Education
and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
VOLUME
39 NUMBER 3 September 2004
An Exploration of the Self-Determination
Construct and Disability as it Relates to the Dine (Navajo)
Culture
The
Search for an Integrated Paradigm of Care Models for People
with Handicaps, Disabilities and Behavioural Disorders at
the Department of Orthopedagogy of Ghent University
Assistive
Technology Use and Stigma
Attitudes
of Japanese Adults toward Persons with Intellectual Disability:
Comparisons over Time and Across Countries
Embedded
Video and Computer Based Instruction to Improve Social Skills
for Students with Autism
Comparison
of Two Approaches for Identifying Reinforcers in Teaching
Figure Coloring to Students with Down Syndrome
Choice,
Degree of Preference, and Happiness Indices with Persons
with Intellectual Disabilities: A Surprising Finding
Specific
Patterns of Cognitive Abilities in Young Children with Mild
Mental Retardation
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Abstracts
An
Exploration of the Self-Determination Construct and Disability
as it Relates to the Dine (Navajo) Culture
H. Corine Frankland, Ann P. Turnbull, Michael L. Wehmeyer,
and Lavine Blackmountain
Abstract: Recent literature in the field
of transition studies emphasizes importance of creating self-determination
supports to promote independence, autonomy, and quality of
life in students with disabilities. Much of that literature,
however, has not taken cultural and familial factors into consideration.
A review of the Navajo family and disability literature indicates
that most traditional and semi-traditional Dine (the preferred
term for referring to the Navajo people, a term that translates
in the Native language to “The People”) indicates
that the component elements of self-determined behavior are
relevant to and important to Dine people, but that the ways
in which these are expressed differs from an Anglo perspective.
While the Dine people value self-regulation and autonomy, they
are operationalized more in an emphasis on the importance of
interdependence and group cohesion above independence and autonomy.
This examination of application of self-determination within
context of the Dine culture and traditions illustrates the
universality of certain aspects of self-determination while
at the same time indicating critical need for educational services
that reflect cultural, racial, and familial values of the student.
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The
Search for an Integrated Paradigm of Care Models for People with
Handicaps, Disabilities and Behavioural Disorders at the Department
of Orthopedagogy of Ghent University
Eric Broekaert, Geert Van Hove,
Phill Bayliss, and Franky D’Oosterlinck
Abstract: This paper reviews underlying systems
of worldwide thought, which underpin the organisation of care,
support and (special) education for people with disabilities
and behaviour disorders. As the world enters a postmodern age,
there is no longer one central and dominant theory by which
to guide action. The article reviews a range of theoretical
positions, which have supported intervention for people with
disabilities and behaviour disorders. It traces historical
development of one institution, Ghent University, in the field
of orthopedagogy in order to understand how systems of thought
have developed and influenced practical action. The paper also
provides a critique of existing models of care and (special)
education, which sets an agenda for change.
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Assistive
Technology Use and Stigma
Phil Parette and Marcia Scherer
Abstract: Issues related to stigma and its
impact on assistive technology (AT) use with persons having
developmental disabilities are addressed. While stigma has
been known to be associated with presence of disability for
many years, relationship between stigma and AT usage, particularly
when working with families across cultures, has only just begun
to be examined. Issues confronted by AT decision-making teams
related to stigma include family expectations of AT, visibility
resulting from use of AT in public settings, and perceptions
that children will not attain important developmental skills
if they become reliant on devices. While numerous approaches
for AT decision-making have been implemented in the field,
absence of validity and reliability data related to such approaches
emphasizes importance of understanding potential influences
of stigma associated with AT use. Specific areas that can contribute
to stigmatization include (a) device aesthetics/cosmesis, (b)
gender and age appropriateness, (c) social acceptability, (d)
sublimation and professional deference, (e) teachers and acceptance
of disability, and (f) universal design principles. Importance
of future research that explores stigmaand government
policy and impact on AT decision-making is noted.
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Attitudes
of Japanese Adults toward Persons with Intellectual Disability:
Comparisons over Time and Across Countries
Toshiaki Tachibana and
Kanji Watanabe
Abstract: Eleven elementary schools
were selected randomly from a typical medium sized
city of Japan. Parents of pupils who were attending
the schools were surveyed. A small proportion of
agreement with, "The reality of lives of persons
with intellectual disability (ID) should be told
more widely to the public" was interpreted
as a typical Japanese response. Agreement with
accountability for care for persons with ID is
on the side of the family was unexpectedly high.
Persons with ID's "having a normal life in
a community" did not get much agreement. This
indicates that the idea of normalization is not
necessarily well rooted in Japan. Results were
compared with results of two studies conducted
about 40 and 20 years ago in Japan, indicating
that attitude toward persons with ID has improved
greatly over the years. Results were also compared
with results of three studies performed in the
US.
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Embedded
Video and Computer Based Instruction to Improve Social Skills for
Students with Autism
Amber Simpson, John Langone, and Kevin M. Ayres
Abstract:
Effects of combining video and computer based instruction to
teach social skills to four students with autism were evaluated
with a multiple probe design across behaviors. The teacher
designed a computer based program with embedded video clips
of peers without disabilities displaying examples and non-examples
of the targeted social skills: sharing, following teacher directions,
and social greetings. Students were required to discriminate
the examples from non-examples displayed in the video clips.
Following computer based training, students participated in
group activities with peers without disabilities. This allowed
for evaluation of social skill acquisition. All students showed
rapid improvements in targeted social skills in the natural
environment.
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Comparison
of Two Approaches for Identifying Reinforcers in Teaching Figure
Coloring to Students with Down Syndrome
Dilek Erbas, Arzu Ozen, and
Cimen Acar
Abstract:
The purpose of the present study was to extend previous research
on reinforcer assessment by comparing effectiveness of stimuli
identified by two preference procedures on teaching figure
coloring to three children with disabilities in Turkey; and
to find out what special education teachers think about social
validation of the two preference assessment procedures. In
Phase 1, preferences of three students with Down syndrome were
identified by using two assessment procedures. In Phase 2,
reinforcing effects of the most often selected stimuli both
from the stimulus preference and paired-stimulus preference
assessments were evaluated. In Phase 3, special education teachers’ opinions
about the two preference assessment procedures were determined.
Results reveal that both preference assessment procedures were
effective in identifying reinforcing stimuli for all three
students with Down syndrome. Moreover, both procedures were
found to be acceptable to some extent; however, results showed
that the paired stimulus was more acceptable than the stimulus
preference procedure.
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Choice,
Degree of Preference, and Happiness Indices with Persons with Intellectual
Disabilities: A Surprising Finding
Lisa Schwartzman, Garry L. Martin,
C.T. Yu, and John Whiteley
Abstract: Two persons with severe intellectual
disabilities and two persons with profound intellectual disabilities
were repeatedly presented with five different pairs of food
items. The five pairs of items represented different degrees
of preference, from highest to lowest. Happiness indices were
monitored from the time that a pair of items was presented
until a choice was made. Surprisingly, participants showed
very few happiness indices throughout the study, and degree
of preference had very little effect on frequency of happiness
indices. Questions are raised regarding choice opportunities
and indices of happiness as indicators of quality of life.
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Specific
Patterns of Cognitive Abilities in Young Children with Mild Mental
Retardation
Kathryn L. Fletcher, Clancy Blair, Marcia S. Scott,
and Kerry E. Bolger
Abstract: Whereas a wealth of research has examined cognitive
abilities of groups of individuals with mild mental retardation
(MMR), less research has investigated potential differences in
cognitive performance among individuals with mental retardation
(Baumeister, 1997). The present study was an exploratory analysis
of variability in performance of children with MMR on a wide
range of cognitive tasks. Four-, 5-, and 6-year-old children
were presented with 10 cognitive tasks designed to tap different
underlying processes. Children’s performance on each of
these tasks was only moderately correlated with IQ scores. Cluster
analysis revealed four clusters of young children with MMR that
were differentiated by their patterns of cognitive performance
across the 10 tasks. Patterns of cognitive performance are described
for each cluster and implications of this research are discussed.
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