Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Canadian Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition for a Sample of First Nations Students

Native Americans and First Nation students are overrepresented in special education and underrepresented in structural bias research of the intelligence measures that place them there. There are several empirical studies of test bias on the Wechsler scales due to their popularity within the school system, however there is little exploratory factor analysis research on these scales with the Native American Indian population. Further, the Native American Indian and First Nation population is a relatively small minority group compared to other racial and ethnic groups in North America and this group is underrepresented in government statistics and overlooked in funding for policies that provide prevention for several risk factors. This study aimed to discover the factor structure of the WISC-VCDN with First Nations students to provide understanding and better interpretation of scores to facilitate ethical data-based decision making and provision of special education services to First Nations students. A total of 102 participant data were collected and a replication of the Canivez, Watkins, and Dombrowski (2016) study was followed to ensure best practice of Exploratory Factor Analysis. Results indicated that a three-factor model was most viable for the First Nations students on the WISC-VCDN, which is dissimilar to previous research. However, results of the dominance of the general intelligence (g) factor was similar to previous research of the Wechsler scales using both methods of Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Future research directions and implications for First Nations students, data-based decision making, and special services eligibility is discussed

Fatal Remedies: Child Sexual Abuse and Education Policy in Liberia

An unintended consequence of international education policy is the misunderstanding of the relation between child sexual abuse and the schooling of girls. Development research indicates that education is associated with decreased rates of early childhood marriage. Yet education also exposes female pupils to sexual violence within schools. International agencies and national governments are often unaware that the very policy of putting young girls in the classroom may also expose them to various forms of child sexual abuse. The relation between schooling and sexual violence has not been well established in development research. The field research reported in this dissertation addresses this deficiency in the literature by examining the joint effects of education and the safety of the school environment on female child sexual abuse. Applying a mixed-methods approach, the study analyses results of a 2018 field-study using a stratified-cluster sample of 715 young Liberian women and 493 of their parents. A key finding of the study is the unintended consequence that sending girls to school is linked to nearly 35 percent of students being statutorily raped. While most child rape offenders work outside of the educational setting, approximately 38 percent of abuse cases involve teachers, staff, and adult students. The analysis further examines how the relation between education and child sexual abuse is affected by factors including the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of parents. Conclusively, the combination of higher educational achievement (e.g. university, advanced polytechnic schools) and safer learning environments significantly reduces abuse risks. For instance, a girl’s odds of being raped are nearly three times less if she has tertiary education versus primary schooling (phi=0.24, p=0.01). Additionally, a small increase in school safety level reduces her risk of being raped by about 10 percent (p=0.001). Statistical findings were interpreted in light of sixteen key informant interviews, which helped explore causal mechanisms and potential policy solutions. The ethical and policy-relevant ramifications of this research expose a fatal remedy: Policymakers are urging girls to enter the classroom at higher rates, yet without fully understanding how to ensure their protection and facilitate their human agency

Experiences of Occupational Therapists Working in Rural Areas of Minnesota and North Dakota

There is limited research regarding the experiences of occupational therapy practitioners working in rural areas of the United States. The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of occupational therapy practitioners working in rural areas of Minnesota and North Dakota. Many of the occupational therapy practitioners working in these states encounter experiences that are unique to the rural context. These experiences help to form an occupational therapy practitioner’s professional identity. The Professional Identity Model (Tornebohm, 1991) was utilized to further understand the impact of the rural context on a practitioner’s professional identity. The four components of the Professional Identity Model (Tornebohm, 1991) guided data collection and analysis and include: (a) interests, (b) field of action view, (c) world view, and (d) competency (Tornebohm, 1991). The components of the model were utilized as predetermined codes. From the codes, ten themes emerged, and these themes were used to formulate the final assertion. The results from the data analysis indicated that a rural occupational therapy practitioner’s professional identity is impacted by personal interests and experiences. Practitioners indicated that all four areas of the Professional Identity Model (Tornebohm, 1991) can be developed and/or challenged by the rural context. Components of rural practice that practitioners did not appreciate included increased travel time and a lack of professional supports and networks. Positive aspects of rural practice include the variety of clientele, increased flexibility and freedom within practice, and feeling better connected to the community and/or facility. Due to the limited sample size, it is recommended future research be completed on a larger sample size and geographic area

Pilot Study: The Effect of Individual Versus Group Animal-Assisted Therapy on Undergraduate Student Anxiety

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) on undergraduate student test anxiety; comparing an individual AAT session to a group AAT session. AAT may be a solution for decreasing anxiety for undergraduate students. The study adds empirical knowledge to the field of AAT and student anxiety coping methods. The study question was: What is the effect of one-on-one and group Animal-Assisted Therapy sessions on undergraduate student anxiety? Methods: This study used a convenience sample randomly assigned to either a group of 3 to 5 students (n=9) or an individual AAT session (n=10) with a certified therapy dog, using a pre-test before session implementation and a post-test following an exam the same day as the session. The dog handler was present for all sessions but did not encourage any interaction between the student and dog, to avoid altering student desired activity. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, a validated anxiety tool, was administered via an online Qualtrics form. Online consent was presented prior to the online survey and completion of the survey implies consent. Results: Animal-Assisted Therapy appears beneficial in decreasing Solo State anxiety (p \u3c 0.001) and Group State anxiety (p \u3c 0.001) in undergraduate students but does not appear to affect Solo Trait anxiety (p=0.056) or Group Trait anxiety (p=0.107). No statistical significance was seen when comparing post-intervention effects on State anxiety (p=.575) and Trait anxiety (p=1.000) in 1:1 versus group sessions. Discussion: Because AAT in our study was a short, one-time event, these results were not unexpected. One-on-one sessions vs. group sessions do not appear to affect anxiety differently in this pilot study. Due to the small participant number, further research is needed. This study will continue during Fall 2023. The implications of this study show that the ‘temporary state’ of anxiety was relieved in both session types, but the ‘general’ feeling of a participant’s anxiety did not significantly decrease

Increasing Independence with the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) for an Adult with Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities

Numerous studies have evaluated the effectiveness of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) among children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Rosales & Marin-Avelino, 2022). However, there remains limited research that indicates the same effectiveness for adults (Rosales & Marin-Avelino, 2022). The purpose of the current study was to examine the use of Phase I of PECS to increase communication with an adult with ASD and developmental disabilities. Prior to intervention, the participant independently exchanged picture icons 0% of opportunities. Following intervention, the participant reached mastery criterion for independently exchanging picture icons across preferred items. Additional data showed that the participant actively engaged with items once received, providing support that icon exchanges corresponded to motivating operations. The results show preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of PECS for adults and for the adherence to the PECS protocol

Pilot Study: The Effect of Individual Versus Group Animal-Assisted Therapy on Undergraduate Student Anxiety

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) on undergraduate student test anxiety; comparing an individual AAT session to a group AAT session. AAT may be a solution for decreasing anxiety for undergraduate students. The study adds empirical knowledge to the field of AAT and student anxiety coping methods. The study question was: What is the effect of one-on-one and group Animal-Assisted Therapy sessions on undergraduate student anxiety? Methods: This study used a convenience sample randomly assigned to either a group of 3 to 5 students (n=9) or an individual AAT session (n=10) with a certified therapy dog, using a pre-test before session implementation and a post-test following an exam the same day as the session. The dog handler was present for all sessions but did not encourage any interaction between the student and dog, to avoid altering student desired activity. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, a validated anxiety tool, was administered via an online Qualtrics form. Online consent was presented prior to the online survey and completion of the survey implies consent. Results: Animal-Assisted Therapy appears beneficial in decreasing Solo State anxiety (p \u3c 0.001) and Group State anxiety (p \u3c 0.001) in undergraduate students but does not appear to affect Solo Trait anxiety (p=0.056) or Group Trait anxiety (p=0.107). No statistical significance was seen when comparing post-intervention effects on State anxiety (p=.575) and Trait anxiety (p=1.000) in 1:1 versus group sessions. Discussion: Because AAT in our study was a short, one-time event, these results were not unexpected. One-on-one sessions vs. group sessions do not appear to affect anxiety differently in this pilot study. Due to the small participant number, further research is needed. This study will continue during Fall 2023. The implications of this study show that the ‘temporary state’ of anxiety was relieved in both session types, but the ‘general’ feeling of a participant’s anxiety did not significantly decrease