bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Small Agency Conversion to Community-Based Employment: Overcoming the Barriers
Authors: Beare Paul L. , Severson Susan J. , Lynch Evelyn C. , Schneider Donna
Published: June 2014

Community-based employment, widely accepted as the major goal for most persons with moderate to severe disabilities, has yet to be fully realized at the local agency level. This paper describes a successful model of supported employment developed by a single small agency previously providing services as a segregated day activity center in a small midwestern city. Included is discussion of the service agency, program methodology, barriers to successful community-based employment along with the manner in which they were overcome, and program outcomes. Included in these outcomes is a current community employment rate of 80% and increased income for workers along with increased community integration. Several recommendations for practice are made from both administrative and programming standpoints.
An Administrator and Teacher Perspective on Program Quality Indicators for Students with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Eichinger Joanne , Downing June
Published: June 2014

This study investigated the perceptions of 48 teachers and 41 program administrators relative to the importance of 123 items representing program quality for learners with severe disabilities. The purpose of this study was to extend the original validation study (Meyer, Eichinger, & Park-Lee, 1987) of the 123 program quality indicators to include these two groups of service providers considered critical to quality programming. Both groups consistently rated the majority of the 123 items high (between the important and very important anchors). There was only one item that was rated significantly different by the two groups. The unit mean scores for these two groups were compared with those of the six groups in the earlier study (Meyer et al., 1987). The two dimensions considered most important by all eight groups were the criterion of ultimate functioning and professional practices/home-school collaboration. While this study served to further validate these indicators, anecdotal data and ongoing changes in the field served as catalysts for a revision of the Program Quality Indicators checklist (Meyer, Eichinger, & Downing, 1992).
A Preliminary Investigation of IEP Quality and Content Associated with Placement in General Education versus Special Education Classes
Authors: Hunt Pam , Farron-Davis Felicia
Published: June 2014

An analysis was conducted of the quality and curriculum content of the individualized education programs (IEPs) written by 11 teachers for 22 students with severe disabilities who attended a special class program (two students per teacher). Differences were then analyzed between this first set of IEPs and subsequent IEPs written by the same teachers for the same 22 students following a change of placement from special classes to full-time membership in general education classrooms. IEP quality was evaluated on the basis of the degree to which educational objectives included seven components identified as indicators of best practices. Curriculum content areas included communication, social, motor, vocational, domestic, community, recreation/leisure, and academic. No difference was found in the curriculum content of the IEPs written for the students when they attended a special versus a general education class; however, there was a difference found in the quality of the IEP objectives, with higher scores for IEPs written for the students when they were full-time members of general education classes.
Factors Associated with the Integrated Educational Placement of Students with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Hunt Pam , Haring Kathryn , Farron-Davis Felicia , Staub Debbie , Rogers John , Beckstead Susan Porter , Karasoff Patricia , Goetz Lori , Sailor Wayne
Published: June 2014

A study, using survey methodology, was conducted to identify factors associated with the integrated educational placement of students with severe disabilities. Questionnaires were completed by the families and teachers of 1,009 students from five participating states. The questionnaires were designed to measure 19 variables that integration literature suggests are predictive of integrated placement. Logistical regression procedures were utilized to determine the probability of integrated placement as a function of the identified variables, which included characteristics of the student, family, school program, and community. A stepwise procedure was employed to examine three theoretical models of variables associated with integrated placement, representing integration advocacy, socioeconomic status, and program/facilities characteristics. Additionally, a combined model was estimated using the strongest predictors from the three theoretical models. Factors identified within each of the models are discussed in terms of their implications for increasing the integrated placement of students with severe disabilities.
Extended School Year: Legal Issues and Implications
Authors: Rapport Mary Jane K. , Thomas Stephen B.
Published: June 2014

Much of the research and material published on the extended school year (ESY) to date has failed to provide comprehensive and accurate information on determining eligibility and the need for ESY services for children with disabilities. Eligibility for ESY can be based on several criteria, including individual need, nature and severity of the disability, educational benefit, regression and recoupment, self-sufficiency and independence, and failing to meet short-term goals and objectives. An examination of the ESY case law history reveals that it is difficult to determine “judicially manageable standards” for the various categories of eligibility. Therefore, decisions regarding ESY are based on an assimilation of criteria, particularly when considering ESY for children with severe disabilities. This article provides a thorough (exhaustive) review of the legal issues, including statutory and case law, and practical guidelines that will assist educators in their efforts to comply with federal statutes.
Using a Social Guide to Improve Social Relationships of People with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Newton J. Stephen , Horner Robert H.
Published: June 2014

Staff members of community-based residential programs serving individuals with intellectual disabilities often have difficulty helping participants develop social relationships with community members. A “social guide model” taught staff of an apartment-based residential program to use a set of “community network strategies” to improve the social relationships of three women with disabilities. Results demonstrated a functional relationship between staff members' use of the strategies under the supervision of the social guide model and increases in the size of participants' social networks and the frequency with which they experienced social integration. The intervention also was associated with a higher weekly rate of introduction of new network members and a higher rate of socially integrated activities per network member per week. Gains generally were maintained during a follow-up period, with a regular staff member assuming the role of social guide.
Using Badges to Increase Initiations of Children with Severe Disabilities in a Play Setting
Authors: Jolly Ann C. , Center St. Marks , Test David W. , Spooner Fred
Published: June 2014

A study was conducted to investigate a training strategy that allowed children with severe disabilities to choose and initiate activities when playing with chronologically age-appropriate peers without disabilities. Prior to intervention, each student with severe disabilities was taught to use badges with photographs to indicate play activities. Pretraining involved role-playing with the teacher, teacher assistant, and a fourth grader without disabilities and not otherwise involved in the study. The intervention involved having students with disabilities take their badges into a free-play situation. A multiple-baseline, across-subjects design indicated a functional relationship between intervention and student use of play organizers, initiations, and shares. Results are discussed in terms of including students with severe disabilities in the training process when teaching social and play skills.
Classroom Procedures for the Measurement of Behavior State among Students with Profound Disabilities
Authors: Guy Barbara , Guess Doug , Ault Marilyn Mulligan
Published: June 2014

This study implemented two procedures for the measurement of behavior state conditions of students with profound handicaps who spend a large portion of their school day in the state conditions of sleep, daze, or drowse. The purpose of the study was to determine if classroom measurement procedures of shorter duration would be as reliable as the longer duration research procedures. Both measurement procedures were implemented in four classrooms by observing six students who spent a large portion of their time asleep, dazed, or drowsed. The findings indicate that the more frequent measurements of shorter duration produced outcomes that were similar to the research procedures.
On the Nature and Change of an Inclusive Elementary School
Authors: Salisbury Christine L. , Palombaro Mary M. , Hollowood Tia M.
Published: June 2014

Qualitative research methods were used to conduct an in-depth study of an inclusive elementary school with the intent of characterizing its context and practices. It was reasoned that such detail would provide valuable insights for those involved in systems change efforts. Data were gathered over a period of 30 months and included observational fieldnotes, interviews, shared anecdotes from teaching staff, and an analysis of school publications and products. Multiple methods of triangulation were employed to validate the data collection process and our findings. Descriptive themes emerged from the data that characterize the nature and evolution of this school's reform toward a more inclusive context. These themes are discussed and implications for future research are presented.
Combining Reward and Escape DRO to Reduce the Problem Behavior of Students with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Kennedy Craig H. , Haring Thomas G.
Published: June 2014

During instruction, the occurrence per minute of problem behavior was studied across three students with severe disabilities. Following a functional assessment identifying problem behavior as being related to teacher demands, reinforcement schedules based upon reward DRO, escape DRO, and combined DRO were analyzed for their relative effectiveness in decreasing problem behavior across three tasks. The three DRO schedules were studied using an alternating treatments design with intervention by task Latin square counterbalancing. Reward DRO used contingent access to a preferred event following the omission of problem behavior as a positive reinforcer. Escape DRO allowed the termination of instruction contingent on the omission of problem behavior. Combined DRO employed both types of reinforcer functions used in the reward and escape DRO schedules. Reduction in the frequency of problem behavior was greatest for all three students using the combined DRO schedule.
Analysis of State Organizational Patterns among Students with Profound Disabilities
Authors: Guess Doug , Siegel-Causey Ellin , Roberts Sally , Guy Barbara , Ault Marilyn Mulligan , Rues Jane
Published: June 2014

A review is presented of recent research on state behavior among children and youth with profound disabilities. A model depicting interactions of state with endogenous and exogenous variables is presented along with a discussion of the importance of state diversity potential to this analysis and considerations for investigating and understanding state organization patterns in this population. Applications of the model are illustrated through case studies of four students with profound disabilities who display different state patterns. Measurable attributes of state reveal major characteristics that define functionally profound disabilities and have important implications for intervention.
National Expert Validation of COACH: Congruence with Exemplary Practice and Suggestions for Improvement
Authors: Giangreco Michael F. , Cloninger Chigee J. , Dennis Ruth E. , Edelman Susan W.
Published: June 2014

The content and social validity of an educational planning tool named COACH (Choosing Options and Accommodations for Children) were explored through two studies. Study 1 presents questionnaire feedback from six groups of experts (N = 78) in the field of deaf-blindness and multiple disabilities regarding the purpose, philosophy, content, process, and presentation of COACH. Study 2 presents social validation feedback from parents whose children are deaf-blind and have multiple disabilities regarding a set of valued life outcomes included in COACH. The combined results of these studies provide initial validation that COACH is congruent with exemplary practice and offer consumer-based suggestions for its potential improvement.
Enhancing Communication with Persons Labeled Severely Disabled
Authors: Kaiser Ann P. , Goetz Lori
Published: June 2014

Among the most important philosophical shifts in our perspective on persons labeled severely disabled has been a change from an exclusive emphasis on remediation of deficit behavior to a positon of empowering and enabling persons with disabilities to participate in all aspects of everyday living. Fundamental to that shift is the reconsideration of the role of persons without obvious disabilities. In this paper introducing a special issue on communication, we examine the role of communication partners in enhancing communication with persons labeled severely disabled. Three fundamental assumptions about the nature of communication are discussed. The papers contained in the volume are reviewed briefly and recommendations for future research are considered.
Training Teachers to Use Environmental Arrangement and Milieu Teaching with Nonvocal Preschool Children
Authors: Kaiser Ann P. , Ostrosky Michaelene M. , Alpert Cathy L.
Published: June 2014

This study investigated the effects of training preschool teachers to use environmental arrangement and milieu teaching in interactions with children using augmented communication systems. Three teachers were taught seven environmental strategies and four milieu teaching procedures through written materials, lecture, modeling, roleplaying, and feedback. All three teachers learned the procedures and generalized their use to two generalization settings. The teachers maintained their use of the techniques across the 3-month maintenance assessment period. The three target children showed increases in total communication and use of targets following implementation of milieu teaching by their teachers.
A Qualitative Study of the Process of Facilitated Communication
Authors: Sabin Laural A. , Donnellan Anne M.
Published: June 2014

Qualitative research methods were used to investigate facilitated communication as it was implemented with two sixth-grade students in a general education setting. The areas of interest in this study focused on (a) the process of facilitated communication and (b) the role or roles facilitators played in this process. Participant observations occurred in a variety of school and community settings and interviews were conducted with students, their primary facilitators, and other involved teachers and teaching assistants.

The findings revealed that a wide variety of physical accommodations were used to support students during the process of facilitated communication. It appeared that each student used a unique combination of support tailored to his or her individualized needs. Additionally, findings showed that complex and detailed functions were performed by facilitators. These functions included providing physical support, decision-making, and negotiating meaning during interactions. A brief discussion of the implications of these findings is included.
Science and Practice in Behavioral Intervention: Meaningful Outcomes, Research Validity, and Usable Knowledge
Authors: Meyer Luanna H. , Evans Ian M.
Published: June 2014

Many professional journals publish research reports of interventions for persons with developmental disabilities which traditionally have been expected to fulfill two quite different functions. First, this research literature is the scientific data base to support the validity of recommended most promising practices. Second, these same reports are expected to be a source of information to guide the efforts of practitioners to implement those most promising practices. In a parallel fashion, the experimental method has been used both to test intervention hypotheses in research studies and as an evaluation model for practitioners in evaluating applications in typical settings. This paper explores the extent to which it is reasonable or practical to expect conventional experimental methodologies and research reports to perform this dual purpose. Recommendations are made for research and practice that require multiple perspectives and approaches better suited to a human science.
Evaluating and Increasing Meal-Related Choices Throughout a Service Setting for People with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Parsons Marsha B. , McCarn Joyce E. , Reid Dennis H.
Published: June 2014

An area of concern regarding quality of life among people with severe disabilities is the amount of choice individuals make during their daily routine. This investigation examined a means of evaluating and increasing meal-related choices in an adult education service setting. A choice provision program was implemented in each of four classrooms in which there was a lack of student choices during break periods relative to other classrooms. The program included stepwise procedures for quantitatively evaluating choice making and systematically presenting choice opportunities along with a supervision component for assisting staff in providing such opportunities. The program was accompanied by increased choices in each classroom. Additionally, a social validity comparison indicated: (a) in four other settings serving people with severe disabilities there were minimal choices, especially when compared with choices reported by adults without disabilities; and (b) the increased choice making accompanying the program in this study was well above the level in the four comparison settings and was comparable to the level reported by people without disabilities. Results are discussed in regard to extending advances in choice making reflected in the literature into routine service settings and using quantifiable assessments of choice making as part of agency best-practices evaluation.
Modifying Rules of a Regular Girls Softball League to Facilitate the Inclusion of a Child with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Bernabe Elaine A. , Block Martin E.
Published: June 2014

Although many local recreation programs are opening their doors to individuals with disabilities, the vast majority of individuals with more severe disabilities still do not participate in community-based recreation programs. One reason for lack of participation, particularly in competitive team sports, is that many persons with severe disabilities lack the requisite physical and motor skills. The purpose of this study was to determine if it were possible to assist coaches and players in modifying select rules of a girls' fast-pitch softball league so as to accommodate the skill limitations of a player with moderate to severe disabilities. Results indicated that the modifications were effective as suggested by her batting average and on-base average. Furthermore, modifications did not seem to affect her teammates or other teams as noted by no differences in time per inning when this student was included or total number of bases when she was playing defense. Anecdotal reports also found that the player was well received by her teammates and other teams, and that she improved her social and sports skills.
Judgment of the Social Validity of Instructional Strategies Used in Community-Based Instructional Sites
Authors: Wolfe Pamela S.
Published: June 2014

This study examined differences in attitude toward the social acceptability of training techniques commonly used in community-based sites (skill acquisition, reduction of inappropriate behaviors, and data collection techniques). The subjects (N = 178) in this investigation were volunteers and members of one of the following four groups: sheltered workshop staff, job coach staff, fast food restaurant staff, and business students. These groups of respondents represented individuals with a current or future involvement with persons having severe disabilities in community sites. Respondents were asked to complete the Survey of Community-based Training Procedures (SCTP) scale, which measured attitudes toward the social acceptability of antecedent, consequence, and data collection techniques. Results of the study indicated that groups of respondents differentially rated the social acceptability of training techniques. Factors affecting ratings of social acceptability are discussed and implications for future research delineated.
Community-Based Vocational Education: Guidelines for Complying with the Fair Labor Standards Act
Authors: Simon Marlene , Halloran William
Published: June 2014

Community-based vocational education programs come under the jurisdiction of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) administered through the U.S. Department of Labor. This paper describes guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor that detail criteria to be met by education agencies to ensure that educational programs operate in compliance with the FLSA. The paper also describes a process used by the authors to generate questions and answers intended to provide further guidance to education personnel responsible for implementing community-based vocational programs.
Article Commentary: Social Constructivism, Positivism, and Facilitated Communication
Authors: Whitehurst Grover J. , Crone Deanne A.
Published: June 2014

Facilitated communication, a technique that is said to enhance the communicative abilities of individuals with severe language impairments, has engendered much controversy. Biklen and Duchan (1994) and Green and Shane (1994) present two sides of this controversy. Biklen and Duchan argue that from a constructivist's perspective, the primary issue is the underlying cultural presuppositions regarding mental retardation and science rather than the efficacy of facilitated communication. Green and Shane present research evidence challenging the efficacy of facilitated communication within a positivist's framework. We present a brief review of science as viewed through positivists' and constructivists' lenses. Using the framework of social constructivism adopted by Biklen and Duchan, we disagree with them on three points: (a) even though the process of constructing scientific knowledge is strongly affected by human social, emotional, and cognitive processes, it also involves matters of fact that cannot be ignored; (b) social constructivists' accounts of science can be accepted as descriptive without being prescriptive; (c) although we cannot prove that belief systems, including positivism and social constructivism, are true or false in the larger sense, belief systems have differential consequences for technological changes of the type that are valued by persons with severe impairments of communication.
Evaluating the Effects of Placement of Students with Severe Disabilities in General Education versus Special Classes
Authors: Hunt Pam , Farron-Davis Felicia , Beckstead Susan , Curtis Deborah , Goetz Lori
Published: June 2014

This program evaluation study was designed to investigate the effects of the placement of students with severe disabilities in general education versus special education classes. Sixteen elementary education programs in California participated. Eight represented the “full inclusion” model of integration, and eight represented the special class model. Two students were selected from each program, with one of the students experiencing more disability and the other student experiencing less disability. A number of key program quality and student outcome variables were measured and, except for an analysis of the individualized education plans (IEPs) of participating students, all measures were based on observations of students in their school programs. The data were analyzed within disability levels. The results indicated that there were differences for the students who were fully included and those who attended special education programs on measures of IEP quality and in the emphasis given to various curricular areas addressed by the educational objectives. In addition, there were differences in their levels of engagement in the activities of the school day, the type of activities in which they were engaged, the type and level of participation in integrated school environments, and the degree to which they initiated and engaged in social interactions with peers and adults.
Instructional Costs of Inclusive Schooling
Authors: Salisbury Christine , Chambers Arthur
Published: June 2014

Relatively little is known about the relative costs of inclusion, particularly as they compare to more prevalent self-contained and/or segregated out-of-district placement options. This investigation was conducted to report longitudinal cost data associated with one district's evolution toward more inclusive schooling practices. Results of archival data analysis revealed: (a) that District costs were significantly less on an annual basis relative to comparable costs for out-of-district services; (b) a significant increase in the number of students with severe disabilities over the 5-year period, with District costs still well below that of out-of-district services; (c) a doubling in contractual (related services) costs over the 5-year period, linked most directly to the dramatic increase in the number of students with more intensive needs; and (d) a significant increase in the number of and reliance on para-professional staff for supporting classified and nonclassified students in general education.
Achievement by All Students within the Context of Cooperative Learning Groups
Authors: Hunt Pam , Staub Debbie , Alwell Morgen , Goetz Lori
Published: June 2014

Three elementary-aged students with multiple severe disabilities acquired basic communication and motor skills within cooperative learning activities conducted in their general education classrooms. With gradually fading assistance from the instructor, the members without disabilities of the cooperative learning groups provided cues, prompts, and consequences to promote the learning of the member with disabilities. The results showed that the three students with disabilities not only independently demonstrated targeted basic skills within cooperative academic activities, but also generalized those skills during follow-up sessions to activities with other members of a newly formed cooperative learning group. In addition, tests of achievement of targeted academic objectives by the members without disabilities in their cooperative learning groups indicated that they performed as well as members of a control group within the classroom that did not include a child with severe disabilities and that members of both the target group and the control group significantly increased their knowledge in targeted academic areas.
A Descriptive Assessment of Social Relationships in Integrated Classrooms
Authors: Hall Laura J.
Published: June 2014

Multiple measures were used in four integrated classes of young children to assess the social relationships. Observational recordings during indoor and outdoor free play activities, peer nominations, and teacher and peer interviews provided information about social status and strength of association between children with disabilities and their classmates. Results revealed that reciprocal, positive relationships were found between children with disabilities and classmates in all classes. However, the individual differences in social status and social profile of the children with disabilities indicate that varied patterns of social relationships are found in integrated classrooms. A brief interview with the young children and teaching staff provided valuable information about relationships based on: helping or pity, shared interest in activities, and friendship. Expectations regarding the social relationships in integrated classes are discussed.
Four Portraits of Friendship at an Inclusive School
Authors: Staub Debbie , Schwartz Ilene S. , Gallucci Chrysan , Peck Charles A.
Published: June 2014

The movement toward creating inclusive schools has accelerated rapidly over the past several years. As they learn more about the effects of inclusion on students with disabilities, consumers, practitioners, and researchers are becoming more interested in the effects of inclusion on students without disabilities. One area of great interest is the social relationships between students with disabilities and students without disabilities. The purpose of this study is to present case studies of four students without disabilities who are friends of students with moderate and severe disabilities in their classroom. Data for the case studies were collected through observations, videotaped samples, and interviews. The case studies illustrate the uniqueness of each friendship and highlight some similarities across relationships. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for promoting relationships in inclusive educational settings.
Children's Perception of Fairness in Classroom and Interpersonal Situations Involving Peers with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Evans Ian M. , Salisbury Christine , Palombaro Mary , Goldberg Jill S.
Published: June 2014

Elementary-aged children (kindergarten, first grade, and second grade), attending classrooms that fully included peers with severe disabilities, judged a series of scenarios comprising common teacher-related and social situations. The scenarios contained different degrees of ambiguity regarding equitable treatment of the protagonists; some stories involved only typical children, and some involved children with disabilities. Participants were asked to judge the fairness of the outcome, why it was fair or unfair, how the characters might feel, and what could have been done to make the situation more fair. In general the children were very sophisticated in their judgments, using consistent principles of social justice, regardless of disability. Few age-related differences emerged, although there was a slight tendency for older children to make excuses for children with disabilities. Even young students demonstrated appropriate empathy for the feelings arising from being left out or being wrongly blamed. Suggested solutions tended to be short-term but based largely on equality of opportunity, and at least some of the children were able to recommend equitable policy changes in classroom and social practices.
The Second Shock: A Qualitative Study of Parents' Perspectives and Needs during Their Child's Transition from School to Adult Life
Authors: Hanley-Maxwell Cheryl , Whitney-Thomas Jean , Pogoloff Susan Mayfield
Published: June 2014

This paper describes a study in the tradition of qualitative research (Biklen & Moseley, 1988; Bogdan & Biklen, 1992; Taylor & Bogdan, 1984) and examines the transition from school to adult-life process. This study employed methodology similar to other investigations that have described the nature of relationships between families and professionals (Ferguson, Ferguson, Jeanchild, Olson, & Lucyshyn, 1993) and investigated the transition process from the perspective of those who experience it (Ferguson, Ferguson, & Jones, 1988; Zetlin & Hosseini, 1989; Zetlin & Turner, 1985). Results indicate that parents of students who are involved in the transition process have a vision for the future of their child. They measure the quality of school services, the potential for future happiness and their faith in the transition process by how their child is succeeding in moving toward that vision. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.
How Teachers Confirm the Authorship of Facilitated Communication: A Portfolio Approach
Authors: Biklen Douglas , Saha Nina , Kliewer Chris
Published: June 2014

Facilitated communication has been characterized as an alternative to speech that involves providing physical and emotional support to individuals with severe communication impairments as they type or point to letters or pictures (Biklen, 1993). The method has been described as relevant for individuals who cannot speak, whose speech is extremely limited (e.g., echolalic, comprising a few words) and who cannot point independently and reliably (Biklen, Morton, Gold, Berrigan, & Swaminathan, 1992; Crossley 1992). Qualitative and controlled studies of the method demonstrate its usefulness for some individuals and that facilitators may influence the communication of some individuals. This qualitative study of seven speech and language teachers and classroom teachers working with 17 students, focused on how and on what basis the teachers determined for themselves that the words typed were authored by their students and not by them, the facilitators. The teachers provided and described evidence for 13 of the 17 students of message passing skills (i.e., typing information not known to their facilitators that could be verified as accurate). The teachers noted that 3 of these 13 and 4 of the total 17 achieved some independent typing beyond typing their names and the date. Sixteen of the 17 students were judged by their teachers to have confirmed their typing/communication ability by virtue of other features: unique physical characteristics in typing or pointing, personal themes, recurring phrases, and stylistic qualities. These features appeared in their individual work but not in others, even though several shared facilitators. These findings suggest the potential value of a communication portfolio approach to documenting individuals' abilities to communicate with facilitation.
Reading between the Lines: A Case Study on Facilitated Communication
Authors: Olney Marjorie
Published: June 2014

This is a qualitative study that examines the facilitated communication method within the context of general communication. “Reading” another person, or understanding the intent and meaning of an individual's communication, is a complex process that encompasses verbal and nonverbal messages. Various strategies employed by both the facilitated communication user and communication partner to interpret and clarify messages are examined in depth.
Initiating Expressive Communication: An Analysis of the Listener Preparatory Behaviors of Preschoolers with Developmental Disabilities in Center-Based Programs
Authors: Kaczmarek Louise A. , Evans Beverley Cush , Stever Nike Michaelides
Published: June 2014

This descriptive study examined the listener preparatory behaviors (LPBs) of selecting a listener, establishing listener proximity, and obtaining listener attention of 16 preschoolers with moderate to severe developmental disabilities within the daily classroom routine. Using an observational coding system, the study identified the patterns of listener preparatory behaviors that were associated with opportunities for the target children's expressive communication. Eighteen distinct listener preparatory behavior patterns were observed, 16 of which described the LPB patterns that children used when initiating expressive communication. These patterns revealed that opportunities for children to display all three listener preparatory behaviors in classrooms were minimal, because almost all expressive communication took place with proximate partners. The results also demonstrated that using specific attention-getters were not significantly more successful than just stating the message. However, target children were significantly more likely to obtain the attention of their communication partners if they first selected them than if they did not.
Attitudes and Attributes of Physical Educators Associated with Teaching Individuals with Severe and Profound Disabilities
Authors: Block Martin E. , Rizzo Terry L.
Published: June 2014

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between attitudes and selected attributes (teaching assignment, teaching level, adapted physical education coursework, special education coursework, years teaching students with disabilities, quality of teaching experience, and perceived competence in teaching students with disabilities) of public school (K-12) physical educators toward teaching students with severe and profound disabilities in regular classes. Teacher (N = 150) from suburban school districts in a midwestern state were sent the Physical Educators' Attitude Toward Teaching Individuals with Disabilities-III (PEATID-III) and 91 (61%) responded. Data showed that physical educators were undecided about teaching students with severe disabilities and disagreed with the proposal of teaching students with profound disabilities in their regular classes. There was a significant difference between attitudes toward teaching students with severe and profound disabilities. Although only a moderate amount of the variance was accounted by attributes, results from a forward stepwise multiple regression procedure showed that as the quality of teaching experiences improved and adapted physical education coursework increased, attitudes toward teaching students with severe disabilities were more favorable. Favorable attitudes toward teaching students with profound disabilities were associated with an increase of both coursework in special education and perceived teacher competence.
Developing Culturally Inclusive Services for Individuals with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Harry Beth , Grenot-Scheyer Marquita , Smith-Lewis Marsha , Park Hyun-Sook , Xin Fu , Schwartz Ilene
Published: June 2014

In this position paper, we argue that concerns about race and culture largely have been ignored with respect to students with severe disabilities. We caution, however, that variables such as acculturation, social class, and education must be included in any consideration of cultural identity to avoid stereotyping. Second, we use the term “cultural inclusion” to indicate the need to address cultural features directly when planning for inclusion of students with severe disabilities. In this paper, we propose essentials of a culturally inclusive approach to building relationships with families and to assessment, placement, instruction, and programming for such students. Third, we call for a multicultural emphasis in personnel preparation programs, with a focus on process rather than cultural content. The paper concludes with suggestions for a research agenda.
Strategies and Barriers in Facilitating Natural Supports for Employment of Adults with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Hagner David , Butterworth John , Keith Geraldine
Published: June 2014

The concept of facilitating natural supports as a resource for obtaining and maintaining employment has received considerable attention, and a number of strategies for facilitating natural supports from an individual's network of family and friends and an employee's co-workers and employers on the job have been proposed. Interviews were conducted with key personnel in 17 schools and 16 adult service organizations in Massachusetts to obtain descriptive information regarding which practices are currently used and what barriers exist to the implementation of such practices. Each organization was nominated as representing current best practices. Results indicate wide use of some practices as well as much confusion about the concept of natural supports and the role of human service providers in facilitating involvement.
Embedding Choice in the Context of Daily Routines: An Experimental Case Study
Authors: Bambara Linda M. , Koger Freya , Katzer Theresa , Davenport Teresa A.
Published: June 2014

In this study, we evaluated the effect of individualized, embedded choice opportunities in daily routines on the task initiations and protests by one man with severe disabilities. An initial functional analysis conducted during Phase 1 revealed that low rates of participation and high rates of protests in household activities were related to prompts that offered no control. Subsequently in Phase 2, we modified prompts within three different routines to provide greater control through choice. Within the context of an A-B-A-B design, the effects of a “traditional” no-choice versus choice task analysis were evaluated in each routine across three staff. The results demonstrated that when routines included opportunities for choice, task initiations were high, whereas protests, including severe aggression, were virtually eliminated. These results are discussed in relation to their implications for participant control, individualizing choice opportunities, embedding choice in daily routines, and the prevention of problem behaviors.
Reduction of Severe Problem Behavior in Community Employment Using an Hypothesis-Driven Multicomponent Intervention Approach
Authors: Kemp Duane C. , Carr Edward G.
Published: June 2014

Individuals with severe problem behavior typically are excluded from integration efforts involving community employment. This study examined one strategy for reducing severe problem behavior in an employment situation. The strategy involved three factors: (a) interventions were chosen based on hypotheses about the maintaining variables for the problem behavior (hypothesis-driven model); (b) a multicomponent intervention package was used that included some combination of functional communication training, building rapport, making choices, embedding demands, and building tolerance for delay of reinforcement; and (c) measures of latency to problem behavior and percentage of work steps completed were used instead of the more traditional measure of frequency. The results demonstrated both an increase in the time spent in the employment situation without problem behavior and increases in completion of work steps to maximum. Social validation of these results was provided by employment site management. The value of this strategy for addressing the obstacles to assessment, measurement, and intervention for severe problem behavior in community employment situations was discussed.
Placement along the Continuum of Services and its Impact on Students' Social Relationships
Authors: Fryxell Dale , Kennedy Craig H.
Published: June 2014

To better understand the conditions facilitating social relationships, we studied the impact of educational placement on the social life of students with severe disabilities. Several indicator variables were used to assess students' social relationships, including measures of social contacts, social support behaviors, and friendship networks. Placement at two points along the continuum of services—general education and self-contained classrooms—constituted the independent variables under study. Two matched groups of students with severe disabilities, one from each placement type, served as participants. The results from direct observation and interviews indicated that: (a) students placed in general education had higher levels of social contact with peers without disabilities; (b) students in general education received higher levels of social support from others, as well as provided higher levels of social support; and (c) those students had substantially larger friendship networks composed primarily of peers without disabilities. Implications regarding the impact of the continuum of services on students' social lives are discussed, along with general issues relating to the development and maintenance of social relationships.
Beyond the Workshop: National Trends in Integrated and Segregated Day and Employment Services
Authors: McGaughey Martha J. , Kiernan William E. , McNally Lorraine C. , Gilmore Dana Scott , Keith Geraldine R.
Published: June 2014

Survey data from a national, random sample of 643 service providers were analyzed to examine past, current, and future utilization of integrated and segregated day and employment services. The percentage of persons in integrated employment increased to 30% in 1991, from a total of 17% documented during 1986. However, the average number of persons served in segregated, facility-based work programs has also increased since 1986, and half the respondents (N = 643) either planned to start new facility-based programs, maintain the current service capacity, or increase the number served by 1997. Implications of a dual system of integrated versus segregated services and potential incentives for stimulating conversion of facility-based services are discussed.
At the Crossroads: Supported Employment a Decade Later
Authors: Wehman Paul , Kregel John
Published: June 2014

Supported employment has grown rapidly within the past decade, fueled by the consumer empowerment and inclusion movements. The program has resulted in thousands of people with severe disabilities entering the labor force for the first time. Many consumers have expanded their vocational expectations, and employers have developed a new appreciation of the potential contribution individuals with disabilities can make to the workforce. Unfortunately, despite these dramatic gains, the supported employment movement appears to have lost much of its early momentum and is increasingly at a crossroads. This article addresses major challenges that consumers and professionals alike must face. Conversion of day programs to integrated work options, expansion of program capacity, the need to insure consumer choice and self-determination, and the achievement of meaningful employment outcomes in a highly competitive economy are among the challenges that those dedicated to the supported employment movement must solve in the years ahead. Specific recommendations are offered to meet each challenge. Ultimately, the way to expand and reenergize the supported employment initiative will be to educate and empower more consumers and families.
Community Living for Adults with Developmental Disabilities: A Housing and Support Approach
Authors: Racino Julie Ann
Published: June 2014

This article reports on a multisite qualitative research study designed to better understand how the selected organizations support adults with developmental disabilities in community life. In particular, the study investigated the five characteristics potentially critical for service reconfiguration from a facility-based residential services model (e.g., group home, supervised apartments) to a housing and support approach (i.e., supporting adults to live in their own homes). Semistructured interviews and observations were conducted with informants at a purposeful sample of five agency sites in New Hampshire, Minnesota, California, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. The results indicated the following target areas for further research and applied change strategies: the distinctions between the theoretical and practical frameworks of community integration and independent living, personal changes in the relationship of individuals with each other in daily life, structural changes on the part of agencies and service systems, and “community” changes in acceptance, stigma, and power relationships. The author discusses the implications of these findings for further service development and research in community living for people with developmental disabilities in the United States.
How Teachers Use Peer Interactions to Include Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities in Elementary General Education Classes
Authors: Janney Rachel E. , Snell Martha E.
Published: June 2014

This study investigated the way teachers in five elementary classrooms used peer interactions to facilitate the inclusion of a student with moderate or severe disabilities. Four themes describing the strategies used to encourage and shape interactions between students with and without disabilities were identified: new rules about helping, “just another student,” age appropriateness, and “backing off.” The discussion focuses on the complexity of facilitating peer helping roles without encroaching on the social reciprocity found in friendships. The development of inclusion practices based on cooperation and mutual assistance for all students, rather than only for students with identified disabilities, is recommended.