Researcher/Parent Invites Parents' Help with Research-Complete Brief Surveys ONLINE

January 4, 2004

Welcome! Thank you for your interest in our research. Please click
the link to go to the website in which English and Spanish versions
are available http://langston.osu-tulsa.okstate.edu/vthomas

I am a doctoral candidate in the Human Development and Family Science
Program at Oklahoma State University. Our focus is on early
identification of children who have developmental disabilities. My
dissertation advisor, Dr. Patricia Self, and I are particularly
interested in identifying developmental disabilities in infants and
toddlers to increase early interventions. As the parent of two boys
who have significant development disabilities and as a behavioral
health professional, I feel driven to help.

We have developed a screening tool for parents of young children,
based upon other screening tools, expert reviews and a pilot study.
The purpose of this research is to gather information that may be
helpful in developing an effective survey that may be used by parents
to help check their child's development. Research is a major step
toward successful treatments.

Although the questions in this survey are personal, all information is
100% anonymous. We will not collect ANY identifying information. Your
help is important. We hope our research will increase awareness and
research with populations' at-risk for developmental disabilities.

We invite you to participate in our study. The criteria for
participation are as follows:
One or more children between the ages of 12 months to 18 years of age
who have received a diagnosis by a health care professional of
Autism
Down Syndrome
Fragile X Syndrome
Fragile X Premutation Carrier
Asperger Syndrome
Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD-NOS)
No disabilities and have undergone DNA tests to rule out Fragile X
Syndrome

Vanessa Johnson Thomas, Ph.D., (candidate), MS, RN, BC
Oklahoma State University Human Development and Family Science
700 N. Greenwood NCB 358
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74106
(918) 594-8082 (Office)


Patricia Self, Ph.D., Professor
Oklahoma State University
Human Development and Family Sciences
HES RM 226A
Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078
(405) 744-8348 (Office)
(405) 744-2800 (Fax)