Different Forms Of Support Research Articles

Pedagogical infrastructures in multidisciplinary technology education

AbstractIn multidisciplinary technology education, teachers work together to support pupils in designing with technology. The different forms of support are based on establishing pedagogical infrastructures for pupils’ learning of technology. Although previous studies have identified the main forms of pedagogical infrastructure, how they can be leveraged in collaborative technology education remains elusive. This study adopts the perspective of teaching teams in exploring the kinds of pedagogical infrastructures involved in the collaborative planning and implementation of support for learning by collaborative designing (LCD). The data consist of semi-structured interviews with 11 technology education teaching teams. The participants were 21 experienced in-service teachers who worked in primary, secondary, and general upper secondary schools. A multiple case study approach was applied to identify the differences between the teaching teams in the planning and implementation phases. The data were analyzed following the principles of qualitative content analysis. The findings revealed that the application of pedagogical infrastructures varied during the teaching teams’ process of collaboration. In the planning phase, support was mainly based on establishing material-technological infrastructures. In the implementation phase, teachers often leveraged scaffolding and epistemological infrastructures. Pedagogical infrastructures were mostly targeted for the early stages of the LCD process, as well as in the stage of experimenting and testing design ideas.

Creating Family-Centred Support for Children with Developmental Disabilities in Africa: Examples of Local Community Interventions.

Preschoolers with disabilities and their family caregivers are overlooked by many public health initiatives, especially in low-income countries. Yet they can benefit from early intervention to promote their development soon after birth and to provide a better quality of life for their families. In this paper, we describe how a community-based approach has been implemented with minimal funding in two areas in Zimbabwe: a township in Harare and in rural areas of Manicaland Province. Our aim in sharing this information-allied with references to research studies recently undertaken in Africa-is that it will enable similar support to be replicated in other communities by local personnel. A logic model is used to describe the situation in which the two projects work, the various inputs they have provided to their community, and the different forms of support they have offered to the children and their caregivers. The project outputs are listed in terms of the number of beneficiaries helped and the activities undertaken. The outcomes achieved for the children, families, and communities are reported. The sustainability and extensions of community-based projects to address unmet needs are discussed. The main conclusion is that disadvantaged communities can be energised to address the needs of their most marginalised residents.

Adolescent offenders' experiences of father involvement in a South African context

AbstractObjectiveThe study's aim was to explore and describe adolescent offenders' experiences of their fathers' involvement before and during their own incarceration in a South African context.BackgroundResearch on father involvement is focused predominantly on adult offenders' experiences of father involvement without emphasis on adolescents' experiences regarding father involvement, including in a South African context.MethodsA qualitative explorative‐descriptive research design was employed. A nonprobability, purposive sampling technique was used, and the sample size was determined through data saturation. The sample included nine male adolescents between the ages of 17 and 19 years from a correctional center in Pretoria, South Africa. Semistructured individual interviews and drawings made by participants were used as the data collection methods and data were analyzed thematically.ResultsTwo main themes with subthemes were identified: Experiences of father absence before and/or during incarceration and desires for and suggestions to improve father involvement.ConclusionThe findings are primarily indicative of the general lack of father involvement and fatherly support experienced by participants.ImplicationsThe findings highlight the need for adolescent offenders to have access to counseling or therapy and intervention programs suitable for juvenile correctional centers focusing specifically on providing young, incarcerated, male adolescents with paternal role models that can help foster a sense of ethical and moral guidance and provision of different forms of support. Father intervention programs including men's talks, motivational speaking, and psychoeducational programs to advise fathers on how to be more involved in their children's lives are recommended.

Social Media Discourse Related to Caregiving for Older Adults Living With Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias: Computational and Qualitative Study.

In the United States, caregivers of people living with Alzheimer disease and Alzheimer disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD) provide >16 billion hours of unpaid care annually. These caregivers experience high levels of stress and burden related to the challenges associated with providing care. Social media is an emerging space for individuals to seek various forms of support. We aimed to explore the primary topics of conversation on the social media site Reddit related to AD/ADRD. We then aimed to explore these topics in depth, specifically examining elements of social support and behavioral symptomology discussed by users. We first generated an unsupervised topic model from 6563 posts made to 2 dementia-specific subreddit forums (r/Alzheimers and r/dementia). Then, we conducted a manual qualitative content analysis of a random subset of these data to further explore salient themes in the corpus. The topic model with the highest overall coherence score (0.38) included 10 topics, including caregiver burden, anxiety, support-seeking, and AD/ADRD behavioral symptomology. Qualitative analyses provided added context, wherein users sought emotional and informational support for many aspects of the care experience, including assistance in making key care-related decisions. Users expressed challenging and complex emotions on Reddit, which may be taboo to express in person. Reddit users seek many different forms of support, including emotional and specific informational support, from others on the internet. Users expressed a variety of concerns, challenges, and behavioral symptoms to manage as part of the care experience. The unique (ie, anonymous and moderated) nature of the forum allowed for a safe space to express emotions free from documented caregiver stigma. Additional support structures are needed to assist caregivers of people living with AD/ADRD.

Experiences of managers and staff working in community-based mental health with people ageing with severe mental health problems.

Existing research shows that older people with severe mental health problems need different forms of support in daily life and in the community to lead an active and meaningful life. A common form of support for people with severe mental health problems in Sweden is attendance at community-based day centres (DCs). However, knowledge of staff and managers' experiences of how people ageing with severe mental health problems are supported in DCs is scarce. The aim was to explore DC staff and managers' experiences of how people ageing with severe mental health problems are supported in DCs during the retirement process. Telephone interviews were conducted with managers in 27 municipalities in southern Sweden. In addition, focus groups were held with personnel from a total of nine different DCs. The material was analysed using content analysis. The results showed that older people who receive support in community-based mental health care were viewed as a neglected group with complex needs, and the informants (managers and staff) had few policies to guide them when providing support. This made the informants desire more knowledge about best practices to support the target group. One theme emerged, Minding the gap between ideal and reality while working with a neglected group with complex needs, with three categories: Reasoning around unmet needs, Navigating in a muddled organisation, and Wishing for an enriched service. Together with previous research, the results can contribute to increase awareness about an overlooked group at risk of being neglected and the pitfalls that impact the possibility to guide this target group in their recovery journey. Further research focusing on the target group's own experience of their everyday life situations is also needed.

To save a cultural heritage: Lessons from a volunteer network’s support to Ukrainian cultural heritage institutions

This paper is a short summary of the experiences from the first one and a half years of support to the Ukrainian cultural heritage sector from the international volunteer network SUCHO (Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online). The paper first outlines the current situation in Ukraine in the shadow of the full-scale Russian invasion and then focuses on the role of grassroots movements and the different forms of support provided by SUCHO. Finally, the paper discusses some key experiences from these efforts and addresses ideas for further support.

Understanding the needs for support and coping strategies in grief following the loss of a significant other: insights from a cross-sectional survey in Sweden.

Grief has previously been described in pathological terms, characterized by several stages. In the past three decades, new perspectives on grief as a reaction to the loss of a significant other have emerged. It shows that grief is an individual process based on circumstances surrounding the death and the bereaved person's life situation, rather than being predetermined. The aim of the study was to show how grief is perceived by people who have lost a significant other, and it focuses on bereavement support, how the death affects the bereaved person's living conditions, how the bereaved person deals with grief, and if grief is expressed differently depending on whether it was an expected death (ED) or an unexpected death (UED). A cross-sectional design was used with data collected anonymously using an online survey with semi-structured answers and options for participants to add their own comments, and it was analyzed descriptively. Support in grief was mainly given by family and friends, and the perceived need was primarily for emotional support or emotional support combined with practical support, and to a greater extent for UEDs and women. For some bereaved persons, health caregivers and religious institutions provided support outside their own network. Grief can affect how people socialize with others and change social relationships. People can deal with grief in social as well as religious ways in the company of friends, through everyday conversations, spending time in nature, and having a spiritual outlook on life, and with the help of pets. The results can contribute to an increased understanding of grief after the loss of a significant other and how grief affects the bereaved person's life depending on whether it is an ED or a UED. There was a difference between the genders, with women perceiving a need for and receiving different forms of support and to a greater extent than men.

Kvaliteta života majki djece s poremećajem iz spektra autizma

Aim: Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) require additional care and different forms of support, which often affects the entire family, including mothers. The aim of this research is to determine the quality of life (QOL) of mothers of children with ASD and the factors related to the QOL of mothers. Methods: The participants were 40 mothers of children who have a diagnosis of ASD and are aged from 2 to 7 years. The questionnaire of the World Health Organization WHOQOL-BREF was used as a measuring instrument. Results: The research found that the QOL of mothers of preschool children with ASD deviated from satisfactory in all domains. Household income and mother’s level of education proved to be significant factors related to QOL. Mothers of children with ASD with higher average household incomes had better mental health, were more satisfied with their environment and showed better physical health. Furthermore, mothers with a higher level of education had better mental health and were more satisfied with their environment. However, the working status of the mother and the severity of the child’s symptoms did not prove to be significant factors in this study. Conclusions: Knowing the exact areas of QOL that are impaired in mothers of children with ASD and the factors that affect it contributes to better family counseling and the creation of a partnership relationship with parents, and consequently to the achievement of the goals of support and provision of social support to mothers of children with ASD.

SPIRAL: parents’ experiences of emotionally-based school non-attendance (EBSNA) informing a framework for successful reintegration

ABSTRACT Emotionally-based school non-attendance (EBSNA) is believed to impact one to two percent of children and young people (CYP): it is understood to present as severe emotional upset at the prospect of attending school. The aim of this study was to further understand parental experiences of EBSNA to enhance professional understanding and support. Adopting a “solution-oriented”, exploratory qualitative design, this phenomenological research gathered retrospective experiences of successful EBSNA support, aiming to uncover “what works” when supporting children and families experiencing this difficulty. Participants completed semi-structured interviews (n = 5), and transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Themes generated provided insights into different forms of support accessed by parents, identifying potential areas for improvement arising from their experiences of challenge and successes, as well as lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic. The themes (Supporting Parents; Promoting CYP’s Sense of Belonging; Including and Informing Parents; Raising Awareness of EBSNA; Accessing External Professionals; Lessons Learnt from Covid-19) are presented as a framework for professional practice (SPIRAL), which has practical implications for schools and local authorities in providing support to families experiencing EBSNA. Recommendations for practice and future research are discussed, informing developments across multiple systems, and highlighting the potential of the EP role.

The role of teacher support in students’ engagement with representational construction

In this article, we study the role of teacher support in a collaborative learning setting that involves students’ constructions of visual representations in the environmental education context. Despite the consensus in the field of science education research that engagement with visual representations—such as diagrams, animations, and graphs—can support students’ conceptual understanding, studies reveal that learning from engagement with visual representations can be challenging for students. Adopting a sociocultural approach, this study contributes to extant research by analytically scrutinizing the role of teacher support in learning activities that revolve around students’ construction of visual representations. The empirical basis is a science project in which lower secondary school students drew and refined depictions of the effects of anthropogenic climate change. The analytical focus is on student–teacher interactions during group-based drawing activities in which students created representations of the carbon cycle and interacted with authorized representations. The analyses revealed how students found it challenging to compare, contrast, and integrate authorized representations and, additionally, to constructively use authorized representations in the process of designing their own representations. To support students in their efforts to construct scientific meaning, the teacher oriented the students’ attention towards the salient features of representations, supported students in making sense of ‘semiotic signs’, and enabled them to link scientific concepts with detailed depictions. In addition to the different forms of support provided by the teacher, the analyses of the student–teacher interactions also reveal the teacher’s use of specific ‘talk moves’ of elaboration and eliciting. The key implications include that teachers should select representations that are sufficiently different in terms of how concepts and phenomena are depicted, and that teachers should be prepared to support students in how to compare and contrast multiple representations. Further, strategies for supporting students’ exploration of their own ideas and suggestions are essential in the dynamics between students’ self-made representations and authorized representations.

Palliative care providers' roles in medical assistance in dying decision-making triads with patients and families: A qualitative analysis.

Research on medical assistance in dying (MAiD) decision-making indicates that family members and close friends are often involved in making decisions with patients and their care providers. This decision-making model comprising patients, family members, and palliative care providers (PCPs) has been described as a triad. The objective of this study is to understand PCPs' experiences engaging in MAiD-related decision-making triads with patients and their families in Canada. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were analyzed using interpretive description. We interviewed 48 specialist PCPs in Vancouver (26) and Toronto (22). Interviews were audio-recorded, professionally transcribed, and coded using a coding framework. PCPs take on 5 notable roles in their work with family members around MAiD. They provide emotional support and counseling, balance confidentiality between patients and families, provide education, coordinate support, and mediate family dynamics. PCPs take on multiple roles in working with patients and families to make decisions about MAiD. As patients and families may require different forms of support throughout the MAiD pathway, PCPs can benefit from institutional and interprofessional resources to enhance their ability to support patients and families in decision-making and bereavement.

Factors Affecting the Adoption of Teledentistry Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Model.

The rise of teledentistry initiatives within the healthcare system is being recognized as healthcare institutions strive to decrease costs and enhance operational effectiveness. While previous research endeavors have examined various variables influencing the adoption of teledentistry, there exists a dearth of empirical studies that comprehensively investigate the success factors facilitating the acceptance of teledentistry. This research aimed to examine the factors that influence the behavioral intention of undergraduate dental students and interns to utilize teledentistryusing the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) as a theoretical framework. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted in early 2023. An online survey was emailed to Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students from the fourth to sixth years and interns (N = 199) at a dental school in Saudi Arabia. A total of 187 students have responded (response rate: 93.9%). The survey comprised questions and scales that measured the UTAUT constructs of performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), facilitating conditions (FC), and behavioral intentions (BI). The data were analyzed using SPSS version 28 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). The findings of the study revealed that all UTAUT constructs had strong predictive power in relation to the BI in the decision to adopt teledentistry. Nevertheless, PEand EEwere the salient factors. There was a statistically significant relationship between the UTAUT model and the BI, with the model explaining 60% of the variance in the BI (R2 = 0.606, P < 0.001). The findings revealed that dental students' openness to teledentistry is influenced by their expectations for potential success, the level of work required, and the level of social pressure exerted on them. Thus, a number of different forms of support are required to boost teledentistry's uptake.

The Succession of Farmers’ Perceptions of Transitioning Landscapes – A Case Study of Agroforestry in the Middle Hills of Nepal

Out-migration from small-scale agricultural holdings in Nepal’s middle hills is resulting in forest succession on abandoned land. Such early landscape transitions are often guided by policy to maintain a productivist path. However, farming households in rural Nepal are themselves transitioning from their dependence and attachment to the land. The walk and talk methodology was selected to follow up socioecological surveys with farmers in the middle hills to understand perceptions of forest succession on abandoned agricultural land. This participatory research methodology engages people in their own socio-ecological context – with farmers leading researchers along paths that advances dialogue over the course of the interview. Based on analysis of the discussions and observations of attitudes, perceptions of changing landuse and benefits associated with forest succession evolved with time since land abandonment. Early stage perceptions that focused on the loss of previously productive land developed over time to include attitudes of tolerance, acceptance and even commendation of the rewards gained from tree resources. The results infer that adaptation to the changing landscape is a continuous process that requires reflexive policies and supporting institutions that enable stages of adjustment during transition. Transition management that anticipates actors’ concerns from the outset could assist transformation of agricultural landscapes and improve resilience in the socio-ecological system for sustainable livelihood outcomes. Opportunities within each stage of transition, which include the promotion of successional agroforestry systems, require different forms of support as farmers adapt their outlooks to alternative landscapes and livelihoods that can create resilience through diversity.

Driving policy support for open eco-innovation enterprises in Thailand: A probit regression model

Open eco-innovation, which involves collaborative processes to develop environmentally sustainable solutions with diverse stakeholders, heavily relies on collaboration. This study aims to address this research gap in open eco-innovation by (1) examining perceived support and participation in an open innovation program for SMEs, predicting the outcomes of open eco-innovation, and (2) providing a foundation for a targeted public policy program. A sample of 495 SMEs in Thailand was analyzed using multiple probit regressions to understand how different forms of support and participation in open innovation programs affect the probability of open eco-innovation. Findings indicate that SMEs with uncertain internal open innovation programs are more likely to decrease the predicted probability of open eco-innovation. For instance, Thai SMEs investing in R&D and network activities may lack a clear pathway to enhance their eco-innovation capabilities, resulting in reduced R&D alliances and joint ventures. Practically, it is advised that SMEs carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of open innovation before developing eco-innovation capabilities. Moreover, the study offers empirical evidence on the open innovation activities that influence SMEs' engagement in open eco-innovation. From a policy perspective, policymakers should prioritize creating a supportive environment, such as enhancing green cooperation. The originality of this paper lies in the use of a probit regression model to analyze factors influencing open eco-innovation and a logic model to provide actionable steps for promoting it.

Multiple group identifications and identity compatibility in eating disorder recovery: A mixed methods study

AbstractEating disorder recovery is an identity transition characterised by ambivalence, in which group memberships play an important part. However, our understanding of how memberships of groups with different recovery norms (i.e., supportive vs. unsupportive of recovery) can facilitate or inhibit recovery is limited. To address this gap, this study adopted the Social Identity Model of Recovery to examine how recovery is manifest through the changing composition of an individual's group memberships. We employed a convergent mixed methods design to quantitatively determine whether specific groups (i.e., family, friends, and online groups) are more helpful to eating disorder recovery than others, and to qualitatively explore how group (in)compatibility shapes recovery efforts. There was a high level of convergence across survey (N = 112) and interview (N = 12) data: groups could have a positive or negative impact according to their recovery norms; different groups provided different forms of support and identity‐expression; incompatibility was not always experienced as a problem and could afford strategic benefits. Our findings are amongst the first to attest to the importance of considering identity networks (and their normative content) during eating disorder recovery.

Diversity of Food Insecurity Coping Strategies among Livestock Farmers in Northern Cape Province of South Africa

Small-scale livestock farmers in the drylands of South Africa are highly exposed to agricultural drought-related food insecurity. Research has used descriptive analyses and missed the need to index the diversity of coping strategies used for managing agricultural drought-induced food insecurity. This study was conducted to bridge this gap using a two-step procedure. Initially, the study identified the farmers’ coping strategies and food security status. A coping strategy diversity index was computed using the Shannon–Weiner method and its relationship with the food security status was determined. Secondly, the determinants of the coping strategy diversity index were explored using an ordered logit regression model after testing for the proportional odds assumption. A mixed methods approach was utilized and a standardized questionnaire was administered to 217 smallholder livestock farmers in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. The household food insecurity mean score (8.429 ± 7.105) from the household food insecurity scale (HFIAS) was significantly related to a higher diversity of coping strategies. Similar results were reported for the household food insecurity access prevalence (HFIAP) status. The different forms of support (e.g., cash, food, training and assets) had a significant (p &lt; 0.05) and positive effect on the coping strategy diversity index among the households. Education, access to credit and insurance facilities and the frequency of droughts significantly (p &lt; 0.05) influenced the diversity of coping strategies under drought conditions. The utilization of cash reserves and investment stocks also significantly (p &lt; 0.05) influenced the extent of coping strategy diversity. The study recommended strengthening the functional and technical capacity pillars of dealing with agricultural drought through strategic partnerships between the government and livestock value chain players. This collaboration should target affordable credit lines tailor-made for farmers to cope with agricultural drought. If well-coordinated, these interventions should reduce food insecurity prevalence, especially during drought conditions among vulnerable smallholder livestock farmers. Lessons from this study could also inform future research on the effectiveness of the current agricultural drought coping strategies while expanding the diversity clusters over space and time.

Views of Older Adults on Using Support to Prevent Overload in Informal Caregivers: Results of a Story Completion Study

Older care recipients living at home increasingly rely on support from informal caregivers. As informal caregivers often combine these caregiving tasks with other tasks, such as paid work, they are at risk of becoming overloaded. To decrease informal caregiver burden, different forms of support are available that also affect older care recipients’ lives, such as respite care, technology, or home care. The aim of this qualitative study was to obtain more insight into the perceptions, potential concerns and preferences of older informal care recipients about the use of support to relieve informal caregivers. We performed a story completion writing task among 23 informal care recipients aged 65 years or older, using hypothetical situations to let them reflect on different caregiver relief support options. The task was followed-up by a story-mediated interview. We used thematic analysis to inductively analyze story completions and interviews. We found that older informal care recipients were often willing to use support to relieve their caregivers, to ensure their wellbeing. However, they were also concerned about how the use of such support may conflict with their interests, preferences and values (e.g. respect for their autonomy, privacy, having a trusting relationship with a caretaker, paying attention to human aspects in care). Older adults were most hesitant to use adult day care facilities and technological support options. While these areas of tensions cannot always be completely resolved, it is important to jointly identify and discuss these, and work towards solutions to balance the respective interests, values and needs of older adults and caregivers. Health and social care professionals and older adults’ personal networks may help in overcoming hesitation to use support.

Online support for students with diverse learning needs at an inclusive private school in South Africa

Teachers of diverse classes often include different forms of support in their teaching to accommodate the varying learner needs, while some benefit from the services of Learning Support Educators (LSE) who manage the learning needs of students who experience barriers to learning. With the onset of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the shift to online teaching and learning left students with diverse learning needs feeling adrift and on their own to grapple with the change, without prior preparation. As teachers also had to adapt to the shift to online teaching, the diverse learner needs became a secondary concern to them. The LSE were also unable to offer support in the traditional form due to physical distancing and lockdown rules. This paper explores possible ways in which teachers of diverse classes and LSEs can assist learners with diverse needs to succeed in their online learning. The study followed action research methodology that was conducted by an LSE who case-managed seven learners in a Johannesburg private school with inclusive teaching practices. The qualitative research study explored new ways to support diverse learners in their online learning by finding possible alternatives to the challenges that online learning posed for them. Observations, self-reflections, and information collected from students, their teachers and parents, were analysed using content analysis technique to propose possible workable solutions. Checking in on learners and their parents regularly during lockdown and giving them strategies for coping was found to be helpful. Teachers who had previously incorporated ‘blended’ teaching in their practice were found to be generally more collaborative: they varied their teaching, had their students produce better results, were able to include online inclusive activities and groupwork activities in their teaching in order to avoid learner boredom, and they were found to be giving quality feedback to the learners and their parents.

How School Closures Affected the Teaching and Learning of English During The COVID-19 Pandemic

The forced closure of South African schools left learners with many challenges, especially in language learning. This study aims to explore the perceptions of teachers teaching the same subject to the same grade during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose is to analyse learning losses and changes in the scholastic achievement of primary school learners during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative research design was chosen for this study because of its exploratory nature. Semi-structured open-ended interviews rendered data on the teachers’ perceptions of academic losses as a result of the “COVID-19” pandemic. Homogenous purposeful sampling and semi-structured open-ended interviews were used to gather data, which were coded using the induction method to reveal codes, categories and subcategories within participant voices. This study reports on the challenges faced by teachers and learners, which include a lack of parental support, inadequate technological knowledge, and neglect of schoolwork. The findings and their relevance to teaching post-COVID-19 to mitigate academic losses are discussed. The conclusion is that different forms of support are needed to mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on learners’ scholastic performance.

Formalna podrška - očekivanja roditelja dece sa smetnjama u razvoju

Introduction. Parents of children with developmental disabilities receive many different forms of support, including formal support provided by professionals from different systems. Aim. The aim of this study was to examine the differences in expectations of the type of formal support by parents of children with developmental disabilities with regard to their sociodemographic characteristics. Methodology. In total, 152 parents participated in the study, out of which 63.8% were female and 36.2% were male. The participants' average age was 38 years. Data was collected using a questionnaire specifically designed for the purpose of this study, which is a component of a large-scale research study on early support provided to children with developmental disabilities and their parents. The first part of the questionnaire concerns sociodemographic characteristics, while the second part deals with the parents' expectations of the type of formal support. Results. The results of this study show that there is a statistically significant difference in the expectations of the type of formal support by the parents of children with developmental disabilities with regard to two sociodemographic characteristics, namely the self-evaluated financial wellbeing and the level of education. Conclusion. This study shows that parents with higher levels of education and better financial wellbeing have different expectations of the type of formal support than parents with lower levels of education and lower income. These differences should be, therefore, taken into account during the processes of planning and providing support.