Tom Pierce

Can I Play? Classroom-Based Interventions for Teaching Play Skills to Children With Autism

There are many interventions and methods discussed in the research related to teaching social and play skills to children With autism and other developmental disorders. These include (a) teaching isolated play skills in the context of preteaching, (b) script training for play skills, (c) using peer models, and (d) using pivotal response training. This article describes methods to adapt this research for effective use in both specialized and inclusive classrooms.

An Exploration of the Alienation Experienced by African American Parents From Their Children’s Educational Environment

Current research suggests that parents are a key component to the school success of their children. However, in today’s world, parents often work long hours, have more than one job, and participate in multiple responsibilities that may limit their participation. Because of the variety of factors that impinge on parents, educators often criticize them for their nonparticipation or limited participation in the school environment. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of alienation, if any, that African American parents feel toward public education. A modified version of the Barriers to School Involvement Survey was administered to 421 African American parents. The questionnaire was factored into five problem categories for analysis (e.g., personal concerns, work, lack of interest, logistics, teacher/parent relationships). Although significance was found among the five problem categories and across the six research questions (e.g., problem categories, employment status, economics, special education vs. general education, family composition, and parent education levels), the findings indicate that parents did not view the five problem categories as a concern impacting their school involvement.

Beyond Consumer Advocacy Autism Spectrum Disorders, Effective Instruction, and Public Schools

disorders (ASD) has surged in recent years (Fombonne, 2005). The marked increase in children with ASD who attend public school (U.S. Department of Education, 2003) has accompanied an unprecedented discussion about how best to educate this challenging and diverse population (National Research Council, 2001). A considerable body of research has emerged, and a number of promising, evidence-based strategies have been developed (Simpson et al., 2005); however, despite need, the dynamic nature of public schools complicates the process of selecting and delivering evidence-based instruction to students with ASD. Public schools are social systems in which multiple demands compete with limited resources. Recent legislative reforms have increased pressure on schools to demonstrate learning outcomes for all students, including students with disabilities (McLaughlin & Thurlow, 2003). School systems have invested significant resources in various reform models aimed at improving academic performance (e.g., Koh & Robertson, 2003), although the impact of such reforms on students with disabilities is unclear. Under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, states are now required to assess all students’ progress in the general education curriculum. Consequently, schools must balance the academic progress of students with disabilities with the legal mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004, including least restrictive environment (LRE) provisions. Students with significant disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD), are increasingly included in general education; however, successful inclusion is sometimes countered by resistance from general educators and lack of necessary administrative support (Dybvik, 2004). Service delivery for students with ASD is further complicated by the multidisciplinary nature of special education. In public schools, special educators, general educators, related service providers, and administrators collaborate with parents to develop a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). Disagreements about appropriate programming occur as professionals and parents bring differing experiences and philosophies to the process. For example, it is not uncommon for parents of children with ASD to advocate a program primarily based in applied behavior analysis (ABA) while professional team members advocate a more eclectic approach (Etscheidt, 2003). Professionals also tend to endorse strategies conforming to their philosophy and professional training, which may result in conflicts during the teaming process. For instance, an occupational therapist may endorse sensory integration (SI) therapy (Cook & Dunn, 1998) to address a student’s challenging behavior, whereas a behavior specialist may recommend a behaviorally based approach (e.g., Durand & Merges, 2001). Teachers and paraprofessionals often lack the training necessary to implement a specialized approach without considerable support from related service providers or consultants. Without support, evidence-based interventions are unlikely to be implemented as intended. Finally, from the perspective of public school administrators, some intervention strategies are prohibitively expensive—particularly when they require outside consultants or 1:1 staffing ratios—and deplete scarce school resources. The factors that affect evidence-based intervention for students with ASD are highlighted in Figure 1. This is not intended to be an exhaustive diagram but rather a summary of the major overlapping variables that consti-

An Analysis of Social Skills Instruction Provided in Teacher Education and In-Service Training Programs for General and Special Educators

An adapted version of the Teacher/Staff Skillstreaming Checklist was used to determine the level, type, and area of social skills instruction provided to general and special education teachers. Nine universities participated in the study in which facilitators advertised the adapted questionnaire to licensed general and special education teachers enrolled in university-based degree programs over a 6-month period. A total of 237 participants completed the questionnaire. Results indicate that general and special education teachers receive a limited amount of direct and incidental social skills instruction in their preservice and/or in-service training programs. The general and special education teachers reported receiving more instruction in particular areas of social skills within their in-service training. Special education teachers who teach in self-contained settings did not receive more social skills instruction than did resource room teachers in preservice or in-service training programs. However, special education teachers who teach in resource rooms did receive more social skills instruction than did general education teachers, but only in their preservice training programs.

Exploring the Efficacy of Online Strategy Instruction for Improving the Reading Abilities of Students with Learning Disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of using online modules to teach The Word Identification Strategy (Lenz, Schumaker, Deshler, & Beals, 2007) to elementary and middle school students with learning disabilities in reading. The five participants in this multiple probe across participants study were enrolled in an online charter school and received their instruction via the schools Internet-based platform. Baseline, intervention, and maintenance data revealed that all five participants improved in the area of oral reading. Additional standardized and curriculum-based pre- and posttest measures revealed improvements related to oral reading, comprehension, and use of the strategy. Implications for teaching The Word Identification Strategy within an online context are discussed and recommendations for future research in this area are provided.

Parental stress, family quality of life, and family-teacher partnerships: Families of children with autism spectrum disorder

BACKGROUND Reducing parental stress and improving family quality of Life (FQOL) are continuing concerns for families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Family-teacher partnerships have been identified as a positive factor to help parents reduce their stress and improve their FQOL. However, the interrelations among parental stress, FQOL, and family-teacher partnerships need to be further examined so as to identify the possible paths to help parents reduce their stress and improve their FQOL. The purpose of this study was to examine the interrelations among these three variables. METHOD A total of 236 parents of school children with ASD completed questionnaires, which included three measures: (a) the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale, (b) the Parental Stress Scale, and (c) the Beach Center Family-Professional Partnerships Scale. The structural equation modeling was used to analyze the interrelations among these three variables. RESULTS Perceived parental stress had a direct effect on parental satisfaction concerning FQOL and vice versa. Perceived family-teacher partnerships had a direct effect on FQOL, but did not have a direct effect on parental stress. However, family-teacher partnerships had an indirect effect on parental stress through FQOL. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Reducing parental stress could improve FQOL for families of children with ASD and vice versa. Strong family-teacher partnerships could help parents of children with ASD improve their FQOL and indirectly reduce their stress.