Student Abstract Research Articles

Improving Social and Play Outcomes for Students With Significant Disabilities During Recess.

For students with autism, recess is often a missed opportunity to develop social competence and relationships. Although interventions have been developed to promote interactions and social skills for students with average or above-average intellectual functioning, there has been less focus on students with autism who have below-average intellectual functioning or who meet the criteria for intellectual disability. In this single-case design study, we tested the efficacy of a combined peer-mediated and social skills instruction intervention on the interactions, play, and social skills of three students with autism who met their state's criteria for alternate assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Social skills instruction featured video models that portrayed same-aged peers demonstrating individualized social skills on the playground. For all three students, there were substantial increases in interactions, play and social skills, and students and their peers provided positive feedback about the intervention.

Enumerating Nontrivial Knot Mosaics with SAT (Student Abstract)

Mathematical knots are interesting topological objects. Using simple arcs, lines, and crossings drawn on eleven possible tiles, knot mosaics are a representation of knots on a mosaic board. Our contribution is using SAT solvers as a tool for enumerating nontrivial knot mosaics. By encoding constraints for local knot mosaic properties, we computationally reduce the search space by factors of up to 6600. Our future research directions include encoding constraints for global properties and using parallel SAT techniques to attack larger boards.

Pointing Forward: Typing for Academic Access

Abstract For students who do not demonstrate reliable verbal speech, utilization of augmentative and alternative communication, both low-tech and high-tech, can be an effective way of engaging meaningfully in the academic and social opportunities of the classroom. This article discusses the benefits of drawing on a variety of communication supports, including typing to communicate, and outlines key principles and practices for the successful inclusion of students who type in academic classes. Key principles include universal design, presuming competence, writing effective IEP goals, and successful classroom strategies.

AAC in the Schools: Current Issues and Future Directions

Abstract For students with complex communication needs, positive educational outcomes are heavily dependent on support services that facilitate access to AAC technologies, the acquisition of literacy skills, and access to the academic curriculum within supportive classroom communities. Although the AAC research literature documents continuous progress in the quality and effectiveness of school-based services, by many indicators the field has a distance to go in pursuit of excellence in AAC service delivery. In reflecting upon the current state of school-based practice, several important factors emerge as critical to the success of students who require AAC, including the expertise of practicing professionals, effective collaborations of service-delivery teams, and the availability of empirical studies to guide practitioners. This article examines key issues affecting AAC service delivery in the schools and discusses critical clinical and research needs in the areas of personnel preparation, collaborative team building, and the provision of quality AAC services. Suggestions for the development and refinement of best practices are also explored in a discussion of future directions for school-based AAC services.