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Biomedical subjects

J E Rynders

Publications and source records attributed to J E Rynders.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Participation of children with autism and nondisabled peers in a cooperatively structured community art program.

Two groups (one younger, one older) of children with autism participated in monthly art activities with same-age nondisabled peers at a children's museum. The study sought to investigate the feasibility of offering a cooperatively structured art education class for students with autism and nondisabled students, and to evaluate the effect of joint participation on the students' interactions with one another. Results indicated that both groups of children with autism were targeted for interactions from nondisabled peers significantly more often during intervention than during baseline, even though positive social interaction bids by nondisabled peers were rarely reciprocated and hardly ever initiated by peers with autism.

Art Therapy↗
PubMed1993

Drama: a medium to enhance social interaction between students with and without mental retardation.

Twenty-four fifth grade (or equivalent age) students were assigned to one of two treatment conditions consisting of equal numbers of students from regular and special education classes. One group was involved in a dramatic games condition culminating in a theatrical performance planned by the group. The second group was involved in a noncompetitive games condition culminating in a demonstration of games developed by the group. Observational data recording initiations and receptions of prosocial bids were collected for all subjects receiving special education services within both groups. A sociometric measure was used to assess the perceived quality of friendships both before and after the interventions. Results showed that students with mental retardation in the drama condition were targeted for positive social interactions by peers without mental retardation significantly more and were more highly regarded as friends than were those in the games condition.

Child↗
PubMed1990

Always trainable? never educable? Updating educational expectations concerning children with Down syndrome.

The misperception that school-age children with Down syndrome always function at the trainable (noneducable) level at the time they enter kindergarten, or will assuredly function at the trainable level later in their schooling, continues to restrict their educational opportunities. The academic achievements of children with Down syndrome who participated in four early education studies were examined. Clear evidence of educable-level performance was revealed. The importance of functional indicators of educability that can complement intelligence test results in determining an appropriate educational placement was stressed.

Achievement↗
PubMed1990

Integrating children with severe disabilities for intensified outdoor education: focus on feasibility.

The feasibility of an intensified (i.e., all-day-for-2-weeks) integrated camping experience for children with and without severe disabilities was evaluated as was the impact of integrated programming on camp staff members' attitudes. Procedures employed for promoting social interactions included positive reinforcement and cooperative learning strategies. Task-analytic procedures were used to teach campers with severe disabilities a domestic skill and a life-long leisure activity. By the end of the 2 weeks, children with severe disabilities demonstrated substantially improved skills in targeted activities. Furthermore, campers without disabilities substantially increased their prosocial interaction bids, and ratings reflective of friendship increased significantly. Also, staff members' perceptions of operating an integrated camp versus a segregated one and their perceptions of the presence of participants with disabilities as facilitative of camp operations improved significantly.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Collaborative skill instruction for promoting positive interactions between mentally handicapped and nonhandicapped children.

Structuring cooperative learning activities has been shown to be an effective technique for integrating handicapped and nonhandicapped students. Previous research in this area has focused on the relative effects of cooperative versus competitive and individualistic learning situations upon peer relations and academic achievement. Few investigations have examined the various elements within the cooperative learning model that appear to promote positive peer interactions among handicapped and nonhandicapped students. The present study evaluated the influence of collaborative skill instruction versus no collaborative skill instruction on the social interaction behaviors of moderately/severely handicapped and nonhandicapped students participating in group science activities. These data reveal that students receiving collaborative skill instruction interacted more positively with one another than those who did not receive the instruction.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Producing positive interaction among Down syndrome and nonhandicapped teenagers through cooperative goal structuring.

Effects of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic goal structures compared on the dimensions of interpersonal interaction and attraction. Subjects were nonhandicapped and Down syndrome junior high school students who participated in eight weekly sessions of recreational bowling. Results indicated that significantly more positive interactions and evidence of greater interpersonal attraction took place between the nonhandicapped students and the Down syndrome students in the cooperative condition than in the competitive and individualistic conditions. .

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Performance characteristics of preschool Down's syndrome children receiving augmented or repetitive verbal instruction.

Young Down's syndrome children were compared on their ability to respond to typical preschool learning tasks when given either augmented or repetitive verbal instruction. Augmented verbal instruction began with (a) a verbal prompt followed, as needed, by (b) verbal instruction, (c) verbal instruction plus modeling, and (d) verbal instruction plus manual guidance. Repeated verbal instruction involved the verbal repetition of task directions up to three times after the initial verbal prompt. A groups of age-matched nonretarded children served as a contrast group. Results indicated that Down's syndrome children experienced serious acquisition problems despite either the augmented verbal-instruction series or the repeated verbal-instruction series.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1978

Underestimating the educability of Down's syndrome children: examination of methodological problems in recent literature.

For many years, the educational capabilities of Down's syndrome persons have been underestimated because a large number of studies purporting to give an accurate picture of Down's syndrome persons' developmental capabilities have had serious methodological flaws. A close examination of that literature, coupled with a look at findings from two current early education projects for Down's syndrome children, revealed that psychometrically defined educability is far more common in Down's syndrome persons than a cursory review of the literature would lead to believe.

Adolescent↗