Child Development Center Research Articles

Developmental Therapy – A Generic Professional Expertise within Child Development Centers in Bangladesh

The Developmental Therapist (DT) is a unique professional training in occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech and language therapy. There is unmet demand for developmental therapists in Bangladesh to manage the increasing number of childhood disabilities. However, no academic institute provides training for Developmental therapists in Bangladesh. This paper explains a three-month structured training program for the exercise of the developmental therapist. After completing this training, the DTs gained some essential skills which help them to assess the functional development of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, identify their problems and provide appropriate management.

Missed initial appointments at Israeli child development centres: Rate, reasons, and associated characteristics.

IntroductionMissed appointments (MAs) at child development centres (ChDCs) cause multiple problems: they preclude timely diagnosis and treatment of both the invited child and children whose appointment was delayed due to overbooking, as well as disrupting efficient organisational management. The aim of this study was to assess the rate and describe the reasons for missed appointments at Israeli ChDCs, and to evaluate the association of socio‐demographic, clinical, and administrative variables with MA rates.MethodsThis nested case‐control study included all children scheduled for initial appointments (N = 1143) at three centres during 1 year. Parents of children who missed their appointment and a sample of those who attended were interviewed by telephone.ResultsThe rate of missed appointments was 26.6%, and the most frequent reasons were unexpected events (26.0%) and lack of insurance coverage (23.4%). Variables associated with lower MA rates were: having had ≥3 types of rehabilitative interventions (odds ratios (OR) = 0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.16–0.44), detailed referral letter (OR = 0.48; 95%CI 0.30–0.75), telephone reminder (OR = 0.37; 95%CI 0.24–0.57) and health maintenance organisations or private insurance coverage (OR = 0.12; 95%CI 0.06–0.17 and OR = 0.56; 95% CI 0.38–0.89, respectively).ConclusionEncouraging physician's referral letters and personal‐contact reminders can reduce missed appointments. Understanding the family's and the child's personal characteristics, and the organisational/administrative aspects of missed appointments may guide efforts to ensure timely care for every child.

Parents' and Therapists' Satisfaction with Four Early Childhood Power Mobility Devices.

Background. Little is known about satisfaction with power mobility devices used by young children. Purpose. Parents' and therapists' satisfaction with four early childhood power mobility devices were examined. Method. A two-phased study, comprising Trial Phase cross-sectional design and Loan Phase one-group pretest-posttest design. Parents and therapists of children 9 months to 6 years with mobility limitations completed the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction of Assistive Technology 2.0 Device Subscale (QUEST8) plus an additional device Aesthetics rating. Findings. Seventy-four parents and 42 therapists from 18 child development and rehabilitation centres participated. Parent and therapist median QUEST8 and Aesthetics scores varied across devices when trialled and over the six-month loan. Favourable median ratings had no statistically significant differences between parents and therapists. Parent ratings decreased statistically over loan period although therapists' ratings did not. Device dimensions, safety, and aesthetics were highly rated. Implications. Similarities and differences exist among parent and therapist ratings.

MHealth apps delivering early intervention to support parents of children with autism: a scoping review protocol

ObjectiveThis review aims to identify the mhealth apps delivering early intervention to support parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We aim to explore the concept, context and methodology...

Pembentukan Moral dan Spiritualitas Berbasis Pusat Pengembangan Anak (PPA)

This study was to determine, describe and analyze the formation of moral and spirituality based on the "Kuria" child development center in adolescents in Poopoh Village, Tombariri District, Kab. Minahasa. This study uses a qualitative (descriptive) approach which was carried out at PPA “Kuria” Poopoh 2021. The data collected through observation, interviews, and documentation have been analyzed and resulted that (1) the formation of morals and spirituality in adolescents has been maximized with the existence of several programs such as retreats, discipleship, bible camp, recording, memorizing verses and other programs; (2) These programs are carried out by following the schedule determined by the staff, usually 2 meetings a week and for other programs carried out during holidays; (3) The existence of supporting factors, namely cooperation between mentors, staff and parents in supporting the program to run well; (4) As well as the existence of inhibiting factors from within teenagers who have been affected by technological sophistication such as online games and the environment; (5) The efforts made were very good, namely by approaching and trying to be friends with the children. From the data findings and research results, it is recommended for staff and mentors as well as parents to continue to control the association of children and provide coaching and more creative programs to attract children's attention in activities.

Motivation and Retention of Workers in Faith-based Organisations: A Case Study of Child Development Centre Projects of Ankole Diocese

The study was about motivation and retention of workers in faith-based organisations: a case study of child development centre projects of Ankole Diocese. It was guided by the following objectives; to establish the influence of promotion on employee retention in faith-based organizations of Ankole Diocese Child Development Centre Projects, to examine the influence of Salary increment on employee retention in faith-based organizations of Ankole Diocese Child Development Centre Projects in reducing employee turnover and to establish the effect of recognition on employee retention in faith-based organizations in Ankole Diocese Child Development Centre Projects. A cross-section design was adopted for this study to determine the frequency of occurrences of the phenomenon and discover whether or not if there is a relationship that exists between the variables. The target population of this study comprised Child development officers, Project directors, Project overseers, Partnership facilitators, LDP graduates, and Centre guides of Ankole Diocese. The study employed questionnaire and interviewing. The study findings revealed that there is a positive strong relationship between promotions on employee retention; there is a positive strong relationship between salary increment influences employee retention; a positive relationship between recognition and employee retention in faith-based organisations. Therefore; the study recommended that employee promotion does play a very significant role in retaining employees at work places; the human resource management department should carry out its career management policy and make relevant changes so as to take into considerations the many factors that individuals may require at the Ankole Diocese Child Development Centre Project. Finally; there should be good management in faith-based organizations with the human resource department so as to ensure that the working conditions specifically in line with working hours, cleanliness of environment and work instruments are put in place

ОRGANIZATIONAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE CENTERS OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN IN THE SYSTEM OF PRESCHOOL EDUCATION

Modern development of science, technology and information technology expands the goals of child development, determines new needs and demands to the institutions of education and upbringing, in particular, preschool education. The need for innovation, transformation for improvement in the field of educational services requires clear theoretical justifications for the formation of new approaches, selection of methods and techniques of pedagogical influence, ways of their practical implementation. The factors that contribute to the spread and determine the need for the functioning of child development centers, among them, are: the emergence of new educational needs and the formation of alternative approaches to learning and education; mobility to transformations in the labor market; Deepening the understanding of the psychological features of childhood, sensitive periods, tumors, features of the cognitive and emotional spheres in a certain period. Such types of alternative education as home schooling, alternative schools, distance education, children's development centers are characterized.The advantages and disadvantages of each of them are revealed. The principles of activity of child development centers are analyzed as follows: personality-oriented approach in working with children and families, relying on the data of sociopedagogical diagnostics; principle of development; the principle of an open system, possibilities of regulation and choice in the process of pedagogical activity; the principle of interaction with the family and individual approach to the needs of the family; the principle of professional interaction (joint work with psychologists, teachers, speech pathologists, doctors).
 Keywords: preschool education, educational environment, centers of personal development of children, preschool children.

Evaluating the Implementation of Child Development and Care Program in Isfahan Comprehensive Child Development Center

Background: The Comprehensive Child Development Center was established in 2012 in the center of Isfahan province to rapidly identify and intervene in the developmental problems of children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of this program.
 Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical study conducted based on the framework for evaluating public health programs established by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of United States of America with regard to evaluation of infrastructure, process and outcome. The infrastructure’s checklist included an area of land, equipment, workforce and equipment completed with presence of researcher at the center. Process and outcome evaluation was performed for 127 registered children during 2019. A satisfaction questionnaire was completed in person or remotely by parents of 144 children referred to the center in 2019 and 2020. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA was carried out through SPSS 16 software.
 Results: The overall compliance of infrastructure with standards was 75.42%, with the highest compliance related to the equipment and the lowest related to the specialized workforce. The degree of compliance of the process compared with the standard one varied in different dimensions. 6.30 % of the children were cured and 76.38 % quit treatment. The most common reasons for treatment discontinuation were lack of appointment (29.53 %) and long distance (18.12 %). The overall satisfaction score was 83.90 ± 14.08. The satisfaction of the parents who completed the questionnaire in person was higher than those who completed the questionnaire remotely.
 Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that the rate of complete cure is low and the rate of treatment discontinuation is high, whose main reasons were the lack of appointment to admit children with developmental disorders and long distance. It is suggested that, in order to solve the problem, the Ministry of Health establish more centers and provide the required workforce.

The effect of a parental mHealth resource on language outcomes in 4- to 5-year-old children

Background: The use of mobile health (mHealth) technology is rapidly expanding in healthcare worldwide. mHealth tools may provide parents with access to resources essential for promoting language development.Aim: The current study aimed to determine how an mHealth parental resource influenced 42 preschool children’s (4.0–5.11 months old) language abilities after a 17-week intervention period.Setting: Participants were identified from six early childhood development (ECD) centres from a low-income community in Tshwane, South Africa.Method: A randomised controlled trial (RCT), pre-test post-test research design was employed to determine whether an mHealth parental resource influenced 42 preschool children’s (4.0–5.11 months old) language abilities after a 17-week intervention period. Data were collected using the language subtests of a South African standardised protocol, the Emergent Literacy and Language Assessment Protocol (ELLA).Results: The parental mHealth application targeting language stimulation did not significantly improve the experimental group’s language outcomes when compared with the control group because most of the parents (n = 27) used the application for less than 20% of the active days.Conclusion: Providing parents with more support with mobile resources may lead to improved usage of the application.

Participant Reflections on Narrative Training Programs in the Indian Context

There has been growing interest in the use of narrative therapy in various settings across India. This study sought to understand the benefits of narrative training programs, facilitated by the mental health team at Ummeed Child Development Center located in Mumbai, India; specifically, how program participants are using narrative ideas and practices in their work contexts. Twenty participants, who had completed different forms of long-term narrative training, were engaged in semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis of the data brought forward three themes: Shift in Practice and Philosophy, Shift in Stance as Therapist/Supervisor, and Shift in Personal Lives. Findings reveal that while narrative trainings are emergent in India, the use of narrative ideas and practices has brought encouraging outcomes in diverse work contexts. The study highlights that culturally relevant narrative trainings foster shifts in understanding of counseling, and invite collaboration and agency in therapy, supervision, and personal contexts of participants’ lives.

Short Term Outcome in Sleep Disturbance Intervention in Children with ASD in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between sleep patterns and behavioral difficulties in children with ASD using sleep disturbance treatments. Methods: We selected a total 41 children with sleep disorders as study population. The sleep services (behavioral sleep management techniques) were given by the child development center team of Dhaka Shishu Hospital comprising of physician , developmental therapist and psychologist. Children were split into eight groups and two gender divisions based on their age, and they were then studied over a period of 6 months . Sleep disorders were investigated both before and after intervention. Results: The results revealed that the children’s sleep dysfunction improved from before, with the lowest improvement percentage decreasing from 62.9 percent to 51.8 percent and the greatest improvement percentage increasing from 100 percent to 59.2 percent, whereas a sleep problem showed no change at all (sleepwalking). Conclusion: The study has tried and succeeded to an extent to intervene in the sleep dysfunction process of children with ASD in a tertiary care hospital. However, there is still much to learn about the clinical efficacy of these types of behavioral interventions in children with ASD who have sleep disruption.

Physician Voices on ECHO Autism India-Evaluation of a Telementoring Model for Autism in a Low-Middle Income Country.

Training pediatricians in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in early diagnosis and comprehensive management of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is crucial to ensure optimal developmental outcomes for a substantial number of children with ASD in this region. This study evaluates the relevance and effectiveness of an evidence-based telementoring model Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Autism in increasing pediatricians' access to best-practice care for children with ASD in LMIC contexts. ECHO Autism was launched by a ‟hub" team of multidisciplinary ASD experts at a child development center in Mumbai, India. The culturally modified model included 13 biweekly sessions conducted annually using video-conferencing technology. Sessions combined expert-delivered didactics and facilitated case-based discussions on best-practice methods in screening, diagnosing, and managing autism and its comorbidities. Sixty-two physicians, including 59 pediatricians across 2 cohorts (2019-2020), participated in the mixed-methods study to evaluate participants' reactions, knowledge, behaviors, and impact on children and families. Participants represented a broad geographic reach across India (n = 47) and other LMICs (n = 15). Both quantitative and qualitative data revealed high levels of participant satisfaction and improved knowledge and self-efficacy in ASD diagnosis and management. Qualitative themes highlighted the adult-learning processes of ECHO Autism that participants considered novel and beneficial, such as reflective discussions, respectful mentoring, having a parent as ‟expert," and cultural relevance, alongside changes in practice behaviors. ECHO Autism clinics facilitated by local experts in LMICs can improve access to early diagnosis and evidence-based, comprehensive management for children with ASD and their families by positively influencing pediatricians' knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors.

Aiming High: Monitoring Population Level Indicators of Child Wellbeing as a Goal of Community-Academic Partnerships.

Community-academic partnerships (CAPs) aim to improve neighborhood population health. Though measuring the impact of partnership activities at a population level can be difficult, evaluating indicators of wellbeing may increase understanding of how communities benefit from CAPs. This study examined child health indicators over time in two low-income, predominantly Black/African American and Hispanic communities where partnerships between an academic child development center and community coalitions were formed with the intention of improving child well-being. Trends in three child wellbeing indicators (graduation rates, kindergarten readiness, and proportion of youth in school and/or employed) were compared between two CAP communities and several neighboring comparison communities. Data between 2011 and 2017 were analyzed to calculate percent change from baseline and mapped using ArcGIS to visualize trends by zip code. Proportions of youth meeting benchmarks were also determined. Kindergarten readiness and high-school graduation rates improved in CAP communities but not in geographically proximal and socioeconomically similar comparison communities. No improvements were found in the proportion of youth in school or employed. This study revealed population-level indicators improved over time in CAP communities. Because community-level child health and wellbeing are influenced by many factors, this correlation is not proof of a causal relationship. Assessing population level indicators can nonetheless provide insight into the benefit of CAPs, and the commitment to monitoring such outcomes can itself advance how academic and community partners plan activities and set long-term goals.

CT Scanning Findings in Clinically Diagnosed Cerebral Palsy

Background: Cerebral Palsy is a non-progressive disorder due to insult in the developing brain. This causes disorders in muscle tone, posture and movement. Cerebral palsy is usually diagnosed by clinical features. Though risk factors are identified in about 75% of cases, the etiology remains unclear. Magnetic resonance imaging is the standard method to detect central nervous system abnormalities; but in resource poor areas CT Scanning may be an alternative method to elucidate the underlying Central Nervous System abnormalities. Objectives: The objective was to detect CT Scanning findings in different types of Cerebral palsies. Methodology: This was a prospective and cross-sectional study conducted on 525 Children registered at Child Development Center attached to Rangpur Mother and Children Hospital. Cerebral palsy was diagnosed by using an Interview Schedule. During from 1.1.2016 to 31.12.2019 CT scanning of brain was performed purposefully to all children to detect the underlying Central Nervous System abnormalities. The purpose was explained to parents and consent was taken before performing the tests. The children were in sedation during the procedure. Result: A total of 1800 registered children, 525 (29.10%) children were suffering from Cerebral Palsy. The male and female ratio was 3:2 and age distribution was 2.6±1.5 years. Seventy nine percent (79.0%) of children came from poor families. Parental education up to class V was in 65% cases. Maximum number (63.0%) of cases was suffering from spastic type of Cerebral Palsy followed by athetoid type (18.3%) and 7.1% ataxic type. Among spastics, quadriplegia was present in 68.5% of cases followed by hemiplegia (18.5%). Perinatal asphyxia was the commonest (56.1%) risk factor of Cerebral Palsy. Among all the CTs 116 (22.0%) were with normal finding and 409 (78.0%) were with various types of abnormal findings. White Matter Injury was present in 79 (15.0%) of cases and among these volume loss in periventricular areas with ventricular dilatation and deep white matter damage was common. The next abnormalities were Focal Vascular Insults (9.0%), Malformations (5.0%) and Unclassified lesions (4.0%). Grey Matter Injury was common in spastic type of cerebral palsy but there was much overlapping of abnormal findings and most (66.3%) insults occurred in perinatal period. Conclusion: CT scanning of brain is a comparable test to detect the central nervous system abnormalities in resource poor areas. Grey matter injury is the common abnormality in Cerebral palsy but there is much overlapping between CT Scanning findings and clinical diagnosis. J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2022; 40: 31-38

Characteristic Neuro-Linguistic Styles in Young Arabic Speaking Children Diagnosed with ASD.

Evaluations of all Arabic speaking children age 3–9.0 years with significant speech delays or impairments, referred to a community based, child development center in the public health care system during a 5-year period were reviewed.Use of an inordinate degree of words and expressions in Fossha version of classical Arabic, mainly used in the media, children's literature and formalized venues, as well as in English, was highly associated with ASD, especially among those who were both more intelligent (IQ> 70), as well as older (greater than 4 years), (Pearson 7.29, Fisher 2-tailed test, p = 0.015).The use of "out of context" speech embedded in ordinary Arabic vernacular was associated with a higher degree of speech stereotypy (p < 0.001) among children with ASD, and unrelated statistically to the number of hours of screen viewing time, jargoning or associative speech.Idiosyncratic speech choices reflect neuro-linguistic mechanisms in social communication- impaired youngsters.

Non-governmental organization global, volunteerism local: An exploration of moral anthropology

This paper is an exploratory study of moral anthropology focused on the local practices of global non-governmental organizations. For more than 10 years, Ruili Women and Children Development Center (the Center) in the southwest border region of China has developed itself into a non-governmental organization that adopts transnational humanitarianism and fosters a spirit of grassroots volunteer dedication. In this paper, two anthropologists’ analytic framework of morality will be examined and my own views on morality/ethics will be discussed in three aspects: morality as norms, morality as doing good, and ethics as affect. The Center came into existence in response to the decline and uncertainty of local morality (morality as norms). Under such conditions, the Center allies itself with transnational humanitarianism to provide much-needed medical care for the sick in the region (morality as doing good). In the process, the Center, mainly consisting of female members, has created a “life-environment” that is in tune with global humanitarianism and an army of devoted volunteers, especially among local HIV-infected women, who have found “ joie” in life itself (ethics as affect). This study hopes to broaden our theoretical and experiential understanding of non-governmental organizations, and of how to improve quality of life in times of social change.

Role of Physiotherapy in Children’s Health

Children need the supervision of adults and also specialist facilitation, which is entirely different from those of adults. The child-centered health care approaches and their delivery modes are continuously in a changing phase. Health services provided to the children are remodeled according to their present and future needs.&#x0D; Pediatric physiotherapy is one of the developed domains of physiotherapy. Pediatric physiotherapists are specialists who work with individuals from being premature to adolescents, targeting the main goal of optimal physical development. They work with a holistic approach making certain that along with the highlighted health needs, the social, emotional and educational factors are also taken into consideration1. So, overall the role of a pediatric physiotherapist is not only to deliver the intervention but also to work as a consultant, trainer and educationist.&#x0D; Physiotherapy plays a vital role in guiding coordinated movements, posture education, specific therapeutic exercises and cardiorespiratory fitness by involving family and caregivers. Therapists can provide health care services in the hospital setting (out-patient or in-hospital clinics), community settings such as child development centers, in mainstream schools and in special schools. Treatments usually given to children are of a wide range such as motor learning, mobilization, massage, stretching, neurodevelopmental therapy and hydrotherapy.

Missed Appointments at a Child Development Centre and Barriers to Access Special Needs Services for Children in Klang Valley, Malaysia: A Mixed Methods Study.

Attending appointments is vital for children with special needs, as such appointments involve long-term interdisciplinary care to ensure continuity of care and improve health and well-being. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of missed clinic appointments and identify the factors among those who have ever missed appointments and barriers of access to children’s special needs services at the Child Development Centre (CDC) at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). Moreover, suggestions for improvement from the caregivers’ perspectives were explored. This is an explanatory sequential mixed methods study among caregivers of children with developmental disabilities aged up to 17 years old. Of 197 caregivers, 62 (31.5%) had missed clinic appointments. Forgetfulness was the most frequently cited reason. The bi-variable analysis showed significant differences in missed appointment rates by gender of caregivers and duration of follow-up. The final logistic regression model demonstrated that, when combined with the effect of being a male caregiver as an independent variable, follow-up duration of more than 6 years increased 2.67 times the risk of missing an appointment. Caregivers’ perceived barriers were transportation, caregiver, child and healthcare services factors. Policies and strategic plans should be focused on key findings from these factors to improve appointment adherence and accessibility to services for children with special needs.

PREDICTORS OF THE PREVENTION OF PRACTICE RELATED TO COMMUNICABLE DISEASE PREVENTIONS OF CHILD CAREGIVERS IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS, UBON RATCHATHANI PROVINCE, THAILAND

A child development center is a daycare center that gathers large numbers of children in the same areas. As a result, it provides a high opportunity for infection, especially gastrointestinal and respiratory infections. Ubon Ratchathani has been a province with an increasing number of communicable disease cases. This research aimed to predict factors related to the prevention practice in communicable disease for child caregivers in child development centers, Ubon Ratchathani Province. This descriptive-analytic study was conducted between January 2018 and June 2019. The study instruments used questionnaires and in-depth interviews focusing on their prevention and control management practices of communicable disease. The survey questionnaires were for child caregivers who worked in 280 child development centers. The predictor factors were analyzed by Multiple regression analysis. The results showed the majority were female (97.8%), range of age 25- 35 years (57.7%), and with a period of performance as teachers ranging from 1-5 years (36.0%), and health workers had been trained about the communicable control disease (60.4%). The level of knowledge for communicable disease prevention was medium level with a mean score of 11.22 (S.D. = 2.03). The attitude was at a moderate level with a mean score was 2.28 (S.D. = 0.247). The management to prevention disease was good level with a mean score of 24.28 (S.D. = 3.09). On the other hand, the factor of personal characteristics as age, history of attended training, knowledge, attitude, and the preventive behaviors was associated with the communicable disease practice in child development centers was significantly predicted for 44.6% to a statistically significant ( p &lt;0.05). The child caregivers should be skilled by training, knowledge, and preparation of education media and environmental health management with caregivers of child development centers.

Learning Environments of Preschool Children Who Have Different Learning Styles and Sensory Behaviors

ABSTRACT Introduction Learning environment is an important factor in the development of preschool children. However, those who have different learning styles and sensory behaviors might not reach the same achievements in the same learning environments. The objective of this study aimed to develop a guideline program that considers learning environments, and explores learning styles, sensory behaviors, and learning environments of preschool children in a community child development center. Methods This study had a mixed method research design. The research instrument comprised a learning style and sensory behavior checklist. Two phases of data collection included a guideline development by considering learning environments, and a pilot study to explore the learning styles, sensory behaviors, and learning environments of preschool children in a community child development center. The participants consisted of 72 preschool children, 9 teachers, and 14 occupational therapists. Results The guideline program arranged 18 groups of learning environments by analyzing the learning styles and sensory behaviors of preschool children, and presented two aspects including learning environments as facilitators and barriers. The majority of preschool children were visual (72.22%) and auditory learners (27.78%) in the first learning style, with no kinesthetic learners. In terms of sensory behaviors, most of the preschool children presented sensory behaviors of positive visual (PV) stimulation. In terms of learning environments, the results indicated that visual learners with positive auditory (VL-PA) stimulation were in the learning environment group, which showed the highest percentage of preschool children in this study. Conclusion The web-based guideline that considered learning environments for preschool children was analyzed by the learning styles and sensory behaviors of the children. It could be used as a tool for collaboration between preschool educators and healthcare providers, who plan learning activities and sensory-based play that promote the development of children.