The purpose of this qualitative retrospective case study was to measure the impact that intervention methods derived from Arwood's Neuro-Education Model had upon the learning and development of one young adult with moderate to severe developmental disabilities. One participant received the intervention methods over the course of 2 years from a…

Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) frequently engage in escape-maintained problem behavior, which can limit their access to academic instruction and lead to placement in more restrictive educational settings. While there are function-based interventions to treat escape-maintained problem behavior, these interventions…

Nature has the ability to heal many psychological wounds from anxiety and depression, stress, post traumatic stress disorder, and behavioral concerns. As a result, clinicians are recognizing the power of nature as a tool in the healing process. The purpose of this dissertation, which consists of one completed systematic review and a multiple probe…

This dissertation in practice documents the program evaluation of the Community Scholars (CS) program at the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities (FCIC), a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at the University of South Florida (USF). CS is part of a diversity pipeline program that recruits youth with…

Written expression can be a critical skill for academic, vocational, and social pursuits. Unfortunately, research suggests that students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) struggle to develop writing skills. Paragraph text-writing is a component of written expression and refers to constructing multiple sentences about a…

This study incorporated a modified gap analysis to evaluate a health and human service agency in developing qualified workers. Specifically, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the degree to which the agency prepared direct care workers to meet state required proficiency on Virginia's DSP Competencies Evaluation tool, Section One…

A qualitative multiple case-study was conducted to explore the perceptions of special educators on access and application of evidence-based-practices (EBPs) to enhance play skills of students with developmental disabilities in early childhood classrooms. The problem addressed by the study relates to the gap between research and practice. A wide…

Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) have the lowest rates of post-high school education and employment of all disability groups (Migliore, et al., 2009). Inequity in educational and employment outcomes is arguably a result of the scarce opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to attend college…

Research has shown the parenting responsibilities that come with a child with special needs differ from the responsibilities of parenting a normally developing child (Benn, Akiva, Arel, & Roeser, 2012). To provide adequate levels of care for children with special needs parents may endure challenging experiences, resulting in parents becoming…

Research suggests spending time outdoors and with natural materials can benefit all young children across different areas of development. However, children with developmental disabilities often have fewer opportunities to engage with nature as a result of the limited understanding and negative views about nature expressed by their caregivers and…

This study used qualitative multiple case study analysis to explore community inclusion implementation among developmental disability service providers in Massachusetts. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (and its affirmation of community inclusion in Olmstead vs. L.C., 1999) set the stage for rights-based understanding of community…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to discover Direct Support Professionals' (DSPs) perceptions of a staff development session for creating a literacy-based social skills strategy known as social stories or story-based instruction. The participants in this study were six DSPs employed by a non-profit agency in the…

Adult postsecondary transition programs can be found within larger cities; however, school districts in rural communities have their own challenges due to limited resources. With transition programming, do families in the community understand and utilize the services, activities, and programs offered by outside agencies? The purpose of this…

Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) require intensive supports to make progress on literacy goals. These supports must often include methods to decrease challenging behaviors and increase engagement during instruction. In this study, I investigated whether computer-assisted instruction (CAI) may be one effective method…

Accusations pertaining to insufficient accountability for private schools that provide alternative educational options for special education students have led to opposition to those same schools. The opposition results in part from the schools' acceptance of state funded vouchers and scholarships. In Florida, state vouchers provide funds which…