Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities - Division on ...
Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities - Division on ...
Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities - Division on ...
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<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>structi<strong>on</strong>al time can be better spent learn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
more practical <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> relevant skills. In the<br />
present study, all students across both groups<br />
learned the strategy <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> achieved the mastery<br />
criteri<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> from 5 to 11 <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>structi<strong>on</strong>al sessi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
(mean 8.3 sessi<strong>on</strong>s). Clearly, the participants<br />
had little difficulty acquir<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> apply<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
the strategy to achieve positive outcomes.<br />
This study c<strong>on</strong>tributes to the emerg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g literature<br />
support<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g use of <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>struct<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g students to<br />
use student-directed learn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g strategies <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
general educati<strong>on</strong> classrooms.<br />
A student’s successful access to general educati<strong>on</strong><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>volves the performance of a repertoire<br />
of skills. In an <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>vestigati<strong>on</strong> of the curricular<br />
skills valued most by general <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
special educators for students with severe disabilities<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>volved <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>clusive educati<strong>on</strong>, resp<strong>on</strong>dents<br />
ranked the acquisiti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> executi<strong>on</strong><br />
of self-determ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> studentdirected<br />
learn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g strategies as most important<br />
for successful <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>clusi<strong>on</strong> (Agran & Alper,<br />
2000). These strategies allow students to, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
effect, support themselves, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> they represent<br />
a critical educati<strong>on</strong>al outcome. There is no<br />
questi<strong>on</strong> that successful performance <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> general<br />
educati<strong>on</strong> requires competency <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> many<br />
skills, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>clud<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g core c<strong>on</strong>tent <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>tent facilitati<strong>on</strong><br />
or classroom survival skills; <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> follow<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
directi<strong>on</strong>s represents <strong>on</strong>e of the most<br />
critical skills. Jacks<strong>on</strong>, McCaleb, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Helwick<br />
(2002) discussed the importance of “people<br />
supports” <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>clusive educati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> cauti<strong>on</strong>ed<br />
that the over reliance of such supports<br />
may produce undesired dependencies.<br />
Clearly, self-m<strong>on</strong>itor<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g represents a support<br />
that potentially can serve to promote <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dependence,<br />
self-reliance, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>, ultimately, self-determ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Further, Jacks<strong>on</strong> et al. recommend<br />
the value of pers<strong>on</strong>aliz<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>structi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> supports<br />
to <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dividual students. Needless to say,<br />
what better a way to pers<strong>on</strong>alize <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>structi<strong>on</strong><br />
than to teach students to m<strong>on</strong>itor their own<br />
behavior.<br />
Overall, the f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs suggest that all students<br />
acquired <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> successfully employed the<br />
self-m<strong>on</strong>itor<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g strategy <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a relatively short<br />
period of time <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> successfully employed it at<br />
levels dramatically higher than <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> basel<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e.<br />
Nevertheless, there are several limitati<strong>on</strong>s to<br />
this study that warrant serious attenti<strong>on</strong>. First,<br />
although we knew the students self-m<strong>on</strong>itored<br />
their performance <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> participat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g teachers<br />
reported that the students self-m<strong>on</strong>itored<br />
12 / <str<strong>on</strong>g>Educati<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Developmental</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Disabilities</str<strong>on</strong>g>-March 2005<br />
their behavior for the durati<strong>on</strong> of the <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>vestigati<strong>on</strong>,<br />
we did not calculate accuracy of their<br />
self-m<strong>on</strong>itor<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. In <strong>on</strong>e sense, this is may not<br />
be an important issue s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ce there is c<strong>on</strong>siderable<br />
research that suggests self-m<strong>on</strong>itor<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
produces desired <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> reactive effects whether<br />
students accurately or <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>accurately m<strong>on</strong>itored<br />
their performance (see Agran, 1997; Wehmeyer<br />
et al., 1998). Nevertheless, it would<br />
have been of <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terest to determ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e the accuracy<br />
of the students’ records. Sec<strong>on</strong>d, although<br />
participat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g teachers positively evaluated<br />
the value of teach<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g students to selfm<strong>on</strong>itor<br />
their own behavior, logistical <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
temporal c<strong>on</strong>stra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ts prevented collecti<strong>on</strong> of<br />
student social validati<strong>on</strong> data. The fact that<br />
their use of the strategy produced positive<br />
changes for all students represents a desired<br />
outcome, but we do not know what the students’<br />
percepti<strong>on</strong>s were regard<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g their use of<br />
the strategy. Clearly, future research <strong>on</strong> effects<br />
of self-m<strong>on</strong>itor<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g warrants the collecti<strong>on</strong> of<br />
such data. Additi<strong>on</strong>ally, future research<br />
should obta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> social validati<strong>on</strong> data from typical<br />
peers <strong>on</strong> their op<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>i<strong>on</strong>s about the students’<br />
use of this strategy. Third, the <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>vestigati<strong>on</strong><br />
failed to <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>vestigate the generalized<br />
effects of the students’ use of the strategy. The<br />
fact that students employed the strategy <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
different sett<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs suggest, at least <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> part, some<br />
generality, but no systematic efforts were<br />
made to <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>vestigate generalized effects across<br />
n<strong>on</strong>-targeted behaviors or sett<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs. Such an<br />
exam<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ati<strong>on</strong> is warranted <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> future research.<br />
Despite these limitati<strong>on</strong>s, we believe that<br />
the study c<strong>on</strong>tributes to the emerg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g literature<br />
<strong>on</strong> student-directed tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>clusive<br />
sett<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs. There are relatively few applicati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
of self-determ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ati<strong>on</strong> or student-directed<br />
learn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g strategies with students with moderate<br />
to severe disabilities <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>clusive classrooms,<br />
especially students at the junior high<br />
or middle school level. F<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs of this study<br />
dem<strong>on</strong>strate that students with moderate to<br />
severe disabilities can m<strong>on</strong>itor their own behavior<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> general educati<strong>on</strong> (Agran, 1997; Agran<br />
et al., 2003). It is safe to say that failure to<br />
follow directi<strong>on</strong>s will produce unsatisfactory<br />
educati<strong>on</strong>al outcomes for all students. F<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs<br />
of the present study suggested that students<br />
with moderate to severe disabilities<br />
learned to appropriately resp<strong>on</strong>d to their<br />
teachers’ directi<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> completed the tasks<br />
as directed by employ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a self-directed m<strong>on</strong>-