Effects of extracurricular activities on postsecondary completion for students with disabilities

The authors focused on participation in extracurricular activities as a way of improving the educational outcomes of children with disabilities. Regarding students in the general population, adolescent involvement in extracurricular activities has been shown to have a positive association with school involvement and adolescent self-esteem, academic achievement, and adolescent development. Using the Educational Longitudinal Study dataset, the authors conducted logistic regression analyses to examine the relationship between participation in high school–sponsored extracurricular activities and postsecondary degree completion for students with disabilities. Findings show a statistically significant association between postsecondary degree completion for students with disabilities and extracurricular activity participation, including extent and type of extracurricular activity. Students with disabilities who participate in high school extracurricular activities may have increased likelihood of completing a postsecondary degree. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.     

Achieving inclusion of students with disabilities in Turkey: current challenges and future prospects

Developing inclusion in schools has been an objective for many countries in recent decades, giving rise to a variety of definitions, policy -making activities and school practices. This paper focuses on the attempts made towards inclusion of students with disabilities in Turkey. We start by introducing inclusive education and its parameters, and continue with recent trends in education in Turkey. Next, we discuss current progress in including students with disabilities within mainstream schools, and continue with the legislative attempts made to improve this position. After that, we discuss recent developments and challenges in the education and inclusion of students with disabilities, and conclude by noting several recommendations for realising their inclusion in Turkey. While the purpose of this paper is to investigate the inclusion of students with disabilities in the Turkish context, there is much of relevance to other international contexts going through similar developmental processes in terms of inclusion.     

A meta-synthesis of co-teaching students with and without disabilities

A meta-synthesis of qualitative research was conducted on co-teaching by general and special educators working with students with and without disabilities in primary and secondary general education classrooms. We sought to update the Scruggs et al., 2007 meta-synthesis to discern new knowledge, including co-teaching's impact on students and teachers. Although challenges are identified, co-teachers perceive that co-teaching can enhance their and their students' learning. Findings suggest that school personnel, researchers and policymakers can consider co-teaching as a learning context for co-teachers as well as a dynamic framework that can potentially foster effective instruction for all students in the co-taught classroom.     

Social skills of Slovenian primary school students with learning disabilities

Social skills of students with special needs play a very important role in their successful integration into inclusive learning environments. The aim of present empirical research was to establish whether students with learning disabilities (LD) attending grades 7–9 of regular primary school in Slovenia experience difficulties in social skills compared to their peers without LD. The following measuring instruments were used: the Questionnaire about Interpersonal Difficulties for Adolescents, the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents and the Self-Concept Scale. The basic research findings indicated statistically significant structural differences between the students with LD and their peers. The two groups differ in terms of difficulties in social interaction. Students with LD experience more difficulties. Statistically significant differences between the groups also appeared in tension and inhibition in social contact and social anxiety, as well as in the area of self-concept: students with LD are more anxious and reserved in social contacts.     

适合残疾学生特点的体育教学策略研究——以特殊教育学校为例

体育教学策略的实质就是体育教师对体育教学活动进行整体调控的预先谋划过程.教学对象不同,决定了体育教学策略的不同,特殊教育学校的学生在身心发展方面有一定的缺陷和残疾,他们的身体和心理有别于正常儿童少年.为了残疾学生的有效学习,特殊教育学校体育教学策略应符合残疾学生的特点.     

Factors related to teachers' attitudes towards the inclusive education of students with severe intellectual disabilities in Riyadh,Saudi

In Saudi Arabia, the majority of students with severe intellectual disabilities are still educated in special schools that do not meet their unique needs for interaction with their typically developing peers in public schools settings where they could improve social, communication and academic skills. One of the most significant obstacles to inclusion of this group of students is teachers' perspectives regarding inclusive education for this category of students. As a result, this study examined teachers' perspectives regarding the inclusion of students with severe intellectual disabilities using a quantitative approach. In addition, this study also examined the relationship between teachers' perspectives regarding the inclusion of students with severe intellectual disabilities and current teaching position, training, teacher's levels of education, previous teaching experience with any kind of disabilities in inclusive settings, grade level being taught, teacher's gender and whether they have a family member with a disability. Three hundred and three teachers responded to the Opinions Relative to inclusion of Students with Disabilities (ORI: Arabic version) survey, including 161 males and 139 females, and three non‐specified gender. A two‐way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), a one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and an independent t‐test were used to answer the research questions. The findings of the study indicate that teachers have slightly negative perspectives towards the inclusive education of students with severe intellectual disabilities. Significant factors regarding teachers' perspectives towards the inclusion of this group of students included their current teaching position, previous teaching experience with students who had any kind of disability in inclusive settings and the teacher's gender.     

University surroundings and infrastructures that are accessible and inclusive for all: listening to students with disabilities

The main topic of this article is architectural barriers and infrastructures as identified by university students with disabilities. The data presented is part of a much wider research project, sponsored by Spain’s Ministry of Economy and Competition. A biographical-narrative methodology was used for this study. The results presented have been classified based on one of five barrier types: urban (barriers that are outside the actual university campus), transport (public transportation and personal vehicles), building (obstacles inside university buildings), environmental (those elements within the classroom, including furniture, excessive noise or inadequate temperatures) and communication (these are divided into signposting and barriers when accessing information). Lastly, a variety of questions are considered in the conclusions which indicate that universities still need a certain degree of adaptation and readjustment to really be accessible and inclusive, in keeping with the principles of universal design.     

A national study of kindergarten transition practices for children with disabilities

This study used data drawn from a large, national sample to describe transition practices provided to 1989 children with disabilities as they entered their kindergarten year, obtained through a survey administered to kindergarten teachers. Using path modeling, we examined the child and family, school, and district factors that predict which children and families receive high- and low-intensity transition support as they enter kindergarten and, in particular, what types of high-intensity practices they receive. The type of support kindergarten teachers provided was generally comparable to or higher than previously reported data, with low-intensity transition supports more commonly used than high-intensity supports. In a path model that included a range of child and family, classroom, and district factors, four variables emerged as predictors of transition support. Children from larger districts and higher poverty districts who were entering kindergarten from a different setting were less likely to receive support during the transition period. Rural districts differed little overall from suburban districts because they are, on average, higher poverty, but smaller in size. Urban districts demonstrated efforts that counterbalanced the barriers of size and poverty. We include policy implications based on these findings.     

西班牙高等教育中的残疾学生

本文简要分析了西班牙有关特殊教育的立法、政策及西班牙的高等教育体制,介绍了萨拉曼卡大学的校史和概况,重点介绍了该校支持残疾学生的各项政策与措施、基于残疾学生的图书馆服务及其在全纳教育方面的一些做法。     

School‐to‐work transition services for students with disabilities in Malaysia: organisations' views on policy and practices

Transition services are required by law for students with disabilities in many developed countries. In Malaysia, however, there is still no specific legislation mandating that school‐to‐work transition planning and services be provided to students with disabilities. This study investigated the state of the transition services provided by educational organisations to students with disabilities in Malaysia. A mixed method research design, which utilises both quantitative and qualitative research techniques, was employed to obtain information from 23 government organisations and NGOs involved in the education and training of students with disabilities. This study found that the organisations surveyed were aware of the lack of transition support and call attention to the importance of instituting a national policy on school‐to‐work transition services and supported employment systems for students with disabilities. The legislative and educational implications for Malaysia are discussed.     

Are separate room test accommodations effective for college students with disabilities?

Abstract

College students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or learning disabilities are frequently allowed to complete examinations in a separate, distraction-reduced setting. Although separate room test accommodations are believed to provide students with equal access to testing and thereby improve performance, little experimental research has examined their effects on actual test scores. We randomly assigned college students to complete a high-stakes Spanish language placement examination in either a group or separate room setting. Then, we categorized students based on their (1) disability status, (2) history of test accommodations, and (3) self-reported history of test anxiety. Results showed a significant setting x disability status interaction. Contrary to expectations, all students performed equally well in the group setting, but students with disabilities earned significantly lower scores than their classmates without disabilities when tested in a separate room. Similar results were found when we restricted our analyses to students with a history of test accommodations. Separate room testing had no effect on the scores of students with test anxiety. Altogether, our findings suggest that separate room testing does not mitigate the effects of ADHD, learning disabilities, and/or test anxiety on performance and, in some cases, may actually lower test scores.     

The effect of using laptops on the spelling skills of students with learning disabilities

The current study examined the effect of using laptops on the spelling skills of students with learning disabilities (LD). It was conducted as part of the Israeli “Katom” (A Computer for Every Class, Student, and Teacher) Program. Participants included 93 Hebrew-speaking students with LD aged 13–16, who attend 10 special education classes in a regular middle school. We examined whether the experimental group using laptops showed significant differences in the number of their spelling errors as a result of the intervention on their pre- and post-spelling tests. We also investigated whether there would be differences on the number of spelling errors between the experimental and control groups, as measured by their pre- and post-spelling test results. The findings indicated that the participants in the experimental group significantly improved their spelling skills as opposed to the control group. It seems that the use of laptops in special education classes can enhance the spelling skills of students with LD.     

Facts and fallacies: differentiation and the general education curriculum for students with special educational needs

As policy makers and educators respond to legislation promoting the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms, there is sometimes confusion about why this is being done and how it can be accomplished effectively. In this article, two categories of fallacies, or misunderstandings, are identified. The first fallacy is that students with disabilities are incapable of learning the general education curriculum. The second fallacy is that teachers are required to ‘cover’ the entire curriculum, sometimes at a pace that leaves students with and without disabilities behind. Facts are presented following each fallacy. These facts describe research‐based pedagogies effective for students with and without disabilities, indicating that students with mild disabilities can learn the general education curriculum when responsive pedagogies are used. These facts also describe how schools that promote differentiation can potentially achieve higher scores on large‐scale assessments than schools that promote ‘one size fits all’ instruction.     

Factors that explain placement decisions for students with multiple disabilities: findings from national data

The Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study data set was utilised to examine the potential influences on placement decisions for students with multiple disabilities in the US. The sample consisted of 415 students. Specifically, the study investigated whether factors including students’ prior special education experiences, parental involvement, parental expectations and educational risk factors explain the placement of students in classrooms. Results indicate significant relations between the explanatory variables and the hours spent daily in general education classrooms. However, only two variables, parents’ education and receipt of early childhood special education services, were significantly associated with the dichotomised outcome of whether or not a child received any academic instruction in a general education classroom. Research limitations and implications for future research, policy and practice in the international context are discussed.     

团体心理辅导对增强学业不良大学生心理弹性实验研究

本文首先分析了目前心理不良学生的群体情况,指出了他们存在的心理问题。为解决该问题,我们提出了要增强这些大学生的心理弹性,接着我们使用了团体心理辅导方法对学业不良大学生的心理弹性进行了辅导。从而得出结论,团体辅导作为一种有效的心理健康教育方式,在实际的教育中,能够有效增强学业不良学生的心理弹性。     

Demographic variables and fathers' involvement with their child with disabilities

The main purpose of this study is to examine whether fathers' involvement with their child with disabilities is correlated with some of the demographic variables. Data were collected from 243 Polish fathers who were married and who had at least one child with disabilities. The issue was assessed by two measures: a Questionnaire and the Father Involvement Scale. The results of the multiple regression show that fathers' involvement is significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with the level of fathers' concentration on the needs of their child with disabilities, the level of fathers' cooperation with their wives, the number of years during which parents cared for a child with disabilities, time devoted by fathers daily for their child with disabilities, fathers' self‐esteem, fathers' education, the level of disability of a child, the level of fathers' skills in dealing with their child with disabilities and the level of fathers' knowledge about their child with disabilities. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: http://youtu.be/XpTojch0j9Y     

Interventions in general education for students with disabilities: a systematic review

Implementing effective interventions in general education increases the chances of success for students with disabilities. Often the effectiveness of interventions is not known. The aim of this review was to investigate what interventions are used in general education and what is known about their effectiveness so that educational institutions can exchange best practices and students with disabilities have better opportunities for successful participation in general education. A systematic literature search was conducted in four databases. Three investigators assessed the relevance of the studies identified. In only half of the studies is information on the effectiveness of interventions reported. Due to enormous variety in the types of interventions, effect measures, disability groups, and focus on different types of education, we chose to focus on reading interventions for improving the reading skills of students with reading and/or learning disabilities. Other interventions are shortly mentioned. All of the eight reading interventions found seem to have positive influences on reading skills. However, the methodological quality in some studies was low. Still, recommendations for actual interventions in general education are made. Measuring the effectiveness of interventions systematically and publishing the information helps others to implement effective interventions without having to reinvent them.     

Belonging to higher education: inclusive education for students with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

The college experience in Iceland has traditionally been reserved for those who have passed the matriculation examination and meet the admission requirements of higher educational institutions. Since 2007, the University of Iceland has offered a Vocational Diploma Programme for people with intellectual disabilities in inclusive settings. The purpose of this article is to describe the diploma programme as well as exploring students’ sense of belonging to the college community. The diploma programme is located at the School of Education and students trained to work at pre-primary schools, after school clubs and within the field of disability such as self-advocacy. Inclusion has been achievable by adapting the general curriculum and learning outcomes to individual needs, flexible teaching methods and the cooperation between academic faculty members, programme coordinators, student mentors and the diploma students themselves. The diploma students receive academic and social support from student mentors who are other undergraduate students at the School of Education. The collaboration with student mentors has proven to be valuable, expanded diploma students’ social networks and contributed to a sense of belonging. Regardless of various attitudinal and structural hindrances, there is much evidence that the diploma students are not only tolerated but welcomed at the School of Education and belong to the college community.