Using Sensory Interventions to Promote Skill Acquisition for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have documented sensory processing difficulties across the lifespan; however there is limited empirical support for the sensory-based interventions that have become ubiquitous with the population. This study was conducted to address this need and examine the effect of sensory-based interventions on skill acquisition for five elementary-age students with ASD. Proponents suggest that sensory-based interventions can be used to facilitate optimal levels of arousal so that children are available for learning. A single-case alternating treatments design was used to evaluate functional relations between the two sensory-based antecedent interventions and correct responding on expressive identification tasks. Upon visual analysis of the graphed data, functional relations were apparent for two participants. A positive relation between one sensory activity and correct responses was evident for a third student, but his rate of skill acquisition was too slow to verify a functional relation during the study. Results were undifferentiated for two students; one reached mastery criteria with both sensory-based interventions, while one made only modest improvement in expressive identification. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to identify predictors of growth. Scrutiny of the results of the level-1 analysis revealed that there were significant differences among the participants at the start of the study (00 = 388.46, ²(4) = 45.97, p \u3c .001) and that all of the students made significant gains during the study (10 = 2.35, t(4) = 3.43, p \u3c .05). Using treatment as a predictor in Model 2 resulted in the finding of no significance for the sensory-based interventions in predicting growth. The two biggest level-2 predictors of student growth were age (11 = 0.055, t(2) = 6.403, p \u3c .001) and IQ (22 = 0.21, t(2) = 13.41, p \u3c .001). Although not clinically significant, Childhood Autism Rating Scale scores as a level-2 predictor of growth may have practical significance. Implications for mixed-modality research and applied practice are discussed

Student Leaders: Are There Differences with Institutional Satisfaction?

This quantitative study investigates differences in student leaders satisfaction with their institution. An adapted form of the ACT Student Opinion Survey (four-year-form) is administered to 103 student leaders representing two types of leadership positions, those selected or hired by the institution and those elected by their peers. Descriptive statistics and independent t-tests indicate only 2 significant differences in the satisfaction areas assessed. Both groups of student leaders tend to have moderate to high levels of satisfaction with their institution. However, selected/hired student leaders have more homogeneous satisfaction scores than the student leaders elected by their peers. Hired student leaders indicate moderate to high levels of satisfaction with student affairs professionals. This study aids in understanding of how student leader satisfaction varies based on different aspects of the institution which is beneficial when working with student leaders

Interfacial areas and gas hold-ups in bubble columns and packed bubble columns at elevated pressures

Interfacial areas and gas hold-ups have been determined at pressures up to 1.85 MPa in a bubble column with a diameter of 85.5 mm and for superficial gas velocities between 1 and 10 cm s−1. In some experiments the bubble column was packed with glass cylinders of length 5.0 mm and diameter 4.0 mm. The interfacial areas were determined by the chemical method using the model reaction between CO2 and aqueous diethanolamine (DEA) and hold-ups by observation of height differences.\ud \ud The interfacial areas in the packed bubble column are unaffected by pressure. The gas hold-ups as well as the interfacial areas in the bubble column increase with increasing operating pressure. The magnitude of the pressure influence depends on the superficial gas velocity. The positive influence of pressure on the gas hold-ups and the interfacial in the bubble column originates from the formation of smaller bubbles at the gas distributor

Adult pertussis vaccination strategies and their impact on pertussis in the United States: evaluation of routine and targeted (cocoon) strategies

A compartmental, age-structured mathematical model was developed and recent US pertussis epidemiology data were used to evaluate the impact on pertussis infection rates of routine and targeted adult immunization strategies. Model simulations predict that the implementation of adolescent immunization only could reverse the current rise in pertussis infection rates but may lead to a resurgence of pertussis in subsequent decades. In contrast, inclusion of a routine adult strategy is likely to lead to sustained control of pertussis. Routine adult vaccination could control the disease even with relatively low coverage rates of 40% for routine vaccination of all adults every 10 years, or 65% for a targeted vaccination of close contacts of newborns completed by one booster dose for all adults. The model also predicts that the optimal age for this booster dose is 40 years. These results support the 2006 American Academy of Immunization Practices' recommendations for adolescent and adult vaccination against pertussis

Effects of a Dutch family literacy program:The role of implementation

It is hypothesized that variability found in the effects of family literacy programs results from differences in implementation by parents. In this study, the implementation and effects of a Dutch program were examined in a sample of 207 kindergarteners (mean age at pre-test: 64 months). No main intervention effects on children’s literacy development were found. The quality of implementation proved to be higher for high-SES and native Dutch (speaking) parents than for low-SES, ethnic-minority parents with other home languages. Parent SES, ethnic-minority status, and home language did not moderate the program effects on child language scores and the program failed to impact targeted parental attributes, namely, the home literacy environment and parent self-efficacy. Finally, children’s development proved unrelated to implementation variables. Our results stress the importance of delivery for adequate implementation

Specific binding of radiolabeled Cry1Fa insecticidal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis to midgut sites in lepidopteran species

Cry1Fa insecticidal protein was successfully radiolabeled with 125I-Na. Specific binding to brush border membrane vesicles was shown for the lepidopteran species Ostrinia nubilalis, Spodoptera frugiperda, Spodoptera exigua, Helicoverpa armigera, Heliothis virescens, and Plutella xylostella. Homologous competition assays were performed to obtain equilibrium binding parameters (Kd [dissociation constant] and Rt [concentration of binding sites]) for these six insect species

Specific binding of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry2A insecticidal proteins to a common site in the midgut of Helicoverpa species

For a long time, it has been assumed that the mode of action of Cry2A toxins was unique and different from that of other three-domain Cry toxins due to their apparent nonspecific and unsaturable binding to an unlimited number of receptors. However, based on the homology of the tertiary structure among three-domain Cry toxins, similar modes of action for all of them are expected. To confirm this hypothesis, binding assays were carried out with 125 I-labeled Cry2Ab. Saturation assays showed that Cry2Ab binds in a specific and saturable manner to brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) of Helicoverpa armigera. Homologous-competition assays with 125 I-Cry2Ab demonstrated that this toxin binds with high affinity to binding sites in H. armigera and Helicoverpa zea midgut. Heterologous-competition assays showed a common binding site for three toxins belonging to the Cry2A family (Cry2Aa, Cry2Ab, and Cry2Ae), which is not shared by Cry1Ac. Estimation of Kd (dissociation constant) values revealed that Cry2Ab had around 35-fold less affinity than Cry1Ac for BBMV binding sites in both insect species. Only minor differences were found regarding Rt (concentration of binding sites) values. This study questions previous interpretations from other authors performing binding assays with Cry2A toxins and establishes the basis for the mode of action of Cry2A toxins