Nicholas W. Gelbar

Systematic Review of Articles Describing Experience and Supports of Individuals with Autism Enrolled in College and University Programs

The increase in the number of higher-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is likely to lead to an increased interest in postsecondary opportunities including degree-granting college and university programs. To provide an understanding of the current evidence-base for supporting individuals with ASD in higher education, this article reports the results of a systematic review of the literature concerning college students with ASD. Overall, 20 articles describing 69 individuals met the inclusion criteria. This small number of articles and participants indicates the scarcity of research on this topic and only two of these studies were experimental in nature. These studies described a video-self modeling intervention and a counseling intervention respectively. Eighteen “case studies” were also present in the literature that described difficulties ranging from anxiety to housing concerns. This review deliniates the limitation of our understanding of effective college programming for individuals with ASD.

Beyond the Mask Analysis of Error Patterns on the KTEA-3 for Students With Giftedness and Learning Disabilities

An understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, and achievement profiles of students with giftedness and learning disabilities (G&LD) is needed to address their asynchronous development. This study examines the subtests and error factors in the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement–Third Edition (KTEA-3) for strength and weakness patterns of students with G&LD in higher and lower level thinking skills by comparing G&LD students (n = 196) with academically gifted (GT; n = 69) and specific learning disability (SLD) students (n = 90). Several one-way MANCOVAs were conducted with subtest error factor scores as dependent variables and grouping variable (G&LD, GT, or SLD) as the independent variable. The G&LD means scores across subtests were in between the two control groups. On many higher level thinking tasks, the G&LD group scored similar to the gifted group. The results support the use of error analysis to gain further understanding into the profile of students with G&LD.

Mindfulness for Children in Public Schools: Current Research and Developmental Issues to Consider.

Mindfulness-based interventions have increased in popularity over the past decade and interest continues to increase in the potential to use mindfulness-based interventions in schools. The current research concerning school-based mindfulness-based interventions is reviewed in this article. This research base is fragmented, as most of the studies are underpowered, use uneven dosing, and have not considered important developmental covariates such as cognitive ability. Suggestions for future research are offered including larger, more systematic intervention studies. Practical considerations for providing mindfulness-based interventions in schools are offered, including potential program evaluation outcome measures.

Applying LD Documentation Guidelines at the Postsecondary Level Decision Making With Sparse or Missing Data

A key issue in fostering transition to postsecondary education for students with disabilities is documentation verifying the nature of the disability and supporting the need for services and reasonable accommodations. Documentation guidelines assist postsecondary disability service providers in making decisions about eligibility and reasonable accommodations. However, documentation is often varied in scope, comprehensiveness, and quality, requiring a great deal of professional judgment during the review process. This study examined service provider decision-making when presented with documentation of learning disability with varying levels of information. Results indicated service providers’ value comprehensive Objective Evidence, but importance of the data used in decision-making varied by demographic variables, such as years of experience and type of training in reviewing disability documentation. Implications for practice are addressed.

Higher Education and Disability: A Systematic Review of Assessment Instruments Designed for Students, Faculty, and Staff.

In this study, the literature in disability and higher education was examined, with a specific focus on assessment instruments. Published articles (n = 203) on development of new or refinement of existing instruments were reviewed for traits measured and psychometric rigor reported. Findings showed instruments are intended for professionals and students, and of the student instruments, broad categories are academic, nonacademic, and specific to a disability diagnosis. Not all instruments are limited to students with disabilities; many of the reviewed instruments can be utilized in higher-education settings on all students, faculty, and staff, regardless of disability. The implications of the findings undergird the urgency to prioritize disability as a facet of diversity within higher-education scholarship, and furthermore aid this prioritization by providing a catalogue of robust instruments to researchers and practitioners.

Thirty-Five Years of Transition Topics A Review of CDTEI Issues From 1978 to 2012

A systematic review was conducted of 581 articles published in 76 issues of Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals from the journal’s initial issue in 1978 to the final issue of its 35th year in 2012. Articles were coded based on inclusion of original or secondary data and if not, what type of information the article contained. In the case of articles that presented data, statistics were collected related to sample demographics and the location of the study. In addition, the topic of each article was coded. The most common topical areas were program descriptions and professional development. Trends throughout the analysis are discussed to forecast topical areas needing study as the journal goes forward.

The Impact of an Online Transition Curriculum on Secondary Student Reading: A Multilevel Examination

This study investigates the impact of an online transition curriculum embedded with literacy strategies on reading outcomes for secondary students in grades 9–12 across two states. The quasi-experimental pretest/posttest design had a sample of 338 students with and without disabilities and utilized the AIMS Web Maze Test for 8th Grade Reading Prompts to measure gain scores in reading comprehension. Multilevel linear modeling methods were used to examine the effects of the curriculum intervention on students nested within teachers. Findings show that while both groups increased in reading, the intervention group made larger gains that were statistically significant and corresponded to a large effect size. These results emphasize the importance of embedding reading comprehension strategies within transition services.

Characteristics of international websites with information on developmental disabilities

The Internet often serves as a primary resource for individuals seeking health-related information, and a large and growing number of websites contain information related to developmental disabilities. This paper presents the results of an international evaluation of the characteristics and content of the top 10 ranked results (i.e., not including sponsored results - pay-per-click) returned when one of five terms related to developmental disabilities (i.e., ADHD, autism, down syndrome, learning disability, intellectual disability) was entered into one of six country specific Google online search engines (i.e., Australia (https://www.google.com.au), Canada (https://www.google.ca), Ireland (https://www.google.ie), New Zealand (https://www.google.co.nz), the United Kingdom (https://www.google.co.uk), and the United States (https://www.google.com)) on October 22, 2013. Collectively, we found that international consumers of websites related to developmental disabilities will encounter different websites with differing content and terminology, and should be critical consumers to ensure they locate the information they are seeking.

Psychologically Based Therapies to Improve Lung Functioning in Students with Asthma.

Asthma is a common, chronic respiratory disease that can be costly to both society and the individual. In addition to increased absenteeism, children with asthma may also be at a greater risk for developing comorbid anxiety and depression. Various complementary psychological treatments have been effective at reducing both asthmatic symptoms and psychological distress. Although the research in the area of mind-body treatments as it pertains specifically to persons with asthma is still developing, this article will describe several promising alternative treatment methods, many of which have already been, or could be easily be applied for use in a school setting.

Case Study on the Implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in an Alternative Educational Setting.

School-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SW-PBIS) can effectively reduce problem behaviors and simultaneously increase pro-social behaviors in general education settings. SW-PBIS is not a “packaged” intervention, but a framework through which schools create systemic changes for promoting expected behaviors, while also monitoring and intervening with students who have behavior concerns through a tiered model of service delivery. A case study documenting the SW-PBIS implementation process in an alternative educational setting is presented. Alternative schools typically serve students who qualify to receive special education services, have a lower staff-to-student ratio, and often warrant more intensive student interventions as compared to general education settings. These differences from traditional environments pose unique challenges to the SW-PBIS implementation process. Suggestions for neutralizing these challenges such as providing enhanced Tier 1 supports and extensive staff training are explained in depth in this case study.