EMG Analysis of Trunk Musculature following a Nine Hole Round of Golf: The Fatigue Factor

The purpose of this study is to determine the fatigue component in trunk musculature following a simulated 9 hole round of golf by analyzing the EMG output of the erector spinae, gluteus maximus and abdominal obliques during the golf swing. Four males, ages 22-26 performed 5 EMG monitored golf swings with a driver prior to and following a simulated 9 hole round of golf. The data was subjected to analysis by the Fast Fourier Transformation to determine median frequency. The results show that a significant shift in median frequency occurred, signifying muscle fatigue, in 2 of the 4 subjects when all muscles were analyzed collectively. When individual muscles were analyzed each muscle experienced a significant shift in median frequency except the left abdominal oblique. The swing times for each subject were also analyzed and compared. The 2 subjects who fatigued demonstrated faster swing times suggesting a possible relationship between speed of the golf swing with resulting increased muscle force output, and increased muscle fatigue. This study provides initial support to the theory of muscle fatigue as a possible contributor to faulty swing mechanics associated with golfing and low back pain. The results will attempt to provide information on establishing training and conditioning programs targeting the muscles shown to fatigue. These programs can be developed to increase muscle endurance and decrease the likelihood of faulty swing mechanics and injury

Trauma, Grief and the Social Model: Practice Guidelines for Working with Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in the Wake of Disasters

Formulating personal needs assessments and plans for self-protection have been the recent focus of disaster preparedness manuals for individuals with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers. Interventions to address the minimization of psychological ill effects of trauma and grief in the aftermath of disasters for this population, however, remain largely unexplored. In the wake of such events, persons with intellectual disabilities require trained mental health professionals to assist them in identifying and coping with trauma exposure and its associated, often sudden losses. Intervention should be based on the unique needs of this population within the context of disaster and each individual's cognitive strengths and capacities. Coupled with reviews of research and practice in the area of disaster mental health, the social model of disability served as a foundation for the formulation of best practice guidelines for tertiary interventions with adults with intellectual disabilities. The guidelines suggest approaches that will enable professionals to identify and minimize acute and chronic responses to disasters as well as foster resilience and enhance the valuable contributions of adults with intellectual disabilities in disaster-affected communities

Center on Disability Studies eNewsletter, June 2023

Welcome to our summer newsletter. In this issue we highlight many events and happenings sponsored by CDS during June and July that you don’t want to miss out on. Disability Pride Month is also celebrated each year in July. Disability Pride initially started as a day of celebration in 1990, the year that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. It is also an opportunity to raise awareness about improving access and inclusion. The first official Disability Pride celebration occurred in 2015 to commemorate the ADA’s 25th anniversary and the Disability Pride Flag was originally designed in 2019 by Ann Magill, who with feedback within the disabled community, refined its visual elements in 2021 to be more accessible. You can read more about how the disability pride flag helps increase the community’s visibility at https://go.hawaii.edu/qEX

A psychoeducational group intervention to train parents to become sexuality educators for their children with mental retardation : an effectiveness study

textIncreased public awareness of the impact of disability has resulted in the advancement of family-centered services to help parents address the developmental needs of their children with mental retardation. Little attention, however, has been afforded to facilitate parents’ understanding of children’s psychosexual development. Anxiety and fears about children’s sexuality often precludes parents from providing sexuality education. Currently, little information is available on how social workers can provide guidance and support to parents related to the sexual behavior and expression of their children with mental retardation. The present study contributes to this area of research through an evaluation of a five-week psychoeducational group intervention designed to help parents understand and promote their children's healthy sexual development. The intervention, Growing Up Aware, is derived from the theoretical constructs of Protection-Motivation theory and stigma theory. It is designed to impart emotional support and sexuality information using a task-centered approach. In order to test the effectiveness of the psychoeducational intervention, a Solomon Four-Group design was utilized with 76 parents of children, ages 5 to 14, with mild or moderate mental retardation. Standardized self-report scales were used to measure parental attitudes, frequency of communication, and self-confidence related to communication. Parents’ knowledge, comfort level with communication, communication of intended messages, and assessment of children’s sexual awareness were measured with instruments constructed for this study. Data analysis consisted of repeated measures analysis of variance using the restricted maximum likelihood method. Findings revealed that the intervention was highly effective in: 1) increasing parental knowledge and frequency of communication; 2) improving attitudes, comfort level, and ability to communicate intended messages about sexuality; and 3) enhancing children’s sexual awareness. Furthermore, with the exception of the self-confidence variable, the impact of the intervention was found to be very strong, with the majority of effect sizes being 1 standard deviation or greater. This study is an initial step towards developing effective theory-based interventions to train parents to become sexuality educators for their children with mental retardation. Areas for future research include the factors that influence parent-child communication about sexuality and the impact of sexuality education on the sexual behavior of children with mental retardation.Social Wor

Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice with Women with Disabilities: Working with Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Women with disabilities experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at higher rates than both nondisabled women and men, and men with disabilities. Their significant exposure to IPV suggests notable levels of trauma-related symptomology. However, there is a dearth of research on trauma and IPV among women with disabilities, and services tailored to their diverse strengths and needs are scarce. Guided by critical disability theory and feminist disability theory, this article describes culturally sensitive, trauma- informed approaches to practice with female survivors of IPV with disabilities