Game-based Strategies Implementation During Social Skills Training for Non-Elementary Aged Individuals

The problem of practice that has been identified is the lack of games as a social skills tool. Individuals with Autism may face many daily challenges. One of the known deficits for this population is their challenges related to social skills. One way to provide social skills instruction is through game-based strategies. When thinking about play it is not uncommon to automatically envision young children, but the inclusion of game-based play during social skills instruction can be appropriate for all age groups. As children age interventions tend to move away from the inclusion of play. In order to teach social skills the individuals must first be willing to come together as a group and interact with each other. One way to bring resistant individuals together is through play. During the pilot study of social skills training, for middle school aged students with high functioning autism, it was discovered that the inclusion of playing board games became a positive and productive way to bring resistant individuals together for the purpose of social skills training. With the inclusion of game playing as part of the social skills pilot study the results were positive interactions between individuals who initially avoided any interactions, other than negative ones, with each other. The model will be implemented with individuals who have autism and may also have other disabilities who are functioning at a much lower cognitive level. The goals of the pilot program are to increase social interactions and to improve social skills through the inclusion of play during social skills instruction. Social skills instruction requires individuals to be engaged; the inclusion of play is a natural non-threatening way to promote cooperative social interactions as a precursor to social skills instruction

Improving Energy Savings And Peak Demand Reduction Estimates Using AMI Data For Utility Commercial Rebate Programs

Solar reflective, or cool roofs, are a demonstrated method of reducing air conditioning energy, particularly in cooling-dominated climates. Similarly, efficient lighting or mechanical equipment replacement programs have a reputation for achieving large savings in c01mnercial buildings. Savings estimates for such measures have historically used monthly utility bills, which only provide a macroscopic view of utility program savings. Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is commonly used in the U.S. by utilities for residential and commercial customers and provides not only a valuable record of changing premise energy use and demand profiles but in much greater detail than utility bills, if desired. Partnering with Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) in Florida, we developed a sophisticated weather-responsive methodology that disaggregates site space heating, cooling, and baseload energy using 15-minute AMI kWh and local weather data. This evaluation technique was applied to OUC\u27s commercial cool roofs and custom incentives programs to provide improved utility program energy and peak demand savings estimates. This paper was published in 2020 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings

From secrecy to discretion: The views of psychological therapists' on supporting Chinese sexual and gender minority young people

Objective Little is known about how to best meet the mental health needs of sexual and/or gender (SG) minority young people who are also an ethnic minority (i.e., double minority youth). We aimed to explore the views of mental health providers (hereafter ‘therapists’ for brevity) on the needs of Chinese SG minority youth in a Western nation (New Zealand) and the therapeutic approaches to best address these needs. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight therapists (including medical practitioners, counsellors, a psychotherapist, and a social worker). All were providers of talking therapies or counselling, experienced in working with Chinese and/or SG minority youth. A general inductive approach to qualitative data analysis was used to identify themes. Results Four categories of mental health needs emerged. These were needs for love and acceptance; migration and Chinese cultural needs; managing cis-heteronormativity and coming-out needs; and intersectional needs of ‘double rejection’. A ‘double-minority-specific’ therapeutic process was identified. This process suggests therapists successfully engage young people through three phases of therapeutic engagement: from exploration of a SG minority orientation; via segmentation of identity and cautious coming out practice; to a sense of accepted and managed, but often discrete identities. Dimensions of therapy to support Chinese SG minority youth prioritized relational, individually-tailored, holistic approaches that attend to potential barriers. Conclusion The results suggest that therapists perceive intersectional challenges for Chinese SG minority youth in a Western context. Tailored therapeutic approaches are advocated to support double minority young people

Market Driven Residential Energy Codes: Comparing Performance In A Changing Technical Environment, Code Official Survey Results

The DOE Code Survey conducted for this project was launched on 2/18/2020 and closed 3/20/2020. There were 907 participants responding to at least some portion of the 48 question survey, though some questions received poor attention. Note that the number of responses to each question varies by design and depends on answers to prior questions. Further, multiple answers are sometimes allowed

Wellbeing and healthcare access for sexuality and gender minority secondary school students with long-term health conditions

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Body size and weight, and the nutrition and activity behaviors of sexual and gender minority youth: Findings and implications from New Zealand

Objective:To describe the body size and weight, and the nutrition and activity behaviors of sexual and gender minority (SGM) students, and compare them with those of exclusively opposite-sex-attracted cisgender students. Male and female SGM students were also compared. Design: Data were from a nationally representative health survey. Setting: Secondary schools in New Zealand, 2012. Subjects: A total of 7,769 students, 9% were SGM individuals. Results: Overall, weight control behaviors, poor nutrition and inactivity were common and, in many cases, more so for SGM students. Specifically, male SGM students were significantly more likely to have tried to lose weight (aOR=1.95; 95% CI 1.47, 2.59), engage in unhealthy weight control (aOR=2.17; 95% CI 1.48, 3.19), consume fast food and takeaways (aOR=2.89; 95% CI 2.01, 4.15), and be physically inactive (aOR=2.54; 95% CI 1.65, 3.92), and were less likely to participate in a school sports team (aOR=0.57; 95% CI 0.44, 0.75), compared with other males. Female SGM students were significantly more likely to engage in unhealthy weight control (aOR=1.58; 95% CI 1.20, 2.08), be overweight or obese (aOR=1.24; 95% CI 1.01, 1.53), and consume fast food and takeaways (aOR=2.19; 95% CI 1.59, 3.03), and were less likely to participate in a school sports team (aOR=0.62; 95% CI 0.50, 0.76), compared with other females. Generally, female SGM students were more negatively affected than comparable males, except they were less likely to consume fast food and takeaways frequently (aOR 0.62; 95% CI 0.40, 0.96). Conclusions: SGM students reported increased weight control behaviors, poor nutrition and inactivity. Professionals, including public health nutritionists, must recognize and help to address the challenges facing sexual and gender minorities

Tips for research recruitment: The views of sexual minority youth

Researchers often experience difficulties recruiting hard-to-reach populations. This is especially so for studies involving those who have been historically stigmatized, such as individuals who challenge heteronormative expectations or people who experience mental ill health. The authors aimed to obtain the views of sexual minority adolescents (n=25) about what encouraged their participation in a research project. The authors used a general inductive approach to analyze interview data. Feedback consisted of 2 main overarching themes: tips and suggestions for future research and appreciate participants’ motivation to get involved in research. Strategies for how recruitment can be optimized for studies involving sexual minority young people are discussed

Can brewer-sponsored ‘drink responsibly’ warning message be effective without alcohol policies in Nigeria?

Alcohol availability, use and misuse and their related problems are rising in many parts of the African continent and this has been attributed to many factors such as non-existent or ineffective regulatory measures. In contemporary Nigeria, while a culture of intoxication is growing, there are no regulatory measures in the form of alcohol policies to reduce it. What exists is brewer-sponsored self-regulation. This paper therefore, critically analyses this self-imposed 'drink responsibly' warning message, arguing that because responsible drinking messages are strategically designed to serve the interest of alcohol industries, it cannot be effective. The paper further argues that because there are no definitions of standard drinks and where alcohol by volume (ABV) is scarcely inscribed on product labels of alcoholic beverages, such message will remain ineffective. Therefore, it recommends that an urgent step should be taken by the government to formulate and implement comprehensive evidence-based alcohol policies in Nigeria