Nutrition in Early Childcare Programs: The Benefits and Barriers

Introduction: 1 in 5 Vermont children experience food insecurity. Inadequate nutrition threatens cognitive, social, and emotional development in the first years of life. 49.1% of Vermont children arrive at kindergarten underprepared. It has been shown that undernourished children have reduced activity levels and withdraw from their environment, removing them from critical learning opportunities and social interactions. Supporting the provision of healthy food in early childcare programs may help address the issue of food insecurity and promote healthy childhood development. Currently, there are no existing data on both Vermont childcare providers and parents of these children on their perceptions of the importance of providing food in early childcare programs as well as the associated benefits and barriers to do so.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1228/thumbnail.jp

Measuring Adaptive Behaviors in Individuals with Autism Enrolled in Project-Based Therapy

As the number of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) entering adulthood increases, this population faces limited resources to foster independent living. Therefore, it is crucial to explore innovative interventions that help this population develop the skills necessary to live more independently. This exploratory prospective cohort study evaluated the effectiveness of Autistry Studios, which focuses on improving adaptive behavior skills for adults and adolescents with ASD using project-based therapy. The study used the Brief Adaptive Behavior Scale (BABS), a novel quantitative assessment, to track the development of adaptive behaviors in individuals with ASD within the domains of Executive Functioning (EF), Socialization (SOC), and Self-Regulation (SR). The BABS specifically measures Frequency of adaptive behaviors (FRQ), the Lowest Level of Assistance (LoALow) required, and the Highest Level of Assistance (LoAHigh) required while engaging in project-based therapy. Paired-samples t-tests compared the mean of BABS scores for 11 participants across nine sessions at Autistry Studios. LoALow and LoAHigh Total scores improved significantly from session one to nine. Additional analyses found significant differences in the LoALow and LoAHigh scores in the domains of EF and SOC. Cohen’s d effect sizes for the difference between session one and nine for LoALow and LoAHigh scores were large to very large, suggesting practical improvement in all domains. The results indicate that Autistry’s pre-vocational, project-based therapy program is effective in improving adaptive behavior skills in adults and adolescents with ASD, as measured by the BABS assessment

Critically Appraised Paper for “The Effect of Modified Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy on Spasticity and Motor Function of the Affected Arm in Patients with Chronic Stroke.”

This study explored the effect of modified constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) on the spasticity and functional use of the affected arm and hand among persons of working age who presented with spastic hemiplegia resulting from a stroke that occurred more than 6 months ago. The researchers developed a modified CIMT program for use in an outpatient rehabilitation clinic with intensive and varied exercise training aimed at targeting the negative symptoms of spastic hemiplegia. Previous research on CIMT has taken place in laboratory settings and has not specifically focused on CIMT’s effects on spasticity. The researchers used a battery of assessments to evaluate the effects of the modified CIMT program on spasticity, active range of motion (AROM), grip strength, daily hand use, functional change in dexterity, and gross manual dexterity of the affected limb. Participants took part in a 2-week modified CIMT intervention in which they were instructed to wear a restraint on their unaffected arm for 90% of each day and were encouraged to actively use the affected arm in daily activities at home. From Monday through Friday, participants completed an individualized training program for 6 hr/day at the outpatient clinic. On the weekends, participants were instructed to continue wearing the restraint; they were asked not to perform any exercise but continue with their daily activities. The training program was implemented at an outpatient rehabilitation clinic by an occupational therapist and a physiotherapist. Participants were initially assessed for baseline data. They were then retested for changes in spasticity and functional use of the affected limb after the 2-week modified CIMT training period and again at the 6-month follow-up. At the end of the 2-week training period and the 6-month postintervention follow-up, results showed that application of the modified CIMT program was successful in reducing spasticity in the affected elbow and wrist flexors, increasing AROM in the affected elbow and wrist, increasing grip strength of the affected hand, and increasing functional use in the affected arm and hand. This study suggests that a 2-week modified CIMT program, using intensive and varied exercise training aimed at the negative symptoms of spastic hemiplegia, can be used in outpatient rehabilitation clinics to reduce spasticity and increase functional use among persons with poststroke upper extremity spastic hemiplegia. This study further suggests that these changes may persist 6 months after completion of the program. This study lacks generalizability to populations outside the intervention group, because of its small sample size and noninclusion of patients older than 67 years. This study also lacks a control group, which diminishes its validity. In summary, a modified CIMT intervention shows promising results for reducing spasticity among persons ages 22–67 years with poststroke upper extremity spastic hemiplegia; however, research on this topic would benefit from further validation through studies that include a larger sample size, a control group, and a greater age range of participants

Sociological Perspectives on Ethnicity and Education in China: Views from Chinese and English Literatures

This paper reviews Chinese- and English-language literature on ethnic minorities and education in China. Six major research topics emerge from the Chinese-language research: (1) Marxism and ethnic minority education; (2) patriotism and national unity in education for ethnic minority students; (3) multicultural education; (4) determinants of ethnic differences in education; (5) school facilities and teacher quality; and (6) preferential / affirmative action policies. Four research themes are identified from the English-language literature: (1) policy overviews; (2) education and ethnic identity; (3) incentives and disincentives for buy-in to the education system; and (4) educational stratification. The majority of quantitative research from both Chinese- and English-language literature investigates ethnic minorities as a collective group. Qualitative research focuses on individual ethnic groups, although no one group is the focus of particular attention. More qualitative studies currently exist, but the number of quantitative studies is growing, given the growing availability of survey and census data containing information on ethnic minorities. Both literatures focus on the complex interrelationships of ethnicity with cultural, policy, development, and language issues. Yet, these literatures draw on different ideological starting points, conform to different norms of academic composition, and speak to different audiences in different sociopolitical contexts. For these reasons, the English literature tends to adopt a more critical tone. Overall, very little of the work in either language comes from the field of sociology of education. More comparatively and theoretically framed work is needed to enable the Chinese experience to be informed by and inform global research in sociology of education

Senior Recital: Emily Rausch, Trombone; Cole Richey, Trombone; Lu Witzig, Piano; October 30, 2022

Kemp Recital HallOctober 30, 2022SundayNoo

Outcomes of Project-Based Therapy in Individuals with Autism

As the number of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) entering adulthood grows, it is crucial to identify interventions that can help this population acquire adaptive behaviors necessary for independent living and employment. This study aimed to identify how Autisty Studio’s project-based therapy impacts this population’s engagement in adaptive behaviors.The study utilized the Brief Adaptive Behavior Scale (BABS), a quantitative assessment informed by the BRIEF-2 and the Vineland-II, to measure improvements in adaptive behaviors in 11 participants at Autistry Studios. Specifically, the BABS measured frequency (Frq), highest level of assistance (LoAHigh) required, and lowest level of assistance (LoALow) required to engage in adaptive behaviors over the course of nine sessions. Domains of Frq, LoAHigh and LoALow scores included executive functioning (EF), socialization (SOC), and self-regulation (SR). Analysis using a Repeated Measures ANOVAs and paired-sample T-test found significant differences and trends toward significance of the LoAHigh and LoALow scores in the domains of EF and SOC , indicating that Autistry’s pre-vocational, project-based therapy program is effective in improving adaptive behavior skills in adults with ASD, as measured by the BABS.https://scholar.dominican.edu/ug-student-posters/1033/thumbnail.jp