Sleep Promotes Phonological Learning in Children Across Language and Autism Spectra.

Purpose Establishing stable and flexible phonological representations is a key component of language development and one which is thought to vary across children with neurodevelopmental disorders affecting language acquisition. Sleep is understood to support the learning and generalization of new phonological mappings in adults, but this remains to be examined in children. This study therefore explored the time course of phonological learning in childhood and how it varies by structural language and autism symptomatology.

Atypicalities in sleep and semantic consolidation in autism.

Sleep is known to support the neocortical consolidation of declarative memory, including the acquisition of new language. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is often characterized by both sleep and language learning difficulties, but few studies have explored a potential connection between the two. Here, 54 children with and without ASD (matched on age, nonverbal ability and vocabulary) were taught nine rare animal names (e.

The developmental trajectory of parent-report and objective sleep profiles in autism spectrum disorder: Associations with anxiety and bedtime routines.

The present study compared the course of parent-report and actigraphy-derived sleep profiles over a 1-year period, in school-age children with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing children. The Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire and 14 nights of actigraphy were used to assess sleep profiles. Parents also completed the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, the Social Worries Questionnaire and the Bedtime Routines Questionnaire.

The Association Between Anxiety Symptoms and Sleep in School-Aged Children: A Combined Insight From the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire and Actigraphy.

The current study assessed the association between anxiety symptoms and sleep in 90 school-aged children, aged 6-12 years (M = 108 months, 52.2% male). The Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and 14 nights of actigraphy were used to assess sleep.

Partnership, knowledge translation, and substance abuse prevention with a First Nations community.

Background: Having identified substance abuse as an issue of concern in their community, the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation invited University of Alberta researchers to partner on the cultural adaptation, delivery, and evaluation of a school-based drug and alcohol abuse prevention program. Researchers conducted a literature review of available drug and alcohol prevention programs for children and youth, identifying the Life Skills Training (LST) program as a viable model for cultural adaptation.

Objectives: Four program objectives were developed: (1) Review and cultural adaptation of the elementary and junior high LST programs, (2) delivery of the adapted programs, (3) measurement of changes in students' knowledge of the negative effects of drug and alcohol use, attitudes toward drugs and alcohol, drug and alcohol refusal and life skills, and changes in self-esteem/self-concept, and (4) documentation of the community's experience of the project.

"Making a place of respect": lessons learned in carrying out consent protocol with First Nations elders.

Background: This article explores the issue of informed consent by First Nations Elders modifying and implementing a substance abuse prevention program for youth, Nimi Icinohabi, among the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation. The Elders who approved and guided the research maintained that informed consent procedures carried out by the Western academic institutions were redundant given adherence to their own culturally based protocol.

Objectives: The objective of this article is to present lessons learned regarding the cultural basis of consent involving First Nations Elders to improve our own and other researchers' ethical practice in this context.

A culturally adapted drug and alcohol abuse prevention program for aboriginal children and youth.

Background: In response to substance abuse within their community, the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation invited the University of Alberta (UofA) to partner in a collaborative effort to establish a school-based substance abuse prevention program.

Objectives: An evidence-based substance abuse prevention program was reviewed and adapted by the community to ensure that it incorporated their cultural beliefs, values, language, and visual images. The adapted program was delivered to students at Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation School and changes in student participants' knowledge, attitudes, refusal skills, and self-beliefs were measured.