Using virtual classroom for teaching special needs students in inclusive classrooms during and beyond Covid-19: Teachers' perspectives / Uso del aula virtual para enseñar a estudiantes con necesidades especiales en aulas inclusivas durante y después de la COVID-19: perspectivas de los docentes

Encouraging and continuing inclusive learning environments is important to allow all students to be able to fully participate, engage, and learn. The online learning environment obliges educators to think creative-ly about how to achieve this goal. The aim was to investigate using virtual classroom for teaching special needs students in inclusive classrooms dur-ing and beyond Covid-19 from the perspectives of their teachers. Teachers of special education from integration schools in the middle stage in Mak-kah were targeted. A 15-item survey instrument was developed particular-ly for this research study . Quantitative research is carried out with the aim to investigate using virtual classroom(VC) for teaching special needs stu-dents in inclusive classrooms during and beyond Covid-19 from the per-spectives of their teachers. A survey method was used. Data were collected through a structured self-administered questionnaire, which was based on the technology acceptance model(TAM). Pearson correlation(R) and mul-tiple regression (MRA) were used to analyze data . Results indicated that the BI is positively affected by PU, PEOU. PU, PEOU yielded a coeffi-cient of multiple regression (R) and a multiple correlation square. This shows that a total variance in BI is accounted for by PU, PEOU. In con-clusion, the findings in this study contribute to the literature on TAM and its use in special education in particular.(AU)

Fomentar y continuar con los entornos de aprendizaje inclusivos es importante para permitir que todos los estudiantes puedan participar, comprometerse y aprender plenamente. El entorno de aprendizaje online obliga a los educadores a pensar de forma creativa sobre cómo lograr este objetivo. El objetivo era investigar el uso del aula virtual para enseñar a estudiantes con necesidades especiales en aulas inclusivas durante y después de la COVID-19 desde la perspectiva de sus docentes. La investigación cuantitativa se lleva a cabo con el objetivo de investigar el uso del aula virtual (VC) para enseñar a estudiantes con necesidades especiales en aulas inclusivas durante y después de Covid-19 desde las perspectivas de sus maestros. Se utilizó un método de encuesta. Las variables independientes son la utilidad percibida (PU), la facilidad de uso percibida (PEOU), mientras que la variable dependiente es la intención de comportamiento del estudiante (BI). Los datos fueron recolectados a través de un cuestionario estructurado autoadministrado, que se basó en el modelo de aceptación de tecnología (TAM). Se utilizaron la correlación de Pearson (r) y la regresión múltiple (MRA) para analizar los datos. Los resultados indicaron que el BI se ve afectado positivamente por PU, PEOU. PU, PEOU arrojaron un coeficiente de regresión múltiple (R) y un cuadrado de correlación múltiple. Esto muestra que PU, PEOU explican una variación total en BI.(AU)

Using guided credible history interviews to establish special education eligibility for students with traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND: In Oregon in 2019, only 261 students were eligible for special education under the traumatic brain injury (TBI) category. Many students with TBIs are not treated by a medical provider, so the requirement for a medical statement could prevent eligible youth from receiving special education services. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated barriers to using a medical statement to establish special education eligibility for TBI, support for using a guided credible history interview (GCHI), and training needs around GCHI. RESULTS: Among participants, 84% reported difficulty obtaining a medical statement for TBI eligibility determination, and 87% favored the GCHI as an alternative, though they reported a need for training in TBI and GCHI. CONCLUSION: The results support the use of GCHI to establish special education eligibility for TBI and informed Oregon's addition of GCHI to TBI special education eligibility determination.

Self-dehumanization and other-dehumanization toward students with special educational needs: examining their prevalence, consequences and identifying solutions-a study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Students with special educational needs (SEN) often face dehumanization, which negatively impacts their mental health, daily functioning, and educational outcomes. This study seeks to address the research gap in dehumanization literature by examining the prevalence, dynamics, and consequences of self-dehumanization and other-dehumanization among SEN students. Moreover, by utilizing psychological experiments, the study aims to identify potential intervention strategies and make recommendations to minimize the negative psychological consequences derived from the dual model of dehumanization. METHODS: This two-phase, mixed-methods study incorporates cross-sectional surveys and quasi-experimental designs. Phase 1 investigates the self-dehumanization of SEN students and other-dehumanization from non-SEN peers, teachers, parents, and the public. Phase 2 involves four experimental studies to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions emphasizing human nature and uniqueness in reducing self-dehumanization and other-dehumanization of SEN students, as well as their associated negative consequences. DISCUSSION: The study fills a research gap by examining dehumanization in SEN students, applying dyadic modeling, and identifying potential solutions to ameliorate dehumanization and its negative consequences. The findings will contribute to the advancement of the dual model of dehumanization, increase public awareness and support for SEN students in inclusive education, and promote changes in school practice and family support. The 24-month study in Hong Kong schools is expected to provide significant insights into inclusive education in school and community settings.

Assistive technology for students with intellectual disability: examining special education teachers ' perceptions in Saudi Arabia.

Individuals with an intellectual disability (ID) have complex learning needs, and often experience difficulty acquiring new skills that rely solely on traditional teaching materials. Assistive technology (AT) is a powerful tool that plays an important role in addressing many of the issues encountered by those with ID, via the integration of technology in their learning process. This study explores teachers' views of AT facilities in different special education programs for students with ID in the Makkah province of Saudi Arabia, in order to identify the uses of the AT tools used to teach them. The study employs semi-structured interviews as the data collection method, seeking to determine the current state of AT integration in this field. The data is analyzed using qualitative methods, and the findings reveal that the teachers interviewed incorporate AT into the academic setting, and agree that such technology can foster student learning, assignment completion, and engagement.

DEVELOPMENT OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN UKRAINE IN THE CONTEXT OF WORLD TRENDS.

The aim of the research is to analyze the problem of inclusive education in Ukraine in the context of world trends. According to its philosophy, each school should be inclusive, which implies the readiness of the school to accept every child with SEN at any time, the desire to create the most favorable educational environment that will serve the development of its potential. According to the results of the analysis, we also conclude that Ukrainian scientists pay more attention to issues of inclusion related to higher education (foreign experience, features of teaching students with inclusion, training future teachers to work with children with disabilities, etc.). Meanwhile, in our opinion, the theoretical and methodological principles, pedagogical conditions, practical methods of organizing inclusive education of children with various types of developmental disabilities are insufficiently studied. This, among other things, highlights the scientific problem raised in our study. Thus, the attention of the Ukrainian state to people with SEN, European-oriented social educational policy is evidenced not only by the reduction of the number of boarding schools, orphans and children deprived of parental care there, but also the dynamics of growing enrollment of children with SEN in inclusive special classes of secondary schools (in 2020/2021 academic year compared to 2015/2016 academic year this amount increased by 7% (from 5.3 thousand to 5.7 thousand). As a result of the development of inclusive education over the past five years, the number of students with SEN covered by inclusive education has increased more than 6 times, and the number of inclusive classes in secondary schools has increased 7 times. Similar changes have taken place in the staffing of inclusive education. Inclusive education and upbringing of children with SEN is a long-term strategy that is considered not as a local area of work, but as a systematic approach to organizing the activities of the general education system in all areas in general.

Assistive technologies as a curriculum component in Jordan: Future special education teachers' preparation and the field status.

The purpose of this study was to provide evidence-based information about future special education teachers' perceptions of their preparation for using assistive technology (AT), and the field status with respect to the use of AT. Content analysis was conducted in order to analyze the data from 15 semi-structured interviews and a focus group consisting of 8 participants. The results indicate that overall, the participants were dissatisfied with their preparation programs and the field status regarding the use of AT. Furthermore, the participants reported barriers and ethical considerations regarding the use of AT. Implications and recommendations are provided both for the research community and for decision-makers for special education teacher preparation programs and in the field.

Literacy instruction for autistic children who speak languages other than English.

LAY ABSTRACT: Many autistic children across the globe speak languages other than English. However, much of the research about teaching children with autism to read and write is derived from studies including people who speak English and no other languages. Here, we review the research on teaching children with autism to read and write in languages other than English. We did this because the world's languages, and the ways they are represented in written form, vary greatly. A broader overview that encompasses languages other than English can help us better understand how learning to read and write can be supported for autistic children around the world. The studies included in our review highlight some potential differences in effective literacy teaching for autistic children learning to read and write using different writing systems. The studies we reviewed tended to include relatively small samples of autistic children, among other limitations. We hope that our review will increase awareness and research efforts in the area of autism and global literacy.

Evaluating Teacher Language Within General and Special Education Classrooms Serving Elementary Students with Autism.

This study examined how teachers and paraprofessionals in 126 kindergarten-second grade general and special education classrooms talked with their 194 students with autism, and further, how individual student characteristics in language, autism symptoms, and social abilities influenced this talk. Using systematic observational methods and factor analysis, we identified a unidimensional model of teacher language for general and special education classrooms yet observed differences between the settings, with more language observed in special education classrooms-much of which included directives and close-ended questions. Students' receptive vocabulary explained a significant amount of variance in teacher language beyond its shared covariance with social impairment and problem behavior in general education classrooms but was non-significant within special education classrooms. Research implications are discussed.

Data Mountain: Self-Monitoring, Goal Setting, and Positive Attributions to Enhance the Oral Reading Fluency of Elementary Students With or at Risk for Reading Disabilities.

Data Mountain is a self-determination program that has shown early promise in enhancing the oral reading fluency (ORF) of students with or at risk for reading disabilities (RD). This program supports self-determined learning behaviors through explicit teaching of self-monitoring, goal setting, and positive attributions. The present study tested the effects of Data Mountain on the ORF of 81 students with or at risk for RD in second through fifth grades, randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Data Mountain delivered in small groups, Data Mountain delivered individually, or a comparison condition. Results from hierarchical linear modeling indicated that treatment students read an average of 31 more words per minute with a growth rate twice that of comparison students (p < .01). The transferable possibilities of Data Mountain to provide students with an opportunity to learn self-determination skills and support ORF is significant to the field of special education.

The Efficacy and Impact of a Special Education Legislative Advocacy Program Among Parents of Children with Disabilities.

With the looming reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), it is important for parent input to inform legislative changes. Unfortunately, parent input has been limited in past IDEA reauthorizations. Thus, it is critical to develop and test interventions to improve parent legislative advocacy. With 37 parents of children with disabilities, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine the efficacy and impact of an advocacy program. Results indicate significant increases in special education knowledge and special education legislative advocacy activities for the intervention (versus waitlist-control) group. However, there were no significant changes in civic engagement. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children With Special Needs: A Descriptive Study.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, children with special needs may have challenges. To determine emotional and behavioral challenges, 116 children aged 4 to 6 years, who received special education, were evaluated. COVID-19 negatively affected the families at a rate of 94.6%; 76.5% of the children's daily routines were worsened. Although the one-on-one time duration with the mother and father increased (73.5% and 66.7%), reading books (40.6%), play (17.2%), and overall activity durations (25.7%) decreased. The median screen time increased from 1 to 3 hours. According to the families, there was a regression in development in 18.8% of children. Special education practices at home were ceased by 17.2% of families, and a significant difference was found between the groups with and without regression in development in terms of the frequency of continuing special education at home. The development of children with special needs is an ongoing urgent situation; thus, besides protecting and promoting physical health during the pandemic, families and children should also be supported for developmental needs.

Intervención educativa sobre la sexualidad aplicada a trabajadoras de la educación especial / An Educational Intervention about Sexuality Applied to Special Education Workers

Introducción: La educación especial garantiza una atención de calidad para todas las personas con necesidades educativas especiales, en ella se desarrollan actividades para favorecer su aprendizaje y la inserción social. Las educadoras deben tener los conocimientos apropiados sobre diferentes temas, tales como la sexualidad. Objetivo: Incrementar el conocimiento sobre la sexualidad en las trabajadoras de la educación especial a través de una intervención educativa. Métodos: Se aplicó una intervención educativa validada por expertos, con diseño antes-después, a las trabajadoras que laboran en el Círculo Infantil Especial Zunzún, del municipio Playa. La intervención consistió en talleres sobre el conocimiento de algunos aspectos relacionados con la sexualidad. Resultados: La mayoría de las educadoras (17 / 62 por ciento) refirió haber recibido información sobre sexualidad, las fuentes más citadas fueron: el personal de salud del centro (18 / 66,6 por ciento), programas de radio y televisión (9 / 33,3 por ciento) y cursos de posgrado (7 / 25,9 por ciento). Antes de aplicada la intervención educativa existía desconocimiento de los principales contenidos teóricos y prácticos, después de la intervención aumentó el conocimiento y su actuación en relación con la sexualidad. Conclusión: La aplicación de la intervención educativa amplió los conocimientos sobre la sexualidad en las trabajadoras de la educación especial(AU)

Introduction: Special education guarantees quality care for all the people with special educational needs, since it includes activities developed to favor their learning and social involvement. Educators must have the appropriate knowledge about different topics, such as sexuality. Objectives: To increase knowledge about sexuality in special education workers through an educational intervention. Methods: An educational intervention validated by experts, with a before and after design, was applied to the workers from the children's special care center Zunzún, in Playa Municipality. The intervention consisted in workshops on the knowledge about some aspects related to sexuality. Results: Most of the educators (17/62 percent) reported having received information about sexuality; the most cited sources were the center's health personnel (18/66.6 percent), radio and television programs (9/33.3 percent), and postgraduate courses (7/25.9 percent). Before the educational intervention was applied, there was a lack of knowledge about the main theoretical and practical contents; after the intervention, their knowledge and performance with respect to sexuality increased. Conclusion: The application of the educational intervention increased the knowledge about sexuality in special education workers(AU)

The Effects of Data-based Instruction (DBI) for Students with Learning Difficulties in Korea: A Single-subject Meta-analysis.

Data-based instruction (DBI) is an ongoing process to utilize students' data for determining when and how to intensify intervention. It is an educational approach that is suggested as effective to enhance achievements of struggling learners, particularly for those who did not respond to intensive intervention in usual ways. In Korea, DBI was introduced and applied for students with learning difficulties especially since 2000 when the first Korea curriculum-based measurement (CBM) was developed as the name of Basic Academic Skills Assessment. Despite a number of studies accumulated since then, there has been a lack of research that examined the level of evidence-based practice (EBP) of DBI research. Thus, the present study sought to synthesize the DBI research so far in Korea by analyzing the effectiveness of DBI for school-aged students with learning difficulties via meta-analysis and evaluating the quality of the research. In this study, a total of 32 single-subject design studies were used. Multilevel meta-analysis revealed that the mean effect size of DBI was statistically significant (B = 1.34) and there was significant variance across participants in effect sizes. The results from the conditional model showed that exceptionality type, the number of sessions, and the length of each session were significantly accountable for the variability of effect sizes. In addition, the results of the qualitative analysis revealed the acceptable quality of the overall DBI research with some limitations. Based on these findings, implications and study limitations were discussed.

Programa de asesoramiento colaborativo a docentes en el área de la comunicación y el lenguaje / Collaborative counselling programme for teachers in the communication and language area

En este artículo describimos un programa de asesoramiento colaborativo dirigido a docentes, enmarcado en las perspectivas teóricas socio-interactiva (Bruner, 1986) y eco-funcional (Bronfenbrenner, 1987). El objetivo principal es promover procesos de reflexión y crítica respecto a las estrategias, herramientas y orientaciones que los docentes pueden ir progresivamente incorporando en el aula para optimizar la manera de enfocar el trabajo de la comunicación y el lenguaje, con el fin último de mejorar la competencia comunicativa y lingüística de los alumnos con discapacidad. El asesoramiento consiste en el desarrollo de 9 reuniones, 8 de asesoramiento y una de cierre, mediante las cuales se enseña a los docentes, principalmente a: a) optimizar la organización del aula, b) seguir en mayor medida la iniciativa de los alumnos, c) usar estrategias para promover la interacción y alargar los turnos conversacionales, y d) usar estrategias de modelado del lenguaje. La eficacia del programa de asesoramiento se ha probado en una investigación-acción colaborativa con tres docentes de escuela especial, aportando resultados diversos tanto en relación con el desarrollo profesional de los docentes como en el desarrollo de la competencia comunicativa y lingüística de los alumnos. Los resultados indican que el modelo de asesoramiento colaborativo es una herramienta útil para ayudar a los docentes a construir un entorno más adecuado para el desarrollo de la competencia comunicativa y social de los alumnos.(AU)

In this article we describe a collaborative counselling programme for teachers, framed in the socio-interactive (Bruner, 1986) and eco-functional (Bronfenbrenner, 1987) theoretical perspectives. The main objective is to promote processes of reflection and criticism regarding strategies, tools and guidelines that teachers can progressively incorporate in the classroom to optimise the way they approach communication and language work, with the ultimate goal of improving the communicative and linguistic competence of students with disabilities. The counselling takes place over nine meetings, eight counselling meetings and one closing meeting, through which teachers are taught, mainly to: a) optimize the organization of the classroom, b) follow to a greater extent the students’ lead, c) use strategies to promote interaction and lengthen conversational turns, and d) use language modelling strategies. The effectiveness of the counselling programme has been proved in a collaborative Action-Research with three special schoolteachers, providing different results both in relation to the professional development of the teachers and in the development of the communicative and linguistic competence of the students. The results indicate that the collaborative counselling model is a useful tool to help teachers to build a more appropriate environment for the development of students’ communicative and social competence.(AU)

Service Delivery Schedule Effects on Speech Sound Production Outcomes.

Purpose Children with speech sound disorders feature prominently on the caseloads of speech-language pathologists working in schools, with many receiving services once or twice weekly for 20-30 min. This study compared the outcomes of services provided twice weekly for 30 min to those provided 4 times weekly for 15 min to examine their effectiveness in remediating speech sound disorders in an elementary school setting. Method A total of 35 students were recruited from an existing public school caseload for participation. Participants were randomly assigned to receive school-based speech therapy services for either 30 min twice weekly or 15 min 4 times weekly. There were no differences between groups in age, gender, or the amount of time spent in general education. Growth was measured by the percentage of Individualized Education Program goals mastered and the percentage of sounds produced correctly in isolation. Results After one calendar year, there was a negligible difference between groups on both the percentage of Individualized Education Program goals mastered and the percentage of sounds produced correctly in isolation. On average, both scheduling configurations were effective in meeting students' needs. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that children with speech sound disorders receiving school-based speech therapy services can benefit from a variety of scheduling options. Awareness of such options is an invaluable resource to speech-language pathologists wanting to provide effective and efficient services. Future research should continue investigating service delivery models' effects in applied settings.

The effect of training intensity on implicit learning rates in schizophrenia.

Cognitive impairments in learning and memory are core symptoms of schizophrenia, associated with reduced self-reported quality of life. The most effective treatment of cognitive impairments is drill and practice cognitive training. Still, to date no study has investigated the effect of varying the frequency of training on cognitive outcomes. Here we utilized a verbal memory based language learning task, tapping into implicit cognitive processes, to investigate the role of training intensity on learning rates in individuals with schizophrenia. Data from 47 participants across two studies was utilized, one with a daily training regimen over 5 days and the other with a more intensive schedule of 5 sessions delivered over 2 days. The primary outcome measure was the change in implicit learning performance across five sessions, quantified with the Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC). Participants in the daily training group showed improved performance compared to the intensive group only at session 4. This is the first study to show that implicit learning rates are influenced by training intensity, with daily sessions outperforming a more intensive regimen; a period of consolidation overnight may be necessary to optimize cognitive training for individuals with schizophrenia.

Improving Facilitation of Student Communication Through Observational Feedback Within a Partner Instruction Model.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to further evaluate an eight-step partner instructional model developed by Kent-Walsh and McNaughton that has been demonstrated to improve implementation quality and fidelity among adults in clinical and educational settings who support the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for individuals with complex communication needs. Method This study examined the effectiveness of the eight-step model in a K-12 special education setting. Participants included 26 staff and 19 students. Effects on both communication partner modeling and student AAC system use were assessed. The study expanded upon prior research by employing a group design, including largely adolescent participants, and utilizing multiple AAC hardware and software types. Results Staff receiving training and coaching via the full eight-step model demonstrated gains in the percentage of utterances modeled, and their student partners increased mean length of utterance. The study failed to find statistically significant differences between the experimental group and a comparison group receiving only Stages 1-5 of the model. Conclusion Findings provide additional evidence for the viability of the eight-step instructional model as a methodology to promote the communication skills of students who utilize AAC, and also point to the advanced practice and feedback element of the model as a potential mediator of intervention outcomes.

A Questionnaire Survey About Support Requests From School-Age Children and Adolescents Who Stutter.

Purpose Children who stutter (CWS) face communication difficulties in school activities and at home. Although the importance of receiving support from their surroundings has been documented, few studies have investigated potential requests of CWS from their surroundings. This study aimed to elucidate such requests. Method A total of 43 school-age children and 25 adolescents who stutter completed a free-description questionnaire, including questions such as "what you want your classmates/your classroom teacher/your family to do about your stuttering?" Their descriptions were summarized and categorized based on similarity. Results The results indicate that 90.6% of the participants had more than one request for their classmates, classroom teacher, or family. A total of 197 items were extracted and categorized into seven themes. In particular, the responses included "listen attentively," "treat us naturally," and "make arrangements." While participants tended to hope for classmates or family to "listen attentively" and "treat us naturally," the request to "make arrangements" was higher for their teacher. Their potential requests varied by age: While school-age CWS wanted people around them to "listen carefully," the hope of adolescents who stutter was "treat us naturally." Conclusions The various potential requests of CWS were categorized, and the responses shed light on the importance of increasing knowledge of stuttering. The difference between the requests could reflect psychosocial differences between school-age children and adolescents who stutter. In addition, social interaction among peers is more developed in adolescents, and they could harbor fear of being excluded within their community.

Gestational age at birth and child special educational needs: a UK representative birth cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between gestational age at birth across the entire gestational age spectrum and special educational needs (SENs) in UK children at 11 years of age. METHODS: The Millennium Cohort Study is a nationally representative longitudinal sample of children born in the UK during 2000-2002. Information about the child's birth, health and sociodemographic factors was collected when children were 9 months old. Information about presence and reasons for SEN was collected from parents at age 11. Adjusted relative risks (aRRs) were estimated using modified Poisson regression, accounting for confounders. RESULTS: The sample included 12 081 children with data at both time points. The overall prevalence of SEN was 11.2%, and it was inversely associated with gestational age. Among children born <32 weeks of gestation, the prevalence of SEN was 27.4%, three times higher than among those born at 40 weeks (aRR=2.89; 95% CI 2.02 to 4.13). Children born early term (37-38 weeks) were also at increased risk for SEN (aRR=1.33; 95% CI 1.11 to 1.59); this was the same when the analysis was restricted to births after labour with spontaneous onset. Birth before full term was more strongly associated with having a formal statement of SEN or SEN for multiple reasons. CONCLUSION: Children born at earlier gestational ages are more likely to experience SEN, have more complex SEN and require support in multiple facets of learning. This association was observed even among children born early-term and when labour began spontaneously.

Training Teachers to Implement Classroom Pivotal Response Teaching during Small-group Instruction: A Pilot Study.

Background: Providing effective education to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) poses a significant challenge to educators. Although several evidence-based practices (EBPs) have been developed, few have been systematically implemented in educational settings. Pivotal response treatment (PRT) is a naturalistic behavioral intervention that has been adapted for implementation in the school context. Methods: This pilot study used a concurrent multiple baseline design across seven teachers and students with ASD to examine the effectiveness of teacher training in classroom pivotal response teaching (CPRT) on teacher fidelity of implementation during small-group instruction and students' communication skills and maladaptive behaviors in schools for special education in the Netherlands. Results: Results indicated no replicated effect of CPRT training on teachers' fidelity of implementation or children's communications skills and maladaptive behavior, although teachers reported high satisfaction with the CPRT training. Discussion: Implications for clinical practice and directions for future research are discussed.