Catching Zzz
June 23, 2025
As a teenager at boarding school in China, Xiaopeng Ji remembers lying awake in her bed at night, staring at the ceiling for hours after lights out at 9 p.m. “I wasn’t a good sleeper, and I always thought it was all my fault,” she recalled. Years later, during her doctoral studies, …
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Supporting autistic students during graduation season
April 29, 2025
With graduation season just around the corner, many families are looking forward to celebrating their high school and college seniors in lively graduation ceremonies. But the graduation season and upcoming vocational transitions can be challenging for autistic people and their families, who may struggle with participating in a traditional ceremony, …
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Bridging the gap
April 28, 2025
Jerry Turning is terrified that his brothers are going to hurt his son. “When I talk with them, I’m extremely emotional,” he said. “I lay it all out: Listen, I’m one of you. I will back you up tomorrow. But I’m scared to death, and I’m begging you to listen.” The …
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Supporting Neurodivergent Loved Ones
December 17, 2024
The holidays are a joyous time for many, as families come together to enjoy festive dinners, engage in beloved traditions and make new memories. But the holiday season can also be a challenging time for neurodivergent people and their families, who may struggle with the break from normal routines and …
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Research Spotlight: Sarah Curtiss
April 29, 2024
With graduation season around the corner, many autistic high school and college seniors may feel a unique tension between their hopes—what is possible—and their expectations—what is probable—when it comes to their future careers. Autistic youth face so many barriers to employment that one third of young adults on the autism …
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Research Spotlight: Mellissa S. Gordon
August 3, 2023
In a new article published in Youth and Society, University of Delaware Associate Professor Mellissa Gordon and co-author Christine McCauley Ohannessian of Florida State University analyzed survey data from 1,459 middle schoolers in the Northeast United States and found that academic achievement decreased as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter use …
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Research Spotlight: Sarah L. Curtiss
July 5, 2023
Cultural humility is a framework for engaging in self-reflection, self-critique and reflective practice in order to cultivate respectful relationships and understand power dynamics related to cultural differences. In a new study, University of Delaware assistant professor Sarah L. Curtiss and co-author S. Cole Perry found that cultural humility allowed the …
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What it takes to make Delaware beaches more accessible for visitors with disabilities
April 1, 2022
How can our beaches and seaside towns be more accessible to people with disabilities and their families? Find out in this DelawareOnline story, which features Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS) Director Beth Mineo, CDS Community Advisory Council members Brigitte Hancharick, Terri Hancharick and Kristin Harvey, and Emmanuel Jenkins, faculty with …
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Charles MacArthur Recognized for Achievements in Special Education Research
January 24, 2022
Charles MacArthur, professor of special education and literacy in the School of Education at the University of Delaware, received the 2022 Special Education Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The award recognizes an individual whose research has significantly advanced the education of children and youth with exceptionalities. …
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Mealtimes with Children on the Autism Spectrum
October 14, 2021
The average American family meal lasts only 20 minutes, but during that time, families often engage in complex social processes that facilitate social, emotional, and physical health, especially in families with young children. Parents and their children may share stories from their day, engage in playful behavior, discuss a challenging …
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Bilingual Special Education
August 12, 2021
Melissa Lewis is an elementary education major with concentrations in English as a second language and special education. Lewis also is pursuing a minor in Spanish. She is from Newark, Delaware, and she plans to continue this research throughout the 2021-2022 academic year. She expects to graduate from the University …
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Uncovering Abuse
July 1, 2020
Those living with intellectual and developmental disabilities are seven times more likely to be sexually abused in their lifetimes than people without disabilities, according to U.S. Department of Justice data on sex crimes, and they are more likely to be assaulted by someone they know and trust. Even worse, “safe …
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