Promoting Resilience In Economically Disadvantaged Adolescents Through School-Based Expressive Arts Groups, Bailey Knox

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Since 2013, the majority of students served by the public school system in the United States have been considered “low-income” by the federal government. The stressors associated with low socioeconomic status significantly increase risk for social, emotional and behavioral challenges at all age levels, but can be particularly damaging to adolescents coping with heightened stress levels related to the intense multi-dimensional changes that define this developmental period. As the correlation between economic disadvantage and negative socio-emotional and academic outcomes is increasingly evidenced, schools have begun to recognize their responsibility for providing preventative mental health care to high-risk students. Over the …

Dance/Movement Therapy As A Tool To Improve Social Skills In Children And Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Literature Review, Holly Berlandy

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosed by the presence of social communication and interaction deficits present in their day to day. The deficits present in this disorder appear within the first three years of life and lead to problems with connecting and interacting with other individuals including their own family members. As a result, children and adolescents with Autism spectrum disorder often experience negative self-image and lack the proper skills to interact with others. Autism spectrum disorder is becoming more commonly diagnosed and yet there remains a gap in interventions and treatment due to the individualized appearance …

Electrical Brain Activity And The Examinee's Level Of Effort During Performance Validity Tasks, Roselia Juan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many people who intend to obtain benefits from an assessment may resort to performing poorly on assessments. Previous literature has found that cognitive deficits and long-term symptomatic complaints are reported by individuals with mild Traumatic Brain Injuries. Limited studies have investigated how brain activity measured via Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG) relates to mental effort during cognitive tasks. The purpose of this study was to investigate electrical brain activity, as measured by Peak (PK) frequency, on frontal brain areas (i.e. locations F3-F4) in individuals giving poor mental effort. Measures of effort, in this study, include the Test of Memory Malingering, Rey 15-Item …

School-Based Mental Health Screening: Improving Outcomes Through Interprofessional Communication And Collaboration, Tiffany Gishizky

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

For the adolescent population, the immediate impact a mental health disorder has on academics,relationships, and even suicide risk cannot be understated. Access to mental health care in low socioeconomic communities for adolescents is fraught with barriers. These include lack of transportation, lack of insurance coverage, fear of stigma, and a fundamental lack of knowledge regarding available resources. It is therefore a two-fold problem that exists for those in the care and observation of these adolescents; underutilization of appropriate routine screening and navigation to access care. This project aimed to remediate both of these issues at a high school located in …

Anxiety And Behavior: Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy In School With A Ten-Year-Old Boy Using The Coping Cat Program, Sarah Bernhardt

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The prevalence of anxiety in school-age children is on the rise. Schools offer a unique opportunity to identify children who struggle with symptoms of anxiety and to provide interventions to reduce anxiety. This project evaluated the results of providing the Coping Cat cognitive behavioral program in a public elementary school with a fourth-grade student named Dawson (a pseudonym) with a history of behavioral problems and a diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Dawson completed 8 sessions (on 7 days) of the 16-session curriculum of Coping Cat in the school setting at a rate of …

An Examination Of The Technical Adequacy, Classification Accuracy, And Usability Of The Ssis Sel Screening/Process Monitoring Scales In Elementary School Populations, Shelby Mccoy Byrd .

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Social emotional skills and competencies are integral to student success at home, school, and in the larger community. Extant research also consistently demonstrates that social emotional skill deficits are associated with various adverse outcomes. Universal screening for social emotional and behavioral risk in schools facilitates early identification and targeted intervention, with the primary goal to mitigate and reduce these potential adverse outcomes for students. Research on the technical adequacy and classification accuracy of universal screening is essential to this process to ensure efficient and accurate identification, as well as subsequent implementation of social emotional interventions targeting deficits in skills.The purpose …

Process Dimensions Of Intervention Implementation: Evaluating The Quality Of Professional Development Delivered To Teachers, Sarah Petters Fletcher

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

It is well-established that having a high-quality teacher can lead to long-lasting, significant effects on students’ achievement. We know that teacher effectiveness reliably has an impact on student outcomes, but what impacts teacher effectiveness? One regularly recommended and prominent method for improving teacher effectiveness is through coaching. However, to date, the active components of coaching interventions have yet to be adequately specified, measured and investigated. The primary aim of the proposed study is to address this gap in the teacher coaching literature by examining which aspects of a coaching intervention, Making the Most of Classroom Interactions (MMCI), may lead to …

School-Based Mindfulness Intervention For Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Richard Krogmann

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

The symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have large impacts on the emotional (Samson et al., 2014; Strang et al., 2012) and behavioral (Mayes et al, 2012; Hill et al, 2014; Jahromi, Meek, & Ober-Reynolds, 2012) functioning of children and adolescents diagnosed with the disorder. The difficulties with emotional and behavioral functioning in students with ASD can drastically decrease their academic achievement compared to neuro-typical peers (Ashburner, Ziviani, & Rodger, 2010). Introducing students with ASD to mindfulness may help decrease the frequency of a challenging behavior in the classroom, increase mindfulness, and increase mood and positivity. How mindfulness interventions have …

Traumatic Brain Injury And The Transition To College, Kaylor Duncan

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Eight college students who experienced a traumatic brain injury were interviewed regarding their college transition experience. Students identified either parents, teachers, or school counselors as beneficial with helping them transition to college. The interest of the study was to obtain information to help school psychologists help students who have experienced a traumatic brain injury transition to college. Participants acknowledged that college level course work required them to be significantly more independent and the content of the material was more demanding than high school. Concerning neurological symptoms, it was indicated that participants experienced difficulty sustaining attention, utilizing their short-term memory, and …

High School Teachers’ Roles And Needs In Addressing Students Experiencing Trauma, Katherine Flemister

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Childhood trauma is a hidden epidemic that can have profound impacts on children including significant educational impact. Teachers are responsible for the academic success of all of their students, so it is critical for teachers to be prepared to help a student who has been exposed to trauma to reintegrate back into the classroom. Almost all of the limited research available regarding a teacher’s role in helping students experiencing trauma has been conducted within the elementary schools, so the current study aimed to further the literature by exploring the role of high school teachers in helping students who have experienced …

An Initial Development Of A Hardiness Scale For Elementary School Students, Stephen Ferrara

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

There are limited studies that have investigated levels of hardiness in children. There is even less information on finding hardiness scales that have been normed on children in elementary school. The purpose of this study was to test the validity and reliability of the Hardiness Scale for Children (HSC), which assesses the three subscales of hardiness: Challenge, Control, and Commitment. 121 elementary school students (2^nd-5^th grade) were selected to complete the HSC. Their parents were also asked to complete a three-item scale to measure their child’s hardiness. The results indicated that older children tended to give themselves …

Current Practices And Opinions Of School Psychologists: Early Childhood Psychological Assessment, Sarah Stout

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

The present study investigated the current practices and perceptions in the field of early childhood assessment. There appears to be a disconnect between what is required by law, what is recommended as best practice, and what school psychologists are doing in the field. The results of the present study revealed the most influential tool in determining special education eligibility was the child’s score on a standardized assessment. Participants also reported conventional assessments as the most frequently used technique. However, when asked their opinions on how valid assessments tools are in reflecting a child’s true ability, less than half reported they …

Inter-Professional Collaboration Between Local Departments Of Social Services And Schools For Children In Foster Care: Current Practices And Needs, Stephanie Mcgrew

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Children in foster care are an important group of students who have many needs. Due to the numerous risk factors that they face, it is of the utmost importance that we maximize the amount of protective factors in their lives, one of these being inter-professional communication. Without collaboration, school and social services professionals may not be aware of a child’s educational strengths and needs, making it likely that no one is advocating for them (Zetlin, Weinberg, & Kimm, 2004). A survey regarding inter-professional collaboration between Local Departments of Social Services (LDSS) and school systems was emailed to a convenience sample …

Educators' Perceptions Of The Process And Implementation Of A Multi-Tiered System Of Supports (Mtss): A Case Study, Lyndsay Greene

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

This study serves as an investigation of the current perceptions held by educators within the North Carolina Public School System regarding Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). This paper explores the theories that guide MTSS and what factors differentiate it from other popular educational initiatives that have preceded MTSS. Additionally, this paper discusses the importance of educator buy in when implementing a new educational initiative (such as MTSS), psychological theories that guide systems change, North Carolina’s statewide MTSS initiative, and current practices at Shiloh Elementary in Union County, North Carolina. The current study is proposed as a means of gaining insight …

Student Teachers Perceptions And Knowledge Of School Psychology, Ryan Harting

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

In the years following the passage of Public Law 94-142, school psychologists’ main role was to facilitate the placement of children into different educational programs (Fagan & Wise, 2000). The role of the school psychologist has shifted since that time, and today school psychology training programs produce practitioners who are equipped to handle much more. A continuation in the departure from the assessment and eligibility determination role of the school psychologist allows for a more proactive approach to problematic childhood and adolescent behaviors. A barrier that stands in the way of this role transformation are teachers’ perceptions, knowledge, and reactions …

School Psychologists’ Current Practice, Training, And Interest In The Integration Of Substance Abuse Training As Part Of The Mental Health Profession, Margaret Dassira

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Adolescents’ suffering from substance abuse may also be experiencing academic, social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties. Substance abuse problems are difficult to address in schools due to barriers related to confidentiality, implementation, and resources. School personnel may also lack necessary experience or training to adequately provide these services to students’ suffering from substance abuse. School-based intervention programs have shown to be effective in helping to identify and support students with substance abuse issues (Mitchell et al., 2012; Winters et al., 2012). With both evidence-based intervention practices and competent mental health professionals, students experiencing substance abuse problems may receive needed services and …

Simultaneous Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (Pcit) And Teacher-Child Interaction Training (Tcit) Interventions Using Distance Coaching: A Pilot Study, Kirstin Drucker

Dissertations, 2014-2019

When providing intervention to children with emotional and behavioral difficulties, it is important to consider how to best address the child’s behaviors across a number of contexts. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT) have been shown effective at reducing a child’s behavioral difficulties by improving the relationship between the child and their caregiver (parent or teacher). This feasibility study adds to the research on interventions for young children with emotional and behavioral difficulties by addressing parent and teacher interaction techniques simultaneously. Using HIPAA-compliant software, a coach provided instruction to a parent and a teacher, to implement a …

Attachment In Middle Childhood Among Foster And Adopted Children: Preliminary Validation Of A Behavioral Observation System, Somer George

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Abstract

The study of attachment in middle childhood, especially among foster and adoptive children, is a critical and timely one. An assessment that helps us understand the behavioral manifestations of attachment for these children, while considering the link with caregiving behavior and parental reflective functioning (PRF) can help to provide effective and efficient intervention leading to security and relational healing. This study examines the attachment patterns of 39 foster and adopted children (ages six to twelve) in the Modified Strange Situation Procedure (MSSP), with their caregivers. Association with caregiving patterns, PRF, and caregiver reported child behavior are analyzed using Pearson’s …

Examining The Coping Resources Of Polyvictimized Youth And Young Adults, Zachary Robert Myers

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Bullying represents a significant concern for many youth and young adults in the United States and abroad. However, the growth of technology has allowed for new platforms in which perpetrators can engage in bullying behaviors, such as text and video messaging, social media applications, and online gaming. In addition, research has suggested that the majority of cyberbullied individuals experience co-occurring in-person victimization as well. These trends are concerning, given that findings within both the traditional and cyberbullying literatures place victimized youth at-risk for a host of social and emotional concerns. However, research has yet to fully explore the unique experiences …

Effects Of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation On Student-Teacher Interactions, Sonya A. Bhatia

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Young children with disruptive classroom behaviors are at-risk for negative interactions with their teachers (Nelson & Roberts, 2000), which put children at increased risk for long-term negative social, academic, and behavioral outcomes (Sutherland & Oswald, 2005). Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) is an evidence-based family-school partnership intervention focused on strengthening relationships and promoting continuity and consistency between children’s key environments (Sheridan & Kratochwill, 2008). The efficacy of CBC on child outcomes and parent-teacher relationships has been demonstrated (Sheridan et al., 2017); however, no research has determined whether CBC improves student-teacher interactions.

This study examined CBC’s effect on student-teacher interactions using a …