2008 AUCD-NCBDDD Collaborative Research Award Recipients
| CRA | Topic | Principal Investigator | AUCD Member Center |
| CRA 2008-01 | Promotion of Health Self-Management for Young Adults with Disabilities | Jana Peterson, PhD, MPH | OR UCEDD at OHSU |
| CRA 2008-02 | Using Positive Parenting to Teach Child Development | Jennifer D. Burt, PhD | NE UCEDD |
| CRA 2008-03 | Involving Allied Health Care Professionals in Helping Parents to Navigate Systems for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) | Lily Nalty, MA, CCC-SLP | SC UCEDD |
CRA 2008-01: Promotion of Health Self-Management for Young Adults with Disabilities
PI: Jana Peterson, PhD, MPH
Brief Description of Project:
A systematic scoping review of the literature, using Medline and PsycInfo databases for 2000 through June, 2009, was performed. The searches yielded 1811 citations that were reviewed for inclusion. English-language, peer-reviewed studies on various self-management topics were included, with 63 articles meeting all inclusion criteria. These articles were examined for condition subgroups and self-management practices most represented in the literature and implementation of transition best practices. Frequency of diagnostic groups varied from 30 studies on intellectual disability (48%) to none on Tourette syndrome or Fragile X. Frequency of self-management topics also varied. Clusters of articles were noted on certain self-management topics in specific disability groups (e.g., sex education for deaf youth). Although the included studies were relevant to transition, the majority did not explicitly focus on transition and did not employ current health transition best-practices. Customized technical assistance reports were also prepared for specific NCBDDD scientific collaborators to inform work for specific disability groups (e.g., ADHD, Tourette, and Deaf and hard of hearing).
Bio: Jana Peterson, PhD, MPH, from the Oregon Health and Science University Child Development Research Center (CDRC) began her Collaborative Research Award Project on the Promotion of Health Self-Management for Young Adults with Disabilities in December 2008. Dr. Peterson transitioned from a postdoctoral fellowship to a faculty position at the CDRC fall of 2008. She received a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree and a Ph.D. in Community & Behavioral Health at the University Of Iowa College Of Public Health. She also received education and training in disability and health at the Center for Disability and Development, Iowa's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). Her experiences with the Iowa UCEDD included an MPH practicum, an independent study on health promotion within the clinical developmental disabilities setting, and a year as a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disorders (LEND) trainee.
Jana Peterson, PhD, MPH
Dr. Peterson is committed to perform disability and health research that improves the lives of people with disabilities on a population level. Rather than implement individual-level programs alone, she looks to combine them with a population-based perspective on intervention - one that focuses on epidemiological inquiry, examination of the root causes of ill health within population groups, creation of sustainable physical and social environmental changes, and the elimination of health disparities for persons with disabilities.
CRA 2008-02: Using Positive Parenting to Teach Child Development
PI: Jennifer D. Burt, Ph.D.
Brief Description of Project:
The role of parent engagement is critical to a positive developmental trajectory for children. However, not all parents have the knowledge and resources to engage in behaviors that support their child's learning and development or to identify early warning signs of developmental delay. Thus, service providers need to be able to link parents to resources that help them to understand their child's development and to engage in positive parenting practices. Service providers within pediatric practices and local agencies (e.g., daycares, preschools, early childhood special education, and Head Start) are in a position to provide parents with the necessary information and tools to support their children's development, learning, and health and to enhance these assets within the context of a healthy parent-child relationship. The CDC's "Act Early" campaign provides service providers with a tool for families to obtain information on child development and parenting practices that assist parents to engage in meaningful dialogue and interactions with their children. However, families need to have knowledge of these resources and be able to access them easily. Thus, this project served to combine these fact sheets and make them more user- friendly in order to increase ease of use for families and professionals.
Jennifer D. Burt, Ph.D.
Bio: Jennifer D. Burt, Ph.D. was a post-doctoral fellow in Psychology at Munroe-Meyer Institute University of Nebraska when she began this project. Dr. Burt has professional experiences as an elementary school teacher, an early childhood after school care teacher, and a pediatric psychologist, which provided with a firm foundation in child development, developmental disabilities, assessment and evidence-based intervention, as well as interdisciplinary collaboration. She is dedicated to promoting the well-being and health of children and families through research and practice.
CRA 2008-03: Involving Allied Health Care Professionals in Helping Parents to Navigate Systems for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
PI: Lily Nalty, M.A., CCC-SLP
Brief Description of Project:
This research opportunity examined the role of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in helping families reach earlier diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) in order to determine how to best support SLPs. The researcher designed and conducted a national survey of SLPs to gain insight into current early identification practices, level of preparation, and recommendations to support their role. An on-line survey was disseminated electronically and completed by SLPs working with children 0-6 years of age, and a convenience sample of 2076 surveys was analyzed. More than 75% of SLPs reported conducting five of the listed early identification practices, including: identifying potential indicators of developmental delays including autism (97.5%); discussing the need for further evaluation (95.7%), educating parents about monitoring their child's development (94.8%), starting intervention before autism diagnosis (94.1%), informally screening for autism (81.7%). The least used practice was use of screening tools (45.3%). SLPs also reported areas in which they felt most and least prepared and recommended additional supportive information and materials. SLPs conducted many practices that facilitate early diagnosis of ASDs. However, as identified by this study, they continue to need additional educational and supportive resources to help them with their role in early identification of ASDs.
Lily Nalty, M.A., CCC-SLP
Bio: Lily Nalty, M.A., CCC-SLP is an Assistant Research Professor, Technical Assistance Specialist, with the Team for Early Childhood Solutions (TECS) Project at The University of South Carolina Center for Disability Resources (CDR). Housed in South Carolina's University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service, TECS at CDR is contracted by the IDEA Part C Lead Agency (DHEC-BabyNet) to provide a comprehensive statewide system of personnel development (CSPD) and technical assistance to early intervention personnel. Ms. Nalty coordinates technical assistance particularly for speech language therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists.
