Three teacher education candidates made virtual presentations at the National Council for Undergraduate Research (NCUR) held April 4-8, 2022.

Sarah Howe, Ansley Reese, and Mary Snyder are candidates in the undergraduate Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education combined program. They submitted their NCUR proposals in fall 2021 after completing extensive literature reviews for an assignment in Dr. Mandy Hilsmier’s (Professor of Special Education) class.

Reese, a senior, was accepted for her paper which reviewed “Effects of Bullying on Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.” Exploring her combined interests in special education and the effects of bullying, the literature revealed that students with autism spectrum disorder experienced heightened emotions, an increased risk of mental health problems, and high and early rates of school refusal when exposed to bullying.

“As future teachers, we need to learn how we can best provide differentiation for these students in the classroom as well as help them reach their fullest potential,” said Reese.

Snyder, a junior, recognized the additional challenge faced by students in special education who are also trying to learn a new language. Her research paper, “English Language Learners in Special Education,” reviewed the strategies necessary for special education teachers to meet the individual needs of English language learners with mild to moderate disabilities.

Howe, also a junior, was interested in how social interactions affect students with autism. In her paper, “The Effects of Social Interactions on Students with Autism,” she reviewed research on the negative and positive effects of autism on social relationships, and various intervention methods to improve social interactions.

“We’ve been taught to reach every child and reach the whole child, making sure we’re equipping ourselves to…[meet] the needs of every single child whether they have disabilities or not,” said Howe.

Dean Anna McEwan applauded the students’ efforts and praised Dr. Hilsmier for teaching undergraduates the value of reviewing educational literature and critically discerning its applicability for their future classrooms. “Teachers make thousands of decisions in their classes each day. It’s important for our graduates to understand that good decision making is informed by a body of existing knowledge about best practices.”