Browsing by Author "Lane, Shelly, committee member"
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Item Open Access Family quality of life and coping in families of children with an ASD(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) King, Ashlyn, author; Hepburn, Susan, advisor; Lane, Shelly, committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee memberGiven the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses, this study sought to explore the impact of an ASD on Family Quality of Life (FQOL). While stress in families who have children with an ASD has been well-documented, the factors that impact FQOL have not been researched as heavily. This study explored associations between ASD symptom severity, coping strategies, and FQOL. For this study, I utilized data from a sample of 36 parent-child dyads in which the child had received a diagnosis of an ASD. Caregivers reported on ASD symptom severity, family quality of life, and coping strategies they employed, among other measures as part of a baseline battery. This study found a significant negative association between ASD symptom severity and FQOL but did not find a significant correlation between the use of coping strategies (specifically passive appraisal, reframing, and acquiring social support) and FQOL. The results indicate that ASD symptom severity is related to lower family quality of life and indicates the need for intervention and support for families.Item Open Access Knowledge of symptoms, social support, and parenting stress in fathers of children with ASD: implications for improved affective well-being(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Mangen, Kathryn, author; Hepburn, Susan, advisor; Luong, Gloria, committee member; Lane, Shelly, committee memberParents of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will likely experience a more challenging and stressful parenting experience than the average parent (Hayes & Watson, 2013). Previous literature has demonstrated that parenting a child with ASD can be highly stressful for mothers, yet there is scant literature on the experiences of fathers. With such little information, it is unclear what contributes to promoting fathers' affective well-being when caring for a child with ASD. The present study examines the associations between knowledge of ASD symptoms, perceived social support, parenting stress, and both positive and negative affect of fathers of a child with ASD within the context of the ABC-X model. Additionally, this study explores which variables predict fathers' positive affect and negative affect. Fifty-two fathers of individuals with ASD completed a battery of confidential online surveys measuring parenting stress, social support, knowledge of ASD symptoms, and positive/negative affect. Correlational analyses and regression analyses were conducted. Results suggest that fathers experience high levels of parental stress, and this parental stress is associated with overall affective well-being. Perceived social support is associated with negative affect and knowledge of ASD symptoms was found to not be associated with any of our variables. Limitations, implications for clinical interventions, and future directions are explored.Item Embargo Personal and contextual influences on Saudi parents' willingness and tolerance for children's risky play(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Alarawi, Rana M., author; Bundy, Anita, advisor; Lane, Shelly, committee member; Hepburn, Susan, committee member; Hickey, Matthew, committee memberObjective: The purpose of this dissertation was to examine personal and environmental factors that influence Saudi parents' willingness to promote, and tolerance of, risk taking in children's play. In this dissertation, I tested a conceptual model that explains the transactions among multiple constructs: factors affecting parental risk willingness, coping efficacy, perceptions of child, and risk tolerance. I also introduced a new tool, the Factors Affecting Tolerance for Risk in Play Scale (FAC-TRiPS) to assess personal, social and cultural factors affecting parental tolerance for risk in play. Lastly, I examined variations between Saudi mothers and fathers in relation to their willingness to allow and tolerate risk in play. Importance: Risky play is defined as "thrilling and exciting forms of physical play that involve uncertainty and a risk of physical injury" (Sandseter, 2010, p.22). Benefits of children's participation in "risky play" are broadly recognized (Barker et al., 2014; Brussoni, Olsen, et al., 2012; Gray et al., 2015; Sandseter, 2007; Sandseter & Kennair, 2011). However, most related research originates in Western countries; none focuses on outdoor play in Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia. Further, while the literature identifies varying perspectives on risky play among parents, there is limited understanding of parental, social, and cultural contexts shaping and influencing Saudi parents' tolerance of risk in play. Participants: The sample included 90 Saudi parents with children ages 7 to 10 years who were able to read and speak English. Parents of this age group are expected to accept risky play. Method: This cross-sectional, quantitative dissertation encompassed three studies. In the first study, I used moderation analysis to test a conceptual model examining the relationship among factors contributing to parents' willingness to allow risky play and their risk tolerance. I also investigated the moderating effects of parental coping self-efficacy and parents' perceptions of their children's coping ability on the relationships among factors contributing to parents' willingness to allow risky play and their risk tolerance. In the second study, I utilized Rasch analysis to explore evidence for construct validity and internal reliability of data gathered with the FAC-TRiPS. In the third study, I examined gender variations in Saudi parents' willingness to promote, and tolerance for, risk taking in children's play by answering two research questions: (1) Do Saudi mothers and fathers differ systematically on FAC-TRiPS items? and (2) How does the inclusion of gender influence the relationship among factors affecting parental perceptions of tolerance for children's risky play? Results: Findings of the first study showed that play factors contributing to parents' willingness to allow risk (e.g., fear of injury and fear of negative judgment) were negatively correlated with risk tolerance. Additionally, parents' coping self-efficacy significantly moderated the relationships among play factors contributing to parents' willingness to allow risk and their tolerance for encouraging children to engage in risk taking. That is, parents with high self-efficacy were more inclined to perceive less stress in such situations and were more apt to allow their children to engage in risky play. However, parental perceptions of their children's coping ability did not have a moderating effect on the interaction between factors contributing to parents' willingness to allow risky play, and their tolerance for, risky play. In the second study, preliminary analysis suggested that the FAC-TRiPS yielded valid and reliable data measuring factors influencing parents' risk tolerance. Because the instrument in its early stages of development, further research with a larger sample is needed to refine items and enhance the instrument's functionality and precision. In the third study, although parent gender did not significantly predict risk tolerance, Saudi mothers and fathers exhibited systematic differences on three FAC-TRiPS items. Mothers reported more fears surrounding potential negative judgment and repercussions from an authority while fathers were more influenced of Media reports. Within the context of other factors, gender appeared to play a complex and indirect role in determining parents' risk tolerance. Conclusion: This research serves as a useful foundation for understanding the impact of context on parents' willingness to promote children's participation in risky play. Key themes across the three studies indicate that risk tolerance is likely influenced by a multitude of factors including personal, psychological, and cultural factors. This research represents the first to study a sample from Saudi Arabia, contributing an Eastern perspective to the existing body of research on risky play. Nevertheless, its findings invite further exploration into gender, societal, and cultural influences on how parents perceive and approach their children's participation in risky play environments. Additionally, further validation of the FAC-TRiPS and the Risk Tolerance model is needed. Findings of this research lend further support to the critical role of environmental facilitators and barriers on functioning as well as raise a need for creating a culture in which the duty of care is balanced with the dignity of risk in order to enable children of all abilities to participate in playful and age-appropriate risk-taking opportunities.Item Embargo Rasch analysis of the evaluation in Ayres sensory integration (EASI)(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Grady, Patricia, author; Bundy, Anita, advisor; Lane, Shelly, committee member; Hepburn, Susan, committee member; Sharp, Julia, committee memberSensory Integration (SI) refers to the neurological process by which a person takes in sensory information, interprets this information, and uses it to inform movement and goal-directed action (Ayres, 1989). For children with a variety of diagnoses, as well as some children who are otherwise typically developing, SI may be impaired or delayed (Bundy & Lane, 2020a). Occupational therapists and other clinicians who treat children with sensory integration (SI) dysfunction face a dearth of appropriate instruments to evaluate SI function. The Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration (EASI; Mailloux et al., 2018) is a novel assessment tool that may allow therapists to evaluate SI in a way that is aligned with SI theory. EASI consists of 21 individual tests that measure constructs of SI. The EASI authors have collected normative data for children across the globe. However, this data must be assessed for validity and reliability before it can be used as the basis for normative scoring on the EASI. In this dissertation, I used Rasch analysis to evaluate data with 19 of the 21 tests. The Rasch model is a latent-trait psychometric model that (1) transforms ordinal-level data to interval-level data and (2) allows users to assess evidence for construct validity (unidimensionality and invariance) and internal reliability (Bond, Yan & Heene, 2020). For each of the 19 tests, I evaluated item fit statistics, rating scale fit statistics, person fit statistics, principal components analysis (PCA) of standardized residuals, differential item functioning (DIF) based on sex, person reliability index and strata. The dataset for this study comprised 2653 children from 51 countries; all data were collected by trained EASI examiners. Overall, results revealed promising evidence for construct validity and internal reliability of data collected using 16 of the19 EASI tests evaluated in this dissertation. However, across many tests, I observed lower-than-desired person fit statistics and reliability. Notably, these results were not far from the desired values. I hypothesized that these findings are the result of the overall high ability level of the normative population. EASI is designed to evaluate children with lower-than-average or poor SI function; therefore, these findings are not unexpected nor are they particularly concerning. Three EASI tests (Proprioception: Force, Proprioception: Joint Position, and Balance) required substantial revision as a result of these analyses; each had threats to construct validity that exceeded my expectations. In this dissertation, I provided potential solutions for these three tests; future studies will evaluate the extent to which these solutions resolve concerns. In conclusion, the normative data form an acceptable basis for creating norm-based scores for clinical interpretation. However, larger studies must be conducted with clinical populations to ensure that the tests can differentiate between children with and without SI dysfunction. Further, future studies should investigate the role of culture, language and other factors on the validity of EASI test scores.Item Open Access The scale of parental playfulness attitude (PaPA): evaluating the psychometric properties with Latino caregivers in the U.S.(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Goertzen, Kayley Michelle, author; Bundy, Anita, advisor; Lane, Shelly, committee member; Reinke, Jennifer, committee member; Yuma, Paula, committee memberPlay is a meaningful occupation for individuals across the lifespan. Often, play occurs in the context of caregiver-child joint play in which the playfulness of the caregiver can be a support or a barrier to the child's play participation. Occupational therapists (OTs) who seek to optimize performance and participation in joint play must consider the caregiver's level of playfulness when designing interventions. Any measure of caregiver playfulness must be valid and reliable for a given client population. OTs often work with clients from the growing and diverse Latino population in the U.S. Review of literature reveals few measurement tools assess caregiver playfulness, and none have been validated for the Latino American population. To this end, I administered the Scale for Parental Playfulness Attitude (PaPA; Román-Oyola et al., 2019) to 50 Latino American caregivers of children between 29 and 85 months old. Data collected with the PaPA demonstrated preliminary evidence for construct validity (positive point-measure correlations, 93% of items fit Rasch expectations, 4.46 eigenvalues in principal components analysis contrast, consistent rating scale, limited item spread, logical item hierarchy), excellent evidence for internal reliability (person-reliability index = 0.85, strata = 3.55), and good evidence cross-cultural validity (25/28 or 89% of items formed similar hierarchy for participants in the U.S. and Puerto Rico). The findings of this study suggest the PaPA may be useful to establish a baseline measure of caregiver playfulness, show change in playfulness over time, and guide interventions to promote quality performance and participation in the co-occupation of joint play.