Exploring the Experiences of Special Educators Following the Joplin Tornado

Authors

  • Allyson Palmer, M.Ed. (Ph.D. Candidate) (Author) University of Kansas image/svg+xml
    Allyson Palmer is a Ph.D. candidate in Special Education at the University of Kansas. Prior to pursuing a doctoral degree, she received her Master’s of Education in Special Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia and worked as a Special Education teacher at the elementary level. As part of the RTI Leadership Preparation Program Fellowship, she is studying the application of Response to Intervention for both academics and behavior.
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.203
On May 22, 2011, an EF5 tornado ripped through Joplin, MO, leaving many residents without homes and destroying or damaging several school buildings. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how special education teachers responded to the needs of their students with disabilities following the Joplin tornado. Purposeful sampling was used to select three participants who were special education teachers working in schools that were damaged or destroyed by the tornado. The researcher used semi-structured interviews to collect data that was then coded to identify categorical themes. The results showed the types of challenges experienced by special educators and their students, following the tornado, and the supports that were provided to help mitigate those needs.

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There are 16 references in total.
Palmer, A. (2013). Exploring the Experiences of Special Educators Following the Joplin Tornado. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 8(1), 113-130. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.203

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Article Information

  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted December 24, 2012
  • Published February 15, 2013
  • Issue Winter 2013
  • Section Articles
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