Whereas it is well documented how parents experience the diagnostic process of their child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), less is known about parental experiences with the course of the early identification process and first steps in receiving care for their child with ASD symptoms. This mixed-method study investigated these experiences as…

Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS), also called 22q13.3 deletion syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder affecting at least 2,000 people worldwide (Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation, 2019, How rare is Phelan-McDermid?). PMS has many distinguishing characteristics and many medical specialties have been recommended to treat the clinical features. While…

With the emergence of interventions shown to reduce school discipline disparities, it is important to explore what variables influence educators to implement these approaches. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 21 educators asked to describe their experiences implementing an equity-focused PBIS intervention. A…

Limited emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD)-focused intervention mixed methods research (MMR) has been published, particularly in top-tier EBD journals (i.e., "Behavior Disorders" and "Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders"). The lack of published MMR creates what could be perceived as a Catch-22 situation wherein…

Despite a marked increase in the volume of research investigating issues about reading interventions for students with ASD (e.g., Bailey and Arciuli, Rev J Autism Dev Disord 7(2):127-150, 2020; Chiang and Lin, Focus Autism Other Dev Disab 22(4):259-267, 2007), very few studies have examined the current reading practices experienced by children…

The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of "Strengths Gym" (Proctor & Fox Eades, in Strengths gym: Year 8, Positive Psychology Research Centre, Pennsylvania, 2009; Proctor et al., in J Posit Psychol, 6:377-388, 2011)--an intervention based on the Values in Action (VIA; Peterson & Seligman in Character strengths and…

Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM) are a set of self-paced, online learning modules designed to disseminate information about the 27 evidence-based practices identified through a large-scale review of focused intervention practices for individuals with autism. In this study, we used descriptive statistics and an analysis of…

Structure reflects a variety of practices teachers use with the intent to guide students' behavior and increase academic success. A research synthesis was conducted on the role of classroom structure in the academic engagement, disengagement, competence beliefs, and achievement of preschool through high school students. A meta-analysis of 191…

Given the growing rates of psychological disorders in college settings, the current study investigated student perspectives about how to end mental health stigma, a hindrance to help seeking. Participants were 1,255 demographically diverse undergraduate students from a large city university system (M[subscript age] = 22.4, 73.9% non-White).…

Curricula that teach relationship skills to autistic individuals are needed. The purpose of this formative research study was to describe the views of autistic youth about healthy and unhealthy friendships and dating relationships, in order to uncover what types of skills they felt would be useful to learn in a workshop-style intervention in order…

This study's 1st purpose was to investigate effects of a 4th- and 5th-grade "next-generation" fraction intervention, which included 6 enhancements over a previously validated fraction intervention, designed to address Career- and College-Readiness standards. The next-generation intervention is referred to as "Super Solvers."…

Despite numerous supports for undergraduates, low success rate has been a growing concern in the South African university system. Guided by Moore's [1993. "Theory of Transactional Distance." In "Theoretical Principles of Distance Education," edited by Keegan, 22-38. London: Routledge.] transactional distance theory, this…

Music and mathematics require abstract thinking and using symbolic notations. Controversy exists regarding transfer from musical training to math achievements. The current study examined the effect of two integrated intervention programs representing holistic versus acoustic approaches, on fraction knowledge. Three classes of fourth graders…

Purpose: This study is the 3rd piece of formative research utilizing the theory of planned behavior to inform the development of a behavior change intervention. Focus groups were used to identify reasons for and solutions to previously identified key beliefs in addition to potentially effective behavior change techniques. Method: A purposive…

Background: We present results of the development and feasibility testing of CATCH Healthy Smiles, a school-based oral health program, among children in grades K-2 in Houston, Texas. Methods: Study design was cross-sectional (N = 2 schools; N = 125 parent-child dyads; 31 kindergarteners, 42 first graders, and 52 second graders). CATCH Healthy…