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We investigated the experiences of research assistants in their dual role as both employees and trainees, when they were employed in a complex, mixed-methods, Canadian study on the everyday experience of living with and managing a chronic condition. A total of 13 research assistants participated in one or more components of this study: a survey (n = 11), focus group interview (n = 7), and/or individual interview (n = 13). Thematic analysis identified two key themes: what faculty mentors should provide to research assistants before they begin their work, and what faculty mentors need to know in order to effectively offer ongoing support to research assistants. Our results provide valuable insights for new and experienced faculty members who employ research assistants and for research assistants employed in funded research projects. Our results can inform the development of regulations to ensure that research assistants have greater protection as both trainees and employees.

Despite recognition of the importance of parent involvement to enable meaningful inclusion of young children with developmental disabilities in education contexts, few Canadian studies have reported how parents experience this collaboration. Recent research suggests that the transition process is critical to the early school experiences of children with developmental disabilities yet challenging for their parents. The purpose of this paper is to report preliminary data from HELPS Inc, a Canadian multi-method research project describing Health, Education, and Learning Partnerships Promoting Social Inclusion of young children with developmental disabilities. In this paper we present parents' perspectives on inclusion and collaboration with case study findings based on the experiences of three families in one Ontario community. The data demonstrate the unique experiences of and meanings of collaboration held by individual families, and highlight the challenges these differences pose for healthcare providers and educators committed to involving parents in the transition into school and for inclusion of young children with developmental delays and disabilities. (Contains 1 table.)

This paper demonstrates how case stories can be used to disseminate the findings of several case studies on negotiating accommodations in the workplace. It highlights the power of interactive technology and of the partnership between the researchers and the Canadian Council for Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW). The paper describes the process of designing an interactive web-based case story for the purpose of disseminating research findings. The interactive case story is an extension of both the case study and the narrative case story. As part of a larger research project, it is our goal to use interactive case stories to investigate the impact of essential skills training on workers with disabilities who negotiate with employers for workplace accommodations. (Contains 1 figure.)

This paper describes cases of two adolescents with learning disabilities working in automotive repair businesses as part of a work-based education program. Neither adolescent was judged to have been successful by the workplace supervisors. The frameworks chosen for analyzing these cases draw upon recent work in self-determination, workplace learning, and negotiating accommodations for workers with disabilities. Data for the qualitative cases consist of interviews and detailed observations. Analysis, using a contextualist perspective, provides descriptions of the contexts for the two co-operative education placements and yields four themes that appear central to success in work-based education experiences for adolescents with learning disabilities: negotiating accommodations, routines, expectations, and preparation.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the assessment practices reported by Canadian educators and workplace supervisors involved in exemplary work-based education (WBE) programs for high-school students. Design/methodology/approach: Six focus groups were conducted, four with teachers and coordinators and two with workplace supervisors from exemplary WBE programs, to identify the features of these exemplary programs that prepare adolescents to participate in WBE, that prepare workplace supervisors to mentor WBE students, and that characterize the day-to-day interactions in the workplace through which adolescents learn. Surprisingly, in the absence of any questions directly focused on assessment, participants spoke at length and with passion about the purpose and nature of assessment in their outstanding WBE programs. Findings: Analyses of these interviews revealed six themes that describe the range of assessment practices associated with these three features of exemplary programs: identification of student interests and abilities; student self-assessment; communication of expectations and responsibilities; contextualized assessment; collaboration between school and workplace; and connections between assessment and instruction. Originality/value: The findings highlight practical assessment procedures, for teachers and workplace supervisors, which facilitate the meaningful participation and learning of students in WBE programs and of workers in the workplace.

Cognitive theory and empirical studies of workplace routines were used to construct a metacognitive theory suggesting that work can be conceptualized as routines and the concept of routines can be taught. This approach builds on commonalities in workplace knowledge that are related to metacognition rather than simple cognition. (Contains 54 references.) (SK)

Restricted and Repetitive Behavior (RRB) often impedes functional behavior in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Occupational therapists (OTs) may need to address RRBs with this population in order to facilitate the client's functional goals. Semi-structured interviews with seven experienced Canadian OTs explored a range of RRB interventions together with the associated clinical reasoning underlying their use. Twenty-four reported interventions and four core themes related to occupational therapy practice, RRBs, and ASD were revealed. Reported interventions were compared to evidenced based interventions as well as mapped using the PEO model of occupational performance and an applied behavior analysis framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction During late adolescence and early adulthood, maturation of cognitive functions including executive functions are occurring. The multiple errands test is an assessment of real-world executive functions and, to date, non-virtual reality multiple errands test research has focused primarily on adults with acquired brain injury in hospital settings. There is poor evidence across multiple errands test studies for content and face validity and limited studies in the community. This study aimed to explore multiple errands test face validity for typically developing youth (age 16–24 years) and describe their community setting performance on a youth multiple errands test. Methods A youth focus group (N = 5) was conducted to explore perceptions of the multiple errands test. From their input, the youth multiple errands test was developed and pilot tested (N = 9) in a shopping mall. Results Two themes emerged from focus group analysis and limited changes, relevant to youth, were made to develop the youth multiple errands test. The focus group and pilot study found the youth multiple errands test was acceptable and cognitively challenging for youth, with older youth performing better than younger youth. Overall youth multiple errands test performance suggests similarities to healthy adults in previous studies. Conclusion Findings must be interpreted with caution since the sample was small, but preliminary results indicate that future studies with the youth multiple errands test are feasible and warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workers with disabilities are entitled to have their individual needs accommodated in a way that allows them to perform the essential duties of their job. However, adults with disabilities are often lacking in career development and are ill-prepared to negotiate workplace accommodations. This has led educators to seek workplaces that can accommodate the needs of adolescents with disabilities, so these adolescents can learn to negotiate accommodations and enhance their career development through work-based education. This paper reports on two case studies in which employers had agreed to accommodate the needs of adolescents with disabilities participating in work-based education. Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) framed the analyses of these two cases – a case of a student with physical disabilities and a case of a student with developmental disabilities. SCCT proves valuable in understanding the role of work-based education in the career development of disabled youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We interviewed four high school students who had participated in cooperative education—as well as their parents, teachers, and workplace supervisors—for their perspectives on the purposes of cooperative education. Each set of interviews for one co-op and the three accompanying adults was analyzed as a multiple perspective case, then analyzed by stakeholder group, and finally across cases. A focus group interview provided the frank views of seven high school co-ops on cooperative education. All stakeholders believed that co-op education broadened the school curriculum, but the adults' purposes related to general workplace learning. The purposes articulated by the co-ops focused on learning about a particular career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]