Executive function (EF) is an extensively researched topic as a predictor for academic achievements for children. Delineated as qualities of self-regulation, EF prepares a child to produce successful behaviors for their learning and social environments. Entering school with sufficient self-regulation skills is proven advantageous for scholarly performance. Within the early...
Activism is the action of promoting and campaigning for political or social change and a growing concept in the United States for the past few decades. This has included a Civil Rights movement, a Disability Rights movement, gender equality movements, and other movements - activist groups have been pushing for...
Introduction: Physical activity (PA) is recommended for all individuals because of the benefits it provides to physical health, mental health, and overall quality of life (QoL). It is also recommended for children with developmental disabilities (DDs), which make up about 15% of all U.S. children ages 3-17 years. Previous studies...
Childhood obesity is an extensively research topic as it effects a large number of individuals and has serious consequences on those effected. Current statistics estimate roughly 17% of the youth population is now obese. However, the spread of these cases is not equally distributed. Certain populations are at increased risk...
The purpose of this study was to compare the child behaviors of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ages 44-91 months) in different play settings. The hypothesis states that more positive child behaviors will be observed in the motor-based play setting compared to the free play setting. This study observed...
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is described as a developmental disability characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication, and repetitive or restricted movements. It has been shown that as children with ASD age, their cognitive and social skills improve with time, and physical activity has been linked with improving aspects of...
ASD is characterized primarily by deficits in social and communicative skills, however recent studies show differences in motor skills as well when compared to typically developing children. Because of these differences, parents of children with ASD may portray different behaviors than parents of typically developing children. This research aims to find...
Children with physical disabilities typically participate in physical activities that are aligned with their function. As a result, children with physical disabilities engage in solitary activities more often, leaving little room to practice age appropriate social behaviors during physical activity with peers (Livingston et al, 2011). Emerging literature supports the...
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between physical activity level and motor skill proficiency in school-aged children ages 9-18 with developmental disabilities. Physical activity level was assessed using Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometers, which participants wore for all hours of the day for seven days. Motor skill proficiency...
Cerebral Palsy is a muscle movement disorder caused by an insult to the immature developing brain before birth. Children with Cerebral Palsy generally have impaired movement, exaggerated joints, floppiness or rigidity of limbs and torso, abnormal posture, involuntary movement, and unsteady walking. This study was designed to test whether working...