INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION Vol 28, No: 2, 2013 ISSN 0827 3383 International Journal of Special Education VOLUME 28 2013 NUMBER 2 ADHD In Indian Elementary Classrooms: Understanding Teacher Perspectives An Inter-correlational Study of the Reading Components in Profiling and Generating a Cognitive Equation for the Reading Performance of Students with Autism Digital Games and Assistive Technology: Improvement of Communication of children with Cerebral Palsy Effects of Character Education on the Self-Esteem of Intellectually Able and Less Able Elementary Students in Kuwait Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Literacy and Learning Family Quality of Life from the Perspectives of Individual Family Members: A Korean- American Family and Deafness Evaluating the Phonology of Nicaraguan Sign Language: Preprimer and Primer Dolch Words Exploring the Nature of Effective Word Study Instruction for Struggling Readers: Practical Applications for Broader Perspective of the Simple View of Reading Nearly Two Decades After the Implementation of Persons with Disabilities Act: Concerns of Indian Teachers to Implement Inclusive Education Sexual Behavior in Male Adolescents with Autism and its Relation to Social-Sexual Skills in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia The Difficulties Encountered by the Mothers Having Children with Mental Disabilities or Autism in Participating to Community Life The Effects of Video Self-Modeling on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder What is Behind the Diagnosis of Learning Disability in Austrian Schools? An Empirical Evaluation of the Results of the diagnostic Process 1 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION Vol 28, No: 2, 2013 International Journal of Special Education EDITORIAL POLICY The International Journal of Special Education publishes original articles concerning special education. Experimental as well as theoretical articles are sought. Potential contributors are encouraged to submit reviews of research, historical, and philosophical studies, case studies and content analyses in addition to experimental correlation studies, surveys and reports of the effectiveness of innovative programs. Send your article to [email protected] or [email protected] as attachment by e- mail, in MSWORD for IBM format ONLY. Articles should be double spaced (including references). Submit one original only. Any tables must be in MS-WORD for IBM Format and in the correct placement within the article. Please include a clear return e-mail address for the electronic return of any material. Published articles remain the property of the Journal. E-mailed contributions are reviewed by the Editorial Board. Articles are then chosen for publication. Accepted articles may be revised for clarity, organisation and length. Style: The content, organisation and style of articles should follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition. An article written in an obviously deviating style will be returned to the author for revision. Abstracts: All articles will be preceded by an abstract of 100-200 words. Contributors are referred to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition for assistance in preparing the abstract. Word Processing Guidelines: All articles (including tables and figures) must fit within size A4 paper, 1.2” in left-right margins, 1.2” top/bottom margins, and be in portrait orientation. Responsibility of Authors: Authors are solely responsible for the factual accuracy of their contributions. The author is responsible for obtaining permission to quote lengthy excerpts from previously published material. All figures and tables must be included within the document. JOURNAL LISTINGS Annotated and Indexed by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children for publication in the monthly print index Current Index to Journals of Special Education (CIJE) and the quarterly index, Exceptional Child Education Resources (ECER). IJSE is also indexed at Education Index (EDI). The journal appears at the website: www.internationaljournalofspecialeducation.com The editor, Dr. Marg Csapo, may be reached at [email protected] The co-editor, Dr. Iris Drower, may be reached at [email protected] 2 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION Vol 28, No: 2, 2013 I N D E X VOLUME 28 2013 NUMBER 2 ADHD In Indian Elementary Classrooms: Understanding Teacher Perspectives 4 Neena David An Inter-correlational Study of the Reading Components in Profiling and Generating a Cognitive Equation for the Reading Performance of Students with Autism 17 Saranya Elangovan, Noel Kok Hwee Chia Digital Games and Assistive Technology: Improvement of Communication of children with Cerebral Palsy 36 Maria Ines Jesus Ferreira, XistoLucas Travassos, Lynn Alves, Renelson Sampaio, Camila de Sousa Pereira-Guizzo Effects of Character Education on the Self-Esteem of Intellectually Able and Less Able Elementary Students in Kuwait 47 Abir Tannir, Anies Al-Hroub Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Literacy and Learning 60 H. Rae Mitten Evaluating the Phonology of Nicaraguan Sign Language: Preprimer and Primer Dolch Words 73 Julie Delkamiller Exploring the Nature of Effective Word Study Instruction for Struggling Readers: Practical Applications for Broader Perspective of the Simple View of Reading 81 Yujeong Park, Linda J. Lombardino Family Quality of Life from the Perspectives of Individual Family Members: A Korean-American Family and Deafness 91 Joo Young Hong, Ann Turnbull Nearly Two Decades after the Implementation of Persons with Disabilities Act: Concerns of Indian Teachers to Implement Inclusive Education 104 Nisha Bhatnagar, Ajay Das Sexual Behavior in Male Adolescents with Autism and its Relation to Social-Sexual Skills in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 114 Mohamen A. Huwaidi, Wid H. Daghustani The Difficulties Encountered by the Mothers Having Children with Mental Disabilities or Autism in Participating to Community Life 123 Begum Capa Tayyare, Nur Akcin, Ataturk Egitim Fakultesi, Ozel Egitim Bolumu, Goztepe Kampusu The Effects of Video Self-Modeling on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder 136 Casey Schmidt, Jennifer Bods-Raacke What is Behind the Diagnosis of Learning Disability in Austrian Schools? An Empirical Evaluation of the Results of the diagnostic Process 147 Markus Gebhardt, Mathias Krammer, Susanne Schwab, Peter Rossmann, Klicpera Gasteiger 3 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION Vol 28, No: 2, 2013 ADHD IN INDIAN ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS: UNDERSTANDING TEACHER PERSPECTIVES Neena David Tata Institute of Social Sciences ADHD in India is culturally viewed as a school specific condition. Parents perceive accessing child psychiatric services as stigmatizing and prefer educational interventions for ADHD. There is a crucial need for research that restructures information and intervention paradigms about ADHD within a school context. The objectives of the present study were to understand teacher perspectives in relation to ADHD behaviours as they present in mainstream elementary classrooms. Located in Bangalore Urban district, India, the purposive sample consisted of teachers and students from the elementary section of 5 regular schools. Data was obtained through in-depth interviews, classroom observations and responses to vignettes. Responses were qualitatively analysed for themes and main concepts. Results indicate that teachers use a framework model to locate the construct of ADHD in a developmental context. ADHD behaviours are attributed to parent disciplining styles and environmental factors such as over exposure to electronic media. Teachers respond to classroom challenging behaviours using directive and heuristic strategies. The study highlights the need to recognize cultural complexities in understanding the ADHD construct. Introduction A common childhood developmental disorder diagnosed among the elementary school going population is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Estimates of ADHD across the world range from 2.2 to 17.8 percent (Skounti, Philalithis & Galanakis, 2007). ADHD as defined by the American Psychiatric Association (2000) is a persistent pattern of inattention and /or hyperactivity- impulsivity that is more frequently displayed or more severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development. Typically a triad of difficulties in the areas of attention, activity levels and impulsive behaviours form the core diagnostic features of ADHD. Students with ADHD exhibit a variety of difficulties with school functioning. Hyperactive-impulsive behaviours that may comprise ADHD often lead to disruptive behaviours in the classroom including walking around the classroom when staying seated is expected, talking out of turn, intrusive verbalizations, not following through on instructions and interrupting teacher instruction (DuPaul, Weyandt & Janusis, 2011). Children with this disorder also have difficulties in sustaining attention and exhibit significantly higher rates of off-task behaviour when passive classroom activities (e.g. listening to teacher instruction and reading silently) are required relative to their non-ADHD classmates (Abikoff, et al., 2002; Junod, DuPaul, Jitendra, Volpe & Cleary, 2006). Once regarded as a condition that was mostly prevalent in Western contexts, studies conducted on a range of ethnic cultures indicate symptom similarities and the existence of ADHD type behaviour clusters. These suggest that