Weighted Vest Loads Do Not Elicit Changes in Spatial-Temporal Gait Parameters in Children and Adolescents With Autism.

Weighted vests have been used primarily as behavioral interventions for children and adolescents with autism. Contemporary research has begun to examine weighted vest effects on movement. Previous research in children with neurotypical development revealed 15% body mass loads modified spatial-temporal gait characteristics; however, a value applicable to children and adolescents with autism has not been established.

Children With Autism Exhibit More Individualized Responses to Live Animation Biofeedback Than Do Typically Developing Children.

Children with autism have displayed imbalances in responding to feedback and feedforward learning information and they have shown difficulty imitating movements. Previous research has focused on motor learning and coordination problems for these children, but little is known about their motoric responses to visual live animation feedback. Thus, we compared motor output responses to live animation biofeedback training in both 15 children with autism and 15 age- and sex-matched typically developing children (age range: 8-17 years).

Lesser magnitudes of lower extremity variability during terminal swing characterizes walking patterns in children with autism.

Background: Anecdotally, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder have highly variable lower extremity walking patterns, yet, this has not been sufficiently quantified. As such, the purpose of this study was to examine walking pattern variability by way of lower extremity coordination and spatio-temporal characteristics in children with autism compared with individuals with typical development during over-ground walking.

Methods: Bilateral continuous relative phase variability was computed for the thigh-leg, leg-foot, and thigh-foot segment couples for 11 children with autism and 9 children with typical development at each gait sub-phase.

Computer interactions during walking workstation use moderately affects spatial-temporal gait characteristics.

Background: Due to increased sedentary workstyles, active workstations have shown the ability to increase activity while only moderately affecting work ability. However, previous examinations have not examine fine motor mousing tasks on tripping descriptors.

Research Question: What affect do mousing tasks of varying target size have on tripping descriptors during walking workstation use?

Methods: Three-dimensional kinematic data were collected while participants used a walking workstation completing one baseline and three mousing conditions of varying target sizes.

Injuries and Safe Communities Accreditation: Is there a link?

Safe Communities (SC) is a global movement that brings together community stakeholders to collaboratively address injury concerns. SC accreditation is a formal process through which communities are recognized for strengthening local injury prevention capacity. Six million Americans live in 25 SC sites, but no research has been done to understand the model's potential impact on this population.