Communication Intervention for Students with Severe Disability: results of a partner training program

Special Education Research in Australia

“…Although this crucial area has not been neglected (e.g., see Arthur et al, 1998;Cumming & Elkins, 1992;C. Forlin, 1997;Milton & Rohl, 1999), it is necessary to understand further the impact this research is having on curriculum quality, professional practice, and student learning, together with other student outcomes.…”

“…Following the earlier years of research where the focus was on quantitative, accurate measures of specific behaviour, Australian researchers in special education have begun to employ increasingly various research designs and methods. Examples of this diversity are literature review approaches (Graves & Tracy, 1998) and other forms of review (Center & Freeman, 1996), historical and sociological approaches (Cornford, 1998;Dyson & Forlin, 1999;Greaves, 1999;O'Donoghue & Chalmers, 1998), participatory action research (Beamish & Bryer, 1999), and statistical measurement (Arthur, Butterfield, & McKinnon, 1998;Carroll, Houghton, Hattie, & Durkin, 1999;C. Forlin, 2000;C.…”

“…Although with the exception of the inclusion movement, there has been relatively limited depth of research in specific areas, the breadth that is covered by Australian researchers is quite vast. In recent years, research in special education has considered a range of issues, including meeting the needs of students with learning difficulties (Greaves, 1999) and severe disabilities (Arthur et al, 1998), together with meeting the professional needs of teachers in the special education domain (Milton & Rohl, 1999). Research also has focused on the concept of outcomes as learning outcomes, actualised outcomes, and system outcomes (C. .…”

Educational approaches for maximizing arousal in children with multiple and severe disability: New directions for research and practice in early childhood contexts

“…In contrast, quite a lot of attention has been paid to the communicative and contextual involvement of students with MSD, especially in relation to partner responsivity [13]. In one study, Arthur et al [14] demonstrated that a systematic programme of partner training in communication support improved the skills and knowledge of participants in relation to their interactions with students with MSD.…”

The social interaction of an adolescent who uses AAC: The evaluation of a peer-training program

“…Partner training, with a focus on creating opportunities for communication, has been promoted as particularly relevant for individuals who use AAC and who have severe cognitive disabilities (Arthur, Butterfield, & McKinnon, 1998;Butterfield et al, 1995;Calculator, 1998;Light et al, 1992;Sigafoos, 1999). With respect to creating opportunities for communication for individuals with developmental disabilities, Sigafoos (1999) highlighted the importance of developing peer training programs and support.…”