ICT Proficiency Levels of Canadian University-Level Business School Graduates: Representations of Graduates and Employers

This study examines the perceptions of Canadian business school graduates’ and employers with respect to business graduates’ ICT proficiency levels. Twelve (12) business graduates from a Canadian university and six (6) local employers were interviewed on a range of topics relating to the acquisition of information and communications technology (ICT) skills and graduate competency levels. Graduates were positive in their self-appraisal of computing proficiency and expressed high levels of confidence in their ICT capabilities, while the acquisition of these skills was found to be primarily learned informally, self-taught, or learned during work terms. Generally, employers felt that the ICT competencies of business graduates the skills they need for the workplace are appropriate, but indicate that some specialized ICT skills are acquired through workplace orientation and ongoing professional learning. Graduate skill deficits were found to be more prevalent in the areas of writing and communication – including spelling, grammar, and business writing. Research findings suggest some misalignment between employer expectations and program objectives and raise questions about a potential gap in the readiness of graduates for the workplace. Although there is wide recognition that the primary aim of university business degree programs falls outside of ICT skill development, this research suggests a need for better coordination to align the needs and expectations of employers with the goals and objectives of business programs. Strategies for greater collaboration between business faculties and employers, with regard to business graduates’ ICT and other key competencies are suggested.

Build Independent Self-feeding Function: A Pilot Study on a Child with Autism and Feeding Disorder

The high occurrence of feeding disorders among children with autism spectrum disorder has caught the attention of professionals from different disciplines. When taking an insight into their feeding problems, mixed physical, behavioral and psychological difficulties were encountered, such as oral skill deficits (e.g., chew, swallow, and coordination), fine motor skill deficits, food selectivity (e.g., texture aversion), food neophobia, and so on. However, the traditional non-oral tube feeding method for maintaining their nutrition consumption is criticized as too intrusive and inadequate for training self-feeding skills. Therefore, to target both establishing independent self-feeding function and food consumption variety (nutrition) while using less intrusive intervention method, the present study tested the effectiveness of a multicomponent behavioral intervention protocol on a child with autism and feeding disorder, setting across physical, behavioral and psychological background. A task analysis on self-feeding function resulted in a backward-chain training procedure on swallowing, chewing, and fine motor skills, separately and then combined. The training procedure consisted of 3 key components: 1) swallowing training, 2) chewing training starting with using a chew facilitator tube, 3) fine motor training targeting on self-feeding; and 4) fine motor-chewing-swallowing coordination training with multiple types of food. The results showed the present multicomponent behavioral intervention protocol successfully established the participant’s self-feeding skills: ameliorated his oral and fine motor skills, cultivated his independent self-feeding function, and increased his food consumption volume and variety.

Build Independent Self-feeding Function: A Pilot Study on a Child with Autism and Feeding Disorders

The high occurrence of feeding disorders among children with autism spectrum disorder has caught the attention of professionals from different disciplines. When taking an insight into their feeding problems, mixed physical, behavioral and psychological difficulties were encountered, such as oral skill deficits (e.g., chew, swallow, and coordination), fine motor skill deficits, food selectivity (e.g., texture aversion), food neophobia, and so on. However, the traditional non-oral tube feeding method for maintaining their nutrition consumption is criticized as too intrusive and inadequate for training self-feeding skills. Therefore, to target both establishing independent self-feeding function and food consumption variety (nutrition) while using a less intrusive intervention method, the present study tested the effectiveness of a multicomponent behavioral intervention protocol on a child with autism and feeding disorder, setting across physical, behavioral and psychological background. A task analysis on self-feeding function resulted in a backward-chain training procedure on swallowing, chewing, and fine motor skills, separately and then combined. The training procedure consisted of 3 key components: 1) swallowing training, 2) chewing training starting with using a chew facilitator tube, 3) fine motor training targeting on self-feeding; and 4) fine motor-chewing-swallowing coordination training with multiple types of food. The results showed the present multi-component behavioral intervention protocol successfully established the participant’s self-feeding skills: ameliorated his oral and fine motor skills, cultivated his independent self-feeding function, and increased his food consumption volume and variety.

Implementing Functional Assessment–Based Interventions in Secondary Settings: Strategies for Overcoming Barriers

Secondary students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) can often demonstrate skill deficits and problem behaviors in general education classes. Teachers generally understand how to implement intensive interventions, yet may not know how to address skill deficits and off-task behaviors using a function-based approach or may encounter barriers to implementation. In this article, we present barriers to implementation that may occur in secondary settings. To help educators make decisions, we offer recommendations and resources to overcome these barriers to implementing functional assessment-based interventions in secondary schools.

Suicide Stigma in Christian Faith Communities: A Qualitative Study

Given the increasing numbers of U.S. lives lost to suicide, it is imperative to identify factors that can help protect against suicide. While regular religious service attendance has been found to be protective against suicide, faith communities have taboos against suicide which may be associated with stigma. Nine Christian faith leaders and congregants and one moral psychologist completed interviews on suicide stigma in Christian faith communities. Themes that emerged included internal, interpersonal, and theological components and group differences related to suicide stigma in Christian faith communities. Participants proposed seven barriers and seven corresponding ways to address suicide stigma in Christian faith communities: talk about suicide, address skill deficits, practice vulnerability, get leadership on board, address the theology of suicide, appreciate that faith communities have a unique contribution to make to suicide prevention, and address cultural/systemic issues.

Skill Deficits Impact Cloud Business Returns

Cloud computing (Cloud) presents an opportunity to businesses for cost reduction in IT services, however, it also requires new skills to optimize the effective management and realization of the business benefits. The skills gap is described as a deficit because many previous management methods and strategies fail to adequately cover the new requirements and fully grasp the value opportunity.

High-Leverage Instructional Practices for Students with Autism and Mild Disabilities in Traditional and Remote Learning Settings

Meeting the needs of students with autism and mild disabilities effectively in traditional and remote settings must be an individualized, purposeful, and data-driven process [1]. Learning to implement a core foundation of easy-to-use evidence-based instructional practices can help teachers across content areas develop a core foundation of “go to” practices which can potentially benefit all students with and without disabilities [2]. The High-Leverage Practices (HLPs) recently identified by the Council for Exceptional Children and the CEEDAR Center at the University of Florida [3] can help educators to target their students’ most significant skill deficits and, subsequently, develop and deliver instructional programming that may help students develop to their fullest potential. The 22 identified HLPs are multifaceted, evidence-based practices.

ADHD and Its Impact on Interpersonal Relationships

This chapter is an attempt to discuss the interpersonal difficulties encountered by adults with ADHD. ADHD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders, while adult ADHD still remains the most undiagnosed one due to its comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders. It was until recently that the importance of adult ADHD was recognized to have an impact on the interpersonal difficulties faced by them. The core symptoms of ADHD in the form of behavioral and cognitive impairments along with social skill deficits are associated with maladjustments in their social and personal relationships that often lead to marital discord, problems with peers, family dysfunction, and parent-child conflicts.

Childhood Maltreatment and Risk of Harm to Self and Others: The Role of Sex and Polyvictimization

Objectives: Research has shown that children who experience abuse and neglect are at much higher risk of experiencing negative outcomes such as physical and mental health problems, social skill deficits, and poor quality of life. The goal of this paper was to examine the relationship between polyvictimization and risk of harm to self and others, taking into account both age and sex differences. Methods: A total of 8980 participants (4156 with maltreatment history) were recruited from over 50 mental health facilities in Ontario, Canada. Group comparisons were completed to examine types of trauma experienced, and risk of harm to self and others. Results: Among our sample, we found that 29% of children and youth had experienced multiple types of interpersonal trauma. We also found that while female children and youth who had experienced trauma were at greater risk of harm to themselves, males were at greater risk of harming others. Further, our results highlight that children and youth who had experienced multiple types of maltreatment, regardless of age or sex, were at the greatest risk of harm to self and others. Implications: Findings from this research highlight that interpersonal trauma is multifaceted and add to existing evidence that there is a cumulative relationship between experiencing multiple types of maltreatment and risk in relation to harming oneself or others. Our findings underscore the importance of a background assessment that takes into account all forms of maltreatment in order to properly understand risk of harm and inform intervention.

Assessment of the Personnel Potential of Production Masters Using the Method of Identifying Qualification Deficiencies (on the Example of a Study Conducted in JSC «Kuznetsov»)

The article describes the study of the personnel potential of the production masters of a large industrial enterprise. Such studies are of great practical importance, because they reveal hidden reserves associated with insufficient use of human resources, and therefore allow you to find additional ways to improve the efficiency of the organization, increase productivity. The main method of assessing the human resources potential in the article is the method of identifying qualification deficits-indicators that reflect not achieving the required level for a specific competence, lack of specific knowledge or skills, a certain skill in the work of certain employees. In conditions of increasing changes in all spheres of human life, increasing competition of technologies, services, and goods, the ability of an organization to respond quickly to these changes, correctly assess the skill level of its employees, understand what skill deficits are occurring, and take timely measures to eliminate them is of great importance. Assess workforce capacity and identify the skill deficits is to obtain reliable and objective data reflecting the quality of human resources of the organization, on which to build effective program of individual and group staff development, which in turn will improve the overall efficiency of the organization. The article describes the research process itself, its stages and their features, and the main results. The novelty of the study is that a new approach is applied to the formation of indicators for assessing human resources potential, which is demonstrated by a specific example.