The Effects of Implementation a Chapter of Best Buddies International on the Frequency and Durating of Social Interaction of Students with Intellectual Disabilities and the Attitudes, Beliefs, and Experiences of Students with Disabilities

High school students with intellectual disabilities are often not socially included with their peers (Carter, Hughes, Guth, & Copeland, 2005). In order to address this concern, the researcher investigated the effects of Best Buddies International as an intervention on the frequency and duration of social interactions of high school students with intellectual disabilities and their peers without disabilities as well as the effect on the attitudes and beliefs of members of Best Buddies International without disabilities related to relationships with peers with disabilities. A total of 21 high school students between the ages of 16 and 19 participated, 4 of whom had intellectual disabilities and 17 with typical development. A pre/post AB design was used to evaluate the effect of Best Buddies on social interactions of students with disabilities and their peers without disabilities as well as attitudes and perceptions of students without disabilities related to their peers with disabilities. Results show that Best Buddies International as an intervention increased frequency and duration of the social interaction of students with significant cognitive impairments with their peers without disabilities, but had no impact on attitudes and beliefs of individuals without disabilities related to their peers with disabilities after one semester

The Effect of Computed Tomography Perfusion (CTP) Scans on Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients at a Comprehensive Stroke Center

Objective: The DEFUSE 3 and DAWN trials have revealed that stroke patients may be eligible for mechanical thrombectomy up to 24 hours from symptom onset with appropriate perfusion imaging. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the impact CTP imaging will have patient selection and outcomes at a Comprehensive Stroke Center. Methods: This study is a retrospective and prospective chart review comparing acute ischemic stroke patients evaluated for mechanical thrombectomy utilizing CT angiogram verses CT perfusion imaging from January 1, 2018- June 30th 2019 at a Comprehensive Stroke Center. Results: Of the 129 patients who received CTAs, 36 patients received mechanical thrombectomy. This is compared to the 73 patients that received CTP scanning, and 26 patients were found to be eligible for mechanical thrombectomy. There were no significant findings regarding patient selection for mechanical thrombectomy regarding the number of patients that received mechanical thrombectomy, complication rates, and change in NIHSS from admission to discharge. Conclusion: The addition of CTP imaging at the Comprehensive Stroke Center demonstrated that patients can successfully be given mechanical thrombectomy in the extended intervention window of up to 24 hours from last known well

The Price Of “Normal”: Masking In The Autistic Community

The Autistic community has a rich history that often includes poor mental health outcomes due to the increased stress and anxiety surrounding the push to have “normal” social skills. On Twitter, many autistic people utilize a hashtag to connect with others in the online Autistic community. This qualitative study analyzes the Twitter hashtag, #ActuallyAutistic, to understand masking and camouflaging from the autistic point of view. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to perform this analysis. The themes found emphasize the need for professionals to increase their understanding of the Autistic community’s value and contributions. By improving the ability of non-autistic professionals to listen directly to the Autistic community’s wants, needs, and desires, strengths of the group are reinforced. The purpose of this research is to increase awareness and understanding of autistic voices. Discussion includes implications for occupational therapists in the use of strengths-based approaches to improve client outcomes in the Autistic community

Young Adults in Transition: Factors That Support and Hinder Growth and Change

A therapeutic model referred to as young adult transition programs has emerged to better address the unique developmental challenges found in this age group. This study examined 317 critical incidents that supported or hindered young adults in a therapeutic transition program. The research design used a combination of an instrumental case study and critical incident technique (CIT). Using interviews and the Outcome Questionnaire 45.2, the study explored in-depth the experiences of 17 young adults who were alumni of a young adult transition program. The objective was to better understand the transition experience from a participant perspective and, through the findings, inform program development and evaluation for young adult transition programs. Several significant findings emerged from the data, among them the importance of interpersonal relationships, experiential education and adventure, individualized programming, and community and culture. An understanding of these findings leads to a discussion on transformational mentoring and leadership as well as relational cultural practice and how this can support leaders of transition programs in further research and program development. The limitations of the study are discussed and suggestions for future studies are offere

Tree Planting for Corporate Social Responsibility: A guide for prospective investors

Tree planting is a growing corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity. Companies gain strategic benefit from engaging in tree planting for CSR and have done so for decades. The characteristics of reforestation and afforestation projects have historically made these initiatives less attractive to institutional investors and corporate sponsorship has filled the gap. Recently, firms have begun to place tree planting at the center of their value propositions. The world has reached a tipping point, recognizing the urgent threat of climate change and the potential of forest-based natural climate solutions. Companies are leveraging online tree planting platforms and social media trends to connect with their customers over trees and these firms are experiencing rapid growth and success and planting vast numbers of trees. However, realizing long-term benefits from tree planting is an involved and evolving process. Several environmental, economic, and managerial factors must be carefully considered to achieve a positive outcome. Investing in a poorly run initiative may unfortunately waste limited CSR resources, be perceived as greenwashing, and in the worst case cause real environmental and social damage in the long term. By highlighting key considerations and providing guidelines for decision makers, this paper is a resource for CSR managers who are considering investing in tree planting activities or evaluating their existing planting sponsorship. This guide prepares managers to assess the relationship between tree planting and business strategy, to evaluate the benefits and co-benefits of a potential planting project, to select appropriate services from the offerings of tree planting providers, and to develop a plan for engaging stakeholders with a tree planting campaign. Chapter one outlines the tree planting value proposition, provides background information on the recent increase in corporate sponsored tree planting, and situates these activities within the growing field environmental CSR. Chapter two sets out considerations for developing a tree planting program that can deliver strategic benefits. It covers how firms can assess stakeholder needs, how biases affect manager decision making, and how an inappropriately planned project can result in greenwashing. Chapter three addresses the forestry economics that underpin the environmental benefits of tree planting and describes potential co-benefits, as well as the risk of negative outcomes for planting projects and investors, and strategies to mitigate these risks. Chapter four describes the services offered by tree planting organizations, current trends in connecting stakeholders with planting campaigns, and includes examples of innovative companies, campaigns, and platforms operating in this space

“We’ll Dance Harder and Love Deeper”: LGBTQIA+ Resilience and Resistance during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic due to the rapid spread of COVID-19. Two years into the pandemic, there have been over one million COVID-19 deaths in the United States alone. While the pandemic has impacted everyone, the most extreme impacts have been experienced by marginalized communities, including those who identify as LGBTQIA+. Although LGBTQIA+ people have faced the negative impacts of the pandemic, the LGBTQIA+ community may be well equipped to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic due to the historic and current societal oppression this community has endured. Using both a resilience and resistance framework, the present study explores the resilience and resistance strategies employed by LGBTQIA+ adults in the Southeast U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic through the collection and analysis of monthly diary entries and video interviews. Findings show that resilience and resistance build on the knowledge base and histories of LGBTQIA+ people, and resilience and resistance have been re-imagined for this community during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the pandemic, many LGBTQIA+ people are dreaming of and re-imagining a better future, a future that social work educators and practitioners can help co-create

Perceptions of Parenting, Self-Esteem, and Relationships

Levels of satisfaction in our close relationships can be the direct causes of break-ups, divorces, longevity, and many other outcomes. Using self-esteem as a connecting variable, it is possible to trace our satisfaction in relationships all the way back to the way in which we were treated as children. Specifically, children who grow up in a household with authoritative parenting end up with higher self-esteem than those who don’t (Zakeri & Karimpour, 2011; Pinquart & Gerke, 2019; Yousaf, 2015). Further, individuals with higher levels of self-esteem tend to have higher levels of satisfaction in their close relationships, romantic or platonic, throughout life (Gleeson & Fitzgerald, 2014; Erol & Orth, 2014; Bourne et al., 2014; Tariq, 2011). 60 undergraduate Belmont University students participated in this study through Qualtrics, a data collection software. Each participant’s perceived parenting style and self-esteem levels were measured through the Perceptions of Parents Scales (POPS) (Grolnick et al., 1997) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), respectively. Close relationship satisfaction was measured through the Experiences in Close Relationships Revised (Fraley et al., 2000) for romantic relationships and the Friendship Network Satisfaction (FNS) Scale (Kaufman et al., 2021) for platonic relationships. Results showed that those who had parents with a higher score in authoritative parenting scored higher on self-esteem, and those who scored higher on self-esteem also scored higher on their close relationship satisfaction. Implications of our study help shine a light on the importance of how we treat our children, for it could very much affect the satisfaction of the most important relationships they have throughout their entire lives

Factors Associated with Immunization Opinion Leadership among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Los Angeles, California

We sought to identify the characteristics of men who have sex with men (MSM) who are opinion leaders on immunization issues and to identify potential opportunities to leverage their influence for vaccine promotion within MSM communities. Using venue-based sampling, we recruited and enrolled MSM living in Los Angeles (N = 520) from December 2016 to February 2017 and evaluated characteristic differences in sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, and technology use among those classified as opinion leaders versus those who were not. We also asked respondents about their past receipt of meningococcal serogroups A, C, W, and Y (MenACWY) and meningococcal B (MenB) vaccines, as well as their opinions on the importance of 13 additional vaccines. Multivariable results revealed that non-Hispanic black (aOR = 2.64; 95% CI: 1.17–5.95) and other race/ethnicity (aOR = 2.98; 95% CI: 1.41–6.29) respondents, as well as those with a history of an STI other than HIV (aOR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.10–3.48), were more likely to be opinion leaders. MenACWY (aOR = 1.92; 95% CI: 1.13–3.25) and MenB (aOR = 3.09; 95% CI: 1.77–5.41) vaccine uptake, and perceived importance for these and seven additional vaccines, were also associated with being an opinion leader. The results suggest that the co-promotion of vaccination and other health promotion initiatives via opinion leaders could be a useful strategy for increasing vaccination among MSM