Educators are recognizing the potential power of immersive virtual reality (IVR) to allow learners to experience previously intangible firsthand phenomena, such as atoms and molecules. In this study, an IVR simulation of a complex gene regulation system was co-designed with an undergraduate microbiology course instructor. The course, with 234…

An integration of horticultural therapy and aromatherapy can be beneficial to physical and psychological well-being of undergraduates. Through learning the basics of herbal plants and ways to plant and smell them, and through massaging, smelling, and taking bath with natural herbal essential oils, undergraduates can enjoy the pleasant feeling…

The ability to notice internal sensations such as tense muscles, a rumbling stomach, or heavy eyelids and translate these internal sensations into emotional meaning such as anger, hunger, and fatigue is an important skill called interoceptive awareness. Deficits in interoception have been discovered within many conditions including autism spectrum…

Autistic individuals often present atypicalities in adaptation--the continuous recalibration of perceptual systems driven by recent sensory experiences. Here, we examined such atypicalities in human biological motion. We used a dual-task paradigm, including a running-speed discrimination task ('comparing the speed of two running silhouettes') and…

The overarching goal of this research was to adapt and validate a scale for measuring self-compassion in early childhood. The initial 23-item scale was adapted from Neff's (2003a) original self-compassion scale and asked parents about concrete behaviors and coping methods of their child. Items assessed children's early expressions of…

Autistic people are more likely to: be diagnosed with a range of physical health conditions (i.e. cardio-vascular disease); experience premature mortality (for most disease categories); and experience barriers to effectively accessing healthcare. This systematic review sought to identify studies that report on barriers and facilitators to physical…

Art therapy has the potential to address some of the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by promoting sensory regulation, supporting psychomotor development, and facilitating communication. The multisensory nature of art materials and the relational aspect of art making lends itself to the treatment of the challenges inherent in ASD…

The "Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire--Teacher Version" (PSEQ-TV) is a teacher report questionnaire designed to examine the impact of the sensory environment on participation for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examines the construct validity of the assessment through principal…

Insomnia is a common source of distress in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Two characteristics of ASD could be relevant to insomnia complaints by hampering the entrainment of a circadian sleep-wake rhythm. First, sensory hyper-reactivity could lead to bright light avoidance and thus affect photoperiodic input to the circadian system.…

Sensory processing abnormalities are frequently reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but few studies have evaluated the utility of the measures used to evaluate sensory responses. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify current trends in sensory processing assessments. Across the 93 studies included in this…

Outdoor, and in particular, nature-based pedagogies are distinctive in that the environments where practice is situated, afford opportunities for pedagogues to encourage children to foreground meaning making through engagement with nature's sensory and kinesthetic cues. Observational methods, however, have rarely used approaches sympathetic to the…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the private general practice (GP) clinics' service environment, patients' satisfaction and their impact on word of mouth (WoM) for others for future treatment in GP clinics. Design/methodology/approach: Data are collected from 367 respondents using a paper-based survey questionnaire. Partial least…

In this article, we argue that physical rooms cannot be replaced by virtual space without literally losing the student's body and that experimenting with rooms and active learning is imperative for improving and advancing students' learning. Our case study offers insight into a 'soft room experiment' without hard furniture or audio-visual…

Recent studies highlighted that autistic individuals show increased perceptual capacity -- the ability to process more information at any one time. This study examined whether there is a link between this increased perceptual capacity and the sensory hypersensitivity that many autistic people experience on a daily basis. In total, 38 autistic and…

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) occurs in up to 50% of individuals with autism. As one of the most serious conditions in individuals with developmental disabilities, SIB affects the individual and his or her family in multiple contexts. A systematic analysis of factors most commonly associated with SIB could inform the development of individualized…