Students with Disabilities Use of Various Options to Access Alternative Schools and Area Learning Centers

Alternative schools that were developed to encourage students experiencing difficulties in conventional schools to graduate from high school have been in existence since the 1970s. Alternative schools represent a form of school choice available to parents and students. This investigation focused on the extent to which students with disabilities are accessing Alternative Schools and Area Learning Centers (ALC) in Minnesota. More specifically, attention centered on (a) the option used by both students with and without disabilities to enroll in the school, (b) the extent to which students crossed district boundaries to attend the school, and (c) differential participation by category of disability. Results indicate that students with disabilities are accessing Alternative SchooVALC programs in ways similar to non-disabled students. Moreover, students with emotionalhehavioral disorders are heavily represented in these schools. It also was discovered that when students enter these programs, special education labels are often dropped and services discontinued. Implications for students with emotional and behavioral disorders are discussed.     

Peer Tutoring: Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities to Deliver Time Delay Instruction

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a peer-mediated constant time delay procedure for teaching written spelling to fourth- and fifth-grade students identified as learning disabled. The six peer tutors (each with learning disabilities) taught each other to produce the written spelling for 15 five- to eight-letter words using a 3-s delay and a visual model prompt. A multiple probe design across behaviors (word sets) was used to evaluate the procedure. Data were collected on the number of sessions to criterion, trials to criterion, number and percent of errors, and direct instructional time. The classroom teacher prepared students to serve as tutors using a describe-model-guided practice-feedback sequence. Pre- and post-measures were conducted of generalization of the tutoring procedure as well as observational learning by the tutors. Results indicated that (a) peer tutors reliably implemented the time delay procedure, and (b) the tutor-implemented time delay procedure was effective in teaching written spelling to students identified as learning disabled.     

Attention Deficit Disorder,Anxiety Disorder,and Learning Disabilities

Abstract

This article details an individualized psychoeducational model designed to treat a child with interrelated psychological and developmental issues whose psychic functioning was deteriorating within the traditional educational system. The team had leeway to function outside of the educational system to create an individualized, remedial, psychoeducational program. At the time we began the program, her diagnostic picture included: Anxiety Disorder, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and Learning Disabilities. The treatment team consisted of an education specialist, two additional part-time teachers, a clinical social worker, an occupational therapist, a consulting senior child psychoanalyst, and the child's mother. The results at the close of the first school year are examined. Perspectives informing the psychoanalytic aspects of this case include Winnicottian and Fairbairnian Object Relations Theory and therapeutic milieu model.     

Head Start Children at Third Grade: Preliminary Special Education Identification and Placement of Children with Emotional, Learning, and Related Disabilities

Although children in Head Start are at risk for emotional or behavioral problems, little is known about their later need for special education. There is evidence that children at risk for emotional disturbance are underidentified or misidentified in other special education categories. We examined special education identification rates for Head Start children at risk for emotional disturbance, learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, and mental retardation as they complete third grade. Two cohorts of 4136 children across 30 sites were followed as part of a larger study on transition. Diagnosis of each child as being at risk for emotional disturbance or related disabilities was made using clinical cut-offs on teacher ratings and individual testing completed in the spring of third grade. Special education eligibility of these children was determined from school records. Only 31.8% of children considered to be at risk, based on research diagnostic criteria, were actually identified by the schools, and fewer than 6% of children at risk for ED were identified in the school category of ED. Comparisons were made between school-identified and nonidentified children in gender, ethnicity, and school variables; and findings were discussed in relation to underidentification or misidentification of children with emotional disturbance.     

学习不良儿童研究的社会认知取向

用认知范式研究学习不良,可以从基本心理过程障碍和社会信息加工过程障碍这“两种认知过程障碍”来理解其学业和社会性困难的深层心理机制。根据该观点以及对学习不良的理解,提出用社会认知的范式推进学习不良儿童社会性研究的思路,以超越当前研究面临的困境。具体是从比较研究的视角探讨学习不良儿童与一般儿童在社会认知过程上的差异以及社会认知中主客体各因素之间的相互作用。     

The Effects of Partner Learning During Spelling for Students with Severe Disabilities and Their Peers

A multiple baseline across subjects design was used to examine the effects of partner learning on the spelling performance, academic responding, and competing behavior of three students with severe disabilities and three of their classmates without disabilities. The students were enrolled in different general elementary classes. All students in these classes were assigned to partner learning triads by the general education teacher. One triad in each class included the student with severe disabilities and two classmates without disabilities. All students in the class received two, 20 min partner learning sessions each week. During partner learning, each member of the triad was asked to spell words, present words to be spelled, provide feedback to the speller, and check the spelling accuracy. These roles were rotated among the members of the triad after each trial. These roles were adapted as necessary to accommodate the academic and communication skills of the students with severe disabilities. The effects of partner learning on spelling accuracy were assessed through weekly spelling tests. The effects of partner learning on academic responding and competing behavior were assessed using the MS-CISSAR (Carta, Greenwood, Schulte, Arreaga-Mayer, Terry, 1988). Results of weekly spelling indicated that partner learning led to improved spelling accuracy for students with severe disabilities and did not negatively affect the spelling accuracy of their peers. Partner learning also led to improved rates of academic responding and reduced rates of competing behavior for 5 of 6 students. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for practice and future research.     

分散注意条件下学优生与学困生视空间工作记忆的比较研究

通过控制干扰刺激量 ,研究分散注意对学优生和学困生视空间WM的影响。实验一的结果表明 :在不同干扰条件下 ,学困生视空间WM均比学优生差 ;干扰任务不仅影响学困生视空间WM的加工能力 ,也影响他们的存储能力。这说明学困生不能有效抑制外界干扰可能是他们视空间WM存在缺陷的主要原因之一。实验二的结果表明 :视空间WM有缺陷是各类学困生普遍存在的问题 ;对于学优生来说 ,不同类型学优生视空间WM不同 ,语文学优比数学学优的学生的视空间WM能力更强 ,主要表现在加工功能上。     

关于初中学业不良者学业求助特征及相关研究

本研究通过问卷与学业测验方法对165名初中生进行了学业不良者学业求助特征及相关研究,其研究结果表明:初中学业不良者在学业求助对象选择上倾向于向同学求助;在求助态度衡量上,他们对求助益处的考虑较少;更能知觉到来自同学的自尊威胁;在求助方式的选择上更倾向于执行性求助。成绩-回避目标、低下的自尊与自我效能感等是学业不良者学业求助特征的影响因素。     

Teaching Vocabulary with Students with Learning Disabilities Using Classwide Peer Tutoring and Constant Time Delay

This study examined the effectiveness and efficiency of combining classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) and constant time delay (CTD) on the academic performance of 3 students with learning disabilities (LD) and 15 students without LD enrolled in an inclusive sixth-grade language arts class. Treatment integrity checklists were used to measure the extent to which the tutors with LD used the constant time delay procedure correctly. A multiple-probe design across behaviors replicated across students was used to examine the effectiveness of the CTD peer tutoring procedures. The results indicated that students with LD reliably implemented the CTD peer tutoring procedures with a high degree of treatment integrity. When implemented by students without LD, the procedures were effective and efficient for teaching targeted vocabulary words to students with LD. Similarly, students without LD mastered the targeted vocabulary words when tutored by peers with LD and by peers without LD using the CTD peer tutoring procedures. Additionally, students with LD and without LD maintained the targeted vocabulary words over time, generalized the words across context, and generalized the CTD peer tutoring procedures across content. Finally, measures of social validity indicate that students and teachers involved in this study were satisfied with the CTD peer tutoring procedures.     

The Effects of Text Structure Discrimination Training on the Writing Performance of Students with Learning Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to examine whether teaching three participants with learning disabilities to name and identify critical components (i.e., opening sentence, detail sentences, and key words) for four expository text structures, and to discriminate between well-written and poorly written components would improve their expository writing performance. After instruction, one participant immediately improved her expository paragraph writing skills. However, two participants needed additional instruction and feedback on their writing before their paragraph writing improved. Social validation of the study outcomes was assessed by comparing participants' paragraphs before and after instruction to paragraphs produced by same age peers without disabilities. After instruction, participants' paragraph scores were above the mean score of the normative comparison group. Implications for teaching writing skills to students with learning disabilities, and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

学习不良儿童的元认知偏差：内部线索的影响

通过改变实验材料内部线索,旨在考察内部线索在学习不良儿童元认知偏差形成过程中的影响。实验1发现,学习不良儿童低关联字对的元认知偏差显著高于一般儿童,关联强度对学习判断的影响显著小于对测试成绩的影响;实验2发现,学习不良儿童反向方向字对的元认知偏差显著高于一般儿童,关联方向对学习判断的影响显著小于对测试成绩的影响。综合以上研究发现,相对一般儿童,学习不良儿童存在更大的元认知偏差,内部线索对学习判断和测试成绩的影响不一致模式适用于两组儿童。     

Effects of Self-Monitoring on the On-Task Behavior and Written Language Performance of Elementary Students with Learning Disabilities

The present study was conducted to determine the effects of self-monitoring and a changing criterion with public posting phase on student on-task behavior and written language performance. Four elementary school boys participated and were enrolled in an urban-based, elementary-level resource room for students with learning disabilities. Self-monitoring procedures for on-task behavior included the students listening to a tone recorded at 60-s intervals and responding to the question, “Am I on-task?” Written language performance involved the students writing for a 10-min. session and counting and graphing the number of words written. During baseline conditions, student on-task behavior and written language performance were collected. During the self-monitoring conditions, the students monitored their on-task behavior and written language performance simultaneously. In the changing criterion with public posting condition, the students received their goal for the day's session prior to writing, wrote, and recorded whether they met their goal. While the results show a functional relationship between self-monitoring and on-task behavior, the data for the relationship between self-monitoring and written language performance were less compelling. A greater increase occurred when the changing criterion with public posting condition was introduced. Results suggest that self-monitoring changed on-task behavior; however, further research needs to be conducted to determine the conditions that would produce comparable effects for written language performance. Several implications for students and teachers and parent training were discussed.     

The Comparative Effects of a Modified Self-Questioning Strategy and Story Mapping on the Reading Comprehension of Elementary Students with Learning Disabilities

An alternating treatments design was used to examine the effects of story mapping, a modified self-questioning strategy, and no intervention on literal and inferential reading comprehension of elementary students with learning disabilities. Immediate post-tests indicated that students attained significantly greater comprehension in the self-questioning and story mapping conditions over no intervention. Although students attained similarly high levels of overall comprehension when they used story mapping and self-questioning, students scored slightly higher on inferential comprehension questions in the self-questioning condition. Additionally, 4 out of the 5 students indicated a preference for the self-questioning strategy.     

Comprehension of Idioms by Children with Learning Disabilities: Metaphoric Transparency and Syntactic Frozenness

Third and fifth grade children with and without learning disabilities participated in this study. Syntactically frozen and flexible idioms and transparent and opaque idioms were used as stimuli to examine the ability to identify the correct idiom and to explain idiom meanings. Grade and diagnostic category affected performance on the explanation task but not on the forced choice task. Idiom type was also a factor affecting comprehension and explanation. Literal responses occurred rarely and were more likely to occur on the forced choice task.     

The Instructional Characteristics of Inclusive Classes for Elementary Students with Severe Disabilities: An Exploratory Study

This exploratory study examined several instructional characteristics of elementary classrooms serving students with severe disabilities including the individuals who provided instruction to students, the instructional behaviors of these teachers, and grouping structures. The analysis focused on the impact of these variables on the academic responding of students and the extent to which they were the exclusive target of instruction by the various teachers. Observation data were collected on six students with severe disabilities participating in general elementary classrooms for reading or math, and at least one other subject area. The academic responding of students was similar across general education teachers, special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and peers; and the instructional behaviors of each of these groups of instructors was similar. Students had higher rates of academic responding during one-on-one and small group instruction, but they also were engaged in instructional tasks during whole class instruction. Finally, academic responding was positively associated with instruction focused on the student, one-on-one instruction, and instructional interactions with teachers. Academic responding was negatively correlated with whole class instruction and instructional behaviors that were not directed at the student.     

听力障碍初中生自我决定能力的基本特点及社会支持的作用

以125名聋校听力障碍初中生为被试,采用问卷法探讨该群体自我决定能力的基本特点及社会支持对其自我决定能力的作用。结果发现：（1）听力障碍初中生的自我决定能力整体水平不高;（2）不同性别、障碍程度的听力障碍初中生的自我决定能力间差异不显著,而不同年龄段、年级、父母受教育水平的听力障碍初中生的自我决定能力间存在显著差异;（3）年级、教师工具性支持、母亲价值增进支持是听力障碍初中生自我决定能力的显著正向预测指标。     

外科手术决策过程中的情与法

越是给熟人、领导、要人做手术,出现各种手术相关问题的几率就越高.其原因主要是医生受各种情感因素的影响,降低了对医疗核心制度的执行标准,简化了术前准备,放宽了手术适应证,非理性地扩大了手术范围.解决方法:对待任何病人首先必须恪守法律和医疗规范,在此基础上尽可能与病人进行情感交流,达到医患共同自觉执行相关法律和规章,降低情感因素对手术决策的负性作用.     

略论“延续性医德教育”模式的内涵与构建

目前医德教育在教育时间与教育手段等方面缺乏延续性。通过对医德教育的特点和规律以及传统医德教育存在的弊病、医疗领域不正之风的负面影响等问题的分析,提出应着手构建在校医学生—实习生—在职医务人员"三位一体"的"延续性医德教育"模式,实现"第一课堂与第二课堂"、"系统医德理论与实践"、"被动性与自主性"医德教育三结合。     

Diagnostic and Assessment Findings: A Bridge to Academic Planning for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Increasing numbers of children diagnosed and treated for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has impacted both neuropsychologists and educators. Though both play key evaluative and treatment roles, there is no available method or process in place enabling the translation of the neuropsychological report recommendations into a format educational teams can easily use, leading to a gap between neuropsychological recommendations and educational planning. In the following, we review the areas evaluated by a neuropsychologist when assessing a child with an ASD, discuss the domains targeted by educational teams when designing an educational plan, and then present a process that has met with some success creating a "bridge" between the diagnostic/assessment process and the subsequent academic planning. Though presented in the context of ASD, the process described can be used by neuropsychologists for various populations to facilitate partnerships with educators that result in improved care for the child.