Preschool Children's Participation Research Articles

Bioactive and Nutritional Potential of an Infant Food Based on Mangifera Indica, Musa Paradisiaca, Chenopodium Quinoa and Amaranthus Caudatus Flour

There are few studies in the scientific literature on Peruvian native cereal-based instant mixes. Food aid programs of the Peruvian government allow food to be distributed to infants in public schools, and in general, these foods contain carbohydrates and a protein fraction, but there is some rejection on the part of consumers due to the sensory aspect of the product that does not has been considered in this population. The objective of this study is to know the bioactive, nutritional potential and the level of sensory acceptance of infant food made from Andean pseudocereals from the Ancash region and tropical fruits from the Piura region, Peru. Three formulations were prepared based on mango, banana, quinoa and kiwicha flours (T1, T2 and T3) and were compared with a commercial product based on kiwicha and oatmeal. The total amounts of phenolic compounds, vitamin C, antioxidant activity, composition, water absorption index, oil, milk was determined; viscosity and sensory evaluations were carried out with the participation of preschool children (4 and 5 years). The content of phenols, ascorbic acid (AA) and antioxidant capacity of T1 and T2 were 10 times higher than the control treatment. Physical and chemical composition analysis showed that there were no significant differences among the treatments evaluated. Banana flour contributes to the water and oil absorption capacity and viscosity. Finally, the addition of quinoa and kiwicha flour improves milk absorption capacity. The characteristics of the developed mixtures allow the incorporation of more food and less water to increase viscosity acceptance. The greatest preferences were obtained by T2 and T1, obtaining a level of acceptance above 82%, which shows that today children have a healthy food alternative such as mixtures of Andean pseudocereals and tropical fruits without sacrificing their nutritional qualities.

Validity and Reliability Study of the Turkish Version of Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six-34.

Speech and language disorders can negatively affect preschool children's communicative participation skills. Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six-34 (FOCUS-34) is a valid and reliable scale that evaluates communicative participation in preschool children with speech and language disorders. This study aimed to establish the Turkish version of FOCUS-34 (FOCUS-34-TR) and investigate its validity and reliability. A total of 175 children with language disorders, speech sound disorders, and fluency disorders (aged 20-72 months) and their parents were included in the study. Parents were asked to complete the demographic information form, the FOCUS-34-TR scale, and the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ-SE) Turkish version. The construct validity, convergent and divergent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the scale were investigated. The FOCUS-34-TR had high values for internal consistency (α = .97) and test-retest reliability (r = .95). The correlations between the FOCUS-34-TR total score and its subscales were between .77 and .90. A moderately significant negative correlation was found between the FOCUS-34-TR scale and the ASQ-SE. The Turkish version of FOCUS-34 is a valid and reliable scale that can be used in clinics and for research purposes to evaluate the communicative participation skills of Turkish-speaking preschool children with speech and language disorders.

Improving the Participation of Preschool Children’s Mothers in Fluoride Varnish Program: An Educational Intervention

Introduction: Tooth decay is the most prevalent chronic childhood disease. Fluoride tooth restoration is a common method of controlling tooth decay, but common misconceptions in this area prevent family involvement. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of educational interventions on the participation of preschool children’s mothers in the fluoride varnish program. Methods: This was an interventional study performed on 176 mothers of preschool children in Yazd in 2020. Participating mothers were randomly selected and divided into intervention and control groups. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire with confirmed validity and reliability. It included demographic variables and 4 sections of awareness, facilitators, barriers, and behavior. Intervention and control groups completed the questionnaires before and two months after the intervention. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman correlation tests, as well as repeated measures analysis of variance and the generalized estimating equations model were used for data analyses. Results: The proportion of people who participated in the fluoride varnish program before the study was the same in both intervention and control groups (35.2 and 37.5), but after the intervention, the percentage of people whose children participated in this program was more in the intervention group (88.6 and 51.1, P<0.0001). Conclusion: The findings of this study confirmed the positive effect of the educational intervention on increasing the participation of mothers in the fluoride varnish program. To better cooperate and involve families with oral health programs in schools, thinkers in the field should be fully justified in the program to provide timely training and interventions.

Play and participation in preschool children’s project activities

This article presents playful activities undertaken with children during the three years of the BRIDGING project. The authors try to show the pupils’ participation expressed through play in its different types. During the implementation of the project activities, it was important to have the attentive presence of adults who showed direction and tried to always remind children as well as other partners (from partner institutions) about the purpose of the playful activities. However, the educators did not show ready-made solutions and allowed the children to express their own opinions, to be creative and to work on their own, and to have fun. The cooperation of adult participants in the project – teachers, tutors and university lecturers – enriched the project with a diverse perspective on children’s activities, play and the issue of participation. The implementation of the BRIDGING project in Poland became an opportunity to develop the idea of equal involvement of adults and children. This idea has been disseminated in the local community, firstly among parents, and also among other people involved in the project through activities (including play activities) undertaken during the project.

The communicative participation in pre-school children estimated by the FOCUS questionnaire: a functional communicative outcome measure

Purpose Participation-outcome measures are required in the phoniatric and speech-language pathology practice to evaluate real-life changes during interventions. In line with the bio-psycho-social model of health, ‘Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six’ (FOCUS) is a validated scale by which parents rate their child’s Communicative Participation (CP). CP has been widely investigated in atypically-developing population, and it may be an innovative construct also for typically-developing children (TDC). The aim of the study is to describe the CP and its components observed in a large group of TDC, exploring whether children’s CP is influenced by their age. Method Through a cross-sectional observational study, parents of 355 Italian-speaking TDC aged 3.0–5.11 years without developmental impairments completed the Italian FOCUS (FOCUS-I). Result CP significantly increased with age (p < .001). Components’ scores differed by age, with some competences (‘pragmatics’, ‘receptive language/attention’, ‘social competence/play’, ‘coping strategies/emotions’) increased with age less than others (‘speech’, ‘intelligibility’, ‘independence’, ‘expressive language’). Conclusion The study suggests that a spontaneous significant increase in CP should be expected with a child’s development and it discusses the differences in the profile scores. When exploring real-life communicative participation, parents rate their children as changing mostly in their speech and expressive-linguistic competences.

Effects of a 12-Weeks Yoga Intervention on Motor and Cognitive Abilities of Preschool Children.

Since early childhood is regarded as an important period of motor and cognitive development, understanding the effects of physical activity on motor abilites and cognitive development in preschool children has major public health implications. This study investigates the effects of a 12 weeks' yoga intervention program on motor and cognitive abilities in preschool children. Preschool children (n = 45; age 5–6 years) attending regular preschool programs were non-randomly assigned to yoga intervention (n = 23; 30 min sessions three times per week) or a control group (n = 22; no additional organized physical activity program). Exercise training for the intervention group included yoga program. Motor abilities (BOT-2 subtests: fine motor integration, manual dexterity, balance and bilateral coordination), and cognitive abilities (School Maturity Test subtests: visual memory, stacking cubes and codes) were assessed before and after the intervention period in both groups. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Participants in the intervention group improved fine motor integration (p = 0.022), fine motor skills in general (0.029), bilateral coordination (0.000), balance (0.000), and body coordination (0.000). Preschool children's participation in the preschool yoga intervention significantly improved their motor abilities, but not their cognitive abilities.

The Structured Preschool Participation Observation (SPO) for Children with ASD: Adaptation, Initial Psychometric Properties, and Children’s Participation

Aims: Due to the lack of tools evaluating participation of children with ASD in the educational setting, this study aimed to adapt the Structured Preschool Participation Observation (SPO), which assess the participation of preschool children attending mainstream-educational settings to children with ASD attending non-inclusive special education (content validity), to measure its initial psychometric properties (internal reliability, inter-rater reliability), and to describe children’s participation characteristics, creating an effective tool to fill this gap. Methods: Content validity was evaluated by 21 experts using questionnaires. Thirty-five children with ASD were observed in their educational setting using the adapted tool (SPO-ASD). Results: Content validity was satisfactory regarding the items and their classification into occupational areas. Moderate to excellent internal consistency (α = .73–.92) and inter-rater reliability (ICC = .61–.95, p<.05) were found for all scales and most areas. Children’s participation frequency was high in learning and activities of daily living (ADL), low in play and social participation. Performance level was low in social participation. Enjoyment level was low, and needed assistance in ADL was high. Conclusions: Based on our initial evaluation, the SPO-ASD may be suitable for assessing participation of children with ASD attending special education preschools. Additional studies are needed to more securely establish its psychometric properties.

Participation patterns and predictors of participation in preschool children with developmental disability

Introduction The research was aimed to evaluate patterns and clinical and environmental predictors of participation in preschool children with developmental disability. Method Cross-sectional design was employed. Caregivers ( n = 98) of children aged 9–70 months (mean = 48, SD = 1.5) with developmental disability completed a health questionnaire and the Lithuanian Young Children’s Participation and Environment Measure (YC-PEM). Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regressions were performed to identify patterns and predictors of participation at home, daycare/preschool, and the community. Results Participation restrictions, based on frequency and variety of activities, were mostly observed in the community setting. Both clinical and environmental factors explained at least two dimensions of participation across all settings. Of the clinical factors, the predictors of participation were found to be the severity but not the number of impairments of body structures and functions and/or activity limitations. Conclusions This study emphasizes the role of the environment and activity limitations in explaining participation of preschool children with developmental disability. Findings can re-direct practitioners’ attention towards context-based assessments and interventions to promote health through participation.

Assessing communicative participation in preschool children with the Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six: a scoping review.

To describe uses of the Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six (FOCUS) in research with children with and without various communication disorders since its publication in 2010. Six databases were searched for the term 'Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six'. With additional searches we ascertained 70 articles, of which 25 met inclusion criteria for full review and data extraction. The FOCUS has been used in research across multiple countries, purposes, populations, contexts, and versions. Evaluative studies have described: the development of children's communicative participation skills and factors that impact the development of communicative participation; the impact of specific interventions on communicative participation; how FOCUS captures change relative to measures of impairment; and how FOCUS performs when used at different intervals. Adaptations have included: use of the FOCUS as a descriptive or discriminative tool; use with children outside the validated age range; use of select items; and use with typically developing children. The FOCUS is used worldwide in research and practice, and much has been learned about children's communicative participation. Future research is needed to explore the relationship between children's impairments and their communicative participation, develop a FOCUS App, and develop and validate a FOCUS for school-age children.

Exploring the Participation Patterns and Impact of Environment in Preschool Children with ASD.

Participation in everyday activities at home and in the community is essential for children’s development and well-being. Limited information exists about participation patterns of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examines these participation patterns in both the home and community, and the extent to which environmental factors and social communication abilities are associated with participation. Fifty-four parents of preschool-aged children with ASD completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Young Children and the Autism Classification System of Functioning: Social Communication. The children had a mean age of 48.9 (8.4) months. Patterns of participation were studied using descriptive statistics, radar graphs, and Spearman correlations. Children with ASD participated in a variety of activities at home and in the community, but showed a higher participation frequency at home. Parents identified different barriers (e.g., social demands) and supports (e.g., attitudes) in both settings. There was a moderate positive association between children’s social communication abilities and their levels of involvement during participation and the diversity of activities. This study highlights the importance of social communication abilities in the participation of preschool children with ASD, and the need to support parents while they work to improve their child’s participation, especially within their communities.

Perspectives of preschool children in England with speech and language needs in the development of evidence-based activities.

The existing evidence is limited in terms of perspectives of preschool children with speech and language needs and their views on activities used to support their needs. This paper discusses a stream of work from the interdisciplinary research programme known as "Child Talk," based in England, UK. The overall purpose of this work stream was to gain the perspectives of preschool children aged 2 to 5 years and 11 months, with speech and language needs, to use in the development of an evidence-based framework of activities. Twenty-four preschool children with a variety of needs from diverse backgrounds took part. An observational methodology was used to capture children's experiences. Children were filmed during a series of sessions, with innovative head-mounted cameras worn by the children and supported by researcher field notes. Framework analysis was used to analyse the data based on the body movement, vocalization, and visual attention of the children during these sessions. Results included that children expressed enjoyment and engagement in the activities. The children expressed themselves and demonstrated their focus "multimodally" through combinations of body language, vocalization, and visual attention. These modalities were present across all contexts and children. It highlights the importance of encouraging participation in preschool children and consequently this innovative piece of work has national and international importance.

THE ROLE OF PLAYGROUND FACILITIES ON PRESCHOOL CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION IN OUTDOOR PLAY ACTIVITIES IN MOMBASA COUNTY, KENYA

This study sought to establish playground facilities factors that influence preschool children participation in outdoor play activities. The dependent variable was active participation by preschool children in outdoor play activities, while independent variables were types, safety and age appropriateness of playground facilities. The target population was preschools in Mvita sub-county. Simple Random Sampling was used to select the preschools to participate in this study. Purposive Sampling technique was used to sample respondents who were teachers handling young children between five and six years. The sample consisted of 21 pre-schools. Questionnaires for the preschool teachers and observation schedules were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics was employed to analyse data. The results showed that children’s general participation in outdoor play activities was not influenced by availability or lack of adequate playground facilities. Further findings revealed that playground facilities in all schools sampled had issues with safety checks. The study suggests that schools should provide children with safe playground facilities so that children can participate in outdoor activities in a conducive and comfortable space. Article visualizations:

Construct Validity of the Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire–Teacher Version

The Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire–Teacher Version (PSEQ-TV) is a teacher report questionnaire designed to examine the impact of the sensory environment on participation for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examines the construct validity of the assessment through principal components analysis (PCA). One hundred three preschool teachers completed the research version of the PSEQ-TV. Component analysis revealed six factors: modification, support, preschool tasks, group routines, mealtime, and tactile. This study provides evidence as to the construct validity of the PSEQ-TV. The PSEQ-TV can be used to identify sensory-related environmental barriers within the preschool environment. By identifying these barriers, teachers and other support staff can modify the environment and/or provide support to increase participation of preschool children with ASD across school environments.

Relationships between Adaptive Behaviours, Personal Factors, and Participation of Young Children

ABSTRACTAim: To examine the extent to which personal factors (age, socioeconomic grouping, and preterm birth) and adaptive behaviour explain the participation patterns of young children. Methods: 65 Children 2–5 years old with and without a history of preterm birth and no physical or intellectual disability were selected by convenience sampling from Galway University Hospital, Ireland. Interviews with parents were conducted using the Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System, Second Edition (ABAS-II) and the Assessment of Preschool Children's Participation (APCP). Linear regression models were used to identify associations between the ABAS-II scores, personal factors, and APCP scores for intensity and diversity of participation. Results: Adaptive behaviour explained 21% of variance in intensity of play, 18% in intensity of Skill Development, 7% in intensity of Active Physical Recreation, and 6% in intensity of Social Activities controlling for age, preterm birth, and socioeconomic grouping. Age explained between 1% and 11% of variance in intensity of participation scores. Adapted behaviour (13%), Age (17%), and socioeconomic grouping (5%) explained a significant percentage of variance in diversity of participation controlling for the other variables. Conclusions: Adaptive behaviour had a unique contribution to children's intensity and diversity of participation, suggesting its importance.

A population-based study of communicative participation in preschool children with speech-language impairments.

To develop statistical models of communicative participation development of preschool children and explore variations by level of function. This was a secondary analysis of data from a longitudinal study of preschool children with speech and language impairments (n=46 872; age range 18-67mo, mean age [SD] 41.76mo [11.92]; 67% male) accessing publicly funded services in Ontario, Canada. Two measures were used: Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six (FOCUS), measuring changes in communicative participation skills, and the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS), classifying communicative function into one of five levels. We used mixed effects modeling to fit growth curves for children in each CFCS level. Models allowed for variation in initial FOCUS score at 18 months, rate of growth with age, and rate of acceleration/deceleration with age. Starting FOCUS score (18mo) varied inversely with CFCS level at entry to the program. Growth was initially rapid and then leveled off for children in Levels I to III. Growth was less rapid for children in Level IV, but leveled off, and was slow but continual for children in Level V. This work can help us to move beyond traditional impairment-based thinking and shows that children can make meaningful communicative changes regardless of their function.

The Impact of the Sensory Environment on Participation of Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract Date Presented 3/31/2017 This qualitative study explores the sensory environment to determine the impact on participation in the preschool environment. The study presents information gathered from semistructured interviews of preschool teachers and occupational therapists. Primary Author and Speaker: Aimee Piller Contributing Authors: Beth Pfeiffer

The German Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six (FOCUS-G): Reliability and Validity of a Novel Assessment of Communicative Participation.

Our purpose was to explore the validity and reliability of the German Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six (FOCUS-G; Thomas-Stonell, Oddson, Robertson, & Rosenbaum, 2010, 2012), which is an authorized adaptation of the Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six (Thomas-Stonell et al., 2010) tool, which measures communicative participation in preschool children. Parents of typically developing children (TDC) and of children with speech impairment (CSI) completed the FOCUS-G and the Questionnaire for Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Children (KiddyKINDL; Ravens-Sieberer & Bullinger, 2000). To determine test-retest reliability, the FOCUS-G was readministered to a subsample of parents 1 week later. The FOCUS-G had high values for internal consistency (α = .959, Ω = .941), test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = .974), and split-half reliability (r = .832). Total scores on the FOCUS-G and KiddyKINDL demonstrated significant associations. FOCUS-G total scores and subdomain scores for both samples showed significant correlations, indicating good construct validity. The discriminatory ability of the FOCUS-G was indicated by significantly higher mean scores for TDC (M = 6.03, SD = 0.65) than CSI (M = 5.47, SD = 1.02). The overall good psychometric properties of this novel assessment of communicative participation support its use by speech-language pathologists for clinical and research purposes with German-speaking children.

The Psychometric Properties of the Arabic Preschool Activity Card Sort.

Background The Preschool Activity Card Sort (PACS) is an interview-based assessment tool to measure participation of preschool children with age range from 3 to 6 years. Objective of Study The purpose of this study was to establish the psychometric properties of the recently translated Arabic PACS (A-PACS). Methods One hundred fifty-one Jordanian parents participated in the study representing different geographical areas. Children were almost equally distributed between males and females and into three age groups. Construct and concurrent validity were examined as well as the internal consistency of the scale and the test-retest reliability. Findings The A-PACS was able to differentiate between the participation level of young and old children in the domains of education, community mobility, and low demand leisure of the A-PACS giving evidence to its construct validity and it significantly correlated with some aspects of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS) giving evidence to its concurrent validity. The A-PACS showed excellent overall internal consistency (α = .859) for all domains and good test-retest reliability (r = .976, p < .001). Conclusion The A-PACS can be considered as a valid and reliable tool to measure participation of preschool children with normal development from Arabic cultures. Future studies should focus on the validity of the A-PACS for use with children with disabilities.

Stakeholders’ perspectives on social participation in preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ABSTRACTObjective: To determine (a) the essential components of social participation for preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) using stakeholders’ perspectives and (b) the facilitators and barriers experienced in promoting social participation. Methods: A mixed-methods, web-based survey utilizing the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health – Child and Youth version (ICF-CY) taxonomy was circulated across Canada through purposeful snowball sampling. Results: Frequency analysis of the combined responses of 74 stakeholders revealed the most essential components of social participation were: (a) behavior management, (b) social interactions, and (c) various types of play. Further, content analysis revealed that stakeholders used intrinsic motivation strategies and contingency management to facilitate social participation. Conclusion: Stakeholders reported that the purpose of social participation was to engage the child in fun, enjoyable social activities that developed relationships between the child and peers and created a sense of belonging in the community.

The Sensory Environment and Participation of Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Sensory processing is recognized as impacting participation for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Little research exists to examine the impact of the sensory environment on the participation patterns of children with ASD, specifically from a contextual standpoint. The researchers in this study examined the viewpoint of teachers and occupational therapists on the sensory-related environmental barriers to participation within the preschool context. Qualitative descriptive methodology was used for data collection and analysis. Thirteen preschool teachers and occupational therapists were interviewed. Sensory aspects of the environment both inhibited and enhanced participation. Physical and temporal components of the environment are identified as being the most influential. Modifications of the environment are identified as increasing participation. It is important to consider the sensory aspects of the environment, in addition to the sensory processing patterns of the person in assessment and intervention planning within the preschool environment.