Special Education Theses and Dissertations

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Browsing Special Education Theses and Dissertations by Subject "Adolescents"

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    Efficacy of an Internet-based Intervention Targeted to Adolescents with Subthreshold Depression
    (University of Oregon, 2011-09) Makarushka, Marta Maria, 1969
    Depression during adolescence is highly prevalent with as many as 20% experiencing a major depressive episode by the age of 18. Adolescent depression causes significant impairment across life areas including school functioning, such as poor academic performance and decreased academic achievement. Despite the existence of many evidence-based treatment options, merely 25% of depressed adolescents receive treatment. For this reason, it is essential that easily accessible preventive interventions for adolescent depression be developed and made available. Computerized interventions could broaden the reach of prevention efforts and preliminary results indicate that they have the potential to successfully prevent adolescent depression. The Coping with Depression course is an empirically validated cognitive-behavioral depression treatment and prevention program that is well-suited for computerized delivery. This dissertation reports on the development and evaluation of a web-based interactive multimedia version of the adolescent Coping with Depression course with students experiencing subclinical levels of depression. The Blues Blaster program includes the following six modules, with five mini-sessions in each: (a) defining depression, (b) mood monitoring, (c) increasing fun activities, (d) increasing positive thinking, (e) recognizing negative thinking, and (f) decreasing negative thinking. Key concepts are presented and reinforced in a variety of engaging ways within each session, including video, animation, comic strips, graphics, interactive exercises, and games. The Blues Blaster program was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial with 161 adolescents who were randomly assigned to either the Blues Blaster or informationonly control conditions. Participants were assessed at baseline, post-treatment (six weeks after baseline), and six-month follow-up. Results demonstrated greater improvement for the Blues Blaster condition in depression levels, negative thoughts, behavioral activation, knowledge, self-efficacy, and school functioning compared to the information-only control condition. These findings suggest that this targeted prevention program is appropriate for use with middle school students to decrease depression levels and therefore the risk that they will develop major depression in the future.
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    The literate lexicon in narrative and expository writing: A developmental study of children and adolescents
    (University of Oregon, 2008-09) Sun, Lei
    Three types of literate words, including abstract nouns (freedom, challenge), mental state verbs (assume, explain), and derivatives (relationship, respectful), were examined in narrative and expository writing in typically developing children and adolescents. It was predicted that older students would use literate words more frequently than younger students, and that literate words would occur more frequently in expository writing than in narrative writing. One hundred and twenty typically developing children and adolescents including forty 5th graders, forty 8th graders, and forty 11th graders wrote one narrative and one expository essay at school. The results showed that genre had a substantial impact on the use of literate words in the writing of school-age children and adolescents. except metalinguistic verbs. Moreover, literate words were used significantly more often in expository than in narrative text, except derived adjectives. Additionally, metalinguistic verbs occurred more often in narrative writing than expository writing; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Age-related increases occurred in the use of abstract nouns, derived nominals, early/late developing metacognitive verbs and late developing metalinguistic verbs in narrative writing. Age-related increases also occurred in the use of derived adjectives, and late developing metacognitive and metalinguistic verbs in expository writing. The present study adds to the knowledge base concerning the development of literate word use in narrative and expository writing in typically developing children and adolescents.
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    Making way through the borderlands: Latino youth with disabilities in transition from school to adult life
    (University of Oregon, 2009-06) Povenmire-Kirk, Tiana Cadye, 1974-
    Transition services for youth with disabilities are mandated by IDEA. Transition services are supported services that help individuals with disabilities move from special education in high school to employment, post-secondary education or vocational training in the adult world. Outcomes for youth with disabilities vary depending on culture, ethnicity, race, gender and socioeconomic status. Latino youth with disabilities experience poorer post-school outcomes than do white youth with disabilities. This study seeks to identify and describe the transition needs of youth with disabilities from Latino backgrounds who are transitioning from school to adulthood and therefore engaging in employment, post-secondary education or employment-related training. Through focus groups with Latino youth, their families, and the staff that serve them, I explored and identified the specific needs of this group with regards to receiving transition services. The findings of this study will guide the development of training for transition professionals in Oregon and will be disseminated to professionals in the field of transition across the country and around the world.