1,721,065 research outputs found
I programmi a sostegno della transizione al lavoro di giovani con disabilità intellettiva: una integrative review.
Full text linkL’obiettivo della presente integrative review consiste nel fornire una mappatura dei programmi di transizione scuola-lavoro rivolti a giovani adulti con disabilità intellettiva realizzati nell’ultimo decennio. I programmi discussi in letteratura potrebbero, infatti, informare potenziali percorsi nel contesto italiano. Tramite il processo di revisione sistematica abbiamo inizialmente identificato il divario nella ricerca, maggiormente focalizzata sull’età infantile e adolescenziale che sull’età adulta delle persone con disabilità intellettiva, e in particolare rispetto ai programmi di transizione al lavoro e alla vita adulta. Per far fronte alla necessità di un approfondimento dei programmi basati su studi empirici, è stato impiegato il metodo della integrative review, perchè in grado di contribuire all’individuazione di pratiche educative basate sull’evidenza. L’analisi e la sintesi dei risultati degli studi selezionati hanno consentito di individuare sei ricerche, che sono state inseguito valutate dal punto di vista della qualità. I risultati sono stati discussi e le implicazioni per future ricerche in questo ambito messe in luce, al fine di arricchire il dibattito sui programmi di transizione rivolti a giovani adulti con disabilità intellettiva
Systematic Review of Job Transition Programs Addressed to Youths With Intellectual Disability
Full text linkThis systematic review aimed to determine what existing job transition programs are evidence-based and methodologically founded. The PRISMA method was used for the review, and the inclusion criteria were to include studies where there were a description of transition programs and functional curriculum for acquiring employment competences; internship experiences in employment context; single-case or group-design studies with youths as participants; and diagnosis of intellectual disability. Forty-six studies were initially selected, and three final articles met all the criteria set for assessing the methodology quality. Although the review results show that more research is needed to provide empirical programs for enhancing the acquisition of employment capabilities, some evidence emerged from the analysis of studies. These concern mainly four aspects: curriculum contents facilitating the development of self-determination and the acquirement of job-related skills, chance to have individualized internships, support of job coaches, and technological solutions and programs anchored in community-based settings
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
An investigation into weight mediated conditions as risk factors for the development of autism spectrum disorder in offspring and the application of applied behavior analysis to pre-pregnancy weight behavior
No full textObesity (OB) has been identified as one of the greatest health concerns of the present time, due to the universally increasing rates (WHO, 2016). It has been found that a large proportion of the rise of OB is among women of child-bearing age (Berghöfer et al., 2008). Excessive weight pre-pregnancy has been shown to contribute to a significant number of maternal and offspring complications (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2013). Among those recently studied complications is offspring risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) where OB and co-morbid conditions were present in pregnancy. OB and its related effects on pregnancy have been identified as requiring additional research and a central opportunity to limit controllable risk factors for the development of ASD in offspring (Xu et al., 2014). However, a barrier to investigating these outcomes is the lack of effective interventions to manage OB (O’Neill et al., 2012). In parallel with the increase in ASD rates, OB presents a significant health concern for both mother and child and is in need of further investigation regarding both the effects of the conditions and in the development of efficacious interventions (Nevison, 2014). This thesis aimed to evaluate maternal weight mediated conditions as risk factors for the development of ASD in offspring, to review the current approaches to weight management among women of child-bearing age, and to evaluate a functional assessment and function-matched intervention for the management of weight pre-pregnancy.
The study of environmental risk factors is an important and emerging area in understanding the etiology of ASD. Maternal weight related health factors which impact offspring risk of ASD is a novel, yet important area of investigation. Chapter 1 was a review into maternal conditions surrounding pregnancy which impact offspring ASD risk. Chapter 1 identified weight mediated conditions as emerging risk factors for childhood ASD diagnosis, and highlights the need for additional and varied research in the area.
Chapter 2 evaluated diabetes mellitus (DM) and OB in pregnancy as risks for the development of ASD in offspring. The results from Chapter 2 support previous findings in literature which suggest that there is a significantly increased risk of a child being diagnosed with an ASD, when DM and OW/OB are present in pregnancy. Furthermore, Chapters 2 found that children were at a risk for additional diagnosis requiring special education services where OW and OB were present.
Chapter 3 evaluated the current standards of weight management programs from a behavior analytic perspective, to identify gaps where applied behavior analysis (ABA) can impact the treatment of weight related behavior patterns. Findings show a lack of assessment with regard to function of behavior in the current literature. Chapter 3 discussed that due to the absence of functional assessment, there is a persistent gap in the ability to identify and decrease variables which maintain problematic eating behavior.
Chapter 4 modified components of previously established measures to create an assessment package for the identification and functional assessment of eating behaviors in women of child-bearing age, outside of clinical eating disorders and binge eating. FBA results highlight the individual nature of eating behavior across participants and the need for individualized, function matched intervention to focus on behaviors related to weight.
A single-subject, individualized and function matched intervention was then implemented in Chapter 5 with the aim of decreasing problematic eating behaviors and increasing health of women pre-pregnancy. Results suggested that the information collected within the FBA lead to a matched intervention which was successful in removing maintaining variables, decreasing the engagement in target behaviors and increasing the engagement in alternative and functionally equivalent behaviors for each participant’s unique needs.
This thesis found that pre-pregnancy OB among women of child bearing age is a significant risk factor for ASD and other disabilities in the offspring of those pregnancies. The current options for weight supports to decrease BMI before becoming pregnant are significantly lacking, while OB grows globally. ABA provides an evidence-based direction for the assessment and matched treatment of weight related behavior patterns which can aid in decreasing this global health epidemic. Research needs to focus on the mitigation of controllable risks for ASD and other condition. This thesis opens the discussion to ABA as a key factor in decreasing these controllable risks and improving the quality of life for mothers and their children
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Comorbidity in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder
No full textComorbidity is defined as the co-occurrence of two or more disorders in the same person (Matson & Nebel-Schwalm, 2007). Comorbidity in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a topic that has infrequently been addressed in the literature (Matson & Nebel-Schwalm, 2007). The aim of this thesis was to investigate comorbidity over a two-year time period, and to better understand the impact of GI symptoms and sleep problems on child behaviour and well-being, and parental well-being. Section 1 is about comorbidity in ASD. Section 2 is about gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in ASD. Section 3 is about sleep problems in ASD. Section 4 is the general discussion.
Study 1 investigated if there was a change in comorbid conditions over a two-year time period in children and adolescents with ASD (N=56). GI symptoms were found to persist in 84.4% of children and adolescents with ASD and sleep problems persisted in 91.5% of participants. Sleep problems did decrease as children got older, however for the majority, sleep problems did still reach clinical cut-off levels. There was a significant difference between over-eating from Time 1 to Time 2. Over-eating became more severe over time. The frequency of family history of autoimmune diseases and other medical and psychological conditions was examined. It was found that 98.2% of participants had some type of familial disorder and 92.9% of participants presented with a family history of autoimmune disease. Associations were found between family history of thyroid disorders and child GI symptoms. Relationships were found between family history of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, and child worry/depressed behaviour, repetitive behaviour, and sleep duration.
Study 2 was an investigation of the relationship between GI symptoms and sleep problems, quality of life, challenging behaviour, comorbid psychopathology, social responsiveness, family medical history, sensory problems, behavioural and educational interventions, and complementary and alternative (CAM) interventions in children and adolescents with ASD (N=409). Children and adolescents with GI symptoms were found to have more sensory issues, challenging behaviour, comorbid psychopathology, sleep problems, more social deficits, and lower quality of life than children and adolescents without GI symptoms.
Study 3 was an investigation of the relationship between child GI symptoms and parental well-being. It aimed to explore the relationship between GI symptoms and parental stress, anxiety, depression, quality of life, and social support in parents of children and adolescents with ASD (N=409). Parents of children and adolescents with GI symptoms experienced more parenting stress, lower quality of life, and lower perceived social support than did parents of children and adolescents without GI symptoms.
Study 4 investigated the relationship between sleep problems and GI symptoms, quality of life, challenging behaviour, comorbid psychopathology, social responsiveness, sensory problems, behavioural and educational interventions, and complementary and alternative (CAM) interventions in children and adolescents with ASD (N=409). Children and adolescents with sleep problems had more GI symptoms, aggressive/destructive behaviour, sensory issues, comorbid psychopathology, and lower quality of life than children and adolescents without sleep problems.
Study 5 investigated the relationship between child sleep problems and parental well-being, including parental sleep. It also investigated the relationships between parental sleep and parental stress, anxiety, depression, quality of life, and social support in parents of children and adolescents with ASD (N=409). Parents of children and adolescents with sleep problems experienced more parenting stress, more anxiety and depression, and lower quality of life than did parents of children and adolescents without sleep problems. Child sleep problems were correlated with parent sleep problems.
Study 6 incorporated an objective measure of sleep, actigraphy, and a typically developing control group. Study 6 investigated child and parent sleep using actigraphy in children and adolescents with ASD (n=11) and their parents, and typically developing children and adolescents (n=11) and their parents. Study 6 investigated comorbid conditions in children and adolescents with ASD in comparison with typically developing children and adolescents. It was found that there were no significant differences between children and adolescents with ASD and their parents, and typically developing children and adolescents and their parents, on actigraphy variables. Significant differences were found between children and adolescents with ASD and typically developing children and adolescents in subjective sleep problems, behaviour problems, sensory issues, comorbid psychopathology, and quality of life. Significant differences were found between parents of children and adolescents with ASD and parents of typically developing children and adolescents, in subjective sleep quality, stress, anxiety, depression, and quality of life.
Clinical implications and implications for future research were discussed in relation to the findings of the thesis. This thesis supports the need for screening and diagnosis of comorbid conditions. Screening for and diagnosing comorbid conditions, this will facilitate investigation of the most effective treatment options for individuals with ASD. Treating comorbid conditions may have direct implications on child behaviour and the quality of life of both children and adolescents with ASD and their parents.2020-10-0
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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