This thesis disrupts the popular narrative of high-functioning autistic individuals as the ideal and capable special needs people who are worthy of our attention. It characterizes the author’s nonverbal autistic sister as a charming, cunning, even diabolical figure who cannot be pinned to a single interpretation - a figure beyond understanding. Defying convention both stylistically and thematically, this thesis provides a nuanced, in-depth view of a family with special needs as each member copes in different and contradictory ways.

Master of Science / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreational Resources / Rhonda Janke / With the increasing popularity of urban farming, more people are seeking resources to start their own farming/growing production in urban environments. Traditionally, county Extension educators are a key resource for beginning farmers and growers. However, urban Extension offices are often overlooked as resources in the urban farming planning process. The objectives of this study are 1) identify information urban farmers currently have, information they need, and their preferred delivery methods 2) look at the resources and information that are offered by local Extension educators in the KC metro area and 3) analyze how these two groups are communicating and what could improve to meet farmers‟ needs. This project evaluates current interaction between urban farmers and Extension educators in the Kansas City area through a two-pronged approach: a written mail-out questionnaire for urban farmers and growers in the Kansas City metropolitan area and through in-person one-on-one interviews with Extension educators that emphasize topic areas related to urban agriculture in the KC area. One hundred and nineteen farmers/growers were surveyed, and a 54.6% response rate was achieved. The majority of farmers had small, diversified farms and were relatively new to farming. Respondents were primarily older, white men that had higher education. Independently-driven sources (such as self-research, other farmers, and friends/family) were most commonly used sources among farmers. Overall, respondents ranked Extension highly in terms of information quantity, quality and as their "go to" source. Extension educators from Kansas State University, University of Missouri, and Lincoln University were interviewed one-on-one using scripted interview questions to determine topics and medias of information that are currently being offered. Production and processing information is offered the most by educators followed by distribution, equipment, and marketing information. Financial information was the least offered information topic. Extension educators use a wide variety of methods to distribute information. Most Extension educators are aware of benefits and barriers relating to urban agriculture in the KC metro area. Extension educators are addressing urban agriculture in varying degrees and the level of involvement corresponds to the Extension institution.

M.A. (Communication) / The study firstly proposed that marketing communication be approached within a social-psychological framework, where market related information is subject to both internal (cognitive) and external or social influences, specifically reference groups. The concept of information seeking within this framework implies that the consumer is actively involved in the interchange of market-related information, and that he actively seeks information relevant to his goals in the purchase situation. A broad spectrum of literature on information seeking was subsequently reviewed, which was then systemized according to the nature and sources of information seeking. It was established that normative social influence (which implies that the self concept determines information seeking) is found to operate only for informal personal sources and formal non-personal sources. Further, it was stated that where social influence is normative, it will impact only on consumer information seeking for social products. Based on this model, a number of propositions regarding the nature and sources of consumer information seeking for social products were formulated. These propositions formed the basis of the empirical part of the study. Items drawing on the propositions were incorporated into a Likert-type questionnaire which was handed to a stratified random sample of student consumers.

M.Inf. / For centuries man has relied on agriculture to sustain human life. Farmers, as usual, were concerned with growing crops, vegetables and breeding domestic animals for transport, meat and milk supply. Success in farming, especially stock farming was a sign of wealth. Land area for cultivation of crops and pasture for livestock was ample. So, if land gets depleted and cannot meet the needs of all adequately, farmers moved to other parts of the land where soils were still fertile. So, agriculture and stock farming relied heavily on nomadic farmers to find fresh fertile soils. Specialized agricultural information which is prevalent today was not necessary. However, as the world population increased, land areas diminished and man’s migration stopped. Soils depletion of minerals had to be re-used and technology was developed to aid in improving the quality of the soils. Fertilizers, manure and irrigation were introduced as did pesticides and herbicides which assisted in improving the quality and quantity of agricultural output. Information is a powerful tool in addressing these agricultural needs and if it is used appropriately it could change a nation’s economy. The purpose of the research was to investigate agricultural information needs of agriculturists and farmers in Lesotho and resources that are available to satisfy these needs. Therefore, it will be argued that relevant and timely information has to be organized according to language and format understood by different categories of agriculturists and farmers. Agricultural information that might be useful to improve productivity should be appropriately disseminated to users who may benefit from the information. Specifically, the research project investigated different categories of agriculturists and farmers and their type of agricultural information needs. Resources that are available in Lesotho and in organizations were also investigated in order to identify those that could be utilized to meet agriculturists’ and farmers’ needs. In order to arrive at this, the researcher did a literature study on the status of agricultural information in the developed countries (DC), the less developed countries (LDC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC). The project also looked at both the positive and negative factors that affect agricultural development in order to select which methods and resources could be adapted to address the needs of local agriculturists and farmers. The researcher used the interview method to collect data on agricultural information needs of agriculturists and farmers, as well as resources that are available to them in Lesotho. The purpose of the structured interview was to gather information related to the use of information sources, sources of agricultural information, document and information delivery and IT connectivity. The findings showed that farmers interviewed were spread evenly in agricultural farming of maize, sorghum, beans and vegetables; and stock farming of cattle, cows, piggery and poultry. iii Agriculturists indicated that the purpose for which agricultural information was needed included marketing of agricultural produce, research information and information for selfimprovement. Farmers on the other hand indicated that they needed agricultural information for advancement of primary production, community education, self-improvement and sustainable agriculture. Other major findings included concern for which pest control and sustainable agriculture. Current awareness services were also rated highly and publications were the method of dissemination that was preferred. Agricultural information that is cost-effective and appropriate was considered for purchase. In terms of acquisition and accession of information, results showed that most users preferred surface mail, as it is reliable and cheap, even though it is sometimes slow. Through it, bulky packages like books and journals could be sent.

Residential crowding is frequently associated with impoverished segments of the population, often living in distressed neighbourhoods, and with detrimental consequences for crowded households. The aim of this thesis is to apply a sociological and historical perspective on residential crowding by analyzing Swedish governmental texts and quantitative survey data. Politically defined welfare standards, as well as the subjective experience of crowding are analyzed and interpreted through sociological welfare and governmentality theory. The arguments justifying the official governmental standards on residential crowding – first formulated in the mid-1930s – are explored in a discourse analysis. The analysis shows that there is a strong link between what is regarded to be appropriate dwelling space and what is regarded to be morally good housing conditions. In the 1930s and 1940s experts’ decided on what was adequate dwelling space, however in the mid- 1980s experts’ ability to decide on dwelling space was highly questioned. Instead it became an individual responsibility to decide on how to reside. Hence, what constitutes morally good and morally bad dwelling conditions is debated and dispersed on many actors. Two parallel discourses on crowding, a ”gentrified” and a “distressed” are further explored by analyzing the data from a survey study. Subjective as well as objective elements are analyzed by relating socio-economic profiles of the crowded residents in a distressed and a gentrified neighbourhood. Despite income differences within the crowded population, depending on what neighbourhood you live in, the crowded residents in all neighbourhoods experience less freedom regarding their dwelling situation than do non-crowded residents. The least amount of freedom is experienced by those who are crowded both according to the Swedish housing standard and according to a subjective measure of crowding.

The overall aim of this doctoral thesis is to increase knowledge and understanding of special needs education in rural schools. More specifically, the purpose of this thesis is to examine and analyse the enabling and constraining conditions in special needs education for the mission of class teachers', principals' and special educators'. To fulfil this purpose, the following research question is posed: What are the enabling and constraining conditions for special needs education and its organisation, and what meanings are given to special needs education in rural schools? In order to meet this aim four studies were conducted in a total of 58, mainly Swedish rural schools. The schools were spread out geographically and represented both public and independent rural schools. The empirical data consists of interviews, observations and questionnaires. The method of analysis was mainly qualitative content analysis. Descriptive statistics were also used. The first study (Article 1) examines class teachers' conditions for supporting pupils with special educational needs in seven rural schools in Sweden, Norway and Finland. The main results of the interview study are summarized into four themes; relationship, collaboration, distance and concern. The second study (Article II) investigates how principals in rural Swedish schools organize special needs education. A web questionnaire was answered by 45 principals. The results show that the principals balance between an individual approach to special needs and a flexible way of organizing special needs education. The third study (Article III) examines how special educators' expertise in educational consultation is utilized in order to support professional development of class teachers who work in rural schools with diverse pupil groups. Three authentic consultation sessions were observed and analysed. The results show that consultation as a support strategy enables the class teachers to support pupils with special educational needs and strengthens professional collaboration between special educators and class teachers. The fourth study (Article IV) investigates what meanings educators working as principals in independent rural schools attach to special needs education. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire with open-ended questions. According to the principals' special needs education is an activity aimed at supporting all pupils' learning and development. The results also show that the independent schools have strong ties to the surrounding community. The thematic analysis of the four studies displays two main concepts; inner force and outer pressure. These concepts illustrate the enabling as well as the constraining conditions for special needs education in rural schools. The inner force stems from relationships, familiar atmosphere, the possibilities to meet all pupils' needs, collaboration and flexible ways of organizing the educational activities, while the outer pressure stems from threats of school closure, lack of resources and unappreciative municipal authorities. Despite the constraining conditions, which make the rural school vulnerable, the enabling conditions seem to dominate, making the rural school an inclusive learning environment able to meet all pupils' diverse learning needs.

Det finns idag i Sverige många personer som har drabbats av en demenssjukdom. Att drabbas av demenssjukdom påverkar hela familjen och de närstående får ofta dra ett tungt lass vid vården av den sjuke. Många närstående sliter dygnet runt och löper därför stor risk att drabbas av hög stressbelastning och depression som följd. Demenssjukdom kan delas in i olika typer så som frontotemporal demens, Alzheimers sjukdom, vaskulärdemens. Olika typer av demens ger olika symtom men gemensamt är att de alla ger en kognitiv och känslomässig påverkan med bland annat nedsatt minnesfunktion, rastlöshet och oro. Syftet med studien var att undersöka vilka behov närstående som vårdar en demenssjuk i hemmet kan ha för att som sjuksköterska kunna stödja på bästa sätt. I denna studie har det använts elva artiklar varav sex är kvalitativa och tre kvantitativa samt två artiklar som var blandstudier med både kvalitativa och kvantitativa inslag. Analysen av materialet resulterade i två huvudkategorier vilka är kunskap om sjukdomen och kunskap om stöd som kan erbjudas, samt sex underkategorier. Resultatet visar att närstående har ett stort behov av utbildning och information, vilket de i dag inte tycker att de får tillräckligt av. De behöver dels kunskap om sjukdomen för att kunna förstå och ge en god vård, samt kunskap om sjukdomens utveckling för att kunna planera för framtiden. Det visar sig också att många närstående inte får tillräckligt information om hur de skall få kontakt med olika instanser, samt hur de kan söka olika stödåtgärder så som korttidsplats, dagverksamhet och avlösning i hemmet. För att närstående skall orka sköta den dagliga vården av den sjuke är det viktigt att han eller hon får tid att ta hand om sig själv. Som sjuksköterskor är det viktigt att ha en bra utbildning och en god förståelse för hur närstående och sjuka upplever sjukdomen, för att kunna ge en korrekt information samt att kunna stödja på bästa sätt.

Esta pesquisa teve o objetivo de analisar os cuidados de crianças nascidas prematuras egressas de unidades neonatais, com foco nas perspectivas maternas sobre as necessidades essenciais e de atenção especial de saúde, em uma região brasileira de fronteira. Estudo misto, com análise quantitativa de informações em saúde de 951 prontuários de prematuros hospitalizados entre 2013 e 2017, utilizando-se testes estatísticos dos programas IBM SPSS Statistics versão 25 e R i386 versão 3.4.0; e abordagem qualitativa como eixo central, na perspectiva da hermenêutica filosófica, realizada a partir de quatro encontros com 18 mães de crianças prematuras egressas de terapia intensiva neonatal. O primeiro encontro aconteceu no hospital, para caracterizar crianças/famílias e classificar Crianças com Necessidades Especiais de Saúde (CRIANES), aplicando-se o roteiro \"Triagem CRIANES\", utilizado nas quatro etapas do estudo; a seguir, visita domiciliar, realizada após 15 dias da alta hospitalar, com entrevista em profundidade; dois contatos telefônicos ou por mensagem de texto instantânea (30 dias após a visita e aos seis meses de idade da criança). Oportunizaram-se novos encontros/contatos a partir das necessidades das mães. Elegeu-se para a análise, a interpretação de sentidos. A coleta de dados ocorreu em Foz do Iguaçu-Paraná-Brasil, entre julho de 2017 e maio de 2018. Os resultados mostram que o nascimento prematuro representou 10,3% e 43,3% necessitaram hospitalização. A prematuridade foi maior para mães argentinas. A idade média materna foi 27,2 anos, peso ao nascer 1.700g, idade gestacional 31,5 semanas, período de internação 23,1 dias, e diagnóstico de problemas pulmonares. A mortalidade apresentou uma média de 21,3%. O menor número de consultas pré-natal, intercorrências maternas, Apgar de 5º minuto abaixo de sete e complicações com o bebê foram correlacionados ao aumento dos dias de hospitalização. O menor peso ao nascer, menor idade gestacional, índices de Apgar de 1º e 5º minuto inferiores a sete e complicações aumentaram as chances de óbito. No tocante aos cuidados maternos, apreendeu-se que a interação entre mãe e filho se fortalece no processo de cuidar em domicílio, e são apontadas dificuldades para compartilhamento e aprendizado no hospital. As mães salientam fragilidades no preparo para cuidar, identificam os bebês como frágeis e pequenos, buscam atender as necessidades essenciais do filho pelo reconhecimento da relevância de um bom desenvolvimento e do entendimento das práticas de estimulação nos momentos do cuidado cotidiano. Consideram primordiais o aleitamento materno, afeto e seguimento à saúde para bom desenvolvimento. A falta de oportunidades institucionais para amparar o cuidado domiciliar repercutiram em desatenção no âmbito hospitalar e na atenção primária. As mães encontram dificuldades no reconhecimento de necessidades no hospital e manifestam preocupação com a saúde dos bebês após a alta e com sequelas advindas das complicações. As necessidades de \'uso de serviços\' e \'dependência medicamentosa\', foram reportadas para quatro crianças. Visitas domiciliares e contatos telefônicos foram considerados relevantes, indicativos de potencialização de apoio ao cuidado domiciliar. Compartilhar informações, reconstruir experiências e favorecer o diálogo são aspectos importantes para proporcionar confiança e autonomia para o cuidado no domicílio e incrementar a atenção às necessidades da criança prematura / This study aimed to analyze the care of children born prematurely in neonatal units, focusing on maternal perspectives on essential needs and special health care in a Brazilian border region. Varied study, with quantitative of health information from 951 medical records of premature hospitalized between 2013 and 2017, using statistical tests provided by IBM SPSS Statistics version 25 and R i386 version 3.4.0 programs; and qualitative approach as central axis, in the perspective of philosophical hermeneutics, realized from four appointment with 18 mothers of premature children who were hospitalized from intense neonatal therapy. The first appointment happened in the hospital to characterize the children/family and classify Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) applying the script \"Screening CSHCN\" using in the four stages of the study; next, home visit, realized after 15 days of discharge, with in-depth interview; two phone contacts or by instant message (30 days after the visit and six months of age of the child). It has become available new meetings/contacts from the maternal needs. The sense interpretation was elected for analysis. The data collection happened in Foz do Iguaçu- ParanáBrazil, between July 2017 and May 2018. The results shown that the premature born represented 10.3% and 43.3% needed hospitalization. The maternal mean age was 27,2 years, birth weight 1.700g, gestational age 31,5 weeks, hospitalization period 23,1 days and diagnosis of pulmonary problems. Mortality presented an average of 21.3%. The lower number of prenatal consultations, maternal complications, Apgar scores of 5 minutes below seven and complications with the baby were correlated with the increase in the days of hospitalization. The lower birth weight, the lower gestational age, Apgar scores of first and fifth minutes less than seven and complications increases the death chances. Regarding maternal care, it was found that the interaction between mother and son strengthened in the process of home care, and difficulties were identified for sharing and learning in hospital environment. The mothers accentuate fragilities in the preparation to care, identify the babies as fragile and small, search to meet the essential needs of the child for relevance recognition of a good development and the understanding the practices of stimulation in the moments of daily care. Breastfeeding, affection and health follow-up for good development are considered paramount. The lack of institutional opportunities to support the home care had repercussions about inattention in hospitable scope and primary care. The mothers find difficulties in recognition of needs in the hospital and manifest concern about the health of their babies after discharge and with sequels due to complications. The needs of \"use of service\" and \"medicine dependency\" were reported relevant for four kids. Home visits and phone contacts were considered relevant, how indicative of potentialization of support for home care. Sharing information, rebuild experiences and favor dialogue are important aspects to provide confidence and autonomy for home care and increase the attention to the needs of the premature children

<p>This research examines the relationships between the satisfaction of psychological needs (belongingness and distinctiveness) on affective and cognitive attitudes (job satisfaction and commitment) with an emphasis on identifying key differential and moderating effects. This study hypothesizes the direct effects of need satisfaction and moderating effects of the source (individual & group) and domain (work & non-work) of need satisfaction. Hypotheses were tested with a cross-sectional survey of alumni from a regional college in the mid-Atlantic United States. Results indicated that satisfying the needs for belongingness and distinctiveness whether through source (individual vs. group) or by domain (work vs. non-work) have a positive impact on job attitudes. However, the results for the moderating and differential effects along with post-hoc analyses provides additional insights. Overall, this study found that the satisfaction of psychological needs have important direct effects on affective and cognitive job attitudes. Results indicated that the source of need satisfaction (individual and group) and the domain in which a need is satisfied do moderate the relationship between psychological need satisfaction and specific cognitive and affective job attitudes. In many circumstances, the moderating effect was not as expected. Additionally, the context of virtuality had a significant impact on only a few relationships. Post-hoc analyses showed that the relationship among the variables in this study are more complex than hypothesized and should be evaluated more fully. </p>

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The policy for Inclusive Education in South Africa, the White Paper 6, states that all children can learn with support. Research suggests that there is a lack of access to education and resources for children with ASD living in low socio-economic communities. Education support services are under-resourced and unable to deal with the enormous number of learners with special needs. Globally, there is an appalling lack of dedicated school and learning facilities for children affected by autism. In special needs schools, children with autism are placed in classes with children with other disabilities. This is often as a result of either little understanding of their learning needs or resource constraints such as no schools close by to accommodate autistic learners.