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Fighting Food Insecurity For Nyc Children And Youth: Urban Agriculture And Food Justice, Devin C. O'Mara

Student Theses 2015-Present

The positive benefits of urban agriculture go beyond just providing fresh and healthy food to metropolitan areas. As the practice of urban farming has become increasingly more popular over the last decade or so, it has proven to develop community relations and aide with metropolitan and global issues such as poverty. Children and teens especially benefit from urban agriculture, specifically those that comes from underprivileged homes that may not have the resources to obtain fresh food every day. A shocking number of kids can go hungry every day due to lack of available food. Many children that live in metropolitan …

Effects Of Latinx Parental Deportation On U.S. Citizen Children: A Literature Review, Rafael Bernal

Psychology Honors Theses

Since the past presidential elections in 2016, the topic of deportation has become one of the most discussed subject matters by policymakers. Recent reports show that Latinx immigrants make for more than ninety percent of the total number of deportations; making them, without a doubt, a targeted population. Some research on this topic has focused on the effects on family dynamics and economic stability, while others focus on children’s cognitive, behavioral, and emotional changes. Many of these deportees have reported being parents of U.S. citizen children. Therefore, this thesis reviews the literature on the effects of parental deportation in U.S. …

The Symbolism Of Play Behavior In Child-Centered Play Therapy, Kaitlin Andrewjeski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) is an evidence-based approach for mental health treatment with children. CCPT is based on the belief that play is a child’s natural language and so the therapist is required to make inferences of themes through observations of free play; however, there is no standard process by which themes are identified. The purpose of the current study is to gain detailed descriptions of play behavior in order to describe how themes emerge and how they are displayed in child-centered treatment. The themes were then used to describe the progression through the typical stages of child-centered play therapy. …

Postpartum Pains, Lakea Youngblood

Capstones

The Academy once again came under fire. This time for banning a commercial that advertised a postpartum support. People all over the country became enraged. The Academy seemed more friendly to movies about murder than postpartum, in alignment with the sexist ideas that have been pervasive in this country since its foundations. This short documentary pushes back against this narrative and the silence around postpartum by showing the realities of it through a woman’s journey.

The film is a personal documentary about myself. After having my first child, I found myself traumatized and scarred by the pains of postpartum. Because …

A Comparative Study Of Esl Children's Improvement In Reading, Writing, Listening, And Speaking Using The Grapeseed Program, Morgan Mainess

Honors Theses

GrapeSEED is a program currently administered in the Berrien Springs Public School System that is specifically designed to improve literacy (reading and writing), listening, and speaking skills for English as a Second Language (ESL) chi ldren. This study analyzed whether the GrapeSEED program would significantly improve participants' development when compared to their pre-tests. Empirical observational data was additionally collected at Mars Elementary during the 2018-2019 academic year. A statistical analysis indicated significant advancement in listening and literacy with increased improvement for younger participants in the GrapeSEED program.

Purpose

This study aimed to determine the improvement in participant's development in the …

The Influence Of Depression And Anxiety On Working Memory In Children With Adhd, Angel David

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common disorders diagnosed in children (Feldman & Reiff, 2014). ADHD is known to impact a child’s working memory, with deficits ranging from mild to severe (Bedard et al., 2014). Research has explored the performance of working memory in children with ADHD and individual co-occurring disorders, finding that internalizing disorders such as depression and anxiety, both independently negatively impact working memory performance (Kofler et al., 2011; Saarinen et al., 2015; Skogan et al., 2013). However, there is limited research on how multiple co-occurring diagnoses in children with ADHD impact working memory. More …

Genetics With Nettie And Friends: An Exploration Of Genetics In Children's Literature, Erin Soule, Madeleine Gray Burland

Honors Projects

Genetics with Nettie and Friends is an exploration of chromosomal disorders and its place within children's literature. The book provides a comprehensive examination the genetic composition of Downs syndrome, Williams Syndrome, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy at a level to increase understanding in children. This paper provides an insight to the development and construction of the children's book that is available for purchase on Barnes and Noble as well as why representation of genetic disorders in children's literature is needed.

Protect Me: An Interactive Mobile Educational Tool For Children To Help And Prevent Sexual Abuse., Yushinan Shan

Theses

Recently, cases of child sexual abuse have drawn considerable attention in China. According to the data released by the China Children's Culture and Arts Foundation, the number of childhood sexual abuse cases reported by the media in 2018 was 318. However, the lagging sex education provides criminals with chances to escape prosecution. Many children who have been sexually abused do not understand what sexual behavior is, do not even know where they have been hurt, and can't tell which part of their body has been violated. In China, 90% of parents do not talk with their children about "sex". Less …

Child And Adolescent Sleep Disturbances And Psychopathology In A Mental Health Clinic Sample, Aviva Blacher

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Sleep disturbances in children and adolescents (hereafter children) are associated with significant short-term and long-term impairments including more severe psychopathology, reduced cognitive functioning, and poorer general health. We know that children being treated in specialty mental health services are more likely to have sleep disturbances than community samples. We also know that relationships exist between sleep and psychopathology in children with specific disorders (e.g. ADHD, depression, etc.). However, few studies have investigated the relationship between sleep and psychopathology in a broad sample of children seen at mental health agencies. Both child factors and family factors may influence both sleep and …

The Lived Experience Of Parents Who Homeschool A Child With Disabilities In Accessing And Utilizing Occupational Therapy Services, Ruth Chase

Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy Theses and Projects

Over the past 20 years, there has been a continuous increase in the number of families choosing to homeschool their children, and a significant number of these families are homeschooling children with disabilities (Redford, Battle, & Bielick, 2017). Occupational therapists work with children who have disabilities in a variety of practice settings, including home-based, clinic-based, and school-based practice areas. However, there has been no research regarding the unique considerations of the lived experiences of homeschool families and occupational therapy services. The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the challenges and supports related to accessibility and utilization of occupational …

Counseling Children From Single Parent Households, Lauren Praska

Counselor Education Capstones

No abstract provided.

Mindfulness-Based Practices For School Aged Children With Anxiety, Bethany Schmitt

Counselor Education Capstones

No abstract provided.

Modeling Grace And Courtesy In A Montessori Classroom And Its Influence On Children’S Social Behavior, Minhui Zhang

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

It has long been known that teachers have a large influence on students, however, little is known about the effect that teachers may have on students’ ability to develop positive social behaviors. Accordingly, there is a need to collect data regarding the effect that a teacher modeling grace and courtesy may have on how students interact with their peers and teachers. Therefore, the purpose of this action research is to analyze the effects of intentional teacher role modeling of grace and courtesy on children’s social behaviors. A classroom of 24 lower elementary, mixed age children from five to eight years …

How Health Problems Affect Children's Anti-Social Behaviors And Their Attitudes Towards School, Prosper Kwame Mensah

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine how health impacts certain aspects of children’s educational experience. The study examined how health influences anti-social behaviors among children as well as their attitudes towards school. Children with health issues often experience disruptions in education leading to factors that impact their attitudes and behaviors towards school. The data for this study was taken from Health Behavior of School-Aged Children (HBSC), 2009-2010. The sample population consisted of 12,642 students. The files contained data on 12,642 students from 314 participating schools. Of the 314 participating schools a school administrator questionnaire was completed by 283 …

If We Are Honest, Lisa L. Anthony

MSU Graduate Theses

If We Are Honest is a collection of narrative poetry in which I explore the conflicts, struggles, growth, and transitions involved in many facets of life. Some poems deal with the relationship between a parent and a child. Others deal with the difficulties of marriage and divorce. Family history and experiences are the basis of many poems as well, specifically a series based on the life of my grandmother. Ultimately, most of the poems in this collection examine what it is to struggle but to persevere, to continue growing and changing, and to never quit the work that lies ahead.

Trauma On The Border: Immigrant Children In Detention Centers, Yosseline Pacheco

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Between the year 2018 through 2019, there has been a sixty-percent increase in unaccompanied children at the Southwest border where they are later transferred to the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The dramatic increase in undocumented children are immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador (the Northern Triangle countries of Central America). (Cardosa, Brabeek, Stinchcomb, Heidbrink, Price, Fil.Garcia, Crea & Zayas pg 1,2). During those two years the Trump administration passed many harsh policies designed to decrease the flow of migration, yet it has only done the opposite with the new formations of caravans that are headed …

Increasing Bullying Awareness In Elementary School Special Needs Students, Maria Olvera

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Students with learning disabilities are two to three times more likely to be bullied than nondisabled peers (Banks, 2009). Students in special education need to be continually taught to identify the signs of being bullied and when to speak up to an adult if they are being bullied due to them being a hire target. It is important to teach students about expressing their feelings and identify common bully characteristics. Students with disabilities are already addressing challenges in the academic environment. There are many risks that can develop from a special needs child who is not reporting bullying at school …

Mini-Actors, Mega-Stages: Examining The Use Of Theatre Among Children And Youth In U.S. Evangelical Megachurches, Carla Elisha Lahey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

How do children and youth first encounter the performing arts? While schools may stand out as an obvious answer, a recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education shows that the percentage of public schools offering theatre classes dropped at both the primary and secondary level from 2000-2010 (Brenchley). Yet, even as arts offerings experience a decline in some public schools, many students are being introduced to performance through another venue – the evangelical megachurch.

Since the birth of the church growth movement in the 1970s, megachurches (defined as Protestant congregations that average at least 2,000 weekly attendees) have …

Dysphagia Management In The Public-School Setting: The Education And Training Needs Of Public-School Speech-Language Pathologists, Natalie P. Neubauer

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Over the past two decades, the number of children who have dysphagia attending public schools has increased significantly. Because more students with special needs are requiring these services, providing dysphagia management exclusively in the medical setting has become a thing of the past. With this transition, public-school SLPs need to be prepared and confident to provide this service should they encounter a child on their caseload with feeding and swallowing issues. The few studies that have been done up to this point have revealed concerns regarding gaps in training and overall confidence of SLPs to perform this function in the …

Children's Books As Cultural Products: A Qualitative Study Of Cultural Representation In Hmong And Non-Hmong American Books, Malina Her

Master's Theses

This study examined the type of cultural practices and values depicted within Hmong American children’s books in comparison to non-Hmong American children’s books from the United States. The purpose was to explore if prior Hmong traditional practices and values reflective of American individualism would extend to Hmong children’s books. Thirty best-seller children’s books were coded using two checklists, one focused on Hmong traditional practices and the other on American values. Results showed that Hmong traditional practices underscored by Hmong adolescents in prior research somewhat extended to Hmong children’s books. Moreover, in some respects Hmong children’s books displayed similar numbers of …

The Intergenerational Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Children’S Emergency Department Utilization And Depression And Anxiety In South Carolina, Eboni E. Haynes

Theses and Dissertations

Adult exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is common in the U.S., with over half of adults reporting exposure to at least one ACE. Childhood trauma is associated with risk factors for premature death, disability, poor physical and mental health, and lower quality of life in adults. Traumatic experiences also influence parenting behaviors later in life, placing offspring at an increased risk of ACE exposure. Few studies have explored the intergenerational effects of ACEs on the health and well-being of offspring. This study sought to identify whether associations existed between caregiver ACE exposures and emergency department (ED) utilization for sick …

A Foundation For Understanding The Neurocognitive Processes That Underlie Mathematics Performance In Children, Christopher Anzalone

Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated the prognostic utility of resting state EEG coherence in the prediction of standardized mathematics scores. Quantitative EEG analyses were performed for 60 school-aged children (ages 7 to 12 years) with and without math learning disabilities (MLD). Analyses assessing intrahemispheric coherence at rest were performed across the entire sample and several coherence networks were extracted.

Specifically, networks that included Brodmann area 40 (BA 40) -- a region of the brain heavily involved in the cognitive processes responsible for mathematics performance (Anderson, Betts, Ferris, & Fincham, 2011; Cohen, Dehaene, Chochon, Lehericy, & Naccache, 2000; Kroger, Nystrom, Cohen, & …

Children See Race; Teachers Should Too: Challenging Bias, Stereotypes, And Prejudice Through Children's Literature, Alexandra J. Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the impacts of antibias culturally responsive literature on kindergarten children and teachers through qualitative action research conducted in one classroom over the course of twelve weeks. It examines how young children in this kindergarten classroom use what they have learned from and about antibias culturally responsive literature in their daily play, writing, conversations, and interactions. I clarify the process through which kindergarteners transform in relation to the understanding of their and others' cultures. In the research, two types of strategies were used: (1) critical research and (2) narrative inquiry. Data was collected from whole group discussions set …

The Relations Between Adherence To Behavioral Treatments And Parent Stress In Families Of Children With Asd, Aimee Rovane

Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies suggest that parent involvement with behavior treatment for associated challenging behaviors (ACBs) may reduce parent stress in families with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it is not known whether high treatment adherence to protocols is associated with reduced parent stress, or which factors that may moderate this relation. The current study examined the relation between parents’ adherence to behavioral treatments and parent stress, and whether parents’ perceptions toward treatment moderate this association. Participants were 190 mothers, fathers, or caregivers of a child with ASD. A bivariate correlation matrix examined associations between each variable, and 3 separate linear regression …

Children's Motivation For Physical Activity, Tyler Kybartas

Doctoral Dissertations

The establishment of physical activity routines in the early stages of life is critical to form life-long physical activity habits. Children are motivated for physical activities that they enjoy but research is scarce in children younger than eight years old. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore why children enjoyed or did not enjoy physical activities and to measure physical activity and perceived motor competence. A convergent parallel mixed-methods study design was employed. First, 2nd, and 3rd grade students at two YMCA afterschool programs wore an accelerometer on the right hip for seven consecutive days, completed Harter’s perceived …

Infancias Imaginadas: Creciendo En España En El Siglo Xx Con Elena Fortún Y Miguel Delibes, Maria Del Carmen Toro Gonzalez-Green

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

From the 1920s to the 1990s, a large number of works featuring children as main characters were produced and published in Spain. Children live in constant confrontation between what they are and what is expected of them: because of this, in a new literary paradigm, childhood became a symbol for the confrontations, tensions, and contradictions that characterize 20th century Spain. Also, the preponderant temporal dimension for these children characters is the present, which is a significant choice in a historical period in constant tension between letting go of the past and clinging to it. This project explores how different imagined …

The Association Between Poverty And Access To Mental Health Treatment Among Children, Ages 3-17, In The United States, (Nsch 2017), Mattou Mokri

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: Mental health disorders affect an individual’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being and affects 13-20% of adolescents between the age of 13 to 18. Majority of term mental illnesses start in childhood and adolescent years, with 50% of all lifetime cases starting around age 14 years. Treatment at early ages means decreased risk of long-term problems linked to mental disorders like alcohol and drug abuse. Children living in poverty have a higher risk factor for mental disorders and may also have limited access to quality mental health care.

AIM: This study aims to examine the relationship between access …

Police Prevention Of Domestic Homicide: Missed Opportunities And Barriers To Change, Michael D. Saxton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This integrated-article dissertation focused on the critical role of police in responding to domestic violence (DV) and recognizing the potential risk of adult and child homicides. The first study examined the police role in domestic homicide through an analysis of cases reviewed by the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee in Ontario, Canada. Homicide cases with police contact were found to have 1.6 times more risk factors compared to those without police contact. Cases also show an overall scarcity of formal risk assessments, even when there was prior police contact. The second study was a national survey on the types of …

Expository Language Sample Assessment Of Spanish- English Bilingual Middle-School Children, Rachel Ann Eggert

Theses and Dissertations

Because of the possible bias and limitations in using standardized assessments, it is advantageous to assess school-age children who are bilingual using additional descriptive assessments, including language sampling. Choosing expository discourse language sampling to assess this population is beneficial because it is the standard form of discourse in a classroom setting and provides a more complex language sample. Using expository discourse language sampling, this study assesses the oral expository discourse language skills of Spanish- English bilingual middle school students who have learned English as a second language. The study found that expository discourse was a feasible way to assess the …

Investigating The Relationship Between Children's Experiences During A Museum Health Promotion Program And Their Motivation To Learn And Adopt A Healthy Diet, Dawn Nguyen Truong

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this convergent parallel mixed methods study was to investigate children’s learning experiences during the Eat a Georgia Rainbow program and to understand their motivation to learn about healthy eating and healthy cooking in relevance to the development of their intentions to adopt a healthy diet. The experiential learning theory was used as a lens during this study to emphasize the importance of participants learning experience through hands-on, task-oriented activities, and reflecting on the experiences. Recording camera-glasses, the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) survey, Motivation for Diet survey, and follow-up individual interviews were used to collect data. In Phase …