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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Interventions for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) focus on core impairments in social communication skills, yet studies have shown a relationship between social and motor skill deficits in children with ASD. The purpose of this study is to further examine individual levels of gross and fine motor skills...
Over the last ten years, clinical, pre-clinical and animal studies have shown associations between the microbiota and neurological functions. Recent work by the scientific community on the gut-microbiome-brain axis have revealed that gut dysbiosis and specific microbial taxa are associated with a myriad of neurological conditions, such as autism spectrum...
The aim of this study was to evaluate the different attachment profiles that characterize shelter dog-shelter volunteer and foster dog-foster volunteer relationships and to assess the proportion of insecure and secure attachment styles within foster, shelter, and pet dog populations. Foster dog-foster volunteer, shelter dog-shelter volunteer, and pet dog-owner pairs...
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Megan MacDonald, Committee Member, representing College of Public Health and
Human Sciences