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To examine the impact of developmental monitoring on child referrals, a retrospective data review, comparing seven pilot programs with seven matched controls in Special Supplemental Nutrition Programs for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) was completed. Pilot programs were trained on developmental monitoring and how to refer families to their local Early Intervention (EI) program, Special Education, or Family TIES (Together in Enhancing Support), services when there is a developmental concern. The "Learn the Signs. Act Early" developmental monitoring program was implemented, and the outcomes included the number of referrals made over a 6-month period. The results indicated a statistically significant difference (p = <.001) in referrals made preimplementation compared to postimplementation with a large effect size (d = 0.96) for pilot programs. Additionally, when analyzing between-groups there were significantly more referrals (p = .001) made at the pilot programs compared to the control programs, again with a large effect size (d = 2.10). This study shows that the implementation of developmental monitoring within WIC programs was effective in increasing referrals to intervention services designed to support families with early identification of developmental delay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: The new diagnostic code for pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) in the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition, Clinical Modification, requires that occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) use valid and reliable assessment tools that capture the complexity of PFD. Objective: To determine current assessment tools that clinicians are using across the four domains of PFD: (1) medical factors, (2) nutrition factors, (3) feeding skill factors, and (4) psychosocial factors. A secondary objective was to obtain clinicians' perceptions of the assessment tools. Design: A mixed-methods study using survey research and focus groups. Setting: Online survey and virtual focus groups. Participants: Occupational therapists and SLPs who identified as clinicians who treat PFDs. Results: The survey revealed that 65% of the clinicians (N = 445) used a nonstandardized assessment tool across the four domains of PFD. The focus groups (n = 26) revealed four resulting themes that expanded the survey results: (1) no one assessment tool works, (2) clinicians rely on self-created assessments, (3) it takes a team and collaboration, and (4) there are many issues with the current assessment of PFD. Conclusions and Relevance: This study reveals the need for clinicians working with children with PFD to use feeding assessment tools with sound psychometric properties. The requirement for occupational therapists and SLPs to evaluate and treat dysphagia and disorders of feeding indicates the need to provide entry-level education on reliable and valid assessment tools that thoroughly evaluate all the domains of PFD. What This Article Adds: This article highlights current assessment tools used by occupational therapists and SLPs treating PFD and the need for more standardized procedures and tools to evaluate children across the four domains of PFD. This article highlights current assessment tools used by occupational therapists and speech and language pathologists who are treating pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) and the need for more standardized procedures and tools to evaluate children across the four domains of PFD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date Presented 03/22/24 This pilot study explored the impact of an intentional relationship model (IRM)–informed club mentorship program during Level II fieldwork and its influence on student perceived stress and interpersonal growth. Primary Author and Speaker: Courtney J. Taylor Additional Authors and Speakers: Ana K. Brussa, Kate Barlow [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date Presented 03/23/24 This pilot survey study received 57 responses from World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT)-approved programs in 32 countries. Academic curricula should adequately reflect the current practice trend; however the percentage of education dedicated to pediatrics is relatively low. Primary Author and Speaker: Kate Barlow Additional Authors and Speakers: Said Nafai, Kathryn LeMonda, Allyson Bates Contributing Authors: Petya Mincheva, Marinela Rata, Liliya Todorova [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date Presented 03/21/24 As a needs assessment to provide pediatric professional development, this survey asked OTs (N=143) across the globe (32 countries represented) in what areas they need continuing education. The majority (70%) of OTs requested education in feeding. Primary Author and Speaker: Kate Barlow Additional Authors and Speakers: Said Nafai, Kathryn LeMonda, Allyson Bates Contributing Authors: Liliya Todorova, Marinela Rata, Petya Mincheva [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date Presented 03/21/24 An interprofessional poverty simulation may have positive effects on health science student attitudes toward individuals experiencing poverty and the circumstances of poverty, which can help prepare future clinicians with cultural humility. Primary Author and Speaker: Peiluen Kuo Additional Authors and Speakers: Kate Barlow Contributing Authors: Lauren Arcibal, Michele Favolise, Frederick Hooven, Alina LeClaire, Kathryn Lewis, Linette Wilson [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bat populations are thought to have suffered significant declines in the past century throughout Europe. Fortunately, there are some signs of recovery; for instance, of the 11 species monitored in the UK, population trends of five are increasing. The drivers of past losses and recent trends are unclear; identifying them will enable targeted conservation strategies to support further recovery.We review the evidence linking proposed drivers to impacts on bat populations in Europe, using the results of a previous cross‐taxa semi‐quantitative assessment as a framework. Broadly, the drivers reviewed relate to land‐use practices, climate change, pollution, development and infrastructure, and human disturbance. We highlight where evidence gaps or conflicts present barriers to successful conservation and review emerging opportunities to address these gaps.We find that the relative importance or impacts of the potential drivers of bat population change are not well understood or quantified, with conflicting evidence in many cases. To close key gaps in the evidence for responses of bat populations to environmental change, future studies should focus on the impacts of climate change, urbanisation, offshore wind turbines, and water pollution, as well as on mitigation measures and the synergistic effects of putative drivers.To increase available evidence of drivers of bat population change, we propose utilising advances in monitoring tools and statistical methods, together with robust quantitative assessment of conservation interventions to mitigate threats and enable the effective conservation of these protected species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date Presented 04/22/2023 OT and physical therapy students were paired to complete developmental monitoring and screening in a public health setting. Using a validated survey tool for a pretest–posttest, results showed significant improvements in perceived clinical competency. Primary Author and Speaker: Kate Barlow Contributing Authors: MaryAnn Kniska, Anna Carpenter, Sandra Sego [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ghana currently lacks a systematic method for identifying children with developmental delays, and there do not appear to be any culturally sensitive assessment tools available. The objectives of this mixed-methods research study were to explore normal developmental milestones and parental practices in the Ghanaian population. The study also aimed to identify and describe culturally specific factors that should be accounted for on assessments used in the Ghanaian culture. Methods: Twenty-eight Ghanaian parents were interviewed and asked to participate in a developmental milestone picture-identification task. Quantitative and qualitative data analyses were performed. Results: The interviews revealed several cultural factors that may need to be accounted for on a standardized assessment for Ghanaian children. Some gross motor and self-care skills (e.g., crawling and toilet training) were reported to develop earlier in Ghanaian children compared to children in the United States. Discussion: Developmental assessments normed on a U.S. sample may be inappropriate to use in the Ghanaian culture. Renorming of existing developmental assessments for the Ghanaian population is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to data collected in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) between 2009 and 2017, approximately 1 in 6 children (17%) aged 3-17 were diagnosed with a developmental disability in the United States. This data also showed that the percentage of children diagnosed with a developmental disability increased from 16.2% between 2009-2011 to 17.8% between 2015-2017.? Children are at an increased risk of developmental delay if they are low income, non-white, or negatively impacted by social determinants of health or adverse childhood experiences. To identify children with delays, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends developmental screenings be conducted at pediatric well visits, when children are aged 9, 18 and 30 months.? However, only about one-third of parents with children aged 9 to 36 months report that their children received screening from their physician.4 Lack of screening results in several developmental disabilities remaining undiagnosed before a child enters school, inhibiting the ability to offer beneficial early intervention services. Developmental monitoring combined with developmental screening has been proven more effective in identifying children with delays.5 Developmental monitoring, also known as developmental surveillance, is the process of observing a child's developmental progress to see if milestones are reached at the expected time.? This approach promotes individuals who are familiar with the child, such as parents, early educators, teachers, clinicians, etc., to monitor developmental progress and advocate for the child if milestones are not met.? Monitoring promotes parental engagement and facilitates an increased awareness of the child's development by all individuals interacting with the child. This awareness of development allows individuals to raise concerns with parents, physicians or refer to intervention services directly, as physician referrals are not required. To make a difference in identifying children as early as possible, developmental monitoring and screening need to be completed by early care and education providers, early intervention providers and community childcare workers. Partnering with all entities that work with children birth to five is essential for true progress. Education and training on developmental monitoring and screening combined with communication between service providers is recommended for coordinated care. In the United States, most infants and toddlers of working families receive non-parental care, with an increased trend towards center-based care; however, low-income families are more likely to utilize home-based care.7 Low income families are also more likely to have unstable child care, resulting in a negative impact on social-emotional development and kindergarten readiness.8 Targeting center-based early care educators and at home daycare providers for education of developmental monitoring and screening would reach the population most at risk. Due to the increased prevalence of developmental disabilities in children and demonstrated shortcomings of screening as a sole strategy for their identification, developmental monitoring should be more widely embraced as a collaborative strategy for identification and referral to intervention. Thus, combining monitoring and screening as the universal approach and extending the effort to the community as a whole, places the responsibility of child outcomes on us all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Action to reduce anthropogenic impact on the environment and species within it will be most effective when targeted towards activities that have the greatest impact on biodiversity. To do this effectively we need to better understand the relative importance of different activities and how they drive changes in species’ populations. Here, we present a novel, flexible framework that reviews evidence for the relative importance of these drivers of change and uses it to explain recent alterations in species’ populations. We review drivers of change across four hundred species sampled from a broad range of taxonomic groups in the UK. We found that species’ population change (~1970–2012) has been most strongly impacted by intensive management of agricultural land and by climatic change. The impact of the former was primarily deleterious, whereas the impact of climatic change to date has been more mixed. Findings were similar across the three major taxonomic groups assessed (insects, vascular plants and vertebrates). In general, the way a habitat was managed had a greater impact than changes in its extent, which accords with the relatively small changes in the areas occupied by different habitats during our study period, compared to substantial changes in habitat management. Of the drivers classified as conservation measures, low-intensity management of agricultural land and habitat creation had the greatest impact. Our framework could be used to assess the relative importance of drivers at a range of scales to better inform our policy and management decisions. Furthermore, by scoring the quality of evidence, this framework helps us identify research gaps and needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date Presented 04/01/2022 This study examined the efficacy of the same site model (SSM) by comparing Fieldwork Performance Evaluation scores of students who completed the SSM (n = 42) versus the traditional fieldwork model (n = 43). Results showed that students who completed the SSM scored 1 point higher, with no statistical difference (p =.621). The SSM is preferred by most students; therefore, to promote positive mental health and take a trauma-informed pedagogy, the SSM of fieldwork should be a consideration for fieldwork. Primary Author and Speaker: Kate Barlow Additional Authors and Speakers: Courtney Taylor Contributing Authors: Nicole Newman, Victoria Lehr [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date Presented 04/02/2022 OT practitioners can take a public health approach to early identification of delays by promoting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's free developmental monitoring program called 'Learn the Signs. Act Early' (LTSAE). The aim of this mixed-methods study was to examine the impact of online training for implementation of LTSAE within Head Start (N = 194). Results showed that the online training was effective, and Head Start is an ideal setting to promote LTSAE to improve early identification of delays. Primary Author and Speaker: Kate Barlow Contributing Authors: Kelsey Mays Sullivan, Lauren Scott [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the development of two complementary priority species indicators (PSIs) to help the UK to report progress towards Aichi target 12 on the status of known threatened species. Based on species identified as national conservation priorities, the indicators present average changes in (i) 213 species for which trends in relative abundance are available from structured monitoring schemes, and (ii) 179 species for which trends in frequency of occurrence were modelled from data sets of unstructured biological records. Both indicators show substantial declines in priority species since 1970, of 67% and 40%, respectively, although the rate of decline in the relative abundance-based PSI may have lessened over the last five years (2007–2012). We discuss the biases and weaknesses of the indicators at present, and put forward suggestions as how these may be addressed, including through the development of a third PSI. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Understanding how parental expenditure reflects food availability and influences reproductive output is a key part of studies of breeding performance. Provisioning behaviour is an important aspect of parental expenditure. We show that Macaroni Penguins Eudyptes chrysolophus have clear sex-specific differences in provisioning behaviour. Females provision chicks throughout rearing and at higher rates than males, which only participate in the later stages. Female provisioning is consistent throughout chick-rearing and appears to relate to a threshold rate governing whether or not chicks survive. The additional expenditure by males (but not females) during the crèche period influenced chick growth and fledging mass of survivors. We suggest a very simple model to account for these sex-specific differences and effects. Interannual variation in parental expenditure resulted in differences in reproductive output between years. Years of lowest expenditure resulted in lowest growth rate of chicks. Sex-specific differences in provisioning were similar among years, however, with a consistent proportion of expenditure by males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date Presented 04/12/21 OT and physical therapy students visited Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) centers to educate families on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Milestone Tracker app. A pretest-posttest design using an adapted version of the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Checklist (N = 40) was utilized. The results indicated that while students perceived the experience as a positive one that increased their knowledge of WIC, the experience did not significantly alter self-perceptions of their cultural competence. Primary Author and Speaker: Kate Barlow [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study on the social calls of bats using field data and a playback experiment to determine if the calls of bats of two phonic types of Pipistrellus pipistrellus serve a social function. Methodology used to conduct the study; Indepth look at the findings of the study.

Date Presented 06/04/19 In order for OT practitioners to make recommendations that are age appropriate, consistent with cultural practices, and evidence-based, this study examined the prevalence of household chores for school-age children as a pilot study for the development of age norms for chores. Survey results (N= 252) identified caregivers' priorities for childhood occupations, as well as the age at which children are regularly and sometimes completing 17 different chores. Primary Author and Speaker: Kate Barlow Additional Authors and Speakers: Michael Salemi [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]