Implicit Association Tests of Attitudes Toward Persons With Disabilities

The authors assessed 3 of the currently available implicit association tests designed to measure attitudes toward persons with disabilities. The Revised Multiple Disability Implicit Association Test, the Implicit Association Test for Attitudes Toward Athletes With Disabilities, and the Disability Attitude Implicit Association Test were related to each other, demonstrating some consistency in measurement. They were mostly unrelated, however, to more traditional, explicit measures of attitudes toward persons with disabilities. In addition, although the implicit association tests were not related to socially desirable responding, the most psychometrically sound explicit measure (The Interaction With Disabled Persons Scale) was related to socially desirable responding.     

Personal Narratives of Students With and Without Learning Disabilities

This study investigated personal narratives produced by children with and without learning disabilities in the context of naturalistic conversation. The high‐point analysis was applied to compare the referential and evaluative aspects of children's personal narratives. Participants were 60 students in Grades 4 and 5 in public suburban schools, with an almost equal number of boys and girls. The participants with learning disabilities were matched individually with typically achieving peers for chronological age, grade, ethnicity, and gender. Despite significant differences in expressive semantic and syntactic skills, both groups produced narratives that were equivalent in terms of length, structural organization, and global coherence. Group differences centered around the decreased inclusion of high points in narratives produced by girls with learning disabilities, indicating that these girls may struggle with generating coherent personal narratives and communicating their own perspective on the recounted personal experiences. This specific narrative performance is accounted for by the unique profile of cognitive and academic characteristics demonstrated by girls with learning disabilities. Practical implications for the multifaceted assessment of referential and evaluative narrative functions are discussed, and interventions for enhancing narrative skills are suggested. The study's findings are also discussed in the context of previous research and directions for future inquiries.     

Information and Documentation: Pieces of the Vast Puzzle of Education

The context in which the higher education of engineers takes place is characterized by the exponential growth of the production of information. As a result, it is first of all completely illusory to claim to teach everything and, furthermore, each engineer must be prepared to renew his or her knowledge and competence throughout his or her professional life. These conditions are behind the necessity of having methodological teaching which aims at giving a mastery of the way to look for, process and use specialized information. However, this methodological teaching can only take on its full meaning, reach its highest efficacy, if it is fully integrated as an essential part of the overall pedagogical plan underlying the training concerned.     

A Meta-Analysis of School-Age Children's Attitudes Towards Persons with Physical or Intellectual Disabilities

Factors associated with children's attitudes towards persons with physical and intellectual disabilities were examined in a meta-analysis spanning the years 1990 to 2000. A total of 20 studies met the inclusion criteria allowing for 65 comparisons across 2,240 participants. Factors of interest were attitudinal components, type of disability, age and gender of respondents, and role of inclusion. The majority of research findings revealed that children preferred target children without disabilities compared to targets with physical or intellectual disabilities. Three methods for calculating average effect sizes were used: (a) unweighted means, (b) weighted means, and (c) vote counting. It was concluded that biases in attitudes do exist but that summary results need to be interpreted with regard to individual study differences and the methods used to calculate mean effect sizes.     

A Self-Evaluation by Agencies Providing Residential Support Regarding Capacity to Support Persons with Disabilities and Challenging Behaviours

This study presents the findings of a survey in which agencies providing residential support to persons with disabilities reported their capacity to support persons with disabilities who present challenging behaviours. A total of 46 agencies completed the self-report; 62 were initially distributed. Summary variables were calculated for two independent measures, Organisational Stability and Administrative Leadership, and four dependent measures, Staff Structures, Staff Training, Measurements Systems, and Behavioural Systems. Agencies reported between 71% (Organisational Stability) and 83% (Administrative Leadership) of the features as present. The measures were all inter-correlated; Administrative Leadership was found to be more highly correlated with the dependent measures, and to better predict the dependent measures. Specific areas of low capacity were noted in all dependent measures, including features such as inadequate resources for behaviour support, reported by 40% of the responding agencies. Implications of the findings are presented for building agency capacity and community-based support of persons with disabilities.     

Investigating the Transition of Young Children With Intellectual Disabilities to Mainstream Classes: an Australian perspective

An investigation of the transition of 33 children with intellectual disabilities to mainstream kindergarten classes was conducted by surveying parents, receiving teachers, and receiving principals. All 33 children had received a model university-based inclusive preschool program in the year before kindergarten. Structured interviews with the parents, teachers, and principals at the beginning of Term 2 of the school year and with the parents and teachers at the end of the school year provided information about issues relating to the transition and the initial and subsequent integration of the children. The findings from this study were valuable in relation to the ongoing evaluation of the model preschool program, but also provide useful information to early intervention services and mainstream schools wanting to improve the success of their transition programs.     

Education on an Equal Basis: A Comparison of Persons With and Without Disabilities in South Africa

The South African education crisis is well documented in the literature. While strides have been made to rectify the inequalities in education arising from apartheid era policies, and while South Africa ratified the United Nations Conventions for the Rights of People with Disabilities, these actions have yet to translate into meaningful changes for persons with disabilities. To investigate the status of educational attainment, this article uses South Africa’s National Income Dynamics Study to analyse the disparities in education for adults with and without disabilities. Education is a key mechanism of leverage for functionings. The findings show that persons with disabilities fare worse in educational attainment than persons without disabilities, but that race and geographic location play a larger role in predicting educational attainment than disabilities. In addition, age also contributes to educational disparities. The findings of this study are integral in the call from the Presidency to ‘strengthen the country’s response to the needs of [persons with disabilities] … and to monitor progress’ of educational attainment for persons with disabilities (20-year review, 2014, p. 73).     

Preserving the Past: An Early Interview Improves Delayed Event Memory in Children With Intellectual Disabilities

The influence of an early interview on children's (N = 194) later recall of an experienced event was examined in children with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities (CWID; 7–12 years) and typically developing (TD) children matched for chronological (7–12 years) or mental (4–9 years) age. Children previously interviewed were more informative, more accurate, and less suggestible. CWID (mild) recalled as much information as TD mental age matches, and were as accurate as TD chronological age matches. CWID (moderate) recalled less than TD mental age matches but were as accurate. Interviewers should elicit CWID's recall as early as possible and consider developmental level and severity of impairments when evaluating eyewitness testimony.     

Cognitive Constraints on the Simple View of Reading: A Longitudinal Study in Children With Intellectual Disabilities

The present article aimed to explore how the development of reading comprehension is affected when its cognitive basis is compromised. The simple view of reading was adopted as the theoretical framework. The study followed 76 children with mild intellectual disabilities (average IQ = 60.38, age 121 months) across a period of 3 years. The children were assessed for level of reading comprehension (outcome variable) and its precursors decoding and listening comprehension, in addition to linguistic skills (foundational literacy skills, rapid naming, phonological short-term memory, verbal working memory, vocabulary, and grammar) and non-linguistic skills (nonverbal reasoning and temporal processing). Reading comprehension was predicted by decoding and listening comprehension but also by foundational literacy skills and nonverbal reasoning. It is concluded that intellectual disabilities can affect the development of reading comprehension indirectly via linguistic skills but also directly via nonlinguistic nonverbal reasoning ability.     

残疾人心理康复探析

残疾人存在着法律意识淡漠、自我中心、孤独自闭、精神抑郁、意志消沉及自杀倾向等心理问题,学业不良与就业压力大、家庭教育缺失、社会与自身不良因素干扰是其主要影响因素。建立完善的残疾人权益保障的立法及制度,建立个体心理调节机制,建立教育、残联、民政部门联合的外部支持协助系统是残疾人心理康复的有效措施。     

Assessing the Quality of Life of Persons with Developmental Disabilities: Description of a New Model,Measuring Instruments,and Initial Findings

A conceptual model of quality of life and associated instrumentation for collecting data from persons with developmental disabilities are presented. The conceptual model assumes that the components of quality of life for persons with developmental disabilities are the same as for all persons. Additionally, in recognition of the complexity and importance of quality of life assessments, a multi‐method, multi‐source approach was developed. Results from a preliminary study provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the instrumentation associated with the model. The meaning of these preliminary results are examined and the issues raised by such assessments are discussed.     

Augmented Reality for Teaching Science Vocabulary to Postsecondary Education Students With Intellectual Disabilities and Autism

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of an emerging technology called augmented reality to teach science vocabulary words to college students with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders. One student with autism and three students with an intellectual disability participated in a multiple probe across behaviors (i.e., acquisition of science vocabulary words) design. Data were collected on each student's ability to define and label three sets of science vocabulary words (i.e., bones, organs, and plant cells). The results indicate that all students acquired definition and labeling knowledge for the new science vocabulary terms. Results are discussed in the context of applying universal design principles with emerging technologies to create authentic opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders to learn science vocabulary. (Keywords: augmented reality, autism, intellectual disability, science vocabulary, universal design for learning)     

大学文化:个性魅力与核心竞争力

大学文化与社会文化的本质区别在于其精神层面的特征。大学所特有的学术至上、理性批判、追求真理、和谐自由的文化精神使大学独具永恒的个性魅力。大学文化具备大学核心竞争力所必备的独特性、难以模仿性和可持续竞争优势。从长远发展来看,大学要培育和提高核心竞争力,就必须培育和增强大学文化的个性魅力。     

Psychodynamic Therapy and Intellectual Disabilities: Dealing with challenging behaviour

One of the most serious problems facing families and care staff concerns the treatment of extremely behaviourally disturbed individuals with an intellectual disability. Frequently these people are termed "dual-diagnosed" or with "challenging behaviour." The kinds of behaviour which present in this group can be broadly described as extremely aggressive either in their environment, to others (parents, staff, and other residents), to themselves (self-injurious behaviour which in its extreme forms are life threatening), or who are so withdrawn that living with others is unbearable. Treatment is often only possible in closed facilities and with special medication, as the prognosis for community living and social acceptance is extremely poor. In this article some theoretical material on a psychodynamic orientation concerning the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness in this group is presented. Four cases concerning long term treatment are then described--an extremely aggressive young man with a mild intellectual disability, a young man with multiple disabilities whose behaviour is destructive, a very withdrawn young woman with life threatening self-destructive behaviour, and a young autistic man with a broad spectrum of extremely uncontrollable behaviour. Finally, the success and limitations of the approach are discussed.     

Home Environment and Family Resources to Support Literacy Interaction: Examples From Families of Children With Disabilities

Research Findings: Research on early literacy development within the family focuses primarily on parent–child interactions as they use literacy materials, typically books. However, features of the home environment and organization of family life, which provide the framework within which these interactions occur, are rarely investigated. These variables include space; time; family members' roles, responsibilities, and relationships; whether literacy activities are routines; and influences of community and culture. In this exploratory study, these physical, social, and symbolic resources of the family environment were measured using a home tour, photographs, book-reading observation, and an interview during two visits to six families who had children with mild to moderate disabilities. The data generated by these methods were then used to complete a summary measure, the Home Literacy Resource Checklist, for each family. The results indicated that the families who had previously reported reading to their child 1 to 3 times per week differed from those who had reported reading daily in resources such as help from people outside of the immediate family, existence of book-reading routines, a predictable daily schedule, use of the library, and presence of literacy materials. Practice or Policy: Further development of these measures and their use with a larger and more diverse sample are warranted so that practical knowledge about home and family life can contribute to interventions designed to improve the quantity and quality of family book reading.     

The Puzzle of Falling Enrolments in Physics and Chemistry Courses: Putting Some Pieces Together

This paper reports and discusses the principal findings of an Australian study exploring the decisions of high achieving Year 10 students about taking physics and chemistry courses (Lyons, 2003). The study used a ‘multiple worlds’ framework to explore the diverse background characteristics that previous quantitative research had shown were implicated in these decisions. Based on analyses of questionnaire and interview data, the study found that the students’ decisions involved the complex negotiation of a number of cultural characteristics within their school science and family worlds. Many of the students regarded junior high school science as irrelevant, uninteresting and difficult, leaving them with few intrinsic reasons for enrolling in senior science courses. The study found that decisions about taking physical science courses were associated with the resources of cultural and social capital within their families, and the degree to which these resources were congruent with the advantages of choosing these courses. The paper concludes that the low intrinsic value of school science and the erosion of its strategic value contribute to the reluctance of students to choose physical science courses in the senior school.     

Peer-Related Personal Experiences of Children with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder With and Without Comorbid Learning Disabilities

This research investigates the peer-related social functioning of 291 children (185 males, 106 females), aged from 8 years to 17 years and 8 months diagnosed with varying Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) subtypes (i.e., Predominantly Inattentive m I, Combined m C) with and without comorbid learning disabilities (LD). All were administered the Interpersonal Relationships Questionnaire which is comprised of six reliable and valid measures: Social Desirability, Interpersonal Difficulties, Social Self-Concept, Social Self-Confidence, Preference for Solitude, and Social Interaction Anxiety. Results revealed that neither Gender, Age, nor Social Desirability were significantly associated with children's self-reports. Pearson correlations demonstrated that the strength and magnitude of associations between self-reports of interpersonal relationships varied according to group status. With the exception of Preference for Solitude, analyses of variance revealed significant differences in self-reports by group, as related to the presence or absence of LD, particularly for the ADHD-C+LD compared to the ADHD-I+LD group. Psychoeducational and clinical implications for understanding the functional and discriminant significance of social impairment among children with varying ADHD subtypes with comorbid LD are discussed in light of these research findings.     

Sustaining the Family: Meeting the Needs of Families of Children with Disabilities

A dramatic rise in the survival rates of children born with disabilities (particularly those born prematurely) has been reported in the last decade. The nature of their disabilities is, at times, significantly different from that previously reported, posing problems for the families attempting to nurture the development of these children. Barry Carpenter, Chief Executive of Sunfield, considers the needs of the self-defining family, the implications for interdisciplinary practice, and the changing pattern of early childhood disability. He asks a fundamental question: 'How can professionals sustain the family of a child with disabilities?'     

Assessing Students With Disabilities: Issues and Evidence

Historically, many students with disabilities were excluded from large-scale assessments. Recent federal and state policy initiatives, including the most recent reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, require that the large majority of students with disabilities be included in the statewide assessments used in accountability systems. Although most observers agree that educational outcomes for students with disabilities were inadequate before the new policies were implemented, the research undergirding the new policies is limited. The reforms have spurred a rapid increase in relevant research, but more and improved research is needed. This article reviews the status of research on issues that are central to the new reforms and recommends directions for future research.