Emerging research indicates that 40% of early childhood education (ECE) workers experience food insecurity. The purpose of this study was to describe the food insecurity and food access of Head Start teachers and staff in Mississippi before the COVID-19 pandemic and to understand how COVID-19 affected food access. A mixed-methods design was…

This study explored the experiences of professionals and parents from the United Kingdom and China of autism-relevant policies, school involvement, and applied behavior analysis-based interventions. Semistructured interviews involving 36 parents and professionals and direct behavioral observations were carried out of five parents and three…

A large body of research suggests that families' engagement in their children's education is a crucial factor in promoting school success for children and youth. Family engagement in school is associated with improved academic achievement and reductions in social and behavioral problems. Research also suggests that collaboration between schools…

With the advent of Precision Teaching more than 50 years ago, researchers and practitioners began to examine how to use K-12 students' academic data to guide instructional decisions. Although the field has advanced with the use of curriculum-based measurement and data-driven decision rules for reading and math, the same is not true in the area of…

The prevalence of adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is growing worldwide. There is a lack of services to support adolescents and adults with ASD in different areas including social-communication intervention. To fill these research gaps in the literature, the three studies in this dissertation extended the literature on…

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of enhanced milieu teaching (EMT) on caregiver implementation of language support strategies and child communication skills using a hybrid telepractice service delivery model. Method: Four caregivers and children with language delays aged 18-27 months participated in a multiple baseline across behaviors…

Given the significant amount of time that refugee and asylum-seeking children (RASC) spend in schools, these institutions play an important role in their lives and represent an ideal environment in which to help them to adapt to their host society. The present study aimed to draw attention to the possibility of transferring intervention methods…

The purpose of this study was to support the development of mathematics and self-determination skills of young adults with extensive support needs. Mathematical problem solving is a natural context for teaching two component skills of self-determination: self-monitoring and goal setting. Three young adults with extensive support needs (i.e.,…

The aim of this study was to advance understanding of how to foster media literacy among older people. A systematic review was conducted of 40 empirical studies published between January 2005 and April 2019. The literature review provided information and practical implications for researchers, designers, and providers of media-literacy education…

Background: While evidence-based practice is widely endorsed by researchers, clinicians and professional bodies as a guiding framework for the provision of quality care to clients, the reliance on efficacy evidence may overshadow the benefits of other knowledge forms in supporting intervention design and evaluation. Due consideration needs to be…

With developments in technology (e.g., "Web 2.0" sites that allow users to author and create media content) and the removal of publication barriers, the quality of science information online now varies vastly. These changes in the review of published science information, along with increased facility of information distribution, have…

Background: This systematic review aimed to synthesize recent evidence on interventions to increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) content of physical education (PE) in children age 8 to 11. Methods: A search of 6 databases was conducted in December 2019. Controlled intervention studies were included so long as they used objective…

Background: Many interventions on epistemic beliefs (i.e., individual beliefs about knowledge and knowing) are based on Bendixen and Rule's "Integrative Model for Personal Epistemology Development." Empirically, however, the model is still insufficiently validated. This is especially true for its epistemic volition component -- a will or…

Purpose: The aim of this study was to use the Daily Phonotrauma Index (DPI) to quantify group-based changes in the daily voice use of patients with phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction (PVH) after receiving voice therapy as the sole treatment. This is part of an ongoing effort to validate an updated theoretical framework for PVH. Method: A…

Background: Laryngeal dystonia (LD), or spasmodic dysphonia (SD), is a neurological disorder characterized by focal dystonia or involuntary spasms of the laryngeal muscles and associated voice symptoms. It is typically treated with injection of botulinum toxin (BoNT) that weakens the affected muscles. Aims: The primary purpose of this qualitative…