Activity Modifications For Growing Up Wild™: Supporting Young Learners With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Studies have showed that young children spending time outdoors have many positive impacts on their overall physical, social/emotional, and cognitive health. The benefits of nature contact have also been demonstrated for children with developmental disorders, but current mainstream nature-based curriculum provides no activity modifications for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In 2018 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated one in 59 children is diagnosed with ASD. ASD is a developmental disability characterized by significant communication, social, and behavioral difficulties. Research has demonstrated that the more nature children are exposed to, there are positive gains in cognitive functioning, mental wellbeing, and socialization. The author’s intended project outcome was to offer modifications to the “Take Me Outside!” activity sections found in the early childhood nature-based curriculum Growing Up WILD TM : Exploring Nature with Young Children to support young children with ASD. This capstone project supported the research question “what are the best ways to modify the Growing Up WILD TM curriculum to best support young learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? Currently, there are no standalone nature-based curriculums available that offer activities and lessons geared toward children with ASD, nor are there suggested modifications available in current curriculum. If an overall educational goal is to create inclusive learning environments, then curriculum to support children and learning should reflect the same practice. The goal of this project is to offer activity modification examples and support to non-formal educators in educating children with ASD in outdoor environments

Coupled Numerical Analysis of Variations in the Capacity of Driven Energy Piles in Clay

Energy piles are an emerging alternative for the reduction of energy consumption to heat and cool buildings. Most of the research to date has focused on thermodynamic properties or axial and radial stress and strain of piles. This paper focuses on the effects of temperature fluctuation on the capacity of driven energy piles in clayey soils. Consolidation of clay surrounding driven piles affects the pile capacity (i.e., set up in clay). The heating and cooling periods of energy piles can create the excess pore-water pressure (EPWP, ue) or relax the existing one (e.g., due to pile driving or previous thermal loads) in clayey soils (due to the contraction and expansion of water) affecting the pile capacity. In the meantime, the thermal expansion and contraction of the pile also generate or relax the EPWP in the soil, which can be computed using the cavity-expansion theory. This paper studies the resulting changes in the pile capacity due to the daily and seasonal thermal cycles. The results show that thermal cycles in an energy pile can cause a decrease in the pile capacity leading to a delay in reaching the capacity after a complete clay set up

Foundation Design principles and Practice

xxii, 883hlm ; 24c

Foundation design: priciples and practices/ Coduto

xx, 796 hal.; 23,5 hal

Perceptions in Initial Text-Based Interactions

Includes final items for Idealization measure and correlation matrix of key variables

Geotechnical Engineering Principles and Practices

xx, 794hlm ; 24c

The development of imagined interactions in online text-based initial interactions

Many individuals meet romantic partners, friends, and coworkers online before meeting in person. This study investigates the development of online-first partner perceptions, utilizing the imagined interactions framework to test the specificity, frequency, and proactivity of cognitions about an online-first meeting. Individuals chatted with a new partner in a lab. Their cognitions about the partner were measured two days later. Results show that individuals engaged in specific and frequent imagined interactions based on how similar they perceived their partner to be. In turn, specific imagined interactions increased idealization of one’s partner over time.</p