Theses and Dissertations from UMD
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New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM
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Item DIRECTIONAL RELATIONS OF CHILD ANXIETY AND PARENTING ACROSS EARLY INTERVENTIONS FOR INHIBITED YOUNG CHILDREN(2022) Novick, Danielle; Chronis-Tuscano, Andrea; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Given the robust evidence-base for the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) in reducing youth anxiety disorders, researchers have moved beyond efficacy outcome analysis to better understand how such interventions operate (i.e., mediation). However, the majority of this research has examined mechanisms of change in CBTs targeting anxiety in school-age youth or adolescents, and applying such findings to younger children may be misguided. Grounded in developmental-transactional models, interventions for younger children with or at risk for anxiety tend to target key parenting and child factors implicated in the early emergence and maintenance of anxiety. Nevertheless, the directional and temporal relations among these child and parenting factors in the context of early interventions remain unknown. The current study thus builds on previous studies of CBT for older youth to elucidate mechanisms of change and treatment directionality within two early interventions for young children (N = 151) at risk for anxiety by virtue of behavioral inhibition: The multi-component Turtle Program and the parent-only Cool Little Kids program. Reciprocal relations between parent-reported child anxiety, observed parenting (negative control and positive affect), and parent-reported accommodation of child anxiety were examined across 4 timepoints (pre-, mid-, and post-treatment, and one-year follow-up). Study hypotheses were tested via 1) a traditional cross-lagged panel model (CLPM), 2) a latent curve model with structured residuals (LCM-SR), and 3) a latent change score model (LCS). Results were consistent with the child-to-parent influences found in previous research on CBT for older anxious youth. However, after extending the traditional CLPM to parse within- and between-person effects in the LCM-SR, these results only remained in Turtle. LCS analyses revealed bidirectional effects of changes in parent accommodation and changes in child anxiety during and after the intervention, but only in Turtle. Our findings coincide with developmental-transactional models suggesting that the development of child anxiety may be the result of child-to-parent influences rather than just the reverse, and highlight the importance of targeting parent and child factors simultaneously in early interventions for young inhibited children and their parents.Item INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF PARENTAL QUESTION INPUT ON CHILDREN WITH ASD(2019) Curdts, Lydia Leslie; Bernstein-Ratner, Nan; Hearing and Speech Sciences; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The current study analyzed individual mechanisms of language gains following the Solomon et al. (2014) randomized control trial (RCT) of the Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters (PLAY) Project, a DIR/Floortime based early intervention program for children with autism spectrum disorder. 80 parent-child play interactions from the original RCT were analyzed to assess the relationship between various forms of parental question input, as taught in PLAY parent trainings, and child language measures. While high parental question input did correlate with high child language measures, one targeted intervention component, parental Asked/Answered question input, did not increase following parent training and did not improve child language measures. We consider other mechanisms responsible for successful child language gains following PLAY intervention.Item An Exploration of Auditory Brainstem Encoding of Stop Consonants in Infants and Implications for Language Outcomes(2016) Rosner, Rachel Stein; Anderson, Samira B; Hearing and Speech Sciences; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Current trends in speech-language pathology focus on early intervention as the preferred tool for promoting the best possible outcomes in children with language disorders. Neuroimaging techniques are being studied as promising tools for flagging at-risk infants. In this study, the auditory brainstem response (ABR) to the syllables /ba/ and /ga/ was examined in 41 infants between 3 and 12 months of age as a possible tool to predict language development in toddlerhood. The MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (MCDI) was used to assess language development at 18 months of age. The current study compared the periodicity of the responses to the stop consonants and phase differences between /ba/ and /ga/ in both at-risk and low-risk groups. The study also examined whether there are correlations among ABR measures (periodicity and phase differentiation) and language development. The study found that these measures predict language development at 18 months.Item THE EDUCATIONAL EFFECTS FOR PEDIATRIC RESIDENTS OF A COMPUTER- BASED TRAINING ABOUT THE PART C EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM(2011) Pettko, Regina; Lieber, Joan; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study examined knowledge gains about early intervention programs using a computer-based training with pediatric residents. Fourteen pediatric residents at the University of Maryland School of Medicine were pre-tested, provided with training, and post-tested. Given in a computer lab, the training was part of the residency education program. Results showed a statistically significant increase in test scores post- intervention. The training was more effective in teaching about early intervention law, philosophy, and recommendations for physician screenings than it was in teaching best practices for making referrals to the early intervention program. Findings were consistent with past studies on computer trainings in other medical topics. Limitations included small sample size and lack of a control group or follow-up assessment to measure maintenance and generalization of knowledge gained. Further investigation should look into the kinds of learning for which a computer is suitable versus the kinds that require more personal teacher-student relationships.Item CASE STUDY OF A CARIBBEAN FAMILY'S PERCEPTIONS OF CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE AND FAMILY CENTERED SERVICE PROVISION(2007-01-08) Joseph, Lenisa Nicole; Cooper, David; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This case study explores a Caribbean family's perceptions of the cultural appropriateness and the family-centeredness of services they received from their service providers. Families' cultural beliefs and the mandates of early intervention services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act are sometimes very different. Researchers have done well to highlight issues of importance to many cultural groups; however, there is as yet no record of Caribbean families' experience. This qualitative study collected data over a two-month period through interviews, observations and document analysis. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data, resulting in the themes used to describe the phenomenon. The number of years this family lived in the US seems to have resulted in acculturation to the point where their experiences were similar to that of an American family. They perceived the services they received to be family centered.Item An Investigation of State-Level Child Find and Public Awareness Campaigns to Promote Early Intervention to the Medical Community(2006-06-21) Fulton, Jody Lynn; Lieber, Joan; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act requires States, through their Child Find Program, to locate, evaluate, and provide services to all children with delays. The purpose of this research was to investigate what the States are doing to promote Child Find to the medical community, how they evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts, and what, if any barriers prohibit these efforts. Three data collection methods were used: 1) an analysis of each State's policy as it relates to Child Find and the medical community, 2) an analysis of public awareness plans as they relate to Child Find and the medical community, and 3) a survey sent to each of the Part C lead agency coordinators in each State and US territory investigating Child Find efforts to the medical community. The results of this research reveal that most States have vague or ambiguous objectives in their policies related to Child Find and public awareness to the medical community. However, States' public awareness plans contain more detail about these objectives. The majority of States are working in collaboration with the medical community, as 85% had a member of the medical community serving on the State Interagency Coordinating Council. Ninety-one percent of the respondents reported their State collects data on how many referrals to early intervention they receive each year, and 100% of the people who responded reported collecting data on where these referrals come from. Only 56% collect referral data from the NICUs; however 94% collect data on referrals from other medical related institutions. Seventy percent have a public awareness plan and 53% routinely collaborate with the Local Education Agencies (LEA) on the effectiveness of this plan. In spite of plans, policies, and collaborative efforts, the States are still experiencing barriers in their efforts to reach out to the medical community. Lack of staff, lack of time, and difficult accessing the medical community were the three most frequently cited barriers. Limitations of this research, as well as suggestions for future research and practice are presented.