The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of transgender youth with disabilties in high school. Utilizing in-depth phenomenological interviews and photography, this study sought to gain insights into how the lived experiences and intersections of transgender and disability identity impact high school experiences. The collection of interview data and photography allowed for a deeper understanding of the essence of the phenomenon under study. The aim was to understand the ways in which the complexities of ‘transgender’ and ‘disability’ identities impact high school experiences. The analysis of the data lead to six key themes including: gender as fluid, society and identity, conflation of identities, mental health, changes in school and difference as strength. This dissertation offers a more complete picture of the needs and barriers transgender youth with disabilities face to inform future research and practice. Results from this study extend the current research and provide a deeper understanding of the needs and challenges of transgendered youth with disabilities. Findings from this study also support implications for how educators work with transgender youth with disabilities and how schools can be more inclusive in meeting their needs.

<p> In recent years, the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has increased. Autism is a cognitive impairment that affects the way people socialize and behave. Currently, treatments and services exist mostly for children, even though it is a lifelong disorder and those with it are living longer. Like autism, Alzheimer&rsquo;s affects a person&rsquo;s cognitive abilities, although its onset occurs much later in life. With the increased average lifespan due to technological advances, the number of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer&rsquo;s is expected to grow exponentially. There are many parallels between the two conditions, and research suggests that Autism may act as a buffer against Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease. This systematic literature review aims to better describe the link between autism and Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, which could further an understanding of each condition individually.</p><p>

<p>Death is inevitable for all; however, the nature of that death varies significantly across subsets of the American population with the opportunity to die well often reserved for the privileged and abled. In the last ten years, there has been increasingly more attention paid to issues surrounding serious illness and end-of-life care for adults with intellectual disabilities (IDs). However, care for this population remains fraught with complex challenges and wanting for best practices and standards. Further, research seeking to identify the complexity of issues faced in the provision of end-of-life care for this population, particularly in the United States, is scarce and often biased toward the perspective of caregivers. This multiple-case study sought to explore and describe the illness trajectory and differential end-of-life experiences of adults with IDs within the last year of life in diverse community residences operated by one provider agency in New Jersey. Retrospective data from three sources (records, staff, surrogates) was collected sequentially and triangulated via within and cross-case analyses. This study offers a meaningful contribution to the extant literature by elucidating the last year of life for adults with IDs in community residences. It offers insights into how people with co-occurring IDs and serious illness diagnoses experience their final year, month, week, and moments of life. This study integrated staff and surrogate perspectives with archival data to illustrate the differential experiences that facilitate and impede the ability of people with IDs to die well.

Celebrity endorsement is a multi-million dollar industry, with corporations spending large sums of money to hire sports celebrities to endorse their products and services. The existing literature shows that celebrity endorsers positively affect consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. Although much research effort has focused on various types of celebrities, little attention has been devoted to understanding the influence of Paralympian endorsement (PE) on consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions. This research therefore aimed to investigate the characteristics of Paralympian endorsers that influence consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions, and to develop a theoretical framework relating the determinants of Paralympian endorsers to consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions in the UK. A theoretical framework was developed based on the integration of the theories of source attractiveness, source credibility and components of the theory of reasoned action. The proposed Paralympian Endorsement Framework (PEF) was examined in two phases, using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. During the first phase, an exploratory study was performed using 30 semi-structured interviews. The second phase used a quantitative survey involving 316 questionnaires. Consumers exhibited high levels of acceptance and positive attitudes towards Paralympians endorsing products and services. Attractiveness, expertise, familiarity, trustworthiness and respect were found to positively influence consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions. Consumers also perceived corporations employing Paralympian endorsers as socially responsible, which further encouraged them to support and purchase from these companies. This is the first study using mixed methods to investigate consumers’ perceptions, attitudes and purchase intentions towards Paralympic endorsement. It is also one of the first to introduce the theory of reasoned action into the celebrity endorsement literature. The PEF provides a valuable foundation for future work, since it is the first such model of Paralympian endorsement. It is shown to be both robust and appropriate, implying that the theories on which it is based are indispensable for future research in this area. This research has several limitations, since the framework was tested solely on consumers in the UK who had expressed an interest in sport. To verify the generalisability of the results and to control for cultural differences, future work is needed which tests the model on sports retailers and consumers from other developed countries. The framework presented here is likely to be of importance to both academics and marketing professionals, in terms of both theoretical development and corporate practice.

Orientadores: Antonia Paula Marques de Faria, Maricilda Palandi de Mello / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-13T16:41:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lincoln-de-Carvalho_CarolinaRodrigues_M.pdf: 7487008 bytes, checksum: 0ee30ed31ecc836e60c91e6c4128b2e9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: A deficiência mental (DM) corresponde a uma das categorias mais amplas de distúrbios, acometendo de 1% a 3% da população nos países industrializados, enquanto nos países em desenvolvimento estima-se prevalência cerca de três vezes maior. Devido à heterogeneidade de fatores causais associados a essa condição, sua investigação diagnóstica pode ser complexa e 40% dos casos não têm sua origem determinada. Recentemente, foi demonstrado que rearranjos subteloméricos são responsáveis por 5% a 7% dos casos de DM idiopática. Entre as técnicas mais promissoras para a identificação dessas alterações, está a Multiplex Ligationdependent Probe Amplification (MLPA), que possibilita a quantificação relativa, quanto ao número de cópias, de mais de 50 sequências de ácidos nucléicos em um único experimento, sendo capaz de detectar deleções e duplicações de diversos genes, além de mutações de ponto conhecidas. É baseada na hibridização do DNA genômico a uma mistura de sondas específicas para cada região estudada, com amplificação dos produtos de ligação pela técnica de PCR, utilizando um par de primers universal. A visualização dessas amplificações pode ser feita por eletroforese capilar e a análise por programas específicos de genotipagem. Entre as vantagens do método estão o custo relativamente baixo, simplicidade, rapidez e sensibilidade, justificando a implantação em serviços direcionados para o estudo da etiologia da DM. Assim, o propósito deste trabalho foi implantar o método em nosso laboratório, utilizando o kit SALSA MLPA P036 HUMAN TELOMERE para pesquisa de rearranjos subteloméricos em indivíduos com DM idiopática. Na padronização, foram empregados controles com e sem alteração subtelomérica, sendo avaliados os parâmetros de tempo de estocagem das reações em refrigerador; quantidade de DNA utilizado em cada reação; forma de normalização dos dados, e possibilidade de redução do volume das soluções empregadas para metade ou dois terços do preconizado no protocolo original, cujo volume final de reação é de 50 µL, dos quais somente 0,75 µL são utilizados na eletroforese capilar, com descarte do restante. A análise dos resultados, confirmados pela utilização de controles com e alterações subteloméricas, mostrou que a implantação do método foi bem-sucedida. Além disso, foi verificado que o tempo máximo de estocagem das reações em refrigerador sem prejuízo dos resultados é de aproximadamente três meses; que a quantidade de DNA satisfatória para o procedimento está entre 150-250 ng por reação; que não é aconselhável a utilização de protocolos com volumes reduzidos, pois a análise de reações realizadas dessa forma mostrou resultados falso-positivos quando comparados às reações feitas segundo o protocolo original; que a forma de normalização dos dados mais adequada para a análise dos resultados é a combinação dos programas GeneScan®, Genotyper® e planilha específica para cada kit ao invés do programa Coffalyser®, indicado pelo fabricante do produto. Após essa padronização, o método foi aplicado no estudo de 62 indivíduos com atraso do desenvolvimento ou DM de causa indeterminada, sendo identificadas alterações em seis deles. Duas foram constatadas também pelo kit de confirmação SALSA MLPA P070, sendo uma del(1p36) e outra um rearranjo del(5p)/dup(9p), ambas validadas pela análise por FISH. As quatro restantes [del(12p)] não foram observadas pelo kit de confirmação, sendo realizado sequenciamento automático que identificou o SNP (rs60220187). Concluindo, a técnica de MLPA foi implantada com sucesso, mostrando-se adequada e eficiente para a investigação de rearranjos subteloméricos. / Abstract: Mental retardation (MR) is the most frequent disability and affects 1% to 3% of general population in industrialized world, while in developing countries it is considered to be three times higher. The etiology is heterogeneous and includes multiple genetic and environmental factors, although in about 40% of the cases its cause remains undetermined. Recently, several studies suggest that chromosomal rearrangements involving subtelomeric regions are common causes of idiopathic MR and occur in approximately 5% to 7% of patients. The Multiplex Ligationdependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) technique has been proposed as one of the alternatives to identify these abnormalities. It is based on hybridization of genomic DNA to a mixture of standardized probes for each region studied. All of the probe ligation products are amplified by PCR using only one universal primer pair. Separation and visualization of the fragments can be developed and the analysis by means of specific softwares for genotyping. Relatively low cost, simplicity and sensitivity are among the advantages of this method, which has been considered as an alternative for diagnostic screening of individuals with undetermined MR or developmental delay. The present study aimed to implement this technique in our laboratory, using the SALSA MLPA P036 human telomere test kit for detecting subtelomeric rearrangements in idiopathic MR patients evaluated in our service. For validation study, eleven normal controls and two positive controls were utilized, as well as the following parameters were evaluated: period of storage of reaction, amount of DNA used for each reaction, procedures to data normalization and reduction of reaction volume. The validation was successful; in addition, it was verified that maximum period for storage of reaction was about three months; adequate amount of DNA for each reaction was approximately 150ng-250 ng; Reduction in volume reaction produced false-positive results; the more suitable method for data normalization was a combination of GeneScan®, Genotyper® softwares and a the use of a specific Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet for each kit, instead of the Coffalyser® program, recommended by the manufacturer. After validation, a pilot study was carried out with 62 patients considered as idiopathic MR using initially the SALSA MLPA P036 kit. MLPA analyses have indicated abnormal copy number in six patients. SALSA MLPA P070 kit confirmed 2 out of the 6 alterations: a 1p36 deletion and a 5p deletion / 9p duplication rearrangement, which were validated by FISH analysis. Other four alterations corresponded to a same 12p deletion, which was not further confirmed. Sequencing the correspondent fragment a known as SNP rs60220187 was identified. In conclusion, we demonstrated that MLPA is an appropriate and efficient technique and should be considered as a routine screening in the evaluation of individuals with unexplained mental retardation or developmental delay. / Mestrado / Ciencias Biomedicas / Mestre em Ciências Médicas

This qualitative study concerns the notion of being 'heard’, with a focus on the counselling relationship. The term ‘hearing’ is used as a metaphorical concept and its definition forms part of the investigation. The study initially focuses on the hard of hearing client and their position between the Deaf and hearing worlds. Hard of hearing people are viewed as an important client group whose needs are frequently overlooked. There is a review of the literature relevant to the hard of hearing individual and disability in the counselling relationship. This is followed by a broader consideration of the meaning of ‘hearing’. Included in this literature is ‘hearing’ from the perspective of developmental psychology relating to non-verbal communication, ‘hearing’ through language and ‘hearing’ the other. Following a methodological discussion, an adapted Foucauldian discourse analysis is applied to interview data from nine hard of hearing participants. The findings illustrate dominant discourses in action and also discourses of resistance. The dominant discourses suggest the power and politics involved in the counselling venture and the resistance shows the alternative subject positions the participants created and their agency in the process of being ‘heard’. Following this analysis, a discussion develops, which involves ideas around embodied and ethical 'hearing' in both the research process and within counselling. The study does not aim to provide any stability to the notion of ‘hearing’ in the counselling relationship, but contributes to the field of counselling psychology in creatively exploring the ambiguous term.

It is imperative that individuals with physical impairments maintain an active lifestyle to enhance various aspects of well-being and overall quality of life. This population, however, are also one of the most sedentary in society. One identified reason for this is the ableism which exists in many fitness establishments that promotes acceptance of one particular body; the strong, physically athletic, muscular body is given value. Individuals who do not align to his particular physical reality may be subject to discrimination which can have a detrimental effect on their psycho-emotional well-being and deter them from exercising. Surprisingly, there is an increasing number of disabled individuals who are becoming gym instructors and further integrating themselves into a space which is deemed to oppress them. The purpose of this PhD is to explore these individuals' journey from gym clients to gym instructors. Framed by interpretivism and with particular focus on narrative inquiry, various qualitative analysis techniques were applied to explore 1) participants experiences exercising in the gym, 2) participants' motivations to be gym instructors, 3) how participants made sense of their gym instructor training and, 4)what impact participants perceived they had in the gym as instructors. This thesis has made original contributions to the literature by crafting a deep understanding of disabled people s experiences in the gym and why people enact social missions. For example, this thesis contextualizes disability in the gym and identifies that despite the numerous health benefits disabled people experience by exercising in this space, the psycho-emotional disablism they are subject to acts as a barrier for individuals to exercise here. Importantly, although disablism acted as a barrier to continued exercise for participants, it was also a facilitator in their decision to become a gym instructor. Essentially, participants described their own negative gym experiences as fuelling their desires to enact positive change in this space and do social missions in the gym. To be a gym instructor, participants went through a training programme specifically designed to train disabled people to embody this role. At this training, participants initially experienced a sense of validation and belonging through peer group exercise and were able to craft a collective story which allowed them to resist the oppressive disablism they experienced in the gym. However, as training continued and evolved so too did the narratives participants crafted to make sense of their experiences. Instead of one united story, participants crafted two conflicting narratives which redefined their relationship with each other and InstructAbility, and ultimately determined why some participants continued their training and others did not. For those who did continue to become fully qualified gym instructors, they felt they had a positive influence in promoting inclusion, exercise and diversity in the gym. In light of these findings, there are several practical recommendations for exercise practitioners, rehabilitation specialists, gym managers and those prescribing exercise to disabled people. Implications are aimed at improving exercise promotion and experiences of exercise in the gym for disabled people. For example, disabled gym instructors could be a way to bridge the perceived experiential gap between disability and the gym as they exhibit an alternate way of being which is accepted in this space. Through their experiential knowledge of disability and practical knowledge of exercise, these individuals can also relate to disabled clients in a way that non-disabled instructors cannot. Disabled gym instructors, however, can educate non-disabled gym instructors in how to train someone with an impairment. Equally, a more critical attitude to promoting exercise to disabled people is called for. Specifically, to steer away from disabling expectations and narratives of disabled people s motivations to exercise and move towards more realistic, enabling strategies and narratives to facilitate disabled peoples exercise behaviour.

<p> People with disabilities face discrimination around the world. This has a negative impact on society, individuals and the economy. In Saudi Arabia, people with physical disabilities face serious challenges. This research addressed the negative perceptions and attitudes toward disability in Saudi Arabia that resulted in discrimination against people with disabilities, create challenges for them and prevented them from participating in society equally. This mixed- method study investigated the challenges that face the physically disabled in Saudi Arabia in their personal, political, economic and professional paradigms. This research used quantitative and qualitative methods, to reflect the sentiment and impressions of both the disabled and non- disabled populations in Saudi Arabia on the topic of physical disability. There were 14 participants in the interview component of this research and 403 participated in the survey. This research identified the main challenges facing people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia as inaccessible environments, judgmental society, family and self-image, health care services and enforcement of existing laws and regulations. Furthermore, the results highlighted a number of steps needed for people with disabilities to overcome the challenges in their personal and professional lives.</p><p>

<p> Palliative care is a service provided by an interdisciplinary team, helping improve the quality of life for seriously ill patients and their families. Policy focusing on palliative care in the 21^st century addresses the needs of older adults who suffer from a serious illness, including education about the benefits of palliative care. The under-utilization of palliative care partly stems from lack of knowledge about the topic. This project report was an educational module about palliative care that can be added to a gerontology course taken by a future workforce that may assist patients who could benefit from palliative care. A PowerPoint, student resource guide, and instructor&rsquo;s guide were reviewed by an expert panel, who reported that the material was easy to understand, informative, and contained helpful information. This project report helps bridge the educational gap about palliative care for students participating in CSULB&rsquo;s upper division GE gerontology course.</p><p>

A call for the design of programs focused on the development of self-awareness skills permeates the field of research and practice on postsecondary students with learning disabilities (LD). Important components of self-awareness are students' advanced understanding of learning, LD, and the social context (peers, instructors, classmates) of college learning. This study explores students with LD's conceptual understanding of learning and LD by situating it within developmental theoretical frameworks delineating the form and content of adult reasoning. Twelve female and five male college-students with LD participated in two-hour interviews. Students' thinking about others was explored by asking participants to reason about the behaviors, intentions, feelings and traits of the characters in two scenarios depicting typical dilemmas faced by students with LD. Students' conceptual understanding of learning and LD was elicited by means of open-ended questions followed by prompts. Students' responses were scored for level of cognitive complexity and coded for conceptual content. Overall, the students reasoned abstractly about learning and LD at a level of complexity expected from college-age population. They demonstrated well-developed understanding of others' expectations and motivations especially as they relate to the themes of self-identification, seeking accommodations, and understanding of LD. Students' conceptions of learning and LD presented qualitatively different variations on main themes. These variations paralleled the increase in complexity and were associated with experience(number of years of education). The overarching understanding of learning as acquiring knowledge transitioned from understanding learning as an external, given task to learning as an internal, personal-development process. The common understanding of LD as a difference transitioned from a difference related to an external label and an imposed constraint, to meaning of "difference" as a special ability, an asset, and a source of identity. These results indicate a possible progression in the evolution of the concepts of learning and LD throughout the college career of students with LD. The approach to this conceptual content and its description can inform and serve as starting points in the development of programs that foster the conceptual understanding of learning, LD, and the social-context of the educational enterprise, as a way of building these students' self-awareness skills. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate