Over two-thirds of youth participate in a structured sport, making it a vital context in which transactional relations with cognitive development can occur. Yet, little is known about how these constructs inform one another across childhood. Most previous studies have focused on health benefits of sport participation, or on demographic and family…

Learning to read is an important milestone in children's development. Factors in the home environment is been linked to the behavioral and neural correlates of reading, but further work is needed to unpack the underlying mechanisms. The home literacy environment (HLE) plays a role in children's reading and language development, while parental…

Autistic students are enrolling at higher educational institutions at an increasing rate. To keep up with the population of pupils, colleges and universities are finding ways to support students. Yet, a small percentage of students who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder do not succeed in attaining a degree. This trend is significant and…

College was already a stressful time for many individuals, and COVID has added another major stress to change college life, highlighting the importance of stress management skills and increased cognitive resilience. The goals of the current study included (1) comparing stress, executive functioning (EF), resilience, alcohol use, and school…

The first year of college is a time of challenging transition for many. Students are adapting to a new way of learning as well as developing as adults. Using a mixed methods design, this action research study aimed to provide insight into the student experience for academically at-risk first-year students in a health professions program at a…

High school physical education (PE) class offerings are on the decline, despite research that shows PE can contribute to overall academic success. Several factors contribute to academic success, particularly executive function, which is an umbrella term for the different cognitive and mental skills crucial for learning, and Social and Emotional…

The purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate the effectiveness of graphic organizers, specifically flowcharts, as a tool to support decision-making during spelling for students identified with learning disabilities. This dissertation is composed of five chapters. The first chapter is an introduction about how graphic organizers support students…

Sleep is a vital human function, critical to health across the lifespan. However, college students report significant disturbances in sleep quality and sleep hygiene (ACHA, 2019; Moulin & Chung, 2016). The consequences of poor sleep include lower cognitive and executive functioning abilities (Honn et al., 2019; Whitney et al., 2015) and poorer…

This study examines the role Google Calendar has in improving Self-Regulated Learning (SRL), planning, and time management in post-secondary students with intellectual disabilities (ID). Individuals with ID experience difficulties in executive functioning (EF) skills, such as reasoning, problem-solving, planning, abstract thinking, judgment,…

School models have been slow to evolve, however, expectations of students in terms of schoolwork and homework have increased year over year. These increased demands require a high level of Executive Functioning (EF). However, a disconnect between the demands of schools and children's developing EF system have led to increased incidences of…

Special education teachers who provide educational opportunities for students in low-incidence programs within a Southern urban public school system in the United States faced challenges when trying to promote independence. The purpose of this project study was to understand the perceptions of teachers and the approaches they seek to best support…

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder often have difficulties with social integration and sensory challenges on collegiate campuses. These difficulties are sometimes tied together as social integration spaces are not always sensory-friendly and can be overwhelming for the individual. Creating a sensory-friendly space within the potentially…

Executive function is deficient in individuals with ADHD. Playing a musical instrument has been shown to improve executive functions. This study examined if participants with ADHD perceived a connection between playing an instrument in a music ensemble and improved executive functioning, as well as improved ADHD presentations. The research design…

Executive functioning (EF) is found to be a powerful predictor for children's school readiness and long-term school outcomes. However, the current research base indicates that children with autism may have an increased likelihood of experiencing deficits in EF or delayed developmental trajectories. Additionally, although there is ample evidence…

The problem was the decline in executive functioning skills of Grade 5 students in a consolidated independent school district in suburban Austin, Texas since the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this qualitative critical instance case study was to better understand the perceptions of teachers regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the executive…