Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities

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determines whether such individuals lead more satisfying lives after leaving school, than those whose educational experiences were in self-contained special education settings. This investigation begins to address some of these questions by examining how two individuals with significant disabilities functioned across settings over time. These two individuals originally received special education services together in a self-contained special education class during Year One of this study. The last month of that academic year the young woman began receiving services in general education settings, and she remained in those settings during her last six years of educational services (see Ryndak et al., 1999, for a description of her services and performance in the self-contained and general education settings). The young man, however, remained in self-contained settings for the duration of his educational career. Having had no contact during the years they received special education services in different settings, these individuals met again as adults, developed a relationship, and married. Thus, this couple offered a naturally-occurring opportunity that might suggest long-term effects of instructional settings on their overall performance both immediately, 4 years, and 8 years after exiting school services. Method Two individuals with significant disabilities participated in this qualitative study. These individuals and the methods used to describe them and the services they received over time are described below. Participants Participants were selected using purposeful sampling because of their mutual experiences at different times in their lives. During Year 1 of this study the first author met both participants and the family of one of the participants, Melinda, because of her family’s advocacy efforts for the development and implementation of effective services for her in general educational settings. At that time observations were conducted of Melinda’s selfcontained special education class, in which the other participant, Phillip, was also a student. At that time Melinda was 15 years of age and was labeled as having cognitive disabilities or multiple disabilities, although school and district personnel consistently described her as having “severe disabilities.” She was reading ata2 nd grade level, using math at a 3 rd grade level, and used speech that was intelligible only to people who were familiar to her during interactions that frequently were inappropriate. Phillip was 16 years of age and was labeled as having cognitive disabilities, although school and district personnel described him as having “mild to moderate disabilities.” He was reading at a 2 nd grade level, using math at a 3 rd grade level, and used speech that was intelligible to all peers and adults during frequent and appropriate interactions. During the observations field notes were written related to the services delivered to all of the students in the class, as well as the students’ performances in the class. Melinda and Phillip met again as adults when both were 25 years old, although Phillip was several months older than Melinda. Both were receiving support through the Medicaid Waiver. They and their parents and/or legal guardians were approached to determine whether they would be interested in participating in a study about: (a) the participants’ educational experiences and performance during those experiences; (b) the participants’ lives immediately after exiting school services; and (c) the participants’ current lives. Great care was taken to ensure that the participants and their parents/guardians understood and approved every aspect of this study. Data Collection In his discussion of qualitative research methodology Patton (2002) stated that “meaningfulness and insights generated from qualitative inquiry have more to do with the . . . capabilities of the researcher than the sample size” (p. 245). Three of the researchers for this study have demonstrated expertise in qualitative research methodology, and two of these researchers were intimately involved with all aspects of this study. Three of the researchers collaborated to collect information on the participants using various qualitative methods. First, consistent with qualitative research methodology related to the use of artifacts Long-term Outcomes / 325
TABLE 1 Summary Descriptors of Melinda Across Years (Note: Italics indicate more positive outcomes). Year 1: In Self-Contained Special Education Classes for 3 Documented Years Walks with special education shuffle Needs high level of supervision Demonstrates low maturity level Is disruptive in segregated classroom Is regressing academically Exiting School After Inclusive Contexts for 6 Years No longer walks with special education shuffle Works independently Demonstrates excellent level of growth during high school and college years Uses strategies to assist with processing difficulties Growth/interest and records (Hammersley & Atkinson, 1995; Mason, 1996), the researchers worked with the participants and their parents and/or guardians to obtain records and artifacts relevant to the participants’ educational and adult services, as well as the participants’ performance levels over time. For this study records were collected starting with two years prior to Melinda and Phillip being placed in the same self-contained special education class during Year One of this study, at the age of 15 and 16 years, respectively. Melinda’s earlier records indicated that for the previous two years she had been in self-contained special education classes. Her records after Year 1 indicated that her placement changed and she was included in general education classes, with supports and services, for the remainder of her educational experiences up through age 21. Phillip’s earlier records indicated that for the two years prior to Year 1 he had received services in self-contained special education classes. His records after Year 1 indicated that he remained in self-contained special education classes through the remainder of his educational career, until age 22. In addition to determining their educational placement, the Meeting After Adult Living for 4 Years Lives alone in own apartment Has held part time job in the court system for 3 years Has an extensive natural support network Uses coping strategies to assist with processing difficulties Uses literacy at work and in daily life After Adult Living for 8 Years, Married for 1 Year Shares an apartment with Phillip Has held part time job in the court system for 7 years; permanent employee with full benefits Has expanded her natural support network Has increased the life spaces in which she participates Uses literacy at work and in daily life Is self-assured and confident across contexts participants’ records and artifacts were collected for analysis related to performance levels in academic content, functional activities, interactions with others, and overall behavior. Second, consistent with the use of interviews in qualitative research (Kvale, 1996; Mason, 1996; Rubin & Rubin, 1995; Strauss & Corbin, 1998), the researchers conducted interviews with the participants, their families and, when possible, their current service providers. For the purposes of this study, only interviews conducted with school personnel related to the performances of all students in the self-contained special education class were used from Year 1 (see Tables 1 and 2). After Melinda and Phillip remet as adults, however, interviews were conducted with them and their parents and/or legal guardians, related to their services and performance levels over time. Both retrospective and current information was requested. In addition interviews were conducted with their current Medicaid Waiver personnel who provided support in their independent living situations and community access. At the participants’ request, no interviews were conducted with their co-work- 326 / Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities-September 2010
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practice may have had an influence
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Education and Training in Autism an
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ing to questions, (c) the learner f
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around a small instructional table
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TABLE 2 (Continued) 9. Guide studen
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TABLE 3 (Continued) Student Steps B
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TABLE 3 (Continued) Student Steps D
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esponding to errors by interrupting
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Figure 1. Teacher’s number of ste
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Figure 2. Number of inquiry skills
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TABLE 4 Results of Parent Survey It
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data was not simply an artifact of
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TABLE 1 Students’ Description Sub
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served a communicative function. In
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Descriptive Analysis The first rese
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eakdown whenever it is the case. He
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stood attribution when two consecut
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within easy reach. The instructiona
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and provided Takao a pen with thin
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Figure 3. Percentages of correct re
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teacher whether we should fully hon
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components to be effective promptin
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ability (IQ 44, Stanford-Binet Inte
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TABLE 1 Task Analysis for Cooking R
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pographic); and (c) no response, ch
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Figure 2. Percentage of steps perfo
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Figure 4. Percentage of steps perfo
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ture audio feature of the PDA, but
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M. (1992). The effects of self oper
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TABLE 1 Stages of The Halliwick’s
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plete other steps (Tekin & Kɹrcaal
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Figure 1. Percentage of correct res
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Martin, J. (1981). The Halliwick Me
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systematic instruction to teach fou
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also extremely low with a standard
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Procedural reliability probes measu
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Discussion The purpose of this stud
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(1986). Stanford-Binet Intelligence
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focus on the important adults in th
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cording to the current environment
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that “she felt very inadequate in
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tive research. (2 nd Ed.). New Jers
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