Strength In Children Research Articles

Effects of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone for 1 Year on Body Composition and Muscle Strength in Children on Long-Term Steroid Therapy: Randomized Controlled, Delayed-Start Study

Recombinant human GH (rhGH) improves growth and body composition in glucocorticoid-treated children. Its effects on muscle strength are poorly evaluated. Our objective was to evaluate rhGH effects on muscle strength in children receiving long-term glucocorticoid therapy; effects on height SD score (SDS) and body composition were assessed also. A randomized, controlled, delayed-start study of rhGH for 12 months was started after randomization (baseline) or 6 months later (M6). Patients included 30 children with various diagnoses. rhGH was administered at 0.065 mg/kg/d for 6 months and then in the dosage maintaining serum IGF-I levels below +2 SDS for chronological age. The primary criterion was the between-group difference in composite index of muscle strength (CIMS) change at M6. Secondary criteria included between-group differences in CIMS SDS(height), lean mass (LM), thigh muscle area (MA), and height SDS changes at M6; these parameters were also assessed in the overall population after 1 year of rhGH therapy. At M6, rhGH therapy did not significantly affect changes in CIMS or CIMS SDS(height) (+17.6% vs +7.5% and +0.14 ± 0.38 vs +0.11 ± 0.62, respectively); the rhGH-treated group had significantly larger changes in height SDS (+0.2 [0.3] vs -0.2 [0.3]; P = 0.003), LM (+7.3% [+3.7%; +21.6%] vs 0% [-4.7%; +3.2%]; P = 0.002), and MA (+8.8% [+5%; +15.6%] vs. -0.6% [-6.3%; +7.7%]; P = 0.01) compared with the untreated group. After 1 year of rhGH, height SDS, LM, and MA increased significantly, CIMS increased by 24.7% (+5.8%; +34.2%), and CIMS SDS(height) remained within the normal range. rhGH increased height, LM, and MA. However, muscle strength did not improve significantly.

The Mediating Effects of Child Strengths and Hopes on Academic Achievement for Palestinian Children Exposed to Armed Conflict

This study investigated predictors of academic achievement among Palestinian children, including child and parent characteristics, exposure to armed conflict, child strengths, and children's hope. Participants were 1,697 children of both genders. The mean age of participants was 12 years, 10 months. Results of the final hierarchical multiple regression model indicated that a child's younger age and a higher level of a parent's education were associated with better academic achievement. Exposure to armed conflict was related to lower academic achievement. Among the various dimensions of children's strengths, only academic/vocational and peer strengths were related to higher levels of academic achievement. Also, children who had higher hopes that were reflected in agency and pathways thoughts had better academic achievement.

Evaluating the Grammars of Children Who Speak Nonmainstream Dialects of English.

In this article, we review three responses to the study and evaluation of grammar in children who speak nonmainstream dialects of English. Then we introduce a fourth, system-based response that views nonmainstream dialects of English, such as African American English (AAE) and Southern White English (SWE) as made up of dialect-specific and dialect-universal features. To illustrate the usefulness of a system-based approach and to distinguish our two terms from others in the dialect literature, we present AAE and SWE relative clause data from two previously published studies. Following this, we present new findings from AAE- and SWE-speaking children's use of past tense and past participles to further demonstrate the value of examining larger units (i.e., systems) of a grammar to identify a child's language strengths and weaknesses. We conclude by arguing that a system-based approach moves clinicians, educators, and researchers beyond a preoccupation with the nonmainstream aspects of children's dialects while also moving us beyond Brown's 14 morphemes. Although the focus of the article is on assessment, the content is relevant to the treatment of grammar because effective promotion of any child's grammar (including the grammars of those who speak nonmainstream dialects of English) will occur only when clinicians, educators, and researchers begin to view the child's grammar as a system rather than as a sum of its parts.

A Feasibility Study of the Effect of Intra-Articular Corticosteroid Injection on Isokinetic Muscle Strength in Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

This study assessed the magnitude of changes in isokinetic muscle strength in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) before and after treatment with intra-articular corticosteroid injection and assessed the feasibility of a larger study of the same effect. Isokinetic dynamometry was used to measure peak knee extension and flexion torque in 12 children before and after treatment for unilateral knee arthritis. Extensor and flexor strength was reduced on the affected side before treatment (-0.56 Nm/kg, p = .004 and -0.24 Nm/kg, p = .02 respectively). Increases in extensor strength were observed at two weeks (p = .01) and twelve weeks postinjection (p = .03). Improvements at 6 weeks approached but did not reach statistical significance (p = .17). Improvements in flexor strength were not observed until 12 weeks postinjection (p = .03). Despite significant improvements in extensor strength, low peak knee extensor torque continued to be observed at 12 weeks (p = .01). Knee extensor and flexor strength is reduced in children with JIA with active arthritis and improves following intra-articular corticosteroid injection. Significant improvements in knee extensor and flexor strength were seen postinjection; however deficits in extensor strength were still evident at three months. Isokinetic dynamometry was safe and well tolerated in our sample of children with JIA with active arthritis.

Differential effect of Taekwondo training on knee muscle strength and reactive and static balance control in children with developmental coordination disorder: A randomized controlled trial

This randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the effect of short-term intensive TKD training on the isokinetic knee muscle strength and reactive and static balance control of children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Among the 44 children with DCD (mean age: 7.6 ± 1.3 years) recruited, 21 were randomly assigned to undergo daily TKD training for 1h over three consecutive months, with the remaining 23 children being assigned to the DCD control group. Eighteen typically developing children (mean age: 7.2 ± 1.0 years) received no training as normal controls. Knee extensor and flexor muscle strength and reactive and static balance control were assessed using an isokinetic machine (with low, moderate and high movement velocities), a motor control test (MCT) and a unilateral stance test (UST), respectively. A repeated measures MANCOVA revealed a significant group through time interaction effect in isokinetic outcomes at 180°/s and in the UST outcome. Post hoc analysis demonstrated that DCD-TKD children's isokinetic knee muscle strength, specifically at 180°/s, was as high as that of the normal control children (p>0.0083) after TKD training. Moreover, UST body sway velocity was slower in the DCD-TKD group than in the DCD control group (p<0.001), and was comparable to that of the normal control group (p>0.05) after TKD training. However, no such improvement in balance was observed in the MCT (p>0.025). The results show that children with DCD who undergo a 3-month program of intensive TKD training experience improvements in isokinetic knee muscle strength at 180°/s and static single-leg standing balance control, but do not benefit from improved reactive balance control.

A home‐based intervention using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) techniques in rural Kenya: what are the caregivers' experiences?

Caring for a child with complex communication needs associated with a developmental condition frequently adds stress to the caregiver. Furthermore, professional assistance is scarce in low-income rural settings. For such children speech is frequently unachievable. Augmentative and alternative communication provides options for supplementing or replacing speech with other techniques. The current study aimed to examine the experiences of caregivers in Kenya before and after a home-based intervention using augmentative and alternative communication techniques with children with complex communication needs. Caregivers were interviewed pre- and post-intervention. The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed and translated into English. Content analysis was applied through the stages of text familiarization and topic organization. Emergent themes and their sub-themes were identified and labelled. Connections between themes were established and interpretations made. The procedure was completed by a second researcher independently. Conflicting ideas were jointly discussed until consensus was achieved. Four themes emerged from the data: communication process; struggle; normality; and supernatural power. Before intervention, the caregivers acknowledged their expertise in communications with the child, while also revealing their sense of isolation, burden and pain. Normality was present as a source of comparison and also an aspirational goal. Post-intervention more positive language was used to describe the child. There was an 'opening up' of communication that recognized the child's strengths and some social support systems were re-established. The power of the supernatural was recognized before and after intervention. Caring of a child with complex communication needs presents many challenges. A home-based intervention using augmentative and alternative communication techniques appears to have been a catalyst for some positive transformations in the caregivers' experiences, although it is not possible to attribute this change to any one aspect. The potentials of the home-based intervention would benefit from further investigation on a larger scale.

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE ISSUES IN THE ASSESSMENT OF COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING FOR EDUCATIONAL APPLICATIONS

Research has demonstrated that many children have learning problems related to deficits in specific cognitive processes that are not adequately represented by a single IQ score. The administration of cognitive measures that include narrow abilities is useful in understanding specific learning problems and developing effective interventions. However, school psychology training programs have not readily adopted contemporary assessment practices. This article reviews the historical and legislative factors influencing school psychologists’ use of intellectual measures for identifying children with learning and other high‐incidence disabilities. Distinctions between contemporary cognitive assessment and traditional IQ testing are reviewed. Specific challenges to incorporating evidence‐based assessment practice within school psychology training programs are identified. Guidelines for using alternative research‐based procedures that include the use of cognitive measures to assess a child's strengths and weaknesses are provided. Potential directions for the application of cognitive theory in educational settings, professional training in appropriate interpretive strategies, and ethical guidance for the appropriate use of cognitive measures are also discussed.

How Is This Child Feeling? Preschool-Aged Children's Ability to Recognize Emotion in Faces and Body Poses

Research Findings: The study examined children's recognition of emotion from faces and body poses, as well as gender differences in these recognition abilities. Preschool-aged children (N = 55) and their parents and teachers participated in the study. Preschool-aged children completed a web-based measure of emotion recognition skills that included 5 tasks (3 with faces and 2 with bodies). Parents and teachers reported on children's aggressive behaviors and social skills. Children's emotion accuracy on 2 of the 3 facial tasks and 1 of the body tasks was related to teacher reports of social skills. Some of these relations were moderated by child gender. In particular, the relationships between emotion recognition accuracy and reports of children's behavior were stronger for boys than girls. Practice or Policy: Identifying preschool-aged children's strengths and weaknesses in terms of the identification of emotion from faces and body poses may be helpful in guiding interventions with children who have problems with social and behavioral functioning that may be due in part to emotion knowledge deficits. Further developmental implications of these findings are discussed.

Somatic assessment of nonverbal social skills in children with Down syndrome: Using the Kestenberg Movement Profile as a tool for treatment planning

The focus of this quasi-experimental pilot study is how to support the emergence of the full potential development of nonverbal social skills in children with Down syndrome (DS). It is an exploratory case study using an embedded-multiple case design. This study views working with the social skills of a 6-year-old girl with DS through the lens of the Kestenberg Movement Profile (KMP). Through this lens, the social intelligence, relational shaping, developmental movement, and nonverbal communication of a child with DS were explored. In order to more accurately identify the child's strengths and challenges a triangulation approach is used. Data were collected for the child with DS and her typically developing, fraternal, twin sister using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II as a quantitative assessment tool, the KMP as a qualitative assessment tool, and from a naturalistic observation in their home environment in order to assess and compare their nonverbal social skills.

Research for Practice: Highlighting Personal Strengths of Children in Out-of-Home Care: Two Case Examples

The education of children in care suffers significantly from a range of disruptions by virtue of them being in care. Research shows that the academic attainment of children in care is lower than that of other children in the general population. Consequently, many young people leave care with minimum or no educational/vocational qualifications and subsequently face adversity in adulthood. Using two case examples this article argues that workers need to look for the strengths in children in care and facilitate the mobilisation of those strengths for them to work their way towards a successful adulthood.

Response to Intervention: Following Three Reading Recovery Children on Their Individual Paths to Becoming Literate

Research Findings: In the United States a shift has occurred in how children are identified for long-term special education services. Since 2004, U.S. funding for special education services has included a provision for early intervention services, focusing on the importance of providing supplemental instructional opportunities to students who are not successful in learning from the core classroom instruction. Commonly referred to as response to intervention, this model involves educators monitoring how well students respond to intervention instruction, with referral for special education services for those who make little progress. Practice or Policy: In this article, we propose that intervention instruction should be responsive to the learner as well as focus on how well the learner responds to the intervention. Given that contextual circumstances, including instructional experiences, impact the child's literacy achievement, providing intervention instruction that is contingent upon each child's literacy strengths and needs is the best way to ensure each child's successful response to intervention instruction. As an example of an intervention using responsive instruction, this article describes different instructional approaches provided by Reading Recovery teachers with 3 children who were initially the lowest readers and writers in their classes. All 3 children were able to progress to on-grade-level reading and writing proficiency as a result of the intervention.

Depressive Symptoms and Neurocardiogenic Syncope in Children: A 2-Year Prospective Study

To evaluate prospectively the relationship between neurocardiogenic syncope (NCS) and depressive symptoms in pediatric patients. Forty-five patients (aged 12.3 ± 2.9 years) with NCS (diagnosed as ≥ 1 syncopal episodes with typical symptoms, reproduced by tilt-table testing, in the absence of structural or primary electrical heart disease) were compared with 45 age- and gender-matched control subjects. Assessment was performed at baseline and 2 years thereafter. Depressive symptoms and self-perception profile of participants were evaluated, along with their parents' psychological distress, defensive profile and hostility. Family cohesion and adaptability, as well as the opinion of parents and teachers on children's strengths and difficulties, were also examined. At baseline, patients showed more (P = .008) depressive symptoms than controls, correlating with the number of syncopal episodes, impaired relationship with parents and poor family cohesion. A conservative management strategy of NCS was adopted and psychological counseling was offered, focusing on patients with clinically significant depressive symptoms and their families. During follow-up, depressive symptoms decreased in patients (P < .001), but remained stable in controls. Child-parent relationship, family cohesion and family adaptability improved at follow-up in patients. No recurrent syncope was noted during follow-up and this along with improvement in child-parent relationship were associated with depressive symptoms improvement. Depressive symptomatology is common in pediatric patients with NCS. Our findings call for additional investigation in larger controlled clinical interventional studies that will enhance understanding of the possible pathophysiological association between depressive symptomatology and NCS in pediatric populations.

Visions for literacy: parents’ aspirations for reading in children with Down syndrome

Although children with Down syndrome (DS) can learn to read, few studies have explored parental perspectives on the reading development of this group of children. This article, written by Leila Ricci and Anna Osipova, from California State University, explores visions and expectations regarding reading held by parents of children with Down syndrome in the US. Parents of 50 children with DS (aged three to 13 years) completed a survey about their children's interest in reading and responded to open‐ended questions inquiring about their views on their children's reading development. A majority of parents in this study described their children's positive attitude toward reading, stated their reading‐related goals for their children, defined their children's relative strengths in reading, and shared strategies used in the home to promote literacy in this population. Parents pay close attention to and have high expectations for their children's reading achievement, and thereby would benefit from partnerships with informed educators willing and capable of teaching reading to children with DS.

Experiencing multiple family groups in a Chinese context: the clients' perception of its helpful and unhelpful impact

In Hong Kong, the knowledge of multiple family groups (MFGs) among social workers has been limited, in particular, in adapting MFG activities to a Chinese context. In this paper, we describe our experience of employing this group approach to assist Chinese parents who are taking care of children with special needs; state the challenges of implementing it and report the families' perception of helpful and unhelpful aspects of the MFG experience. In the perspective of the parents, two activities, namely preparing a joint meal and surrogate parenting have proven efficacious for parents to understand their child's strengths and explore alternate ways of parenting.

The pillars of strength for first-grade adjustment – Parental and children's character strengths and the transition to elementary school

The present study aimed to explore the relations between parental and children's character strengths and children's school adjustment during the critical period of school entry. Participants were 479 parents and 16 first-grade teachers of 479 first-grade schoolchildren from five public elementary schools in Israel. Children's and parents’ character strengths were measured by parental questionnaires, based on the Values in Action inventories of strengths. In addition, teachers completed questionnaires about their students’ cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral school adjustment. Findings showed that parents’ intellectual, interpersonal, and temperance strengths were positively related to their children's school adjustment. In addition, children's intellectual, interpersonal, group-interaction, temperance, and transcendence strengths were positively related to broad aspects of first-grade adjustment. The present study provides an initial exploration of the contribution of personal and parental strengths to young children's optimal adjustment to elementary school.

Adopted Chinese Girls’ Character Strengths from Preschool to School Age: A Longitudinal Exploratory Study

In an effort to understand human strength and resilience and promote positive individual traits across the lifespan, Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000) called for the study of strengths and virtues. Brainstorming among leading positive psychologists, analyzing themes from a multitude of sources on positive character and virtues, and empirical investigations were subsequently carried out to create a framework known as the Values in Action (VIA) Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues. This served as a new common vocabulary for discussing good character (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). According to Peterson and Seligman (2004), the VIA includes 24 character strengths categorized under six more broadly defined virtues, which were considered core characteristics that have been valued by moral philosophers and religious thinkers.The character strengths are positive individual traits, psychological processes or mechanisms that are the distinguishable routes to displaying one or another of the (Peterson & Seligman, 2004; p. 13). Character strengths and virtues as proposed by the VIA serve to scientifically identify aspects of one's good Individuals will have different combinations of specific character strengths and virtues that make up the overall profile of their character. A number of studies have since established that these 24 universal character strengths manifest themselves across different cultures (e.g., Biswas-Diener, 2006; Dahlsgaard, Peterson, & Seligman, 2005; Park, Peterson, & Seligman, 2006). However, most research involved adult samples (e.g., Park, Peterson, & Seligman, 2004; Shiman, Otake, Park, Peterson, & Seligman, 2006), with fewer studies focusing on the character strengths of youth (e.g., Park & Peterson, 2006a), and even less on young children (Park & Peterson, 2006b). Understanding the early development of character strength and factors that influence its development may have implications for fostering resilience, especially among children who might be at-risk for suboptimal development due to unfavorable earlier experiences (e.g., orphanage care). The current study explored the change and continuity of character strengths and virtues among girls who were adopted from China by families in the U.S. or Canada. These girls had previously lived in Chinese orphanages for a period of time. We applied the VIA framework to help identify the adopted Chinese girls' character strengths and virtues development from preschool to school age. Our exploratory inquiry aimed to address three questions:* What character strengths do parents report about their adopted Chinese children when their children are at preschool-age and early school-age?* To what extent do adopted Chinese children's character strengths change from preschool-age to early school-age?* What is the relationship between parent, child, and/or family variables and the adopted Chinese children's character strengths at preschool age and early school age?Character Strengths in ChildrenThe development of Values in Action (VIA) Classification has led to the identification of children's character strengths. For instance, Park and Peterson (2006b) found that for children 3-9 years of age, the top 5 character strengths were Love, Creativity, Humor, Curiosity and Kindness. They also reported that for 10-17 year olds, the top 5 character strengths were Love, Creativity, Teamwork, Gratitude, and Humor (e.g., Park & Peterson, 2006a). For children under 10 years of age, researchers have usually relied on parent reports to obtain data on the children's character strengths. As can been seen from the two studies described above, there are both differences and similarities in character strength between children in the two age groups. This might reflect both change and continuity that are typical in childhood development (Rutter & Rutter, 1993). To gain a better understanding of developmental differences and similarities over time, however, Park and Peterson (2006a; 2006b) called for studies to closely examine the development of character strengths longitudinally as a means of addressing the limitations of extant cross-sectional results. …

TRIAL OF A DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING TOOL

19 May 2011 Dear Editor, We write in response to the paper published in vol. 47 January–February 2011 Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health by D’Aprano and colleagues –‘Trial of a developmental screening tool in remote Australian Aboriginal communities: A cautionary tale’. The stated aim of the research was to ‘trial the Brigance developmental screening tool as an instrument for identifying Australian Aboriginal children at risk of developmental disability and requiring diagnostic developmental assistance’1 (p. 12). That is, the Brigance tool was on trial, not the Aboriginal children. The authors rightly concluded that ‘Language and cultural relevance, and the method of administration limit the use of this screening tool1 (p. 12). Our concern is that the results of the test have been reported as though they are actually a valid measure of these children's development. However, the limitations of both the tool and testing process reported in their paper clearly demonstrate that the test results cannot be considered valid for this population. The authors acknowledge that all the children speak a language other than Standard English as their first language and, not surprisingly, reported that ‘they struggled with the items requiring competent levels of expressive and receptive English’1 (p. 16). The authors also acknowledge limitations in cultural relevance stating that ‘some items were clearly not relevant’ and that: ‘the items therefore may not be testing skills that are a true reflection of the child's ability’1 (p. 16). Also, the authors identified a number of factors related to test administration which may have impacted negatively on results, for example, the influence of an examiner who is not known to the children and unfamiliarity with a process which requires responses to questions which seem irrelevant or to which the examiner already knows the answer1 (p. 15). While the authors argue that their ‘findings cannot be explained by the lack of culturally relevant items and language tasks alone’1 (p. 14), the reality is that the limitations related to culture and language are extremely serious. By reporting findings from a test that is clearly not valid for the target population, the authors perpetuate the interpretation of difference as deficit and do not in any way progress our understanding of the genuine needs of these children and their families or the most effective and appropriate way to work with them to address these needs. Also, administration of a test in a foreign language based on irrelevant cultural concepts renders invisible the developmental strengths of these children. The publication of results such as these derived from invalid tools contributes to a damaging misrepresentation characterized by lack of recognition of the developmental differences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children, as well as Aboriginal children's unique strengths, capacities, knowledge and abilities that can be drawn and built upon in educational settings. There also seems little justification for a study to yet again ‘trial’ an approach that has been so thoroughly discredited in the past.2–7 However, there is an urgent need, as the authors suggest, for a collaborative and culturally-responsive approach which does have the potential to identify strengths, as well as the needs of Indigenous children who are genuinely experiencing developmental problems.

Improved classroom quality and child behavior in an Arkansas early childhood mental health consultation pilot project.

The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC) on teacher-level and child-level outcomes in the context of a partnership between community mental health centers in three regions of Arkansas and publically funded early education programs (14 intervention sites and 4 comparison sites). From 2005 to 2008, 193 teachers participated in the study, along with 1,448 children. Data-collection activities included structured classroom observations, teacher ratings of children's strengths and behavior, and teacher surveys to assess satisfaction with ECMHC services. Results suggest that teachers were highly satisfied with the consultation services and that teachers receiving the intervention had lower levels of permissiveness and detachment, with a trend toward higher levels of sensitivity in interactions with children in their classroom. In terms of child outcomes, we found that by the third year of the project, children at intervention sites were rated by their teachers as having fewer behavior problems and more protective factors.

Starting with their strengths: using the project approach in early childhood special education

This book provides a comprehensive and practical guide to using the project approach when teaching young children with special needs. While focusing on children's individual strengths, which include their interests, intelligences, and unique styles of learning, this resource demonstrates teaching strategies that address multiple areas of development. Using scenarios from their own practice, the authors examine the process of accessing children's strengths to facilitate social, emotional, cognitive, and motor development, including concepts and skills. The authors provide tools to determine, organise, and plan with children's strengths and demonstrate the use of documentation as an authentic assessment of children's skills and goals. Teachers will use this book to create learning environments that enrich learning for all children. Book Features: Classroom vignettes that demonstrate the project approach in action. Examples of children's work and photos of projects. Approaches to both determine the sources of behaviour challenges and support positive behaviour. Sample lesson plans that reflect children's interests and developmental needs. Forms for data collection, communicating with parents, identifying sensory challenges, behaviour analysis, and more. A strength-based Individualised Education Plan (IEP) guide.

Morphological and syntactic skills in language samples of pre school aged children with autism: Atypical development?

This study investigated whether children with autism have atypical development of morphological and syntactic skills, including whether they use rote learning to compensate for impaired morphological processing and acquire grammatical morphemes in an atypical order. Participants were children aged from 3–6 years who had autism (n = 17), developmental delay without autism (n = 7), and typically-developing children (n = 19). Language samples were taken from participants during the administration of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, and transcripts were coded using the Index of Productive Syntax, and for usage of Brown's grammatical morphemes. Participants were also administered an elicitation task requiring the application of inflections to non-words; the Wugs Task. The main finding of this study was that children with autism have unevenly developed morphological and syntactic sub-skills; they have skills which are a combination of intact, delayed, and atypical. It was also found that children with autism and children with developmental delays can acquire and use morphological rules. The implications of these findings are that, in order to maximize language acquisition for these children, clinicians need to utilize comprehensive language assessment tools and design interventions that are tailored to the child's strengths and weaknesses.