Evaluation of Behavioural Skills Training with Volunteers Teaching Motor Skills to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

Reaching early motor milestones is essential for positive growth and development. Individuals with developmental disabilities may fail to reach these milestones due to gross and fine motor impairments. However, very few physical education programs address motor development issues that may be a concern for individuals with developmental disabilities. The Special Needs Activity Program at Brock University capitalizes on university student volunteers to support individuals with developmental disabilities in developing motor skills. Evaluating various methods to train these volunteers may positively impact training outcomes, and save valuable time and resources. This research employed a mixed methods evaluation to evaluate volunteer training through: (1) a component analysis of behavioural skills training for teaching volunteers how to also use this methodology to support individuals with developmental disabilities in a movement program; and (2) a thematic analysis of the volunteers’ experiences and approaches to teaching this population. The component analysis results were variable across participants; however, following all training phases, all volunteers met a predetermined performance criterion. Through a qualitative analysis five themes in the volunteers’ approach to teaching individuals with developmental disabilities were identified: individualization, respect, collaboration, flexibility, and commitment. Strengths and limitations of this evaluation are discussed and recommendations for future research are provided

Long-term follow-up of an 8 week weight loss intervention: Impact of psychosocial factors

Purpose: This study evaluated the effectiveness of three behaviorally based weight loss treatments on long term (6 month) weight maintenance following an 8 week intervention. The main focus of this study was to evaluate the impact of psychosocial factors (self-efficacy and social support) on the maintenance of weight loss in obese adults following a randomized weight loss trial. Currently, there is a need for more psychological theory-based weight loss interventions to identify the most effective methods for sustained behavior change. Self-efficacy has been identified as a key component of successful weight loss. Social support has been shown in the literature to have a positive impact on weight loss, but the relationship between social support and weight loss maintenance is unclear. Methods: This study was a 6 month follow-up (4 months post-intervention) to an 8 week weight loss intervention. Participants (n = 109) were recruited in two cohorts (Fall and Spring) and randomized into one of three treatments: 1) guided weight loss support, 2) self-monitoring tool, or 3) guided support and self-monitoring tool. Of the 78 participants that completed the 8 week intervention, 53 returned for the 6 month follow-up. Anthropometric measures (height, weight, BMI, body fat, waist circumference) and responses to self-efficacy surveys (diet and physical activity) were collected at baseline, 8 weeks, and 6 months. Participants also completed surveys evaluating perceived social support from family and friends for health behaviors (eating habits and physical activity) at 6 months. Results: Overall, there was good retention of weight loss with average weight loss retention of 4.82 kg (SD = 4.83) over the 6 months. Approximately half (47%) of the participants were able to maintain weight loss over the 6 month follow-up. There were no significant differences in weight loss or other anthropometric outcomes between cohorts, treatment groups, or genders; which may have been due to small sample size. Correlations between self-efficacy and weight outcomes did not achieve statistical significance at the p \u3c .05 level, but they approached significance and were negatively correlated, but the magnitudes of the correlations were weak. Although associations between social support and weight change were not significant, social support for physical activity and from friends was moderately correlated with diet self-efficacy at 6 months. A relationship which may be important, as significant differences in 6 month diet self-efficacy were found among participants that maintained significant weight loss (\u3e5% loss of baseline body weight) versus those that did not maintain significant weight loss. The results showed a tendency for self-efficacy and social support to be higher among participants that successfully retained weight loss versus participants that regained weight. Conclusions: All treatment groups experienced positive changes in anthropometric outcomes, but identification of specific behavioral processes that may influence weight maintenance proved difficult. Future research should focus on identifying techniques to maintain higher levels of self-efficacy post-intervention. More research is needed to determine the effects of social support on specific weight related behaviors and self-efficacy for weight related behaviors

Cyber-Physical Security Strategies

Cyber-physical security describes the protection of systems with close relationships between computational functions and physical ones and addresses the issue of vulnerability to attack through both cyber and physical avenues. This describes systems in a wide variety of functions, many crucial to the function of modern society, making their security of paramount importance. The development of secure system design and attack detection strategies for each potential avenue of attack is needed to combat malicious attacks. This thesis will provide an overview of the approaches to securing different aspect of cyber-physical systems. The cyber element can be designed to better prevent unauthorized entry and to be more robust to attack while its use is evaluated for signs of ongoing intrusion. Nodes in sensor networks can be evaluated by their claims to determine the likelihood of their honesty. Control systems can be designed to be robust in cases of the failure of one component and to detect signal insertion or replay attack. Through the application of these strategies, the safety and continued function of cyber-physical systems can be improved

Maggie Garrett and John Alec Briggs to present faculty cabaret at Ouachita April 12

Dr. Margaret “Maggie” Garrett, associate professor of music at Ouachita Baptist University, will present a faculty cabaret, “Everything Changes,” on Thursday, April 12, at 7:30 p.m. John Alec Briggs, adjunct lecturer in music at Ouachita, serves as the music director and collaborative pianist for the show. The performance, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Ouachita’s McBeth Recital Hall in Mabee Fine Arts Center