Prelims

Half Title Page

SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR YOUNG LEARNERS WITH DISABILITIES

Series Page

ADVANCES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

Series Editors: Festus E. Obiakor and Jeffrey P. Bakken

Recent Volumes:

Title Page

ADVANCES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION VOLUME 34

SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR YOUNG LEARNERS WITH DISABILITIES

EDITED BY

FESTUS E. OBIAKOR

Sunny Educational Consulting, USA

JEFFREY P. BAKKEN

Bradley University, USA

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

Copyright Page

Emerald Publishing Limited

Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA, UK

First edition 2019

Copyright © 2019 Emerald Publishing Limited

Reprints and permissions service

Contact: permissions@emeraldinsight.com

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters’ suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-78756-041-3 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-78756-040-6 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-78756-042-0 (Epub)

ISSN: 0270-4013

List of Contributors

About the Authors

Festus E. Obiakor, PhD, is the Chief Executive Manager, Sunny Educational Consulting, Shorewood, Wisconsin. He has served as Department Head and Professor, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia and The City College of New York, New York. A teacher, scholar, leader, and consultant, he has served as Distinguished Visiting Professor at a variety of universities. He is the author of more than 150 publications, including books, articles, and commentaries, and he has presented papers at many national and international conferences. He serves on the editorial boards of reputable nationally and internationally refereed journals, including Multicultural Learning and Teaching (MLT) in which he serves as Executive Editor. Dr Obiakor is a leader who has been involved in many landmark scholarly works in the fields of general and special education, with particular focus on African American and other culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners and he continues to prescribe multidimensional methods of assessment, teaching, and intervention for these individuals. Based on this premise, Dr Obiakor created the Comprehensive Support Model (CSM), an intervention model that values the collaborative, consultative, and cooperative energies of students, families, teachers/service providers, communities, and government agencies.

Jeffrey P. Bakken, PhD, is Professor and Associate Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School at Bradley University where he has held that position since June 2012. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Wisconsin–LaCrosse, and graduate degrees in the area of Special Education-Learning Disabilities from Purdue University. Dr Bakken has received the College of Education and the University Research Initiative Award, the College of Education Outstanding College Researcher Award, the College of Education Outstanding College Teacher Award, and the Outstanding University Teacher Award from Illinois State University. His specific areas of interest include learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, reading comprehension, response to intervention, collaboration, transition, teacher effectiveness, assessment, learning strategies, assistive technology, and smart classrooms and smart universities. He has published 180 works that include books, chapters, journal articles, proceedings at international conferences, audio tapes, encyclopedia articles, newsletter articles, book reviews, a monograph, a manual, and one publisher website. He has also made 238 presentations at international/national and regional/state conferences. Lastly, he has authored or coauthored numerous grants totaling over US$1,000,000.

Zhe (Gigi) An is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Gigi earned her BS in Special Education from Beijing Normal University, Med degree in ECSE from the University of Texas-Austin, and her Ph.D. from the University of Kansas. As an early educator, Gigi has supported young children with special needs, especially those with severe challenging behaviors in inclusive settings and home environments. Her research focus is on supporting early educators and families to appropriately support children with challenging behaviors to be successful in inclusive educational and community settings.

Eugene Asola, PhD, is an Associate Professor with the Kinesiology and Physical Education Department at Valdosta State University. He has taught at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and later at Georgia Gwinnett College. His educational achievements include BEd (Physical Education) from University of Education-Winneba, Master’s in Public Administration from Suffolk University-Boston, and a PhD in Sport Pedagogy from the University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa. He is very passionate about teaching courses in curriculum, methodology, and a variety of activity courses. Dr Asola’s area of research interest include physical activity and wellness, K-12 physical education teaching, supervision, and PE policy. He is a reviewer for the Multicultural Learning and Teaching Journal and a site visitor for GA-PSC.

Christy R. Austin is currently pursuing her PhD in Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in learning disabilities and behavioral disorders. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, she worked as a Special Education Teacher, Special Education Coordinator, and Assistant Principal. Her research interests include the education of students with learning difficulties and disabilities, intensive reading interventions, and issues of educational equity.

Tachelle Banks, PhD, is Chair, Professor for the Department of Teacher Education and the Associate Vice President of Institutional Diversity. Dr Banks serves as the Executive Managing Editor of Multicultural Learning and Teaching, a multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed international journal devoted to the education of people with diverse multicultural life experiences and background. She has published more than 40 publications including books, book chapters, and journal articles and has presented at numerous national and international conferences. To advance her commitment to closing the opportunity gap for students from traditionally marginalized backgrounds in education, particularly urban institutions of higher education, Dr Banks has focused her work on ensuring equitable educational outcomes for all students.

Stacey Jones Bock, PhD, is Professor and Chairperson in the Department of Special Education at Illinois State University. She was Co-principal Investigator on a grant for nine years that provided technical assistance to families of children and youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); she co-created online professional development and undergraduate and graduate courses on ASD and coauthored the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale (ASDS). Dr Jones Bock continues to publish in the area of autism spectrum disorders and provide service and support to local families.

Christy M. Borders, PhD, is a leader in addressing the needs of students who are deaf/hard of hearing (D/HH) with additional disabilities, particularly autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Her undergraduate and graduate degrees both focused on education of D/HH students while her doctoral studies were focused in the area of special education. In addition, Christy has over 10 years of clinical, classroom, and administrative experience working with individuals with disabilities. Dr Borders’ research has focused on the interventions teachers of the deaf utilize with this population and differences in educational services with the presence of an additional disability.

Emily C. Bouck, PhD, is a Professor of Special Education at Michigan State University. She studies life skills and academic interventions for students with disabilities, including intellectual disability. She is a Past President, and current board member, of the Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children.

Frederick J. Brigham, PhD, is Professor of Special Education at George Mason University. He served as President of the CEC Division for Research and editor of Behavioral Disorders. He received his PhD from Purdue University. Before doctoral work, he was a Special Education Teacher of students with EBD at the secondary levels and as a sixth-grade teacher in Ohio. He also served as a special education consultant in Iowa and as Director of Special Education in North Dakota. Before joining George Mason University, he served on the faculties of Valparaiso University, Bowling Green State University, and the University of Virginia.

Michele M. Brigham is a Special Education Teacher attached to the Social Sciences Department at Freedom High School in Loudoun County, VA. She earned her MEd degree from Valparaiso University in Indiana. She teaches American History, World History, and Economics. She also taught courses for the University of Virginia, Longwood University, and George Mason University. Prior to her work as a Special Educator, she was a Choral Music Director in Ohio, Iowa, North Dakota, Indiana, and Virginia.

M. Nickie Coomer, MEd, is a Doctoral Student in Urban Education Studies at IUPUI. She is a Graduate Assistant for the Great Lakes and Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Centers, was the keynote speaker at the Centers’ 2017 State Equity Leaders’ Summit, and was a featured co-host for a nationally broadcast webinar on moving toward culturally responsive pedagogies. Ms Coomer taught Special Education for nine years while also working as a Resident Counselor at a juvenile justice facility. Her research interests focus on the social construction of mental health in K-12 settings.

Shaqwana Freeman-Green, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Illinois State University. Her research interests include empirically based teaching and learning strategies for youth with high incidence disabilities in middle and secondary schools. Specifically, her research focuses on mathematics education in urban settings, and innovative use of web-based instruction to address the promotion of research-to-practice in special education.

Karla Giese has a MA in Early Childhood Special Education and a BA in Deaf Education, Elementary Education, & Special Education. She is currently a Deaf Educator, Doctoral Student, and NLCSD Scholar at Illinois State University and specializes in working with families who have deaf and hard of hearing children to empower them with information and resources. Deaf since infancy, Karla is well-versed in spoken, signed, and cued languages.

Jessica Graves, PhD, is the Acting Dean and Department Chair for the Department of Education and Teacher Preparation at the College of Coastal Georgia. With more than a decade of experience in serving P-12 learners and pre-service teachers, she has developed a passion for creating instructional contexts that facilitate high levels of student and teacher candidate success. Dr Graves focuses her research on topics including, but not limited to, best practices in teacher education, new literacies, and technology integration for student learning.

Molly Herman has worked as a Preschool Teacher of the deaf and Early Interventionist in EI for the past 13 years. She earned her Bachelor’s in Deaf Education, Spoken Language and Listening Professional Certificate, Master’s in Special Education, National Board Certification, and Director of Special Education Certificate, and is a current doctoral candidate in the Special Education Department at ISU. Her research focus is on dyadic communication (deaf educator and D/HH student) and triadic communication (general educator, sign language interpreter, and D/HH student) to acquire language with early learners.

Samuel R. Hodge, PhD, is Professor, Kinesiology, Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University. His areas of research intersect on diversity, disability, and social justice in education and sport. He has numerous publications to his credit. In fact, Dr Hodge received Emerald Group’s Outstanding Author Contribution in the 2016 Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence. He is a Fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology, the National Association of Kinesiology in Higher Education, and SHAPE America. In 2017, Professor Hodge received the 2017 G. Lawrence Rarick Research Award from the National Consortium for Physical Education for Individuals with Disabilities.

Eva Horn, PhD, is a Professor and Investigator at the University of Kansas. Prior to coming to KU, she was a faculty member at Vanderbilt University. She earned her BS degree in Education from Peabody College where she then taught 10 years in the Nashville Schools. She has directed numerous externally funded grants including educator and doctoral leadership preparation, and IES research. She coordinates the KU ECE/ECSE blended undergraduate and graduate educator and leadership preparation programs, as well as being an active researcher. Dr. Horn served as president for the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).

Stacy M. Kelly, EdD, is an Associate Professor in the Visual Disabilities Program at Northern Illinois University (NIU). She has been involved in research pertaining to children with visual impairments her entire career.

Murat Koc is a Doctoral Student in the Special Education Program at George Mason University. He holds an M.A degree in early childhood education.

Carlos Lavín is a Doctoral Student from George Mason University in Special Education. His main interests lie in the intersectionality of Latinos and dis/ability. Before deciding to pursue his PhD, Carlos worked as a special educator in a resource setting, focusing on students with autism and behavior problems, for over nine years. Carlos worked in dual language schools, charter schools, and public schools in North Carolina.

Courtney Maher is a Doctoral Student in the Special Education program at Michigan State University. She is interested in conducting research on social skills, effective group teaching for children with ASD, and evidence-based practices for staff training.

John William McKenna, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Moderate Disabilities and affiliate of the Center for Autism Research and Education (CARE) at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He received his PhD from The University of Texas at Austin. Before doctoral work, he was a home-based family worker, case manager, child behavior specialist, and special education teacher in residential, day treatment, and public school settings. His research interests include evidence-based instructional practices for students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders, responsible inclusion, and the provision of FAPE for students with high incidence disabilities.

Tammera S. Moore, MEd, is a Graduate Research Assistant for the Great Lakes Equity Center and the Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center pursuing a PhD in Urban Education Studies at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, and concentrating on the areas of Education Law and Education Policy Studies. Ms Moore’s research interests pertain to the disproportional number of students of color in Special Education, culturally responsive instruction, and critical self-reflective practices. Ms Moore has authored several publications on inclusive practices, critical self-reflection, and authentic engagement with students of color/with disabilities and their families.

Sunday Obi, EdD, is Professor of Education at Kentucky State University. He serves on the board of directors of the Bluegrass Regional Mental Health-Mental Retardation Board, Inc. Dr Obi is the Co-director of the new Master’s degree in Special Education and he played a major role in planning, designing, and implementing the program. He is a teacher, researcher, and scholar. His specific areas of interest include self-concept, inclusion, assessment, classroom management, and effective instructional practices.

Stephanie Parks, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of the Practice in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. She teaches coursework in Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education undergraduate and graduate unified licensure programs and supervises students in the field. As a practitioner, Stephanie has served children and families in Part C and 619 programs as an occupational therapist and early childhood special educator for over 20 years. She earned Master’s degrees in both ECSE and Occupational Therapy and a Doctoral degree in Education with an emphasis in early childhood/early childhood special education.

Kristi Probst, PhD, is the Interveners and Qualified Personnel Initiative Lead for the National Center on Deaf-Blindness. She is a National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities scholar and holds licensures in Special Education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Low Vision and Blindness, Learning Behavior Specialist, Elementary Education, and Early Childhood Education. She has worked as a teacher for students with sensory impairments and learning disabilities, Developmental Therapist, and Sign Language Interpreter. Kristi regularly writes about and speaks on meeting the needs of children with sensory disabilities and additional disabilities at local, national, and international conferences.

Anna Tess has a MS in Deaf Education and a BA in Deaf Education and is currently a Doctoral Student in Special Education at Illinois State University. Anna is profoundly deaf herself with two cochlear implants. She works with the parents to enhance language development in the homes and school for children with hearing loss.

Kathleen A. King Thorius, PhD, is Associate Professor of Special Education and Urban Education Studies and Executive Director of the Great Lakes Equity Center and its Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center. Dr Thorius’s work focuses on culturally responsive and sustaining education, special and inclusive education, equity considerations in multi-tiered systems of support, and race and disability equity-oriented professional development. Published extensively in practitioner and research outlets, including Harvard Educational Review and the International Journal of Inclusive Education. Dr Thorius was a school psychologist before earning her PhD as a USDOE-funded doctoral fellow in an interdisciplinary program to prepare culturally responsive special education professors.

Cheryl A. Utley, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor, University of Illinois-Chicago. Prior to this appointment, she was a Research Associate, Juniper Gardens Children’s Project, University of Kansas. Her research interests include urban/multicultural education, early childhood, STEM education, culturally diverse families, empirically validated interventions, response to intervention, and positive behavior interventions with multicultural learners at risk for disabilities. She has presented papers at numerous national and international conferences and published books and peer-reviewed articles on disproportionality, inclusive education, urban/multicultural education, and special education. She has served as the former co-editor of the journal entitled Multiple Voices for Ethnically Diverse Exceptional Learners.

Sharon Vaughn, PhD, Manuel J. Justiz Endowed Chair in Education, is the Executive Director of The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, an organized research unit at The University of Texas at Austin. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the CEC research award, the AERA SIG Distinguished Researcher award, The University of Texas Distinguished Faculty award, and Outstanding Researcher Award, and the Jeannette E. Fleischner Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of LD from CEC. She is the author of more than 35 books and 250 research articles and is Principal Investigator on Institute for Education Science and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development grants.

Lindsay Watkins has been a Social Studies Educator in both general and special education settings. She was a Special Education Teacher assigned to teach social studies for four years and then a General Educator in government and anthropology for five years. She is now a Doctoral Student and Research Assistant at George Mason University. Her current research projects focus on manifestation determination reviews and on training special educators to adapt curriculum for students with disabilities. She was also selected as a George Mason University Presidential Scholar for high academic achievement.

Preface

Learners with disabilities have been present in communities and societies for thousands of years, especially those with visible sensory and physical characteristics. And, these learners have endured disenfranchisements, disengagements, and disillusionments based on the ways they have been identified, assessed, labeled, placed, and instructed. As the societies progressed, their perceptions began to change dramatically and positively. For example, their negative perceptions as burdens, caricatures, worthless beings, demons, and buffoons began to give way to more protective and humanitarian attitudes that are related to their welfare. Today, learners with disabilities are considered part of an inclusive society where all citizens have value and merit and can make meaningful contributions. One area that has not been addressed to the level it should is the focus on young learners with disabilities. This journey has not been easy for learners with disabilities, their families, or those who have tried to educate them. To a large measure, this journey has been retrogressive, intriguing, innovative, and progressive.

This book, the 34th Volume of Advances in Special Education focuses on special education for young learners with disabilities. It begins with an introductory chapter on “Special Education for Young Learners with Disabilities: An introduction.” In the remaining chapters of the book, leaders in the field of young children with disabilities present their ideas and research on different disability topics. These include Chapter 2 “Reading Interventions for Young Learners with Reading Difficulties and Disabilities: The Role of Word Reading and Word Meaning,” Chapter 3 “The Urgent and the Always: Intervening on Behavior Problems in Young Children,” Chapter 4 “Special Education for Young Learners with Intellectual Disabilities,” Chapter 5 “Special Education for Young Learners who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing,” Chapter 6 “Special Education for Young Learners with Visual Impairments,” Chapter 7 “Special Education for Young Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” Chapter 8 “Inclusive Special Education for Young Learners with Severe and Multiple Disabilities,” Chapter 9 “Teaching Young Children with Traumatic Brain Injury in Inclusive Classroom Settings,” Chapter 10 “We Can Do Better: Critically Reframing Special Education Research and Practice at the Intersections of Disability and Cultural and Linguistic Diversity for Young Children,” Chapter 11 “Special Education for Young Learners with Physical Disabilities,” and Chapter 12 “Special Education for Young Learners with Other Health Impairments.” The book ends with and a concluding Chapter 13 on “Special Education for Young Learners with Disabilities: Moving Forward.”

Special Education for Young Learners with Disabilities is composed of 13 chapters written by well-known and respected researchers, scholars, and educators who are actively involved in teaching undergraduate and graduate special education courses on young learners with disabilities. This book demonstrates the benefits of collaboration, consultation, and cooperation at all educational and professional levels. We hope that it is used as a required or supplementary text for advanced undergraduate special education majors and graduate students who are looking for detailed, comprehensive, and current information for their research papers, theses, and dissertations. We also hope that practitioners working with young children in early childhood programs take advantage this book’s contents. Finally, we thank the professionals at Emerald for their dedication to excellence, and our wives and children for their love and support during this worthy venture.

Festus E. Obiakor

Jeffrey P. Bakken

Series Editors