Trainee Places 3rd at Wyoming Grand Rounds Research Day
May 3, 2011
Kylee Dornbush, senior psychology student, placed third at the Grand Rounds Health Science Research Day, with her poster "Self-Injury in a Statewide Sample of Young Children with Developmental Disabilities."
Dornbush conducted research with Wyoming Institute for Disabilities Executive Director William MacLean Jr., Ph.D. The research consisted of a prevalence study, looking at the number of children in the state of Wyoming under six years old who displayed self-injurious behavior-such as head banging, self-biting, and body hitting. The study focused on looking at frequency and severity of self-injurious behavior.
"Identifying this behavior early is important because it can grow worse as a child ages," explained Dornbush.
In contrast to an earlier study that Dr. MacLean published in the Journal of Pediatrics, the prevalence was much lower in the Wyoming sample.
"Dr. MacLean and I found differences between this study and one he had conducted previously. We decided it was because the previous study consisted of individuals who were clinically referred, while these kids were out in the community," explained Dornbush.
The research for this project began in July 2010.
"I am delighted that Kylee's poster was voted highly by the reviewers. She worked very hard on this project," said MacLean.