Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face challenges accessing needed services as they transition to adulthood. Correlates of service access identified in the literature--such as family resources, race/ethnicity, or youth functioning--can be difficult to change and may not be feasible targets for intervention. This study focused on a…

Although the importance and influence of spirituality in the lives of youth and young adults have garnered much attention, few studies have focused on the religious and spiritual lives of young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). We examined the congregational activities, spiritual practices, and strength of religious…

Given the growing importance of support needs assessment in the field of intellectual disability, it is imperative to develop assessments of support needs whose scores and inferences demonstrate reliability and validity. The purpose of this study was to examine the criterion validity of scores on the "Supports Intensity Scale-Children's…

Early childhood has long been known to be a formative time in a child's development-- a time when the brain produces more than 1 million neural connections every second during the first few years of a child's life. However, there are factors at the individual and community levels that impact the development process. In communities across America,…

Groups of adolescents were identified on the basis of developmental trajectories of their families' rules and their parents' knowledge of their activities. Characteristics of the adolescent, peer antisociality, and family context were tested as antecedents. In sum, 404 parent-adolescent dyads provided data for adolescents aged 10-16. Most…

Evaluated effects of a year-long, school-based program for 126 white adolescent girls. Program was designed to improve self-concept, expectations for future, educational plans, perceptions of maternal acceptance, and other perceptions. Intervention participants revealed less traditional sex role orientations, improved self-concept, and lessened…

Considering that values and value systems are determinants of human behavior and that the school system is a primary agent of values inculcation, this study assesses whether the school setting has an impact on the value priorities of students. The Rokeach Value Survey was administered to 68 students of both sexes attending three local high schools…