Genetic and environmental factors account for variability in a range of developmental outcomes, including socioeconomic status (SES). The challenge is to find ways to incorporate genetic information based on studies using biologically related family members (i.e., studies not involving twins). To address this issue, we computed polygenic scores…

It is well established that positive youth development (PYD) programs improve adolescent psycho-social wellbeing; however, it remains unclear if PYD programs developed for able-bodied adolescents can be implemented with adolescents with disabilities in low-resource settings. We conducted a pragmatic trial of an evidence-based PYD program…

We investigated the developmental courses of both implicit and explicit racial biases in relation to the perceived social status of outgroups. We did so by assessing these biases among Chinese participants (N = 200, age range from 4- to 19-year-olds) toward 2 different other-race groups that differ in terms of perceived social status (i.e., Whites…

Lockdown measures implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19 (e.g., social distancing, remote learning, canceled extracurricular activities, restrictions from in-person visits with friends and extended family) created social isolation and loneliness--and that had a significant impact on adolescents' well-being and mental health. This impact was…

Experiential learning in the field is central to the training of many helping professionals, and field education is the signature pedagogy for social work. Service-learning offers another opportunity for graduate students in the helping professions to get hands on training. Volunteering would also offer a hands-on learning experience but appears…

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore how parents describe their roles in building the social, emotional, and cognitive success of their children with intellectual disabilities or autism during their child's transition to adulthood regarding starting a career and independent living. The theoretical foundations were…

This study examines semester schools, which have elements associated with transformative learning, and an adolescent population, where transformative learning has less commonly been studied. We administered the Learning Activities Survey pre/post semester (n = 173) and followed the survey with semistructured interviews (n = 30) to assess whether…

Interference control is central to cognitive control and, more generally, to many aspects of development. Despite its importance, the understanding of the processes underlying mean interference effects across development is still limited. When measured through conflict tasks, mean interference effects reflect both the strength of the initial…

This position paper explores the needs of rural families of children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to COVID-19, literature portrays elevated stress in families of individuals with ASD and health and socioeconomic disparities for rural and underserved populations. These disparities…

Purpose: We investigated developmental differences in a dual task involving rhyming and tone judgment/decisions and the effects of varying cognitive demands on task performance. Method: Participants were 7- to 11-year-olds, 12- to 15-year-olds, and adults between 18 and 40 years (n = 19 per group). The rhyming task consisted of three stimuli…

Adolescents' in-school identities, out-of-school identities, and literacy practices are intertwined and connected. This research project aimed to explore the development of adolescent identities and out-of-school literacy practices in students' English Language Arts classes. As a high school teacher and administrator, the researcher adopted a…

Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT), in its various forms, is an innovative approach emerging in the treatment of symptoms and difficulties associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This literature review presents an overview of the current research on psychosocial outcomes of EAAT for children and adolescents with ASD. Sixteen…

It is broadly admitted that social contexts of reasoning may prompt children and adolescents to improve the quality of their reasoning. However, it is not clear how this quality may be assessed when it comes to arguments expressed within oral interactions in diverse settings (whole-class or small-group discussions) by students of different ages…

Bullying is a widespread global issue, with serious consequences for victimized individuals. The current systematic review is the first to explore the consequences of bullying in early adolescence on psychological and academic functioning across the adolescent period. Five databases were examined, yielding 28 relevant studies. Victimized…

Background: While the effects of early sleep problems on children's development may persist for some time, there is limited understanding in the field regarding whether these effects persist into adolescence. Research is needed to address this issue, as it is an important area to investigate to assess its influence on children's success in school…