Adaptations in General Education Classrooms for Students With Severe Disabilities: Access, Progress Assessment, and Sustained Use

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan S. Finnerty ◽  
Lewis B. Jackson ◽  
Renee Ostergren
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Language Arts ◽  
Elementary Classrooms ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Team Collaboration ◽  
Sustained Use ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
General Education Classrooms

This study examined material adaptations being used with students who have severe disabilities in general education elementary classrooms during language arts, social studies, and science instruction. Data sources included classroom observations, interviews, and artifacts shared by three general and special educator teams. Findings revealed themes that describe how adaptations (a) facilitate access to grade-level content (tangible, student-centered, and blended with classroom materials and instruction) and (b) enable educators to assess progress in student learning (show what students know, blended with peer learning, and ownership of learning). Findings also revealed a set of themes (team collaboration, resources available, rhythm and routine, and build momentum) that help account for the sustained use of adaptations by educator teams across curricula and school days. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

A Comparison of Instructional Context, Teacher Behavior, and Engaged Behavior for Students with Severe Disabilities in General Education and Self-Contained Elementary Classrooms

1997 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kent R. Logan ◽  
Elizabeth B. Keefe
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Elementary Classrooms ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Teacher Behavior ◽  
Student Response ◽  
Functional Activities ◽  
Teacher Attention ◽  
Instructional Context ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
General Education Classrooms

This article presents results from an observational study comparing instructional context, teacher behavior, and engaged behavior for 15 students with severe disabilities in general education classrooms and 15 students with severe disabilities in self-contained classrooms. The observational data system was the Code for Instruction and Student Academic Response–Mainstream Version. The major significant differences were that students in general education classrooms received a greater proportion of their instruction through academic rather than functional activities and received more one-to-one instruction and teacher attention than did students in self-contained classrooms. No significant differences were found between the settings for student response. The most interesting finding may be that so few differences were found between general education and self-contained classrooms.

Comparing Instructional Contexts of Students with and without Severe Disabilities in General Education Classrooms

1998 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kent R. Logan ◽  
D. Michael Malone
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
General Education ◽  
Elementary Classrooms ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Group Instruction ◽  
Education Students ◽  
General Education Students ◽  
Instructional Supports ◽  
Instructional Contexts ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities

This study compared the instructional contexts of 15 students with severe disabilities who were educated in general education elementary classrooms, and 15 general education students in those same classrooms. Results suggest that (a) different instructional contexts existed for students with severe disabilities; (b) more individualized instructional supports were provided for the students with severe disabilities, including one-to-one instruction, small group instruction provided by special education staff, physical and gestural prompting, and teacher focus on the student with severe disabilities; (c) most of the more individualized supports were provided by special education staff. Implications for supporting students with severe disabilities in general education elementary classrooms are discussed.

Addressing the General Education Curriculum in General Education Settings with Students with Severe Disabilities

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Ballard ◽  
Stacy K. Dymond
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
General Education ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Education Curriculum ◽  
General Education Curriculum ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
General Education Classrooms

This systematic literature review examined research on stakeholders’ beliefs about addressing the general education curriculum in general education classrooms with students with severe disabilities (SD). The investigation was limited to studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 1997 and 2015. Ten articles were identified and then analyzed using an inductive coding approach and thematic analysis. Secondary data analysis revealed four major themes centered on (a) method of access, (b) type of curriculum, (c) barriers/concerns, and (d) benefits. Overall, stakeholders were found to perceive social inclusion as more important than involvement and progress in the general education curriculum for students with SD. Stakeholders also perceived numerous challenges around facilitating access to the general education curriculum in general education classrooms.

Comparison of the Instructional Contexts of Students with Severe Disabilities and Their Peers in General Education Classes

2000 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
John McDonnell ◽  
Nadine Thorson ◽  
Camille McQuivey
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Group Instruction ◽  
Instructional Interactions ◽  
One To One ◽  
Instructional Contexts ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
Independent Work

This study examined the instructional contexts of six students with severe disabilities and six peers without disabilities enrolled in the same general education classes. The two groups of students were compared on (a) the extent to which they were the exclusive focus of instruction; (b) the amount of one-to-one, small group, and whole group instruction that they received and the amount of independent work they were asked to complete; (c) who delivered instruction; and (d) the types of instructional interactions that were directed toward them. Data were collected using The Code for Instructional Structure and Academic Response — Mainstream Version (MS-CISSAR; Carta, Greenwood, Schwartz & Miller, 1990). The results indicate that students with severe disabilities were much more likely than their typically developing peers to have instruction focused exclusively on them and to receive one-to-one instruction. The results are discussed in terms of the implications for educational programs for this group of students and future research.

Inclusion and the Challenge of Assimilation for Teachers of Students with Severe Disabilities

1998 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 238-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Peters Goessling
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
General Education ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Cultural Dissonance ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Inclusive Settings ◽  
Changing Roles ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
General Education Classrooms

The perceptions of fourteen teachers from fourteen different public schools about their changing roles and responsibilities as they moved into inclusive settings with students with severe disabilities were explored in this qualitative study. It discusses their experiences of cultural dissonance as they left the segregated culture of special education and attempted to assimilate themselves into general education classrooms, grades K-8. Their dilemmas, doubts, and hopes for the future are discussed as well as the challenges that attempted cultural assimilation presents for special educators.

scholarly journals The Effects of Peer Delivered Self-Monitoring Strategies on the Participation of Students with Severe Disabilities in General Education Classrooms

2001 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy H. Gilberts ◽  
Martin Agran ◽  
Carolyn Hughes ◽  
Michael Wehmeyer
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
General Education Teachers ◽  
Peer Tutors ◽  
School Students ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Monitoring Strategies ◽  
Survival Skills ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
General Education Classrooms

This study investigated the effects of self-monitoring instruction delivered by peer tutors on the occurrence of academic survival skills displayed by five middle school students with severe disabilities. We employed a multiple baseline across subjects design. Instruction was provided in general education content classes. The students were taught to indicate on a self-recording sheet if they performed each of 11 skills. Data revealed an increase in the percentages of occurrence of survival skills across all students. Also, their general education teachers indicated that they observed a positive change for four of the five students. All students indicated that they believed that they were part of the class and reported an increase in their classroom participation. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Implementing Comprehensive Literacy Instruction for Students With Severe Disabilities in General Education Classrooms

2019 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 330-347
Author(s):  
Pam Hunt ◽  
Elizabeth Kozleski ◽  
Jaehoon Lee ◽  
Kathleen Mortier ◽  
Danielle Fleming ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Early Literacy ◽  
Emergent Literacy ◽  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
General Education Classrooms

The purpose of this conceptual replication study was to investigate the efficacy of an early literacy intervention when it was implemented by special educators in general education classrooms with students in the class participating in the lessons. The study was conducted in 16 schools in three states. Eighty students with severe disabilities participated in the study. Students in the intervention group received Early Literacy Skills Builder (ELSB) instruction, and students in the “business-as-usual” control group received literacy instruction planned by special education teachers to address the students’ individualized education program literacy goals. Literacy assessments were conducted in five waves scheduled across the school year. Results showed that students receiving ELSB instruction made greater gains in assessed literacy skills than students in the control group. These findings provide evidence that students with severe disabilities can benefit from comprehensive emergent literacy instruction when it is implemented in general education settings.

Development and Social Competence after Two Years for Students Enrolled in Inclusive and Self-Contained Educational Programs

2002 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Fisher ◽  
Luanna H. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Social Competence ◽  
General Education ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Group Affiliation ◽  
Inclusive Settings ◽  
Services And Supports ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
Independent Behavior ◽  
Inclusive Schooling

Inclusive programs increasingly have become available for students with severe disabilities, enabling them to receive special education services and supports in general education classes alongside their non-disabled peers. Forty students in two groups were assessed across two years of inclusive versus self-contained educational programming, comparing outcomes on measures of child development and social competence with the Scales of Independent Behavior (SIB) and the Assessment of Social Competence (ASC). Participants were assessed on the SIB and ASC, matched into pairs on chronological age and SIB total scores at first testing, and reassessed after two additional years of either inclusive or self-contained schooling. The inclusive student group made statistically significant gains on the developmental measure and realized higher social competence scores in comparison to the self-contained group at follow-up. Examination of gains on these measures irrespective of group affiliation indicated that participants made small, but significant, gains in two of four skill clusters assessed by the SIB and three of eleven dimensions of the ASC. These results challenge a common assumption that selfcontained settings in comparison to inclusive settings will result in superior gains on students' IEP-related skill domains. They also support previous research showing social competence gains as a function of inclusion. Results are discussed in terms of expected change over time for students with severe disabilities, the implications of variations from the group results that occurred for individual students, and future research needed on the outcomes of quality inclusive schooling for students with severe disabilities.

Use of Instructional Time in Classrooms Serving Students with and without Severe Disabilities

1994 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tia M. Hollowood ◽  
Christine L. Salisbury ◽  
Beverly Rainforth ◽  
Mary M. Palombaro
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
General Education ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Instructional Time ◽  
Inclusive Schools ◽  
Contextual Characteristics ◽  
Profound Disabilities ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
General Education Classrooms

This investigation explored the use of teacher and student time in an inclusive elementary school where students with mild to profound disabilities were enrolled in general education classrooms. Participants included 6 students with severe disabilities and 12 students without disabilities. Observers recorded time used for instruction, as well as levels and types of student engagement and types of interruptions. Students in each group evidenced comparable levels of engaged time, and students with severe disabilities had no effect on losses of instructional time. Results were discussed in light of this school's contextual characteristics and the inclusive schools movement.

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