Children's Participation Research Articles

ВЛИЯНИЕ СПЕЦИАЛИЗИРОВННЫХ ЦЕНТРОВ НА СОЦИАЛЬНОЕ ВЗАИМОДЕЙСТВИЕ ДЕТЕЙ С АУТИЗМОМ

This study is aimed at studying the impact of visiting specialized centers on the level of social interaction in children with autism. The purpose of the study is to identify the connection between visiting specialized centers and improving social interaction skills in children with autism. To achieve this goal, data collected using standardized social interaction assessment tools will be analyzed, as well as observations and interviews with parents and professionals. The study involves the participation of children diagnosed with autism who attend specialized centers, as well as their parents and specialists working in these centers. The results of the study will include analysis of data obtained from various sources and suggestions for improving the services provided by specialist centers for children with autism. The results may be useful for practitioners working with children with autism, as well as for developing recommendations for improving the quality of services for this group of children.

Deciduous teeth from the New Hampshire birth cohort study: Early life environmental and dietary predictors of dentin elements

BackgroundSparse research exists on predictors of element concentrations measured in deciduous teeth. ObjectiveTo estimate associations between maternal/child characteristics, elements measured in home tap water during pregnancy and element concentrations in the dentin of shed deciduous teeth. MethodsOur analysis included 152 pregnant person-infant dyads followed from the second trimester through the end of the first postnatal year from the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. During pregnancy and early infancy, we collected dietary and sociodemographic information via surveys, measured elements in home tap water, and later collected naturally exfoliated teeth from child participants. We measured longitudinal deposition of elements in dentin using LA-ICP-MS. Multivariable linear mixed models were used to estimate associations between predictors and dentin element concentrations. ResultsWe measured 12 elements in dentin including those previously reported (Ba, Mn, Pb, Sr, Zn) and less frequently reported (Al, As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Li, and W). A doubling of Pb or Sr concentrations in water was associated with higher dentin Pb or Sr respectively in prenatally formed [9% (95%CI: 3%, 15%); 3% (1%, 6%)] and postnatally formed [10% (2%, 19%); 6% (2%, 10%)] dentin. Formula feeding from birth to 6 weeks or 6 weeks to 4 months was associated with higher element concentrations in postnatal dentin within the given time period as compared to exclusive human milk feeding: Sr: 6 weeks: 61% (36%, 90%) and 4 months: 85% (54%, 121%); Ba: 6 weeks: 35% (3.3%, 77%) and 4 months: 42% (10%, 83%); and Li: 6 weeks: 61% (33%, 95%) and 4 months: 58% (31%, 90%). SignificanceThese findings offer insights into predictors of dentin elements and potential confounders in exposure-health outcome relationships during critical developmental periods.

Digital communication and child participation in child welfare services: a scoping review of potentials and challenges

ABSTRACT The digitalisation of society has transformed the way people interact with each other – a development that has also influenced social work, pushing the discipline into a digital sphere. Today, social workers communicate with clients through e-mails, text messages, video calls and apps. The digitalisation of social work has entailed innovative ways of conducting social work, including the potential to strengthen children’s and families’ engagement with child welfare services. This paper investigates how digital communication can support child participation in casework. Based on a scoping review, the paper identifies three key themes related to digital communication in child welfare services: technologies and digital skills, the client–professional relationship and ethical and juridical dilemmas. We use the findings from the three themes to discuss how digital communication can support child participation in child welfare services. We focus on the potentials and challenges regarding access to the social worker and information sharing, control and influence as well as modes of closeness and distance brought about by the digitalisation of social work.

PLAY PARTICIPATION OF ADOLESCENT SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN

Play is a spontaneous, creative, pleasurable and normal activity of the child. It is an integral part of children’s everyday experience, from the earliest days of life through adolescence and into adulthood. Through play the child attains fullness physically and mentally. When the body and mind are alert and fresh, life is full of joy. The aim of the present study is to study the overall statuses of participation of adolescent school going children in play activities and to compare participation of adolescent school going children in play with respect to their gender, family structure and district. The sample of the study consists of 400 Upper Primary and secondary adolescent school going children from six schools of Paschim Medinipur and South-24 Parganas district in West Bengal. The sample was drawn on the basis of non-probability convenient sampling technique. To measure the overall statuses of participation of adolescent school going children in play activities, a three point Likert type Play Participation Scale was developed by the investigator. Collected data were analyzed using the statistics- Mean, Standard Deviation (SD) and Percentage analysis. t- Test analysis was conducts with SPSS programme. Hypotheses were tested at probability level of 0.05. Results of the research showed that most of the adolescent school going children i.e. 92.5% average participation in play activities. Most of them i.e. 67.25% opined that they have low participation per day in play activities and almost negligible percentage i.e. 5.5% of them opined average participation in it. Significant differences in the play participation were found among adolescent school going children with relation to their gender and district. No significant difference in the play participation was found among adolescent school going children with relation to their family structure.

Pupil's role in educational design: Exploring what it means to have a say in primary school

AbstractThis case study aims to explore the role of pupils in educational design and what it means to have a say in primary school. Although many educational offers use the slogan ‘pupil‐centred’ approach, examples are scarce in which children are seen as partners, let alone co‐designers. It is therefore important to investigate to what extent pupils are involved in the design process and decision‐making in a primary school context. Concepts such as co‐determination, participation, room for choice and competence were discussed. This small‐scale study shows that the school policy regarding participation and co‐design mainly concerns parents but not pupils as much. Teachers have different perspectives about the importance of children's participation. In general, they would like to involve the pupils more in the design process. The lack of time and educational inspection's demand for standardised outcomes are limiting factors. The pupils believe that they sometimes influence how lessons are conducted at school and are allowed to choose how they work on the subject. In general, they feel positive about their competence.

Promoting Reciprocal Relationships with Flexibility, Coaching, and Teaching (PRRFCT Match): A Virtual Parent-Mediated Intervention Package for Young Children with Developmental Disabilities.

This study aimed to evaluate Promoting Reciprocal Relationships with Flexibility, Coaching, and Teaching (PRRFCT Match), a parent-mediated naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention package. An expansion from an earlier pilot study (see Kunze et al., 2021), PRRFCT Match incorporates virtual coaching between a novice coach and parent to implement evidence-based, applied behavior analytic (ABA) techniques during play to increase engagement and decrease unengaged behavior exhibited by their young child with developmental delays(26-50 months old). Ten parent-child dyads were matched with a coach in this concurrent multiple baseline design across participants. Simulating the clinical training level of a novice early interventionist, nine graduate student clinicians received training as coaches on PRRFCT Match implementation and weekly supervision by a research team member. All aspects of training and intervention were delivered virtually. A visual analysis of the data combined with Tau-U revealed a strong basic effect between clinician coaching and parent strategy use. For child participants, a visual analysis and Tau-U results suggest that most increased engagement and decreased their unengaged behavior during the intervention. High variability, overlap, and high engagement at baseline are discussed. This study shows promise for the PRRFCT Match intervention package. The ABA technologies mediated by parents during play increased child engagement and decreased unengagement for most participants.

Exploring researchers’ perspectives and experiences of digital childhoods research in schools

This paper explores issues surrounding children's participation in research relating to digital childhoods, with an emphasis on the process of obtaining ethics approvals and other necessary approvals from Australian education authorities (e.g. Departments of Education), along with associated issues and tensions. It will report on the patterns apparent in existing literature in terms of how much research is being undertaken in independent, government, or Catholic schools, as well as researchers’ experiences working across Australian states and territories. In addition to presenting experiential data, the paper will raise tension points and provocations relating to the challenges faced by researchers and the implications of these for conducting research with children, as well as for children's rights, agency, and voice.

Child participation in South African primary schools: How useful is the Lundy model?

Background: The concept of ‘learner voice’ has received global attention in recent years, frequently credited to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The UNCRC recognises that children have (1) the right to express a view and (2) the right to have the view given due weight. However, in many countries, including South Africa, despite legislation that recognises child rights, there is a relative absence of learner voice and participation in school-level decision-making.Setting: The setting of this continuing professional development (CPD) initiative is GADRA Education, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in Makhanda Eastern Cape.Method: A consultative participation approach was adopted with Grades 2–4 learners, under the auspices of GADRA Education. Eight child participation consultations were held, followed by a further eight feedback sessions 5 months later. All were audio-recorded.Results: The results of the CPD initiative suggest that the model provides a useful framework for increasing child participation in primary schools. However, further deliberation is necessary ‘with’ learners around choices related to space, audience, and the alternative ‘hat’ of the facilitating teacher.Conclusion: Building on our learning, we aim to develop these ideas further through a more sustained research project, involving not only consultative participation but also collaborative participation and child-led participation.Contribution: Insight into the extent to which the Lundy model of child participation (Lundy 2007) can be used as a framework to guide researchers and practitioners in assisting primary school learners to develop their voice and exert influence in matters concerning them.

TEAttention!: A pilot study of occupational therapy and virtual reality for improving school participation in children with autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACT One of the environments that child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) find particularly challenging is school, which has an impact on their involvement. Virtual reality (VR) could provide appropriate repetitive or difficulty-controlled experiences relevant for children with ASD, where the environment’s constancy can be crucial to facilitating their adaptation and participation. This study aimed to explore whether an intervention called “TEAttention!” using a combination of a VR system and sensory processing strategies could be beneficial for improving participation in children with ASD in the school environment. The study used a pre- and post-intervention methodology. The participants were five students with ASD enrolled in a primary school. The Sensory Profile-2, unstructured observations and the System of Usability Scales were used. The TEAttention! program showed good usability for occupational therapists and teachers, and the children exhibited increased participation at school, improving their play, communication, and social relationships. VR could be a motivating and supportive component of therapies for children with ASD that could enhance their focus and comprehension of the sensory environment.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes and occupational participation of preterm children at school age: a scoping review

Preterm children may experience major challenges that affect their occupational participation and daily functioning, especially at school age. This scoping review aims to examining and synthesizing the available literature about adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes and occupational participation restrictions of preterm children born < 37 weeks of gestation. The MEDLINE, Science Direct, CINAHL databases were searched from January 2013 to December 2023, for published cohort studies that assessed the neurodevelopmental outcomes and occupational participation of school-aged preterm children, compared to full-term born peers. Out of 6631 identified articles, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria and involved 958 preterm children, aged 6-10 years old. Studies included in the current scoping review reported adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, such as cognitive impairment, executive function and sensory processing deficits, emotional and behavioral problems, language and visual perception difficulties, as well as occupational participation restrictions, like feeding difficulties, academic challenges and peer relationship problems. Findings suggest that neurodevelopmental deficits and occupational participation restrictions, especially in extremely preterm children, not only exist in early childhood but persist during school age. Future research should focus on exploring potential differences or patterns in neurodevelopmental outcomes and occupational participation between preterm groups with different gestational age ranges.

Enhancing Autonomy in Preschoolers: The Role of Motor Games in Development

Enhancing Autonomy in Preschoolers: The Role of Motor Games in Development

Contrasting Psychotherapeutic Treatments in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: an Exploratory Review

The aim of this study is to explain the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatments in patients with inflammatory bowel disease through an exploratory review of selected literature (2016-2022). Nineteen studies comprising interventions with cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, acceptance and commitment psychotherapy, and mindfulness were included, show data from N = 2506 people diagnosed with IBD, adult, adolescent and child participants, from different face-to-face and distance therapeutic programs. Results display a disparity of findings and are not definitive. The intervention that has the greatest verifiable therapeutic potential, given a better systematization of methodological procedures used, is cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. Future research on psychological interventions in IBD should focus on the use of trial of control and experimental groups, with random assignmentof participants and compliance with parameters that guarantee comparison between groups and replicability of studies, including design of a more standardized version of intervention procedures.

The Physical Activity Self-Advocacy Inventory for Adolescents with and without Disabilities: A Delphi Study

ABSTRACT Self-advocacy is a critical predictor of actual physical activity participation for children and adolescents with disabilities. Despite its reference within national standards for health and physical education, few practitioners are purported to promote self-advocacy among their students warranting the need for evaluation. However, no self-advocacy inventory exists for children and adolescents with robust psychometrics properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the content and face validity for the Physical Activity Self-Advocacy Inventory (PASAI) within children and adolescents with and without disabilities. Experts in the fields of health and physical education (N = 12) participated in this Delphi study. Once experts established the content/face validity for the PASAI, children and adolescents (N = 18) provided feedback on the PASAI to further refine the questions and support comprehension/relevance for the target population. After the first round of questions, experts’ average feedback was a 3.99 out of 5.00 across all items. Due to low scores and based upon experts’ suggestions, four questions were deleted, and one question was added. After round two, experts’ average ratings increased to 4.8 out of 5.00. The PASAI appears to have reasonable content/face validity properties per expert- and population-based feedback. Future research should vet additional psychometric properties of PASAI scores.

Studying the Use of Virtual Reality Learning Environments to Engage School Children in Safe Cycling Education

Background The promotion of cycling for children is beneficial from a health and environmental perspective, however road safety and awareness amongst this age group remain a considerable issue. As children are developing their cognitive and physical abilities, they are considered a high-risk group for injuries and fatalities on the roads. Virtual learning environments have demonstrated promising ways to engage children in learning about road risks and teach children about safe cycling. Intervention A web-based Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and Virtual Reality (VR) environment was designed to offer a platform for schoolchildren to learn about safe cycling and to develop skills for them to better detect hazards in traffic. Both learning environments were used by 455 school children and 20 class teachers. Methods Fun toolkit methods, specifically designed for child participants were used to assess the design of the technology, and for teachers a qualitative survey to provide evidence around the use of both learning environments. Results Results suggest both learning environments were appealing for lower school grade participants. For grades five and six a need to review the relevance and user design of the learning content was evident. The VR environment was highly attractive across all school grades, suggesting that VR could be a feasible way to teach road safety and safe cycling for school children. Discussion Although VLE and VR environment were attractive and fun to use, some users of VR experienced motion sickness. This would need to be considered and further examined before engaging a young learner in a VR learning environment. Several considerations are provided for teachers, practitioners, researchers, and designers seeking means to promote safe cycling for children.

The Value of Child Participation in Research—A Qualitative Child-Centered Approach to the Early Development of an Empowerment Inventory for Children

Child participation has become a conscious goal for support services related to children and young people, but there is still uncertainty regarding how this can be facilitated. This study explores the value of children’s participation in research and is based on a “child-centred” approach to the early development of a participation tool called the “Sense of Empowerment Inventory for Children” (SEIC). The main finding in this study concerns both the specific changes that were proposed by the children and how this affected the quality of the tool, but also how the children’s involvement had an impact on understanding participation as a process. This study adds knowledge to a methodological approach that supports the value and benefit of including children in participatory processes in research.

The role of long-term target and masker talker familiarity in children's speech-in-speech recognition.

This study investigated the influence of long-term talker familiarity on speech-in-speech recognition in school-age children, with a specific emphasis on the role of familiarity with the mother's voice as either the target or masker speech. Open-set sentence recognition was measured adaptively in a two-talker masker. Target and masker sentences were recorded by the adult mothers of the child participants. Each child heard sentences spoken by three adult female voices during testing; their own mother's voice (familiar voice) and two unfamiliar adult female voices. Twenty-four school age children (8-13 years) with normal hearing. When the target speech was spoken by a familiar talker (the mother), speech recognition was significantly better compared to when the target was unfamiliar. When the masker was spoken by the familiar talker, there was no difference in performance relative to the unfamiliar masker condition. Across all conditions, younger children required a more favorable signal-to-noise ratio than older children. Implicit long-term familiarity with a talker consistently improves children's speech-in-speech recognition across the age range tested, specifically when the target talker is familiar. However, performance remains unaffected by masker talker familiarity. Additionally, while target familiarity is advantageous, it does not entirely eliminate children's increased susceptibility to competing speech.

Music, participation, and engagement of children with Trisomy 21 in daily activities

Children with Trisomy 21 generally have delayed psychomotor development and intellectual disabilities that can compromise the acquisition of motor and communication skills. The study is based on the hypothesis that music can be a beneficial auxiliary resource in Occupational Therapy sessions, due to its influence on the human body, and can be useful to promote participation. The objective of the research was to observe the effect of music on maintaining the child's attention, participation and involvement in different tasks in Occupational Therapy sessions, defined based on demands defined by the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). This is a single case study with a 4-year-old child, diagnosed with Trisomy 21. After 12 sessions there was an improvement in the child's performance in the demands brought by the mother, as well as an improvement in their satisfaction in the activities carried out. The comparative analysis shows an increase of 5.6 points in the child's performance and an increase of 6.3 points in the mother's satisfaction in the reevaluation. Music in this study provided a positive result in the proposed activities, helping the child to maintain attention, increasing participation and independence in brushing teeth, getting dressed and drinking water from the glass.

Do occupational therapy and/or physiotherapy interventions improve activity and participation function for children and adolescents with functional neurological disorder? A systematic review

Background/Aims Functional neurological disorder is increasingly common in paediatric neurological practice, yet the role and scope for occupational therapy and physiotherapy intervention remains unclear. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate if occupational therapy and/or physiotherapy interventions improve activity and participation for children and adolescents with functional neurological disorder compared to usual care. Methods CINAHL, Embase and Medline were searched until May 2023. Eligibility criteria were applied by two reviewers independently. Methodological quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Data were synthesised narratively and the certainty of evidence assessed using a Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Results A total of eight non-randomised studies (n=451 participants, mean age 13.2 years) were selected. There was very low certainty evidence that for approximately three in four participants, inpatient or outpatient multidisciplinary programmes involving physiotherapy and/or occupational therapy led to recovery at the end of the programme, with recovery and school attendance retained at 12 months. Two studies provided very low certainty evidence that two in three participants attending multidisciplinary programmes were independent on all Pediatric Functional Independence Measure items at programme discharge. Conclusions: There is insufficient evidence to suggest routine occupational therapy and/or physiotherapy interventions improve activity and participation function for children and adolescents with functional neurological disorder compared to usual care. Implications for practice The implications for clinical practice for allied health professionals are ambiguous because of the low-quality of the available evidence. Until further research is conducted to support clinical practice, clinicians must rely on the combination of their clinical expertise and the best available evidence to guide practice.

A Randomized Trial of Inspiratory Training in Children and Adolescents With Obesity.

Introduction: Children with obesity suffer excess dyspnea that contributes to sedentariness. Developing innovative strategies to increase exercise tolerance and participation in children with obesity is a high priority. Because inspiratory training (IT) has reduced dyspnea, we sought to assess IT in children with obesity. Methods: We conducted a 6-week randomized IT trial involving 8- to 17-year-olds with obesity. Participants were randomized 1:1 to either high [75% of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP)] or low resistance control (15% of MIP) three times weekly. Assessments included adherence, patient satisfaction, and changes in inspiratory strength and endurance, dyspnea scores and total activity level. Results: Among 27 randomized, 24 (89%) completed the intervention. Total session adherence was 72% which did not differ between treatment groups. IT was safe, and more than 90% felt IT benefitted breathing and general health. IT led to a mean improvement (95% CI) in inspiratory strength measured by MIP of 10.0 cm H2O (-3.5, 23.6; paired t-test, p = 0.139) and inspiratory endurance of 8.9 (1.0, 16.8; paired t-test, p = 0.028); however, there was no significant difference between high- and low-treatment groups. IT led to significant reductions in dyspnea with daily activity (p < 0.001) and in prospectively reported dyspnea during exercise (p = 0.024). Among the high- versus low-treatment group, we noted a trend for reduced dyspnea with daily activity (p = 0.071) and increased daily steps (865 vs. -51, p = 0.079). Discussion: IT is safe and feasible for children with obesity and holds promise for reducing dyspnea and improving healthy activity in children with obesity. Breathe-Fit trial NCT05412134.

After-School Activities of Japanese Elementary School Children: Comparison of Children Who Attend Lessons and Cram Schools With Those Who Do Not.

This study examined the after-school activities of Japanese elementary school children in which little information is available for understanding the process by which participation in organized activities leads to the decrease in children's independent mobility. One thousand eight hundred and twenty-four mothers of elementary school children participated in an online survey. The mothers responded to the questions on the number of lessons (or cram schools) their children attended weekdays, as well as their children's behavior after classes, and parents providing transportation when their children go out to play. The proportion of children attending lessons and/or cram schools increased as their grades progressed. A significant interaction existed between the degree of parental transportation and grade in terms of whether or not the children attended lessons and/or cram schools. Parental involvement included pick up or drop-off for a large percentage of younger children without lessons, whereas the degree of parental involvement was greater for older children attending lessons. In other words, parents of children without attending lessons or cram schools tended to allow children to engage in independent activities when they reached the higher grades, whereas parents of children who frequently attended lessons and cram schools tended to remain involved in transporting their children, even when they reached the higher grades. The results suggested that the participation of children in organized activities leads to a routine of parental pickup and/or drop-off, which renders difficult the facilitation of opportunities for children to independently participate in play activities.