A children's book on bullying awareness and disability tolerance

There is a plentiful amount of children’s literature that strives to portray real social conflicts that are prevalent in society. However, few children’s books address bullying and how to problem solve effectively in common recreational settings, where there is less adult supervision and children are likely to misbehave. Current children’s books fail to acknowledge and accurately describe the hostility that may occur during social interaction among young children in a comprehensive manner. In addition, there is a scarce amount of children’s literature that is displayed in a digital format that is not only more appealing to young readers, but is also increasingly accessible to those of all abilities. Research suggests that there is a need for a children’s book that contains anti-bullying themes and is written using simple language with relatable characters. If younger children are exposed to complex social dilemmas at an early age, studies show that they are more likely to develop lasting positive morals and more tolerant, open-minded attitudes. The aim of this children’s book centered on bullying and disability tolerance is to provide education to young children from the ages of 3-6 years on the importance of accepting people with differences in a way that they can easily understand. The book will have characters of all genders and ethnicities so that readers can relate to them and apply what they learn to their own lives. Ideally, the book will be implemented across many domains such as in schools, clinical facilities, and within children’s homes. Interviewees were asked a variety of questions after being provided with three consecutive drafts of the book in order to make changes that reflect the needs of various young readers. The interviewees consisted of two occupational therapists, two speech language pathologists, a child-life specialist, two academic teachers, and a parent of a child. Responses showed that the book would beneficial in teaching children to treat all peers equally and how to effectively problem solve should a bullying crisis occur. Therefore, it is recommended that this book in both paper and digital formats could be successfully utilized in academic, clinical, and home-based settings to spread anti-bullying awareness and assist children in adopting tolerant mentalities

Pluralism and the New Religious America

This essay highlights the continued diversification of the United States and the potential for conflict that goes along with it. Teitelbaum looks at three primary theoretical models that deal with religious diversity. She rejects the first two, exclusivism and inclusivism, because the first often leads to violent conflict and the second to condescension. Instead, Teitelbaum argues that pluralism is the most hopeful and considerate method. In order to make this point, she clarifies that pluralism is not syncretism, a process of blending all religions into one. Nor is it relativism, which lets go of particular beliefs in order to find universal peace. Instead, she defines pluralism as an approach in which individuals can maintain their own beliefs, but are also open to encountering and learning about the beliefs of others. This, Teitelbaum posits, is the best way to find peace and respect in diverse communities

Letting Gandhi In

Clark and Teitelbaum contemplate the seemingly unending cycle of violence in human history and look to nonviolent resisters as an example of how to break this pattern. They build this hope for a future unburdened of war on Gandhi\u27s belief that all people are essentially loving. That love, he argued, must just be freed of the superficial societal pressures that debilitate it. Clark and Teitelbaum look not only toward Gandhi\u27s successful use of non-violent resistance, but also to other examples such as the Mothers of the Plazo de Mayo who protested the disappearance of people during Argentina\u27s Dirty War. These successful implementations of nonviolent resistance, Clark and Teitelbaum claim, prove that nonviolent resistance cannot be thrown away as an impossible standard. Instead, they argue for nonviolent resistance as an inspirational possibility that can put an end to the cycle of violence and establish a more hopeful future

Developmental pathways to autism: a review of prospective studies of infants at risk

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, and the presence of restrictive and repetitive behaviors. Symptoms of ASD likely emerge from a complex interaction between pre-existing neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities and the child's environment, modified by compensatory skills and protective factors. Prospective studies of infants at high familial risk for ASD (who have an older sibling with a diagnosis) are beginning to characterize these developmental pathways to the emergence of clinical symptoms. Here, we review the range of behavioral and neurocognitive markers for later ASD that have been identified in high-risk infants in the first years of life. We discuss theoretical implications of emerging patterns, and identify key directions for future work, including potential resolutions to several methodological challenges for the field. Mapping how ASD unfolds from birth is critical to our understanding of the developmental mechanisms underlying this disorder. A more nuanced understanding of developmental pathways to ASD will help us not only to identify children who need early intervention, but also to improve the range of interventions available to them

A qualitative study on White students’ understanding of racism at a predominantly White university

Racism and racial microaggressions on college campuses are daily occurrences for students of color, with White students usually being the perpetrators (Bonilla-Silva, 2018; Sue et al, 2007). Most studies on racism and perceptions of racism are done from the points of view of students of color (e.g., Harper, 2013; Hurtado & Carter, 1997; Smith, Mustaffa, Jones, Curry, & Allen, 2016; Solorzano, Ceja, & Yosso, 2000; Tawa, Suyemoto, & Roemer, 2012). At a flagship, Midwestern PWI and selective Research 1 university, this study aimed to understand the process through which White students understand and perceive racism, including how they make meaning of the motivations and behaviors associated with the subtle and overt actions of racial microaggressions. An exploratory qualitative design was employed in order to learn about White students’ perceptions of racism and racial microaggressions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten White American students, three times each, to hear their points of view regarding racism and racial microaggressions. Using a thematic analysis, five overarching themes were identified: Privilege, Racism, Working Towards Understanding, Affirmative Action, and Politics. When presented with four scenarios containing racial microaggressions, all of the participants demonstrated knowledge of what microaggressions were. However, the findings revealed that each participant (at least once) either found nothing wrong or defended the perpetrator for not having malintent. It appears that recognition of microaggressions is separate from denunciation. Each participant also had a different definition of racism from one another. While they shared their own definitions, most of the participants’ definitions did not explain racism further than blatant, explicit acts. Each student acknowledged racism exists today, yet the majority believe it has drastically declined, dovetailing with Bonilla-Silva’s (2018) findings. This study suggests that most of the White participants are not understanding of the experiences of students of color and that most think racism is only overt, hateful acts against people of color, complementing previous studies (Bonilla-Silva, 2018; Cabrera, 2014; Harper, 2012). Most of these White college students did not understand nuances of racism nor how deeply engrained it is in our society, as colorblind ideology (Bonilla-Silva, 2018), aversive racism (Dovidio, 1996), and the racial microaggressions framework (Sue et al., 2007) propose. However, a few of the students were indeed more aware and understanding, perhaps being further along with their White racial identity development. In order for White students to begin to understand the intricacies of racism and work to dismantle it, we must start teaching about racism as it is: a spectrum, not a good person/bad person binary. These findings do not imply, however, that diversity workshops/trainings and courses do not work; such learning opportunities, when done well, are worthwhile, and diversity among higher education students, faculty and staff is valuable.U of I OnlyAuthor requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD syste

Medical-Legal Partnerships: Addressing the Unmet Legal Needs of Health Center Patients

Medical-legal partnerships (MLPs), now available at over 180 hospitals and health centers across 38 states, are an important option for addressing the legal needs affecting low-income and vulnerable patients, and thereby improving their overall health. We estimate that each year, anywhere between 50 and 85 percent of health centers users - or between ten and 17 million people - experience unmet legal needs, many of which negatively impact their health. In a medical-legal partnership, health care staff at hospitals, clinics, and other sites are trained to screen for health-related legal issues, refer the patient to an affiliated lawyer or legal services team as necessary, and work with the attorney to resolve problems that impact patient health. Medical-legal partnerships assist patients with securing health care and other public benefits, addressing housing issues and family problems, and other concerns that can affect one\u27s health and are often more successfully remedied through legal, rather than medical, channels. This brief examines the role medical-legal partnerships can play in addressing the unmet legal needs negatively affecting the health of health center patients

Phthalate exposure in the neonatal intensive care unit is associated with development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Objective: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a serious yet common morbidity of preterm birth. Although prior work suggests a possible role for phthalate exposure in the development of BPD, no study has rigorously evaluated this. Our objective was to determine whether hospital-based phthalate exposure is associated with the development of BPD and to identify developmental windows sensitive to exposure.Study Design: This is a prospective multicenter cohort study of 360 preterm infants born at 23–33 weeks gestation participating in the Developmental Impact of NICU Exposures (DINE) cohort. 939 urine specimens collected during the NICU stay were analyzed for biomarkers of phthalate exposure by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The modified Shennan definition was used to diagnose bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Reverse distributed-lag modeling identified developmental windows sensitive to specific phthalate exposure, controlling for relevant covariates including sex and respiratory support. Results: Thirty-five percent of participants were diagnosed with BPD. Exposure to specific phthalate mixtures at susceptible points in preterm infant development are associated with later diagnosis of BPD in models adjusted for use of respiratory support. The weighted influence of specific phthalate metabolites in the mixtures varied by sex. Metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, a phthalate previously linked to neonatal respiratory support equipment, drove this association, particularly among female infants, at 26- to 30-weeks post-menstrual age. Conclusions: This is the largest and only multi-site study of NICU-based phthalate exposure and clinical impact yet reported. In well-constructed models accounting for infant sex and respiratory support, we found a significant positive association between ultimate diagnosis of BPD and prior exposure to phthalate mixtures with DEHP predominance at 26- to 30-weeks PMA or 34–36-weeks PMA. This information is critically important as it identifies a previously unrecognized and modifiable contributing factor to BPD