Access to Children\u27s Books Featuring Characters with Disabilities

Shared reading and access to print have been linked to improved outcomes for young children and linked to socio-economic status (e.g Neuman, 1999; Zucker, Cabell, Justice, Pentimonti & Kaderavek, 2013). As a community, we know very little about the access to books that the diverse population of preschool age children from Northwest Arkansas have. Moreover, we know very little about the type of books available to them. This study seeks to understand how many children’s books are in select preschools of varying socioeconomic status within Northwest Arkansas that service those with and without disabilities. More pointedly, within the children’s book representation, how many books portray characters with disabilities? Select preschools of varying socioeconomic status were selected in Northwest Arkansas, and the number of books in the classroom were documented. Next, each book was categorized as a “Disability Book” or a “General Book”, depending on its characters and content. Results indicate that there is a much higher percentage of General Books than Disability Books overall in select preschool classrooms, and that general education, high socioeconomic centers contain more books on average. Finally, results indicate that centers serving children with exceptionalities have a slightly higher percentage of books including characters with disabilities than general centers. These results suggest a need for increased children\u27s books in early childhood settings that reflect all individuals that are being taught, including those with disabilities. Children’s books are important in teaching non-tangible values such as empathy, kindness and compassion through which all children, both typically developing and disabled can benefit from

Motivation among students with learning disabilities

The purpose of this study was to examine whether intrinsic motivation is a major factor in explaining academic performance deficits in children with learning disabilities. Harter\u27s Scale of Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Orientation in the Classroom was given to 34 students with learning disabilities and 36 students without learning disabilities from Grades 4 to 6 from a suburban, middle-class school district located in Southeastern New Jersey. It was proposed that students with learning disabilities were less intrinsically motivated than students without identified learning disabilities. However, the general pattern of results derived from a T-Test for Independent Samples did not show a significant correlation between motivation orientation. Although students with learning disabilities proved to be less intrinsically motivated on the criteria subscale, they scored similarly to their non-handicapped peers on the challenge, curiosity, mastery, and judgment subscales. These findings may be attributed to the minimal number of participants and that they were not representative of the entire population

A systematic review of pedagogical approaches that can effectively include children with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms with a particular focus on peer group interactive approaches

The broad background to this review is a long history of concepts of special pupils and special education, and a faith in special pedagogical approaches. The rise of inclusive schools and some important critiques of special pedagogy (e.g. Hart, 1996; Norwich and Lewis, 2001; Thomas and Loxley, 2001) have raised the profile of teaching approaches that ordinary teachers can and do use to include children with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms. Inclusive education itself is increasingly conceived as being about the quality of learning and participation that goes on in inclusive schools rather than simplistic matters of where children are place

Continuity and Sustainability in the Disability World

Raising a healthy child has its joys and challenges; however, raising a child or caring for someone with special needs brings a new set of obstacles. Parents and caregivers of children and individuals with special needs do not have the same selection of available resources as typical parents of healthy children. These challenges are approached with an entirely different perspective with its own joys and challenges that can be demanding. The purpose of this study was to research the usefulness of an iBook, Navigating Life in the World of Disabilities, by providing accurate and helpful information from an empirical approach with valuable stories, anecdotes, and information to be shared with those who face similar struggles. By researching the iBook’s effectiveness, the researcher discovered that heightening awareness and educating others in this unique area led to a better understanding of ways to navigate the turbulent times while raising a child with special needs. It also increased the sensitivity and compassion of those inside and outside the disability world. The researcher created an online survey using the Likert Scale and open-ended questions to determine the iBook’s usefulness through qualitative research. The researcher decided what components the participants believed to be focal points and examined areas that needed to be included to create a well-rounded iBook that can be used as a valuable resource for those struggling with the same challenges. Based on the survey results, the researcher concluded that iBook Navigating Life in the World of Disabilities is a useful resource that can assist parents and caretakers on the journey of raising and caring for a child and individual with special needs. This helpful guide can help provide the much-needed resource to parents, caretakers, and educators to help navigate the rough waters on the journey while raising a child with special needs. This iBook can also be translated into different languages and help broaden the community globally. Sharing struggles and offering beneficial advice can help the disability world grow, become stronger, and master any situation

Shortages and Challenges in Augmentative Communication through Tangible Interaction using a user-centered design and assessment process

In this article, we present an assessment process on a tangible interaction application oriented to individuals with complex communication needs, called ACoTI, and details about the main results obtained thus far. The process is based on a set of decisions that have been surveyed as key elements for assessing this type of experiences, based on a background review that was carried out. In addition to that, it has taken into account the contribution of key players from the special education field and it is the foundation for the user-centered and evolutionary design of the application. A number of findings and challenges that open up the door to keep contributing to this specific area was presented. For instance, creating an authoring tool that is available for the educators to be able to generate themselves customized activities for their students, considering the specific needs of each of them.Fil: Sanz, Cecilia Veronica. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Informática. Instituto de Investigación en Informática Lidi; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Artola, Verónica. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Informática. Instituto de Investigación en Informática Lidi; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Guisen, Maria Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Marco, Javier. Universidad de Zaragoza; EspañaFil: Cerezo, Eva. Universidad de Zaragoza; EspañaFil: Baldassarri, Sandra Silvia. Universidad de Zaragoza; Españ

Shortages and challenges in augmentative communication through tangible interaction using a user-centered design and assessment process

In this article, we present an assessment process on a tangible interaction application oriented to individuals with complex communication needs, called ACoTI, and details about the main results obtained thus far. The process is based on a set of decisions that have been surveyed as key elements for assessing this type of experiences, based on a background review that was carried out. In addition to that, it has taken into account the contribution of key players from the special education field and it is the foundation for the user-centered and evolutionary design of the application. A number of findings and challenges that open up the door to keep contributing to this specific area was presented. For instance, creating an authoring tool that is available for the educators to be able to generate themselves customized activities for their students, considering the specific needs of each of them

Shortages and Challenges in Augmentative Communication through Tangible Interaction Using a User-centered Design and Assessment Process

In this article, we present an assessment process on a tangible interaction application oriented to individuals with complex communication needs, called ACoTI, and details about the main results obtained thus far. The process is based on a set of decisions that have been surveyed as key elements for assessing this type of experiences, based on a background review that was carried out. In addition to that, it has taken into account the contribution of key players from the special education field and it is the foundation for the user-centered and evolutionary design of the application. A number of findings and challenges that open up the door to keep contributing to this specific area was presented. For instance, creating an authoring tool that is available for the educators to be able to generate themselves customized activities for their students, considering the specific needs of each of them.Instituto de Investigación en Informátic

Forum Guest Editors’ Introduction: Disability Studies in Education “At Work”

This introductory article serves as the springboard for a greater discussion of the question: How applicable are the ideas of Disability Studies in Education to educational policy and the practice of teaching? As guest editors of the special forum of RDS, we illustrate how DSE continues to inform educational theory, research, policy, and practice. First, we chronicle the rapid growth of DSE over the past decade. Second, as educators of teachers, we raise three topics to contemplate further for our field: (1) improving the relationship between science and ethics, (2) better connecting knowledge, beliefs, and values to practice, and (3) determining the position of DSE scholars within the field of special education. Third, we briefly highlight the four featured articles from Belgium, New Zealand, Scotland, and the USA that constitute this special forum. Finally, we urge the field of education to be more critical of special education practices and continue to be receptive toward DSE

In-classroom versus pull-out occupational therapy services: the opinions of children within three public school systems in upstate New York

The purpose of this study wasto discover the opinions of children regarding the differences between occupational therapy services provided in the classroom versus those provided in a separate therapy space. [This is an excerpt from the abstract. For the complete abstract, please see the document.