Search

This study aimed to examine the literature on the skill sets of autistic individuals and determine how these skills align with current and projected future labour market needs. Based on a literature review, researchers identified the following skill categories common to autistic individuals: visual skills, attention to detail and systemizing composite skills. Researchers then gathered aggregated data on occupations and industries from over 90 state and federal sources in the United States. Next, they collected data on the most in‐demand jobs, their industries and relevant skills by analysing hundreds of millions of online job postings. The results indicate the most viable occupations aligned with each skill category. There is minimal available research using labour market data to generate special education goals and transition plans for autistic students. By providing educators and practitioners with critical information regarding viable employment pathways, all stakeholders can more effectively and equitably prepare autistic individuals for the 21st‐century workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, several publications and media outlets have highlighted how the skills and interests of autistic individuals may benefit organizations. However, there is scant empirical research on the topic. The present study's authors conducted a systematic review to find which potential employability skills, strengths, and interests of autistic individuals available research has highlighted. Data extraction methods identified 51 papers related to skills in this population. The skill sets autistic individuals may possess and the research behind these findings were organized, evaluated, and summarized. Based on these findings, investigators discuss implications for employment counseling and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous scholarship has shown that experience with public policies can affect citizens' willingness to participate in politics. However, few studies have examined whether the effect of experience with policy is moderated by existing policy environments. We focus on the impact of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and examine how it affects foreign-born Latinos' political orientation and behavior. We find a relationship between enrollment in DACA and political orientation and that the effect on participation is moderated by the intensity of enforcement in an immigrant's county of residence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to analyze what a group teachers say to English Language Learners as part of the curriculum and instruction, and to categorize the comments along the lines of scientific curriculum inquiry. Observations and interviews were the primary methods of data collection for this proposed study. An analysis was made of what the teachers were saying to communicate curricular applications and instructional modifications made in ESL classrooms. The language that this group of teachers used was coded to describe the originality of the types of statements made by the teachers. The study did not attempt to evaluate the teachers' effectiveness. The study also did not attempt to predict success of the curricular adaptations and instructional modifications. In conclusion, teachers used language to manage time, lessons, and the classroom. As a result of further analysis, as related to curricular adaptations and instructional modifications, the language was found as being of substance (what), educational practice (how), and purpose (why).

This qualitative case study examines the relationship of teachers who mentor other teachers. We studied 125 autobiographical portfolios submitted by elementary and secondary teachers who had won awards as outstanding educators from their campuses and were competing at the district level. The research site was a midsize city (population 95,000) in southwest Texas. Findings support the view that effective mentoring is a continuing collaboration leading to lifelong learning and professional interdependence. The findings suggest that retention of teachers requires active involvement, whether formal or informal, and that teachers who mentor have a strong sense of responsibility toward preservice teachers, their peers, and the future of education. Via a grounded theory methodology, categories emerged leading to the development of a theoretical framework. This framework describes the effects of mentor relationships occurring throughout the teachers' lifetimes--that is, what is defined as transgenerational mentoring.

Psycholinguistics, discourse patterns, and English as a second language were addressed in creating a theoretical framework for examining language in relationships. The Language Relationship Questionnaire was designed to provide an inventory language and its roles in relationships. (Contains 1 figure.)

The private prison industry is a multi-million-dollar industry that has increasingly profited from the detention of undocumented immigrants. As a government contractor, therefore, the industry has a natural interest in government decision making, including legislation that can affect its expansion into immigrant detention. In this article, we examine the relationship between campaign donations made on behalf of the private prison industry and an untested form of position taking—bill cosponsorship—in the US House of Representatives. We hypothesize the private prison industry will reward House members for taking positions that benefit the industry. We also hypothesize the private prison industry will also reward House members who incur greater political risk by taking positions out of sync with the party. To test our hypotheses, we focus on punitive immigration legislation that has the potential to increase the supply of immigrant detainees over the course of eight years. We find support for our second hypothesis, that private prison companies are more likely to reward House Democrats who cosponsor punitive immigration policies even after accounting for possible endogeneity. The findings have important implications regarding the relationship between House members and private interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 52.6% of homeless children in DC were up to date with vaccinations. • This vaccination estimate is 12 percentage points lower than for US in poverty. • Young, homeless children may be at particularly high risk for under-vaccination. Comprehensive vaccination coverage among homeless children in the United States (US) is largely unknown although a few studies suggest low coverage with single vaccinations. This study compared vaccination coverage with a combined 7-vaccines series among homeless children in the District of Columbia (DC) to coverage among other US children. A cross-sectional survey of homeless children in DC was conducted from 2018 to 2019. Recruitment occurred at housing shelters, social services centers, and a diaper dispensary, and through limited chain referral. English-speaking parents of a child aged 19 to 35 months who spent the majority of the last 30 nights homeless were recruited. Participants consented for their child's healthcare providers to submit vaccination records. The vaccination coverage estimate of this sample was compared with estimates of three populations in the 2018 National Immunization Survey (NIS): children in DC (NIS DC), children in the US (NIS US), and children in the US below the federal poverty level (NIS poor). Most of the 135 children had experienced at least two lifetime episodes (63.7%) and 12 months (57%) of homelessness. The estimated percent up to date was 52.6% (95% CI: 43.8%, 61.3%). This estimate was 20.4 (95% CI: 11.9, 28.8, p <.0001), 20 (95% CI: 11.5, 28.4, p <.0001), and 11.5 (95% CI: 3.1, 20, p <.01) percentage points lower than estimates for the NIS DC, NIS US and NIS poor populations, respectively. After adjusting for child's age and race/ethnicity, vaccination coverage of the NIS DC sample was below that of NIS US (p <.01) and NIS poor samples (p <.05). Children experiencing homelessness may be at risk of under-vaccination, even when compared to a general population of children in poverty. Awareness of this heightened risk may allow for more precise targeting of vaccination delivery support specifically to children experiencing homelessness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Black Americans are disproportionately affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalizations and deaths. Decreasing health disparities requires widespread uptake of COVID-19 testing, but attitudes about COVID-19 testing among Black Americans have not been studied. We aimed to characterize knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about COVID-19 testing among Black parents.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using a phenomenology approach with 26 self-identified Black parents after telemedicine visits with a children's health center. Interviews were recorded and transcribed; 65% were double coded with a resultant free-marginal interrater kappa score of 86.8%.Results: Most participants were women, spent time inside the homes of friends or family members, and almost half knew someone diagnosed with COVID-19. Three central themes emerged regarding COVID-19 testing decision making, including: 1) perceived COVID-19 disease susceptibility; 2) barriers to testing, with subthemes including trust in test accuracy and safety, perceived stigma of a positive test result, and impact of racism on self-efficacy; and 3) cues to action.Conclusions: When considering these themes as constructs of the Health Belief Model, we are better able to understand Black Americans' views of COVID-19 testing and motivations for accessing testing. Culturally responsive educational campaigns delivered by trusted community members should aim to improve understanding about disease transmission and types of tests available. Importantly, framing testing as a means to ensure safety may improve self-efficacy to obtain testing. Lastly, the health community should learn from these conversations with Black Americans so that disease prevention and mitigation strategies prioritize health equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most Neisseria meningitidis involved in invasive disease among American college students express serogroup B antigen. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends healthcare providers (HCPs) share clinical decision making with patients to determine individual value of meningococcal serogroup B vaccination (MenB) rather than routinely recommend vaccination as with the meningococcal A,C,W,Y vaccine (MenACWY). This study examines the attitudes and practices of HCPs working in college student health centers (SHCs) regarding the recommendation and administration of MenB to students. The study was conducted as an online and phone survey of SHC HCPs from a sample of colleges across the United States between May 2017 and July 2018. Items compared college SHC policies and practices for MenB to those for MenACWY. It also assessed perceived barriers to and facilitators of MenB delivery to students. Among the 147 respondents, almost 50% more reported their SHC stocked and administered MenACWY (54.1%) than MenB (37%) (p =.004). Almost five times as many colleges required their students receive MenACWY as MenB (53.5% vs. 10.5%, p <.001). A greater percentage requested students to submit records for MenACWY than MenB (77.3% vs. 46.9%, p <.001), and over three times as many tracked student-body coverage rates for MenACWY than MenB (55.6% vs. 15.8%, p <.001). Nearly three quarters of respondents estimated their college's student body MenB coverage rate to be ≤ 10% or were unable to provide any estimate. Factors perceived by over half of the participants as moderate to extreme barriers to administering MenB included high upfront costs for SHCs to purchase and stock MenB (68.7%), and high out-of-pocket costs for students to receive it (82.8%). A minority of college SHCs require, offer or track Men B vaccination on their campuses. Financial concerns are common barriers to SHCs' stocking and administering MenB to students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The costs of medicines pose a growing burden on healthcare systems worldwide. A comprehensive understanding of current procurement processes provides strong support for the development of effective policies. This study examined Brazilian Federal Government pharmaceutical procurement data provided by the Integrated System for the Administration of General Services (SIASG) database, from 2006 to 2013. Medicine purchases were aggregated by volume and expenditure for each year. Data on expenditure were adjusted for inflation using the Extended National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) for December 31, 2013. Lorenz distribution curves were used to study the cumulative proportion of purchased therapeutic classes. Expenditure variance analysis was performed to determine the impact of each factor, price and/or volume, on total expenditure variation. Annual expenditure on medicines increased 2.72 times, while the purchased volume of drugs increased 1.99 times. A limited number of therapeutic classes dominated expenditure each year. Drugs for infectious diseases drove the increase in expenditures from 2006 to 2009 but were replaced by antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents beginning in 2010. Immunosuppressants (L04), accounted for one third of purchases since 2010, showing the most substantial growth in expenditures during the period (250-fold increase). The overwhelming price-related increase in expenditures caused by these medicines is bound to have a relevant impact on the sustainability of the pharmaceutical supply system. We observed increasing trends in expenditures, especially in specific therapeutic classes. We propose the development and implementation of better medicine procurement systems, and strategies to allow for monitoring of product price, effectiveness, and safety. This must be done with ongoing assessment of pharmaceutical innovations, therapeutic value and budget impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative case study examines the relationship of teachers who mentor other teachers. We studied 125 autobiographical portfolios submitted by elementary and secondary teachers who had won awards as outstanding educators from their campuses and were competing at the district level. The research site was a midsize city (population 95,000) in southwest Texas. Findings support the view that effective mentoring is a continuing collaboration leading to lifelong learning and professional interdependence. The findings suggest that retention of teachers requires active involvement, whether formal or informal, and that teachers who mentor have a strong sense of responsibility toward preservice teachers, their peers, and the future of education. Via a grounded theory methodology, categories emerged leading to the development of a theoretical framework. This framework describes the effects of mentor relationships occurring throughout the teachers' lifetimes--that is, what is defined as transgenerational mentoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psycholinguistics, discourse patterns, and English as a second language were addressed in creating a theoretical framework for examining language in relationships. The Language Relationship Questionnaire was designed to provide an inventory language and its roles in relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inability to access an albuterol inhaler at school increases risk to students of severe asthma attack. Students typically must bring their own albuterol for use at school. In this program, albuterol is sent from a pharmacy to the school at no cost to families following a child's hospitalization or health care encounter.

Little is known about how health literacy affects women's decisions about their menopausal health care. This exploratory study provides a crucial first step in gaining an understanding of the relationship between health literacy and potential factors such as knowledge, self-efficacy, and intent to take hormone therapy among postmenopausal women. Data were collected for 106 participants, age range 45-65, who were attending a family clinic. Participants completed a questionnaire that included questions on hormone therapy knowledge, self-efficacy, behavioral intent concerning hormone therapy, and health literacy as well as demographic data. Inferential statistical tests were used to assess the relationships among health literacy, knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intent concerning hormone therapy. Pearson correlations indicated a positive relationship between both health literacy and knowledge about hormone therapy (r = .64; p