Clinical gait analysis in older children with autism spectrum disorder.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit motor deficits that increase their risk of falls. There is a lack of understanding regarding gait biomechanics demonstrated by older children with ASD. The purpose of the study was to determine differences in gait patterns between older children with ASD and typically developing children. Eleven children with ASD and 11 age- and gender-matched typically developing children were recruited for the study. Participants walked on a force-instrumented treadmill at a constant speed (1.1 â€‹m/s â€‹- â€‹1.2 â€‹m/s) for five minutes (min). Participants performed maximal voluntary contractions to assess their knee muscular strength. Differences between individuals with ASD and matched control participants were examined through paired t-tests with a significance level of p â€‹≤ â€‹0.05. Individuals with ASD demonstrated a smaller knee extensor torque compared to controls (p â€‹= â€‹0.002). Participants with ASD exhibited a shorter stride length (p â€‹= â€‹0.04), a greater cadence (p â€‹= â€‹0.03), and a higher variation in stride width (p â€‹= â€‹0.04) compared to control participants. The individuals with ASD experienced a greater braking ground reaction force (p â€‹= â€‹0.03) during loading response. The results indicate older children with ASD develop a unique gait pattern signified by a reduced stride length, increased cadence, and an increase of variation in stride width. This unique gait pattern may represent a movement strategy used by the individuals with ASD to compensate for the weakness associated with their knee extensor muscles. Individuals with ASD who demonstrate these unique gait deviations may face reduced postural stability and an increased risk of fall-related injuries.

Adapting a virtual manipulative-based instructional sequence to target maintenance.

The ability to maintain mathematical skills learned is critical for students to successfully engage in advanced mathematics and promote independence in daily living skills. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a graduated manipulative sequence consisting of virtual, representational, abstract, and an extended abstract phase (VRAEa) to teach various types of mathematical problems to three students with autism and mild intellectual disability using a multiple probe across behavior single case design. This study extended previous research on the virtual, representational, abstract sequence (VRA) to address deficiency in maintenance results through incorporating the extended abstract phase. The results indicate the intervention was effective, however, maintenance was variable. Implications for practice and ideas for future research to support the learning needs of students with developmental disabilities are discussed.

The Use of a Multicomponent Behavioral Intervention to Promote Physical Activity in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders across Inclusive Community Settings.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are generally less physically active than individuals without disability due to factors such as lack of motor coordination and inadequate transportation resources that can result in various barriers to participation. This affects their independence and may interfere with expectations (e.g., employment) during adulthood. It is essential to explore ways to teach physical activity so people with ASD can generalize skills in community settings. This study examined the effect of a multicomponent behavioral intervention that included (a) the Exercise Buddy application, (b) a system of least prompts, (c) an incremental increase of criteria, and (d) reinforcement to teach three adolescents with ASD functional movement exercises (e.g., squat). All participants increased their mastery of performing these exercises compared to baseline and generalized these skills across two community settings.

Using the virtual-abstract instructional sequence to teach addition of fractions.

BACKGROUND/AIMS/METHODS: Limited literature examines mathematics education for students with mild intellectual disability. This study investigated the effects of using the Virtual-Abstract instructional sequenceto teach middle school students, predominantly with mild intellectual disability, to add fractions of unlike denominators. Researchers used a multiple probe across participants design to determine if a functional relation existed between the Virtual-Abstract instructional sequence strategy and students' ability to add fractions with unlike denominators. PROCEDURES/OUTCOMES: The study of consisted of three-to-nine baseline sessions, 6-11 intervention sessions, and two maintenance sessions for each student. Data were collected on accuracy across five addition of fractions with unlike denominators problems. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: The VA instructional strategy was effective in thestudents to add fractions with unlike denominators; a functional relation existed between the VA instructional sequence and adding fractions with unlike denominators for three of the four students. IMPLICATIONS: The Virtual-Abstract instructional sequencemay be appropriate to support students with mild intellectual disability in learning mathematics, especially when drawing or representing the mathematical concepts may prove challenging.

Spelling on the fly: investigating a pentop computer to improve the spelling skills of three elementary students with disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a pentop computer and accompanying spelling software on the spelling accuracy and academic engagement behavior in three elementary students with disabilities who were served in a resource room setting. Using a multiple baseline across students single subject research design, researchers determined student use of the pentop computer--the FLYPen--and its spelling software may serve as an equivalent intervention to traditional spelling instruction. While academic engagement performance increased considerably for students when using the FLYPen, results indicated little to no improvement over traditional instruction in spelling accuracy. Implications and suggestions for future research are presented.