Browsing by Subject "Inclusive Education"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Evaluating Implementation Fidelity of Evidence-Based Practices in Autism Spectrum Disorder Educational Programs Using the School WORK Framework
    (2013) Swiezy, Naomi; Neal, Tiffany; Fletcher, Anne; Stevenson, Megan; Ashby, Iryna
    Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States, with a rising demand for implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in school settings. Despite the identification of EBPs, consistent and systematic implementation remains a significant challenge due to limited training capacity, inconsistent fidelity, and a lack of tools for measuring real-world application. To address this gap, the HANDS in Autism® Interdisciplinary Training and Resource Center developed the School WORK© framework—a structured observational tool designed to evaluate the fidelity of EBP implementation across five core domains: classroom environment, assessment, curriculum planning, behavioral intervention, and teaching strategies. This poster presents data from district and classroom applications of the tool across Indiana, demonstrating the measure's utility in identifying strengths and areas for targeted professional development. Findings indicate that the School WORK© tool not only detects meaningful change in classroom practices over time but also informs sustainable training and systems-level transformation in autism educational programming.
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    Evaluating the Impact of Training Models on Functional Communication in Educational Settings for Individuals with Autism
    (2023) Thumu, Mrudhula; Neal, Tiffany; Deodhar, Aditi; Swiezy, Naomi
    This project focused on evaluating functional communication outcomes in students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) across educational sites implementing the HANDS in Autism® Model. Responsibilities included cleaning, organizing, and managing Classroom-Wide Data Rating (CWDR) entries, tracking project timelines, and conducting staff interviews for qualitative insight. Preliminary findings suggest a positive correlation between HANDS Model training and improved student communication ratios over time. The data also indicated the need for increased staff responsiveness to target behaviors and improved training consistency across sites. Additional contributions included visualizing and interpreting behavioral trends, supporting dissemination efforts, and facilitating team operations. Recommendations emphasized longitudinal tracking, tailored educator training, and investment in collaborative staff development to sustain evidence-based improvements in communication outcomes for students with ASD.
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    Success factors and (unintended) consequences of inclusive education in the United States: Implications for the German context
    (Beltz Juventa, 2015) Walk, Marlene; Schinnenburg, Heike
    Abstract (English) The United States has long been considered a pioneer in the integration of children with special education needs, since 95% of all children learn in general school settings, regardless of their dis-/abilities. This chapter identifies four (unintended) consequences of the movement towards inclusion for the US education sector: 1) a significant increase in the number of children diagnosed with special education needs and increases in public spending for special education, 2) tremendous growth of the teaching workforce, 3) blurring of professional identities of general and special education teachers, and 4) educational triage & teaching to the test. In the final section of the chapter, the authors draw connections between these consequences and the German case arguing that schools and the teaching professions may face similar challenges during the implementation of inclusive education. Abstract (deutsch) Die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika werden seit Langem als Pionier im Bereich der Integration von Kindern mit sonderpädagogischem Förderbedarf betrachtet, da 95% aller Kinder – ungeachtet ihrer Fähigkeiten – gemeinsam im Regelschulsystem lernen. Dieses Kapitel identifiziert vier (ungeplante) Konsequenzen der Entwicklung zur Inklusion im US-amerikanischen Bildungssystem: 1) Anstieg der Anzahl der Kinder mit diagnostiziertem sonderpädagogischen Förderbedarf und Anstieg der öffentlichen Ausgaben für Sonderpädagogik, 2) enormes Wachstum der Lehrerprofession, 3) Verschwimmen der professionellen Identität der Regel-und Förderschullehrkräfte, 4) Bildungs-Selektierung und Unterrichten für standardisierte 2 Tests. Im letzten Abschnitt des Kapitels ziehen die Autoren Rückschlüsse aus diesen Konsequenzen für die Situation in Deutschland und die Entwicklung zu einem inklusiven Bildungssystem und weisen darauf hin, dass Schulen und Lehrkräfte dort vor ähnlichen Herausforderungen stehen wie in den USA.
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    Training Educators in Autism Spectrum Disorder Support: A Study on Signs, Strategy Application, and Prompting Needs
    (2013-08) Flemister, Diadra; Neal, Tiffany; Swiezy, Naomi
    Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects approximately 1 in 50 children in the United States, with prevalence continuing to rise. Despite longstanding mandates for the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in educational settings, there remains a gap between research and implementation in classroom environments for students with ASD. The HANDS in Autism® Summer Training program is designed to bridge this gap by providing hands-on, interactive professional development for school personnel. This study examined follow-up evaluations completed 30 days post-training to assess the extent to which educators applied, improved, or needed additional prompting for key instructional and behavioral strategies introduced during the training. Findings indicated high rates of strategy application and improvement, particularly in visual structure and behavior management, while data-related practices (e.g., collection and analysis) were more likely to require further support. These results suggest that the HANDS model offers a promising framework for translating EBPs into classroom practice, though further study is needed to assess long-term retention and outcomes across staff roles.