Establishing a radio station in a school for children with developmental disabilities: A community-based project

There is some evidence that using therapy dogs for children with autism spectrum disorder generally results in improved social communication skills and reduced behavioral problems. However, well-controlled studies that examine its effectiveness are scarce. This study examined the effectiveness of a "Dog Training Intervention." The study included 73 participants diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (61 males, 12 females) with age range of 2:10-7:6 years (M = 4:10 ± 1:0) who attend autism spectrum disorder-specific special education schools. The study population was divided into two groups. Each group received the dog training intervention during one part of the school year (first half or second half) in addition to the standard interventions provided by the special education school settings. The dog training intervention was given twice weekly for 4 months within the school setting. The group that received the dog training intervention first showed a significant increase in adaptive social and communication skills in comparison to the second group that did not receive the intervention in this period. This improvement was maintained after the dog training intervention. The second group, which received intervention at the second half of the year, showed improvement in communication and socialization adaptive skills only during the period in which they received the dog training intervention. The positive impact on social communication adaptive skills of the dog training intervention among young children with autism spectrum disorder suggests that dogs may serve as an effective model for establishing social interaction. Dog training intervention appears to be an effective adjunct treatment to the interventions provided in special education schools for young children with autism spectrum disorder.

The formation of communicative abilities and skills at universities is highlighted in the article. This problem is particularly important, since future professionals’ training should be supported by their communicative literacy, competence, effective information exchange at interpersonal interactions. The purpose of the experimental study was to analyze psychologically the formation of communicative needs, abilities and skills of students at universities. In order to achieve the set purpose, the experimental study were conducted that had three major phases: 1) division of students by sociometric categories (based on J.Moreno’s test); 2) determining the levels of communicative need formation at the representatives of different categories (according to Yu. Orlov’s test); 3) determining communicative abilities and skills of the representatives of the determined categories (by L. Mikhelson's test). According to the sociometric research results, the highest percentage choices are given to the students from the group of popular students (39.7%), which is a favourable factor for formed communicative and interpersonal relationships in the group. There are also a lot of unpopular persons (38.1%); they received less than half of all choices. A favourable tendency is the fact that the both groups have a low index of isolation (6.3%), which can be significantly reduced under the condition of properly organized psychological corrective work. The study of communicative needs, carried out with Y. Orlov’s test Research on the need for communication, has shown that favourable tendencies were determined at 95.24% of the students, among which the average level of communicative need formation was shown by the largest number of the respondents (73.02 %), above average indicators were shown by 19.05% of the respondents and the high level was achieved by 3.17% of the students. On this basis, one can argue that the focus on communication is preserved among students. At the same time, there is a small number of students (4.76%) with unfavourable tendencies according to the test. Their level of communicative needs is lower than the average one. Such young people do not show a desire for community and cooperation, do not like to be among people and friends, participate in various events. The study investigating the students’ communicative skills on the basis of L. Mikhelson's test has shown that 39.7% of the respondents demonstrates competent behaviour and preferred to use competent statements during communicative interactions. At the same time, according to the research results, a significant number of students showed aggressive behavioural tendencies (38.1%) and there is a small percentage of the respondents who showed addictive behaviour (15.9%). In order to summarize the research results and to find out their correlations, the obtained data were analyzed statistically, to determine such statistics as the average arithmetic sample (X), the median (Me), the mod (Mo), the dispersion (Sx), the correlation coefficient (Rxy). One of the most important outcomes of the performed statistical analysis was correlations calculated by Pearson correlation formula. Interdependence was determined only by two pairs of variables: a) sociometric status and competent behaviour – the coefficient 0,3290 indicates a direct moderate correlation; b) sociometric status and aggressive behaviour – the coefficient (-0.3570) indicates a reverse moderate correlation. Consequently, the higher the social status is, the more developed the competent communication is revealed in the use of competent statements, and the lower are aggressive manifestations, the less aggressive statements are used. Further research perspectives consist in the development of psychological corrective programs for communicative skills and abilities for students with addictive and aggressive forms of behaviour.

The article highlights the process of the formation of communicative competence of future primary school teachers in modern conditions. It was established that the problem of revealing the essence of communicative competence is based on an interdisciplinary space, as it includes pedagogical aspects, linguistic, psychological and methodical (communicative qualities of language, literary norm, text, communication, language activity, types of language activity, motives of language activity, and language ethics). The scientific literature was analyzed, the communication of applicants and teachers was observed in various situations, on the basis of which it was established that the professional training of the future teacher in the direction of communicative culture is insufficient and the reserves available in higher education institutions for this are not fully used; a significant part of students during the period of pedagogical practices experience serious difficulties in managing the educational activities of students in the mode of explanatory-reproductive, problem-based, developmental and other types of learning and in organizing the corresponding types of communication training. The understanding of communicative competence as a complex personal characteristic containing communicative abilities and skills, psychological and pedagogical knowledge, personality properties, psychological states in communication with people is revealed. It has been proven that communicative competence is not reduced either to pedagogical abilities or to an ensemble of personal traits, since the teacher’s interpretation turns out to be one-sided. Two interrelated and interdependent levels of communicative competence are distinguished: the first level determines the manifestation of communicative competence in communication, communicative behavior of a person, the second includes communicative values, the orientation and specificity of the teacher’s motivation, his need for communication and includes communication skills and abilities, as well as psychological-pedagogical knowledge. It has been established that the basis of communicative competence is the communicative core of the personality, which is manifested through communicative abilities, and they, in turn, through the formed communicative skills. Four interrelated components of the communicative competence of the future primary school teacher are distinguished: basic, content, operational, reflective. It is proposed to shift the emphasis from scientific subject training to communicative training, since the implementation of the idea of communicative dominance should contribute to increasing the effectiveness of the process of forming the communicative competence of the future primary school teacher. Keywords: formation; communicative competence; future teachers; elementary school; communicative core; preparation; communicative qualities; communication; language activity.

BACKGROUND:As revealed by previous research studies, stress, lack of problem-solving ability, and weakness may influence the academic performance of students who study medicine or relevant fields. It is necessary to provide students with consultation and academic advising to ensure their support and welfare.OBJECTIVES:The present study was carried out to evaluate the academic advisors' communication abilities and skills based on the views of the students living in the dormitory of North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran.METHODS:The present analytical cross-sectional study was carried out on 155 dormitory-living students who were majoring in medicine, nursing and midwifery, and health. The required data were collected using a 17-item research-made questionnaire which evaluated the academic advisors' communication skills in “oral and written,” “accepting and giving feedback,” “understanding others,” “being a good listener,” and “effectiveness” fields. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficient test were utilized to analyze the collected data.RESULTS:In the students' opinion, as revealed by the results of the present study, the academic advisors gained the lowest scores in “oral and written” (8.33 ± 1.58) field and the highest scores in “accepting and giving feedback” (20.78 ± 9.36) and “understanding others” (22.73 ± 9.8) fields.CONCLUSION:The students believed that the academic advisors had the lowest ability in “oral and written” field; therefore, paid more attention should be paid to their communication skills, and their “oral and written” skills should be evaluated.

In this article Copeland’s model of visualising the classification of children with learning disabilities is applied in examining the development of special education schools in the Netherlands during the interwar period. Central are three intertwined social practices: the teacher’s professionalism (in pedagogic and practical concerns), the expert’s knowledge (in theory, research and practical advice) and the pillarised social structure that is typical in the Dutch case. Moreover, gender is added as a central category because of its crucial intermediating role in the Dutch developments. In order to understand the interaction between these practices and the denominational structure, the professional identity of male and female teachers in special education classes and schools is studied in relation to the religious stratification within the domain of special education. In the conclusion the gendered professionalism within special education schools is related to the status of expert knowledge and the involvement of an increasing number of women, in particular Catholic nuns, in schools for children with learning disabilities in the Netherlands in between the two world wars.

With the advent of the digital age, young students commonly use technological tools such as LINE and Instagram for emotional communication and interaction. However, this trend has led to the gradual decline in the abilities of emotional communication and expression among younger generation students. Therefore, enhancing these skills in young students through games is a worthwhile skill to develop. This study aimed to improve the emotional communication and expression abilities of young students through game design, and explored how Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in current multiple studies can innovate learning environments and teaching methods, investigating whether games designed using artificial intelligence AI could effectively strengthen the players’ emotional resonance, thereby enhancing emotional recognition, empathy, and improving interpersonal communication. To explore this issue, we utilized the ChatGPT-4 (GPT-4) large language model to learn to recognize and categorize different emotional expressions and developed game mechanics through AI. The researchers implemented the game concepts generated by AI, actualized them, and made them available for use by young student players. Simultaneously, the researchers observed the players’ emotional communication and expression abilities after interacting with the emotional images and narratives created by AI, in order to assess the feasibility of the game. The study results confirmed that the players felt curiosity and emotional resonance with the emotional games generated by GPT-4. Through participating in the game, the players enhanced their understanding of emotions and promoted emotional expression. This research further provided valuable insights for the development of AI-based emotional games, with the potential for a positive impact in the fields of education and mental health.

Objectives The purpose of this study is to determine the effects on nursing students' communication skills, problem-solving skills, and self-directed learning skills by applying the flipped learning teaching method for learner-centered classes. Methods The subjects of the study were 85 students enrolled in their third year of nursing at a university, and data collection was a single-group comparative study with a pre-post design for a 15-week course in the second semester of 2023. SPSS Window version 23.0 was used for the collected data, and the difference between before and after the experiment was tested using Paired t-test. Results Nursing students' communication ability, problem-solving ability, and self-directed learning ability are positively correlated, and as a result of applying the flipped learning-based teaching method, communication ability (t=4.13, p= <.001) and problem-solving ability (t=2.65, p=.010) was improved and there was a statistically significant difference. Conclusions It was confirmed that learner-centered flipped learning classes have an impact on the communication and problem-solving abilities of nursing students, and it is necessary to confirm learning outcomes by applying flipped learning in various subjects in the future.

An evaluation of nursing students' communication ability during practical clinical training

The objectives of this study were to study the current management style of special education schools in China and Thailand, to study the differences in the management of special education schools between China and Thailand, to provide advice for the management of special education schools in two countries. The research used an interview to collect quality data from 30 managers who manage Chinese special education schools and Thai special education schools. Content analysis was used to analyze the data.
 
 Special education schools in China and Thailand have similar school culture management, similar administration management structure and function, similar teacher management and similar parents education management. However, there are some differences in the management of teaching instruction management, teaching material management, student management, and teaching equipment management. Compared to Chinese special education schools with Thai special education schools, the advantage of Chinese special education schools is that they can create specialized teaching material suitable for children with mental retardation. It is better to meet students’ actual needs, is more specialized and targeted, and meets the needs of students' development. The advantage of Thai special education schools is that they can provide pre-school education in all schools for children with special needs, provide critical early intervention in the early childhood of special children.

Students’ scientific literacy skills assist them in analyzing and evaluating each scientific subject. It is predicted that scientific literacy skills will also help students improve their communication abilities. Finally, it is envisaged that scientific literacy and communication skills will help to increase creative thinking concurrently. This study evaluated the correlation between scientific literacy and communication skills in developing creative thinking skills using the Remap-STAD learning model. The study was quasi-experimental since it employed a non-equivalent pretest-post-test control group design and included 79 eleventh grade students from the Natural Sciences department at SMAN 4 Malang during the 2019/2020 academic year. The participants were divided into three groups. An essay test assessed scientific literacy and creative thinking skills, while communication skills were assessed using an assessment rubric. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that (1) there was a significant correlation between scientific literacy skills and creative thinking skills; (2) there was a significant correlation between communication skills and creative thinking skills; and (3) there was a significant correlation between scientific literacy skills and communication skills, which had a dynamic effect on creative thinking abilities. The regression equation that shows the correlation between scientific literacy skills, communication skills, and creative thinking skills is Y = 0,224*X1 + 0.998*X2 + 21,740. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that Remap-STAD can be utilized to improve students’ scientific literacy, communication, and creative thinking skills, all of which are demonstrated to be connected.

This chapter's main goal is to emphasize the language exercises engineering students participate in communication skills laboratories to improve their communication abilities. The 21st century is known as the age of science and technology, during which such fields made remarkable advancements practically everywhere, including in the field of English language instruction. Without a doubt, English has become the official language of the entire world. English has grown throughout the world since the days of colonialism, and it now holds official language status in terms of both communication abilities and soft skills. Effective communication and soft skills are now necessary to achieve not only the attention of the world but also the company goals. In these conditions, it is imperative for the aspiring professionals to improve their proficiency in fundamental English abilities, which are crucial and unavoidable in terms of job searching in the fiercely competitive professional sector. An important aspect of a professional career in transforming the science and technology world is engineering education. As a result of interacting with and training engineering students in English language and communication skills over a long period of time, some helpful recommendations have been made to help students acquire communication competence through activity-based teaching learning communication skills.

Background: School-based occupational therapists (SBOTs) work as health professionals in educational settings. School performance readiness is within the scope of SBOTs in providing a service for students who might have experienced decreasing performance during their school life. Objective: This study aimed to explore the school performance readiness of elementary students with disabilities before starting the occupational therapy program in special education schools. Materials and methods: The school performance readiness checklist for students with disabilities in special education schools was the research instrument. It comprised four areas: physical, social and emotional, pre-academic, and self-care readiness. Seventy-five elementary students with disabilities participated in this study. They consisted of 41 students with intellectual disability, 21 students with physical disability, and 13 students with sensory disability. Results: Results from the initial semester in special education schools showed that most of the students with disabilities (85.33%) needed support in promoting their school performance readiness, particularly in pre-academic readiness. This included most of those with intellectual disability (33.33%) and all of those with sensory disabilities, while all of the students with physical disabilities needed support in promoting physical readiness. Conclusion: Most students with disabilities needed support in promoting their school performance readiness according to their type of disability. Although the special education schools had enrolment criteria, SBOTs and school professionals should be concerned with providing related intervention programs to promote school readiness, particularly pre-academic readiness.

Purpose: The present study was to examine the effects of a communication training program on nursing students' interpersonal communication and relationships. Methods: This study was quasi-experimental research using a non-equivalent pre-post design. The subjects were 40 sophomore nursing students who were divided into an experimental group of 20 members and a control group of 20 members. The communication training program consisted of 8 sessions of small group training and each session lasted 120 minutes. A pretest, posttest and follow-up test (6 months after the program was terminated) were conducted to measure Inter-personal Communication Inventory and Relationships Scale. Data was analyzed by <TEX>$X^2$</TEX>-test, independent t-test, paired t-test and Friedman test with SPSS. Results: The communication training program was very effective in enhancing the nursing students' communication and interpersonal abilities. Nursing students' communication ability in the experimental group, however, decreases after 6 months while there is no change in the control group. Nursing students' interpersonal relationships in the experimental group was maintained at the follow-up test. Conclusions: This study supports that a communication training program has a positive effect on improving the nursing students' communication skill and interpersonal relationships.

Background:Birth in periods with universal newborn screening (UNS) for permanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI) and early confirmation of PCHI have been associated with superior subsequent language ability in children with...

Communication skills and relational abilities are essential core competencies that are associated with improved health outcomes, better patient adherence, fewer malpractice claims, and enhanced satisfaction with care. Yet, corresponding educational opportunities are sorely underrepresented and undervalued. To evaluate the impact of an interdisciplinary experiential learning paradigm to improve communication skills and relational abilities of pediatric critical care practitioners. Prepost design, including baseline, immediate follow-up, and 5-month self-report questionnaires. Tertiary care pediatric hospital, Children's Hospital Boston. One hundred six interdisciplinary clinicians with a range of experience levels and clinical specialties. Participants rated their sense of preparation, communication and relational skills, confidence, and anxiety. Open-ended questions asked participants about lessons learned, aspects of the training they found most helpful, and suggestions to improve the training. When questions were posed in a yes/no format, participants were nearly unanimous (93% to 98%) that the training had improved their sense of preparation, communication skills, and confidence immediately after and 5 months posttraining. Ninety percent of participants reported improvements in establishing relationships immediately after the training and 84% reported improvements 5 months posttraining. Eighty-two percent reported reduced anxiety immediately after training and 74% experienced reduced anxiety 5 months posttraining. On Likert items, 70% estimated their preparation had improved; 40% to 70% reported improvements in communication skills, confidence and anxiety, and 15% in relationship skills. Four qualitative themes emerged: identifying one's existing competence; integrating new communication skills and relational abilities; appreciating interdisciplinary collaboration; and valuing the learning itself. A 1-day experiential learning paradigm focused on communication skills and relational abilities was highly valued, clinically useful, and logistically feasible. Participants reported better preparation, improved communication and relational skills, greater confidence, and reduced anxiety. Participants deepened their understanding of family perspectives, recognized valuable existing competencies, and strengthened their commitment to interdisciplinary teamwork.