Alan R. Frank

Are Adolescents with Learning Disabilities Successfully Crossing the Bridge into Adult Life

This study investigated the adult adjustment of a statewide random sample of 911 individuals labelled learning disabled who had been graduated from school one year previously. Results are reported in terms of: (a) general characteristics of the sample; (b) characteristics of the employed individuals in terms of rate and location of employment, occupational status, number of hours worked, mean wage, and benefits; and (c) comparisons of employed and unemployed individuals in terms of vocational training, work experiences, and postsecondary training. Data are reported by level of instructional program in which the individuals were enrolled while still in school and by gender, where relevant.

Adult Adjustment among High School Graduates with Mild Disabilities

This study investigated the adult adjustment of a statewide random sample of 737 young adults with learning disabilities, 59 labeled behaviorally disordered, and 142 labeled mentally disabled, all graduates of special education resource teacher programs. Results are reported in terms of (a) general status information, such as marital status and living arrangements; (b) information about those competitively employed, such as wages, hours worked per week, and percentage of living expenses paid; and (c) comparison of competitively employed versus unemployed individuals, in terms of high school vocational training and work experiences. Information is also provided on postsecondary education and overall “successful” adult adjustment. Data are compared across disability groups and across gender, where relevant.

Young Adults with Behavioral Disorders A Comparison with Peers with Mild Disabilities

The adult adjustment 3 years after graduation of individuals with mild disabilities, with specific emphasis on individuals with behavioral disorders, was investigated in this study. Of the initial statewide random sample of 561 graduates from resource programs, 473 were interviewed: 24 young adults with behavioral disorders, 374 young adults with learning disabilities, and 75 individuals with mental disabilities. Data are presented on: (a) general status variables, such as living independently, postsecondary education, and leisure activities; (b) employment status, such as percentage employed, those working full time, and fringe benefits; and (c) job status. Results are presented in terms of adjustment 3 years after graduation and changes in adjustment from 1 to 3 years following graduation. The adult adjustment of individuals with behavioral disorders is contrasted to the adjustment of individuals from the other disability groups.

Instructional Accommodations for Adolescent Students with Severe Emotional or Behavioral Disorders.

A three-phase functional assessment was conducted to develop and test hypotheses about the relation between instructional accommodations in academic areas and behavior problems for three adolescents with severe behavioral disorders. In Phase 1, the researchers conducted descriptive analyses to identify when most behavior problems occurred at schools, and to interview teachers and students concerning those behavior problems. From the results of descriptive analyses, individualized hypotheses were developed regarding instructional accommodations that might result in improved academic and classroom behavior. Phase 2 included experimental analyses within alternating treatments designs to test these hypotheses within the classrooms. Phase 3 included extended interventions of the instructional accommodations within multiple-baseline (across academic subjects) designs for each participant. Implementation of one or more of the instructional accommodations resulted in improved academic productivity and accuracy, and behavior problems were reduced during the classes in which the instructional accommodations were implemented. In addition, for two participants behavior problems decreased throughout the school day.

Transition of Adolescents with Behavioral Disorders--Is It Successful?.

This study investigated the adjustment – one year after leaving school – of 130 individuals with behavioral disorders who had been graduated from special education programs throughout the state of Iowa in the classes of 1985 and 1986; 70 dropouts from these same classes were also interviewed. General adjustment areas investigated included living arrangements, leisure activities, mechanisms used to cope with personal problems, and difficulties with law enforcement agencies. Percentage employed, location of employment, hours worked, wages, status, area of job. fringe benefits, and source of help in finding a job are also reported. Employed versus unemployed individuals are compared in terms of gender, type of vocational training received in high school, and paid employment during high school. Individuals were also asked to rate their high school experiences relative to their usefulness in preparing them for various facets of adult life. All results are reported separately for graduates and dropouts.

What Are High Schools Offering as Preparation for Employment

The purpose of this study is to determine (a) the patterns that existed in employment preparation courses offered by districts across a midwestern state and (b) the primary intent, primary method of instruction, and location of the classroom-based and work-based components of these courses. Findings indicated that (a) employment preparation offerings were limited, (b) career and technical education was the primary vehicle for delivering employment preparation, (c) the majority of employment preparation course work was offered in the classroom setting, (d) the intent of instruction for work-based-only courses was different from other delivery models, (e) the primary method of instruction in classroom-based-only courses was combined lecture and experiential, and (f) the method of delivering work-based learning differed by model.

Young Adults with Behavioral Disorders--before and after IDEA.

The results of follow-up studies conducted on individuals with behavioral disorders (BD) from two high school graduating classes are compared. One class (class of 1985) was graduated well after passage of Public Law 94–142, but before passage of IDEA (when transition planning became a federal requirement); the other class (class of 1993) was graduated after passage of IDEA. Two questions were addressed: (1) Were graduates with BD from the class of 1993 better off than their counterparts from the class of 1985 as young adults out of school 1 year? and (2) Should we be satisfied with the status of these individuals as young adults? The class of 1993 demonstrated better outcomes than the class of 1985 in several areas, but graduates with BD did not experience outcomes equal to those of their classmates without disabilities.

Academic Abilities of Persons Entering and Remaining in Special Education.

There is considerable evidence that persons entering (Roberson. Keith. & Page. 1983; Sykes. 1983) and remaining (Bethune. 1981; Vance & Schlechty, 1982) in the teaching profession are of lower academic ability than those who choose other professions. The purpose of this study was to determine if the same ability trends exist among those who complete special education teacher training programs and among those who teach in special education classrooms after graduation. The research questions were:

Using Memory-Enhancing Strategies to Learn Multiplication Facts

MAY/JUNE 2000 n 1 Casey and James are fifth-grade special education students receiving math instruction in a special education classroom. They have been working on mastery of basic multiplication facts for 3 years with limited success. They are mainstreamed into general education classrooms for science and, in one particular unit, are using memory-enhancing strategies to learn chemical compound formulas. When the teacher holds up a box of table salt, Casey remembers that potato chips are salty and that “No one can eat just one!” She then says to herself, “Not a Chip left!” and writes down NaCl. When the teacher holds up a bag of sugar, James remembers that if he frequently eats food and drinks beverages with large amounts of sugar, he will develop painful cavities. Then he thinks to himself, “12 Cavities Have 22 Ouches at 11 at night,” and writes down C12H22O11. In this classroom scenario, two students with learning disabilities have learned how to use associative learning strategies to recall information that many other students memorize with little difficulty. Could students like Casey and James also learn associative learning strategies to remember basic multiplication facts? Yes, according to a recently published study (Wood, Frank, & Wacker, 1998). These researchers found that after receiving instruction on one strategy, each student’s accuracy was often 100%, and this was maintained throughout the study even as they learned additional strategies. This article describes methods you can use to successfully teach students how to remember the basic multiplication facts.

Rural vs. Urban: Does It Affect the Transition of Individuals with Disabilities?.

The authors of this study compared the adult adjustment of a statewide random sample of 399 graduates and dropouts from high schools in rural areas with the adjustment of a statewide random sample of 541 of their counterparts from high schools in urban areas. These individuals were classified as learning disabled, behaviorally disordered, or mentally disabled. Information is provided on their employment, fringe benefits, living arrangements, and postsecondary education one and three years out of school. An overall composite delineating the level of successful adjustment of these individuals three years after leaving school is also provided.