Ling-Ling Tsao

Bio: Ling-Ling Tsao is an academic researcher from University of Idaho. The author has contributed to research in topics: Sibling relationship & Sibling. The author has an hindex of 5, co-authored 14 publications receiving 337 citations. Previous affiliations of Ling-Ling Tsao include University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh & Indiana University.

Sibling-Mediated Social Interaction Intervention for Young Children with Autism.

Abstract: In the present study, the authors investigated the effectiveness of a sibling-mediated intervention in supporting the social behaviors of young children with autism. They used a multiple-baseline d...

Review of Research: How Much Do We Know about the Importance of Play in Child Development?

Abstract: (2002). Review of Research: How Much Do We Know about the Importance of Play in Child Development? Childhood Education: Vol. 78, No. 4, pp. 230-233.

Social Participation of Children with Disabilities in Inclusive Preschool Programs: Program Typology and Ecological Features

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the social participation of young children with disabilities in inclusive preschool programs. One hundred forty-three preschool-aged children with disabilities were observed in classrooms representing four organizational contexts: community-based, Head Start, public school, and blended. Children's and adults' social behavior was positive across settings, and children in blended programs engaged in significantly more positive social behavior with adults. Peer social engagement did not differ across organizational contexts. Activity initiator was an ecological variable that affected children's social engagement in that children engaged in significantly more interaction with peers in child-initiated activities and significantly more interaction with adults in adult-initiated activities.).

Supporting Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract: Research studies have shown the importance of early intervention services for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families. However, most attention has been given to the effectiveness of treatments solely for children with ASDs. Because the family centered practice has been emphasized and supported by many researchers and legislation, involving family members other than children with ASDs and their parents in the assessing, planning, and implementing interventions is seen as crucial. The purpose of this article is to review what sibling relationships look like for a typically developing sibling of a child with an ASD and what resources are available for parents and specialists to support siblings of children with ASDs.

The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds

Abstract: Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children. Despite the benefits derived from play for both children and parents, time for free play has been markedly reduced for some children. This report addresses a variety of factors that have reduced play, including a hurried lifestyle, changes in family structure, and increased attention to academics and enrichment activities at the expense of recess or free child-centered play. This report offers guidelines on how pediatricians can advocate for children by helping families, school systems, and communities consider how best to ensure that play is protected as they seek the balance in children's lives to create the optimal developmental milieu.

Single-case experimental designs: a systematic review of published research and current standards.

Abstract: This article systematically reviews the research design and methodological characteristics of single-case experimental design (SCED) research published in peer-reviewed journals between 2000 and 2010. SCEDs provide researchers with a flexible and viable alternative to group designs with large sample sizes. However, methodological challenges have precluded widespread implementation and acceptance of the SCED as a viable complementary methodology to the predominant group design. This article includes a description of the research design, measurement, and analysis domains distinctive to the SCED; a discussion of the results within the framework of contemporary standards and guidelines in the field; and a presentation of updated benchmarks for key characteristics (e.g., baseline sampling, method of analysis), and overall, it provides researchers and reviewers with a resource for conducting and evaluating SCED research. The results of the systematic review of 409 studies suggest that recently published SCED research is largely in accordance with contemporary criteria for experimental quality. Analytic method emerged as an area of discord. Comparison of the findings of this review with historical estimates of the use of statistical analysis indicates an upward trend, but visual analysis remains the most common analytic method and also garners the most support among those entities providing SCED standards. Although consensus exists along key dimensions of single-case research design, and researchers appear to be practicing within these parameters, there remains a need for further evaluation of assessment and sampling techniques and data analytic methods.

The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bond: Focus on Children in Poverty

Abstract: Play is essential to the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being of children beginning in early childhood. It is a natural tool for children to develop resiliency as they learn to cooperate, overcome challenges, and negotiate with others. Play also allows children to be creative. It provides time for parents to be fully engaged with their children, to bond with their children, and to see the world from the perspective of their child. However, children who live in poverty often face socioeconomic obstacles that impede their rights to have playtime, thus affecting their healthy social-emotional development. For children who are underresourced to reach their highest potential, it is essential that parents, educators, and pediatricians recognize the importance of lifelong benefits that children gain from play.