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Few studies have considered academic vocabulary interventions for students who have learning disabilities (LD) and also are English learners (EL). This research explored the effects of the third year of the Creating Habits that Accelerate Academic Language of Students (CHAAOS) vocabulary intervention for eighth-grade students who received English Language Arts instruction (ELA) in special education classes. Over 70% of student participants had LD and over half were EL. Special education teachers delivered 12 weeks of intervention spaced across 7 months to 36 students. Researchers compared outcomes on receptive and expressive measures with 17 students in business-as-usual (BAU) special education ELA. Students receiving the CHAAOS intervention learned the 48 taught words better than students in BAU conditions, retained their knowledge of words 4 weeks following the close of the intervention, and ended the year with higher vocabulary scores on a standardized measure than students in BAU classes. Students who were EL performed similarly on receptive knowledge of words to students who were native English speakers. This study documents the effectiveness of explicit vocabulary routines for students who have LD and are also EL. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED605674.]

Creating Habits That Accelerate the Academic Language of Students (CHAAOS) is a vocabulary intervention developed by O'Connor et al. to improve the academic vocabulary of middle school students with disabilities. This study was designed as a replication of O'Connor et al.'s study; CHAAOS lessons were taught to 33 sixth graders who received special education services for disabilities in English/Language Arts classes. Researcher-designed vocabulary and comprehension assessments for the taught words were administered pre- and post-instruction. The performance of students in this study was compared with the performance of students in O'Connor et al.'s study. Results demonstrated that the present students made similar gains in vocabulary and comprehension compared with the previous CHAAOS students and scored significantly higher than the previous comparison students who did not receive any instruction on the words. These findings support the use of CHAAOS for improving the academic vocabulary of students with disabilities.

BackgroundThe etiology of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) remains elusive due to the tissue and cellular heterogeneity of the affected brain regions that underlie cognitive impairments and subsequent neurological disorders. This complexity is further exacerbated by disrupted circuits within and between cell populations across brain regions and the periphery, which occur at different timescales and in spatial domains.MethodsWe profiled three tissues (hippocampus, frontal cortex, and blood leukocytes) at the acute (24-h) and subacute (7-day) phases of mTBI at single-cell resolution.ResultsWe demonstrated that the coordinated gene expression patterns across cell types were disrupted and re-organized by TBI at different timescales with distinct regional and cellular patterns. Gene expression-based network modeling implied astrocytes as a key regulator of the cell-cell coordination following mTBI in both hippocampus and frontal cortex across timepoints, and mt-Rnr2, which encodes the mitochondrial peptide humanin, as a potential target for intervention based on its broad regional and dynamic dysregulation following mTBI. Treatment of a murine mTBI model with humanin reversed cognitive impairment caused by mTBI through the restoration of metabolic pathways within astrocytes.ConclusionsOur results offer a systems-level understanding of the dynamic and spatial regulation of gene programs by mTBI and pinpoint key target genes, pathways, and cell circuits that are amenable to therapeutics.

In this multi-year study, we taught English/Language Arts teachers of students with learning disabilities in middle school to incorporate 15 min of daily vocabulary activities with students in their intact special education English/Language Arts classes. During Year 1, teachers taught 48 words to their sixth grade students, who learned and retained the words significantly better than the students in business-as-usual (BAU) control classes. In the current study, we report the second year results, as the sixth grade students entered seventh grade. Students (n = 42) in treatment classes again learned 48 new vocabulary words significantly better than similar students in BAU (n = 21) special education classes. In seventh grade, students also outperformed BAU students on maintenance of these age-appropriate words (p < 0.001) and on a standardized measure of vocabulary (p = 0.04). [For the grantee submission, see ED604314.]

This formative study of a multiplicative reasoning (MR) intervention explored the intervention's potential for improving the ability of third-grade struggling students' ability to reason with multiplicative concepts and procedures. The feasibility of the study was examined in a school setting before a randomized control trial was conducted. Students who scored between the 10th and 35th percentile on a district-administered math screening test received the MR intervention from their teachers. We developed intervention units to build a conceptual foundation in a student-centered approach to Tier 2 instruction that included opportunities for students to engage in critical thinking as they generalized big ideas, participated in classroom discourse, and modeled multiplicative relationships with multiple representations. Preliminary data demonstrate the potential of the intervention to promote students' MR skills. Instructional implications are discussed in terms of opportunities for these students to engage in grade-level mathematics content.

Adolescents with disabilities have great difficulty with academic content in middle school, and their teachers have difficulty teaching them to understand and use academic language. We taught teachers of sixth-grade students with learning disabilities, more than half of whom were also English language learners (ELLs), to implement about 15 min of daily interactive vocabulary instruction in their intact special education English/language arts classes. Three schools were assigned randomly to treatment (two schools) or control conditions (one school, 52 students total). We developed instructional routines to introduce four new words per week in three 4-week units to test for replicability. ANCOVAs (with each cycle's pretest and intelligence quotient as covariates) were conducted on taught vocabulary, all of which favored the treatment condition with effect sizes ranging 0.6 to 0.7 per cycle. Near-transfer effects to vocabulary usage were weaker, with significant effects in the last two cycles. Effects were similar for students with disabilities who were ELLs and native English speakers. Treated students maintained their knowledge of words 4 to 24 weeks following the close of treatment.

BACKGROUND: Sensory processing abnormalities are common in schizophrenia (SZ) and impact everyday functions, such as speech perception in noisy environments. Auditory-based targeted cognitive training (TCT) is a bottom up cognitive remediation intervention designed to enhance the speed and accuracy of low-level auditory information processing. However, the effects of TCT on behavioral measures of central auditory processing (CAP) and the role of CAP function on verbal learning outcomes in SZ are unknown. METHODS: SZ (n = 42) and healthy subjects (CTL; n = 18) underwent comprehensive clinical, neurocognitive, and auditory assessments, including tests of hearing sensitivity and speech recognition (Words-in-Noise (WIN), Quick Speech-in-Noise (SIN)). SZ patients were randomized to receive either treatment-as-usual (TAU); or 30-h of TCT + TAU using a stratified, parallel design. SZ patients repeated assessments ~10-12 weeks later. RESULTS: Patients exhibited deficits in both WIN (p

In this multi-year study, we taught English/Language Arts teachers of students with learning disabilities in middle school to incorporate 15 min of daily vocabulary activities with students in their intact special education English/Language Arts classes. During Year 1, teachers taught 48 words to their sixth grade students, who learned and retained the words significantly better than the students in business-as-usual (BAU) control classes. In the current study, we report the second year results, as the sixth grade students entered seventh grade. Students (n = 42) in treatment classes again learned 48 new vocabulary words significantly better than similar students in BAU (n = 21) special education classes. In seventh grade, students also outperformed BAU students on maintenance of these age-appropriate words (p < .001) and on a standardized measure of vocabulary (p = .04).

Background Colonoscopy screening is underused by first-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with non-syndromic colorectal cancer (CRC) with screening completion rates below 50%. Studies conducted in FDR referred for screening suggest that fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) was not inferior to colonoscopy in terms of diagnostic yield and tumor staging, but screening uptake of FIT has not yet been tested in this population. In this study, we investigated whether the uptake of FIT screening is superior to the uptake of colonoscopy screening in the familial-risk population, with an equivalent effect on CRC detection. Methods and findings This open-label, parallel-group, randomized trial was conducted in 12 Spanish centers between February 2016 and December 2021. Eligible individuals included asymptomatic FDR of index cases A total of 1,790 FDR of 460 index cases were evaluated for inclusion, of whom 870 were assigned to undergo one-time colonoscopy (n = 431) or FIT (n = 439). Of them, 383 (44.0%) attended the appointment and signed the informed consent: 147/431 (34.1%) FDR received colonoscopy-based screening and 158/439 (35.9%) underwent FIT-based screening (odds ratio [OR] 1.08; 95% confidence intervals [CI] [0.82, 1.44], p = 0.564). The detection rate of advanced colorectal neoplasia was significantly higher in the colonoscopy group than in the FIT group (OR 3.64, 95% CI [1.55, 8.53], p = 0.003). Study outcomes did not change throughout follow-up. Conclusions In this study, compared to colonoscopy, FIT screening did not improve screening uptake by individuals at high risk of CRC, resulting in less detection of advanced colorectal neoplasia. Further studies are needed to assess how screening uptake could be improved in this high-risk group, including by inclusion in population-based screening programs. Trial registration This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02567045)., Author(s): Natalia González-López 1, Enrique Quintero 1,2,*, Antonio Z. Gimeno-Garcia 1,2, Luis Bujanda 3,4,5, Jesús Banales 3,4,5, Joaquin Cubiella 6, María Salve-Bouzo 6, Jesus Miguel Herrero-Rivas 6, Estela Cid-Delgado 6, [...]

Adolescents with disabilities have great difficulty with academic content in middle school, and their teachers have difficulty teaching them to understand and use academic language. We taught teachers of sixth-grade students with learning disabilities, more than half of whom were also English language learners (ELLs), to implement about 15 min of daily interactive vocabulary instruction in their intact special education English/language arts classes. Three schools were assigned randomly to treatment (two schools) or control conditions (one school, 52 students total). We developed instructional routines to introduce four new words per week in three 4-week units to test for replicability. ANCOVAs (with each cycle’s pretest and intelligence quotient as covariates) were conducted on taught vocabulary, all of which favored the treatment condition with effect sizes ranging .6 to .7 per cycle. Near-transfer effects to vocabulary usage were weaker, with significant effects in the last two cycles. Effects were similar for students with disabilities who were ELLs and native English speakers. Treated students maintained their knowledge of words 4 to 24 weeks following the close of treatment.

Adolescents with disabilities have great difficulty with academic content in middle school, and their teachers have difficulty teaching them to understand and use academic language. We taught teachers of sixth-grade students with learning disabilities, more than half of whom were also English language learners (ELLs), to implement about 15 min of daily interactive vocabulary instruction in their intact special education English/language arts classes. Three schools were assigned randomly to treatment (two schools) or control conditions (one school, 52 students total). We developed instructional routines to introduce four new words per week in three 4-week units to test for replicability. ANCOVAs (with each cycle’s pretest and intelligence quotient as covariates) were conducted on taught vocabulary, all of which favored the treatment condition with effect sizes ranging .6 to .7 per cycle. Near-transfer effects to vocabulary usage were weaker, with significant effects in the last two cycles. Effects were similar for students with disabilities who were ELLs and native English speakers. Treated students maintained their knowledge of words 4 to 24 weeks following the close of treatment.

Helping struggling readers to learn history content in middle school can be difficult due to heavy reading demands. In this study, researchers taught poor readers with and without disabilities in eighth grade to generate main idea statements; create, compare, and contrast paragraphs; and identify cause and effect relations, along with relevant multisyllabic word study and vocabulary, as they read history text. The 34 participating students included 14 with disabilities and 20 without disabilities, who scored below the 5th percentile in reading, on average. The results were compared across special education and English learner status and with 81 typical readers from the same classes who studied the same units of history. Treated students made significant gains in use of these strategies, and poor readers with and without disabilities performed similar to their typical reader classmates in two of the three strategies following instruction. The instructional routines for each strategy are described.

Thirty to 80% of children with autism spectrum disorder also have symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Many children with autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder experience difficulties carrying out goal-directed behaviors, particularly when it comes to inhibiting responses. The aim of this study was to better understand the relative strengths and weaknesses across different measures of inhibition in children with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder + attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and children who are typically developing. Inhibition of distracting information, motor responses, response speed, and selections with the potential for greater loss was measured in 155 school-aged children across these four groups. Results indicate that, for children with autism spectrum disorder + attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, inhibition varied across the different outcomes assessed. Relative to typically developing children, children with autism spectrum disorder + attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder showed greater difficulty inhibiting behavioral responses. Conversely, inhibition of distracting information and strategic slowing of response speed differed between the children with autism spectrum disorder + attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and those with either autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Avoidance of potential losses did not significantly differ between the four groups. The unique pattern of inhibition abilities shown in the autism spectrum disorder + attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder group suggests the need for special consideration in the context of targeted intervention.

Mounting evidence supports several naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBI) for toddlers and preschoolers within inclusive childcare centers and preschools. However, these interventions pose many barriers to community implementation. As part of a larger project to create an adapted NDBI for early educators in childcare centers, we surveyed 101 early interventionists who had worked with a toddler with autism within the last 12 months. Early interventionists rated 22-of-31 NDBI strategies to be significantly more effective for All Toddlers versus Toddlers with Autism. However, when comparing the top 10 rated strategies between groups, there was a large degree of overlap. Moreover, many of these highly rated NDBI strategies are consistent with best practice accreditation and early education standards within the United States.

During the last decade, there has been a move towards consumer-centric hearing healthcare. This is a direct result of technological advancements (e.g., merger of consumer grade hearing aids with consumer grade earphones creating a wide range of hearing devices) as well as policy changes (e.g., the U.S. Food and Drug Administration creating a new over-the-counter [OTC] hearing aid category). In addition to various direct-to-consumer (DTC) hearing devices available on the market, there are also several validated tools for the self-assessment of auditory function and the detection of ear disease, as well as tools for education about hearing loss, hearing devices, and communication strategies. Further, all can be made easily available to a wide range of people. This perspective provides a framework and identifies tools to improve and maintain optimal auditory wellness across the adult life course. A broadly available and accessible set of tools that can be made available on a digital platform to aid adults in the assessment and as needed, the improvement, of auditory wellness is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River bedforms and their deposits—fluvial cross strata— respond to floods. However, it is unclear if all floods are equally represented in cross strata. Here, using a series of physical experiments in which bedforms were subjected to equivalent flood magnitudes over varying durations, we demonstrate the existence of a lower bound on flood durations that are represented in cross strata. We show that the scour depths and preserved set thickness are indistinguishable from baseflow conditions when the rising‐limb duration of floods is shorter than the baseflow‐equilibrated bedform turnover timescale—time required to displace the volume of a single bedform at baseflow conditions. In contrast, scour depth and preserved set thickness distributions deviate from baseflow conditions when flood rising‐limb duration exceeds the baseflow‐equilibrated bedform turnover timescale, causing preferential preservation of falling‐limb bedform dynamics. Our work provides a previously unrecognized quantitative bound on flood durations that are represented in fluvial cross strata. Plain Language Summary: Bedforms are routinely found on sandy riverbeds and their deposits, called fluvial cross strata, are the fundamental building blocks of river deposits. It has long been hypothesized that bedforms respond to floods by changing their shape and speed. In addition, fluvial cross strata are hypothesized to record past floods, thus, providing a key window into past hydrologic variability. However, it is unclear if floods of all durations are equally likely to be represented in bedform morphology and fluvial cross strata. Here, we investigate how floods of different durations are recorded in fluvial cross strata using four physical experiments of bedform evolution. We examine changes in bedform morphology (height, length, speed) and preservation with floods of equal magnitude but varying durations and compare the results with a control experiment with steady water and sediment discharge. Our results reveal a previously unrecognized lower limit on preserved flood duration in cross strata, corresponding to the time required to move a single bedform one wavelength (turnover timescale) in baseflow conditions. Only floods with durations longer than the turnover timescale led to identifiable changes in bedform morphology and fluvial cross strata. These findings advance our ability to better interpret geological records of past floods. Key Points: Experiments show that baseflow‐equilibrated bedform turnover timescale sets the lower bound on preserved flood duration in cross strataFloods with a duration less than this lower bound do not cause a detectable change in preserved set thickness and scour‐depth distributionFloods with duration longer than the lower bound cause scour‐depth deepening and preferential preservation of falling‐limb deposits [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helping struggling readers to learn history content in middle school can be difficult due to heavy reading demands. In this study, researchers taught poor readers with and without disabilities in eighth grade to generate main idea statements; create, compare, and contrast paragraphs; and identify cause and effect relations, along with relevant multisyllabic word study and vocabulary, as they read history text. The 34 participating students included 14 with disabilities and 20 without disabilities, who scored below the 5th percentile in reading, on average. The results were compared across special education and English learner status and with 81 typical readers from the same classes who studied the same units of history. Treated students made significant gains in use of these strategies, and poor readers with and without disabilities performed similar to their typical reader classmates in two of the three strategies following instruction. The instructional routines for each strategy are described.