Embedding Sensory Preferences into Toys to Enhance Toy Play in Toddlers with Disabilities

Playing with toys as a means of environmental engagement has long been considered important in early child development (Messer, Rachford, McCarthy, & Yarrow, 1987; Wolery & Werts, 1994). However, children with highly significant disabilities often engage in toy play less frequently than their peers without disabilities (Blasco, Bailey, & Burchinal, 1993; Langley, 1985) and frequently need specialized support to promote toy play (Ivory & McCollum, 1999; Langley, 1985). Preference assessment technology was used to identify preferred sensory attributes. Those sensory attributes were embedded into a toy previously identified as nonpreferred based on selection and amount of toy play. Differences were noted in caregiver opinion of sensory preference when compared to a sensory attribute preference assessment. The initial paired-item presentation consisted of a rotation of 4 toys from the natural environment using a child-directed approach, which consisted of choice, prompting, and praise for completion of functional toy play. An additional condition added the child\u27s preferred sensory attribute to a nonpreferred toy using the above-mentioned procedures. Results indicated that the addition of a preferred sensory attribute increased selection of that toy with 2 of 3 children, and resulted in increased independent functional toy play for all 3 children

Embedding Sensory Preferences into Toys to Enhance Toy Play in Toddlers with Disabilities

Playing with toys as a means of environmental engagement has long been considered important in early child development (Messer, Rachford, McCarthy, & Yarrow, 1987; Wolery & Werts, 1994). However, children with highly significant disabilities often engage in toy play less frequently than their peers without disabilities (Blasco, Bailey, & Burchinal, 1993; Langley, 1985) and frequently need specialized support to promote toy play (Ivory & McCollum, 1999; Langley, 1985). Preference assessment technology was used to identify preferred sensory attributes. Those sensory attributes were embedded into a toy previously identified as nonpreferred based on selection and amount of toy play. Differences were noted in caregiver opinion of sensory preference when compared to a sensory attribute preference assessment. The initial paired-item presentation consisted of a rotation of 4 toys from the natural environment using a child-directed approach, which consisted of choice, prompting, and praise for completion of functional toy play. An additional condition added the child\u27s preferred sensory attribute to a nonpreferred toy using the above-mentioned procedures. Results indicated that the addition of a preferred sensory attribute increased selection of that toy with 2 of 3 children, and resulted in increased independent functional toy play for all 3 children

Are Those Her Uncles or Dads: Working with Parents Who are Gay

This session will address strategies for including gay parents in early childhood settings. The term gay is to be inclusive of both gay men and lesbians. Specific strategies for including these families in a respectful manner will be addressed. Current research and literature will be shared with participants

The Outdoors as a Learning Environment: Fostering Postive Inclusive Interactions

This workshop will use DEC Recommended Practices to describe strategies and techniques to establish the outside as a learning environment. Modifications, adaptations, and assistive technology used to create an active, inclusive environment will be shared along with handouts and videos

Environmental Modification and Teacher Mediation: Impact on the Literacy Behaviors of Preschoolers With Special Needs

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of modifications to the environment and a teacher mediated intervention in regard to the early literacy behaviors of preschoolers receiving early childhood special education services. There were three classrooms targeted. Out of the three classrooms, there was a focus on nine children with developmental delay. Step one was to complete a classroom assessment to identify the early literacy supports needed for each classroom. Step two was to collect baseline literacy behaviors during center time, a period when children are allowed to choose their activities. Step 3 was to implement the intervention of adding literacy props and a teacher mediation intervention. Results were consistent with previous studies in that the addition of literacy props, paired with teacher mediation, led to an increase in literacy behaviors. Data will be shared in regard to the results of the intervention for both classroom and individual student data

Using Least-To-Most Assistive Prompt Hierarchy to Increase Child Compliance With Teacher Directives in Preschool Classrooms

Prompt strategies have been used to increase the compliance of preschool-aged children to teacher directives (Radley & Dart, 2015; Wilder & Atwell, 2006; Wolery & Gast, 1984). This paper describes two experiments conducted to determine if classroom teachers could learn to use the LtM prompt hierarchy and if child compliance would increase in response to teacher behavior. This study builds on the current literature base by using prompting, specifically LtM (first described by Horner & Keilitz, 1975), with the additional requirement of teacher-child proximity and teacher- child eye level prior to beginning the prompt sequence, which is consistent with recommended practice in early childhood (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009). The participants consisted of 6 preschool teachers, with varying levels of education and experience, across 2 different early childhood classrooms. Teacher prompts and children\u27s completion of teacher directives were measured during free choice center time. Results were consistent with previous research (Wilder & Atwell, 2006; Wolery & Gast, 1984) in that compliance to teacher directives increased in preschool children with the implementation of the LtM

Investigation of Social Supports for Parents of Children with Autism

There has been an increase of children being identified with autism in the United States (Center for Disease Control, 2009), leading to an increased concern of how to best meet the needs of children with autism and their families. In response to each reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (2004), in which the roles of families have been strengthened in planning their child\u27s education and professionals have had more input, the field has tried to uncover the \u27best\u27 ways to support parents. Recommended practice suggests that parents are best able to identify their own support needs, with assistance from professionals in identifying supports to assist with these needs (Murray et al., 2007). The focus of this study was to identify the forms of social support that parents of children recently diagnosed with autism perceive as being important. Twenty parents of children recently diagnosed with autism participated in this study. These parents completed a Q-sort using the forms of social support, which allowed for a ranking from most to least important. Statistically significant correlations were found on five support items. Factor analysis was conducted to explore groups of participants with similar rankings of the Q sort items

Effects of increased heart rate and sympathetic tone on intraventricular electrogram morphology

Electrogram pattern recognition by way of morphologic analysis has been proposed as a technique that may improve discrimination of ventricular tachycardia from sinus rhythm by anti-tachycardia devices. The potential impact that increases in heart rate and sympathetic tone could have on such techniques, however, has not been previously determined. A comparative study was undertaken to quantify possible changes in ventricular electrogram morphology using correlation waveform, area of difference, and amplitude analyses in 6 patients during atrial overdrive pacing at cycle lengths of 600 and 400 ms (group A), in 13 patients during infusions of physiologic doses of epinephrine (group B), and in 20 patients undergoing infusions of isoproterenol (group C). Four patients were in both groups A and B. A bipolar intraventricular template of cardiac depolarization during sinus rhythm at rest was compared with depolarization during subsequent passages of sinus rhythm at rest and subsequently increased heart rate.In 36 of 39 patients, waveform configuration as assessed by correlation waveform analysis remained relatively stable during atrial overdrive pacing, epinephrine infusion, and isoproterenol infusion when compared with sinus rhythm at rest. The correlation value did not fall below 0.950 in any patient. Area of difference values for the same 36 patients changed by an average of 6 and 37% during atrial overdrive pacing at cycle lengths of 600 and 400 ms intervals, respectively, by 3% during epinephrine infusion, and by 17% during isoproterenol infusion. In these same patients, there was an average change in electrogram amplitude of -1% during atrial overdrive pacing at 600 ms, 26% during pacing at 400 ms, -1% during epinephrine infusion, and 12% during isoproterenol infusion.Little or no correlation was found between relative changes of amplitude and changes of correlation coefficient during any intervention. However, changes in amplitude and changes in area of difference exhibited weak to moderate correlation during infusion of epinephrine and isoproterenol. Despite some amplitude variation, overall waveform morphology remains relatively constant during increases in heart rate with or without concurrent changes in sympathetic tone. These findings suggest that heart rate increases are unlikely to confound time-domain detection schemes used in antitachycardia devices.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/29031/1/0000063.pd