Autistic students are enrolling at higher educational institutions at an increasing rate. To keep up with the population of pupils, colleges and universities are finding ways to support students. Yet, a small percentage of students who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder do not succeed in attaining a degree. This trend is significant and…

The purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate the effectiveness of graphic organizers, specifically flowcharts, as a tool to support decision-making during spelling for students identified with learning disabilities. This dissertation is composed of five chapters. The first chapter is an introduction about how graphic organizers support students…

This study examines the role Google Calendar has in improving Self-Regulated Learning (SRL), planning, and time management in post-secondary students with intellectual disabilities (ID). Individuals with ID experience difficulties in executive functioning (EF) skills, such as reasoning, problem-solving, planning, abstract thinking, judgment,…

Special education teachers who provide educational opportunities for students in low-incidence programs within a Southern urban public school system in the United States faced challenges when trying to promote independence. The purpose of this project study was to understand the perceptions of teachers and the approaches they seek to best support…

This study examined how faculty who teach in specialized undergraduate programs for autistic college students approach self-advocacy teaching. Test et al.'s (2005) conceptual framework of self-advocacy was used as a lens to investigate this topic. Through ten semi-structured interviews (faculty in specialized college autism programs), ten themes…

The purpose of the mixed method explanatory-sequential study was to measure teacher confidence in instructing students with the specific learning disability of dyslexia and its related disorders of ADHD, anxiety, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, executive functioning, and speech and language disorders. Two surveys, the short form of the Teacher Sense of…

The purpose of the study was to analyze the historical patterns in the relationship between specific types of disabilities and frequency of drug abuse or weapon offenses in public schools in the United States using the U.S. Department of Education Open Data Platform's (n.d.) data sets from 2011-2012 through 2020-2021. The problem is that students…

Students who are qualified under the special education category of Emotional Disturbance (ED) have some of the highest academic deficits, behavioral problems, and negative life outcomes compared to other eligibility groups. The heterogeneous nature of students classified as ED makes it difficult for school personnel to understand their needs.…

Many arts educators in Pennsylvania public charter schools do not teach executive functioning (EF) skills to students with learning disabilities (LDs) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this study was to investigate how these art teachers describe their own EF instructional practices and what support they need to…

This research focused on adult students diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to see if an early diagnosis made a significant difference in their academic success in college. Research into adult ADHD and especially individuals in postsecondary education has lagged behind other areas of ADHD research. The present study aims…

Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students' performance on fraction story problems is a cause for concern given that knowledge of fractions in the elementary grades is essential for learning Algebra in secondary school and advanced mathematics in college. Using grounded theory, the current study investigated DHH college students' cognitive strategies…

This study was designed to investigate the frequency with which students identified as having a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) and a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) combined with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are further assessed for deficits of executive function and working memory. Data were collected and analyzed from…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the systems, structures, and on-going professional development that leaders of elementary schools in New York State provide to support students who struggle with ADHD and executive functioning skills. The study used interviews as a data collection tool. Sixteen participants, including principals…

This dissertation presents the findings of a study examining the following questions: How do students in a particular disability group differ from students in other disability groups in the degree to which they accept their disability? How are level of functional impairment and acceptance related? How are an individual's view of disability as a…