Relevant assessment in leisure skill training programs

Article: Assessment is a critical process in planning and implementing leisure skill training programs for handicapped individuals. Two major forms of assessment influence the success of an individual's program. The first is baseline assessment, an initial observation of the client's ability level before actual implementation of a program. A second form of assessment is instructional assessment, an ongoing evaluation of the progress which the client is making throughout the program. Both forms of assessment are crucial in a leisure skills program because a) without baseline assessment, it will be impossible to determine the individual's skill level on the activities or skills which are to be taught, and b) without instructional assessment, it may be difficult to verify the progress made by clients. Recent special education legislation (Public Law 94-142) has also created a heightened awareness of the importance of assessment by mandating that evaluation data must be provided in the student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and periodically updated Relationship of the IEP to Assessment of Handicapped Students Each child's individualized education plan calls for an annual evaluation of short-term instructional objectives. The child's program also must be completely re-evaluated once every three years by the interdisciplinary team of which a recreation specialist is often a member. These are minimal standards for evaluation and, in effect, are far too limited. In order that a child's IEP is properly developed, it is necessary for the recreation specialist and teacher to make evaluation an ongoing process and not necessarily follow time periods which have been set arbitrarily. The recreation specialist must be able to regularly communicate the student's current level of performance. Evaluation of skill mastery will confirm the individual's strengths and weaknesses in different activity areas (e.g., sports, games) throughout the school year. Ongoing evaluation is a critical aspect of the IEP for several reasons. After the initial assessment of the child's present performance levels, frequent follow-up assessments provide for tracking overall progress in each activity area. Daily or weekly evaluation of leisure skill objectives indicates the effectiveness of training programs. The dynamic process of regular evaluation of instructional procedures, as well as short-term objectives, will make the IEP a more viable blueprint of the handicapped student's educational progress and not simply a piec

Effect of Intervention With the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction on Access and Goal Attainment

Promoting self-determination has been identified as best practice in special education and transition services and as a means to promote goal attainment and access to the general education curriculum for students with disabilities. There have been, however, limited evaluations of the effects of interventions to promote self-determination on outcomes related to access to the general education curriculum. This article reports findings from a cluster or group-randomized trial control group study examining the impact of intervention using the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction on students’ academic and transition goal attainment and on access to the general education curriculum for students with intellectual disability and learning disabilities. Findings support the efficacy of the model for both goal attainment and access to the general education curriculum, though students varied in the patterns of goal attainment as a function of type of disability.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Returning to work after stroke: perspectives of employer stakeholders, a qualitative study.

Purpose: More than 40 % of working age adults with stroke fail to return to work. The work context is a key factor in return to work, but little is known about the experiences of employers in supporting employees with stroke. The aim of this study was to explore return to work after stroke from the employer perspective, to identify key features associated with success and to seek participants’ views regarding the role of healthcare in return to work. Methods: Data was gathered through 18 semi-structured interviews with employer stakeholders and included small business owners, line managers, human resources and occupational health staff. Data was analysed thematically. Results: The main themes identified were: the impact of stroke on the employer, characteristics of the employee, communication, knowledge and information, experience of other stakeholders, integrating healthcare in return to work. Conclusion: Employers face complex emotional and practical issues when helping an employee return to work after stroke, for which many lack knowledge and experience. The range and quality of support networks that they access is variable and advice and support from clinicians is welcomed. Further research is necessary to investigate how such support could be funded and integrated within existing service provision

Factors impacting employment for people with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review

The aim of this study is to holistically synthesise the extent and range of literature relating to the employment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Database searches of Medline, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Scopus, ERIC, Web of Science and EMBASE were conducted. Studies describing adults with autism spectrum disorder employed in competitive, supported or sheltered employment were included. Content analysis was used to identify the strengths and abilities in the workplace of employees with autism spectrum disorder. Finally, meaningful concepts relating to employment interventions were extracted and linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Sets for autism spectrum disorder. The search identified 134 studies for inclusion with methodological quality ranging from limited to strong. Of these studies, only 36 evaluated employment interventions that were coded and linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, primarily focusing on modifying autism spectrum disorder characteristics for improved job performance, with little consideration of the impact of contextual factors on work participation. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Sets for autism spectrum disorder are a useful tool in holistically examining the employment literature for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. This review highlighted the key role that environmental factors play as barriers and facilitators in the employment of people with autism spectrum disorder and the critical need for interventions which target contextual factors if employment outcomes are to be improved

Fast Homozygosity Mapping and Identification of a Zebrafish ENU-Induced Mutation by Whole-Genome Sequencing

Forward genetics using zebrafish is a powerful tool for studying vertebrate development through large-scale mutagenesis. Nonetheless, the identification of the molecular lesion is still laborious and involves time-consuming genetic mapping. Here, we show that high-throughput sequencing of the whole zebrafish genome can directly locate the interval carrying the causative mutation and at the same time pinpoint the molecular lesion. The feasibility of this approach was validated by sequencing the m1045 mutant line that displays a severe hypoplasia of the exocrine pancreas. We generated 13 Gb of sequence, equivalent to an eightfold genomic coverage, from a pool of 50 mutant embryos obtained from a map-cross between the AB mutant carrier and the WIK polymorphic strain. The chromosomal region carrying the causal mutation was localized based on its unique property to display high levels of homozygosity among sequence reads as it derives exclusively from the initial AB mutated allele. We developed an algorithm identifying such a region by calculating a homozygosity score along all chromosomes. This highlighted an 8-Mb window on chromosome 5 with a score close to 1 in the m1045 mutants. The sequence analysis of all genes within this interval revealed a nonsense mutation in the snapc4 gene. Knockdown experiments confirmed the assertion that snapc4 is the gene whose mutation leads to exocrine pancreas hypoplasia. In conclusion, this study constitutes a proof-of-concept that whole-genome sequencing is a fast and effective alternative to the classical positional cloning strategies in zebrafish

Improving Supervisor Evaluations Through the Use of Self Determination Contracts

Supervisor perceptions of employee competence in areas of work, social, and personal demands of the job often determine success or failure for the supported employee. This study involved three workers with disabilities who participated in a supported employment program. After being successfully hired in a job of their choosing, problems arose that jeopardized the successful completion of the placement phase. The workers used individualized self-determination contracts to improve supervisor evaluations. Specifically, they completed daily self-determination contracts to plan their work outcomes, manage their tasks, evaluate their performance, and make adjustments for their next opportunity to work. Results indicated that all three workers used self-determination strategies to improve their performance and meet the expectations of their respective employers.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline