Digital Commons Network^™

How Drugs And Incarceration Tore One Family Apart, Deonna Anderson

Capstones

My capstone project follows the life of a mother and her children after her addiction to drugs and a prison sentence. It explores the impact of the criminal justice system on women and families.

Link to capstone project: http://deonnareports.com/2016/12/12/how-drugs-and-incarceration-tore-one-family-apart/

Moving For Freedom: Development Of A Dance/Movement Therapy Based Resilience Promotion Program For Children Of Individuals With Substance Abuse Disorder, Maria Torres

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this program development project was to design a dance/movement therapy (DMT) resilience promotion program for children of individuals with substance use disorder (SUD). The program aims to develop protective factors through resilience promotion in order to prevent future drug abuse. The program will be called Moving for Freedom and will focus on working with children of individuals with SUD because they are at the highest risk for developing SUD (Kumpfer, 1999). Moving for Freedom was developed through this thesis project and has not been implemented. The proposed implementation site of this resilience promotion program is within an …

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A Systematic Review Of Occupational Therapy Interventions, Meredith L. Aja, Katie L. Cole, Trenton S. Warning

Pediatrics

Background: The purpose of this systematic review is to describe the current role of occupational therapy (OT) in the treatment of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). JIA is an umbrella term that encompasses six subtypes of the disease. JIA is one of the most common childhood chronic diseases and can be accompanied by symptoms such as pain, stiffness, and loss of function, as well as psychosocial impacts. JIA participants generally receive pharmacological treatment, but less commonly receive therapeutic interventions to help reduce symptoms. Individualized treatment plans are necessary for clients with JIA due to the diverse nature of the disease. …

The Public Consequences Of A Personal Choice: The Impact Of The Decision To Be Childfree In Family-Friendly America, Emily Ingalls

Dissertations

The topic of diversity and inclusion has garnered increased interest over the past decade, with 78% of executives listing the topics as critical initiatives (Forbes, 2011). One group that has received little attention but continues to be stigmatized is the childfree population, or those individuals who deliberately choose not to have children. Previous research has examined opinions of this group generally and in the workplace, specifically, but this research frequently considers childfree and childless people under the same umbrella. This study examined ratings of the childfree in the workplace compared to childless adults as well as to parents. The potential …

Management Of Preoperative Distress By Anesthesia Providers In Toddlers And Preschoolers, Rossana Bizzio- Knott

Open Access Dissertations

The period of time associated with a child’s preparation for surgery and induction of general anesthesia is one of the most stressful events a child can experience. It is estimated that 40-60% of children experience preoperative anxiety before induction of anesthesia. Toddlers and preschoolers’ cognitive limitations, lack of self-control, high level of dependency on adults, and their limited understanding of the healthcare process make them prone to experience distress and excessive anxiety during the preoperative period. This inability to fully comprehend or manage the hospitalization experience leads to preoperative distress. Children’s preoperative distress has also been linked to ineffective coping …

Young Children’S Social Connections: Characteristics Of Social Networks And Types Of Support, Daniela Andrea Salinas Maturana

Doctoral Dissertations

Most researchers agree about the importance of having a rich network of relationships and adequate support system. However, a limited number of studies have focused on young children’s social support networks or have examined the role that culture plays in shaping these relationships. This dissertation includes three manuscripts that address distinct aspects of children’s social support networks, guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological perspective. The objectives of the first manuscript are twofold. First, a systematic literature review was conducted to determine the current state of knowledge related to children’s social support networks. The results from this review revealed that further examination of …

Sports And Recreation For Children With Disabilities, Rebecca C. Wenner

Culminating Projects in Child and Family Studies

Sports and Recreation for Children with Disabilities

Letter Teaching In Parent–Child Conversations, Molly Farry-Thorn

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Societies engage in cross-generational transfers of information, enabling cultural transmission of skills such as tool use and language (Tomasello, 2001). Reading and spelling are two of the most important cultural tools that are transferred to children in modern societies. This transfer begins with informal experiences in the home and continues with formal teaching at school. One skill that is critical to a child’s success during the first years of reading and spelling instruction is decoding, which is the ability to sound out written words. Decoding ability depends, in part, on a child’s knowledge of letters (Lonigan, Burgess, & Anthony, 2000). …

Growing Together: A Journey To Self-Discovery, Alicia Mehtlan

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Throughout the course of this internship, I will be reading with kids, ages 8-10 years old, and enhancing their writing skills. Multiple members of Boys & Girls Club are not fluent in the English language and struggle with reading and writing in the common language their school uses. I will be helping teach children of all ages about media literacy of all types by incorporating fun activities into finding themselves in the growing community they thrive in.

The Limits Of Regulation: A Case Study Of Virtual And Intangible Harm, Nachshon Goltz

PhD Dissertations

This dissertation deals with the limits of regulation through the analysis of virtual and intangible harm and the capacity of regulation to prevent or at least reduce such harm. The case study at hand is the potential harm to childrens imaginative development in virtual worlds. A comparison is drawn from the regulation of online advertising to children in Canada and the US. Based on a review of the literature in chapter 1, it is suggested that there are serious and long-term consequences to an underdeveloped imagination, including pathological phenomenon and lack of imaginative ability. As with other harms to children, …

Young Survivors Of Disaster: A Meta-Analytic Review Of Mental Health Interventions For Children And Their Families, Theressa L. Labarrie

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Disasters, both natural and human-made, are on the rise. While disasters affect everyone, the most vulnerable populations are often hardest hit. Our nation’s youth are among the most vulnerable, suffering the most severe psychological repercussions. This is a population in need of empirically supported post-disaster mental health interventions. However, the research on mental health treatments for post-disaster trauma treatment among youth is still in its developmental stages. There is no known synthesis of treatment interventions for youth and their families, even though there is clear evidence that this population is among the most vulnerable to the effects of disaster exposure. …

Ideal Patriots: The Boy Scouts Of America As Propaganda During The First World War, David W. Murphy

Theses

Boy Scouts of America were effective at selling the World War I both physically and emotionally on the American home front. This study reveals how the Boy Scouts’ achievements on the home front translate as a means of propaganda. Their actions and bodies demonstrate a new way of looking at propaganda. The federal government used this group of children as an acceptable means of propagating wartime service. Viewing these Scouts and their actions this study shows how the federal government put Scouts in a position to promote wartime expectations. Utilizing manly expectations to push Scouts and other men to serve …

An Extension Of The Dimensional Comparison Theory: A Test Of Emotional Intelligence Self-Concepts., Caitlin J. Spencer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

According to the Dimensional Comparison Theory (DCT), individuals’ self-concepts of abilities are influenced not only by external sources of evaluation within the same domain, but also internal comparisons of abilities across different domains, resulting in negative contrast effects for self-concepts in dissimilar domains and positive assimilation effects for self-concepts in similar domains. These dimensional comparisons have been primarily tested with academic domains to date, yet social-emotional learning is an important complement to academic learning. The present study sought to extend the DCT to Emotional Intelligence (EI) self-concepts in a sample of 1,069 Canadian children and adolescents, aged 9-18 years. Using …

Children In Frank Beyer's Holocaust Films, Delene M. White

Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT CHILDREN IN FRANK BEYER’S HOLOCAUST FILMS SEPTEMBER 2016 DELENE CASE WHITE, B.A. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA M.A. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Barton Byg This dissertation is about central functions children play in the Holocaust films of (East) German director Frank Beyer: Nackt unter Wölfen (Naked among Wolves, 1963), Jakob der Lügner (Jacob the Liar, 1974), and Wenn alle Deutschen schlafen (While all Germans Sleep, 1994). Beyer’s child characters contribute to resistance and challenge oversimplified ways the Holocaust and German division have often been remembered. Beyer’s …

Application Of A Theory-Based Educational Intervention To Increase The Frequency Of Performing Oral Health Assessments On Children Among Advanced Practice Registered Nurses And Nurses, Denise Michelle Claiborne

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of a theory-based educational intervention would increase the frequency of performing oralhealth assessments (OHAs) during well-child visits among nurses. A randomized experimental design was conducted to determine if the educationalintervention would improve frequency of performing OHAs, in addition to, knowledge, confidence in performing OHAs, and advising parents. Using a non-probability sampling frame, “snowball technique,” a total of 46 participants were recruited. After exclusion criteria, 33 advanced practice registered nurses(APRNs), registered nurses (RNs), and licensed practical nurses (LPNs); were randomized into a control or experimental group. Data collection occurred over …

Assessing Higher- And Lower-Order Processing In Children With And Without Adhd: A Prospective Longitudinal Study, Adina T. Bitton

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder marked by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. ADHD typically emerges during the preschool years, though the developmental course is highly variable across individuals (American Psychological Association, 2013; Faraone et al., 2006). Individuals with ADHD have been shown to have a number of structural and functional brain differences (Bush, Valera, & Seidman, 2005; Castellanos et al., 1996; Durston et al., 2004; Krain & Castellanos, 2006) as well as an array of neurocognitive deficits (Pennington and Ozonoff, 1996; Wilcutt et al., 2005) relative to typically developing peers. Considerable attention has …

Observational Assessment Of Empathy In Parent-Child Verbal Exchanges And Their Influence On Child Behavior, Patty Carambot

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Empathy, the ability to both experientially share in and understand others’ thoughts, behaviors, and feelings, is vital for human adaptation. Deficits in empathy development have implications across the lifespan for the development of prosocial behavior, social functioning, mental health disorders, and risk for antisocial behavior (e.g., Guajardo, Snyder, & Petersen, 2009; Moreno, Klute & Robinson, 2008). In light of these societal and individual burdens, it is imperative to foster and strengthen the development of this ability early in life to prevent or ameliorate such negative outcomes. This type of prevention can take a variety of forms, but parent and child …

Unicef Kid Power: Empowering Kids To Get Active And Save Lives, Emily L. Gudaitis

Master's Projects and Capstones

UNICEF Kid Power is a program aimed at increasing U.S. children’s activity levels by tapping into children’s intrinsic desire to do good. Through their activity levels, kids earn points, which unlocks funding from partners that will support treatment for a malnourished child. This one-of-a-kind program was implemented in the Bay Area in Spring 2016 with 7,800 youth participants. The attached paper is a summary of a 300-hour fieldwork experience at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF assisting with the UNICEF Kid Power implementation in the Bay Area. The fieldwork included program implementation and evaluation, presentations at participating schools in the area, …

Embodied Narratives: The Influence Of Dance/Movement Therapy On The Mood Of Hospitalized Children, Ashlea Palafox

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this qualitative collective case study was to understand how my Blanche Evan’s based dance/movement therapy treatment influenced mood for children on my case load in an inpatient general medical pediatrics unit. Patients participated in a minimum of one dance/movement therapy (DMT) session based on: availability, schedule of the subjects’ other medical treatments, and discharge date. Data collection methods included researcher journaling and audio recorded semi-structured interviews with participants and their caretakers following a one-hour dance/movement therapy session. Data was analyzed using thematic narrative analysis with a focus on the conversation between interview data and journal entries. Through …

Trouble Comes From The Mouth, Victoria Cho

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This collection of short stories follows Liz Yoo, a Korean-American woman, who struggles to connect to her immigrant parents and understand her identity.

Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Among An Ethnically Diverse Sample Of Middle School-Aged Girls, Shannon E. Chiles

Open Access Theses

Obesity is a major health concern not only for adults, but for children and adolescents as well. Fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of obesity among children and adolescents, but few children and adolescents meet the nationally recommended amount of daily F&V consumption. Also, few studies have examined this relationship among an ethnically diverse sample. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to explore factors (parental F&V consumption and F&V self-efficacy) related to F&V consumption among 200 Middle school girls of Hispanic and Non-Hispanic descent. Multiple group path analyses were conducted. High self-efficacy …

Embodied Resilience In Unaccompanied Latin American Children In A United States Reception Center, Marcos Oro Caldero

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore ways in which a group of unaccompanied children (UC) from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Brazil embodied resilience during their stay at a temporary reception center in the United States. The center was located in Illinois and received funding from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The 12-week clinical case study included a total of 19 male participants aged 12 to 17 years old attending dance/movement therapy sessions, which were scheduled weekly. Group progress notes and individual movement assessment coding sheets were completed …

Romantically Themed Media And The Development Of Children's Understanding Of Love, Tiffani Noelle Isaacson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the influence of romantically themed media on children's understanding of love and romantic relationships. By reviewing literature on relevant media influence theories, learning theories, and the consequences of learning through media, I review how children gain understandings of their world through the media. I then argue that as children identify and internalize meanings through exposure to romantically themed media, such as iconic Disney films, understandings of romantic relationships are shaped. By engaging in qualitative interviews of young children, this thesis investigates whether children can identify iconic Disney images and explores the ways children explain what it means …

Mindfulness Intervention: Usefulness In Elementary Classrooms In Regards To Transitions And Collaboration, Jessie M. Filkins

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this investigation was to see if mindfulness lessons based on breathing and meditation techniques would be effective with elementary age students in building community and collaborative work skills. This was done in a classroom of 25 students ranging from nine to twelve years old. I used a pre and post survey as well as observational data to determine the relevance of the meditations on community clean up time. The results showed that there was an increase in participation as well as a decrease in the time it took for the children to clean up. There was also …

Perspectives Of Stuttering Treatment: Parents, Children, And Adolescents, Heather Darlene Salvo

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Perspectives of Stuttering Treatment:

Parents, Children, and Adolescents

By Heather D. Salvo

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee August 2016

Under the Supervision of Carol H. Seery

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Purpose. The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether age affects the perspectives of children (ages 8-12), adolescents (ages 13-17), and parents related to stuttering treatment experiences and outcomes. A secondary purpose of this study was to investigate whether the perspectives of children and adolescents regarding stuttering treatment experiences and outcome preferences differed from the perspective of their parents.

Participants. Participants required internet access and minors …

Raising A Child With A Severe Disability: The Impact On Parents And Siblings, Kathleen A. Packingham

Culminating Projects in Special Education

A review of 10 recent studies that reported on the effects of raising a child with a severe disability. The paper examines the effects of stress on parents raising a child with a severe disability, as well as outcomes for siblings being raised in the same households. Mothers reported higher daily parenting hassles and stress than did fathers. Maladaptive behaviors were the biggest contributing factor to increased stress in the family. Positive coping strategies and increased service utilization lead to decrease in stress and increase in positive outcomes.

Understanding Factors Related To Negative Mental Health Outcomes Following Childhood Unintentional Injuries, Jennifer T. Kuhn

Dissertations

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children ages 0-19 and account for 9.2 million emergency room visits in the United States each year (Borse et al., 2008). Research shows that approximately 20% of children meet criteria for PTSD following an unintentional injury (Ostrowski et al., 2011). There are several factors that may contribute to the development of PTSD including caregivers’ posttraumatic stress symptoms after the injury event. Research has not explained the association between caregivers’ PTSD and children’s risk for PTSD symptoms, but it is possible that caregivers with PTSD may be modeling anxious behaviors to their …

The Effects Of A Visually Appealing And Interactive Snack Activity On Fruit And Vegetable Intake Of Preschool-Aged Children, Kristen Leigh Clay

Masters Theses

Background: Previous research has shown the potential of increasing vegetable intake by incorporating the senses into interventions. However, little to no research has specifically looked at the impact that the use of the senses can have on intake of vegetables among preschool-aged children.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to examine if mean intake of vegetable snacks and/or willingness to try the vegetable snacks would be significantly higher among preschool-age children who participated in a visually appealing and interactive snack activity compared to children who received control vegetable snacks.

Methods: Two preschools were selected to participate in the study. …

Deconstructing The Diagnosis: Making The Case For A New Discourse On Childhood Cancer, Jessika Carmen Boles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Childhood cancer is both a medical ailment and a cultural phenomenon created within dominant discursive notions of childhood/adulthood, health/illness, and life/death binaries. Research to date on the learning and development of children with cancer has primarily focused on quantifying the knowledge they possess about their illness and treatment and recommendations for medical staff based on the child's assumed capabilities and limitations. Little is known about how children with cancer actively negotiate discursive beliefs in this context. Therefore, the purpose of this Foucauldian (1970) post-structural case study research was to deconstruct the ways in which children with cancer learn about their …

Predictors Of Language Outcome For Children In The Ontario Infant Hearing Program, Olivia M. Daub

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Ontario Infant Hearing Program (OIHP) provides early interventions (i.e., hearing aids) to children who are hard of hearing (CHH) because research consistently demonstrates their benefit to language outcomes. The impact of pre-fitting language abilities on these outcomes are not well understood.

This retrospective cohort analysis examined the performance of OIHP children on the Preschool Language Scale-4 at the time of (n=47), and after (n=19), initial hearing aid intervention. Regression analyses revealed that, before amplification, hearing loss severity predicted language abilities. However, after amplification, severity of hearing loss did not uniquely predict language achievement, but rather …