This study examined the effectiveness of the Young Athletes program to promote motor development in preschool-aged children with disabilities. In the study, 233 children were randomly assigned to a control group or the Young Athletes (YA) intervention group which consisted of 24 motor skill lessons delivered 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) showed that children who participated in the YA intervention exhibited mean gains of 7–9 months on the Peabody Developmental Motor Subscales (PDMS) compared with mean gains of 3–5 months for the control group. Children in the YA intervention also exhibited significant gains on the gross motor subscale of the Vineland Teacher Rating Form (VTRF). Teachers and parents reported benefits for children not only in specific motor skills, but also kindergarten readiness skills and social/play skills. The necessity for direct and intentional instruction of motor skills, as well as the challenges of involving families in the YA program, are discussed.

Although individuals with disabilities are at increased risk of victimization, few studies examine persons with different disability conditions to determine whether distinctive cognitive-behavioral profiles are associated with different levels of social vulnerability. To determine the differences in social vulnerability and experiences of victimization, caregiver responses to a Social Vulnerability Questionnaire were examined for 103 caregivers of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Williams syndrome (WS), and Down syndrome (DS). Although all three groups experienced similar rates and types of victimization, the specific correlates of social vulnerability differed by disability. Individuals with ASD displayed less risk awareness and had less social protection; those with WS were rated higher on risk factors related to perceived vulnerability and parental independence; and those with DS had less risk awareness and were perceived to be more vulnerable. Safety interventions should be tailored to address each group's specific correlates of social vulnerability.

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Objectives Uncovering heterogeneities in longitudinal patterns (trajectories) of opioid use among individuals with opioid use disorder can increase our understanding of disease progression and treatment responses to improve care. The present study aims to identify distinctive opioid use trajectories and factors associated with these patterns among participants randomized to treatment with methadone (MET) or buprenorphine + naloxone (BUP). Methods Growth mixture modeling was applied to identify distinctive opioid use trajectories among 795 opioid users after their enrollment in a multi-site trial during 2006–2009, with follow-up interviews conducted in 2011–2014. Results Four distinctive trajectories were identified based on opioid use over the follow-up period: Low Use (42.0%), High Use (22.3%), Increasing Use (17.1%), and Decreasing Use (18.6%). Greater odds of being in the High Use group (relative to Low Use) was associated with Hispanics (relative to African American, OR=3.21), injection drug use (OR=2.12), higher mental health functioning at baseline (OR=1.23), location on the West Coast (vs. East Coast, OR=2.15), and randomization to BUP (relative to MET, OR=1.53). High Use and Increasing Use groups had greater severity in problems related to drug, employment, legal, and social/family relationships, and worsened mental health functioning at follow-up. Participation in treatment significantly accounted for both within- and between-group differences in opioid use. Conclusions Continued treatment is necessary to reduce risk for opioid use and related adverse consequences, particularly among individuals (e.g., injecting drug) at risk for consistently high level of opioid use.