Jordan Shurr

Teaching Equivalent Fractions to Secondary Students with Disabilities via the Virtual-Representational-Abstract Instructional Sequence.

Fractions are an important mathematical concept; however, fractions are also a struggle for many students with disabilities. This study explored a new framework adapted from the evidence-based concrete–representational–abstract framework: the virtual–representational–abstract (VRA) framework. The VRA framework involves teaching students to solve mathematical problems with virtual manipulative, then representations or drawings, and finally abstractly. A multiple probe across-students single-case design was used to investigate the effectiveness of the VRA framework for finding equivalent fractions for three middle-school students with disabilities. A functional relation was found between the VRA framework and students’ ability to solve equivalent fractions. Implications related to the use of the VRA framework as a mathematics intervention for secondary students with disabilities as well as directions for future research are discussed.

Adding It Up: Comparing Concrete and App-Based Manipulatives to Support Students With Disabilities With Adding Fractions

Manipulatives are a common tool in mathematics teaching and learning, including for students with disabilities. The most common manipulatives are concrete manipulatives, yet app-based manipulatives are a viable age-appropriate option for secondary students with disabilities. Through an adapted alternating treatment design with three middle school students—two with mild intellectual disability and one with a learning disability, researchers explored the impact of virtual and concrete manipulatives on students’ accuracy, independence, and task completion time for solving addition of fractions with unlike denominators. Students were equally successful in terms of accuracy and differences with independence were minimal. When comparing the two manipulative types, the results were idiosyncratic; two students were more independent with the concrete manipulative and one with the app-based manipulative. Implications for research regarding mathematics instruction and use of concrete and app-based manipulatives are discussed.

Using the Virtual–Representational–Abstract Approach to Support Students With Intellectual Disability in Mathematics:

Mathematics education is an important but underexplored area of research for secondary students with mild intellectual disability. In this multiple probe across behaviors replicated across two participants study, the researchers explored the effectiveness of the virtual–representational–abstract (VRA) instructional sequence to support two students’ acquisition of three mathematical behaviors. Each student was able to acquire his or her three mathematical behaviors (i.e., place value, single-digit addition with regrouping, subtraction with regrouping, and single-digit multiplication) following instruction with the VRA sequence. However, each student struggled with maintenance with at least one behavior. Implications for practice relative to the VRA instructional sequence are discussed.

Best Practices in Teacher Training and Professional Development for Including Learners with Low-Incidence Disabilities

Abstract A shift from a medical model to a social model of including learners with disabilities has occurred over the past 25 years (Stella, Forlin, & Lan, 2007). This shift has impacted both preservice teacher preparation and in-service teacher professional development. This chapter utilizes a conceptual framework built on the work of Forlin and colleagues (Forlin, Loreman, Sharma, & Earle, 2009; Sharma, Forlin, Loreman, & Earle, 2006; Stella et al., 2007) to guide teacher preparation and professional development. This conceptual framework provides a model for (1) addressing attitudes and perceptions; (2) increasing knowledge of disability policies, laws, and evidence-based practices for providing instruction in inclusive settings; (3) and increasing experiences with individuals with disabilities, including experiences within inclusive settings. In addition, the framework incorporates aspects of the context within which inclusion is to occur. Implications include recommendations for teacher training and professional development to improve inclusive education for learners with LID.

The Picture Plus Discussion Intervention: Text Access for High School Students with Moderate Intellectual Disability:

Students with moderate intellectual disability often experience limited access to age-appropriate texts due to limitations in reading skills, access to instruction and supports, and educator beliefs. Use of text read alouds is an emerging tool for increasing such access; however, supports are often still required for access to age-appropriate texts. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of the picture plus discussion (PPD) intervention on the comprehension abilities of high school students with moderate intellectual disability when expository texts were read aloud. A multiple probe design was used to measure the effect of this intervention across three different types of texts including leveled readers, stories from a local newspaper, and sections from employee handbooks. Results indicate that the PPD intervention was successful in increasing student comprehension as measured by story retell. Implications and future directions for research and practice are discussed.

Picture plus discussion with partners: peer centered literacy supports for students with significant disabilities

Access to age-appropriate literature is often difficult for students with significant disabilities without sufficient support. The picture plus discussion (PPD) intervention is an emerging research-based strategy used to increase comprehension of age-appropriate unadapted texts read aloud. While peer supports have been successfully used to increase gains in both academics and social engagement, their use to support literacy comprehension is minimal. This study examines the PPD intervention with unadapted age-appropriate texts read to elementary students with significant disabilities alongside their general education peers. Results of two withdrawal single case designs indicated increases in comprehension from baseline with the intervention as well as changes in engagement when presented with peer partners. Implications of the findings in addition to future research topics were discussed.

Diversity, Severe Disability, and Family: A Systematic Review of the Literature:

Understanding family challenges and perspectives are critical to effective programming and services for individuals with severe disabilities. Equally central, yet often overlooked, is the relationship between family challenges and diversity. This systematic review examined a set of peer reviewed literature published between 2002-2015 at the intersection of diversity, severe disability, and family for the purpose of identifying the foci, subjects, and research methods of such studies. Results indicated a bias toward studies on the impact of disability on the family, as well as disability beliefs and behaviors. In addition, a majority of articles reported mothers as the primary source of data and surveys as the primary method of data collection. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are explored.