Evaluating the effectiveness of a broader approach to reading instruction: A single-case study of a reading intervention

Aims This small-scale study investigated outcomes from a reading intervention which taught a broader range of reading skills. The intervention followed recommendations made by Solity (2020), with instruction on high frequency words (HFWs), grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs), and vocabulary, taught through frequent, distributed practise of skills and real books. Method Five students in Year Five (all with English as an Additional Language and low levels of literacy skills) from an inner London Borough primary school took part in a reading intervention delivered daily over 3 months (45 sessions). A mixed methods single-case study design was implemented. Students were assessed pre- and post-intervention using interviews, Diagnostic Reading Assessment, questionnaires on students’ reading views and confidence, and fluency reading the 100 HFWs and GPCs. Questionnaire and interview feedback were gained from education staff. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Themes and quotes from qualitative data provided an understanding of the students’ and staffs’ views. Findings Results indicated increases in students’ knowledge of HFWs and GPCs, and students showed improvements in reading ability in at least one skill assessed. Most students felt they were better and more confident at reading, although views towards reading were mixed. Limitations The small sample size and lack of control group mean that results may be difficult to generalise to other school populations. Conclusions This research goes some way to demonstrating the efficacy of a reading intervention approach which focuses on teaching a broader range of skills compared to a sole focus on systematic synthetic phonics

“He’s shouting so loud but nobody’s hearing him”: A multi-informant study of autistic pupils’ experiences of school non-attendance and exclusion

Background and aims: Children and young people on the autism spectrum frequently report a range of negative educational experiences and face disproportionally high rates of school non-attendance, including school avoidance and permanent exclusion, which can have a significant impact on their well-being as well as educational and broader life outcomes. To date, few studies have examined the full range of proximal (child, parent/family, school levels) and distal (community and society levels) barriers to ensuring the school attendance and the inclusion of autistic pupils. The current study sought to do just that by examining autistic young peoples’ school non-attendance and exclusion experiences from the perspectives of multiple informants. Methods: We recruited 12 autistic pupils, who had previously experienced school avoidance and/or exclusion, from one local authority in England, United Kingdom. We conducted semi-structured interviews with the young people themselves, ten of their parents, eight of their current teachers and nine local authority professionals, including six educational psychologists and three specialist autism teachers. We analyzed interviewees’ responses using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Interviewees gave overwhelmingly negative accounts of autistic pupils’ school non-attendance and exclusion experiences. Our analysis identified a range of school-related factors they felt led to, or exacerbated, negative experiences in their former mainstream schools, and which ultimately led to their or their children's school non-attendance. It also went further to identify distal factors, including fragmented educational experiences, parents “fighting” against a complex bureaucratic system to secure appropriate education for their children, and limited professional involvement. Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the importance of examining the broader context in which autistic pupils are embedded and demonstrate that such pupils are able to successfully attend—and even enjoy—school when they receive the appropriate care and support. Implications: Schools and local authority professionals should seek to work in partnership with parents and autistic pupils to secure the necessary support for their inclusion in mainstream education. Government policy should support the provision of sufficient local authority professionals to adopt a more proactive approach to mitigate autistic pupils’ avoidance of and exclusion from school

December 1969

Editor: Vivian Hill. Literary Editor: Inge-Lise Hansen. Layout Editor: Michael Chamberlain. Senior Photographer: Roy Dubyna. Assistant Literary Editor: Margaret G. Ward. Assistant Layout Editor: Neville Dawson. Photographers: Doug Camps, David Crabtree and Philip Ward. Student Portraits: Russell Gibbs. Photo Co-ordinator: Graeme Stacey. Secretary: Gillian Wastell. Faculty Advisor: Trevor G. Lloyd. Sales Manager: Kevin Howse. Sales Campaign Advertising: David Rodgers. Secretaries: Gaylene Tate, Lydia Rasmussen. Order Processing: Stewart Shaw. Treasurer: Barry Davis. Advertising: Wallace Liggett. Publisher: Public Relations Committee, Avondale College. Printer: Signs Publishing Company, Warburton, Victoria.https://research.avondale.edu.au/jacaranda/1006/thumbnail.jp

Interview with Vivian Zeiders - OH 552

In her June 6, 2017 interview with Alex Windham, Vivian Zeiders detailed her thoughts and memories of his time at the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company referred to locals as the Bleachery. Zeiders spoke of the time period of the 1970s through 2017 and on the follow topics: race relations, day to day job responsibilities and actions, technology changes, worker attitudes, the decline of the Bleachery, family, her other occupations up until the year 2017. Zeiders also offered her opinions on the Bleachery compared to other textile jobs.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/oralhistoryprogram/1629/thumbnail.jp

Parent perspectives on autistic girls' friendships and futures

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Young people’s parents often play a key role in facilitating friendships and have their own views on these friendships. Yet parents have rarely been asked to report on the friendships and peer relationships of their autistic children. This study therefore sought to examine parents’ perspectives on the friendships and social difficulties of their autistic daughters, and their views and concerns about their daughters’ futures. METHODS: Twenty parents of autistic adolescent girls, aged between 11 and 18 years, took part in semi-structured interviews on the topics of friendships, conflict and thoughts about adulthood and the future. RESULTS: Results demonstrated that parents often have significant involvement in their daughters’ social lives and friendships and have a range of views on these relationships. They highlighted both benefits and pitfalls of their daughters’ peer interactions, and the perceived negative influence of these interactions on their daughters’ mental health. Most parents had significant concerns about their daughters’ futures, either about their ability to live independently, or their potential vulnerability to exploitation. Despite these concerns around sexual relationships, some parents were avoiding raising the issue with their daughters. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent autistic girls often have positive, close friendships, but can also be the victims of bullying, with significant negative impacts on their mental health, at least according to their parents. Concerns about girls’ development into adulthood were commonplace, with parents taking a range of approaches to attempt to talk about the future with their daughters. IMPLICATIONS: There is an urgent need for more open conversations to help autistic girls stay safe and secure as they mature, supporting their ability to understand and negotiate more intimate social relationships. Future research should examine these changing relationships as autistic girls’ transition to adulthood and should seek to combine the views of parents alongside the young people themselves

The practice and regulatory requirements of naturopathy and western herbal medicine in Australia

Australian health workforce regulation is premised on the need to protect public health and safety. Specific criteria are set out by governments to ascertain the degree of risk and the need for government intervention. A study was undertaken to understand the current state of usage and the practice of naturopathy and western herbal medicine, and to ascertain whether statutory regulation was warranted. We found increased use of these complementary therapies in the community, with risks arising from both the specific practices as well as consumers negotiating a parallel primary health care system. We also found highly variable standards of training, a myriad of professional associations, and a general failure of current systems of self-regulation to protect public health and safety. Statutory regulation was the preferred policy response for consumers, insurers, general practitioners, and most of the complementary therapists. While we found a case for statutory registration, we also argue that a minimalist regulatory response needs to be accompanied by other measures to educate the public, to improve the standards of practice, and to enhance our understanding of the interaction between complementary and mainstream health care

Friends and Lovers:The Relationships of Autistic and Neurotypical Women

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the friendships and relationships of autistic adults, despite decades of research evidence showing the benefits of close relationships for neurotypical adults. Even less is known about the relationships of autistic women, or how their relationships compare to those of neurotypical women. This mixed-methods study therefore examined differences in the social relationships of autistic women in relation to their neurotypical counterparts. METHODS: Thirty-eight women (19 autistic women, 19 neurotypical women), aged between 20 and 40 years, completed the Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale (URCS), The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT), and a semi-structured interview about their current and former friendships and romantic relationships. RESULTS: In many ways, the social relationships and experiences of autistic women were much like those of neurotypical women. Autistic women, however, had greater difficulty with social inference skills, and reported experiencing more negative social situations. This was particularly the case in terms of social and sexual vulnerability, a feature that the autistic women themselves linked to their difficulties with social inference. Despite these challenges, autistic women were happier and more self-assured in their adult relationships than they remembered being in adolescence. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight an urgent need for specific and tailored personal safety training and support for autistic women – and, by extension, autistic girls – to ensure that they can enjoy a safe transition to adulthood and positive adult relationships