Children Face Research Articles

CHALLENGES AND COPING STRATEGIES OF AUTISM PARENTING: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW OF PARENTS’ AUTOETHNOGRAPHIES

Background and Purpose: Parents of autistic children face caregiving challenges, yet there is a dearth of research specifically analysing parents’ autoethnographies. This systematic literature review explores themes of challenges and coping strategies in autism caregiving, guided by the Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Methodology: Following Kitchenham and Charters’ (2007) guidelines, a systematic literature search of autoethnographies by parents of autistic children was conducted using online databases. The search was guided by two questions: (1) What are the challenges faced by parents caring for their autistic children?; and (2) What are the coping strategies employed by parents in caring for their autistic children? Findings: Twelve autoethnographies were analysed. Themes regarding challenges included parents experiencing fears, feeling despair and facing barriers and stigmatisation. Coping strategies identified included parents seeking answers, having hopes, and gaining empowerment besides providing support. Limitations and future research directions were discussed. Contributions: This paper emphasises understanding challenges faced by parents of autistic children. It illuminates emotional and societal aspects of autism parenting, emphasising the necessity for tailored support systems. Additionally, it reveals parents' coping strategies, including empowerment and supporting others, indicating increased understanding of their children's autism and active facilitation of support networks. Keywords: Well-being, Autism parenting, Autoethnography, challenges, coping. Cite as: Bakar, R. A., Ghani, K. D. A., Aziz, N. I., & Mohamad, N. H. S. (2024). Challenges and coping strategies of autism parenting: A systematic literature review of parents’ autoethnographies. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 9(2), 340-370. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol9iss2pp340-370

CHILD MIGRATION TRENDS IN INDIA: INSIGHTS FROM NATIONAL DATASETS

The child migration in India is a complex socio-economic phenomenon profoundly impacting childrens well-being and development. This paper analyzes trends and vulnerabilities among child migrants using national datasets, focusing on education, health, and socio-economic disparities.The study identifies a significant increase in internal migration, predominantly rural, driven by familial and economic factors. Gender disparities show higher migration rates among boys, influenced by socio-cultural norms and economic incentives. The regional disparities highlight Goa, Kerala, and Maharashtra as key migration hubs, shaped by economic opportunities and cultural dynamics. Despite higher literacy rates, migrant children face challenges like early employment and educational disruptions. Health outcomes vary, with improved nutrition but lower immunization coverage compared to non-migrant peers.Child marriage rates among migrant girls underscore socio-economic inequities. Vulnerability analysis reveals risks among economically disadvantaged and rural migrants, necessitating targeted policy interventions. The policy recommendations stress legal enforcement against child marriage and robust implementation of education and child labor laws. Collaborative efforts involving government, NGOs, and communities are crucial to address the needs of child migrants, especially from marginalized groups.This research paper informs inclusive policies to protect child migrants rights and opportunities, aiming for a more equitable societal framework.

Predictors of Change in Wellbeing and Mental Health of Parents of Autistic Pre-Schoolers.

Parenting is a rewarding experience but is not without its challenges. Parents of Autistic children face additional challenges, and as a result can experience lower levels of wellbeing and more mental health problems (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress). Previous studies have identified concurrent correlates of wellbeing and mental health. However, few have investigated predictors of subsequent wellbeing and mental health, or of change over time, among parents of pre-school aged autistic children. We examined child-, parent-, and family/sociodemographic factors associated with change in parents' mental health and wellbeing across three timepoints (spanning approximately one year) among 53 parents of Autistic pre-schoolers (M = 35.48, SD = 6.36months. At each timepoint, parents reported lower wellbeing and greater mental health difficulties compared to normative data. There was no significant group-level change over time in parent outcomes. However, individual variability in short-term (~ 5months) wellbeing and mental health change was predicted by a combination of child- and parent-related factors, while variability in medium-term (~ 10months) change was predicted by parent factors alone. Parents' description of their child and their relationship predicted change in both wellbeing and mental health. Furthermore, participating in a parent-mediated intervention (available to a subgroup) was a significant predictor of change in wellbeing. Our findings highlight potentially modifiable factors (e.g., learning healthier coping strategies) that may positively impact both short- and medium-term change in parental outcomes.

Faktor yang Memengaruhi Minat dan Kesulitan Belajar Matematika Siswa Tingkat Sekolah Dasar

The recurring issue in the education sector is the low interest in learning and the difficulties children face in learning at school, particularly in Mathematics. These two aspects are crucial to address and minimize as they significantly impact students' learning outcomes. This study aims to identify the factors that influence children's interest in learning and the emergence of difficulties in learning Mathematics at the elementary school level. This research employs the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method. Data were collected through the documentation of all articles related to interest and difficulties in learning Mathematics at the elementary school level from 2019-2023. Subsequently, the researchers reviewed these articles comprehensively. The articles used in this study include both national and international journal articles. The research findings indicate that there are two factors influencing interest and difficulties in learning Mathematics: internal factors (factors within the students) and external factors (environmental factors).

Push-Pull Mechanism of Attention and Emotion in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Background/Objectives: While deficits in executive attention and alerting systems in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are well-documented, findings regarding orienting attention in ADHD have been inconsistent. The current study investigated the mechanism of attentional orienting in children with ADHD by examining their attentional bias towards threatening stimuli. Furthermore, we explored the modulating role of anxiety levels in ADHD on this attentional bias. Methods: In Experiment 1, 20 children with ADHD and 26 typically developing children (TDC) performed a continuous performance task that included task-irrelevant distractions consisting of angry faces and neutral places. In Experiment 2, 21 children with ADHD and 25 TDC performed the same task, but with angry and neutral faces as distractors. To measure children's anxiety levels, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was administered before each experiment. Results: In Experiment 1, results revealed no attentional bias effects in children with ADHD, whereas TDC exhibited attentional capture effects by both types of distractors. However, in Experiment 2, ADHD children demonstrated an attentional bias towards angry faces, which revealed a significant positive correlation with their trait anxiety levels (r = 0.61, p < 0.05). Further analyses combining all ADHD children showed that trait anxiety levels in Experiment 2 were significantly higher than those in Experiment 1. Finally, a significant positive correlation was found between anxiety levels and attentional bias towards angry faces in all ADHD children (r = 0.36, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Children with ADHD exhibited atypical attentional-orienting effects to threats, and their levels of trait anxiety appeared to modulate such attentional-orienting mechanisms.

Provider Implicit Racial Bias in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease.

This study is to (1) assess implicit racial bias among pediatric providers and (2) use virtual patient (VP) vignettes to determine the impact of implicit racial bias on clinical decision-making in pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD) pain care. This cross-sectional study was conducted at a mid-sized, freestanding children's hospital in the northeast. Participants (N = 52) were pediatric SCD providers (87% cisgender female, 90% White, M age = 38.78). Providers completed a demographic questionnaire, the race Implicit Association Test (IAT) with adult and child faces, and a measure of SCD explicit bias (5-point Likert scale). Providers also made clinical decisions for four VP vignettes depicting Black and White youth in the emergency department (ED) with either SCD or cancer pain. Frequency tables were calculated. On the race IAT, providers demonstrated a pro-White implicit bias for both adult (81%) and child (89%) faces. Responses to the explicit bias measure reflected low levels of agreement with negative stereotypes about SCD patients. No significant differences emerged in providers' pain treatment decisions for Black vs. White, or SCD vs. cancer VPs. Findings indicate pediatric providers harbor implicit racial bias similar to the general population. Findings from VP vignettes did not demonstrate that pain treatment decision-making differed based on race or diagnosis. This may be due to standardized protocols and procedures in the pediatric emergency setting. Future research is needed to clarify the role of implicit bias in clinical decision-making and the potential efficacy of treatment protocols in preventing biases from interfering with pediatric SCD pain care.

Surgical Interventions In Children With Congenital Heart Disease: A Review Article

Congenital malformation of the heart stands as one of the most common congenital anomalies at birth. However, with the advancement in cardiovascular medicine and surgery, a majority of the children can nowadays still live for about 20 years. Unfortunately, the prolonged survival has its own consequences and many children face late complications among which heart failure and arrhythmias are predominant. The burden of congenital heart pathology looms large on the pediatric population mortality and morbidity statistics. While a number of endovascular procedures have been conceived as a substitute for surgical correction, percutaneous interventions have shown positive outcomes in many cases — all this without the stress and trauma associated with surgery especially for frail children. Our aim was to provide a review to look into possibility and effectiveness of endovascular procedures plus Internal prosthetics for managing pediatric patients with congenital malformation of the heart.

Modulation of the attentional response to baby schema by testosterone in pedohebephilic men and its relation to the nurturing system

Previous fMRI research found increased brain responses in men with pedophilic interest to non-sexual pictures of child and animal faces. This raised the question of whether an aberrant nurturing system could be linked to pedophilia. To further explore this hypothesis, 20 pedohebephilic and 23 teleiophilic men performed a target detection task with adult versus infant human and animal faces, which measured selective attention towards the baby schema by comparing reaction times to infant versus adult targets that were presented amongst distractors of the other category. Since the response to baby schema can be influenced by steroid hormones, saliva samples were additionally collected to determine endogenous testosterone, progesterone, estradiol and cortisol. Contrary to expectations, all men did not react faster to infant than adult faces. Yet, pedohebephilic men were more distracted by infant’s faces than teleiophilic men. Pedohebephilic men with higher testosterone were faster in orienting attention to infant targets in the context of adult distractors. This association was not observed in teleiophilic men. Our results support the idea of an overactive nurturing system in pedophilia, which may be influenced by the endogenous testosterone level.

Early life stress and iron metabolism in developmental psychoneuroimmunology

An estimated 250 million children face adverse health outcomes from early life exposure to severe or chronic social, economic, and nutritional adversity, highlighting/emphasizing the pressing concern about the link between ELS and long-term implications on mental and physical health. There is significant overlap between populations experiencing high levels of chronic stress and those experiencing iron deficiency, spotlighting the potential role of iron as a key mediator in this association. Iron, an essential micronutrient for brain development and immune function, is often depleted in stress conditions. Iron deficiency among the most common nutrient deficiencies in the world. Fetal and infant iron status may thus serve as a crucial intermediary between early chronic psychological stress and subsequent immune system changes to impact neurodevelopment. The review presents a hypothesized pathway between early life stress (ELS), iron deficiency, and neurodevelopment through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis and the IL-6-hepcidin axis. This hypothesis is derived from (1) evidence that stress impacts iron status (2) long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes that are shared by ELS and iron deficiency exposure, and (3) possible mechanisms for how iron may mediate the relation between ELS and iron deficiency through alterations in the developing immune system. The article concludes by proposing future research directions, emphasizing the need for rigorous studies to elucidate how stress and iron metabolism interact to modify the developing immune system. Understanding these mechanisms could open new avenues for improving human health and neurodevelopment for women and children globally, making it a timely and vital area of study in psychoneuroimmunology research.

Can names shape facial appearance?

Our given name is a social tag associated with us early in life. This study investigates the possibility of a self-fulfilling prophecy effect wherein individuals' facial appearance develops over time to resemble the social stereotypes associated with given names. Leveraging the face-name matching effect, which demonstrates an ability to match adults' names to their faces, we hypothesized that individuals would resemble their social stereotype (name) in adulthood but not in childhood. To test this hypothesis, children and adults were asked to match faces and names of children and adults. Results revealed that both adults and children correctly matched adult faces to their corresponding names, significantly above the chance level. However, when it came to children's faces and names, participants were unable to make accurate associations. Complementing our lab studies, we employed a machine-learning framework to process facial image data and found that facial representations of adults with the same name were more similar to each other than to those of adults with different names. This pattern of similarity was absent among the facial representations of children, thereby strengthening the case for the self-fulfilling prophecy hypothesis. Furthermore, the face-name matching effect was evident for adults but not for children's faces that were artificially aged to resemble adults, supporting the conjectured role of social development in this effect. Together, these findings suggest that even our facial appearance can be influenced by a social factor such as our name, confirming the potent impact of social expectations.

The Treatment Needs and Experiences of Pedohebephiles: A Systematic Review

People with a sexual interest in children face significant barriers to seeking and receiving mental health treatment. This review aims to bridge the gap between the treatment needs and experiences of pedohebephiles, and the services aiming to support them. Reviewers screened 1705 database hits and extracted findings from 22 qualitative, 15 quantitative, and 3 mixed-method studies on the treatment needs and experiences of pedohebephiles. Research suggests that this population experiences significant levels of distress, depression, and anxiety related to their sexual interest. Many individuals belonging to this population would seek (median = 42.3%), or have sought (median = 46.5%), treatment to cope with their sexual interest or with potential related mental health repercussions. Their experiences in treatment have been mixed, with some reporting positive experiences with empathic therapists and others reporting rejection. Most frequently, pedohebephiles report fear of exposure and rejection as barriers to seeking treatment, in addition to fear of the legal repercussions. The current study is the first to summarize and discuss previous findings on the treatment needs and experiences of pedohebephiles. The findings indicate that the treatment needs of pedohebephiles often remain unaddressed. Suggestions to increase the fit between treatment services and the needs of pedohebephiles are put forward.

Profiles of child labour: prevalence, activities, contexts, and children’s harm extent in Raya-Kobo and Angot Districts, Ethiopia

Using a mixed research design, the overall objective of this study is to investigate the profiles of child labour in Ethiopia’s districts of Raya-Kobo and Angot. The study’s specific objectives are to examine types of activities and prevalence of child labour, to identify the children’s working contexts, and to evaluate the extent of harm children face in workplaces. The study hypothesizes the existence of significant variations in the profiles of child labour (activity types, prevalence rates, settings, and level of harm to children) as a result of several circumstances. While survey methodology was used to collect primary data from 431 randomly selected respondents, desk review and document analysis were also used to gather secondary data. The sampling procedures used include multi-stage purposive and systematic random sampling. Descriptive and inferential (Ordered Probit Regression model) methods of data analysis are utilized to analyze the data. The results of the descriptive analysis demonstrate a high incidence and magnitude of child labour, as well as children’s early entry to work. The regression analysis reveals children’s exposure to high levels of harm at work, which is directly exacerbated by household age, income diversification, land fragmentation, livestock number, shocks, and the predicted value of remittances. Contrarily, access to rural transportation, household heads’ education level, cart ownership, and family size reduce children’s harm extent while working. The study highlights the need to design strategies for age-appropriate work to protect children from hazardous and high-intensity activities, undertake community awareness campaigns about the impact of child labour on children, and strengthen local stakeholders’ capacity. Additionally, connecting rural areas and farmers’ croplands to towns or major routes via repaired or new roads would be beneficial.

STUDI LITERATUR PERKEMBANGAN KEMAMPUAN BAHASA ANAK USIA 4-6 TAHUN BERCERITA

The primary objective of this research is to delineate the language capabilities of children using storytelling techniques. The investigation is prompted by the widespread difficulty children face in achieving proficient language skills. Inadequate language teaching methods for children have resulted in diminished interest in their linguistic progress. To address this issue, effective learning models tailored to individual needs need to be implemented. This study employs a literature review approach, scrutinizing various sources such as books, articles, and journals. The results emphasize the effectiveness of storytelling in augmenting language development in children. Storytelling is not only effective in fostering enjoyment during listening sessions but also in facilitating children to narrate their own stories. This conclusion is corroborated by a comprehensive analysis of relevant research findings, highlighting storytelling as a crucial strategy for improving language skills in early childhood. Keywords: Language Storytelling, Early Childhood

Family resilience in a social-ecological context - emotional difficulties and coping strategies.

This research explored how crises such as the pandemic influence the family dynamic and the way that the parents and the children face new difficulties and challenges. The present study investigates children's and young people's emotional states, the dimensions of family resilience, and the types of coping strategies and parents' emotional states during the coronavirus pandemic. The final sample for the research was represented by 1,010 parents from Romania. The present scientific research is a transversal study with the scope to understand the emotional difficulties that parents and children/ young people face and the coping strategies that they adopt in a crisis, such as the time of the coronavirus pandemic. Parents with maladaptive coping strategies are more affected by the pandemic. Also, the results indicate that there is a significant correlation between parental coping strategies and the children's emotional states, and the adaptability level. Therefore, the high scores on the subscales which measure maladaptive coping indicate high scores of the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress of the parents. Family resilience, through the dimension of 'communication and problem-solving in the family' has a moderation role in the relationship between parental depression and the maladaptive coping strategy of rumination. Family resilience through 'maintaining a positive attitude' has a moderation role in the relationship between catastrophizing and the teenagers' level of adaptability. The results of the study pointed out the role and place of family resilience within the family system and how a period of crisis can affect this system.

From Exclusion to Empowerment: Strategies for Enhancing the Educational Opportunities of Afghan Migrant Children in Pakistan

The research examines the challenges Afghan migrant children face in Pakistan and offers empowering strategies. The study examines human rights, mobilization, and migration in the context of the current sociopolitical scenario, which has caused a large influx of Afghan refugees to Pakistan. The study examines structural issues and proposes ways to enhance educational opportunities for Afghan migrant children and addresses the educational challenges Afghan migrant children face. The findings show that comprehensive filtering improved the dataset for future research.. The research's main results improve our understanding of the issues and new strategies for enhancing educational inclusion. This comprehensive evaluation recommends strategies that enable students to combat educational inequalities. The study recommends an attitude change to help Afghan migrant children, their families, and their communities. It takes removing obstacles and encouraging inclusion to achieve this goal.

The Development of Android Based on Legal Protection System for Women and Children

The issue of protecting women and children is becoming a concern in many parts of the world, including Indonesia. Applications can help women and children face dangerous conditions, increase public awareness, and empower them in handling cases of sexual harassment, requiring alternative technology-based solutions. The research method is juridical-empirical using a positivism paradigm, with a population of Pontianak city. Data was collected through literature study, documentation, and questionnaires. The legal protection for women and children in Pontianak City in terms of overcoming violence was found to be good, The community believed that the government was not adequately addressing incidences of abuse against women and children. Supporting factors suggest that the public can be helped by reporting acts of violence online.

Mengembangkan Minat dan Kemampuan Bahasa Inggris Remaja di Lingkungan Bappeda Kota Tebing Tinggi

The problems that children face today are related to learning in pandemic times like these. Children ranging from high school to high school have difficulty learning English. Besides that English is not the everyday language that makes them strangers use it, English is also considered to be a difficult language. It's happening in many places where a lot of parents can't afford or want to enroll their children in English courses, like children in the BAPPEDA High Hill neighborhood. They want to understand and master English because English is an international language. In this practice I as a practitioner helped develop the interest and ability of the English language in teenagers who are in the BAPPEDA neighborhood. The solutions offered in the practical activities of the appropriate intervention program are used in this problem, namely micro intervention by Skidmore (Adi, 2013), case work consisting of stages such as Engagement, Intake and contract, Assessment or Program Planning, Intervention, Evaluation, and Termination. By using Skidmore's method, it's easier to practice solving client problems. The results of this activity aim to make the youth in this BAPPEDA neighborhood more confident, able to compete and not lag behind other teens on English language skills

Factors associated with under-five mortality in Rwanda: An analysis of the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey 2020.

Despite global and Rwandan progress in reducing under-five mortality, the risk of children dying before their fifth birthday persists, necessitating intensified research on determinants. Thus, this study analyzed the birth history data to shed light on the underlying causes of under-five mortality in Rwanda. The study is a secondary analysis of data sourced from the 2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) cross-sectional design. Using SPSS, the data was cleaned, recoded, and weighted, with descriptive and inferential statistics applied. The dependent variable was the child's living status, while independent variables included socio-demographic, media exposure status of mothers, child, and environmental factors. A total of 10267 under-five children of all interviewed mothers were included in the final analysis, of which 12.3% (1260) died. Maternal age (25-34 years: AOR = 1.514, 95% CI = 1.130-2.029, p = 0.005; 45+: AOR = 13.226, 95% CI = 9.253-18.905, p<0.001), occupational status (agricultural workers and other services), and three or more births within five years (AOR = 1.895, 95% CI = 1.433-2.508, p<0.001) significantly increase the risk of under-five mortality. Conversely, maternal education (primary: AOR = 0.821, p = 0.023; secondary: AOR = 0.533, p<0.001; higher: AOR = 0.365, p = 0.010) and higher wealth indexes (middle: AOR = 0.743, p = 0.001; rich: AOR = 0.612, p<0.001), as well as current breastfeeding (AOR = 0.524, 95% CI = 0.455-0.603, p-value <0.001), are associated with lower under-five mortality. Child sex significantly impacts under-five mortality (AOR = 0.873, 95% CI = 0.770-0.991, p = 0.035), favoring females over males. Conversely, multiple birth type children face higher under-five mortality (AOR = 3.541, 95% CI = 2.727-4.599, p<0.001) compared to singletons. Children in the northern (AOR = 1.478, 95% CI = 1.086-2.011, p = 0.013) and eastern (AOR = 1.470, 95% CI = 1.097-1.971, p = 0.010) regions are more susceptible to mortality compared to those in the central (Kigali) region. Additionally, under-five mortality is higher when using water from tanks and other sources (AOR = 2.240, 95% CI = 1.471-3.411, p<0.001) than piped water. This study identifies crucial factors linked to under-five mortality, underscoring the importance of prioritizing them in interventions to enhance Rwandan under-five survival rates.

Clinical Care Adjustments Based on Socioeconomic Adversity

This Viewpoint discusses methods for addressing socioeconomic challenges to receiving equitable care that children face.

Improving mentalizing deficits in older age with region-specific transcranial direct current stimulation

Older adults have difficulties to detect the intentions, thoughts, and feelings of others, indicating an age-associated decline of socio-cognitive abilities that are known as “mentalizing”. These deficits in mental state recognition are driven by neurofunctional alterations in brain regions that are implicated in mentalizing, such as the right temporo-parietal junction (rTPJ) and the dorso-medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC). We tested whether focal transcranial current stimulation (tDCS) of the rTPJ and dmPFC has the potential to eliminate mentalizing deficits in older adults. Mentalizing deficits were assessed with a novel mindreading task that required the recognition of mental states in child faces. Older adults (n = 60) performed worse than younger adults (n = 30) on the mindreading task, indicating age-dependent deficits in mental state recognition. These mentalizing deficits were ameliorated in older adults who received sham-controlled andodal tDCS over the rTPJ (n = 30) but remained unchanged in older adults who received sham-controlled andodal tDCS over the dmPFC (n = 30). We, thus, showed for the first time that anodal tDCS over the rTPJ has the potential to remediate age-dependent mentalizing deficits in a region-specific way. This provides a rationale for exploring stimulation-based interventions targeting mentalizing deficits in older age.