Participation in Special Olympics and Change in Athlete Self-Concept Over 42 Months

The present study investigated changes in the self-concept of 49 athletes with intellectual disabilities participating in traditional Special Olympics over a 42-month period. Athletes were interviewed to assess their perceived general self-worth, physical competence and social acceptance, and involvement in Special Olympics, which was operationalized through an overall standard score combining a number of components. After controlling for baseline levels of self-worth and involvement in Special Olympics, changes in involvement in Special Olympics predicted improved general self-worth. After adjustment for baseline levels of perceived physical competence and involvement in Special Olympics, changes in involvement in Special Olympics predicted perceived physical competence at 42 months.Special Olympics Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Researc

Automatization and Retention of Literacy Skills in Adult Learners

Findings from recent efficacy studies comparing literacy program types suggest that struggling adult readers often make limited to moderate gains across varied types of literacy interventions, with no specific approach consistently surpassing others to date. An alternative to comparing program types is to investigate whether there are specific characteristics or skills that vary by individual that can predict higher gains and skill retention across program type. Using an experimental, prospective, longitudinal design, the present study examined the role of automatization (over-learning) of component skills involved in reading during participation in general literacy programs. On average, participants in the study gained the equivalent of one full reading grade-level after participation in programs for six months. The degree of automatization of reading skills was found to be the strongest predictor of gains made during programs; a measure of automatization was also the strongest predictor of subsequent retention of skills, months later at follow-up testing. Implications for adult literacy practitioners and directions for future research related to skill retention are discussed

Transfer, control, and automatic processing in a complex motor task : an examination of bounce juggling

Comparaison de l'apprentissage du jonglage avec rebond de la balle sur le sol chez des sujets déjà expérimentés en jonglage en cascade et des sujets totalement débutants, pour analyser la dynamique du transfert d'apprentissage et de l'automatisatio

Spontaneous strategy use in children with autism spectrum disorder: The roles of metamemory and language skills

Metamemory, or beliefs about one’s own memory capabilities, knowing what you know, and don’t know, has frequently been linked to the spontaneous use of rehearsal strategies in typically developing children. However, limited research has investigated mnemonic strategy use, metamemory, or the relationship between these two cognitive processes in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The current study examined the relative strength of metamemory knowledge and language skills as predictors of rehearsal use and memory performance in individuals with ASD. Twenty-one children with ASD and 21 children in a combined comparison group were matched on chronological and verbal mental age. Over two sessions, participants completed a serial recall task, a language measure, and a metamemory questionnaire. Children were classified as rehearsers/non-rehearsers based on behavioral observations and/or verbal reports of strategy use.As expected the comparison group had a significantly higher proportion of rehearsers than the ASD group. However, spontaneous rehearsers performed significantly better on the serial recall task than non-rehearsers, regardless of group membership. Children in the comparison group had a higher mean total score on the metamemory questionnaire than the ASD group. However, when examined by rehearsal use, participants classified as rehearsers, regardless of diagnostic group, scored significantly higher on the metamemory questionnaire than non-rehearsers. Finally, across groups, hierarchical regression analyses identified both metamemory and language proficiency as significant predictors of rehearsal strategy use. The fact that the predictors showed the same relationship across groups implies that metamemory and language proficiency, while separate entities, are both fundamental underlying skills contributing to the emergence of rehearsal strategies, and that the results are likely generalizable to other populations with developmental challenges

Supplementary Material, AUT704413_Lay_Abstract – The cascading influence of multisensory processing on speech perception in autism

<p>Supplementary Material, AUT704413_Lay_Abstract for The cascading influence of multisensory processing on speech perception in autism by Ryan A Stevenson, Magali Segers, Busisiwe L Ncube, Karen R Black, James M Bebko, Susanne Ferber and Morgan D Barense in Autism</p