International Forum of Special Education and Child Development

Chieh-Yu Chen, Hsiao-Lan Chau, Ching-Ting Hsu 

Published May 18, 2020; pp. 36–44;  PDF download (Text in Traditional Chinese; English abstract available)

Board games have been recently often used in the special education in Taiwan. This article discussed the adjustment of using board games in teaching children with special needs. Through reviewing the elements of board games (i.e., the theme, the rule, user interface, victory conditions, game pieces, the number of players and the required time), we explained how to adjust these elements to meet the four dimensions of adjustment: the content, the process, the environment, and the assessment. The example of adjusting board games was described for teachers.

Tangchen Li,  Sheila Alber-Morgan

Published June 14, 2020; pp. 45–57;  PDF download 

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can benefit a great deal from academic interventions that provide them with frequent practice and immediate feedback. Two interventions that have been demonstrated to increase fluency of academic responses include interspersal drill and cover-copy-compare. Interspersal drill entails students practicing a basic tool skill (e.g., sight words, math facts) using flashcards showing known items interspersed with unknown items. Cover-copy-compare requires the student to look at the response prompt (e.g., 5 + 3 = 8), cover it, write it (or say it) from memory, and compare it to the prompt. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of these two interventions on math facts fluency for students with ASD. An alternating treatments design demonstrated that oral cover-copy-compare (O-CCC) was consistently more effective and efficient than oral interspersal drill (O-ID) across four experimental conditions for two participants with ASD. Participant outcomes for generalization and maintenance were mixed.

Chan, Yuan-Shuo

It’s our pleasure to introduce you to the first volume of the International Forum of Special Education and Child Development. In spite of the unprecedented challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, I am so delighted to share with you my appreciation to all editors who closely worked together to make this journal formally published in 2020..... (PDF download )

Yan-Rong Huang 

Published November  11, 2020; pp. 45–57;  PDF download  (Text in Traditional Chinese; English abstract available)

This is an action research. The main purpose was to investigate the instruction design with the main idea of “Understanding by Design （UbD）” in curriculum of independent studies. Using this frame in junior high school math and science gifted classroom to understand the process of students’ learning outcome. The independent research teaching is based on the theme of "using mathematics to break through fake news". The research is divided into three stages, which are pre-preparation, actual teaching and continuous observation. After teaching, collect and organize teachers to reflect on the teaching notes, observations records and student worksheet as the source of action research analysis. Findings were summarized as follows: （1） UbD of independent studies curriculum enhances students’ six-facets understanding; （2） According to student learning outcomes and satisfaction about course, overall performance was good; （3） The course helps students develop the higher-order thinking ability in a follow-up study.

Diane Bricker,  Jane Squires

Published April 20, 2020; pp. 1–17;  PDF download 

Early detection of developmental delays and disabilities in young children is essential for improving child and family outcomes. Universal developmental/behavioral screening is key to identifying children’s delays early and connecting them to needed services and supports. We outline a three step process for establishing a multifaceted linked early identification system that ensures detection and appropriate follow up: referral, screening assessment, and follow-up. One screening tool, the Ages & Stages Questionnaires and its companion, the Ages & Stages: Social-Emotional, is used as an example for this system.  The ASQ and ASQ:SE  have been translated and implemented in systems internationally, with overall positive outcomes.  Challenges for countries include developing a system that is consistent with available resources as well as carefully choosing a valid and reliable screening tool that can be successfully translated and adapted for diverse families.

Ya-Fang Hsiao, Pei-Fang Wu

Published April 20, 2020; pp. 18–35;  PDF download (Text in Traditional Chinese; English abstract available)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of computer-based video instruction on teaching purchasing skills for two elementary school students with intellectual disabilities. A delayed multiple baseline across participants combined with generalization probes design was used in the study. Data were collected during baseline, intervention, and follow-up (maintenance and generalization) phases; graphic display, visual analysis and the effect size were used to analyze the study results. Social validity data were also collected by interviewing significant others of the participants. Results were found that the computer-based video instruction was effective on the acquisition and stimulus generalization effects for the two participants, and maintained up to 7 weeks. Social validity data also showed that significant others of the participants have positive attitude toward the implementation of computer-based video instruction.