News
Health for the 21st Century Summit
More than 120 people attended the Health for the 21st Century Summit hosted at the University of Kansas on January 16, 2018. ...
Amid shifting demographics, researchers strive to boost well-being for Wyandotte County with community health plan
LAWRENCE — A team of public health researchers is finalizing a communitywide health plan for Wyandotte County, the county that encompasses Kansas City, Kansas. The University of Kansas Center for Community Health and Development began a comprehensive yearlong research process in November 2016 that involved stakeholders and policymakers from across...
Study shows interventions, though few, can be effective for students with high-functioning autism
Across the country, more and more young people are being diagnosed as with autism spectrum disorder, including those with high-functioning autism. Yet there is little research into how to help educators serve students with high-functioning autism, especially adolescents in middle and high school settings. New research from the University of...
Study shows people with mental health conditions more likely to have coverage and access under Affordable Care Act
Individuals with mental illnesses were more likely to have health insurance and be able to access health care and mental health services after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, according to new research. The gains were present both in states that had expanded Medicaid coverage and those that did...
KU grant to examine comprehensive approach to preventing youth violence in KC
The University of Kansas has been awarded a four-year, $1.7 million U.S. Health & Human Services grant that will examine the effect of the combined support of multiple organizations and agencies on youth violence in Kansas City, Kansas. ...
University community mourns death of former Life Span Institute director Stephen R. Schroeder
The University of Kansas community is mourning the death of Stephen R. Schroeder, emeritus professor of applied behavioral science. ...
KanCare enrollees with mental illness report gaps in Medicaid managed care program
A recent study of Kansans with serious mental illness enrolled in KanCare, the state Medicaid managed care program, revealed many significant unmet needs and barriers to care. ...
$2.3M grant to fund new direction in autism spectrum disorders research at KU
While much research has been devoted to the social and communication issues that define autism spectrum disorders (ASD), much less is known about motor deficits that affect the majority of, if not all, individuals with ASD. These include not only repetitive behaviors such as hand flapping and rocking, but also...
Colombo to lead Office of Research
Professor John Colombo, director of the University of Kansas Life Span Institute, will serve as interim vice chancellor of research at the University of Kansas, effective August 8, 2017. ...
Book reading to treat a language impairment
A clinical trial of book reading to help kindergarten children with Specific Language Impairment learn words has determined the number of times a child with SLI needs to hear a word to learn it. That would be 36 times or “exposures” compared to 12 times for typically developing children. ...
Redefining inclusion across the nation
The aptly named SWIFT Education Center (Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation), funded by one of the largest grants in KU history of $24 million, has rapidly hit its goals since it was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs in October 2012. Now the center...
The University of Kansas Medical Center honors four faculty as University Distinguished Professors
The University of Kansas Medical Center has named four long-time faculty members University Distinguished Professors, which is an honor reserved for faculty who have made significant and sustained contributions to research, scholarship and teaching at the medical center. ...
Brendan M. Lynch
LAWRENCE — A new, wide-ranging review of available research shows parents and caregivers can improve health outcomes for kids by using mobile-phone apps and text messaging. ...
The Power of Parenting
Beginning in 1995 with the seminal study of vocabulary development by Betty Hart and Todd Risley that revealed a 30 million word gap in what children from the least and more advantaged homes heard by age 3, Life Span Institute researchers have investigated the power of parenting. Most recently, researchers...
Nutritional supplement could prevent thousands of early preterm births
Parenting significantly affects development of children with Fragile X syndrome
LAWRENCE — University of Kansas researchers have found that certain specific parenting practices are significantly associated with the development of communication and language skills in children with Fragile X syndrome. These same parent behaviors are also associated with the growth of socialization and daily living skills of these children. Parenting...
Study upsets beliefs about feelings and exercise probability
A pilot study tracking adolescents’ internal psychological states around engaging in physical activity suggests that prevailing assumptions about how to increase physical activity might need a reboot. ...
KU Center to partner on California statewide educational reform initiative
A University of Kansas educational technical assistance and research center, the SWIFT (Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation) Education Center, will partner with the Orange County and Butte County departments of Education, California, to build a training infrastructure for the Scale Up MTSS Statewide (SUMS) initiative in California. The initiative is...
Bob Dole makes gift to KU disabilities center
Former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole has made a gift of $10,000 to the University of Kansas Research and Training Center on Independent Living (RTC/IL). Founded in 1980, the RTC/IL conducts disability research and provides training designed to enhance independent living for people with disabilities. ...
W. Matthew Gillespie named a 2017 KU Man of Merit
Sixteen students, faculty and staff have been selected as University of Kansas Men of Merit, recognized for positively defining masculinity through challenging cultural norms, taking action and leading by example while making contributions to the university and/or the community. ...
Reading picture books with children holds promise for treating common language disorder
LAWRENCE — A clinical trial of book reading to help kindergarten children with Specific Language Impairment learn words has determined the number of times a child with SLI needs to hear a word to learn it: 36 times or exposures compared with 12 times for typically developing children. ...
Learning about resiliency in foster children
Professor Yo Jackson and her team are analyzing data from one of the largest longitudinal studies of foster children ever undertaken. “We know so much more about these children than most research efforts in the past and we are in a great position to tell their stories,” she said. ...
New KU research sheds light on behavioral differences between boys and girls with autism
In their study, which is based on nearly a decade of research and clinical experience, Jamison and her team recommend creating a structured plan of action designed for each individual specific group of participants. The GNO instructional framework considers the social competence and target behaviors for each participant, the context...
Grant set to improve community participation by people with disabilities
The University of Kansas Research and Training Center on Independent Living (RTC/IL) has been awarded a five-year, $4.375 million grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research to promote community participation for adults with physical disabilities. The project is a collaboration with the University of Montana...
KU intellectual disabilities research center wins $5.40 million grant
The Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center has been awarded a five-year, $5.40 million cooperative agreement from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. ...
CDC grant to improve access to health program for individuals with disabilities
Researchers at the University of Kansas have landed a grant to help improve the health of individuals with disabilities by increasing accessibility to programs and removing barriers to services designed to promote healthy living. ...
2016-17 Women of Distinction Calendar honors KU leaders
LAWRENCE — Twenty-three women with ties to the University of Kansas are featured in the 2016-2017 Women of Distinction calendar. The Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity, which produces the poster-sized calendar, will host a reception to honor the women and their achievements Aug. 30. ...
Three LSI-affiliated researchers named 2016 KU Women of Distinction as "Innovators Advancing Learning through Technology"
LAWRENCE — Twenty-three women with ties to the University of Kansas are featured in the 2016-2017 Women of Distinction calendar. The Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity, which produces the poster-sized calendar, will host a reception to honor the women and their achievements Aug. 30. ...