Children Struggle Research Articles

Refugee Caregivers' Perceptions of Using Mindfulness-Based Interventions to Support Coping Skills in Children with Disability in Jordan.

Background: Refugee children with disabilities are vulnerable to developing dysfunctional coping skills due to barriers in accessing health care services, including occupational therapy (OT). This study investigated the perceptions of refugee caregivers regarding the use of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) as a treatment for coping skills among their children with disabilities. Methods: A qualitative survey was used to analyse the coping mechanisms and access to services among refugee children with disabilities, as well as their caregivers' perceptions regarding the use of MBIs. The caregivers were recruited using convenience sampling from a database of individuals at the Al-Baqa'a refugee camp in Jordan via their community-based rehabilitation (CBR) centre. A demographic survey was sent to 156 refugees using WhatsApp. Refugees above the age of 18 years identifying as the caregivers of children with disabilities were eligible. Twenty-eight individuals completed the survey, and twenty-six were eligible. Open-ended questions asked about their child's struggles, supports, barriers to support, and perceptions of MBIs. The data were collected via Google Sheets. Three researchers coded the responses using a descriptive coding method and line-by-line analysis. Results: Five themes were derived from the responses: "Daily Challenges", "Support and Strategies", "barriers to accessing support", "MBIs: Caregiver Perceptions", and "MBIs: Barriers". The participants identified the behavioural, emotional, and cognitive challenges impacting their child's participation. Financial and environmental constraints, stigma, and timing were the reported barriers to services. The participants felt positive about the potential of MBIs to support their children. Conclusions: Overall, this study obtained foundational data to establish accessible mental health programmes for refugees with disabilities. Further research is needed to transcend the barriers and maintain MBI programmes in the community and the home settings.

Supporting Children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs: Finnish Early Childhood Special Education Teachers’ Views

Abstract In today’s society, the need for functional communication is essential from an early age. However, many children struggle with speech, language, and communication during their time in early childhood education and care (ECEC). This paper examines early childhood special education teachers’ (ECSETs) views on how children with speech, language and communication needs are supported in regular ECEC. The empirical data comprised four focus group interviews with 14 itinerant ECSETs. A thematic analysis was used to examine the teachers’ support strategies. The following four themes related to the research question were identified after an iterative process of coding and close reading of data: (a) cooperation and professionalism as prerequisites for providing support; (b) processes and procedures for providing support; (c) consultation for personnel enabling support for children in a group; and (d) adjusting support based on each child’s individual needs. The study provides insight into providing support for children with speech, language and communication needs and related challenges. The results indicate several areas that work well in providing support during specific activities and for certain group compositions. However, potential pitfalls include ECSETs’ workload and lack of knowledge and motivation among personnel to support children in need of support.

The struggle to belong: a qualitative exploration of challenges in social spaces faced by children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy attending neuromuscular disorders clinic

Purpose Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a genetically linked muscle disease, is one of the most devastating diseases with currently no cure. Developing essential social skills as a child moves into adolescence is particularly problematic in DMD. The present study is an exploration of the social challenges faced by children with DMD. Methods A qualitative study was conducted among ten children diagnosed with DMD receiving treatment in a neuromuscular disorder clinic of a tertiary referral care center in Southern India. Participants were recruited purposively and were interviewed face-to-face and through telephone. The recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results Mean age of the children was 13.9 (range: 13–15) at the time of the interviews, and six children had stopped schooling. The overarching theme generated from the interviews was struggle to belong, a yearning for normalcy in social spaces. Major identified themes were challenges with schooling, disabling society, feeling of being alone, and feeling of being a burden to the family. Conclusion The study highlighted the struggles of children that become a complex social problem for them. Efforts need to be made to be child-centric and encourage inclusion by improving accessibility and social support through sensitization programs.

Housing and supportive services for young mothers experiencing substance use disorder and homelessness: Cost-effectiveness analysis of a randomized trial

BackgroundMothers experiencing homelessness and caring for young children struggle with high rates of substance use and mental health problems. A comprehensive supportive housing intervention was implemented to assist young mothers experiencing substance use disorder (SUD) and homelessness. The cost-effectiveness of this intensive intervention could inform future dissemination. MethodsA cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted alongside a randomized controlled trial that lasted from May 2015 to October 2018. Mothers experiencing homelessness between the ages of 18–24 years with a SUD were randomly assigned to housing+support services (HOU + SS) (n = 80), housing-only (HOU) (n = 80), or services as usual SAU (n = 80). Using incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), the study compared the costs of HOU + SS and HOU to SAU for three outcomes: housing stability (percent days of stable housing), substance use (percent days of substance use), and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory score). Direct intervention costs of HOU + SS and HOU from both payor and societal perspectives were estimated. Cost data were collected from detailed study financial records. Outcomes were taken from 6-month assessments. ResultsThe average societal cost of HOU + SS per participant was $5114 [CI 95 %, $4949-5278], while the average societal cost of HOU was $3248 [CI 95 %, $ 3,140–$3341] (2019 U.S. dollars). The calculated ICERs show that HOU was more cost-effective than HOU + SS and SAU for housing outcome. For illicit drug use, HOU + SS was more cost-effective than HOU. Finally, for depressive symptoms, neither HOU + SS or HOU were more cost effective than SAU. ConclusionWhile HOU is more cost-effective for increasing housing, HOU + SS is more cost-effective for reducing illicit drug use. However, housing without improvements in substance use may not be sustainable, and supportive services are likely essential for improved well-being overall beyond the housing outcome alone.

Analgesic advice for children with special needs who have odontogenic pain

Many children struggle or refuse to take oral medications. The refusal of medication occurs for many reasons including learned and pre-existing anxiety, sensitivity to tastes and textures and sensory–motor/coordination difficulties (for tablet swallowing). Oral analgesics play a vital role in managing the odontogenic pain of children. This is especially true when they have limited access to appropriate dental care services, are pre-cooperative or lack the ability to be compliant for conventional dental treatment. CPD/Clinical Relevance: Practical advice around the facilitation of analgesic administration for odontogenic pain is lacking for parents of children who may not accept conventional preparations.

Developing paediatric skills and knowledge in pharmacy education: an exploration of a novel work-based learning experience

Abstract Introduction Pharmacy education in the United Kingdom must adapt to produce independent prescribing pharmacists ready to join an evolving healthcare system. Current placement practices exclude approximately 21% of the population due to a lack of specific recommendations surrounding paediatric experience and knowledge within the MPharm programme.[1] In turn, students’ current experiences may be limited by lack of interaction with unique learning outcomes offered by some healthcare settings, such as paediatric hospitals.[2] To promote student exposure in an overlooked speciality, novel approaches to work-based learning can be utilised. Aim This study aimed to explore pharmacy students’ experiences of work-based learning in a paediatric hospital setting. Methods In October 2022, fourth-year MPharm students at one school of pharmacy were invited to undertake work-based learning sessions across one academic year. The sessions aimed to develop students’ paediatric consultations skills and knowledge. Sessions consisted of a briefing, ward activities, scaffolded consultations with children and carers, and debriefs with a clinical supervisor. Debriefs included students reporting clinical information, required action and learning outcomes. All debriefs provided by students were transcribed by a clinical supervisor using a spreadsheet which recorded the date, ward visited, patient details, student handover, follow-up (if required) and learning outcomes. Data was initially cleaned, quality checked, and underwent content analysis to identify patterns and key themes to describe student experiences. Results Seventy-four students took part in sessions and delivered 233 consultations covering the medical history of the patient (76%, n=177), with varied levels of completeness. Students were exposed to acute conditions (41%, n=96) and chronic conditions (33%, n=76), with 13% (n=30) still awaiting diagnosis. Forty-eight percent (n=81) of learning points related to the pathology, diagnosis and symptoms of conditions, 24% (n=41) to medicines, 15% (n=25) to patient care, 11% (n=18) to non-clinical experiences and 2% (n=4) to other outcomes. In addition to carrying out ward activities, students underwent the processing of experiences during post-session debriefs: “It’s uncomfortable seeing a child struggle to breathe” [P131]. The process of active reflection was also evidenced in debriefs: “I felt very anxious, like a tightness in the chest, to hear that a child had a short life expectancy” [P145]; “I realised they had zero cultural competence after seeing a patient from the Middle East with jaundice” [P233]. Conclusion The study demonstrates a proof of concept that students can be exposed to complex care needs and challenging consultations under indirect supervision, demonstrating the paediatric setting to be a suitable work-based learning host. However, findings are limited to a single cohort of students at a single site, meaning transferability may be limited. Future studies could focus on longitudinal educational and emotional outcomes of students by measuring clinical knowledge, competence and confidence. Utilising post-session debriefs with peers and supervisors created a space to share both pharmaceutical and emotional learning points, aiding in managing the cognitive load of students. This experience not only highlights the requirement of paediatric exposure in pharmacy education programmes to aid the students’ future practice, but the importance of supervised reflective activities following work-based learning experiences.

The silent struggle of asylum-seeking children

The silent struggle of asylum-seeking children

Parental perceptions of social and emotional well-being of young children from Australian military families.

Many Australian Defence Force (ADF) and Veteran families are affected by the stressors of Defence family life, including frequent and prolonged parental deployments, and frequent relocations. To address a gap in information about Defence and Veteran (hereafter Defence) parents' knowledge, confidence and resources to support their young children's well-being and build their resilience. This study used a mixed methods design to explore Defence parent's perceptions of their young children's (aged 2-8 years) social and emotional well-being and understanding of their children's responses to unique stressors as well as their confidence in providing support. Data from 41 parents were available. Overall, parents reported positive well-being evaluation of their children. However, just over a third of parents also reported that their children rarely cope well on two indicators combined (adapting to new situations and sharing negative emotions with others). Significantly, more than half of the parents (61%) were only partially confident in their ability to assist their children to cope with unique stressors in military families. Qualitative data provided further insights into children's struggle with relocations and parental absence and the challenges parents face in supporting them. Parents reported having limited access to effective age- and culturally appropriate resources to support their young children. In a first-of-its kind study, we found that Australian Defence parents reported their young children were coping on most of the key well-being indicators. However, awareness of currently available supports for children remains a barrier as well as access to contextualised, age- and culturally appropriate resources are lacking. There is a need for access to free, quality, online, research-based Australian resources to support young children from Defence families, especially for those living in regional and rural locations and are less likely to have access to mental health and other specialist supports.

Impact of Broken Homes on Children’s Psychology in Indian Writing in English

Indian Writing in English has emerged as a significant genre of literature, reflecting the complexities of Indian society and culture. One significant theme explored in this genre is the impact of broken homes on child psychology. Indian Writing in English has been successful in portraying the devastating effects of broken homes on children. This paper will discuss the importance of the portrayal of the impact of broken homes on child psychology in Indian Writing in English. The portrayal provides an insightful view of the psychological and emotional challenges faced by children living in such situations. In contemporary Indian society, divorce and breakups are still considered taboo subjects, and children of such homes are often stigmatized. However, Indian English literature provides a platform for these stories to be told, giving a voice to the silent victims of such circumstances. Its portrayal of the impact of broken homes on child psychology brings forward the notion of resilience and hope in children amid adversity. The books depict the children’s struggles to cope with the separation of their parents, to adapt to new family dynamics, and find their identities. The character development and struggles of such children can be particularly inspiring to readers who have faced similar situations.

The Struggle of Children from Drug-Abusing Families in Facing Social Exclusion

This paper aims to explore the perceptions and reflections on the experiences of children from drug-abusing families in their struggle against social exclusion. The results are based on a qualitative phenomenological analysis of in-depth and face-to-face interviews with 27 informants, including; 12 children from drug-abusing families experiencing social exclusion, 10 parents, 3 neighbors, and 2 shelter professionals. This research resulted in the following themes: 1) parentification as a child's struggle, 2) feelings of sadness and frustration, 3) making peace with a negative stigma and 4) limited professional support. The findings of this study indicate that the experiences of children who have parents who abuse drugs are significantly influential in their lives, whether they live together or separated. Therefore, these children must receive adequate financial and professional support to help them cope with mixed and contradictory emotions and how to deal with the negative stigma that may arise from their surroundings.

Child labour in high performance and professional sport: The struggle for children’s rights

ABSTRACT Children’s right to play and leisure has historically and currently been violated by the many demands of adults. This is now evident in the widespread structuring of the time of middle-class children in programmed activities, including sports. In a contribution to this special issue on leisure, citizenship and human rights the paper begins with an overview of how participation in sports became so work-like for many children. This is followed by an examination of the struggle to define such work as child labour. And the paper concludes with a consideration of how it may be possible to transform sport, protecting participants under the framework of children’s and labour rights – nurturing children accomplished in sport without exploiting or abusing them.

Primary school teachers’ patterns in using communication-supporting strategies following a professional development program: lessons learned from an exploratory study with three teachers

Oral language skills underpin later literacy achievement and life prospects, and many children struggle with oral language for various reasons. Hence, it is crucial for teachers to provide a learning environment with rich opportunities for all children to practice their oral language. The aim of this exploratory study was to explore a professional development (PD) program designed to coach teachers in using communication-supporting strategies during verbal teacher-child interactions in regular classrooms. In focus were five strategies from the Communication Supporting Classroom Observation Tool. The study used a mixed-method case design with multiple observations across four time points over 10 weeks and a follow-up observation after two months. Outcome measures were collected at pre-and, post-intervention and at follow-up. The cases were two intervention teachers and one comparison teacher in second grade in Swedish primary schools. The teachers were directly observed and video-recorded during teacher-child structured small group conversations while discussing different texts with two groups of children each. The groups were mixed and comprised both children struggling with oral language as well as more typically developing children. To further understand the verbal interactions, the teachers’ amount of talk in relation to the children was analyzed in terms of the percentage distribution of the total number of words per minute. The overall patterns of strategy use showed that the two intervention teachers applied more varied strategies from the PD program during the intervention period, but this was not maintained at the follow-up. The amount of teacher talk appeared stable over time, with individual differences in the three teachers. We also discuss the teachers’ own insights and our experience in the design of the PD program, which may guide future research and applications of the PD program.

ANALISIS PERBANDINGAN PENDIDIKAN KARAKTER ANTARA NOVEL LASKAR PELANGI DENGAN NOVEL 9 SUMMER 10 AUTUMNS

This study aims to examine the comparison of character education values between the novel Laskar Pelangi and the novel 9 Summer 10 Autumns. The research uses a qualitative approach with a content analysis method. Data collection was carried out using test instruments. The results of this study show that the two novels have similar plots and show that the two novels both tell about struggles from childhood to adulthood to achieve their dreams. Both novels also share the educational value of the characters we researched. The value of character education that we examined in these two novels is on the value of honesty, religious value, tolerance value, discipline value, and hard work value. As a suggestion, both novels are very good to read because they contain the story of children's struggle to achieve their dreams to be successful in the future. These two novels are very inspiring and can foster a sense of enthusiasm, never give up, tolerance, religious observance, loyal friends, cooperation and hard work in living daily life. For the rest more in-depth research needs to be done

Early care and education after COVID-19: A perspective

This perspective highlights the experiences and observations of an early care and education researcher reentering the field after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in the USA. Specifically, this perspective highlights the struggles of children, teachers, early care and education leaders, and the system itself as early care and education attempts to return to normal post COVID-19. Children exhibit behavioral, social, cognitive, and physical challenges. Teachers are burned out from grueling cleaning and safety protocols and caring for children who have missed the benefits of early care and education socialization during the pandemic. Leaders are struggling to keep a stable workforce and fill many roles in the childcare site. This perspective details firsthand experiences and recent relevant literature to describe these struggles.

Don't you see the possibilities? Young preschoolers may lack possibility concepts.

Preschoolers struggle to solve problems when they have to consider what might and might not happen. Instead of planning for all open possibilities, they simulate one possibility and treat it as the fact of the matter. Why? Are scientists asking them to solve problems that outstrip their executive capacity? Or do children lack the logical concepts needed to take multiple conflicting possibilities into account? To address this question, task demands were eliminated from an existing measure of children's ability to think about mere possibilities. One hundred nineteen 2.5- to 4.9-year-olds were tested. Participants were highly motivated but could not solve the problem. Bayesian analysis revealed strong evidence that reducing task demands while holding reasoning demands constant did not change performance. Children's struggles with the task cannot be explained by these task demands. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that children struggle because they cannot deploy possibility concepts that allow them to mark representations as merely possible. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Preschoolers are surprisingly irrational when faced with problems that ask them to consider what might and might not be the case. These irrationalities could arise from deficits in children's logical reasoning capacities or from extraneous task demands. This paper describes three plausible task demands. A new measure is introduced that preserves logical reasoning demands while eliminating all three extraneous task demands. Eliminating these task demands does not change performance. These task demands are not likely a cause of children's irrational behavior.

Hidden Superheroes: Children and Adolescents in the COVID-19 Pandemic

The pandemic has left its unmistakable impact on each of our lives and those of our patients. As a post-graduate year 3 (PGY-3) at Rush University Medical Center, the tail-end of my psychiatry residency training and my entire child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship training was forever altered. My (Leora Massey) patients each day tell me about their unique experiences growing up and attending school during a pandemic. Few other topics have impacted people of all ages and backgrounds as significantly as the COVID-19 pandemic. This article will examine some of the literature that illustrated the profound impact that COVID has had on children and adolescents since March 2020, revealing hidden superheroes of this pandemic—the pediatric population. This research is especially pertinent, given the US Surgeon General’s advisory declaring a Youth Mental Health Crisis on December 7, 2021.1 At the start of the pandemic, health care and other essential workers were frequently referenced as the superheroes of our society. I would like to also acknowledge the struggles of children and adolescents – those who might have stayed home but were also tasked with the crucial work of continuing to learn, mature, and develop during months of social isolation. They, in fact, might be considered superheroes as well.

Mapping modal verbs to meanings: an elicited production study on “force” and “flavor” with young preschoolers

ABSTRACT Modals (e.g., can, must) vary along two dimensions of meaning: “force” (i.e., possibility or necessity), and “flavor” (i.e., possibilities relative to knowledge [epistemic], goals [teleological], or rules [deontic] …). Comprehension studies show that children struggle with both force and flavor dimensions of modals. However, given the complex one-to-many mappings from forms to meanings, it is not clear what force or flavor children assign to the modals being tested. In this study, we use a sentence-repair task to test which modals 3- and 4-year-old children themselves prefer to produce in teleological (goal-oriented) and epistemic (knowledge-based) possibility and necessity contexts, and how these preferences differ from those of adults. Our results provide a first controlled look at which modals children use to express the major flavor and force dimensions of modal verb meanings. We shed new light on children’s modal systems, and show that learners generally distinguish modal flavors but struggle distinguishing forces.

SILENCE AND RESILIENCE IN BINA SHAH’S SLUM CHILD

This paper investigates the factors contributing to the traumatic experiences of subaltern children in Pakistani Christian society. It delves deep into the painful memories and traumatic encounters of subaltern children within the confines of their homes and communities. The analysis centers on Bina Shah’s Slum Child, where the narrator, Laila, represents the collective psychological struggles of subaltern children. Drawing on Judith Lewis Herman’s concepts, it explores how silence and resilience influence the impact of trauma. Additionally, it employs insights from Shoshana Felman and Dori Laub’s works to examine the testimonial role in fictional narratives. The study concludes that subaltern children often endure trauma, significantly affecting their psychological well-being. Resolution of these inner conflicts requires confronting entrenched fears. Importantly, testimony not only gives a voice to the voiceless but also provides psychological healing. Keywords: Postcolonial Psychology, Subaltern Studies, Trauma and Recovery, Testimony, Pakistani Christian, subaltern children.

Virtual reality and embodied learning for improving letter-sound knowledge and attentional control in preschool children: A study protocol

Previous studies have shown that many children struggle with the acquisition of literacy skills and that these problems can be observed since the earliest stages of literacy learning. Embodied learning has been highlighted as a way to enhance the acquisition of early literacy skills. In addition, the use of technologies has been suggested as way of improving attentional control and motivation, which ultimately can improve learning outcomes. However, the combination of Virtual Reality (VR) and embodied learning in preschool children is yet to be explored wherefore the idea to the VR PLAYMORE study emerged. The project is designed as a three-armed randomized controlled trial with 6-7-year-old children in the Copenhagen area of Denmark. Children will be allocated to either a: 1) VR group, 2) mirror group or 3) control group throughout a 2-week intervention period. The VR group and mirror group will perform activities designed with accordance to the embodied learning theory. However, the VR group will perform the activities while wearing VR headsets whereas the mirror group will perform the activities in front of a whole-body mirror without VR headsets. The control group will continue regular teaching activities without the research group interruption. This study protocol follows the SPIRIT guidelines. Outcome measurements will include testing of literacy skills and attentional control. The study will add new knowledge to the research field of embodied learning and the use of VR technology in a school setting with focus on reading- and spelling-related skills and attentional control since this combination is yet to be explored.

TEACHING WRITING SKILLS TO DYSLEXIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

Writing is an essential skill which is developed during the process of learning a language. It is also a major area of struggle for dyslexic school children. Obviously, it is possible to teach and improve writing. However, at the same time, it is claimed that teachers tend to neglect the skill. The purpose of the study is to examine the reality of teaching writing to elementary dyslexic school children. In order to analyse the situation, an online survey has been distributed to elementary education teachers. The results provide evidence that although writing is recognized as a necessary teachable skill, however there is observed evident negligence in the area of teaching the writing ability to dyslexic school children.