Chrysomelidae of Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1960 S5

A case study of perspectives pertaining to academic accommodations for postsecondary students with learning disabilities

Increasing numbers of students with learning disabilities (LD) are entering into postsecondary education and seeking accommodations through the university’s disability service office. The academic success of students with LD is contingent on the provision of accommodations by instructors, which allows for an equal educational opportunity. To investigate the use of academic accommodations by postsecondary students with LD, the perspectives of postsecondary students with LD and instructors were obtained pertaining to the practice of using accommodations, the utility of accommodations, facilitators and barriers to the use of accommodations, and how an understanding of disability law contributes to the use of accommodations. Utilizing a mixed-methods research design, using a single university as a case study, the present study triangulated data from three sources: (a) the university’s disabilities service office student database, disaggregated for students with LD; (b) the university’s disabilities service office student and instructor surveys, disaggregated for students with LD and instructors who met inclusion criteria; and (c) interviews with students with LD and instructors. Data analysis revealed that perceptions and attitudes held by post secondary students with LD and instructors as well as peers without disabilities influences the ability of students with LD to use accommodations. Finding also indicated that increased self-advocacy and knowledge of disability law have the potential to positively impact the practice of accommodations. Furthermore, disability service procedures and instructors’ willingness and ability to accommodate students have the potential to facilitate or hinder the use of accommodations by students with LD. Implications for practitioners, future research, and limitations are discussed.Special Educatio

Japanese Kawaii Culture and Hello Kitty as an Identity Marker for Asian-American Women

This thesis examines the character of Hello Kitty, from its creation, to its enduring cultural presence in Japan. In particular, this thesis notes the character\u27s highly successful marketing among Asian-American women. Hello Kitty epitomizes the concept of kawaii, the Japanese word for cute. But, its symbolism does not end there. Looking at the history of the Sanriio company and its adaptive marketing strategy offers a starting point for understanding what Hello Kitty means, but does not answer what Hello Kitty means to Asian-American women. By using both quantitative and qualitative data, this thesis establishes the consumption demographic and explores the reception of Hello Kitty among Asian-American women. This thesis challenges the dominant argument that Hello Kitty is a sexist and infantilizing image and argues instead that the character serves as an important icon for Asian-American women\u27s identity as transnational women and their Asian heritage

Communication in Individuals with Rett Syndrome: an Assessment of Forms and Functions

In the present study we assessed the forms and functions of prelinguistic communicative behaviors for 120 children and adults with Rett syndrome using the Inventory of Potential Communicative Acts (IPCA) (Sigafoos et al. Communication Disorders Quarterly 21:77–86, 2000a). Informants completed the IPCA and the results were analysed to provide a systematic inventory and objective description of the communicative forms and functions present in each individual’s repertoire. Results show that respondents reported a wide variety of communicative forms and functions. By far most girls used prelinguistic communicative behaviors of which eye contact/gazing was the most common form. The most often endorsed communicative functions were social convention, commenting, answering, requesting and choice-making. Problematic topographies (e.g., self-injury, screaming, non-compliance) were being used for communicative purposes in 10 to 41% of the sample. Exploratory analyses revealed that several communicative forms and functions were related to living environment, presence/absence of epilepsy, and age. That is, higher percentages of girls who showed some forms/functions were found in those who lived at home, who had no epilepsy and who were relatively young

Soil Instability in Tundra Vegetation

Author Institution: U. S. Geological Survey, Washington 25, D. C

Educational Priorities for Children with Cri-Du-Chat Syndrome

There are few data on the educational needs of children with cri-du-chat syndrome: a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects learning and development. We therefore designed an Internet survey to identify parents’ educational priorities in relation to children’s level of need/ability. The survey listed 54 skills/behaviors (e.g., toileting, expresses wants and needs, and tantrums) representing 10 adaptive behavior domains (e.g., self-care, communication, and problem behavior). Parents rated their child’s current level of ability/performance with respect to each skill/behavior and indicated the extent to which training/treatment was a priority. Fifty-four surveys were completed during the 3-month data collection period. Parents identified nine high priority skills/behaviors. Results supported the view that parent priorities are often based on the child’s deficits and emergent skills, rather than on child strengths. Implications for educational practice include the need for competence to develop high priority skills/behaviors and the value of assessing children’s deficits and emergent skills to inform the content of individualized education plans