Adapted physical activity and education (APA/APE) service-learning has received considerable attention as a training tool to prepare undergraduate students, including preservice physical education teachers, to work with people with disabilities (Hodge, 1998; Rowe & Stutts, 1987; Taliaferro et al., 2015). Much of this research focuses on demonstrating the effects of...
Physical activity is important for young children with and without disabilities. However, recent investigations have found that young children with and without disabilities spend less time in physical activity than is recommended. Family and music factors have been shown to positively affect physical activity of this population in previous studies....
Children with disabilities report some of the lowest physical activity (PA) levels among U.S. children. Estimating the magnitude of PA disparities has been previously challenged by underreporting and variability in subsampling of children with disabilities. The present research leverages the redesigned National Survey of Children’s Health to estimate population-level disparities...
Purpose: Children with Down syndrome (DS) may have limited opportunities to engage in independent mobility at the same age as their typically developing peers due to motor delays. The primary purpose of this study was to examine two activity-oriented outcomes - (1) onset of independent driving, and (2) onset of...
Being present in an area of play can create a dynamic experience of exploration, movement, and interaction with objects and peers. These are required to foster positive development across cognitive, social, and physical domains (1).
Children with disabilities may experience limitations in mobility impacting their early exploration, socialization, and play...
Children with disabilities engage in fewer social interactions than their typically developing peers (McConkey et al., 2013). The lack of social invitations may lead to many negative outcomes in the future, including poor academic performance and aggressive-disruptive behavior (Odom, 2006). Preschool-aged children (3-5 years old) without disabilities are aware that...
Using robot motivation to see effects on modified ride-on car interaction has not yet been explored. Previous research has looked at the use of robots to encourage/motivate children (Bharatharaj et al., 2017; Conti et al., 2017; Johnson, 2003) and the benefits of using modified ride-on cars have also been previously...
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility for an infant with Down syndrome to use a modified ride-on car that encourages the physical skills of pulling from sit-to-stand and standing with assistance. Method: An 8 month old boy, Child B, was video recorded during the 11...
The way that an individual defines and understands the term “disability” has the potential to affect how they view and interact with people with disabilities. Previous research suggests that classroom interventions and frequent interactions with people who have disabilities can be effective in promoting the social model of disability and...
Physical activity and social emotional health among children have become increasingly important for children’s overall development. Recess is a time during the school day for students to have access to physical activity opportunities as well as socialize and interact with their peers. A quality recess, that is age and developmentally...
Modified ride-on cars are provided to children as a means of independent mobility. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine how the provision of modified ROCs to children with disabilities affects the development of problem-solving and personal-social skills. Methods: The amount of time children spent driving the modified...
The purpose of this study was to understand current caregiver attitudes towards powered mobility devices for young children with disabilities. This data was obtained by collecting surveys from pediatric physical therapists who interact with many caregivers on a daily basis and often act as the bridge between families and access...
Modified ride-on cars (ROCs) offer children with disabilities access to independent mobility. Aims: 1) To examine the association between caregiver attitudes towards self-directed mobility, caregiver alignment with the medical and social models of disability, and total modified ROC driving time; 2) To compare caregiver attitudes towards self-directed mobility, caregiver alignment...
Modified ride-on cars are used by young children with disabilities for self-directed mobility. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to (1) determine the association between modified ride-on car driving time, family income, and primary caregiver education level; and (2) compare modified ride-on car driving time, family income, and primary...
Physical activity is associated with significant health benefits. These benefits include lower risk of cardiac disease, depression, and obesity. Physical activity in young children, 1-5 years old, is extremely important as children need to develop foundations of physical activity in order promote lower risk for diseases. A study with nine...
The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, to investigate the occurrence of displacement, adult word count (AWC), and child vocalization (CV), for two brothers, one with Down syndrome and one who is typically developing, on a minute level basis, in an inclusive play setting, over the course of two...