Research Initiatives

Mills, K. (2015). Advisory Group Member, Contributor to Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit (Web-Based Tool)Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit Advisory Group
National Autism Center. (2015). Findings and Conclusions; National Standards Project, Phase 2. Randolph, MA: (Mills, K.)National Autism Center Resources
Mills, K.R. (2007). Tools for Promoting Education Success and Reducing Delinquency, Step 7, 1-331School Leadership for Improving the Lives of Youth

2007 Research Regarding the Links Between School Failure, Disability Status, & Subsequent Juvenile Court Involvement

Educational advocacy for court-involved youth with disabilities: An empirical analysis of program efficacy towards Child Find requirements and decreased recidivism.
By Mills, Kimberly Renee, Ph.D., University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2007, 76 pages; AAT 3302155Abstract: Educational Advocacy for Court Involved Youth with Disabilities

Scientific Posters

VIUCEDD has been engaged in the ongoing training of parents, educational practitioners, and allied health professionals on topics related to disability studies, applied behavior analysis, speech and language methodologies, and overall effective teaching practices. In order to better understand the outcomes that training attendees receive beyond NIRS satisfaction surveys, we sought to quantify the degree to which content knowledge was acquired and retained among participants. We also sought to analyze participants’ attitudes about the content knowledge received during training in a one- and three-month follow-up. The mean difference between pre- and post-test assessments indicated a net knowledge gain from pre- to post-test administrations for all respondents. The difference was not statistically significant. Preliminary analysis of the technical assistance instrument indicates a high level of satisfaction with the training across various domains related to individual and organizational benefit.
VIUCEDD has been engaged in ongoing efforts to improve the lives of people with disabilities and to facilitate their maximal inclusion and independence in the larger Virgin Islands community. The employment of people with disabilities has been and remains a top priority for VIUCEDD. Members of VIUCEDD have partnered with disability employment experts at MCDD and behavioral support experts at KKI to develop a pilot program that would merge best practices in disability employment supports, behavioral supports, and transition planning for people with disabilities. These partnerships will help develop a comprehensive plan to support the employment needs of people with disabilities. The data presented in this poster indicate a mean increase in knowledge of employers and job coaches in relation to disability knowledge and initial favorable trends relating to decreases in maladaptive behaviors for one candidate associated with this study.
Background
  • A critical need in the U.S. Virgin Islands is timely, accurate, and early diagnostic assessment.
  • Health care options are limited due to the geographic isolation of the U.S.V.I. and limited access to full federal Medicaid funding.
  • 55% of five-year-old children entering public school were six months to over a year behind developmental age expectations in language and comprehension skills.
  • 40% of V.I. children entering public kindergarten also lacked adequate, age-expected cognition skills.