Survivors of brain injury: the narrative experiences of being a college or university student.

BACKGROUND: The deficits associated with a brain injury may pose many challenges to young adult students. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to conduct an in-depth exploration of the experiences and processes individuals who self-identify as having a brain injury go through during college or university to overcome obstacles. METHOD: This study used a basic interpretative qualitative design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed with the constant comparative method. FINDINGS: Three themes emerged: balancing act, reality versus injury, and square peg in a round hole. Participants discussed personal strategies that they used to help them be successful. Despite these strategies, the participants continued to feel out of place and felt that seeking disability services would further set them apart from their non-injured peers. IMPLICATIONS: Individuals post-brain injury may benefit from occupational therapy services to reduce the challenges associated with functioning in the student role in college and university environments.

A pilot study of maternal sensitivity in the context of emergent autism.

Unstructured mother-toddler interactions were examined in 18-month-old high- and low-risk children subsequently diagnosed (n = 12) or not diagnosed (n = 21) with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) at 36 months. Differences in maternal sensitivity were not found as a function of emergent ASD status. A differential-susceptibility moderation model of child risk guided investigations linking maternal sensitivity to child behavior and language growth. Group status moderated the relation between sensitivity and concurrent child behavior problems, with a positive association present for children with emergent ASD. Maternal sensitivity at 18 months predicted expressive language growth from age 2 to 3 years among children with emergent ASD only. Findings underscore the importance of understanding parent-child interaction during this key period in the development of autism symptomatology.