The ongoing concern among the public about the safety of school-aged students in the United States has driven researchers to identify effective preventative practices to enhance school safety. Although past research has identified and evaluated specific preventative initiatives, the breadth of literature evaluating multitiered systems of supports…

Purpose: An official autism diagnosis is required to access timely intervention and is associated with better long-term wellbeing and mental health. Certain demographic characteristics, such as being female or a racially or ethnically minoritized youth, have been associated with significant diagnostic lag. However, it remains unclear how assigned…

Research Findings: Emotion knowledge is one facet of social and emotional learning (SEL) that emerges in early childhood. Various interventions and measures target preschoolers' emotional skills to bolster these foundational competencies prior to formal schooling. One measure of emotion knowledge specifically with preschool children is the Affect…

Recent research has suggested that people with autism spectrum disorder may be disproportionately at risk of substance use disorders. This study analyzed national-level Medicaid Claims data to compare substance use disorder prevalence among Medicaid enrollees with autism spectrum disorder (N = 388,426) and a random sample of enrollees without…

In the context of an emerging new additional learning needs (ALN) system in Wales, this research explores who was likely to be identified with special educational needs (SEN) under the previous system. Our study reveals analysis of linked Welsh education and health data on SEN identification in learners in mainstream education settings born…

Although augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies are often used by autistic youth, little is known about the use of AAC in inpatient psychiatric settings. This study evaluated how demographic and clinical factors (e.g., language level, IQ) related to AAC use in a well-characterized sample of 527 autistic youth (78.7% male, mean…

The use of exclusionary discipline (ExD) was compared for U.S. public pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) and K-12 grades within the same school. ExD rates were 10 times higher in K-12 than in Pre-K when calculated for all schools but ExD rates were comparable for schools that reported at least one case of ExD in Pre-K. Additionally, disparities in the use…

This study examines whether racial/ethnic differences in personal dispositions, such as self-efficacy, cultural orientation, habitual explanations for good or poor academic outcomes, and age (as an index of life experience) exist among students enrolled in a general education course at a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI). Furthermore, the study…

We evaluate public opinion on the sufficiency of school funding and teacher salaries in the United States, using a representative survey (n = 12,151). Data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020/2021), with schools and teachers having a reduced role due to homeschooling. While opinions are diverse for sufficiency of school funding, most…

Objective: Some studies show an association between ADHD and impaired balance/gait in children. However, it remains largely unexplored whether such an association exists in adults. We explore that association in this study. Method: This cross-sectional study included 45 adults aged 17 to 21 (25 with, and 20 without ADHD), most obtained from a…

Bullying victimization is a very common, complex, and potentially damaging form of violence among children and adolescents. Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior, which involves a real or perceived social power imbalance. One in 10 public schools reports at least one case of serious violent crime, such as aggressive bullying,…

Objective: Grounded in the Social Rank Theory, this study examined the levels and associations of subjective social status (SSS), depressive symptoms (DEP), and suicidal ideation (SI). Participants: Participants included 956 U.S. college students (M[subscript age] = 19.94, SD[subscript age] = 2.78; 75% females [n = 716], 24% males [n = 228], 41%…

Problem Addressed: To better understand the factors associated with family cancer history (FCH) information and cancer information seeking, we model the process an individual undergoes when assessing whether to gather FCH and seek cancer information and compare models by sociodemographics and family history of cancer. We used cross-sectional data…

Canadian young adults who identify as Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex (2SLGBTQI+) have higher smoking rates compared to their straight cisgender counterparts. One of the reasons for this trend is the perceived social acceptability of smoking and how it relates to stress, mental health and social connections. A sequential…

The capacity of the workforce lags behind the current demand for timely autism diagnostic assessment. Primary care providers (PCPs) are well-positioned to diagnose autism at earlier ages than providers from other disciplines. Thus, bolstering PCPs' diagnostic capabilities has been the focus of many recent capacity-building initiatives. Using data…