Researcher & Mom Invites Parents Normal &/or DD kids to Help-Brief Surveys ONLIN

[Guest guest]

January 27, 2004

 

Dear Parent / Primary Caregiver:

 

I am Vanessa Johnson Thomas, Mom to John, 14 (DD); Sammy, 13 (DD)

and Elizabeth, 19 yrs (typically developing). Sammy is my biological

nephew for who I became legal guardian after my parents ( his

grandparents), who had raised him since his birth, both died in

2001. I am also a doctoral candidate in the Human Development and

Family Science Program at Oklahoma State University.

 

My dissertation advisor, Dr. Patricia Self, and I have are

particularly interested in identifying infants and toddlers who may

need early interventions. As the parent of two boys who have

significant development disabilities and as a health professional, I

feel driven to help, by doing research. The purpose of our research

is to gather information that may help children to receive important

help earlier. Research is a major step toward successful treatments.

 

We invite you to complete surveys online if one or more of your

children are between the ages of 12 months to 18 years of age and

have received a diagnosis by a health care professional of either:

 

No disabilities

Autism

Down Syndrome

Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X Premutation Carrier

Asperger Syndrome

Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD-NOS)

 

If you want to help with our study, please click

 

http://langston.osu-tulsa.okstate.edu/vthomas

 

to go to the website in which English and Spanish versions of the

surveys are available. The " start survey "

link at the bottom of the " How to Participate " page leads to the

first survey.

Here are the steps.

 

1) Go to web site at http://langston.osu-

tulsa.okstate.edu/vthomas

 

2) Select link How to Participate (above the pictures)

 

3) On the new page, select the link How to Participate

(at the top of the page)

 

4) This next new page (How to Participate) gives the instructions

for the Survey

 

5) and at the bottom of this page is the " Start Survey " link.

 

To Enter the Date:

To enter the date use the drop-down box and enter

1. Year

 

2. Month

 

3. Day

 

This same process is used to enter your child's birthday. It

essential that your child's date of birth is entered.

 

 

It takes about 15 minutes to finish all of the surveys online. We

would appreciate your help and will send a report of the results of

the study to moderators, list servs and message boards after we

finish the study.

 

All information that you give will be kept 100% private. We will not

collect ANY identifying information and will have no way of knowing

who filled-out the surveys. Your help is important! We hope our

research will increase awareness, research and early interventions

with children.

 

 

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)

tveness

 

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)