Date
5-22-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Sherrita Rogers
Keywords
autism, low-functioning autism, distance learning, virtual learning, behavior, laws of learning, Edwards Thorndike, Training, remote Special Education Teacher, Learning Coach, ABA
Disciplines
Special Education and Teaching
Recommended Citation
Chamberlin, Alicia L., "A Phenomenological Study of the Perceptions of Behavioral Supports for Students with Low Functioning Autism in Virtual Learning Programs" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5640.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5640
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the perceptions of Special Education Teachers regarding positive behavioral supports for students with Low Functioning Autism (LFA) and behavioral challenges who participate in virtual learning environments. The theory guiding this study is Thorndike’s associative learning theory as it provides a framework for understanding the challenges associated with the application of behavioral supports within the virtual learning environment. The Central Research Question in this study is: What are the shared experiences of Special Education Teachers who implement positive behavioral supports (PBS) for students with LFA and behavioral challenges who participate in an academic virtual learning environment (VLE)? Through observations, interviews, and focus groups, Moustakas’ transcendental-phenomenological design was applied to explore the Central Research Question. Ten Special Education Teachers, consisting of nine females and one male, who taught students from grades six-12 online, had at least three years of experience teaching Special Education, and had at least one student in their online class with LFA, participated in this study. There was no physical location for this study. Qualitative analysis revealed what Special Education Teachers considered to be the essential elements of the Laws of Learning. Additionally, the results revealed that training for teachers and parents on how to support students with LFA in the VLE could benefit educational programs, and implementing the essential elements of learning can mitigate challenges related to behavior and learning by addressing the most pervasive areas of deficit (i.e., hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity to sensory stimuli and habituation).
