Teacher Needs for Educating Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the General Education Classroom

The purpose of this study was to gather information on experiences of general education teachers concerning inclusion practices for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In this case study third, fourth, and fifth grade general education teachers in a rural Southwest Missouri school district provided the data source to keep a narrowed focus on the needs of education teachers for inclusion. The sample accounted for 16 elementary education teachers. Surveys were sent to all third, fourth, and fifth grade general education teachers in the district. Perceptions of general education teachers on proper inclusion training were identified as necessary for the study; comprehensive sampling was utilized as all third, fourth, and fifth grade general education teachers had the opportunity to participate. The surveyed group of teachers had the opportunity to participate in focus groups with their same grade level peers to further elaborate on their experiences. The focus group questions were open-ended and conducted by the researcher. The study found the participants had minimal experience in preservice preparation with minor background knowledge on ASD. Limited knowledge of teaching strategies and experiences in collaboration were also noted. Finally, teacher efficacy was measured through the perceptions of preparedness, confidence, and effectiveness in educating children with ASD. Participants felt low efficacy levels in these areas. An eagerness to increase training for educating children with ASD was widespread

KASPAR - a minimally expressive humanoid robot for human-robot interaction research

Original article can be found at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t778164488~db=all Copyright Taylor and Francis / InformaThis paper provides a comprehensive introduction to the design of the minimally expressive robot KASPAR, which is particularly suitable for human-robot interaction studies. A low-cost design with off-the-shelf components has been used in a novel design inspired from a multi-disciplinary viewpoint, including comics design and Japanese Noh theatre. The design rationale of the robot and its technical features are described in detail. Three research studies will be presented that have been using KASPAR extensively. Firstly, we present its application in robot-assisted play and therapy for children with autism. Secondly, we illustrate its use in human-robot interaction studies investigating the role of interaction kinesics and gestures. Lastly, we describe a study in the field of developmental robotics into computational architectures based on interaction histories for robot ontogeny. The three areas differ in the way as to how the robot is being operated and its role in social interaction scenarios. Each will be introduced briefly and examples of the results will be presented. Reflections on the specific design features of KASPAR that were important in these studies and lessons learnt from these studies concerning the design of humanoid robots for social interaction will also be discussed. An assessment of the robot in terms of utility of the design for human-robot interaction experiments concludes the paper.Peer reviewe

The Benefits of Alternative and Augmentative Communication: A Quality of Life Issue

This article summarizes the need for alternate forms of communication for those who are unable to use verbal speech. The importance of allied health professionals in understanding alternative communication is critical in patient care. The authors describe the various forms of augmentative and alternate communication devices that can be used to help a non-verbal individual communicate their wants, needs, and thoughts. Financial and social consequences for using these devices is discussed

Music Therapy and Communication Disabilities: Singing, Speech, and the Brain

Music therapy interventions, especially singing, can aid those with communication disorders to attain and develop verbal and non-verbal communication and language skills, as well as functional social skills. Throughout my own interactions with those with communication impairments, I have witnessed many individuals who struggle with typical speech, but are better able to communicate when music is involved. For instance, a young boy with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) who does not typically speak independently or when prompted is able to sing every word to familiar songs on the radio that he enjoys. Such evidence of the positive effect that music can have on one’s communication skills has motivated me to further research the field of music therapy, with a concentration in singing. Research and observations reveal the relationships among music, communication, and the brain, and the ways in which related pathways within the brain can modify themselves, in response to therapeutic interventions, to accommodate one’s communication disabilities. Unfortunately, there is a limited amount of research within the field of music therapy involving interventions for specific communication disorders, as well as limited findings related to the effectiveness of existing music therapy interventions. However, the field of music therapy has made significant contributions towards helping people with communication disabilities. This paper will discuss existing research and include an overview of the field of music therapy, a discussion of the concept of neuroplasticity, and notes on personal experiences and my observations of a professional music therapist

Reading instruction for students with intellectual disabilities who require augmentative and alternative communication: A multiple single case study with baseline, posttest, follow-up, and maintenance

The purpose of the current study was to examine whether seven children, aged 6–10 years, with intellectual disabilities who require augmentative and alternative communication, could acquire phonological awareness and reading skills by using a reading material that is based on research on the evidence-based reading program Accessible literacy learning. The effect of the measures has been examined using a multiple single-case design with baseline, posttest, follow-up, and maintenance. All the teachers were trained to deliver the reading intervention in the students’ familiar place at school. The results indicated that students with intellectual disabilities who require augmentative and alternative communication could acquire phonological awareness and decoding by working systematically with reading material based on evidence-based strategies.publishedVersio

Utilizing Special Interests: Developing a Storybook for a Minimally Speaking Autistic Child to Support Communication

The purpose of my Honors Project is to develop a framework for designing a storybook that can be used as a communication tool with minimally speaking autistic children. The project answers two clinically relevant questions within the field of Speech-Language Pathology. What do we know from prior literature about the use of storybooks to support communication in minimally speaking autistic children? What factors are important to consider in designing a storybook for minimally speaking autistic children? I conducted a literature review exploring adapted storybooks and autistic children’s special interests to answer the project questions. Informed by this knowledge, I have designed a prototype of a storybook which can be used as a communication tool. In designing this storybook, I reflect on the design process, I explain considerations in creating the storybook, and provide suggestions for how the storybook can be utilized in a speech and language therapy setting. Additionally, I provide guidelines on how such storybooks can be co-created with minimally speaking autistic children using a participatory approach and leveraging their special interests. A storybook communication tool such as the one developed in this project could be impactful in increasing the child’s engagement in interactions with their clinicians, teachers, and/or family members. Speech-language pathologists looking for creative ways to support the communication and agency of minimally speaking children on the autism spectrum can consider utilizing such personalized and adapted storybooks in their clinical services

Technology Mediated Dispute Resolution (TMDR): A New Paradigm for ADR

Published in cooperation with the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolutio

The Neuropsychology of Religion

Consider religion to be a community's (1) costly and hard-to-fake commitment (2) to a counterfactual world of supernatural agents (3) who master people's existential anxieties, such as death and deception. This intellectual framework guides a research program that aims to foster scientific dialogue between cultural anthropology, cognitive psychology and evolutionary biology regarding a set of phenomena vital to most human life and all societies (Atran 2002). The present chapter mainly concerns the third criterion of religion (3), and its implications for neuropsychology. Previous neurobiological studies of religion have focused on tracking participant's neurophysiological responses during episodes of religious experience and recording individual patterns of trance, vision, revelation and the like. This has favored comparison of religious experience with temporal-lobe brain-wave patterns during epileptic seizures and acute schizophrenic episodes. Cognitive structures of the human mind/brain in general, and cognitions of agency in particular, are usually represented in these studies in simple-minded terms (e.g., binary oppositions, holistic vs. analytical tensions, hierarchical organization, etc.) that have little input from, or pertinence to, recent findings of cognitive and developmental psychology. Perhaps more telling is recent work on the role of the prefrontal cortices in processing concepts of agency and self and in cognitive mediation of relevant emotions originating in (what was once called) “the limbic system.” Still, for those religious believers who never have an emotionally intense encounter with the Divine – including the overwhelming majority of persons in our society – the neurophysiological bases of faith remain a complete mystery