Papers by Karola Dillenburger
The conversation, Oct 28, 2014
Behavior Analysis, 2018
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is recognised as the scientific basis of effective interventions... more Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is recognised as the scientific basis of effective interventions in many educational, social, and medical fields, including autism. In this chapter, the basic tenets of ABA are described and briefly reviewed. Autism aetiology, diagnosis and prevalence are sketched out and the remainder of the chapter focuses on ABA-based interventions for children with autism. The chapter concludes with an examination of internationally recognised training standards for behaviour analysts.
International Journal of Educational Research, 2016
With rising numbers of school-aged children with autism educated in mainstream classrooms and app... more With rising numbers of school-aged children with autism educated in mainstream classrooms and applied behaviour analysis (ABA) considered the basis of best practice, teachers' knowledge in this field has become a key concern for inclusion. Self-reported knowledge of ABA of special needs teachers (n=165) was measured and compared to their actual knowledge of ABA demonstrated in accurate responses to a multiple-choice test. Findings reported here show that teachers' self-perceived knowledge exceeded actual knowledge and that actual knowledge of ABA was not related to training received by government agency. Implications for teacher training are discussed.
International Research in Education, 2014
With rising prevalence rates of autism spectrum disorders worldwide (i.e. current prevalence of 1... more With rising prevalence rates of autism spectrum disorders worldwide (i.e. current prevalence of 1:88; CDC 2012) it is imperative to implement efficacious interventions to improve functional outcomes for those diagnosed with autism. Applied behaviour analysis has been shown to produce advantageous outcomes (e.g. raised IQ scores, improved verbal skills, and increased adaptive behaviours; Fein, 2013; Dawson et al. 2010) and is widely accepted as an evidence-based practice for educational interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (Odom, 2010). Irish teachers of students with autism spectrum disorders were surveyed regarding their knowledge relevant to autism, challenging behaviour, and applied behaviour analysis. The data were analyzed to comparing results among respondents based on professional development training in the content areas. The teachers reporting training through the Special Education Support Service showed slightly higher rates of correct responses yet...
International Journal of Educational Research, 2012
International evidence confirms that early childhood educators can enter professional practice un... more International evidence confirms that early childhood educators can enter professional practice unprepared for child protection due to inadequate pre-service preparation. This paper makes an original contribution by using the Child Protection Questionnaire for Educators (CPQE) to examine the pre-and post-intervention child maltreatment and protection knowledge of early childhood and primary teaching students. While students' knowledge increases significantly after participating in a child protection training programme, Pastoral Pathways, as part of their undergraduate study, post-intervention scores vary between groups. The study provides evidence of programme effectiveness and future training needs of pre-service educators. Findings are relevant to teacher educators and child care training providers in relation to programme content development and evidencing knowledge and skills acquisition.
The idea for the PAVE (People Affected by ViolencE) project was born over 20 years ago, when I co... more The idea for the PAVE (People Affected by ViolencE) project was born over 20 years ago, when I conducted the first study of violently bereaved widows in Northern Ireland in the mid-1980s. These women had lost their husbands in horrendous circumstances as a direct result of the Troubles. While the study showed the magnitude and longevity of the suffering of these women, there was little in the line of support for them and reports of their torment seemed to fall on deaf ears (Dillenburger, 1992). It was not until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, that victims’ issues were more openly addressed and services became more widely available. I conducted a replication of the original study, only to find that the pain for many of the widows had not eased, even 30 years after the loss of their husband (Dillenburger, 2002). Why were these widows not feeling better after such a long time? In 2003, the new Victims Minister, Ms Angela Smyth, asked for views regarding the needs of victims. I wrote...
With rising prevalence rates of autism spectrum disorders worldwide (i.e. current prevalence of 1... more With rising prevalence rates of autism spectrum disorders worldwide (i.e. current prevalence of 1:88; CDC 2012) it is imperative to implement efficacious interventions to improve functional outcomes for those diagnosed with autism. Applied behaviour analysis has been shown to produce advantageous outcomes (e.g. raised IQ scores, improved verbal skills, and increased adaptive behaviours; Fein, 2013; Dawson et al. 2010) and is widely accepted as an evidence-based practice for educational interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (Odom, 2010). Irish teachers of students with autism spectrum disorders were surveyed regarding their knowledge relevant to autism, challenging behaviour, and applied behaviour analysis. The data were analyzed to comparing results among respondents based on professional development training in the content areas. The teachers reporting training through the Special Education Support Service showed slightly higher rates of correct responses yet...
Abstra For mo behavio Despite reluctan conside evidenc conside EBP sta interven those t pseudos K... more Abstra For mo behavio Despite reluctan conside evidenc conside EBP sta interven those t pseudos Keywo Practice Eviden 69 69 e Based
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Papers by Karola Dillenburger