education teachers and speech‐language pathologists. Case examples for 3 students show how the framework can be applied for beginning writers with varying profiles of abilities and needs, leading to measurable social communication and writing outcomes and other educational benefits for students with diverse developmental disabilities.

EXPANDINGtheRepertoireofTeachingandLearning StrategiesforFuture Nurse Educators:Introducing Interpretive Pedagogies in an Online Graduate Nurse Education Course

SINCE INTERPRETIVE PEDAGOGY WAS INTRODUCED TO OUR FACULTY DURING A WORKSHOP WITH NANCY DIEKELMANN, LEAVING SAFE HARBORS: re-forming education and the new Pedagogies, faculty have struggled with this teaching-learning method, finding it foreign and difficult to incorporate into a teaching repertoire entrenched with behaviorist traditions. one curriculum change that resulted from the workshop was the development of a nurse educator course, nursing education Pedagogies, which introduces interpretive pedagogies to new teachers. the inefficiency of conventional pedagogy for all current health care education is acknowledged in many different disciplines and supported by the proponents of constructivist theory (Packer & Goicoechea, 2000). Constructivists assert that knowledge and truth are based on beliefs and experience in situations (Cobb & Bowers, 1999), a product of individual cognition (simpson, 2002) and situated in contexts (Bredo, 2006). First described in 1988, interpretive pedagogy has been implemented with feminist studies, interactive learning environments, and midwifery programs, family health promotion, socially challenged children, special education classrooms, sports education, teacher education, and geriatric courses to name a few. since the interpretive pedagogies and conventional pedagogies co-occur, nurse educators should have an understanding of their differences in terms of theory, knowledge, experience, language, and social significance (diekelmann, 2001). exposure to interpretive pedagogy introduces new nurse educators to environments where conversations among participants promote emerging possibilities in practice (dahlberg, ekebergh, & ironside, 2003; ironside, 2001). the uniqueness of interpretive pedagogy encourages teachers and students to adjust to socially situated cognition, which is important for a practice discipline such as nursing. Classroom and simulated environments play a significant role in student learning, but learning in the authentic environment, and using stories about that environment, call for a different approach. interpretive pedagogies encourage students to process the multiple perspectives that exist in nursing, such as dieklemann's (2001) concernful practices of schooling learning teaching. the model used for this course is to compare and contrast traditional learning theories and interpretive pedagogies, to show how they diverge and support each other for teaching and learning. Course Design the online course is scheduled over 15 weeks; live, synchronous classes meet for seven sessions on alternate weeks. sessions are archived for students who miss class or want to review the discussion. Content is organized into learning modules, each with unique readings and assignments to achieve the goal of understanding the co-occurrence and symbiotic relationship between interpretive pedagogy and contemporary learning theory. the specific learning goals are to: a) evaluate the historical perspective of conventional pedagogy and compare it with interpretive pedagogy; b) critique specific narrative pedagogies by general themes, teacher/student relationships, and strengths and limitations; c) analyze contemporary higher education theory as it supports interpretive pedagogies; d) analyze the impact of contemporary and future practice on curriculum design and use of interpretive pedagogies; and e) create new pedagogical activities in the context of clinical experiences, classroom sessions, and teacher evaluation. assignments encourage immersion into the literature and critiquing exemplars of interpretive pedagogy from various disciplines. the textbooks used include schunk (2012) and diekelmann (2003). students are required to read textbook chapters and write three summaries: one to synthesize the major principles and theories; one to reflect on the synthesis and how it relates to a specific narrative pedagogy; and one to discuss how each principle and theory could be used for a strategy to teach nursing. …

TRIAL‐BASED FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS AND FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING IN AN EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTING

Problem behavior is common in early childhood special education classrooms. Functional communication training (FCT; Carr & Durand, 1985) may reduce problem behavior but requires identification of its function. The trial-based functional analysis (FA) is a method that can be used to identify problem behavior function in schools. We conducted trial-based FAs and FCT with 3 children in an early childhood special education setting. All trial-based FAs resulted in identification of behavioral functions, and subsequent FCT led to reductions in problem behavior and increases in communication.

Errorless Academic Compliance Training

Errorless academic compliance training is a graduated, noncoercive approach to treating oppositional behavior in children. In the present study, three teaching staff in a special education classroom were trained to conduct this intervention with three male students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. During baseline, staff delivered a range of academic and other classroom requests and recorded student compliance. A hierarchy of compliance probabilities was then calculated, ranging from Level 1 (requests yielding high levels of compliance) to Level 4 (those typically yielding noncompliance). At treatment initiation, teaching staff delivered high densities of Level 1 requests and provided reinforcement for compliance. Subsequent request levels were faded in over time, at a slow enough rate to ensure continued high compliance. By intervention end, all three students demonstrated substantially improved compliance to classroom requests that had commonly yielded noncompliance before intervention. Covariant improvement in on-task skills was also evident.

Encouraging Social Skill Development through Play in Early Childhood Special Education Classrooms

Encouraging Social Skill Development through Play in Early Childhood Special Education Classrooms

Effects of Fixed-Time Reinforcement Delivered by Teachers for Reducing Problem Behavior in Special Education Classrooms

The effects of fixed-time (FT) reinforcement schedules on the disruptive behavior of 4 students in special education classrooms were studied. Attention provided on FT schedules in the context of a multiple-baseline design across participants substantially decreased all students’ challenging behavior. Disruptive behavior was maintained at levels lower than baseline throughout reinforcement thinning and follow-up phases. The results extend existing literature on the use of FT schedules of reinforcement and provide evidence that FT schedules of reinforcement can be practical to implement in special educational classroom settings.

Play and Joint Attention of Children with Autism in the Preschool Special Education Classroom

The purpose of this study was to examine play and joint attention in children with autism (n=27) as compared to children with other developmental delays (n=28) in public preschool special education classrooms. The participants were observed in their classroom environment for 2h over 3 separate days. Results show that children with autism spent more of their time unengaged and less time engaged in symbolic play and joint attention behaviors as compared to children with other developmental delays. Additionally, teachers seldom focused directly on symbolic play and joint attention in their teaching. These findings suggest the importance of educating teachers to target play and joint attention skills in their preschool special education classes, specifically for children with autism.

A comparative study on teacher leadership in special education classroom between China and Malaysia

This research study the teacher leadership style among special education teachers, so as to identify effective teacher leadership style in managing classroom which included managing classroom environment, teaching skills and children's performance. This is a cross cultural comparative study between China and Malaysia, and it employs the quantitative method to collect data from the participating schools. The study assessed the perception and the implementation of teacher leadership practice of special education teachers in creating energy in the classroom; building capacity; securing environment; extending the vision; meeting and minimizing crisis; and seeking and charting improvement dimensions. Respondents were 369 special education teachers from Malaysia and 380 from China. Data were analyzed and the results reveal that the special education teachers practice all the six dimensions of teacher leadership at high level in both countries. From the t-test analysis, there is a significant difference between the level of agreement and the level of implementing the teacher leadership practice in both countries, showing higher level of agreement. The study implies that special education teachers practice, implement, access and maintain high level of teacher leadership in their classroom management.

Play and Joint Attention of Children with Autism in the Preschool Special Education Classroom

Play and Joint Attention of Children with Autism in the Preschool Special Education Classroom

Teachers' Perspectives on Literacy Instruction for Students with Severe Disabilities Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perspectives on the appropriate skills and settings for literacy instruction, the factors influencing their decisions about literacy instruction, and the barriers to literacy instruction in general education classrooms. A sample of special education teachers (n = 69) of students taking the Illinois Alternate Assessment were surveyed, and results were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicate that teachers prefer to provide life-skills-linked literacy instruction in special education classrooms and consider student characteristics and features of the general education curriculum when making these decisions. Also, the setting had a significant effect on teachers' rankings of preferred literacy skills to teach. Teachers may not understand how to adapt literacy content or how access to literacy instruction in a variety of contexts may benefit their students with severe disabilities.

Motivational Aspects of Gaming for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

The attention to learners with special needs, in particular those with intellectual disabilities, is an area of continuous development. It is considered important to develop adaptive educational solutions for the integration of people with educational difficulties according to their needs. Digital games provide an attractive and direct platform in order to approach students of every intellectual level. However, practical game based learning application in the special education classroom is still regarded with skepticism by educators, or has been treated solely as an extrinsic reinforcement. Moreover, the design and usage of digital games as a motivational tool for students with intellectual disabilities has not been thoroughly documented. This paper presents a review of the motivational theories and research findings regarding the usage of digital games in the educational experience of users with intellectual disabilities, with a scope to define the potentials, prerequisites and possible limitations of such an intervention.

Dynamic Duo Forges Smooth Relationship

Dynamic Duo Forges Smooth Relationship

Impact of Milieu Teaching on Communication Skills of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This 5-month study examined the impact of a behaviorally based naturalistic teaching strategy, milieu teaching, on the communication skills of preschool-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in an early childhood special education (ECSE) classroom. A multiple baseline across participants design was used. Communication targets were selected based on each child’s Individualized Education Plan. Milieu teaching strategies were implemented in two activities per day per target. Generalization and maintenance effects were also determined. Results indicated that milieu strategies are an effective means of providing communication skills instruction for young children with ASD in an ECSE classroom.