The current study examines the contribution of racial congruence on young children's speech and language production to determine if African American children produce more or different language with an African American assessor, as opposed to a White assessor. Participants for the current study were selected from a larger group of children…

Studies in the current research paradigm follow a pattern of pre-exhibit activities, in-exhibit monitoring and post-exhibit test to evaluate learning and program effectiveness in museums. These efforts helped identify some important factors correlative to learning, but little is known about how exhibits are designed in a way that space, materials…

Children in medical facilities encounter systemic barriers to education despite legal mandates. This study aimed to enhance educational opportunities by addressing inconsistencies through research-based strategies. The study adopted a dual strategy, positing that proactive organizational readiness measures alongside the implementation of an…

This study explored how best to implement Music Therapy (MT) in any hospital setting when working with autistic children, teenagers, and adults. Baldrige's theory and concepts were used as a benchmark to facilitate all findings through the research conducted. Multiple factors affect the workforce and the existing staff at a large medical facility…

This study was an attempt to fit into the field of education to help leaders and parents further develop an in-depth understanding of the differing ability levels of individuals who have experienced trauma. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe the nature of and the influence of trauma on emotional intelligence in children as…

This dissertation investigates the interaction of developing extralinguistic cognitive systems with early language learning and processing through the case study of verb argument structure. The interaction of these systems with the linguistic system underpins fundamental theories of language learning and use: language does not exist in isolation.…

Current research has shown the importance and benefits of early science education for children's learning and development, particularly informal science learning. In informal learning spaces such as museums, parents can play an important role in facilitating and supporting children's science learning. However, existing studies often fail to…

Speech exhibits quasi-rhythmic regularities at multiple timescales, which seem to be crucial to comprehension. Both children's ability to extract rhythm from complex stimuli and to produce rhythmic patterns are known to undergo changes from infancy to adulthood. However, it remains unclear what rhythm skills specifically related to speech look…

Difficulties in academic achievement have been linked to adverse outcomes such as increased problem behavior and delays in development (Hinshaw, 1992). Early education should include training to self-monitor, as self-monitoring can improve academic performance and has a wide range of uses (Harris et al., 2005). Previous literature typically uses…

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have limited spoken communication skills are commonly taught to mand by exchanging picture symbols. Competent manding via symbol exchange relies on conditional discrimination--that is, selecting the picture symbol that corresponds to the desired reinforcer. Picture Exchange Communication System…

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in studying military-connected children (Aronson & Perkins, 2012; Chawla & Solinas-Suanders, 2011; DePedro et al., 2011). Despite being the subject of much research, there exists a significant gap in the research literature concerning the voices of military-connected children. The 2019…

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often show language delays. Their limited communication skill may lead them to engage in the same disruptive behavior that previously got them what they wanted. Verbal behavior (VB), specifically mand training (MT), is one of the early language intervention strategies used to target language development…

Many people are unaware of the challenges associated with a special needs child being part of the family unit. Special-needs children require additional support and resources to meet their unique needs, which can have significant implications for the entire family. Current research through self-reported study (N = 51) findings under statistical…

During language acquisition, children are tasked with the challenge of determining which words can appear in which syntactic constructions. This has been long recognized as a learnability paradox. On one hand, there are generalizations that children must learn. On the other hand, language is known for its arbitrariness, so children also need to…

The number of children diagnosed with autism has continued to rise since 2000 at startling rates, leading to an increased need for schools to discover innovative ways to meet the unique learning needs of these students. Technology has proven to be adaptable and successful in teaching social skills to children with autism. Assistive technology and…