Test-Retest Reliability of the Electronic Instrumental activities of daily living Satisfaction Assessment (EISA): A Cohort Study.

IMPORTANCE: Currently, no self-report instruments exist for assessing satisfaction with performing instrumental activities of daily living and occupations for people with disabilities using internet-connected assistive devices like accessible smartphones, tablets, laptops, and apps. OBJECTIVE: To assess the test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Electronic Instrumental activities of daily living Satisfaction Assessment (EISA) self-report outcome tool. DESIGN: Repeated-measures cohort study with a time frame of 7 to 21 days. SETTING: Multicity online recruitment at assistive technology clinics, nongovernmental organizations, advocacy and peer support groups for people with disabilities, and higher education institutions. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-four participants with disabilities, age 18 yr or older, with a mean age of 43.3 yr (range = 19-75 yr), and 57% female. INTERVENTION: Not applicable. OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The a priori study hypotheses were that the EISA test-retest reliability scores would be above the minimum acceptable level (Rs > .80) and that internal consistency would be good (Cronbach's α = .70-.90). RESULTS: On the basis of the study data, the EISA, Version 1.0, demonstrated good test-retest reliability (Rs = .81) and excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .88). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The results of the test-retest reliability and internal consistency analyses provide good support for the EISA to be used in clinical settings. What This Article Adds: This article documents the reliability and internal consistency of, to our knowledge, the first-ever self-report instrument for assessing satisfaction with performance of everyday occupations for people with disabilities using internet-connected assistive devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and apps.

Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence, Functional Independence, and Falls among People with HIV.

Chronic disease management coupled with education may improve outcomes for those with chronic disease. As Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is now a chronic disease, addressing the needs of as people living with HIV (PLWH) is essential as they experience an accelerated aging process due to the mechanisms of the disease and medications taken. Although studies exist on the management of chronic HIV, few discuss the implications of medication adherence and activities of daily living related to falls among PLWH. To inform occupational therapy services for PLWH, this case-control study used extracted data from the electronic medical records of PLWH who had received occupational therapy (OT) at a large academic hospital. Two-hundred-and-four subjects were included in the final dataset; sixty-eight were cases that reported a fall within the last 12 months, while 136 were controls which were PLWH who had not sustained a fall. The association between falls and antiretroviral therapy adherence indicated males who were ART non-adherent and had balance deficits were more likely to fall. The association between ADL dysfunction and falls among PLWH showed those more likely to fall had moderate ADL dysfunction and balance deficits. The findings suggest further examination of the person factors of PLWH who are categorized clinically as non-adherent with antiretroviral therapy and have ADL dysfunction may improve health outcomes and reduce falls when paired with occupation-based interventions.

Impact of Multiple Chronic Conditions on Activity Limitations Among Older Mexican-American Care Recipients.

INTRODUCTION: Older Mexican Americans are living longer with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs). This has placed greater demands on caregivers to assist with basic activities of daily living (ADL) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). To understand the needs of older Mexican-American care recipients, we examined the impact of MCC on ADL and IADL limitations. METHODS: We analyzed data from 485 Mexican American care-receiving/caregiving dyads. Selected MCCs in the analysis were diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, arthritis, emphysema/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cognitive impairment, depression, and cancer. Care recipients were dichotomized as having 3 or more conditions or as having 2 or fewer conditions. Three comorbidity clusters were established on the basis of the most prevalent health conditions among participants with comorbid arthritis and hypertension. These clusters included arthritis and hypertension plus: diabetes (cluster 1), cognitive impairment (cluster 2), and heart disease (cluster 3). RESULTS: Care recipients with 3 or more chronic conditions (n = 314) had higher odds of having mobility limitations (OR = 1.98; 95% CI, 1.34-2.94), self-care limitations (OR = 2.53; 95% CI, 1.70-3.81), >3 ADL limitations (OR = 2.00; 95% CI, 1.28-3.17), and >3 IADL limitations (OR = 1.88; 95% CI, 1.26-2.81). All clusters had increased odds of ADL and severe ADL limitations. Of care recipients in cluster 2, those with arthritis, hypertension, and cognitive impairment had significantly higher odds of mobility limitations (OR = 2.33; 95% CI, 1.05-5.24) than those with just arthritis and hypertension. CONCLUSION: MCCs were associated with more ADL and IADL limitations among care recipients, especially for those with hypertension and arthritis plus diabetes, cognitive impairment, or heart disease. These findings can assist in developing programs to meet the needs of older Mexican-American care recipients.

What Works in Readmissions Reduction: How Hospitals Improve Performance.

BACKGROUND: Hospitals across the United States are pursuing strategies to reduce avoidable readmissions but the evidence on how best to accomplish this goal is mixed, with no specific clinical practice shown to reduce readmissions consistently. Changes to hospital organizational practices, a key component of context, also may be critical to improving performance on readmissions, but this has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to understand how high-performing hospitals improved risk-stratified readmission rates, and whether their changes to clinical practices and organizational practices differed from low-performing hospitals. DESIGN: This was a qualitative study of 10 hospitals in which readmission rates had decreased (n=7) or increased (n=3). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 82 hospital staff drawn from hospitals that had participated in the State Action on Avoidable Readmissions quality improvement initiative. RESULTS: High-performing hospitals were distinguished by several organizational practices that facilitated readmissions reduction, that is, collective habits of action or interpretation shared by organization members. First, high-performing hospitals reported focused efforts to improve collaboration across hospital departments. Second, they helped postacute providers improve care by sharing the hospital's clinical and quality improvement expertise and data. Third, high performers enthusiastically engaged in trial and error learning to reduce readmissions. Fourth, they emphasized that readmissions represented bad outcomes for patients, de-emphasizing the role of financial penalties. Both high-performing and low-performing hospitals had implemented most clinical practice changes commonly recommended to reduce readmissions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight several organizational practices that hospitals may be able to use to enhance the effectiveness of their readmissions reduction efforts.

Development and content validity of the caregiver assisted transfer technique instrument.

Informal caregivers often provide transfer assistance to individuals with disabilities; however, repeated transfers are associated with a high risk of musculoskeletal pain and injury, and training and education around transfers is minimal. The purpose of this study was to develop and assess the content validity of a new tool, the Caregiver Assisted Transfer Technique Instrument (CATT), which could be used to provide an objective indicator of transfer performance. Item importance, clarity, and appropriateness of responses were rated on a five-point Likert scale by clinicians (n = 15), informal caregivers (n = 10), and individuals with spinal cord injury (n = 5). The content validity index and modified Kappa of each item was calculated. Participants also provided qualitative feedback on item content. In general, items were rated favorably for their importance (4.47 to 5.00), clarity (4.33 to 4.90), and appropriateness of responses (4.38 to 4.90), and most items had excellent content validity (k* ≥ 0.75). Feedback from participants led to the creation of two versions of the CATT: one for manual lifting techniques (CATT-M) and one for transfers performed via lift-based technologies (CATT-L). Future work will focus on establishing the reliability and validity of the CATT as well as developing training and education interventions surrounding assisted transfers.

Clinical Remote Monitoring of Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury at Risk for Pressure Injury Recurrence Using mHealth: Protocol for a Pilot, Pragmatic, Hybrid Implementation Trial.

BACKGROUND: Pressure injuries are one of the most challenging secondary conditions for individuals with spinal cord injuries and related disorders (SCI/D) owing to inherent, lifelong risk factors that include a lack of sensory and motor function below the level of injury and reliance on a wheelchair for daily mobility, resulting in prolonged periods of sitting. Although many factors contribute to the development of pressure injuries, the pressure between the skin and a surface is always a factor and the development of injury is dependent on the magnitude and duration of the pressure. Clinically, broad recommendations for relieving pressure are used because we know very little about the unique day-to-day life patterns of the individual wheelchair user. Typically, it is after the occurrence of a pressure injury that the therapist will check equipment fit and the effectiveness of pressure offloading and ask about other surfaces they sit on in their home and community. This time-lapsed, largely self-reported data are fraught with recall bias and inaccuracies that the therapist incorporates into a plan of care. OBJECTIVE: This study's objective is to pilot-test the implementation and clinical effectiveness of a telehealth model of care combined with our mobile health (mHealth) Assisted Weight-Shift device for remote monitoring of factors related to maintaining skin health and wheelchair setup. Our overall hypothesis is that this study will result in an effective implementation plan, and the enhanced connected model of care using remote monitoring of pressure management will result in pilot-level, improved clinical outcomes for adults with spinal cord injury at high risk for pressure injury recurrence. METHODS: For all aims, we will use a mixed methods design using an exploratory, sequential approach to include the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative data. For aims 1 and 2, we will iteratively collect qualitative data from therapists, patients with SCI/D, and other stakeholders. For aim 3, we will perform a hybrid effectiveness-implementation randomized controlled trial to pilot-test the intervention. The projected results include an iteratively developed and tested implementation plan that meets moderate to high levels of acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness. Additionally, the pilot trial results are expected to show positive trends in relevant clinical outcomes related to reduced pressure injury incidence, recurrence, and improved healing when compared with the standard of care. RESULTS: Currently, 6 participants have been recruited for our aim-1 qualitative study. CONCLUSIONS: This study will expand upon our previous study to move the Assisted Weight-Shift system into routine clinical care, which was a strong desire of adults with SCI/D for improved individualized care plans to prevent pressure injuries. The results of this study will guide the next steps in a full, hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial with the goal of improving care to prevent pressure injuries. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/51849.

Comparison of virtual wheelchair driving performance of people with traumatic brain injury using an isometric and a conventional joystick.

UNLABELLED: Cooper RA. Comparison of virtual wheelchair driving performance of people with traumatic brain injury using an isometric and a conventional joystick. OBJECTIVE: To compare wheelchair driving performance in a driving simulator using a conventional joystick and an isometric joystick. DESIGN: Randomized, cohort study. SETTING: A research facility based in a hospital or in an independent living center. PARTICIPANTS: Participants (N=20; 12 men, 8 women; mean age ± SD, 30.62±10.91 y) who were at least 1 year post-TBI. INTERVENTIONS: Driving performance using an isometric joystick compared with a conventional movement joystick. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Average trial completion time, and trajectory-specific measures measured orthogonal to the center of driving tasks: root mean squared error, movement offset, movement error, and number of significant changes in heading. RESULTS: After statistically controlling for driving speed, participants were able to complete the driving tasks faster with an isometric joystick than while using a conventional movement joystick. Compared with the conventional joystick, an isometric joystick used for driving forward demonstrated fewer driving errors. During reverse driving the conventional joystick performed better. CONCLUSIONS: The customizable isometric joystick seems to be a promising interface for driving a powered wheelchair for individuals with TBI.

Development and content validation of the Electronic Instrumental activities of daily living Satisfaction Assessment (EISA) outcome tool.

This study describes the development and content validation of the Electronic Instrumental activities of daily living Satisfaction Assessment (EISA), a self-report outcome measure for assessing satisfaction with completing instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) for People With Disabilities (PWD) using internet-Connected Assistive Devices (iCAD). For this study, an iCAD is defined as any information communication technology/electronic device or software that assists with promoting, maintaining, and/or enhancing the ability of a PWD to live independently in society. Phase 1 of development involved generating an initial item pool based on a literature review. Content validity of the EISA was computed in Phase 2 using the Qualtrics on-line research platform. Utilizing the content validity index procedure, EISA demonstrated acceptable content validity: item level (I-CVI of 0.78 or higher) and scale level (S-CVI/Ave of 0.90 or higher). EISA version 1.0 was generated in Phase 3 where it is the first of its kind outcome measure specifically designed for assessing satisfaction with completing IADL for PWD using iCAD.

Exploratory Review: Self-Report IADL Assessments in the age of Internet-Connected Assistive Devices.

Internet-Connected Assistive Devices (iCAD), like accessible smartphones, tablets, computers, and apps, have become an integral part of everyday functioning for people with disabilities (PWD). The objective of this article was to identify self-report assessments having the relevance and clinical applicability for assessing satisfaction with performing Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) for PWD using iCAD. An exploratory review was conducted to identify self-report assessments that were appropriate, practical, clinically fit, and psychometrically acceptable, for assessing satisfaction with performing IADLs for PWD using iCAD. Thirty-two IADL assessments were identified, of which six met inclusion criteria. Four of six assessments did not specifically address iCAD usage, while two assessments had limited relevance and clinical applicability, for assessing satisfaction with performing IADLs for PWD using iCAD. This review establishes the growing need for a self-report IADL assessment that has been specifically designed and validated for assessing satisfaction with performing IADLs for PWD using iCAD.

Information communication technology-enabled instrumental activities of daily living: a paradigm shift in functional assessment.

Purpose: Information Communication Technology, such as smartphones, apps, the internet, etc., has become all-pervasive in our society. To learn the impact of Information Communication Technology (ICT) on everyday functioning, specifically Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), an exploratory review was undertaken.Methods: We identified how many primary IADL domains were substantially influenced by ICT, by examining primary IADL domains, in terms of traditional and ICT-enabled ways of completing these common tasks. The study further explored the implications of the pervasiveness of ICT and the ICT-enabled new normal in everyday functioning that underpins the need to redefine IADLs.Results: This examination revealed that the impact of ICT on IADLs has been so profound, that it marks a paradigm shift in the way we assess IADL completion. Creation of the concept of "Electronic Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (eIADLs)" would be a first step in marking this paradigm shift, and would foster further advances for understanding the mechanisms underlying the ICT-based life style related outcome measurement in rehabilitation science.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe presence of Information Communication Technology (ICT) has substantially influenced the way we complete our Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). Indeed, the impact is so profound, that it marks a paradigm shift in the way we should assess and measure everyday functioning.Creation of the concept of eIADLs would be a first step in marking this paradigm shift, and would foster further advances for understanding the mechanisms underlying the ICT-based life style related outcome measurement in the rehabilitation sciences.

Psychosocial impact of participation in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games and Winter Sports Clinic.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of individuals who participate in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games (NVWG) and the Winter Sports Clinic (WSC) for veterans with disabilities. In addition, it was of interest to determine how these events had impacted their lives. METHOD: Participants were recruited at the 20th Winter Sports Clinic, held in Snowmass Colorado and the 26th National Veterans Wheelchair Games held in Anchorage, Alaska. Data of interest included demographic, sport participation information, community integration, self-esteem, and quality of life. A secondary data analysis was completed to determine how comparable individuals who attended the NVWG/WSC were to individuals who did not participate in these events. RESULTS: The 132 participants were a mean age of 47.4 + 13.4 and lived with a disability for an average of 13.4 + 12.1. Participants felt that the NVWG/WSC increased their knowledge of sports equipment (92%), learning sports (89%), mobility skills (84%), and acceptance of disability (84%). The majority of participants stated that the NVWG/WSC improved their life. Of those who participated at the NVWG/WSC, they tended to be more mobile, but have increased physical and cognitive limitations as measured by the CHART when compared to the non-attendees. CONCLUSIONS: Recommending veterans participate in events such as the NVWG and WSC can provide psychosocial benefits to veterans with disabilities.

Flourishing in children with autism spectrum disorders.

Flourishing is an indicator of positive mental health and is important for children's development and well-being. We used variables from the National Survey of Children's Health 2016 as indicators of flourishing (difficulty making friends, is bullied, bullies others, shares ideas with family, argues, finishes tasks, does all homework, shows curiosity, stays calm, and cares about doing well in school) to compare differences in parent perceptions of their children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We anticipate that these findings will help identify intervention targets to support the well-being of individuals with ASD. Children between 6 and 17 years of age, without intellectual disability, brain injury, cerebral palsy, or Down syndrome were included. Total participants were 34,171 controls (male/female = 17,116/17,155) and 812 with ASD (male/female = 668/144). Factor analysis resulted in three-factor structures (social competence, behavioral control, and school motivation) with good model fit (root mean square error of approximation = 0.08, comparative fit index = 0.92, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.89). The multivariate regression model and propensity score with inverse probability of treatment weighting (PS-IPTW) method revealed that children with ASD had lower scores in the social competence and behavioral control factors compared to the control group (all P < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found in the school motivation factor between the two groups (P > 0.05) in both multivariate regression model and PS-IPTW method. Findings suggest that social competence and behavioral control are indicators of flourishing and are important intervention targets to increase flourishing among children with ASD. Autism Res 2019, 12: 952-966. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Flourishing is an indicator of positive mental health and is important for children's development and well-being. We used variables from The National Survey of Children's Health 2016 to examine differences in parent perceptions of the indicators of flourishing (difficulty making friends, is bullied, bullies others, shares ideas with family, argues, finishes tasks, does all homework, shows curiosity, stays calm, and cares about doing well in school) between children with and without autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We anticipate that this information will help to identify therapeutic targets to support the well-being of individuals with ASD. Children between 6 and 17 years old, without intellectual disability (ID), brain injury (BI), cerebral palsy (CP), or Down syndrome (DS) were included. From the total (N = 50,212), we excluded children under age 6 (n = 14,494), those who once, but do not currently have ASD (n = 81), and those with ID (n = 432), BI (n = 170), CP (n = 35), and DS (n = 17), resulting in 34,983 records used. Total participants, age 6-17 years, were 34,171 controls (male/female = 17,116/17,155) and 812 with ASD (male/female = 668/144). Factor analysis resulted in the identification of three flourishing categories among the indicator variables (social competence, behavioral control, and school motivation). Children with ASD had lower scores in the social competence and behavioral control factors compared to the control group. However, there were no significant differences in the school motivation factor between the two groups. Findings suggest that social competence and behavioral control are indicators of flourishing and are important intervention targets to increase flourishing among children with ASD.

Development of a wheelchair virtual driving environment: trials with subjects with traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and test a wheelchair virtual driving environment that can provide quantifiable measures of driving ability, offer driver training, and measure the performance of alternative controls. DESIGN: A virtual driving environment was developed. The wheelchair icon is displayed in a 2-dimensional, bird's eye view and has realistic steering and inertial properties. Eight subjects were recruited to test the virtual driving environment. They were clinically evaluated for range of motion, muscle strength, and visual field function. Driving capacity was assessed by a brief trial with an actual wheelchair. During virtual trials, subjects were seated in a stationary wheelchair; a standard motion sensing joystick (MSJ) was compared with an experimental isometric joystick by using a repeated-measures design. SETTING: Subjects made 2 laboratory visits. The first visit included clinical evaluation, tuning the isometric joystick, familiarization with virtual driving environment, and 4 driving tasks. The second visit included 40 trials with each joystick. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects (n=8; 7 men, 1 woman) with a mean age of 22.65+/-2y and traumatic brain injury, both ambulatory and nonambulatory, were recruited. INTERVENTIONS: The MSJ used factory settings. A tuning program customized the isometric joystick transfer functions during visit 1. During the second visit, subjects performed 40 trials with each joystick. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The root mean square error (RMSE) was defined as the average deviation from track centerline (in meters) and speed (in m/s). RESULTS: Data analysis from the first 8 subjects showed no statistically significant differences between joysticks. RMSE averaged .12 to .21m; speed averaged .75m/s. For all tasks and joysticks, driving in reverse resulted in a higher RMSE and more virtual collisions than forward driving. RMSE rates were greater in left and right turns than straight and docking tasks. CONCLUSIONS: Testing with instrumented real wheelchairs can validate the virtual driving environment and assess whether virtual driving skills transfer to actual driving.

Review of the use of physical restraints and lap belts with wheelchair users.

Wheelchair-related physical restraints, lap belts, and other alternatives are intended to provide safe and adequate seating and mobility for individuals using wheelchairs. Physical restraints and lap belts are also helpful for positioning people in their wheelchairs to reduce the risk of injury during wheelchair tips and falls. However, when used improperly or in ways other than intended, injury or even death can result. Although widely prescribed, little evidence is available to direct professionals on the appropriate use of these restraints and lap belts and for whom these restraints are indicated. The purpose of this study was to conduct a review of available literature from 1966-2006 to identify the risks and benefits associated with lap belts while seated in wheelchairs. Twenty-five studies that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Nine studies reported the frequency of asphyxial deaths caused by physical restraints, nine studies reported the long-term complication and indirect adverse effects of physical restraints and lap-belt use, and seven studies reported the benefits of physical restraints and lap belts with individuals using wheelchairs. Despite the weak evidence, the results suggest a considerable number of deaths from asphyxia caused by the use of physical restraints occurred each year in the U.S. The majority of the deaths occurred in nursing homes, followed by hospitals, and then the home of the person. Most deaths occurred while persons were restrained in wheelchairs or beds. Based on that, caution needs to be exercised when using restraints or positioning belts. In addition, other seating and environment alternatives should be explored prior to using restraints or positioning belts, such as power wheelchair seating options. Positioning belts may reduce risk of falls from wheelchairs and should be given careful consideration, but caution should be exercised if the individual cannot open the latch independently. Also, the duration of use of the physical restraint should be limited. Therefore, several factors should be considered when devising a better quality of physical-restraint services provided by health care professionals. These efforts can lead to improved safety and quality of life for individuals who use wheelchairs.

Review of research on prosthetic devices for lower extremity amputation.

The literature on lower extremity prostheses from 1989 to 2006 has been reviewed in this article. New technologies, such as the microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees and energy-storing/return prosthetic feet, are recent advances in the prosthetic field. Despite the extensive research to date in the areas of socket design and manufacturing, and alignment of prostheses for optimum gait analyses, problems persist in the field. Difficulties in obtaining a comfortable socket fit, prostheses weight and alignment guidelines, and the ability to rapidly manufacture a prosthetic socket that can accommodate the changing sizes of the residual limb persist. Furthermore, no prosthetic device can adjust to the typical movements of the human gait. These areas provide opportunities for further research and development.

Engineering better wheelchairs to enhance community participation.

With about 2.2 million Americans currently using wheeled mobility devices, wheelchairs are frequently provided to people with impaired mobility to provide accessibility to the community. Individuals with spinal cord injuries, arthritis, balance disorders, and other conditions or diseases are typical users of wheelchairs. However, secondary injuries and wheelchair-related accidents are risks introduced by wheelchairs. Research is underway to advance wheelchair design to prevent or accommodate secondary injuries related to propulsion and transfer biomechanics, while improving safe, functional performance and accessibility to the community. This paper summarizes research and development underway aimed at enhancing safety and optimizing wheelchair design.

Feasibility of Using Mobile Health to Promote Self-Management in Spina Bifida.

OBJECTIVE: To determine feasibility of using the interactive Mobile Health and Rehabilitation (iMHere) system in spina bifida and its effects on psychosocial and medical outcomes. DESIGN: In a randomized controlled trial, 13 intervention participants using the iMHere system and receiving usual care and 10 control participants receiving usual care were followed for 1 year. RESULTS: Feasibility of use of the system was demonstrated by participants using a customized smartphone system for reminders to conduct various self-care tasks, upload photos of wounds, manage medications, complete mood surveys, and for secure messaging. High usage of the system was associated with positive changes in the subscales of the Adolescent Self-Management and Independence Scale II. CONCLUSION: Use of the iMHere system in spina bifida is feasible and was associated with short-term self-reported improvements in self-management skill. This system holds promise for use in many diverse chronic care models to support and increase self-management skills.

Leisure Activity Enjoyment of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Enjoyment is a fundamental component of activity participation. This study compared leisure activity enjoyment experienced by typically developing children (TD; n = 64) and those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; n = 67) from age 6 to 13. The TD children enjoyed formal and physical activities significantly more than the children with ASD. Symptom severity was negatively related to enjoyment of overall, formal, physical and social activities. Older children with ASD enjoyed overall, informal, recreational, and self-improvement activities significantly less than younger children, but no differences were seen across TD age groups. Children with ASD enjoyed swimming significantly more than TD children. Understanding patterns of activity enjoyment is useful for being better able to address a child's motivation to participate in various life activities.

Sensory Responsiveness in Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

This study examined sensory responsiveness in unaffected siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and associations between sensory responsiveness and social severity. Sensory Profile Caregiver Questionnaires and Social Responsiveness Scales were completed by parents of 185 children between age 4 and 10.95 years. Significant differences were found between participants with ASD and controls, and between participants with ASD and unaffected siblings for all sensory quadrants and domains, but not between controls and unaffected siblings. Social responsiveness scores were significantly correlated with scores from most sensory profile categories. Sensory responsiveness as an endophenotype of ASD is not indicated from these findings; however, studies with larger numbers of unaffected siblings and controls are needed to confirm the null hypothesis.

Vibration exposure of individuals using wheelchairs over sidewalk surfaces.

According to the International Standards Organization 2631-1 standard on human vibration, individuals in a seated position are at risk of injury due to whole-body vibrations when exposed for long periods of time. Wheelchair users fit this description perfectly; however, little research has been conducted to evaluate the amount of vibration transmitted to a wheelchair user. The vibration exposure produced by traversing nine surfaces was evaluated by having 10 individuals without disabilities propel over them in both a manual wheelchair at 1 m/s and a powered wheelchair at 1 and 2 m/s. Root-mean squared (RMS) vertical vibration was examined to determine if differences existed between surfaces. At 1 m/s for both the manual and the powered wheelchair the 8-mm bevel interlocking concrete surface produced significantly higher RMS vertical vibration than the other surfaces. At 2 m/s in the powered wheelchair, the poured concrete surface (control) produced the significantly highest RMS vertical vibration. Based on the manual and power wheelchair results of this study, use of selected ICPI pavers would be acceptable for any route traveled by individuals using wheelchair. Furthermore, a 90 degrees herringbone pattern is preferred over the 45 degrees pattern, and it is recommended that for safety reasons regarding vibration exposure a bevel of less than 6 mm should be used.