Lori Goetz

Achievement by All Students within the Context of Cooperative Learning Groups

Three elementary-aged students with multiple severe disabilities acquired basic communication and motor skills within cooperative learning activities conducted in their general education classrooms. With gradually fading assistance from the instructor, the members without disabilities of the cooperative learning groups provided cues, prompts, and consequences to promote the learning of the member with disabilities. The results showed that the three students with disabilities not only independently demonstrated targeted basic skills within cooperative academic activities, but also generalized those skills during follow-up sessions to activities with other members of a newly formed cooperative learning group. In addition, tests of achievement of targeted academic objectives by the members without disabilities in their cooperative learning groups indicated that they performed as well as members of a control group within the classroom that did not include a child with severe disabilities and that members of both the target group and the control group significantly increased their knowledge in targeted academic areas.

Evaluating the Effects of Placement of Students with Severe Disabilities in General Education versus Special Classes.

This program evaluation study was designed to investigate the effects of the placement of students with severe disabilities in general education versus special education classes. Sixteen elementary education programs in California participated. Eight represented the “full inclusion” model of integration, and eight represented the special class model. Two students were selected from each program, with one of the students experiencing more disability and the other student experiencing less disability. A number of key program quality and student outcome variables were measured and, except for an analysis of the individualized education plans (IEPs) of participating students, all measures were based on observations of students in their school programs. The data were analyzed within disability levels. The results indicated that there were differences for the students who were fully included and those who attended special education programs on measures of IEP quality and in the emphasis given to various curricular areas addressed by the educational objectives. In addition, there were differences in their levels of engagement in the activities of the school day, the type of activities in which they were engaged, the type and level of participation in integrated school environments, and the degree to which they initiated and engaged in social interactions with peers and adults.

Collaborative teaming to support students with augmentative and alternative communication needs in general education classrooms

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the use of a team collaboration process to increase the academic achievement and social participation of three students with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) needs who were members of general education classrooms. Three educational teams, comprised of the general education teacher, inclusion support teacher, instructional assistant, speech-language pathologist, and one of the students parents, developed and collaboratively implemented Unified Plans of Support for the students that consisted of academic adaptations and communication and social supports. The effectiveness of the support plans was evaluated through behavioral observations and team interviews. Evaluation outcomes suggest that consistent implementation of the plans of support by team members was associated with improvements in academic skills, social interactions with peers, engagement in classroom activities, and use by the students of a variety of AAC devices. Implications of the collaborative teaming process in supporting students with AAC needs in general education classrooms are discussed.

Using a Behavior Chain Interruption Strategy to Teach Communication Skills to Students with Severe Disabilities

Two adolescents with severe disabilities were taught pictorial communication skills using an interrupted behavior sequence strategy. The independent variable involved insertion of a typical operant instructional trial for teaching communication skills into the midst of ongoing predictable sequences of behaviors, such as making toast or washing dishes, rather than at the beginning of the task performance. Results indicated the strategy was effective, and are discussed in terms of motivational factors and in terms of potential application of the strategy in community settings.

Acquisition of Conversation Skills and the Reduction of Inappropriate Social Interaction Behaviors

Three students with severe disabilities were taught to independently initiate a conversation and participate in conversation turntaking throughout a 10-min session across a variety of school and community settings with at least four nondisabled peers as partners. Inappropriate social interaction behaviors that were present at high rates during baseline sessions were observed to decrease as conversation skills were acquired. This finding is discussed in terms of the hypothesis that inappropriate behaviors can serve a variety of communicative functions and may be reduced as functionally equivalent, socially acceptable communication means are acquired.

The Quality of IEP Objectives Associated with Placement on Integrated Versus Segregated School Sites

Individualized education programs (IEPs) written for students with severe disabilities who attended either integrated or segregated educational sites were evaluated on the basis of the degree to which they included seven components identified as indicators of best practices. These seven indicators fall into three categories: age-appropriateness, functionality, and potential for generalization to a variety of environments. Teacher training and expertise were held constant. A difference was found between the groups on the overall quality of IEP objectives, with higher scores on those IEPs written for students who were integrated into regular school campuses. Opportunities available in integrated programs that may enhance IEP quality are discussed.

Progress in Educating Students with the Most Severe Disabilities: Is There Any?

This article examines the issue of who are the most severely disabled students and clients and how they have or have not benefited from educational and postschool professional services to date. A loosely structured working definition of this subpopulation is offered. The existing base of literature is analyzed based on a tripartite body of work encompassing intervention studies (primarily independent variable focused); mediating considerations, standing between, but affecting both treatments and outcomes (intervening variables); and outcome-focused studies (dependent variable studies). Because the existing literature base is, for the most part, ambiguous as to the exact parameters of the population studied, a brief review of both published work that clearly applies to the most severely disabled subpopulation and a selection of very recent unpublished studies which seem to fit the same criterion is presented. This article concludes with a set of recommendations, including the need for a “zero exclusion” policy, the need for increased focus on social and behavioral development, the need for further analysis of quality educational outcomes, and the need for continued integration and inclusion of these individuals in supported work and community living.

Using an Interrupted Behavior Chain Strategy to Teach Generalized Communication Responses

Three students with severe disabilities were taught to request items or events within four interrupted behavior chain contexts. When interrupted behavior chain procedures were in effect, a typical operant instructional trial for teaching communication responses was inserted into the middle of an ongoing predictable sequence of behaviors such as brushing teeth or playing ball. Throughout the baseline and intervention phases, generalization probes were conducted to determine whether the newly acquired responses would be performed within behavior chains not yet used for instruction. The results demonstrated that for each of the three students the communicative function and the response form acquired within one behavior chain context generalized without further instruction to at least two chains in which training had not yet occurred. Moreover, for two of the students the picture discrimination skills required for selection of the appropriate content for each communication response generalized to nontraining contexts.

Generalized Effects of Conversation Skill Training.

Three high school students with severe disabilities were taught to initiate and maintain a conversation independently through a 4-min session with a communication book adaptation. Instruction occurred across a variety of school settings with several regular education students serving as communication partners. For each of the three students, an analysis of the generalized effect of conversation training revealed that conversation initiation and “turntaking” skills generalized to “conversation opportunities” in settings and with partners not included in instructional sessions. Additionally, increases in conversation skills and component behaviors (greeting and commenting) were accompanied by decreases in inappropriate social interaction behaviors.

Interacting with peers through conversation turntaking with a communication book adaptation

Three elementary-age students with severe disabilities were taught to initiate and maintain a conversation independently using pictures in a communication book to augment their speech. Instruction occurred across a variety of school settings with several age-appropriate regular education students serving as communication partners. An analysis of the extent to which newly acquired conversation skills generalized to settings and partners not included in instructional sessions revealed that generalization was limited until training of nondisabled peer participants was implemented. Nondisabled peers who served as generalization partners were taught a specific cueing strategy that promoted turntaking by the students with disabilities.