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The Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder on Family
Get PDFAs the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continuously increases, more individuals and their families are impacted. Parents may be significantly affected by raising a child with an ASD diagnosis due to increased stress from the diagnostic process, financial strain, navigating challenging behaviors, decreased marital and relationship satisfaction, parental burnout, and mental health-related concerns. The diagnosis may also impact siblings of children with ASD. The symptoms and characteristics of a child with ASD can directly impact sibling relationships. Additionally, marital discord, genetics, age, gender, and birth order may influence the relationship between the child with ASD and their siblings. Siblings of children with ASD may also experience mental health-related concerns and difficulties with peer relationships. However, supports can be provided to help families and improve their quality of life. The guiding research question for this thesis is: What is the impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on family? The first area of research is the specific impact ASD has on parents. The second area of research is the impact ASD has on the siblings of children diagnosed. Lastly, the third area of research is on the support that can be provided for families navigating the challenges of having a child diagnosed with ASD
Visual Supports and Autism
Get PDFAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviors. Children on the Autism Spectrum thrive on routine, visuals, and calm learning environments. Visual supports are effective tools for students who need additional support to understand and communicate. Visual supports are easily accessible, adapted to skill level, and tailored to specific interests and activities. In this literature review with application, I will explore different types of visual supports and describe situations in which visual supports are used effectively. I will go in-depth about the different types of visual supports, why visual supports are important, and when to use visual supports successfully with students
Tel Shimron and Archaeology of Israel
No full textTel Shimron Excavations is an archaeological project taking place in northern Israel. Tel Shimron Excavation seeks to understand the ancient world, including the world of the Bible, through rigorous archaeological investigation, in order to provide resources for the study of Levantine history and culture over the last five thousand years. The project aims to add to our understanding of the social, economic, and political world that produced and transmitted the Bible and other early texts of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Through the use of sophisticated technology and methods, Tel Shimron Excavations has uncovered a fortified Canaanite city (1800 - 1200 BCE), fragments of a First Temple period Israelite city (destroyed by Assyria in 734-2 BCE), a Hellenistic farming outpost supplying the port of Acco, a first century CE Jewish community, and Mamluk farming village. During the 2023 season, our team of world-renowned experts unearthed a rare and exquisitely preserved vaulted passageway dating back 3,800 years.https://spark.bethel.edu/dayofscholarshipgallery/1018/thumbnail.jp
Corruption and Reforms: A Dynamic Panel Data Study
No full textIn a previously published paper we emperically showed that rather than democracy, a country\u27s quality of institutions, like contract enforcement, have a statistically significant and positive impact on economic growth. During my sabbatical, I am working on a follow up paper in which is examining the effect of democracy on the control of corruption in a sample of more than 120 countries, spanning 40 years of data. Using GMM based dynamic longitudnal data analysis methods, we find that democratic quality, spesifically, the accumalted stock of democratic capital in a country has a sgnificant impact in reducing government corruption. We also find that sequencing financial sector reforms before integrating with the global economy also help lower a country\u27s corruption level.https://spark.bethel.edu/dayofscholarshipgallery/1020/thumbnail.jp
THE EXPERIENCE OF BURMESE REFUGEE STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: BLOOMING OUT OF CONCRETE
No full textThis study explored the lived experiences of Burmese refugee college students’ resettlement and the role that social support plays in that approach. A qualitative study using thematic analysis was conducted by analyzing 32 in-depth individual interviews with Burmese refugee students in higher education. Through an in-depth examination of the lived experiences of Burmese refugee college students’ resettlement, four main themes were identified: challenges of resettlement, resettlement needs, the resources of social support, and resettlement experiences. Refugee students actively cultivated their life and showed aspirations of being successful members of this new environment. Even though they faced many challenges and needs identified through interviews, the participants overcame these barriers including a different culture and language and prosper in their lives in the host country. The social support from the co-ethnic community and people in the host country both affected the participants’ successful resettlement. Co-ethnic community also plays an important role to pursue higher education. The study findings will be used by social work practice, programs, and policies to improve the success of Burmese refugee students\u27 resettlement. This study would serve as a foundation for enhancing refugee students’ resettlement and understanding the critical role of social support resources during the resettlement period. *This research was awarded the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Korean American Social Work Educators Association at the annual Council for Social Work Education conference in California, in 2022.https://spark.bethel.edu/dayofscholarshipgallery/1026/thumbnail.jp
Institutional Impact of the BUILD Program: Postsecondary education for students with intellectual disabilities
No full textThe current higher education environment is plagued with declining enrollment (Eide, 2018) and shrinking budgets (Doyle, 2020) while historically under-represented and under-served students, including those with intellectual disabilities (ID) (Thoma, et al., 2011), have traditionally experienced limited access to higher education (Thelin, 2011). The purpose of this study was to research the institutional impact of the BUILD program, one university’s effort to increase access to and the effectiveness of higher education for all students, including those with ID, while simultaneously expanding the prospective student enrollment pool. Through a qualitative case study analysis, this research explored and evaluated the implementation and impact of integrating the BUILD program at the university. The findings indicate that as students in BUILD integrate and succeed within the campus space, traditional students, faculty, and staff are changing from their interactions with students with ID. The BUILD program impacted and continues to impact the community member experience and identity development, organizational policy and systems, and culture and subcultures of the university. Additionally, this study explored the pathways to improving the inclusivity of university systems as this mid-sized university meets the challenges of offering an integrated residential college experience to students with ID. The findings of this research project, the implications of the BUILD program, and the experience and outcomes of these students with ID are critical to inclusiveness in postsecondary educational understanding, policy, and practice. This study is part of a broader research project that includes a phenomenological study of BUILD student experiences (Lindell et al., 2021) and longitudinal data being collected on the self-determination and quality-of-life outcomes of BUILD graduates (in progress).https://spark.bethel.edu/dayofscholarshipgallery/1027/thumbnail.jp
Study abroad, open-source laboratories, and citizen science
No full textFor over 30 years, students and faculty from Bethel University, St. Paul have been traveling to the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador each January. In the course titled, Ecology in the Tropics: Natural History & Future Prospects- Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands students spend three weeks engaging in ecological, cultural, and research-focused activities while also observing and discussing the various impacts of human occupation on the natural environment. The need for cheap and portable laboratory equipment for these research activities along with the growing popularity of open-source equipment development and the growth of relationships with local communities have given rise to several new projects or initiatives that focus on bringing contextually meaningful science equipment and curriculum to remote communities around Ecuador. In this work, Bethel students conduct small research projects on environmentally relevant topics such as microplastics, plant chlorophyll concentrations, or atmospheric aerosols and VOCs with equipment developed and assembled in-house. Long-term goals of this work are to develop primary and secondary education curricula to accompany said research projects, develop and provide laboratory equipment for local school-age kids and community members to partner in contextually relevant environmental citizen science initiatives, and to install sensors for long-term atmospheric monitoring in remote locations of the Amazon and surrounding ecosystems. A description of current equipment and projects will be provided along with discussion of next steps in developing these community-based relationships for long-term success and sustainability.https://spark.bethel.edu/dayofscholarshipgallery/1008/thumbnail.jp
High-Speed Spectral Characterization of Single-Molecule SERS Fluctuations
Get PDFThe concept of plasmonic “hotspots” is central to the broad field of nanophotonics. In surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), hotspots can increase Raman scattering efficiency by orders of magnitude. Hotspot dimensions may range from a few nanometers down to the atomic scale and are able to generate SERS signals from single molecules. However, these single-molecule SERS signals often show significant fluctuations, and the concept of intense, localized, yet static hotspots has come into question. Recent experiments have shown these SERS intensity fluctuations (SIFs) to occur over an extremely wide range of timescales, from seconds to microseconds, due to the various physical mechanisms causing SERS and the dynamic nature of light–matter interaction at the nanoscale. The underlying source of single-molecule SERS fluctuations is therefore likely to be a complex interplay of several different effects at different timescales. A high-speed acquisition system that captures a full SERS spectrum with microsecond time resolution can therefore provide information about these dynamic processes. Here, we show an acquisition system that collects at a rate of 100,000 SERS spectra per second, allowing high-speed characterization. We find that while each individual SIF event will enhance a different portion of the SERS spectrum, including a single peak, over 10s to 100s of microseconds, the SIF events overall do not favor one region of the spectrum over another. These high-speed SIF events can therefore occur with relatively equal probability over a broad spectral range, covering both the anti-Stokes and the Stokes sides of the spectrum, sometimes leading to anomalously large anti-Stokes peaks. This indicates that both temporally and spectrally transient hotspots drive the SERS fluctuations at high speeds
Perceptions of English Language Learners and Supporting Their Academic Achievement
Get PDFThis literature review discusses the increasing number of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States and the shortage of qualified teachers to support them. The author reviews relevant literature to explore the relationship between teachers\u27 perceptions and attitudes toward ELLs and their academic success. The research data shows that teachers\u27 positive perceptions and attitudes toward ELLs positively impact their academic achievement. In contrast, negative perceptions and attitudes can seriously damage ELLs\u27 academic, social, and emotional trajectories. The author emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive learning environment that values diversity and recognizes ELLs\u27 linguistic and cultural strengths to promote positive perceptions and attitudes. The passage also discusses how a strong sense of belonging in a school or academic setting can positively impact an ELL\u27s academic success and motivation. Studies have shown that students who feel a strong sense of belonging in their school community are more likely to attend school regularly, engage in class, and perform better on assessments