Christan Grygas Coogle

Pre-service teacher use of communication strategies upon receiving immediate feedback ☆

Abstract The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of immediate feedback through bug-in-ear eCoaching on early childhood special education pre-service teachers’ use of communication strategies using an activity-based intervention approach. Three early childhood special education pre-service teachers participated in this study. A multiple-probe, single-case design was used to determine the effects of immediate feedback through bug-in-ear eCoaching on teachers’ use of communication strategies. Results indicate that immediate feedback through bug-in-ear eCoaching enhanced pre-service teachers’ use of communication strategies within small-group activities. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

The Social Validity of Bug-in-Ear Coaching: Findings From Two Studies Implemented in Inclusive Early Childhood Environments

Coaching is a promising method for providing professional development, which takes many forms. One such form is real-time coaching through bug-in-ear technology. This study explored the social validity of bug-in-ear coaching when provided as a form of professional development with preservice and in-service early childhood educators. Data from two studies were qualitatively analyzed to describe early childhood educators’ perceptions of the acceptability of bug-in-ear coaching with respect to the learning opportunities provided, feasibility, difficulties, and child-level outcomes. Findings suggest that BIE is deemed to be important and effective at producing educator and child outcomes. Further, educators are satisfied with the intervention and view it to be an acceptable means for receiving professional development.

ECoaching Across Routines to Enhance Teachers’ Use of Modeling

The purpose of this research was to determine the impact of eCoaching on two special education teachers’ use of modeling strategies across child-led, teacher-led, and mealtime routines. A multiple-probe, single-case design was used to determine the effects of eCoaching on teachers’ use of three modeling strategies. Each of the three strategies was a method to model language for children, and they were randomized to three different routines. Results suggest that eCoaching increased teachers’ use of modeling strategies and that eCoaching is a socially valid intervention. Considerations for practice and future research are discussed.

Preschool Children’s Use of Thematic Vocabulary During Dialogic Reading and Activity-Based Intervention

An adapted alternating treatments design was used to compare the expressive use of thematic vocabulary by three preschool children with developmental delays during Dialogic Reading, a shared book reading intervention, and Activity-Based Intervention, a naturalistic play-based teaching method. The design was replicated across two early childhood themes. For each theme, five vocabulary words were randomly assigned to Dialogic Reading, Activity-Based Intervention, or a control condition. Intervention was delivered 2 times per day for 5 days across 2 weeks. Results suggest both methods increased children’s use of target vocabulary and were similarly effective for increasing expressive use of thematic vocabulary by preschoolers with disabilities.

Impact of Bug-in-Ear Professional Development on Early Childhood Co-Teachers’ Use of Communication Strategies

The goal of this study was to build the capacity of early childhood teachers to implement evidence-based strategies. We investigated the efficacy of professional development with bug-in-ear peer coaching in improving teachers’ use of communication strategies, the teachers’ maintenance of strategies post intervention, and the social validity of the intervention. Four early childhood co-teacher dyads participated in the single-case design study. Data were analyzed through visual analysis and masked visual analysis. Results indicate that three of the four teacher dyads increased the frequency with which they used the strategies, with one dyad sustaining their use of targeted strategies post intervention. All teachers perceived that the intervention had positive effects on their children and indicated that bug-in-ear peer coaching was an acceptable form of professional development. Nonetheless, implications for research and practice are discussed to ensure that performance-based feedback is as meaningful as possible.

eCoaching to Enhance Special Educator Practice and Child Outcomes.

Research suggests that there is a gap in what we know is best practice and what is taking place in inclusive early childhood classrooms for children identified with autism spectrum disorder. The purpose of this single-case design study was to examine the effect of eCoaching on (a) a preschool special educators use of embedded learning opportunities, (b) childrens responses to target embedded learning opportunities, and (c) childrens expressive communication. Results suggest positive effects on the teachers use of embedded learning opportunities, increases in child opportunities to practice communication, and variable effects on child communicative outcomes. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

The importance of emotions: the socialisation of emotion in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACT Parents play a critical role in the development of childrens emotional competence; however, little research examines parents’ emotion socialisation practices among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study, we compared the emotion socialisation practices of parents of children with ASD and to those of parents of children that are typically developing. The Coping with Childrens Negative Emotions Scale was used to assess parents’ reactions to childrens emotions in both the typically developing sample (n = 138) and the sample of children with ASD (n = 22). An analysis of covariance revealed significant differences in responses to anger and fear. Group was entered as the independent variable and the dependent variable was parents’ responses to childrens expressions of negative emotion. Covariates included child gender and child age. These results demonstrate a need for research examining the relationship between, and moderators of, parents’ emotional reactions and the development of emotional competence in children with ASD. Furthermore, these results have implications for early intervention practice as parent–child interactions have been shown to affect child outcomes.

The association between adaptive functioning and parents’ attributions for children’s emotions

ABSTRACT Research suggests that adaptive functioning influences parents’ attributions for children’s social behaviours. However, the influence of adaptive functioning on parents’ attributions for children’s emotional expressions is yet to be examined. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between adaptive functioning of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and parents’ attributions for children’s negative emotional expressions. Participants included 68 parents of children with ASD ages 3–11 (Mage = 7.2; SD = 6.82). Parents completed two questionnaires: one measuring adaptive functioning and one measuring parents’ attributions for their children’s emotional expressions. Positive associations were found between: (1) parents’ internal modifiable attributions for overall negative emotions (i.e. fear, anger, sadness aggregate), fear, and anger; (2) parents’ external modifiable attributions for overall negative emotion, fear, and sadness; and (3) parents’ disability-based attributions and fear. Tentatively, these results indicate that attribution retraining may be an important focus for interventions with parents of children with ASD.