This study was an initial psychometric investigation of the Universal Behavior Screener (UBS), a nine-item screening measure developed by psychologists within the Hawai'i Department of Education (HIDOE) to identify elementary school youth at risk for social, emotional, and behavioral concerns. Data from nine teachers reporting on 230 students at…

Nationwide, school principals are given wide discretion to use disciplinary tools like suspension and expulsion to create a safe learning environment. There is legitimate concern that this power can have negative consequences, particularly for the students who are excluded. This study uses linked disciplinary, education, and criminal justice…

Many students in schools may demonstrate problem behaviors and show signs of academic disengagement behaviors in schools, especially students who are educated in upper-secondary schools. Exhibition of problem behaviors may negatively affect students' academic performance. These students need to receive effective interventions, such as behavioral…

Shared family meals are associated with family functioning and thought to protect against disordered eating in families with neurotypical children. Limited research, however, has examined the mealtime structure or experience in families with children with autism (Autism spectrum condition) and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, despite…

Food insecurity is one of the less researched problems that poses a challenge to schools in South Africa. This qualitative study seeks to holistically explore this problem as it adopts Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Vygotsky's sociocultural theory as the lenses of exploration. In addition to socio-cultural beliefs on food and academic…

Childhood adversity takes a toll on lifelong health. However, investigations of unpredictability as a form of adversity are lacking. Environmental unpredictability across multiple developmental periods and ecological levels was examined using a multiethnic, longitudinal birth cohort (1998-2000) oversampled for unmarried parents. Data were from the…

Law enforcement officers (LEOs) may use physical force unnecessarily or escalate problem behavior when attempting to gain the compliance of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Copenhaver & Tewksbury in American Journal of Criminal Justice 44:309--333, 2019). Although specialized training may remedy this problem, the relatively…

Frontal asymmetry (FA), the difference in brain activity between the left versus right frontal areas, is thought to reflect approach versus avoidance motivation. This study (2012-2021) used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to investigate if infant (M[subscript age] = 7.63 months; N = 90; n = 48 male; n = 75 White) FA in the dorsolateral…

Previous research, using a variable-centered approach, points out to the possibility that not all victims of bullying have the same mental health and social profile. The aim of the current investigation was to explore whether there are different profiles--related to emotional, behavioral, and social problems--of pure victims of bullying and…

Stressful situations encountered throughout adolescence distress health throughout a person's life. In light of the high frequency of stressful life events, particularly for adolescents at risk for interaction with the child welfare system, the effects of these experiences must be well understood throughout the many phases of child growth. Based…

Introduction: Adults with intellectual disabilities have an increased vulnerability to mental health problems and challenging behaviour. In addition to psychotherapeutic or psychoeducational methods, off-label pharmacotherapy, is a commonly used treatment modality. Objective: The aim of this study was to establish evidence-based guideline…

The current study outlines the successful behavioral assessment and treatment of compulsive behaviors in a high-functioning adolescent with autism. After a functional assessment suggested that compulsive behavior was maintained by both social--negative and social--positive reinforcement, we demonstrated effects of functional communication…

Universal screening for social, emotional, and behavioral risk is an important method for identifying students in need of additional or targeted support (Eklund and Dowdy in School Mental Health 6:40-49, 2014). Research is needed to explore how potential bias may be implicated in universal screening. We investigated student demographics as…

Maternal depression is a well-established risk factor for the development of depression in offspring. As such, reducing maternal depression may be key to effective prevention efforts to reduce offspring's depression. Based on the broad risk represented by maternal depression, examining cross-over effects of parent-focused interventions on maternal…

Each year, over a thousand public schools in the US close due to declining enrollments and chronic low performance, displacing hundreds of thousands of students. Using Texas administrative data and empirical strategies that use within-student across-time and within-school across-cohort variation, I explore the impact of school closures on…