Social support among English learners with disabilities and other adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: Social support is important for many youth but may be particularly important for English learners (ELs) with disabilities, a population that has historically faced barriers accessing resources to meet their educational needs. The current study investigates social support from parents, peers, teachers, and schools in a nationally representative sample of adolescents. METHOD: Data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 was used to evaluate potential group differences in social support among participants that included ELs with (n = 440) and without disabilities (n = 100) and non-ELs with (n = 4890) and without disabilities (n = 1090). A multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted to evaluate potential between-group variations in social support among these student groups after controlling for variations in background demographic characteristics. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Results showed between group differences in parental support and peer connectedness but not in teacher or school support. Parents of students with disabilities reported the highest levels of support, whereas parents of ELs without disabilities reported the lowest levels of support. Students with disabilities reported the lowest levels of peer connectedness among the four groups. Overall, levels of teacher and school supports were high across all four groups of students. These patterns contribute to our understanding of the social support network of ELs with disabilities in comparison to other students. Further investigation is needed to examine the mechanisms that contribute to these differences.

Parents with Intellectual Disabilities Experiencing Challenging Child Routines: A Pilot Study Using Embedded Self-Determination Practices.

BACKGROUND: Practices to facilitate self-determination have not received appropriate attention in research concerning parents with intellectual disabilities (ID). Likewise, parenting interventions for adults with intellectual disabilities have seldom observed both parent and child behavioural outcomes. METHODS: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a parenting intervention embedded with self-determination facilitation practices for two dyads of a parent with intellectual disabilities and their young child. The interventions focused on increasing parents' ability to correctly implement steps of a parenting routine while reducing occurrence of challenging child behaviour. RESULTS: The results of the study demonstrated two basic effects of correctly completed steps of the parenting routine and a reduction of challenging child behaviour. Parents also reported decreased feelings of stress during the routine following completion of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for future research and replication of this pilot study are discussed.

Lived experiences of mental health in higher education: A comparative analysis of determinants to supports and services.

Due to increasing incidence of mental health challenges in college students and its relation to poorer student outcomes (e.g., recruitment, retention, graduation), higher education institutions have turned their attention toward the needs of students experiencing mental health challenges (Collins & Mowbray, 2005). In attempts to ameliorate poorer student outcomes, some states have investigated the impact of mental health on those enrolled in higher education as well as the needs for supports and services for those impacted (e.g., Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission [OHECC], Office of Academic Policy and Authorization, 2018). However, despite these initiatives, limited empirical research is available related to the lived experiences of individuals with mental health challenges in higher education settings; including the supports and barriers they may experience while navigating these complex settings. This study begins to address this knowledge gap by using qualitative content analysis to examine and compare key stakeholder lived experiences related to mental health challenges in higher education, including the similarities and differences regarding service and support needs, determinants to usage (support and barriers), and recommendations for future research and improving the continuum of care. Considerations for policy, practice, and future research are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Task sequencing for students with emotional and behavioral disorders: a systematic review.

We reviewed studies utilizing task sequencing to improve academic outcomes for children with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD) in educational settings. Task sequencing interventions included high-probability, high-preference, and task interspersal interventions. Although task sequencing is commonly used in research, a synthesis of recent applications in educational settings for students with EBD is absent. Systematic searches of electronic databases and ancestral references identified 11 studies meeting inclusion criteria. These 11 studies were reviewed and analyzed for (a) participant characteristics, (b) experimental design, (c) type of academic outcome as the dependent variable, (d) intervention description, (e) certainty of evidence and research quality, and (f) reported student academic outcomes. Implications for continued applied practice and future research are discussed.

Parent education for adults with intellectual disability: A review and suggestions for future research.

OBJECTIVE: This review evaluates research regarding parent education interventions for adults with an intellectual disability (ID). METHODS: Electronic database and ancestral searches identified 13 studies published between 1994 and 2012. The results of these studies are discussed in relation to (a) participants and settings; (b) general intervention procedures, (c) programmed antecedent stimuli to occasion parent behaviour; (d) targeted behaviours; (e) programmed consequence(s) for parent behaviour; and (f) the presence of generalization and maintenance strategies. RESULTS: In the majority of reviewed studies, intervention components lacked operational definitions appropriate for replication and direct observation of child outcomes were often not included as a dependent variable. Also, most interventions did not include steps to promote the generalization of skills to different stimuli or settings although the majority assessed the maintenance of targeted skills. CONCLUSION: In consideration of these findings, several relevant areas for future research are proposed.