Children In Mainstream Schools Research Articles

Parental Beliefs Towards the Inclusion of Autistic Children in Mainstream Schools

ABSTRACT Research has examined teacher attitudes, knowledge, and stigma towards inclusion of autistic children in mainstream schools. Less focus has been given to these beliefs among parents. This is problematic as parents are important in the implementation of inclusion and fostering a positive school environment. The current study examined differences in autism attitudes, knowledge, stigma, and inclusive education attitudes (core perspective; expected outcomes; classroom practices) among parents with and without an autistic child; The study also investigated whether autism knowledge, attitudes and stigma predicted inclusion attitudes. 185 parents in the UK (52% had an autistic child) completed questionnaires measuring these variables. Parents of an autistic child had significantly higher core perspective inclusive attitudes than parents without an autistic child. However, this group also reported more beliefs that parents of autistic children are stigmatised. For all parents, core perspective inclusive attitudes were predicted by autism attitudes and stigma towards parents of autistic children. Predictors of expected outcomes and classroom practices inclusive attitudes differed between groups. Findings highlight the need for parental attitude research to be disability-specific and consider different aspects of inclusive attitudes. Parent education to enhance inclusive attitudes should be tailored for distinct parent groups and contact interventions should be considered.

Promoting Inclusion in Education: Teachers’ Attitude and Self-efficacy towards Differently Abled Children in Mainstream Schools

Significant shifts in policy have been made in most of the developing nations, such as Pakistan, with regard to the inclusion of children with diverse learning needs, in particular those with disabilities. The main goal of this study was to investigate the attitudes and self-efficacy of teachers towards differently abled children in mainstream schools. Data was collected from three hundred and sixty one (361) primary school teachers working in Multan District, where an inclusive education pilot project is being implemented, using a quantitative research design. The results regarding the teachers’ current practices, teachers’ attitudes, and teachers’ sense of self-efficacy towards differently abled children indicate an overall positive attitude in mainstream schools. However, results showed that on the basis of teacher’s gender, location, professional, and academic qualifications there was no statistically significant difference in their attitude except in the domain of teaching experience. The current study suggests that teachers’ in Multan need to be required to engage in professional training focused on effectively managing students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms. These trainings seem to be offering great support for these teachers.

Autism spectrum disorder prevalence in Italy: a nationwide study promoted by the Ministry of Health

BackgroundThis nationwide study aimed to estimate Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevalence in 7–9-year-old Italian children. Promoted by Italy's Ministry of Health and coordinated by the National Observatory for Autism at the National Institute of Health, it covered schools in northern (Lecco and Monza-Brianza), central (Rome and its province), and southern (Palermo and its province) regions from February 24, 2016, to February 23, 2018, using a multi-stage approach defined by the European Union's ASD network.MethodsPhase one identified ASD-diagnosed children in mainstream schools through local Ministry of Education (MoE) disability registries. Phase two had a subset of schools screen 7–9-year-olds using the Social Communication Questionnaire-Life version (SCQ-L). Those with SCQ-L scores of 15 + underwent clinical consultation for ASD symptoms, cognitive abilities, and life skills. To counter potential false negatives, 20% scoring 11–14 were randomly assessed via Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R).ResultsMoE data revealed 9.8 per 1000 certified ASD children in the north, 12.2 in the central, and 10.3 in the south. In phase two, 35,823 SCQ-L questionnaires were distributed across 198 schools (northern: 11,190 in 49 schools, central: 13,628 in 87 schools, southern: 11,005 in 62 schools). Of SCQ-L respondents, 2.4% (n = 390) scored above the 15 cutoff. Among these, 100 had ASD diagnoses, and 50 had other diagnoses. Among 115 families assessed, 16.5% (n = 19) received ASD diagnoses.ConclusionsThe estimated prevalence of ASD in Italy was 13.4 (11.3–16.0) per 1,000 children aged 7–9 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 4.4:1. It will guide national policies in enhancing services tailored to the specific needs of autistic children.

The grammaticality judgement of inflectional morphology in children with and without Developmental Language Disorder

ABSTRACT To explore the clinical potential of grammaticality judgement tasks, this study investigated whether a Grammaticality Judgment Task (GJT) of inflectional morphology could differentiate between a clinically selected sample of children with DLD and children in mainstream (i.e. regular education) schools. We also explored the relationship between grammaticality judgement and measures of receptive vocabulary, receptive grammar, and nonword repetition. Children with DLD (n = 30; age range = 69–80 months) and mainstream children in Pre-primary, Year 1, and Year 2 (n = 89, age range = 61–96 months) were assessed on a GJT of regular past tense, third person singular, and possessive ‘s. The GJT was sensitive to developmental differences in mainstream children and differentiated children with DLD from Year 1 and 2 mainstream children, with DLD results consistent with a one-year delay in performance compared to controls. The GJT was the strongest discriminator of membership to a clinically selected sample of children with DLD (ROC curve analysis, area under the curve = 88%). Receptive grammar, receptive vocabulary, and nonword repetition were related to performance on the GJT. The grammaticality judgement of inflectional morphology shows promise as a reliable indicator of DLD and a measure sensitive to developmental differences in mainstream children. GJTs should continue to be explored for clinical application as a potential tool for both assessment and intervention.

Key developmental milestones helped to identify children with special educational needs and disabilities at an early stage.

Responding to developmental delay promptly is important, as it helps children to reach their full potential. This study investigated how developmental milestones predicted primary school children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at an early stage. We obtained data about 36 milestones between 12 and 45 months using the Dutch Development Instrument. Development, primary school classification and background characteristics were collected from the Dutch Preventive Child Healthcare system in Utrecht from 2008 to 2016. We investigated SEND classifications and the primary schools that the children attended at 4-12 years of age. The findings include area under the curve (AUC) data. Data on 30 579 children in mainstream schools and 1055 children with SEND were available. Different milestones predicted SEND classifications. Fourteen milestones and parental education predicted attendance at special needs schools with smaller classes (AUC 0.913). Nine milestones, sex, migration background and parental education predicted attendance at schools for severe communication problems (AUC 0.963). Ten milestones and parental education predicted attendance at schools for severe learning difficulties (AUC 0.995). Milestones did not accurately predict attendance at schools for severe behavioural or psychiatric problems. Milestones at 12-45 months predicted most SEND classifications at primary school age, except severe behavioural or psychiatric problems.

Inclusion of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Saudi Arabia: A Study of the Perceptions of Teachers.

The researchers investigated how teachers perceive the inclusion of deaf and hard of hearing (D/hh) students in mainstream classrooms in Saudi Arabia. They also examined how teachers' perception of this inclusion is influenced by their position (as a teacher in special or mainstream education). The researchers collected 196 teacher responses using an existing online survey (partly open-ended). They found that, overall, teachers in Saudi Arabia had slightly negative perceptions of teaching D/hh students in mainstream classrooms. But their teaching position did not seem to influence their perceptions. The researchers recommend that efforts be made to reduce negative perceptions of inclusion as a teaching practice in Saudi Arabia. Teachers working with D/hh children in mainstream schools should receive enough training to work successfully with these students. Awareness should be raised of inclusion's benefits and how inclusion differs from mainstream education.

Whakaritea te pārekereke: Teacher preparedness to teach te reo Māori speaking children in mainstream education settings.

It is essential that teachers are prepared to teach te reo Māori speaking children so that Māori tamariki enjoy equal and equitable opportunities to succeed as Māori (Education & Training Act, 2020). This article draws on research undertaken for my master’s degree which investigated teacher preparedness to teach te reo Māori speaking children in mainstream primary schools. Key findings included an awareness of how language and culture impact on identity and educational outcomes. Although participants acknowledged the absolute necessity that te reo Māori and tikanga Māori are included in all aspects of the education setting, they also reported that tikanga Māori is a more comfortable space to be in than te reo Māori as there were clear connections to their own values. Four key themes emerged from the findings which I promote in this paper as key factors for teacher readiness to teach reo Māori speaking children. These are: Kia rite (be prepared), Kia hono (be connected); Kia tātatiako (be culturally competent and responsive) and, Kia whakauruuru (be integrative). This article discusses the four factors listed above and implications for tamariki, their whānau, teachers and Initial Teacher Education (ITE) providers.

Communication, inclusion and psychological wellbeing among deaf and hard of hearing children: A qualitative study in the Gaza Strip.

Deaf and hard of hearing children are at risk of exclusion from community life and education, which may increase their risk of mental health conditions. This study explores the experience of deaf and hard of hearing children in the Gaza Strip, with particular focus on the factors that contribute to psychological wellbeing and distress. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 deaf and hard of hearing children, 10 caregivers of deaf and hard of hearing children and eight teachers of deaf and hard of hearing children in mainstream and special schools, across the Gaza Strip. Further, three focus group discussions were held with deaf and hard of hearing adults and disability leaders, mental health specialists and other teachers of deaf and hard of hearing children. Data collection was completed in August 2020. Key themes identified in the analysis included lack of accessible communication, community exclusion, negative attitudes towards hearing impairment and deafness and the impact on deaf and hard of hearing children's sense of self, and limited family knowledge on hearing impairment and deafness. Further findings focused on strategies to improve the inclusion of deaf and hard of hearing children and how to promote wellbeing. In conclusion, participants in this study believed that deaf and hard of hearing children in the Gaza Strip are at increased risk of mental health conditions. Changes are needed across community and government structures, including education systems, to promote the inclusion of deaf and hard of hearing children and to support their psychological wellbeing. Recommendations from the findings include increasing efforts to improve awareness and reduce stigma, providing better access to sign language for deaf and hard of hearing children, and offering training for teachers of deaf and hard of hearing children, especially in mainstream environments.

Assessing the Socio-Economic Consequences of Distance Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The research analysis shows that children in mainstream schools suffered from psychological deterioration (aggressive behaviour, depressive moods, despair about academic underachievement, etc.) when governments implemented measures to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, and children’s education took place remotely for a significant period. This was caused by the lack of social contact, which in turn contributed to the lack of knowledge in individual subjects, a deterioration in physical condition (spinal problems, visual impairment, insufficient muscle development), and the development of specific illnesses related to low physical activity. The research aims to identify the factors of distance learning that may affect student learning achievements. The research methods included an analysis of the scientific literature, and document and content analysis. A summary of the research findings found that the COVID-19 school quarantine had adverse effects on the students’ knowledge, social skills, socialisation, and psychological and physical health. It also caused macro- and micro-economic problems. In summary, the research demonstrated that distance education resulted in a decline in the students’ achievements and knowledge, miscommunication with their peers and conflict situations. Because of that, there are health-related concerns and additional financial challenges for parents and educational institutions organising distance education. Households also experienced additional expenditure on the infrastructure necessary for distance learning and tutoring services.

Inclusive education for children with disabilities in a refugee camp.

Children in refugee camps, and particularly those with disabilities, face unique challenges in accessing education and are at high risk of being marginalised. Best practices suggest that main-streaming is the optimal strategy for serving students with disabilities. This study examines the extent to which mainstreaming in a refugee camp helps to promote children's prosocial behaviours, taking into account their emotional and behavioural problems. In Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, researchers collected data from the parents of children currently enrolled in special needs education centres (n=65) and from those formerly enrolled at these facilities who transitioned to mainstream classrooms (n=81). Children in mainstream schools functioned better in terms of prosocial behaviours, but this relationship disappeared when factoring in children's emotional and behavioural difficulties. In the context of a refugee camp, mainstreaming alone is not likely to help children's psychosocial and educational functioning, which requires dedicated supports, appropriate facilities and infrastructure, and a dual focus on disability-specific and disability-inclusive initiatives.

Design for Difference: Cognitive Enhancement Toys For Children with Developmental Delays

Childhood is a phase where children explore, learn and enjoy. For some children, this phase is full of difficulties. These children suffer from either developmental delays or learning difficulties. According to sources, there is a iniquitousness of 1.5-2.5% of advancing delay in kids below 2 years of age in India. Development is described into five different domains - gross motor, fine motor, speech, and language, cognitive and socio-emotional. These children need help at an early age to overcome developmental delays and for cognitive enhancement. Both parents and teachers are involved with children right from an early age, and they can devise ways to help these children. Many schools adopt ‘Play’ as an important activity to help these children overcome developmental delays and “toys” are mostly central to the design of such activities. The paper describes the design research for designing toys for cognitive enhancement of children with developmental delays between 2 and 5 years. In the first phase of research, the interview method was used to understand what kind of learning difficulties children face and what kind of methods are employed to teach them and understand what types of toys they are using. The sample size of 20 comprising of teachers, therapists, and pediatricians from Special schools and departments for special need children in mainstream schools was used for the interview purpose. Observational studies with children (5 different classrooms with children between 3-5 years age) were carried out to understand how children learn and use the toys. At the end of the first phase, the qualitative analysis led to the shift from learning difficulties to developmental delays. In the second phase, a survey of available products in the market was conducted to understand what types of toys are used to address these children’s developmental activity. Mapping the play methods employed by the teachers and therapists to the toys’ activities led to finding the Design gap. The design process incorporated the research findings. The product is designed in the form of a Toy Box with a multi-utility set of toys for cognitive enhancement in children with developmental delays. The design (three sets of toys) addresses children’s communication, spatial, cognitive, gross motor & fine motor skills with developmental delays. The designed product was put through user testing twice to incorporate the findings from the testing to make the design more user-friendly for the children and the teachers, therapists, and parents.

Can dog-assisted and relaxation interventions boost spatial ability in children with and without special educational needs? A longitudinal, randomized controlled trial.

Children's spatial cognition abilities are a vital part of their learning and cognitive development, and important for their problem-solving capabilities, the development of mathematical skills and progress in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) topics. As many children have difficulties with STEM topic areas, and as these topics have suffered a decline in uptake in students, it is worthwhile to find out how learning and performance can be enhanced at an early age. The current study is the first to investigate if dog-assisted and relaxation interventions can improve spatial abilities in school children. It makes a novel contribution to empirical research by measuring longitudinally if an Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI) or relaxation intervention can boost children's development of spatial abilities. Randomized controlled trials were employed over time including dog intervention, relaxation intervention and no treatment control groups. Interventions were carried out over 4 weeks, twice a week for 20 min. Children were tested in mainstream schools (N = 105) and in special educational needs (SEN) schools (N = 64) before and after interventions, after 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year. To assess intervention type and to provide advice for subsequent best practice recommendations, dog-assisted interventions were run as individual or small group interventions. Overall, children's spatial abilities improved over the year with highest increases in the first 4 months. In Study 1, typically developing children showed higher scores and more continuous learning overall compared to children with special educational needs. Children in the dog intervention group showed higher spatial ability scores immediately after interventions and after a further 6 weeks (short-term). Children in the relaxation group also showed improved scores short-term after relaxation intervention. In contrast, the no treatment control group did not improve significantly. No long-term effects were observed. Interestingly, no gender differences could be observed in mainstream school children's spatial skills. In study 2, children in SEN schools saw immediate improvements in spatial abilities after relaxation intervention sessions. No changes were seen after dog interventions or in the no treatment control group. Participants' pet ownership status did not have an effect in either cohort. These are the first findings showing that AAI and relaxation interventions benefit children's spatial abilities in varied educational settings. This research represents an original contribution to Developmental Psychology and to the field of Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) and is an important step towards further in-depth investigation of how AAI and relaxation interventions can help children achieve their learning potential, both in mainstream schools and in schools for SEN.

Impact of DMFT, PUFA, DAI, and TDIs on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) Among Foundling, Delinquent, and Mainstream School Children: A Prilimenary Study.

ObjectivesTo assess oral health and its implication on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among groups of foundling and delinquent children compared to mainstream children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Materials and MethodsThis cross-sectional observational study was conducted on children in care houses and mainstream school-going children. The following variables were measured for each group: Demographic data (age, gender); subjective oral health condition; (OHRQoL); clinical oral health condition including the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index; pulpally involved, ulceration, fistula, and abscess (PUFA) index; Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) for malocclusion, and traumatic dental injuries (TDI).Statistical AnalysisA one-way ANOVA test, Chi-square test, and Pearson correlation coefficient were used.ResultsThe total OHRQoL score was significantly higher for the delinquent compared to the mainstream group. In addition, the DMFT and mean PUFA scores were significantly higher for the delinquent group than the others. The DAI revealed statistical significance in occlusion status within the foundling and delinquent groups, and the prevalence of TDI was significantly higher in the delinquent vs. the mainstream group.ConclusionOral health status appeared to have an association with the OHRQoL among foundling, delinquent, and mainstream children.

Can dogs reduce stress levels in school children? effects of dog-assisted interventions on salivary cortisol in children with and without special educational needs using randomized controlled trials.

Prolonged or excessive stress negatively affects learning, behavior and health across the lifespan. To alleviate adverse effects of stress in school children, stressors should be reduced, and support and effective interventions provided. Animal-assisted interventions (AAI) have shown beneficial effects on health and wellbeing, however, robust knowledge on stress mediation in children is lacking. Despite this, AAIs are increasingly employed in settings world-wide, including schools, to reduce stress and support learning and wellbeing. This study is the first randomized controlled trial to investigate dog-assisted interventions as a mediator of stress in school children with and without special educational needs (SEN) over the school term. Interventions were carried out individually and in small groups twice a week for 20 minutes over the course of 4 weeks. We compared physiological changes in salivary cortisol in a dog intervention group with a relaxation intervention group and a no treatment control group. We compared cortisol level means before and after the 4 weeks of interventions in all children as well as acute cortisol in mainstream school children. Dog interventions lead to significantly lower stress in children with and without special educational needs compared to their peers in relaxation or no treatment control groups. In neurotypical children, those in the dog interventions showed no baseline stress level increases over the school term. In addition, acute cortisol levels evidenced significant stress reduction following the interventions. In contrast, the no treatment control group showed significant rises in baseline cortisol levels from beginning to end of school term. Increases also occurred in the relaxation intervention group. Children with SEN showed significantly decreased cortisol levels after dog group interventions. No changes occurred in the relaxation or no treatment control groups. These findings provide crucial evidence that dog interventions can successfully attenuate stress levels in school children with important implications for AAI implementation, learning and wellbeing.

Mathematical modelling of school teacher’s knowledge and beliefs about dyslexia

Teacher’s role is very important for early identification and inclusion of dyslexic children in mainstream school. Lack of early identification and wrong perceptions of teachers regarding dyslexia may adversely affect the academic growth of dyslexic. The study primarily aimed at giving mathematical model of schoolteacher’s perception of dyslexia in Himachal Pradesh. Schoolteachers of Himachal Pradesh online filled Dyslexia Belief Index developed by Weddington and Wadlington (2005). Among 142 respondents, 45.1% teachers had moderate perception towards dyslexic students, 31% had low perception while 23.9% teachers had high perception towards dyslexic students. Teachers from Arts background, Gender (Male) and, having age between 36 and 40 and teaching experience of less than 5 years remained significant predictor for perception towards dyslexic students. Males were more likely to be at a higher on perception level towards dyslexic students (OR = 4.883, 95% CI 1.728–13.795). Teachers who are the head of the institute are more likely to have high perception towards dyslexic students (OR = 1.212, 95% CI .089–16.566) as compared to teachers who are PGT, TGT and primary teachers.

Chronic health conditions and school experience in school-aged children in 19 European countries.

This study investigates chronic conditions (CC) prevalence among children in mainstream schools, their school experience and life satisfaction in Europe. Data were collected from the 2017/2018 HBSC survey, a cross-national study using self-reported questionnaires administered in classrooms. Nationally representative samples of children aged 11, 13, and 15years in mainstream schools from 19 European countries (n = 104,812) were used. School experience was assessed using four variables: low school satisfaction, schoolwork pressure, low teacher support, and peer-victimization, which were related to life satisfaction. Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify patterns of school experience among students with CC. The prevalence of CC varied from 8.4 (Armenia) to 28.2% (Finland). Children with CC (n = 17,514) rated their school experience and life satisfaction lower than children without CC. LCA identified three school experience patterns: "negative on all items" (37%), "negative on all items, except school pressure" (40%) and "overall positive" (23%). The distribution of subgroups varied across countries-in countries with a higher proportion of children with CC in mainstream schools, children reported more negative school experiences. Compared to the "overall positive" group, low life satisfaction was highest for students classified as "negative on all items" (relative risk (RR) = 2.9; 95% CI 2.2-3.8) with a lesser effect for "negative on all items, except school pressure" (RR) = 1.8; 95% CI 1.4-2.4). These findings provide cross-national data documenting the diversity in inclusive educational practices regarding school placement and school experiences, and suggest that efforts are still needed to allow a fully inclusive environment.

'We've come a very, very, long way' Overcoming stigma of autism: An interpretative phenomenological analysis within the UK Jewish community.

Autistic people contend with high levels of stigma in many cultures worldwide. There is a scarcity of literature on stigma in relation to autism in faith communities and virtually no research focussing on this topic in Jewish communities. In this study, we aimed to explore experiences of stigma towards autism and sought views on what steps have and can be taken to reduce such stigma. Using an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 participants within the UK Jewish community, in both mainstream and specialist autistic schools. Interviews were conducted over 2 months in 2020. During analysis, 5 superordinate (central) themes and 13 subordinate themes were abstracted. Superordinate themes included ‘Stigma not specific to the Jewish community’; ‘Considerable strides made’; ‘More a lack of knowledge or denial than stigma’; ‘Fear of stigma is a real concern but not widely prevalent’; and ‘Potent factors that reduce stigma in the Jewish community’. We recommend workshops for greater awareness and training for teachers and parents on autism and autistic children’s experiences. We also recommend the formation of specialist autism schools in other communities and promotion of positive narratives concerning autistic people, as this successfully reduced stigma within the Jewish community.Lay abstractAutistic people contend with high levels of stigma in a wide array of cultures worldwide. There is a scarcity of literature on stigma in relation to autism in faith communities, with some limited research on this issue in Christian, Muslim and Hindu populations. There is virtually no research focussing on this topic in Jewish communities and to our knowledge, none at all within UK Jewish contexts. In this study, we aimed to explore experiences of stigma towards autism and sought views on what steps have and can be taken to reduce such stigma. Using an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 participants within the UK Jewish community, including parents, rabbis, SENDCos, teachers, and headmasters of autistic children in both mainstream and specialist autistic schools. Interviews were conducted over 2 months in 2020. During analysis, 5 superordinate (central) themes and 13 subordinate themes were abstracted from the data. Superordinate themes included ‘Stigma not specific to the Jewish community’; ‘Considerable strides made’; ‘More a lack of knowledge or denial than stigma’; ‘Fear of stigma is a real concern but not widely prevalent’; and ‘Potent factors that reduce stigma in the Jewish community’. We recommend workshops for greater awareness and training for teachers and parents on autism and autistic children’s experiences. We also recommend the formation of specialist autism schools in other communities and promotion of positive narratives concerning autistic people, as this successfully reduced stigma within the Jewish community.

‘Closing the gap’: the conditions under which children in care are most likely to catch up in mainstream schools

BSTRACT Children ‘in care’ have, on average, lower educational attainment than their peers. This article tests the hypothesis that many of these children can ‘catch-up’, if in stable placements and secondary schools ‘apparently effective’ with other children with ‘similar’ difficulties. In a cohort of 542,998 16-year-old English children in mainstream schools, those in care for at least a year were on average 148,465 ranks behind their peers on measured attainment at age 7. At age 16, 21% of this group had ‘caught up’ improving their ranking by at least this amount. Allowing for covariates, we found that schools were differentially effective for disadvantaged pupil groups defined by eligibility for free school meals at age 7, in the bottom 3 deciles of attainment at entry to secondary school, or deemed ‘in need’ or as having behavioural, emotional or social difficulties. As predicted, the conditions for children in care catching up related to placement stability and measures of their school’s apparent impact on these disadvantaged groups. In the ‘worst’ conditions 4% caught up as against 52% in the ‘best’. The results support the hypotheses that best practice can reduce the educational gaps between children in care, other low attaining groups and their peers.

Facilitating practices to support children's self-regulation in classrooms: a scoping review protocol.

The objective of this scoping review is to describe practices for supporting children's self-regulation in the classroom. Self-regulation is an integral component of children's well-being and learning in the classroom. Self-regulation is a broad concept that encompasses behavioral, emotional, cognitive, or sensory regulation processes. Children often struggle to self-regulate in class and teachers have difficulty supporting them, which affects children's participation and academic achievement, as well as teachers' self-efficacy and well-being. This review will consider studies that include mainstream primary school children regardless of diagnosis or disability, classroom teachers, and allied health professionals who provide services in mainstream public or private school settings. Self-regulation support practices may include pedagogical, classroom- or curriculum-based practices, environmental modifications, class-management strategies, adult-child relationships, and trauma-informed classroom practices. The review will be conducted using the JBI three-step search strategy. The databases to be searched include MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, CINAHL, OTSeeker, and ERIC. Documents from 2010 to the present in English will be included. Data will be extracted and charted by two reviewers using a data extraction tool based on JBI recommendations. Study findings will be presented in tabular or diagrammatic format that aligns with the objective, and a narrative summary will be provided.

Design for Difference: Cognitive Enhancement Toys for Children with Developmental Delays

Childhood is a phase where children explore, learn and enjoy. For some children, this phase is full of difficulties. These children suffer from either developmental delays or learning difficulties. According to sources, there is a iniquitousness of 1.5-2.5% of advancing delay in kids below 2 years of age in India. Development is described into five different domains - gross motor, fine motor, speech, and language, cognitive and socio-emotional. These children need help at an early age to overcome developmental delays and for cognitive enhancement. Both parents and teachers are involved with children right from an early age, and they can devise ways to help these children. Many schools adopt 'Play' as an important activity to help these children overcome developmental delays and "toys" are mostly central to the design of such activities. The paper describes the design research for designing toys for cognitive enhancement of children with developmental delays between 2 and 5 years. In the first phase of research, the interview method was used to understand what kind of learning difficulties children face and what kind of methods are employed to teach them and understand what types of toys they are using. The sample size of 20 comprising of teachers, therapists, and pediatricians from Special schools and departments for special need children in mainstream schools was used for the interview purpose. Observational studies with children (5 different classrooms with children between 3-5 years age) were carried out to understand how children learn and use the toys. At the end of the first phase, the qualitative analysis led to the shift from learning difficulties to developmental delays. In the second phase, a survey of available products in the market was conducted to understand what types of toys are used to address these children's developmental activity. Mapping the play methods employed by the teachers and therapists to the toys' activities led to finding the Design gap. The design process incorporated the research findings. The product is designed in the form of a Toy Box with a multi-utility set of toys for cognitive enhancement in children with developmental delays. The design (three sets of toys) addresses children's communication, spatial, cognitive, gross motor & fine motor skills with developmental delays. The designed product was put through user testing twice to incorporate the findings from the testing to make the design more user-friendly for the children and the teachers, therapists, and parents.