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Browsing by Author "Daunhauer, Lisa, advisor"

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    Activity participation and motivation in Down syndrome
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Clader, Emily Jo, author; Daunhauer, Lisa, advisor; Fidler, Deborah J., committee member; Wall, Elizabeth, committee member; Wood, Wendy Hower, committee member
    This paper examines activity participation, motivational style, and daily living skills in the Down syndrome (DS) behavioral phenotype. Children with DS (n = 26) and mixed-etiology intellectual disability (ID, n = 18) ages 5 - 22 participated. The CBCL was used to assess activity participation, the Reiss Profile MR/DD measured motivational style, and the VABS measured daily living skills. Children with DS were more motivated by independence than children with ID (p = .001). In the DS group, sports participation was negatively associated with pain avoidance (r = -.429) and frustration avoidance (r = -.518) but positively associated with daily living skills (r = .452). Daily living skills were negatively associated with curiosity. Though children with DS were motivated by independence, this was not necessarily related to function. Individuals with DS may need heightened tolerance for frustration and even pain to maintain motivation for physical activity. Implications for intervention are discussed.
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    Adverse childhood experiences, executive function, and maladaptive behaviors in children involved with child protective services
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Carvalho, Isidro, author; Daunhauer, Lisa, advisor; Aichele, Stephen, committee member; Sample, Pat, committee member; Barrett, Karen, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member
    Childhood traumatic events are common and frequently associated with maladaptive coping mechanisms which contribute to long-term harm. Yet few targeted treatment options exist to prevent maladaptive coping in children exposed to trauma. The purpose of this thesis is to identify if executive function may serve as a potential target for such interventions. This thesis used a sample of 244 children – aged 6 to 18 years old – who were referred by the Larimer County Department of Human Services for trauma assessments. Participant trauma events, executive function, and maladaptive behavior data were used to determine if executive function moderated the established association between trauma events and maladaptive behavior development. Results showed no significant interaction between trauma events and executive function when assessing for either maladaptive internalization or externalization. However, results indicated that executive function had a main effect on both internalization and externalization. This study emphasizes the need for further research on the associations between childhood trauma, executive function, and maladaptive behaviors. It is imperative that moderators of the association between childhood trauma and maladaptive behaviors are found so that new treatment options can be developed.
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    Relationship between early executive function, comorbidities, and motor skills in infants with Down syndrome
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Jessen, Breanne, author; Daunhauer, Lisa, advisor; Fidler, Deborah, committee member; Gingerich, Karla, committee member
    Over the last decade, there has been increased research on executive function including working memory, inhibition, shifting, and planning in Down syndrome, yet there are still unanswered questions. The extant research demonstrates that Down syndrome is associated with deficits in executive function, motor skills, and a higher probability of exhibiting comorbid diagnoses. Shifting in infancy is associated with infant motor skills and later school outcomes such as memory in typical development. Questions remain regarding how these factors interact in infants with Down syndrome. The current study examined the associations between shifting performance, co-occurring conditions (congenital heart defects [CHD] and prematurity), and motor skills in infants with Down syndrome. Participants were 51 infants with Down syndrome, mean infant chronological age (CA)=15.9 months; SD=3.95; mean infant developmental age=10.73, SD=0.36, Overall, 41.2% of the infant participants were born prematurely (n=21), and 45.1% had CHD (n=23). The results indicate no statistically significant association between co-occurring conditions (CHD and prematurity) and shifting abilities. Additionally, associations between motor skills and shifting performance were not statistically significant. Future research should include a larger sample size and a longitudinal design to better understand the nature of these relationships.