Personal decision-making is a core element of self-determination and quality of life for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), however, they have traditionally been appointed a guardian to make decisions for them. Guardians are encouraged to involve their wards in decisions, but this comes with challenges as many are…

Part C of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, first passed in 1986, created a federal mandate for states to provide early intervention as an entitled service for children from birth to age 3 who are eligible based on delay, disability, or risk factors. Coaching the caregiver (e.g., parent) rather than child-focused therapy…

In this poststructural case study, I interviewed eight caretakers, teachers, and administrators from one school in a rural county in a southeastern state in order to think about how the intersection of three different discourses---rurality, food insecurity, and disability---and the power relations among caretakers, teachers, administrators, and…

K-12 schools in the United States play an important role in developing global competence in students. As technology, communications, and economics increase globalization, students must interact with and thrive in cultures different from their own. Educators must develop globally competent citizens with critical knowledge, skills, and mindsets to…

K-12 schools in the United States play an important role in developing global competence in students. As technology, communications, and economics increase globalization, students must interact with and thrive in cultures different from their own. Educators must develop globally competent citizens with critical knowledge, skills, and mindsets to…

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between early intervention providers' backgrounds, and their perceptions of caregiver coaching and auditory skill development, to develop professional development programs. An explanatory sequential design was used with participants of varying backgrounds and experience. In the first…

The purpose of this dissertation study was to describe how students who provide care for a person with a disability or chronic illness cope with the demands of both roles. The way students cope with stress has a direct impact on overall health, which has an impact on learning, development, and retention. Student caregivers are considered…

Analyzing the self-identities of students with hearing loss and the perceptions of their caregivers/parents assist understanding of and affirming of one another and facilitate students' self-advocacy development. Caregivers/parents must be receptive to how the individual identifies him/herself (Cole & Edelmann, 1991; Jackson, Traub, &…

Background: In the 1980's, economists of education used rate-of-return analyses to argue that primary education yielded the highest returns on investment. Using this investment rationale, Development Organizations (DOs) pressed for universal primary education. With the ensuing abolition of primary school fees came a flood of children enrolling in…

This study explored the influence of a 12-hour professional learning community for family child care providers in an urban Midwest city on the participants' beliefs and practices. A secondary purpose was to explore the potential of the professional learning community as a format for professional development of family child care providers. Data for…

Children with emotional and behavioral disorders often present with significant impairments in social, emotional, and academic functioning. For those with the most severe impairments, hospitalization is an essential intervention. Prior to releasing children from the hospital, a discharge plan is typically created in order to facilitate successful…

This study investigated the perceptions of persons with intellectual disability (ID) receiving support and the persons providing support regarding the autonomy of people with ID and how they perceive that it is either supported or denied within daily interactions between direct support professionals (DSPs) and people with disabilities. The…

A majority of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act's (IDEA) Part C early intervention services are provided in the home setting. Relationships between families and home visitors are at the heart of how services are delivered through Part C programs. When the worlds of families and home visitors collide each caregiver is likely to have a…

Almost since the time public schools first opened in the United States there have been those seeking to reform them. One of the most persistent cries for reform has been the call to apply the free market economic model of competition through consumer choice on the public school system. Schools, consumer choice supporters posit, when faced with the…

The researcher's purpose in this descriptive case study, drawn from a suburban school population of pre-kindergarten children and their parents/caregivers was: (a) to explore parents'/caregivers' perceptions of the concept of emergent literacy and how their children develop the ability to read and write; (b) to document the ways in…