Training parents as effective literacy tutors: Increasing the procedural integrity of tutoring

We trained parents to tutor their child through implementing a repeated reading procedure designed to increase oral reading fluency. Our study was conducted over a two-week winter break at the homes of the parent and child. Baseline data for each child were collected using curriculumbased measurement (CBM) to determine an instructional reading level prior to the tutoring session. Following baseline, we trained parents as tutors to implement all aspects of the reading procedure including administering, scoring, and recording data. All sessions were audio recorded to assist with the data collection, scoring, treatment integrity, and inter observer agreement (IOA). According to results from our study, parent tutors were able to accurately score the reading probes and implement the repeated reading procedure with a high level of treatment fidelity following the training. In addition, parents were satisfied with the tutoring experience and the reading fluency for all children increased at the completion of the tutoring sessions. © 2011 Taylor & Francis

Applied behavior analysis in early childhood education: An introduction to evidence-based interventions and teaching strategies

Applied Behavior Analysis in Early Childhood Education provides a basic introduction to applied behavior analysis and the highly beneficial role that it can play in early childhood education for both typically developing children and those with special needs. The objective is to provide future and current early childhood professionals with the tools that they need to positively impact the lives of young children. Specifically, the book will describe and provide useful examples related to the following: Implementing effective techniques for changing behavior; Strategies for every day challenges both in the classroom and at home; Strategies for addressing less frequent issues; Suggestions for how to consult and correspond with parents and caretakers. Applied Behavior Analysis in Early Childhood Education is written for professionals preparing for-or those already in-careers in child development, behavior analysis, early childhood education, developmental therapy, counseling, special education, and other helping professions. A Companion Website featuring additional information and resources for students and instructors can be accessed at www.routledge.com/cw/casey

Variables influencing parental treatment selection for children with autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a diagnosis that often leaves families faced with more questions than answers. With a multitude of choices for possible treatments for a child with ASD, it is important to understand parental perceptions of what they report as reasons for choosing treatments for their child. The following research used a mixed methods approach and a questionnaire developed by the authors to identify possible reasons for parental treatment selection. The quantitative data analysis indicated that there were significant associations between length of time with an ASD diagnosis, family size, education level of the parent and parents selecting nonevidence-based treatments (NEBT). Qualitative data analysis identified five themes which included the amount of information available for treating autism, consistency across sources, specific goals regarding the treatment itself, concerns about treatment safety and evidentiary support, as well as factors outside of parental control

A parent\u27s guide to support technologies for preschool students with disabilities

Parents encounter many challenges when facing the need to raise and support a child with a disability. Many find technology to be of assistance, first turning to the Internet as a source of information and later turning to assistive technologies to directly support the needs of their child. This chapter outlines the multiple uses of technology related to the raising and support of young children with disabilities. The information provided serves to give an overview perspective while simultaneously providing actual specifics related to technology that can be useful to parents throughout the journey of raising a child with special needs

The language arts inclusion classroom in an urban setting: How can we prepare secondary educators for this task?

It is critical to students\u27 academic success that Language Arts teachers are effective, especially at high school level as high stakes tests greatly influence their future opportunities. The role of the Language Arts teacher becomes even more important with the complex environment of an urban inclusion classroom. This article analyzes interview responses from current urban secondary language arts teachers. Each interview was coded with special attention given to data that challenged previous studies or further supported much needed and well documented change in teacher training. The article concludes with recommendations for improving teacher readiness for the secondary urban inclusion classroom

Using technology in the world of play

Child development experts have been raising alarms about the increasingly didactic and test-driven path of early childhood education as many programs eliminate play from their schedules. This limits the potential of technology use in play which is a natural combination for young children as play technologies become globally accepted as leisure time and learning activities. Play and technology both have their unique place in society and are often thought of as two separate entities. However, in today\u27s technology driven world, the separateness of the two is no longer as apparent as the two are beginning to blend. This blend is exciting but leaves educators with questions. Specifically, questions related to the following: (a) How do educators ensure that the child is challenged in every developmental domain and (b) How do educators create and facilitate opportunities for exposure to the traditional stages of play while also making sure that the child stays abreast of the latest and greatest technological advances? This chapter begins with the history of play and walks the reader to the issues educators are facing when technology and play merge. © 2012, IGI Global

Training Teachers to Implement Components of a Functional Behavior Assessment in a Rural School District: Taking Steps toward a Proactive Classroom

Abstract The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (1997) mandates the use of proactive, positive measures of discipline in schools, thereby challenging how educators approach behavior problems exhibited by students. The use of Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA) is proposed as an alternative to an overreliance on reactive and punitive measures. Thus the aim of the study was to train rural educators on three primary components of the FBA. Rural educators were targeted due to the data regarding high teacher attrition rates in rural educatio

Using computer-assisted instruction to increase the eye gaze of children with autism

Many children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders have difficulty making appropriate eye contact and engaging in joint attention. The current study evaluated a computer-assisted instruction package (pairing visual stimuli with vocal stimuli) as a novel treatment to improve the eye gaze accuracy in 3 elementary school children with autism. The researchers measured the latency from a recorded verbal stimulus to the students making eye contact with pictures of familiar individuals displayed on a computer screen, and the duration for which eye gaze on the stimulus was maintained. An automated infrared camera system for measuring eye gaze was utilized that eliminated the need for an instructor to make subjective judgments regarding participants\u27 eye gaze. For all three participants, duration of eye contact increased, and latency to responding decreased following exposure to the computer-assisted instruction. The implications of these findings for the treatment of individuals with autism are discussed, along with suggestions for future research on the topic