Stacey Jones Bock

Welcome to Our World Parent Perceptions of Interactions BetWeen Parents of Young Children With ASD and Education Professionals

The interaction betWeen parents of children With ASD and education professionals is a critical issue, due to increasing prevalence rates, increasing litigation, and legal mandates of the 1997 amendments to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Which require parental involvement in the education of children With disabilities. The purpose of this study Was to investigate the perceptions of parents of young children With autism spectrum disorder regarding their experiences, roles, and relationships With education professionals. Purposive sampling Was used to identify participants. Data Were collected through multiple intervieWs, observations, and documentation. A cross-case analysis method Was used to analyze the data. Findings Were confirmed using methods of triangulation, respondent validation, and member checking. The findings indicated that the interaction betWeen parents and education professionals is a dynamic and complex process. Three major themes emerged: (a) the important influences on parent perceptions, (b) common experiences that either reduced or enhanced parental trust, and (c) parental roles that Were exhibited during parent interaction With education professionals. This article specifically focuses on the first tWo themes because they are of prime importance to the development of parent-friendly strategies.

The Effectiveness of the Picture Exchange Communication System with Nonspeaking Adults

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) training was implemented with 5 nonspeaking adults with mental retardation who were not currently using any type of functional communication system. A modified ABAB, single-subject design was used to assess the effectiveness of PECS in enhancing the functional communication skills of these individuals. Three individuals progressed through 4 PECS training phases relatively quickly and developed functional skills that they were able to display in home and community settings. Two other individuals demonstrated limited progress, and the PECS training did not meaningfully alter their level of communicative competence. Implications for teaching functional communication skills to nonspeaking adults are discussed, and recommendations for future research are provided.

Teacher Ratings of Evidence-Based Practices from the Field of Autism.

Students who have a hearing loss and a comorbid diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have multiple obstacles to overcome. Using Gallaudet Research Institute data, Szymanski, Brice, Lam, and Hotto calculated 1 deaf student in 59 received services for both a hearing loss and an ASD (Szymanski, Brice, Lam, & Hotto, 2012). Teachers of the deaf (TOD) in a Midwestern state completed a survey (N = 68) to indicate familiarity with evidence-based practices (EBP) from the field of ASD in order to confirm or reject the hypothesis that they would not report familiarity with these practices. Further analyses explored use and perceived effectiveness of EBP for those TOD who had familiarity with the instructional practices. Results of the study indicated that there was wide variance in TOD familiarity, use, and perceived effectiveness of the EBP.

Inclusion of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are one of the least included in the general education environment, only falling behind children with intellectual disabilities, multiple disabilities, and deaf/blindness (U.S. Department of Education, 2015). Teacher attitudes, knowledge and training of ASD, and administrative support are essential components of successful inclusive environments (Ferraioli & Harris, 2011; Harding, 2009). Researchers have also identified evidence-based practices to support students with ASD (National Autism Center, 2015; Wong et al., 2014). This chapter provides research related to inclusion of students with ASD, factors that may influence inclusion rates, and provides educators a few practices to try if they are given the opportunity to work with a student with ASD in their inclusive classroom.

A Review of Educational Practices for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students with Comorbid Autism

Abstract The population of students who are deaf/hard of hearing (D/HH) that have additional disabilities remains at over 40 per cent. One population of particular concern is the group of D/HH students with a comorbid diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The prevalence of ASD in the D/HH population is 1 in 59 (Szymanski et al., 2012. Deaf Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(10):2028–37.). This is thought to be an underestimate of the actual prevalence. The presence of two language-impacting disabilities increases the need for strong evidence-based practices. A review of existing literature on educational practices for D/HH students with comorbid ASD was conducted. The purpose of this review was to identify educational practices or interventions used with this population. Further, additional aspects related to educational practices were identified that were not specifically intervention research. A Boolean search across five databases in conjunction with a hand search of literature resulted in nine reviewed articles. This review revealed a dearth of available resources and direction for teachers and professionals supporting students with comorbid D/HH and ASD. The review provided information on potential educational practices as well as implications for teacher training. Implications for future research were also outlined.

Chapter 4 Interventions for Students Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing

The world revolves around sound. Children who are deaf/hard of hearing (D/HH) lack access to sound, thus need careful monitoring and planning to ensure they have access to adequate language models and supports to develop a strong language foundation. It is this foundation that is needed to ensure D/HH children are able to achieve developmental and academic milestones. Research is emerging to suggest specific intervention strategies that can be used to support D/HH children from birth throughout their educational career. In this chapter, we highlight several strategies that can be used to support communication, language, academic, and social/emotional growth. We freely admit that this is in no way a comprehensive and exhaustive list, but rather only scratches the surface. The field of deaf education and related research and technology is constantly changing. To ensure adequate educational access, it is highly recommended that a professional specialized in hearing loss be a part of the educational team any time a child is identified as having any degree or type of hearing loss.