This study examined the effect of a 12-week fundamental movement skills (FMS) intervention on the motor skills of 20 boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (ages 3-10 years) in an Asian country and whether the intervention effect would persist for at least 12 weeks after the intervention. In Part I, 10 boys with ASD (Group 1) received the…

The critical role of executive functioning in autism as well as the co-occurring mental health challenges common among autistic youth support to the immense value of interventions targeting executive functioning for enhancing mental health services for autistic children. The goal of the present study was to conduct a randomized feasibility trial…

Clinical anxiety is a common comorbidity in autistic people. Due to the prevalence of anxiety in the autism population and the adverse effects it causes, there is a critical need to develop effective interventions which address anxiety symptoms for autistic people. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness…

Over the past decade, a large number of literature reviews have explored the effectiveness of virtual reality technology as applied to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but there has been a lack of scope focus on different types of virtual reality systems in assessment and intervention for children aged 3-12 years and a lack of…

The impact of many interventions weakens during the scaling up process and low fidelity of implementation (i.e. delivering an intervention but not as it was intended) may explain why. In this paper we introduce, discuss, and exemplify the use of a framework for developing fidelity tools that aim to measure and promote fidelity of implementation.…

Background: This study analyzes the use of a text-related question strategy aimed at improving the reading comprehension and reading awareness abilities of a metacognitively trained group of students with reading comprehension difficulties. In an initial Grade 3 primary school students' assessment in the same classroom, some students were…

This systematic review aimed to summarize the current evidence on the effectiveness of various psychological behavioural therapies in improving oral hygiene maintenance habits and oral health among children with autism. Independent screening and study selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment, and evaluation of the certainty of evidence…

Engineering instructors play a crucial role in developing a positive culture in their classes. However, few studies have explored integrating teaching pedagogies to convey a culture of care and support students' mental health and well-being (MHWB) in engineering education contexts. It is critical to advance knowledge in this area considering the…

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in youth are prevalent and impairing, but available psychosocial treatments are difficult to access and show limited efficacy. "Prevention strategies" are interventions intended to be implemented during relative well-periods before impairment or other adverse outcomes set in and therefore help avoid…

Minimally verbal autistic children, or those who use fewer than 20 words, represent [approximately]30% of the autistic population and are at heightened risk for adverse outcomes in socialization, academics, independent living, and employment. While it is known that intensive intervention can enhance the communication skills of minimally verbal…

This paper examines the values, vision and practice originally outlined in a proposal for a secondary phase resourced provision for young people with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) challenges. The provision was based on a well-established model (the 'Jarjums Room') which had been implemented in Cherbourg Primary School in Eastleigh,…

ASD children experience different development with children in general, so that requires special services to optimize children's development, one of the factors that greatly contributes to determining child development is the family environment in which children live and develop. In certain places, parents of ASD children have not yet realized and…

Consistent, sensitive caregiving across home and childcare contexts supports optimal development. In this paper, we share the story of the development of Hearts and Minds on Babies (HMB) for Early Head Start (EHS) administrators, teachers, and parents. HMB was designed to support caregiver reflective functioning and sensitivity and reduce…

This dissertation explores the dynamics of undergraduate socialization within a STEM Intervention Program (SIP), specifically the STEM Scholars Program (SSP), with a particular emphasis on comparing the experiences of first-generation and continuing-generation college students. The study employs a longitudinal design and uses random intercept…

Racial disparities in violence exposure and criminal justice contact are a subject of growing policy and public concern. We conduct a large-scale, randomized controlled trial of a six-month behavioral health intervention combining intensive mentoring and group therapy designed to reduce criminal justice and violence involvement among Black and…