School-Age Children Who Research Articles

0797 Afraid to Sleep Alone: Characteristics of Parents and School-age Children Who Cannot Sleep Independently

0797 Afraid to Sleep Alone: Characteristics of Parents and School-age Children Who Cannot Sleep Independently

Assessment of Quality of Life Indicators in School-age Children Who Have Experienced COVID-19 of Varying Degrees of Severity

Today the health status of school-age children after suffering from COVID-19 is an urgent medical problem all over the world. The study of indicators of quality of life (QoL) is of great practical importance for children and adolescents. QoL is a multidimensional concept that takes into account physical, mental and social aspects of well-being and functioning The objective: to analyze the quality of life indicators in school-age children who suffered from COVID-19 of varying degrees of severity. Materials and methods. The study included 155 children from 6 to 18 years old, who were divided into groups. The main group included 120 children with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 in the anamnesis and a period after COVID-19 of more than 12 weeks. The control group included 35 somatically healthy children who did not suffer from COVID-19, and were the same age as individuals in the main group. The patients of the main group were divided into three groups: I group – 49 children who had mild COVID-19; II group – 40 children who suffered from moderate severity of COVID-19; III group – 31 children who fell ill with COVID-19 with a severe course. Quality of life indicators were assessed using a questionnaire based on the PedQL 4.0 scale. General clinical (analysis of anamnesis data, objective examination) and statistical research methods were also used. Results. As a result of the study, it was found that the average score of the final assessment of the state of physical health in the main group was 76.64±8.62 points, in the control group – 87.68±6.01 points (p<0.001). The average score of the final assessment of psychosocial health in the main group was 68.57±7.67 points, in the control group – 85.43±6.21 points (p<0.001). The average value of the total score on the PedsQL 4.0 scale in the main group was 72.61±6.69 points, in the control group – 86.55±5.1 points (p<0.001). The lowest indicators of the final assessment of the state of physical health, psychosocial health and the total score on the PedsQL 4.0 scale were found in the III group, the highest indicators – in the I group (statistical difference from the control group p<0.01). A rank negative correlation of medium strength was determined between the indicator of the final assessment of the physical state of health and the total score on the PedsQL 4.0 scale and severity of COVID-19 (r=–0.626; p<0.001, r=–0.615; p<0.001, respectively). A negative weak rank correlation was established between the index of the final assessment of the psychosocial state of health and the degree of severity of COVID-19 (r=–0.364; р<0.001). Conclusions. The results of the study indicate that acute COVID-19 affects the quality of life of children. The impact of the coronavirus disease affects various indicators and areas of QoL in children and depends on the severity of COVID-19. Severe COVID-19 has an equally negative impact on all areas of the quality of life of children and adolescents.

Comparison of Participation in Online Games and Communication Experiences of School-Age Children Who Do and Do Not Stutter: Exploratory Study

Introduction: Online games provide a socializing environment for children aged 8–10 years, but there is a lack of information in the literature about whether children who stutter (CWS) access online gaming environments as frequently as their nonaffected peers and about their interaction habits. This study aimed to investigate the participation frequency of school-age CWS and children who do not stutter (CWNS) in online games, the speech characteristics during games, and whether they encountered bullying-like behaviors during games. Methods: A total of 91 CWS (F/M = 18/73; age range = 8–13) and 116 CWNS (F/M = 60/56; age range 8–13) participated in this study. Children’s participation habits in online, chat-based, multiplayer games were evaluated with web-based questionnaires. Differences between questionnaire responses were analyzed using the significance test for a difference in two proportions. Results: There was no significant difference between the participation rates of CWS and CWNS in online games (z = 1.46; p = 0.14), their frequency (p > 0.05), and the time they spent in the game (p > 0.05). It was found that those who stutter preferred to use one-word expressions more than their peers who do not stutter (z = 2.03; p = 0.04), and those who stutter had higher rates of not encountering bullying-like behaviors in online games than those who do not stutter (z = 2.2; p = 0.03). Discussion/Conclusion: CWS and CWNS show similar participation habits in online, chat-based, multiplayer games with similar frequency and duration. Speech features that emerge in online games and whether these games play a role in providing CWS with a communication environment where the risk of bullying is reduced and fluency is increased may be the subject of future research.

Effectiveness of Stuttering Modification Treatment in School-Age Children Who Stutter: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

This study investigated the effectiveness of the stuttering modification intervention Kinder Dürfen Stottern (KIDS) in school-age children who stutter. Seventy-three children who stutter were included in this multicenter, two-group parallel, randomized, wait-list controlled trial with a follow-up of 12 months. Children aged 7-11 years were recruited from 34 centers for speech therapy and randomized to either the immediate-treatment group or the 3 months delayed-treatment group. KIDS was provided by 26 clinicians who followed a treatment manual. Although the primary outcome measure was the impact of stuttering (Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering-School-Age [OASES-S]), the secondary outcomes included objective and subjective data on stuttering severity. At 3 months postrandomization, the mean score changes of the OASES-S differed significantly between the experimental (n = 33) and control group (n = 29; p = .026). Furthermore, treatment outcomes up to 12 months were analyzed (n = 59), indicating large effects of time on the OASES-S score (p < .001, partial η2 = .324). This was paralleled by significant improvements in parental ratings and objective ratings (stuttering severity, frequency, and physical concomitants). The significant short-term treatment effects in the OASES-S are in line with the (initial) focus of KIDS on cognitive and affective aspects of stuttering. Over 12 months, these changes were maintained and accompanied by behavioral improvements. The results suggest that individual treatment with KIDS is an adequate treatment option for this age group. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24207864.

Estimating the Prevalence of Specific Learning Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Japanese School-Age Children Who Stutter

Purpose: This study aimed to predict special educational needs in children who stutter (CWS) using a screening test for three neurodevelopmental disorders (specific learning disorder [SLD], attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], and autism spectrum disorder [ASD]). While most previous studies have been conducted by speech-language pathologists, this study was conducted in an educational setting. Additionally, we investigated correlations between children's scores in scales for assessing neurodevelopmental disorders and stuttering severity. Method: Participants were 116 CWS (ages 6–12 years) from resource rooms for speech-language disorders in Japan. Speech-language teachers in resource rooms were asked to evaluate CWS and respond to the Learning Disabilities Inventory–Revised, ADHD Rating Scale, and Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire. Results: We received 90 valid responses with no missing values. Among them, 32 (35.5%) children were judged as having difficulties related to SLD, ADHD, and ASD in school life. Among them, 23 (25.6%) were SLD suspected, 12 (13.3%) were ADHD suspected, and nine (10.0%) were ASD suspected. Difficulty in speaking, writing, math, and hyperactivity/impulsivity was significantly and positively correlated with stuttering severity. Moreover, in the group of CWS with suspected neurodevelopmental disorders, the distribution of scores related to SLD was skewed toward high scores. Conclusions: CWS in this study showed higher rates of suspected SLD, ADHD, and ASD within a school setting compared with the rates for typically developing children surveyed in Japan in 2012 through another prior study. In addition, the effect of stuttering severity on academic skills is discussed.

Avoidance Reduction Therapy for School-Age Children Who Stutter.

Avoidance Reduction Therapy for Stuttering (ARTS) is a behavioral therapy for children and adults that incorporates speech therapy and counseling to reduce learned physical and socioemotional struggle that constitute the problem for the stutterer.a While stuttering is a neurodevelopmental difference, efforts to mask a stigmatized identity can contribute to avoidance, shame, and fear of speaking. This article provides theoretical foundations for therapy principles, describes the processes of self-acceptance and change, and outlines therapy goals and activities using child-friendly explanations and case study vignettes.

Treatment for School-Age Children Who Stutter: A Systematic Review of Japanese Literature.

This systematic review identified and synthesized published research articles, written in Japanese, on the clinical effectiveness of a broad range of nonpharmacological interventions for school-age children who stutter. A systematic review of Japanese literature published between January 1, 1980, and July 7, 2020, reporting interventions for school-age children who stutter, was carried out through a search of two databases (CiNii Article database and Japan Medical Abstract Society database) using the key words "stuttering" and "school-age" or "child" or "primary school students" or "children" or "school child" in Japanese. To be included in the review, the articles must report studies where data were subjectively reported by clinicians, where school-age participants were treated for developmental stuttering, where participants received interventions conducted by clinicians, and where quantitative outcomes (pre- and/or posttreatment) were measured; and they must be published in Japanese. Forty articles met all the inclusion criteria. Most articles adopted a case series or single-case study design. A total of 179 intervention programs were identified from all the articles and broadly classified into speech therapy, psychological therapy, interventions for modifying the child's environment, and others. Our systematic review provided a broad overview of the treatments used for school-age children who stutter in Japan. Future research should focus on gathering more reliable, systematic, and rigorous evidence to establish the effectiveness of stuttering treatments for school-age children and thereby develop evidence-based practices.

Telepractice in School-Age Children Who Stutter: A Controlled Before and After Study to Evaluate the Efficacy Of MIDA-SP.

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a general reorganization of rehabilitation services in Italy. The lockdown in Italy led to the use of telepractice for the delivery of speech therapy, including stuttering. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Multidimensional, Integrated, Differentiated, Art-Mediated Stuttering Program (MIDA-SP; Tomaiuoli et al., 2012), delivered online for school-age children who stutter. A non-randomized controlled pre- and post-treatment study included an experimental group (11 children) receiving a telepractice adaptation of MIDA-SP and a historical control group (11 children) receiving in-person MIDA-SP. Both groups had been assessed with the Stuttering Severity Instrument – Fourth Edition (SSI-4) and Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (OASES-S) pre- and post-treatment. No statistically significant differences were found between the two modes of delivery. These findings suggest that MIDA-SP treatment delivered via telepractice is effective for school-age children who stutter.

The Impact of Emotional Processes on Stuttering in Young School-Age Children Who Do and Do Not Stutter

The Impact of Emotional Processes on Stuttering in Young School-Age Children Who Do and Do Not Stutter

A Case Study of Using Habit Reversal Treatment to Improve Fluency in School-Age Children Who Stutter

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a habit reversal treatment program is effective in improving the fluency of school-aged children who stutter. Two school-age children were treated 8 times over 8 weeks. Each treatment session was 30 minutes long and was combined with 20 minutes of counselling, for a total of 50 minutes per a treatment. For both subjects 1 and 2, pre- and post-evaluations were conducted to assess the frequency of stuttering, the form of stuttering, and their speech speed. The subjects were also tested using the communication attitude scale and the characteristic anxiety scale. This evaluating was done to verify the effectiveness of the treatment. Habit reversal treatment is a program that combines self-awareness training and relaxation training together to improve fluency. The children were compared before and after treatment and their fluency had increased. There were improvements in stuttering frequency, stuttering type, and speech speed. In addition, the communication attitude and trait anxiety of the subjects exhibited an improvement after treatment. This study showed that a habit reversal treatment program can help enhance fluency in stuttering school-aged children as well as treat tic disorders. Hopefully in the future, we will be able to prove that it is possible to improve fluency and develop a positive mind for various types of stuttering subjects through continuous habit reversal treatment.

Reading Ability and Working Memory in School-Age Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing Using Cochlear Implants and/or Hearing Aids: A 3-Year Follow-Up on Computer-Based Phonics Training

Purpose The aim of the current study was to investigate reading ability in children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) using cochlear implants (CI) or hearing aids (HA) 3 years after computer-assisted phonics intervention. Reading ability was examined in relation to cognitive and audiological aspects and compared to a reference group of children with typical hearing (TH). Method Participants were 73 Swedish primary school children ( Mdn = 9 years). Fifty-five of the children were TH, and 18 children were DHH using CI ( n = 10) or HA ( n = 8). Twenty-seven of the children (all children who were DHH and nine of the children with TH) had participated in computer-based phonics intervention 3 years earlier. Children were assessed on word and nonword decoding, reading comprehension, and three working memory (WM) tasks. Age at diagnosis, age of amplification, and duration of unaided hearing loss formed the audiological variables. Results Comparable word decoding skills and reading comprehension were observed in all three groups (CI, HA, and TH). Children with CI showed strong and significant correlations between two aspects of WM capacity (phonological and complex WM) and all aspects of reading. For children with TH, similar but weaker correlations as in children with CI was observed, and correlations with visual WM were also evident. In children with HA only, complex WM correlated strongly and significantly with nonword decoding. Duration of unaided hearing loss was the single audiological variable that was significantly associated with reading. Conclusions This 3-year follow-up showed overall positive reading results at the group level in children who are DHH. However, some children still lag behind their peers with TH. Early hearing experience and intervention are stressed as crucial factors in preventing negative outcomes in these children.

Acoustic Measures of Emotion in School-Age Children Who Stutter: Findings From a Single Subject

Purpose The purpose of this study was to encourage and justify the examination of acoustic measures of emotion (mean fundamental frequency [F0], F0 range, jitter, and shimmer) from school-age children who stutter (CWS) in a novel procedure combining psychophysiological measures of stress with acoustic analysis. Method One school-age CWS (aged 11;9 [years;months]) completed a cognitively stressful speech-language task and a control speech-language task. Vocal acoustic samples were collected during the stressful task and the control task. These samples were later analyzed for F0, F0 range, jitter, and shimmer. Physiological measures of emotional arousal, including electrodermal response frequency and electrodermal response amplitude, were also recorded prior to, during, and after each condition for manipulation check purposes. Physiological measures of emotion regulation, indexed by mean heart rate variability, were also collected prior to and after each condition for manipulation check purposes. Results Findings from the psychophysiological measures suggest that the CWS experienced increased stress during the stress-inducing task. Acoustic measures indicate that the CWS reduced rather than increased her mean F0, F0 range, jitter, and shimmer only for high vowels /i u/ during the control task compared to stressful task. Conclusions Overall, these pilot findings support the need for further study of vocal acoustic and psychophysiological measures of emotion from CWS as well as children who do not stutter.

Assessment of Intelligence Quotient in School-Aged Children Who Are Breastfed Versus Artificial-Fed

Background: Food can affect the brain throughout the entire life cycle. Cognition refers to the mental processes involved in the acquisition of knowledge and the integration of these processes into responses such as the intelligence quotient (IQ). Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare intelligence quotient of children aged 6-10 years who were breastfed in their post-natal life versus those who were not exposed to breastfeeding. Patients and methods: A case control study was conducted on 56 children in Zagazig University Children Hospital, during the period from October 2018 to March 2019. They were divided into two groups. Group I: 28 healthy children who were exclusively breastfed. Group II: 28 healthy children who were artificially-fed. All cases were subjected to: A constructed questionnaire assessing breastfeeding practices during the first two years as well as the current health status over the past years and current and past behavioral disorders. Clinical examination was done. Dietary assessment was done to assess current feeding and food intake practices. Special test; Wechsler and Primary Scale of Intelligence was done for all participants to assess the cognitive functions. Results: This study showed that, higher IQ in the breastfed group as compared to the artificially-fed group. Conclusion: Cognitive function of the child is increased with the increased duration of exclusive breastfeeding up to six months of age. The education of the mother positively influenced the IQ among children who were exclusively breastfed for 6 months but not the other groups.

Audiovisual Enhancement of Speech Perception in Noise by School-Age Children Who Are Hard of Hearing.

The purpose of this study was to examine age- and hearing-related differences in school-age children's benefit from visual speech cues. The study addressed three questions: (1) Do age and hearing loss affect degree of audiovisual (AV) speech enhancement in school-age children? (2) Are there age- and hearing-related differences in the mechanisms underlying AV speech enhancement in school-age children? (3) What cognitive and linguistic variables predict individual differences in AV benefit among school-age children? Forty-eight children between 6 and 13 years of age (19 with mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss; 29 with normal hearing) and 14 adults with normal hearing completed measures of auditory and AV syllable detection and/or sentence recognition in a two-talker masker type and a spectrally matched noise. Children also completed standardized behavioral measures of receptive vocabulary, visuospatial working memory, and executive attention. Mixed linear modeling was used to examine effects of modality, listener group, and masker on sentence recognition accuracy and syllable detection thresholds. Pearson correlations were used to examine the relationship between individual differences in children's AV enhancement (AV-auditory-only) and age, vocabulary, working memory, executive attention, and degree of hearing loss. Significant AV enhancement was observed across all tasks, masker types, and listener groups. AV enhancement of sentence recognition was similar across maskers, but children with normal hearing exhibited less AV enhancement of sentence recognition than adults with normal hearing and children with hearing loss. AV enhancement of syllable detection was greater in the two-talker masker than the noise masker, but did not vary significantly across listener groups. Degree of hearing loss positively correlated with individual differences in AV benefit on the sentence recognition task in noise, but not on the detection task. None of the cognitive and linguistic variables correlated with individual differences in AV enhancement of syllable detection or sentence recognition. Although AV benefit to syllable detection results from the use of visual speech to increase temporal expectancy, AV benefit to sentence recognition requires that an observer extracts phonetic information from the visual speech signal. The findings from this study suggest that all listener groups were equally good at using temporal cues in visual speech to detect auditory speech, but that adults with normal hearing and children with hearing loss were better than children with normal hearing at extracting phonetic information from the visual signal and/or using visual speech information to access phonetic/lexical representations in long-term memory. These results suggest that standard, auditory-only clinical speech recognition measures likely underestimate real-world speech recognition skills of children with mild to severe hearing loss.

Defecation Behavior in Elementary School Age Children Who Live Along the Kampar River Riau Province

Introduction: Based on WHO reports, nine out of ten people who live in rural areas still defecate carelessly. The results of an initial survey conducted in November 2018 of 46 houses along the Kampar river in the village of Buluh China Riau Province, 42% of the community still open defecation, such as into the river. This study aims to get a picture of defecation behavior in elementary school age children who live along the river. Methods: This research was conducted in Buluh Cina Village, Siak Hulu District, Kampar Regency, Riau Province which is a village close to a river. This type of research is a descriptive survey. This research was conducted in March to October 2019. The research subjects were elementary school students Buluh Cina with a total of 85 people. The instrument in this study was a questionnaire to measure knowledge, attitudes and practices related to defecation habits. Data analysis using descriptive analysis. Result and Discussion: The results showed that the median score of students’ knowledge was 70 (maximum score is 100) and the average attitude score was 48. As many as 80% of students already have latrines at home, however, only 58.8% of students have defecated in their latrines, 57.6% of their latrines have clean water, soap and running water available. Conclusion: Based on the results of the study concluded that the behavior of elementary school children who live in watersheds is still not ideal and one of the causes is the unavailability of healthy latrine facilities at home

Communication Attitude of Kannada-Speaking School-Age Children Who Do and Do Not Stutter

Background: A large body of evidence suggests that the Communication Attitude Test (CAT) is a reliable and valid tool for assessing the speech-associated attitude of school-age children who stutter (CWS). Objective: The purpose of the present study was to adapt and validate the CAT for the Kannada-speaking school-age CWS. Methods: The original version of the CAT was forward- and back-translated by the first author. The Communication Attitude Test Kannada (CAT-K) was then administered to 293 children who do not stutter (CWNS) and 100 CWS. All children were native speakers of the Kannada language and were between the ages of 7 and 14 years. The Stuttering Severity Instrument-fourth edition (SSI-4) was used to estimate the severity of stuttering. Results: The data revealed that, in comparison to CWNS, the CWS’ mean CAT-K score was significantly higher, and a significant effect of stuttering severity and age on mean attitude scores was observed. In addition, results showed that the CAT-K is a reliable and valid test. Conclusion: The findings suggest the presence of a negative attitude in Kannada-speaking CWS and that the CAT-K is a useful tool in the assessment of Kannada school-age CWS. Given the need for speech-language pathologists to address a speech-associated negative attitude in CWS, incorporating the CAT-K as part of the diagnostic assessment of stuttering is valuable.

Comprehensive Diagnosis of Polish School-Age Children Who Stutter: Normative and Psychometric Iinvestigation of the Behavior Assessment Battery

Comprehensive Diagnosis of Polish School-Age Children Who Stutter: Normative and Psychometric Iinvestigation of the Behavior Assessment Battery

Music Participation Among School-Aged Children Who Are Hard of Hearing.

Purpose Music is an important part of life for many people. Furthermore, music training has been shown to improve a variety of cognitive functions among children and adults. However, little research exists on how children who are hard of hearing (HH) perceive or participate in music. In particular, it is unknown whether hearing loss limits participation in music activities among school-aged children with mild-to-severe hearing loss. The purpose of this study was to determine whether hearing loss limits participation among children who are HH compared to children with normal hearing (NH). Method Participants were parents of 2 cohorts of children finishing 5th grade (approximately 11 years old). Parents were asked to complete a survey (online or paper) regarding the role of music in their child's life. A total of 88 surveys were completed (67 from parents of children who are HH and 21 from parents of children with NH, with an overall response rate of 74%). Results Hearing loss did not limit music participation among children. Children who are HH listened to recorded music, attended live concerts, and practiced an instrument at the same rates as children with NH. Listening to recorded and live music, practicing an instrument, and playing in an ensemble were equally as important to children who are HH as children with NH. Children who are HH were significantly more likely to regularly play in an ensemble than children with NH. Parent participation in music significantly influenced music participation for children who are HH but not children with NH. Descriptive data about music genres, instruments, and ensembles are also presented. Conclusions Children who are HH participate in music at the same or greater rates as children with NH. Parent participation in music may be particularly important for children who are HH. In light of this, music listening should be a consideration when fitting children with hearing aids.

Temperament, Executive Functioning, and Anxiety in School-Age Children Who Stutter.

The purpose of this study was to examine temperament dimensions, executive functioning ability, and anxiety levels in school-age children who stutter and their non-stuttering peers. Participants were 100 Portuguese children aged 7 to 12 years (M = 9.13; SD = 1.70), including 50 children who stutter and 50 children who do not stutter. Analyses, which were performed separately for younger and older participants, sought to identify correlations between key variables. Temperament was evaluated through a parent questionnaire, executive functioning was evaluated through children’s responses on a performance test, and anxiety level was assessed through a self-perception scale. On the temperament measure, comparisons between children who stutter and their non-stuttering peers revealed that older children who stutter exhibited significantly higher scores on the Anger/Frustration, Impulsivity, and Sadness subscales, and lower averages on the Attention/Focusing, Perceptual sensitivity, and Soothability/Falling Reactivity subscales. On the executive functioning task, comparisons revealed that the group of younger children who stutter exhibited significantly higher average execution times than their non-stuttering peers. There were no statistically significant differences in anxiety between children who stutter and children who do not stutter, and there were no statistically significant correlations between temperament factors and measures of executive functioning. Children who stutter experienced lower ability to orient attention and greater emotional reactivity compared with their non-stuttering peers. Significant correlations were found between executive functioning and age and among the temperament factors themselves. These results, which support the need for a multidimensional view of stuttering, were interpreted in the context of the Dual Diathesis – Stressor model. Findings indicate that temperament and executive functioning abilities may contribute to the development of stuttering.

School-aged Children Who Are Not Progressing Academically: Considerations for Pediatricians.

Pediatricians and other pediatric primary care providers may be consulted when families have concerns that their child is not making expected progress in school. Pediatricians care not only for an increasingly diverse population of children who may have behavioral, psychological, and learning difficulties but also for increasing numbers of children with complex and chronic medical problems that can affect the development of the central nervous system and can present with learning and academic concerns. In many instances, pediatric providers require additional information about the nature of cognitive, psychosocial, and educational difficulties that affect their school-aged patients. Our purpose for this report is to describe the current state of the science regarding educational achievement to inform pediatricians' decisions regarding further evaluation of a child's challenges. In this report, we review commonly available options for psychological evaluation and/or treatment, medical referrals, and/or recommendations for referral for eligibility determinations at school and review strategies for collaborating with families, schools, and specialists to best serve children and families.