Parental Priorities Research Articles

Creating Safer and More Nurturing Schools: Expanding the Capacity of Schools in the Era of Future National Reform

ABSTRACTPositive academic performance is a strong indicator of subsequent positive life course outcomes (e.g., employment) as well as underrepresentation in psychiatric populations, drug use, school dropout, and subsequent legal trouble (A. Farn & J. Adams, 2016). As such, helping all children to be successful in school is a top priority for parents, educators, and politicians alike. However, schools are challenged by an increasing demand to meet children's health and metal health needs in order for them to benefit from, and progress in, their educational experience. Public concerns regarding violent acts on school property have highlighted the need to address student and teacher safety. The authors provide recommendations for school psychologists regarding promising practices that respond to national initiatives to prevent school violence, increase access to health and mental health care, and enhance equity among students.

Family-Centered Early Intervention Visual Impairment Services through Matrix Session Planning

Early intervention visual impairment services are built on a model that values family involvement. Legislative provision for these services is found under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997, the Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Act. An early intervention professional is a teacher of visually impaired students or an orientation and mobility (OM Dote-Kwan & Chen, 2014; Petersen & Nielsen, 2005). We organized these ideas into several steps that could be taught to scholars with subsequent evaluation for fidelity of implementation. In this paper, we will describe the method we call matrix session planning, followed by a discussion of the advantages and challenges scholars experienced as they used the matrix session planning method with families. Description of the matrix session planning method Matrix session planning pulls together parent priorities, family routines, and identified strategies in a way that helps families and early intervention professionals outline a plan that can both highlight long-term goals and focus on what can be done today. First, the early intervention professional interviews the parents to learn about their concerns, hopes, and dreams for their child. We have found the Routines-Based Interview (McWilliam, Casey, & Sims, 2009) or the Parent Assessment of Needs from Parents and Their Infants with Visual Impairments (Chen, Calvello, & Taylor Friedman, 2015) to be helpful interview protocols. This professional also completes a functional vision assessment. From the interview and assessment, outcomes are identified. These priorities are entered in the left-hand column of a matrix with one outcome per row (see Table 1). Next, family routines are identified in one of two ways. The family may identify specific daily routines as being difficult for the child, or a desired outcome may naturally fit into a specific routine. Identified routines are listed across the top row of the matrix. Then, the parent and provider brainstorm solutions using the child's strengths, preferences, and adaptive needs. These solutions are based on information from the interview and assessment. The ideas are entered into the matrix in the corresponding row and column. …

An IoT Framework for Addressing Parents Concerns about Safety of School Going Children

<p>In this paper, we have proposed a novel application using Internet of things (IOT). This application is focused to address the concerns of the parents towards their school going kids. Mainly the concerns of the parents are to ensure the safety of their kids in school bus as well as at school premises. In this paper, we have tried to provide detailed technical implementation about how different sensing, communication technologies clubbing together provides a platform in terms of IoT, where proposed application can be implemented to ensure safety of school going children as it is the priority and concern for parents. In Proposed application, parents get notification when his child boards the bus for school and gets down the bus at home’s doorstep. Parents also get notification when child enters his Class Room first time in a day. Parents any time can access the location his child or school bus in which his child is travelling. In case of emergency, child can disseminate the signal to parents / Single point of contact (SPOC) at school to make them aware about emergency.</p>

Definition of important early morbidities related to paediatric cardiac surgery.

Morbidity is defined as a state of being unhealthy or of experiencing an aspect of health that is "generally bad for you", and postoperative morbidity linked to paediatric cardiac surgery encompasses a range of conditions that may impact the patient and are potential targets for quality assurance. As part of a wider study, a multi-disciplinary group of professionals aimed to define a list of morbidities linked to paediatric cardiac surgery that was prioritised by a panel reflecting the views of both professionals from a range of disciplines and settings as well as parents and patients. We present a set of definitions of morbidity for use in routine audit after paediatric cardiac surgery. These morbidities are ranked in priority order as acute neurological event, unplanned re-operation, feeding problems, the need for renal support, major adverse cardiac events or never events, extracorporeal life support, necrotising enterocolitis, surgical site of blood stream infection, and prolonged pleural effusion or chylothorax. It is recognised that more than one such morbidity may arise in the same patient and these are referred to as multiple morbidities, except in the case of extracorporeal life support, which is a stand-alone constellation of morbidity. It is feasible to define a range of paediatric cardiac surgical morbidities for use in routine audit that reflects the priorities of both professionals and parents. The impact of these morbidities on the patient and family will be explored prospectively as part of a wider ongoing, multi-centre study.

The Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC): Supporting Improved Educational Outcomes for Students on the Autism Spectrum

Students on the autism spectrum present unique challenges to school systems. An inclusive approach to education requires teachers to address these challenges and to support the unique needs of students on the spectrum. The Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC) is the world’s first national, cooperative research effort focused on autism. One initial research project conducted by Autism CRC researchers was the Australian Autism Educational Needs Analysis (ASD-ENA). This project produced the first Australia-wide needs analysis of students on the autism spectrum (aged 5–18 years). Utilising a mixed methods approach, the needs analysis collected information from four key stakeholder groups: educators, specialists, students on the autism spectrum, and parents. The research results highlight the social and emotional needs of students as a top priority for parents, students, and teachers. This emphasises the importance of helping school staff to manage the social environment in schools to ensure the social emotional needs of students on the spectrum can be effectively addressed.

Primary-Care Weight-Management Strategies: Parental Priorities and Preferences

ObjectiveTo examine parental perspectives/rankings of the most important weight-management clinical practices and to determine whether preferences/rankings differ when parents disagree that their child is overweight. MethodsWe performed mixed-methods analysis of a 32-question survey of parents of 2- to 18-year-old overweight children assessing parental agreement that their child is overweight, the single most important thing providers can do to improve weight status, ranking American Academy of Pediatrics–recommended clinical practices, and preferred follow-up interval. Four independent reviewers analyzed open-response data to identify qualitative themes/subthemes. Multivariable analyses examined parental rankings, preferred follow-up interval, and differences by agreement with their child's overweight assessment. ResultsThirty-six percent of 219 children were overweight, 42% obese, and 22% severely obese; 16% of parents disagreed with their child's overweight assessment. Qualitative analysis of the most important practice to help overweight children yielded 10 themes; unique to parents disagreeing with their children's overweight assessments was “change weight-status assessments.” After adjustment, the 3 highest-ranked clinical practices included, “check for weight-related problems,” “review growth chart,” and “recommend general dietary changes” (all P < .01); parents disagreeing with their children's overweight assessments ranked “review growth chart” as less important and ranked “reducing screen time” and “general activity changes” as more important. The mean preferred weight-management follow-up interval (10–12 weeks) did not differ by agreement with children's overweight assessments. ConclusionsParents prefer weight-management strategies that prioritize evaluating weight-related problems, growth-chart review, and regular follow-up. Parents who disagree that their child is overweight want changes in how overweight is assessed. Using parent-preferred weight-management strategies may prove useful in improving child weight status.

Prioritizing Parental Worry Associated with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Using Best-Worst Scaling.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive, fatal pediatric disorder with significant burden on parents. Assessing disease impact can inform clinical interventions. Best-worst scaling (BWS) was used to elicit parental priorities among 16 short-term, DMD-related worries identified through community engagement. Respondents viewed 16 subsets of worries, identified using a balanced, incomplete block design, and identified the most and least worrying items. Priorities were assessed using best-worst scores (spanning +1 to -1) representing the relative number of times items were endorsed as most and least worrying. Independent-sample t-tests compared prioritization of parents with ambulatory and non-ambulatory children. Participants (n = 119) most prioritized worries about weakness progression (BW score = 0.64) and getting the right care over time (BW = 0.25). Compared to parents of non-ambulatory children, parents of ambulatory children more highly prioritized missing treatments (BW = 0.31 vs. 0.13, p < 0.001) and being a good enough parent (BW = 0.06 vs. -0.08, p = 0.010), and less prioritized child feeling like a burden (BW = -0.24 vs. -0.07, p < 0.001). Regardless of child's disease stage, caregiver interventions should address the emotional impact of caring for a child with a progressive, fatal disease. We demonstrate an accessible, clinically-relevant approach to prioritize disease impact using BWS, which offers an alternative to the use of traditional rating/ranking scales.

Practices and Approaches of Out-of-School Time Programs Serving Immigrant and Refugee Youth

Opportunity to participate in an out-of-school time program may be a meaningful support mechanism towards school success and healthy development for immigrant and refugee children. This study extends existing research on best practices by examining the on-the-ground experiences of supporting immigrant and refugee youth in out-of-school time programs. Findings from semi-structured interviews with program directors in 17 Massachusetts and New Hampshire programs suggest a number of program strategies that were responsive to the needs of immigrant and refugee students, including support for the use of native language as well as English, knowing about and celebrating the heritage of the students’ homeland, including on staff or in leadership individuals with shared immigrant background, and giving consideration to the academic priorities of parents. The development of such intentional approaches to working with immigrant and refugee youth during the out-of-school time hours will encourage enrollment of, and enhance effectiveness with, this vulnerable population.

Pedagogy with babies: perspectives of eight nursery managers

The last 30 years have seen a significant increase in babies attending nursery, with corresponding questions about the aims and organisation of practice. Research broadly agrees on the importance of emotionally consistent, sensitive and responsive interactions between staff and babies. Policy objectives for nursery and expectations of parents and staff give rise to different and sometimes conflicting aims for such interactions; for example attachments to staff, peer interactions or early learning. Research shows marked variations of pedagogy aims and organisation with babies in nurseries in different national and cultural contexts. It also demonstrates variation between nurseries in similar contexts and between staff in their beliefs and values about work with babies. This paper reports on an exploratory study of the beliefs, aspirations and approaches of eight managers concerning pedagogy with babies in two similar English local authorities. These managers spoke of the importance of being responsive to the concerns and priorities of parents, whilst being sensitive to the demands of the work on their staff. The main finding was of the contradictions and confusions managers felt were inherent in the work, arising from both conflicting policy objectives and personal beliefs and aspirations; sometimes their own and sometimes those of individual staff and parents. Urban, Vandenbroeck, Van Laere, Lazzari, and Peeters' [(2012). Towards competent systems in early childhood education and care. Implications for policy and practice. European Journal of Education, 47(4), 508–526.] concept of the ‘competent system’ is used to recommend a grounded approach to the development of a more culturally, socially and individually responsive pedagogy with babies than appears to exist at present.

“At a Certain Age It’s Not Appropriate to Monitor One’s Child”

Little is known about the role parental mediation plays in emerging adult technology use. As such, the current exploratory study was designed to identify the prevalence of parental mediation during this developmental period, ascertain how parents mediate, and understand the reasons parents elect not to mediate. Eighty-two unmarried college participants and 76 of their parents participated in this descriptive qualitative study. A majority of emerging adults and parents reported that parents did not mediate their child’s interactive technology. Reasons for not monitoring revolved around parental trust, child maturity, and parental priorities. For those who reported parental mediation, monitoring content and usage was the mediation technique most frequently implemented.

Using Community-Based Participatory Research to Assess the Asthma Needs of Vietnamese American Children

Using Community-Based Participatory Research to Assess the Asthma Needs of Vietnamese American Children Gilda Ngo, MD, David B. Kilgore, MD, Jacqueline H. Tran, DrPH MPH, and Stanley P. Galant, MD What Is the Purpose of This Study? • To assess the perceived burden of asthma in Vietnamese American children and related health needs of those with asthma • To assess the health beliefs and practices of the Vietnamese American community regarding childhood asthma • To assess the Vietnamese American community’s willingness to participate in further research about childhood asthma • To learn and develop culturally acceptable methods that will facilitate further research, outreach, and intervention that are specific to the Vietnamese American community • To establish and build relationships among stakeholders who will be affected by this study What Is the Problem? • Little has been studied about the true prevalence and burden of pediatric asthma in the Vietnamese American community, as well as parental health behaviors pertaining to their children’s asthma • Despite the fact that prior studies have shown that Vietnamese children may have significantly higher rates of both undiagnosed asthma and diagnosed asthma compared to their counterparts, families seem to underutilize Western healthcare for unclear reasons. • Prior studies have suggested that parental traditional beliefs affect their management of their children’s asthma. What Are the Findings? • The members of the Vietnamese American community and the healthcare professionals and school administrators who work with the Vietnamese American community describe asthma as a significant problem for Vietnamese American children. • Academic achievement is a priority for Vietnamese parents. • Barriers to healthcare assess for Vietnamese American children with asthma include language and limited access to specialty asthma care. • Healthcare professionals believe parental traditional health beliefs and practices contribute to non-adherence to Western therapies; however, Vietnamese American parents report that although they may use traditional therapies, they actually prefer Western therapies to treat their children’s asthma. • Vietnamese American parents prefer educational materials be in Vietnamese and report that the best way to communicate with their community is via Vietnamese television or radio. • The Vietnamese American community welcomes further research and interventions regarding childhood asthma in their community. [End Page 419] Who Should Care Most? • Members of the healthcare field who provide care for Vietnamese American children • Community-based organizations • Schools administrators • Health care policymakers • Parents of children with asthma Recommendations for Action • Recommendation #1: Provide more funding and support for studies about the prevalence, morbidity, mortality and traditional health beliefs and practices related to childhood asthma in the Vietnamese American community. • Recommendation #2: Consider involving schools and associating academic achievement with positive health outcomes when providing health outreach, education, or interventions for Vietnamese American children. • Recommendation #3: Consider using Vietnamese television and/or Vietnamese radio when promoting health outreach, education or interventions for Vietnamese Americans. • Recommendation #4: Consider using a mobile asthma care clinic at school sites with providers who speak Vietnamese to provide specialized asthma care for Vietnamese American children. [End Page 420] Gilda Ngo University of California, Irvine, Department of Family Medicine David B. Kilgore University of California, Irvine, Department of Family Medicine Jacqueline H. Tran Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA) Stanley P. Galant Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)–Children’s Breathmobile™ Program Copyright © 2014 The Johns Hopkins University Press

Using community-based participatory research to assess the asthma needs of Vietnamese American children.

Very little is known about the burden of asthma in Vietnamese American children. Prior data have suggested that the burden of childhood asthma is significant for this population, although they seem to underutilize Western healthcare for unclear reasons. To gain insight into the perceptions of the burden, health needs, and traditional health beliefs regarding childhood asthma in the Vietnamese American community in Orange County, CA. Additionally, to foster and build sustainable relationships with the community and to ensure that our research process is mutually rewarding for all stakeholders. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, we initiated the formation of the Vietnamese Children's Asthma Project (VCAP) and used focus groups of various community stakeholders as a platform to gather information, give basic asthma education, and build relationships. A total of 66 people participated in the focus groups: 26 parents, 20 Vietnamese American physicians, 12 school nurses, and 8 school-community liaisons (SCLs). Overall, all participants believe that asthma is a significant problem and that language is a barrier to healthcare access for the Vietnamese community. We learned that academic achievement is a high priority for Vietnamese parents and associating better asthma control with improved academic performance may be a way to improve asthma education and adherence with therapy. We also found that although healthcare providers believe that parental traditional beliefs contribute to non-adherence to Western therapies, Vietnamese American parents report that they prefer to use Western medications to treat their children's asthma. Through the use of CBPR and the development of VCAP, we successfully conducted focus groups to assess the Vietnamese American perception of the burden of childhood asthma in their community and to gauge their receptivity to participate in further studies about childhood asthma and receptivity to subsequent interventions.

Parameters of participation in organized sports – Findings from German preschool children

Introduction There are alarming trends concerning children's health related fitness and weight status in developed countries. In this regard, physical activity (PA) of children attracts attention. As important part of PA in childhood organized sports (e.g. in a sports club) is of special interest. The purpose of the study was to examine factors that possibly promote children's participation in organized sports. Recent studies suppose that young children's participation depends on parental decisions, which are particularly interacted by horizontal factors of social disparity [1] . Interestingly, few studies support a high importance of vertical disparities like parental priorities, attitudes, expectations, and support [2,3] . Methods This study was integrated in a German motor ability and physical activity survey (MoKiS) for preschool children (aged 4–6), conducted 2007 in Saxony. Participation in organized sports and participation factors are determined by parental questionnaire ( n = 362), children's physical activity by heart rate monitoring ( n = 58). Results Parental education, income and occupation differed for participating and non-participating children ( Z = [−3824; −2468]; P = [.001; .014]). Vertical disparities were especially connected to parental health related expectations of child's PA ( Z = −3057; P = 002) as well as preferences regarding familiar every day PA ( Z = −2757; P = .006), and parental support ( Z = 5231; P MVPA = .220; P = .301; s = 0.48; ρ VPA = .174; P = .417; s = 0.40). Conclusions The results suggest that forming parent's health and PA related attitudes can support children's participation in organized sports. Understanding the mechanisms of children's participation in organized sports can help to design more effective interventions to promote PA in childhood.

Parent and child perspectives on family out-of-home eating: a qualitative analysis.

To (i) explore the factors influencing family out-of-home (OH) eating events and (ii) identify possible opportunities for food businesses to support families in making healthier OH choices. Focus group discussions were conducted with parents (six to eight participants per group) and friendship pair discussions (informal interviews with two children who are friends) were conducted with children (5-12 years) throughout the island of Ireland. Both discussions were audio-recorded and analysed using a thematic content analysis. Eight focus groups and sixteen friendship pairs were conducted in Northern Ireland and sixteen focus groups and thirty-two friendship pairs were conducted in the Republic of Ireland. Purposive sampling was used to recruit a sample of non-related parents and children that represented equal numbers of gender, age, socio-economic status and demographic backgrounds. The main, overarching theme was that families perceived OH eating to be a treat, while health was not currently a key priority for many parents and children. Children were reported to have most responsibility for their own food choice decisions in this environment, with taste and food neophobia having the greatest influences. Parents believed that if food businesses could meet parent and child priorities in addition to health influences, e.g. change cooking methods, and increase flexibility, then families would be more likely to patronise these establishments. The entire family OH eating experience needs to be considered when developing public health interventions and this research has highlighted key opportunities that caterers could employ to support healthier family OH food choices.

Elevating stakeholder voice: Considering parent priorities in model development for community mental health center services

Peer-support services, including Parent Support and Training, have traditionally subscribed to a strict definition of what it means to qualify as a peer, and therefore as a provider of these services. This article examines views of peer and non-peer stakeholders in Kansas CMHCs on additional characteristics of “peer-ness.” The findings of this analysis result in a call for a broadening of the definition of “peer” in order to creatively meet the needs of families in the current service climate while still providing support for upholding the family-driven paradigm that brought about inclusion of parent voice in the treatment process—a hallmark of the PST service.

Parental perceptions of barriers to physical activity in children with developmental disabilities living in Trinidad and Tobago

Background: Parents have a strong influence on their child’s engagement in physical activities, especially for children with developmental disabilities, as these children are less likely to initiate physical activity. Knowledge is limited regarding parents’ perceptions of this phenomenon in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); yet many rehabilitation providers work with children with developmental disabilities and their parents in these contexts. Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the barriers perceived by parents of children with developmental disabilities to their children’s engagement in physical activity. Methods: An occupational perspective was used to explore how parents speak about barriers to their child’s engagement in physical activity. Interviews were conducted with nine parents in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Findings: Parent’s perceived barriers were categorized into four themes: family priorities, not an option in our environment, need to match the activity to the child’s ability, and need for specialized supports. Conclusions: Findings provide opportunities for future rehabilitation and community programming in LMICs.Implications for RehabilitationChildren living with a developmental disability may engage more in solitary and sedentary pursuits as a result of parents choosing activities that do not present extensive social and physical demands for their child.Therapists can play an important role in providing knowledge to parents of appropriate physical activity and the benefits of physical activity for children with developmental disabilities in order to promote children’s participation.In environments where there is limited social support for families, therapists need to consider and be particularly supportive of parental priorities and schedules.

Educational Priorities for Individuals with Angelman Syndrome: A Study of Parents’ Perspectives

The priorities of parents of children with intellectual disability should be considered when selecting educational goals. To this end, 77 parents of children with Angelman syndrome (AS) completed a questionnaire that involved rating their child’s abilities and prioritizing educational goals across a range of adaptive and maladaptive domains. A factor analysis was used to determine if parents prioritized the training of skills in which their child showed a major, moderate or minor deficit. Results suggest that skills related to communication, recreation, self-care, motor and academic domains are high priorities. Further, parents of children under the age of 18 indicated that communication skills were a high priority, whereas parents of adults also prioritized daytime activity skills (e.g., swimming and cycling). Training for communication, recreational and ingestion skills was prioritized when children showed emerging skills; training for motor skills was prioritized when children were highly dependent; and training for self-care skills was prioritized when children were more independent in the self-care domain. In terms of behavioral problems, sleep and eating problems were prioritized.

Selection into early education and care settings: Differences by developmental period

Early education and care programs (EEC) serve important functions in promoting children's school readiness skills and supporting parental employment. Yet knowledge remains limited concerning factors inhibiting or increasing families’ use of EEC programs for their young children and whether such factors function differently as children age. This study employed nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) following 10,700 children from infancy through early childhood to assess predictors of home and center-based EEC and to delineate whether predictors differed by developmental period. Drawing on Meyers and Jordan's (2006) rich accommodations model of EEC selection, analyses found that factors associated with family needs and resources (parental employment, income, education, and family structure), cultural norms and preferences (race, ethnicity, and immigration status; geographic location; child characteristics; and parental priorities regarding EEC characteristics) and contextual opportunities and constraints (availability of care in the community) were all associated with selection into EEC settings. Many patterns were similar for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, although race/ethnicity, employment, and availability were most strongly linked to EEC type during infancy, whereas parental priorities for features associated with higher-quality care programs predicted EEC most strongly for preschoolers. Results are discussed in terms of efforts to increase family choice and access to EEC programs.

Parents who want their PreK children to have science learning experiences are outliers

The purpose of this study was to examine parental priorities regarding science education in the early years. The study sample included 1456 Turkish parents of pre-K children (36–72 months). Parents were asked to prioritize eight academic content areas, including science, in descending order. The results demonstrated that the number of parents who prioritized science over other academic content areas in pre-K classrooms was quite low. Parents who ranked science highly deviated from the whole sample and almost all of these parents were identified as outliers by the two-step cluster analysis. Parents of boys and younger children and parents with high-SES level were more likely to prioritize science over other academic content areas. The findings suggest that parental preferences overall align well with early childhood teachers’ tendency to teach less science than other content areas, and parental priorities might be another major factor that contributes to limited science learning experiences in the early years.

How Schools Define Success: The Influence of Local Contexts on the Meaning of Success in Three Schools in Ontario, Canada

Creating successful schools is a priority for governments, district officials, administrators, teachers and parents around the world, but just what does ‘school success’ mean? Grounded in theories of collective sense-making and learning, this article presents how school success is defined in three schools in Ontario, Canada, and draws on Ball, Maguire and Braun’s theory of policy enactment to explain similarities and differences between the schools’ definitions. A comparative case study of three elementary schools in the same neighbourhood finds that students’ happiness and academic learning (rather than achievement on standardized tests) are common aspects of each school’s multifaceted definition of success. Each school also has unique elements in its definition that can be attributed to differences in the schools’ situated, material, and professional contexts. In addition to local influences, class-based deficit ideology and professional discourses in their external contexts impact the schools’ definitions of success. Notably, the schools’ definitions emphasize individual growth and outcomes that reproduce rather than transform social inequities.