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Item A Professional Development Plan for Educators Working with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Transitioning into Standard Childcare Settings(North Dakota State University, 2022) Reiser, Jennifer LeeStandard childcare centers are continuing to become more inclusive to individuals of all abilities. Transition plans from specialized services such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) often include discharge criteria and a discharge transition plan for the child, but often do not include any training or development plan for educators in a standard childcare setting. Due to the limited number of plans available, transition plans vary greatly in how comprehensive they are as every organization creates their own plan or transitions children into the childcare setting without an identified plan. This paper proposes a professional development plan for educators working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) transitioning into a standard childcare program. The program includes staff training and support, and collaboration partnerships.Item Aging Out of Place: Quality of Life and Successful Aging Among Aging Refugee Immigrants in the US(North Dakota State University, 2021) Owino, Jonix AtienoAs individuals age, they experience physical, cognitive, and socioemotional changes that may impact their well-being. However, little is known about well-being among aging refugees. Thus, the present study explores factors associated with quality of life and perceptions of successful aging among refugees who are aged 50 years and above. This mixed methods dissertation included a quantitative and qualitative study. For the quantitative study, 108 refugee participants (from Bhutan, Burundi, and Somalia) living in the US were surveyed to assess quality of life. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that females, older individuals, individuals with lower education levels, and African refugees reported lower quality of life. When controlling for sociodemographic factors, social integration was positively and loneliness was negatively associated with quality of life. Furthermore, trauma related experiences and post-migration living difficulties did not predict well-being for all participants; however, moderating effects of place of origin, sex, level of education and length of residence were observed. Twenty-one aging, Burundian refugees were recruited for the qualitative study to explore perceptions and experiences of successful aging. Emergent themes showed that some of aging refugees’ perceptions of successful aging were consistent with perceptions among other aging populations, yet in many ways the unique background of aging refugees seemed to impact their aging perceptions, such as perceiving an earlier onset of aging. Cultural factors and the context of being a refugee led to unique experiences of successful aging, and apparent gender differences. In summary, perceptions of aging out of place among aging refugees indicated both protective factors and risk factors. The findings from the two studies of this dissertation suggest important future directions of inquiry and have potential implications for communities on how they can better support aging refugees as well as develop effective interventions to promote well-being.Item CFT Faculty: Self-Assessment of LGB-Affirming Stances and Programs(North Dakota State University, 2016) Kellerman, Jared DanielThe purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) faculty were using to identify the extent to which their program was LGB-affirmative. The sample for this study included 71 faculty members from CFT training programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). The online data collection for this study included one open-ended question and one Likert scale item. The thematic analysis revealed seven categories: (1) Coursework and Training, (2) Training Programs’ LGB Population, (3) Belief Systems, (4) Importance of Faculty, (5) Practical Implementation of Explicit LGB-affirmative Values, (6) Affirming Environment, and (7) Not LGB-affirming Environment. The findings of this study provided insights into how CFT faculty members are conceptualizing LGB affirmative training on an individual and program levels.Item Medical Cannabis Packaging and Labelling Concerns for Middle Aged and Older Manitobans(North Dakota State University, 2021) Christiuk, Vanessa TatyanaMiddle-aged and older adults make up the largest growing proportion of medical cannabis users in Canada, as well as the largest proportion of the population to vote in the last federal election (Elections Canada, 2020; Statistics Canada, 2019). Middle-aged, and older adults may encounter problems with the way their medical cannabis is packaged and labelled. The present study investigated how a sample of Manitobans aged 45 and older experienced their medical cannabis packaging, including the manipulation of medical cannabis packaging and readability of the labelling. Most participants reported having difficulty opening child-safe lids and the inability to clearly read the information on the label. In addition, most participants favored the use of a standardized symbol indicating the type of medical cannabis in the container, as well as receiving a large-font printout of the packaging label. Implications for policy makers and future research potentials are discussed.Item Finding a Home for Spirituality in Couple and Family Therapy Training: An Analysis of CFT Educators' Strategies and Methods For Integrating Spirituality Into the CFT Curriculum(North Dakota State University, 2010) Kekic, JanaThe purpose of this study was to analyze the specific ways that couple and family therapy (CFT) faculty members integrate content on spirituality into the courses they teach. The study used an existing data set consisting of 93 CFT faculty members who taught in accredited master's and/or doctoral level CFT programs of which 47 were male and 46 were female. The participants completed an electronic survey for this study. The predominant religious or spiritual affiliation within the sample was Christian. The results of this study suggested that many participants were following recommendations from the literature on ways to integrate topics of spirituality into the teaching and supervision of CFT students. However, the results of this study also indicated that infusion of spirituality into the curricula is an idea worthy of further exploration in the research.Item Parents’ Experiences as They Interact with Their Transgender Children’s Schools(North Dakota State University, 2015) Baldwin, Dawn ReneeThe purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of parents and caregivers in a parenting role of a transgender child as they interacted with their children’s schools. For this study, 22 interviews with parents and caregivers were analyzed. Utilizing a queer feminist framework, analysis revealed that parents’ experiences with schools depended largely upon the school’s degree of inclusiveness regarding gender, gender identity, and gender expression. Results, educational and clinical implications, and limitations, as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.Item Defining Feminism: A Phenomenological Exploration of the Meaning Women Assign to their Feminist Identities(North Dakota State University, 2013) McDougall, Sarah DelaneyThis study explored the meaning that women assign to their feminist identities. In particular, the study examined the lived experiences of fourteen women who were active in the women's movement during the 1970s. The definitions of feminism provided were organized into six categories: (1) Working Towards Justice, (2) Valuing Self and Other Women, (3) Women with Diverse Perspectives, (4) Relevancy in Personal Lives, (5) Future Orientation, and (6) Changing Understandings of Feminism. Major findings of the study included an understanding that women hold unique experiences as feminists in relation to the larger feminist movement, an insight into the centrality of equality to understanding feminist identities, and an awareness that the results of this study contrast with the leading model of feminist identity in the literature. The findings of this study provided important implications for family therapists as this study highlights the need to explore gender-based oppression with their clients.Item The Influence of Appearance-Related Teasing by Parents, Siblings, and Peers on Adolescents' Body Image with Appearance-Related Social Comparison as a Mediator(North Dakota State University, 2011) Schaefer, Mallary KayBody image refers to how individuals experience and perceive their bodies and can be affected by many factors, including peers and family members. Adolescence is a time when body image concerns are emphasized due to the bodily changes of puberty as well as increased internalization of cultural ideals and pressure to adhere to those ideals. Appearance-related teasing is one particular sociocultural factor that is gaining attention in the research field due to the emphasis placed on appearance during adolescence. The current study examined how appearance-related teasing by peers, parents, and siblings affected young adolescents' body image both directly and indirectly via social comparison. Further, because body image is a multidimensional construct and can include body dissatisfaction and drive for muscularity, the present study examined both of these constructs separately. I collected self-report questionnaires from 73 adolescent girls and 67 boys in middle school. I used Pearson correlations, linear regression, and mediation analyses to examine these hypotheses. First, I hypothesized that adolescents who were teased about their appearance by at least one of their parents would also have siblings who teased them. I found significant correlations between both fathers' and mothers' teasing and siblings' teasing, suggesting that parents are modeling teasing behaviors to their children. Second, I hypothesized that appearance-related teasing by fathers, mothers, peers, and siblings would each be associated with body dissatisfaction for girls and drive for muscularity for boys. My findings indicated that mothers', fathers', peers', and siblings' teasing predicted girls' body dissatisfaction and that mothers' and fathers' teasing predicted boys' drive for muscularity. Therefore, appearance-related teasing appears to be detrimental behavior that negatively influences adolescents' body image. Third, I hypothesized that appearance-related social comparison would mediate the relationship between appearance-related teasing from all sources and body dissatisfaction among girls and drive for muscularity among boys. Appearance-related social comparison fully mediated the relationship between fathers' teasing and girls' body dissatisfaction and the relationship between mothers' teasing and boys drive for muscularity. My findings suggest that boys and girls who were teased about their appearance were more likely to engage in social comparison, which negatively impacted their body image. Therapists need to be aware of the role family members' and peers' appearance-related teasing play in the development of adolescents' body image in order to address the occurrence and negative effects of teasing. In addition, researchers will need to conduct future studies further investigating appearance-related teasing by family members and peers and design intervention and prevention programs to address teasing and social comparison among the family and peer contexts.Item Weight-Related Health Behaviors and Body Mass: Associations between Young Adults and their Parents, Moderated by Parenting Styles(North Dakota State University, 2011) Niemeier, Brandi SheaThe incidence of overweight conditions among children and adolescents is a growing national concern. Although current literature suggests that parental health behaviors could influence health behaviors of children, studies have not explored the actual predictive relationships of parents' and their children's weight statuses and weight-related behaviors. In addition, current studies have not tested the influence of parental authority, family communication, or demographic characteristics on the relationships. This study first examines factors that contribute to overweight conditions among children and adolescents and the associated costs. Studies of interventions that target children's and adolescents' weight-related health are then reviewed and provide evidence that parental involvement contributes to intervention success. The theory of planned behavior, social cognitive theory, social action theory, and systems theory are discussed and support the notion that parental influences contribute to the development of children's weight-related health behaviors. To test the relationships, 151 young adults and their parents were recruited and completed a series of questionnaires to describe their weight statuses, dietary behaviors, and physical activity behaviors. In addition, the young adult participants completed questionnaires to further describe their parents' parental authorities and their family communication environments during childhood and adolescence. Comparisons of body mass index, average daily energy consumption, average weekly energy expenditure, and physical activity enjoyment of young adult participants and their parents were conducted with correlation analyses and paired-samples t-tests. Further, multiple regression analyses were used to explore the influence of parental authority and family communication, and demographic characteristics were also considered. The empirical results of the current study indicate that, overall, parents' weight statuses and dietary behaviors help predict weight statuses and dietary behaviors of their young adult children. Further, parental authority scales interact with the relationships. At high levels of authoritarian and permissive parental authorities, young adults tend to have weight statuses that are opposite to those of their parents; at high levels of authoritarian parenting, young adults also tend to follow opposite dietary consumption patterns. The findings in this study have implications for professional practice, parenting practices, and the design of intervention activities. Recommendations for future research are provided.Item Gender Influences on Perceptions of Marital Reconciliation(North Dakota State University, 2011) Hanten, Allyson RachelThis study examines the process of marital reconciliation. More specifically, it addresses gender influences regarding perceptions of the marital reconciliation process. Also, this study identifies how turning points in the process of marital reconciliation are similar and different between the partners in the marital dyad. A qualitative methodology was used to better understand gender similarities and differences in marital reconciliation. Interviews with six married couples, 11 participants total, were conducted for this study. This study allows for a better understanding of male and female perspectives related to potential threats to marital stability and processes that help couples resolve relationship difficulties or challenges.