This quantitative correlational study investigates caregivers' attitudes toward sexual behavior and sex education for children with Down syndrome, drawing upon the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior. Data was collected from a convenience sample of 112 caregivers. The analysis revealed significant positive associations between…

Youth with disabilities are overrepresented in the bullying dynamic and experience poor mental health and school engagement outcomes associated with this involvement. However, limited existing research has looked at differences in bullying involvement based on disability category, and how youth with disabilities make decisions about bullying…

Play dates are inclusive opportunities outside of school for young children to practice skills with their playmates. Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), however, have challenges socially interacting with typically developing playmates. Previous research supports that parents hold great promise as facilitators to support their children…

China, classified as a middle-income country by the World Bank, faces a scarcity of resources in providing autism interventions, despite a comparable autism prevalence in the Western world. Most autism interventions in China are imported from high-income countries, highlighting the need to examine whether the focus of the interventions from mixed…

Interpersonal skills and perfectionistic tendencies of gifted adolescents may influence psychological health and future professional success. In order to better understand these variables, we must have accurate and valid measures first. This study attempted development and validation of measures of interpersonal skills and perfectionistic…

Evidence-based early interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been shown to improve child outcomes and quality of life (Lord et al., 2018; Reichow et al., 2018; Smith & Iadarola, 2015). However, response to intervention is variable across both children and implementation contexts. Understanding factors that influence this…

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) were once considered lifelong disorders, but recent findings indicate that some children with ASDs no longer meet diagnostic criteria for any ASD and reach normal cognitive function. The current study examined social functioning in 24 of these individuals (ages 8-21), called 'optimal outcome' (OO), who did not…

This dissertation was conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to investigate the needs and perceptions of parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) in regard to the support and services provided in Saudi Arabia. Fifty-eight parents of children who are DHH were surveyed. Participants were asked to complete the survey…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effects of career related stress on higher education faculty members' achievement of a healthy balance between their personal lives and professional lives. Data from the 2013-2014 HERI Faculty Survey were analyzed to determine if any of the eight independent variables--lack of personal…

Awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is relatively new in Saudi Arabia and systematic information about existing services is lacking. A convenience sample of 293 parents of children with ASD completed an online survey about their experiences and opinions attaining the ASD diagnosis for their children as well as the use of early intervention…

Teaching children to be empathetic is important because empathy is linked with positive social behaviors, future academic success, and the development of work-related skills. Children's relationships with nature can help to establish their values and relationships with other people. The purpose of the study, based on empathy theory, was to…

In this qualitative study, I explore the experiences of parents of children with autism in China. I investigate how the parents negotiate their day-to-day life of raising a child with autism in contemporary urban Chinese society. I also examine the socially constructed nature of autism within this specific social and cultural context and how the…

Successful multicultural adult orphans who were not adopted pose an interesting challenge in their history, their physical, psychological, social emotional and personal identity development. One must understand their journey from orphanhood to adulthood and their current prominent status in life to build a contextualized personal story (Banks,…

Children with autism often place increased demands on their families due to the nature of their disorders. Research has repeatedly shown that parents of children with autism experience higher levels of stress and lower levels of overall well-being than parents of children with other disabilities, or parents of typical children. Compared to…

This study examines civic identity (i.e., civic values and responsibility to community and to people) in middle childhood, a previously unexplored developmental period in the civic engagement literature, and how adults and socialization processes in the home and school contexts are associated with children's civic outcomes. Middle childhood is a…