Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Children with Autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive lifelong developmental delay with a prevalence of 1 in 68 children. This growing epidemic occurs for unspecified causes and researchers continue to explore evidence-based treatments available. Parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT) is a parent training program, initially developed for implementation with typically-developing children. PCIT has shown effectiveness in increasing child compliance, minimizing disruptive problem, improving parent-child relationship satisfaction, and communication. The present study investigated the efficacy of PCIT as an evidence-based practice (EBP) for children with ASD by implementing a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across three participants. Results indicated socially significant increases in child compliance, decreases in aberrant behavior, rapid acquisition and maintenance of acquired parenting skills, as well as improved parent-child relationship satisfaction. This study aimed to replicate previous research measuring the effectiveness of PCIT with children with ASD

POLICE SAY LEADERSHIP IS IGNORING PTSD.

Nearly one in every five officer has symptoms of PTSD according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Depression, PTSD, anxiety and suicidal thoughts are all results of unmanaged stressors. These issues can have a huge impact on an officer’s physical and mental well-being, and can accumulate over the course of his or her career. As police are under fire for a series of killings of innocent black people, they believe their PTSD issues are being overlooked. Police officers are on the front line of violence and high risk situations but the toll on their mental health is often overlooked. Many are reluctant to seek help fearing that they will be identified as weak and incapable of doing their job. Even though there are programs implemented at local and national levels for them to properly cope and de-stress, some police officers and officials say they are inadequate. https://tiffanystruth.org/2017/12/22/police-say-leadership-is-ignoring-ptsd-by-tiffany-s-thomas

An Analysis of Teachers\u27 Perceptions of Bullying at the Elementary School Level

Teachers in elementary schools are often faced with countless disruptive bullying behaviors, which cause them to lose valuable classroom instruction time. In addition, bullying victims have shown a decline in academic success as compared to students who are not bullied. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to explore teachers\u27 understanding and awareness of bullying behaviors and policies at the elementary school level, particularly in an elementary school in a southeastern state that has experienced large increases in student disruptive behavior over the past 2 school years. Bandura\u27s social cognitive theory served as the conceptual framework. Semi-structured interview data were collected from a purposeful sample of 8 certified teachers at the school who taught students in Grades 3 through 5 during the past 2 school years. Open and axial coding procedures were utilized to discover themes based on teachers\u27 perceptions of bullying, interventions and regulations. The findings revealed that teachers struggled with recognizing bullying behaviors, were unsure of the policies and procedures related to reporting bullying incidents, and their confidence levels were low when handling bullying behavior. Findings reflected components of Bandura\u27s social cognitive theory in that individuals with high levels of perceived competence were motivated to set goals and complete tasks. A professional development workshop was created to provide teachers with the necessary tools to assist them in recognizing, responding, and reporting bullying incidents. Positive social change might occur from promoting bullying awareness among teachers and creating a positive impact on teaching, student learning, and the overall school environment at the local level

Residential Grief Camps: An Initial Phenomenological Study of Staff Perspectives

Research has focused primarily on the impact of death on family functioning and the stages and tasks of grief, though little attention has been given to grief camps or the experiences of those who work there. This study explored the experiences of staff at a four-day overnight children’s grief camp. Eight participants reported their experience of camp in two major categories: connection to others and independence in grief and five themes. Camp provides the opportunity for campers to connect to others while finding their own path to healing. Clinical implications and future research directions are also discussed

Host preference of the chinch bug, \u3ci\u3eBlissus occiduus\u3c/i\u3e

The chinch bug, Blissus occiduus Barber (Hemiptera: Blissidae), is an important pest of buffalograss, Buchloë dactyloides (Nutall) Engelmann and potentially other turfgrass, crop, and non-crop hosts. Choice studies documented the number of B. occiduus present on selected turfgrasses, crops and weeds, and provided important insights into the host preferences of this chinch bug. Grasses with the most chinch bugs present included the warm-season turfgrasses B. dactyloides, zoysiagrass, Zoysia japonica Steudel, bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., and St. Augustinegrass , Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze. The other grasses tested, green foxtail, Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv, Kentucky bluegrass, Poa pratensis L., perennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne L., rye, Secale cereale L., sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, tall fescue, Festuca arundinacea Schreb. and wheat Tritium aestivum L. had significantly fewer chinch bugs. Buffalograss and zoysiagrass had the highest numbers of chinch bugs among the warm-season grasses and the buffalograss cultivars ‘86-120’ and ‘PX-3-5-1’ had more chinch bugs than the zoysiagrass cultivars ‘Meyers’ and ‘El Toro’ after the two hour evaluation time

Length-weight relationships of the Emerald Shiner (Notropis atherinoides - Rafinesque, 1818) in the Western Basin of Lake Erie

Total length and standard length (mm) were compared to weight (mg) in the Emerald Shiner (Notropis atherinoides - Rafinesque, 1818) in the western basin of Lake Erie. Length and weight relationship (n = 400), length-frequency distribution, and sex ratios were evaluated for  coastal and tributary habitats and compared to open water habitats. A strong positive correlation was observed between length and weight for both males and females. For males (n = 195) there was a significant positive relationship between standard length (SL) and weight (F = 935.64, d.f = 195; R2 = 0.989) and between total length (TL) and weight (F = 918.75, d.f. = 195; R2 = 0.991). In females (n = 205), there was also a strong positive correlation between SL and weight (F = 1108.18, d.f. = 204; R2 = 0.976) and between TL and weight (F = 1208.86, d.f. = 204; R2 = 0.983). This same positive relationship between SL and weight (F = 1909.58, d.f. = 399; R2 = 0.984,) and between TL and weight (F = 1960.07, d.f. = 399; R2 = 0.988) that was found for  the individual sexes was present in the combined data for the two sexes. Length-weight relationship patterns in Emerald Shiner were significantly influenced by sex (ANCOVA, F= 313.03, p < 0.01) and habitat (ANCOVA, F = 6.693, p = 0.013).  Three separate age classes were distinguished in the data. Age 0 males ranged from 15-33 mm TL, while age 0 females ranged from 18-30 mm TL. Age I males ranged from 39-78 mm TL and Age I females ranged from 42-78 mm TL. Age II+ males ranged from 78-111 mm TL and Age II+ females ranged from 81-108 mm TL. Emerald Shiner exhibit indeterminate growth and sex influenced growth patterns based on the von Bertalanffy growth model

Evaluation of Warm-season Turfgrasses for Resistance to the Chinch Bug, \u3ci\u3eBlissus occiduus\u3c/i\u3e

The chinch bug, Blissus occiduus Barber, has been documented as a serious pest of buffalograss, Buchloë dactyloides (Nutall) Engelmann, and zoysiagrass, Zoysia japonica Steudel, turf grown in the Midwest. In addition to these two warm-season turfgrasses, several other warm-season grasses, including bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., may also be at risk of B. occiduus infestations. This research evaluated selected bermudagrass and zoysiagrass cultivars for resistance to B. occiduus. Eleven zoysiagrass and four bermudagrass cultivars were evaluated for resistance to B. occiduus using no-choice studies under greenhouse conditions. Based on turfgrass damage ratings, the zoysiagrasses ‘Diamond’, ‘Zoro’, and ‘Emerald’, and bermudagrass ‘Mini Verde’ were identified as moderately resistant to B. occiduus. The zoysiagrasses ‘Zenith’, ‘Meyer’, and ‘Crowne’, and bermudagrasses ‘Tifway 419’ and ‘Tifsport’’ were characterized as highly to moderately susceptible to B. occiduus. These results provide the first report of resistance to B. occiduus in zoysiagrass and bermudagrass germplasm