Rachel E. Robertson

Simultaneous Presentation of Speech and Sign Prompts to Increase MLU in Children With Intellectual Disability

Expressive language is an important skill to develop in children with intellectual disabilities. It not only aids in decreasing the likelihood of challenging behaviors from occurring but also aids in increasing the individuals independence and assistance in them becoming successful members of society. No previous studies have examined the effectiveness of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions at increasing expressive language measured with mean length of utterances (MLU) in children with intellectual disabilities. The present study used an alternating treatment comparison design to evaluate the effectiveness of three communication interventions: (a) verbal imitation prompting, (b) American Sign Language prompting, and (c) simultaneous verbal imitation prompting and key word sign prompting on MLU in a 9-year-old child with intellectual disability. The study was conducted in the child’s classroom, and her teacher implemented the interventions. Results indicated simultaneous verbal and key word sign prompting were associated with the greatest MLU, although all three communication interventions appeared to increase MLU when compared with unprompted MLU. Implications for practice and future research in the area of simultaneous communication are discussed.

Teacher Reports of Student Health and Its Influence on Students' School Performance

Physical health may be an important variable that influences students’ behavioral and academic performance in school settings. Poor health status is hypothesized to negatively influence student performance even in the presence of evidence-based practices. In this study, teachers reported their perceptions of students’ health status as well as their perceptions of the relation of health status to classroom performance and programming considerations for a sample (N = 217) of elementary and middle school students identified as exhibiting problem behaviors. Results indicated inconsistencies between teachers’ perceptions of student health and school programming considerations. Limitations are presented along with implications for future research and practice.

Participant Diversity in Special Education Research: Parent-Implemented Behavior Interventions for Children With Autism

Evidence-based practices for children with disabilities have empirical support for their effectiveness; however, the demographics of participants making up the evidence base are generally unknown, leaving generalizability of the evidence unclear. This study presents a systematic literature review of participant racial and socioeconomic demographics in one area of special education research, parent-implemented interventions for reducing problem behavior in children with autism, to examine demographic reporting practices, participant characteristics, and their similarity to the general population. Participant race, income, education level, and marital status were aggregated across 23 studies and compared with population-level demographics using chi-square analyses. Results indicated (a) these demographics were infrequently reported; (b) participants with reported demographics were overwhelmingly from White, well-educated, two-parent families; and (c) participants were significantly different from the U.S. population on every tested demographic. Implications of findings and recommendations for reporting participant demographics and increasing diversity in special education research are discussed.

The Acquisition of Problem Behavior in Individuals With Developmental Disabilities as a Behavioral Cusp

A behavioral cusp has been defined as a behavior change that produces contact with new contingencies with important and far-reaching consequences. The concept of behavioral cusps has most frequently been used to select target skills taught to learners and to evaluate the importance of those skills; however, the concept is equally applicable to behavior changes that bring about important and far-reaching negative consequences. Although it has been acknowledged that socially undesirable behavior change can also qualify as a behavioral cusp, this area of the cusp concept has been under-examined. In this article, an undesirable behavior change, the acquisition of problem behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities, is compared with criteria for behavioral cusps previously identified in the literature. The advantages of viewing problem behavior as a behavioral cusp are outlined, and implications for practice and research from a behavioral cusp approach to problem behavior are provided.

Systematic Review of Problem Behavior Interventions: Outcomes, Demographics, and Settings

Interventions designed to decrease problem behavior for students with ASD are critical and may be differentially important for students from minority groups as those students tend to be assigned more negative outcomes related to problem behavior (e.g., suspensions). School-based interventions intended to decrease problem behavior for individuals with ASD were reviewed; 46 articles including 84 single case designs and 87 participants were analyzed regarding participant demographics, settings and implementers, intervention components, and study characteristics. We assessed outcomes for 55 demonstration designs with adequate rigor. Most research was conducted with students in segregated settings and, although race and ethnicity were rarely reported, proportions were different from other reviews in that children from some minority groups were overrepresented.

A Review of Research on Sexual Education for Adults With Intellectual Disabilities

Adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) struggle to gain access to sexual knowledge and experiences. Sexual knowledge increases opportunities for intimacy and positive sexual identities as well as decreases the risk of victimization. This review evaluated the extant literature on sexual education programs for adults with ID. Six studies met inclusion criteria. Findings suggest that sexual education programs can be effective in increasing sexual knowledge, decision-making capabilities, and interpersonal skills for adults with ID. Despite positive results, this synthesis revealed the need for further methodological rigor in this area to identify and/or develop specific instructional curriculum to meet the diverse needs and preferences of adults with ID. Researchers discuss findings and implications for practice at the secondary and postsecondary levels.