Children's Social Functioning Research Articles

Gambaran Penerapan Pola Asuh Orang Tua dengan Anak Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

This research study delves into the parenting styles employed by parents of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, potentially impacting a child's social, academic, and professional functioning. The research method used is qualitative. The study involved three pairs of parents cohabiting with their children aged 6-11 years old who have been diagnosed with ADHD by a specialist. The Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) was employed to categorize the parenting styles of each couple. Screening results were further analyzed qualitatively, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data. The findings revealed that parents do not adhere to a single parenting style, exhibiting varied responses and employing different styles depending on the situation and specific conditions. Mothers tend to be more involved in their child's daily activities, actively implementing strategies to manage ADHD symptoms, while fathers are more involved in disciplining their children through punishments aimed at promoting discipline.

The Impact of a Brief Educational Seminar on Pediatric Pain-focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for School Providers.

Pediatric chronic pain is common and can be detrimental to children's social, emotional, and school functioning. Nonpharmacological approaches to chronic pain, like cognitive- behavioral therapy (CBT), can be effective. Schools could provide children with chronic pain access to these interventions. However, school professionals (ie, nurses and mental health providers) are seldom trained in CBT, creating a barrier to accessing such help. A seminar was created to introduce CBT strategies for chronic pediatric pain to school professionals. Feasibility, acceptability, and self-reported knowledge gained from the seminar were examined. Two introductory seminars (~2.5 h each) were held separately for the Michigan Association of School Nurses and the health department of Northwest Michigan (n = 71 total). The seminar provided an understanding of pain and pain-focused CBT strategies (eg, activity pacing, positive self-statements, and psychoeducation). Fifty-two school nurses, 16 mental health professionals, and 3 participants (unidentified title) rated program acceptability and self-reported knowledge of CBT before and after training (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Of the respondents, 89.6% agreed the training was helpful, and 87.5% were interested in additional training. For all questions relating to knowledge of CBT, a mixed-model interaction showed a meaningful, increase of at least 1 point (on a 5-point Likert Scale), F(2, 69.83) = 3.93, P = 0.024. This study underscores the feasibility and acceptability of training school health providers in CBT for pediatric chronic pain. This project also established key partnerships in Michigan to expand future work in this realm with more comprehensive training and assessment of outcomes.

Exploring the effects of multiple forms of physical activity on social functioning in children with ASD: a meta-analysis of a controlled trial

The current meta-analysis aimed to assessing the effect of physical activity on social functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).The PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled trials (CTs) examining the effects of physical activity on social functioning in children with ASD. Traditional meta-analysis, subgroup analysis and publication bias tests were performed using Stata software 18.0.A total of 18 studies were included. The results showed that physical activity has a moderate-to-high effect on social functioning in children with ASD, with an effect size of SMD=0.50 (95% CI=0.34∼0.65, P<0.001. Different types of exercise and intervention programs have different effects on social functioning in children with ASD.For 3- to 7-year-old children with ASD, a comprehensive exercise program involving cooperative physical activity with three or more sessions per week for 11 to 20 weeks can lead to improvements in social functioning

Creativity, theory of mind and loneliness – The links between cognitive and social abilities of school-age children

In this study, we explored the relationships among children's creative imagery abilities, their theory of mind (ToM) and loneliness. A large sample (N = 743) of primary school-age children (M age = 9.3 years, SD = 0.45 years) solved two performance tasks (creative imagery and ToM) and provided self-reported frequencies of feelings of loneliness. We tested the fit of a structural equation model with aspects of creative abilities (creative imagery and fluency) as predictors of ToM and examined the links between ToM and the quality of relationships with peers and the frequency of feelings of loneliness. The obtained relationships indicate a positive association between creative imagery and ToM and a negative link between ToM and feelings of loneliness. Consequently, the indirect effect of “creative imagery – ToM – loneliness” was negative, which suggests that creative imagery might serve as a factor that reduces the feeling of loneliness among children due to their ToM. We discuss the potential consequences of these findings and propose future avenues that could be explored to untangle the mechanisms behind the identified links. Educational relevance and implications statementIn the study, we analysed the relationships among creative abilities, ToM and feelings of loneliness among children of primary school age. Our results show that richer creative imagery is positively associated with abilities to understand others. Moreover, children with advanced ToM feel less lonely at school among peers than those without such levels of ToM. Consequently, we posit that creative imagery might bring some overlooked benefits for children's social functioning, thanks to the role it plays for ToM.

Development and psychometric evaluation of a new domain-specific coparenting measure: Coparenting Children's Emotion Scale.

Caregivers play an integral role in supporting children's development, not only through their individual parenting practices but also how they work together as coparents. The literature on coparenting is extensive; however, most of the research has relied on global measures to assess the quality and functioning of the coparenting relationship. Examining the coparenting relationship with domain-specific measures enables a deeper understanding of this complex family process. One domain of particular interest is emotion socialization given the vast and long-term consequences emotion socialization has on children's emotional, social, behavioral, and psychological functioning. Emotion socialization literature would benefit from a domain-specific coparenting measure, as researchers have rarely explored how coparents work together when responding to their children's emotions (i.e., coparenting children's emotions). As such, an emotion-focused coparenting measure could address gaps in both coparenting and emotion socialization literature. This study outlines the development and psychometric evaluation of a domain-specific measure of coparenting, the Coparenting Children's Emotion Scale (CCES), which assesses how parents work together when responding to their children's emotions. In the current study, the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the CCES were examined in an Australian sample. Findings from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the CCES comprises two subscales that capture coparents' levels of support/cooperation and undermining. In the current sample, both CCES subscales demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency, and good convergent and concurrent validity. The CCES will provide researchers and practitioners with a domain-specific measure to use in exploratory and intervention research.

The impact of exercise intervention on social interaction in children with autism: a network meta-analysis.

Extensive research has documented the positive impacts of physical activity on children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, the specific benefits of various sports on the social functioning of children with ASD remain ambiguous. This study aims to employ a network meta-analysis to investigate the effects of different sports on the social functioning of children and adolescents with ASD and to establish a ranking of their effectiveness. This study conducted a comprehensive online search across Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases for randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies focusing on social functioning outcomes. Data were synthesized using a Bayesian framework. Sixteen relevant studies encompassing 560 participants were included. According to Cohen's classification, mini-basketball (SMD = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.46, 1.20), SPARK (SMD = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.06, 1.70), and Karate (SMD = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.27, 2.00) demonstrated high effect sizes, with Karate identified as the most effective intervention. Conversely, Combined Exercise and Nei Yang Gong interventions exhibited the least significant effects, falling below small effect sizes. Physical activity interventions have been shown to enhance social functioning in children and adolescents with ASD to varying extents, with Karate emerging as the most efficacious.

The Role of Language in the Social and Academic Functioning of Children With ADHD

Objective: To provide an in-depth examination of whether pragmatic, expressive, receptive, and narrative language are associated with the social and academic functioning of children with ADHD. Method: Children with ADHD (n = 46) and neurotypical comparison (NC) children (n = 40) aged 7 to 11 years completed tasks measuring expressive, receptive, and narrative language, while parents rated pragmatic language and social- and academic functioning. Results: Children with ADHD differed significantly from NC children on pragmatic language, expressive language, receptive language, and narrative coherence. An examination of indirect effects revealed that a significant proportion of the association between ADHD and social functioning was shared with pragmatic language, while a significant proportion of the association between ADHD and academic difficulties was shared with pragmatic language as well as with expressive language. Conclusion: This preliminary study supports the clinical relevance of language in relation to the academic- and social functioning of children with ADHD.

Executive Functioning Profiles in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Parent-Child Outcomes.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit more executive function (EF) deficits compared to typically developing (TD) peers. EF deficits are linked to various impairments in daily functioning and increased parental stress. The first aim of the present study is to investigate EFs in children with ASD and ADHD compared to their TD peers. The second aim is to explore profiles of executive functions in children with ASD and ADHD and, finally, to determine the differences of EF profiles in relation to parental stress and children's functional impairments. The sample comprised 30 TD children, 47 children with ASD, and 34 children with ADHD, aged 8 to 12 years. Parents completed questionnaires of parenting stress, and children's social and daily-life functioning. Parents and teachers reported information about children's EF. The results indicated significantly greater impairment of EFs in the clinical groups compared to the TD group. Moreover, three distinct clusters of functioning were identified based on the severity of reported EF difficulties. The significant findings showed that children with more severe EF profiles were associated with greater daily impairment and higher levels of perceived parental stress. Given the impact of EF deficits on the lives of children with ASD and ADHD and their families, it is crucial that studies like this enhance our understanding and inspire future interventions aimed at improving executive functions in children with ASD and ADHD. Such interventions could help reduce parental stress and improve daily functioning.

Functioning and activity outcomes of the Akwenda Intervention Program for children and young adults with cerebral palsy in Uganda: A cluster-randomized trial.

To evaluate the efficacy of the Akwenda Intervention Program on motor, self-care, and social function of children and young people with cerebral palsy (CP). This was a cluster-randomized, controlled, single-blinded, intervention study of 100 participants with CP (2-23 years; 52 males) in rural eastern Uganda. Half were allocated to the intervention program, the remainder served as waitlist controls. Gross Motor Function Measure-66 (GMFM-66) and the Ugandan version of Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI-UG) were collected before group allocation and after intervention. General linear models and t-tests were used to compare changes within and between groups. Cohen's d estimated the effect size of group differences. Change scores were evaluated by age and mobility subgroups. Significant group by time interactions were found for GMFM-66 (p =0.003) and PEDI-UG outcomes (p <0.001), except mobility, with the intervention group demonstrating greater changes. Both groups increased their scores on the GMFM-66 and child PEDI-UG, while only the intervention group had significant increases in caregiver assistance scores and across all age and mobility subgroups. Cohen's d showed large effect sizes (d >0.8) of differences for PEDI-UG outcomes except mobility. The Akwenda Intervention Program had a large positive impact on functioning and activity across age and mobility levels.

Aquatic Interventions to Improve Motor and Social Functioning in Children with ASD: A Systematic Review

Aquatic Interventions to Improve Motor and Social Functioning in Children with ASD: A Systematic Review

(Un)known dimensions of remote education. Childhood in the shadow of the pandemic

The academic discourse concerning the child and childhood has evolved over the years from treating children as “little adults” to approaching the child as a being who needs to be cared for and protected from the hardships of life—to a perception of the child as a “person at the stage of formation”: one requiring care and favourable conditions for proper development. The pandemic and the need to move pupils' school functioning to the online mode turned out to be a truly special and (so far) unknown situation. Protecting childhood during the pandemic has not only become a necessity of the moment but still remains an important challenge for teachers/parents—mainly in terms of its effects on the emotional and social functioning of children and adolescents. Drawing on my teaching experience and selected research findings, I would like to examine the problems of remote education more closely. The long-term social and even economic effects of school closings will surely be felt for years to come. Therefore, the question is legitimate: How do we face the reality of new challenges and threats? Above all, how can we protect childhood in such difficult circumstances?How can we minimise these actual and anticipated adverse effects – first and foremost concerning children – but also their parents and teachers? The conclusions – constituting the analyses' results – shed light on the complex problems associated with remote education.However, the primary task is to protect the child from the negative challenges of the modern world and treat childhood as an important biographical experience—a foundation on which they can safely grow their own lives.

Social Functioning in Children and Adolescents with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Disorder Comparison

ABSTRACT Objective Social functioning can be defined according to three main components: social perception, social performance, and social knowledge. Although they are important in daily life relationships and in children’s adaptation, these components have never been tested together in children and adolescents with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) using lab-based tasks. The present study used a cross-disorder approach to compare the performance of children with ADHD and ASD and non-diagnosed (ND) peers utilizing a task that involves these three fundamental social functioning components. Methods Two hundred and twenty-five Italian children (86% boys) aged between 8 and 16 (66 with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD; 51 with a clinical diagnosis of ASD, level 1; 108 ND children) were enrolled. The three groups were matched for age, gender, and IQ. Social functioning was assessed using a lab-based task, including videos of problematic interactions among peers, created ad hoc for the study, and a semi-structured interview based on the Social Information Processing model. Results Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVAs and multinomial mixed effects models. Our findings suggested that both groups with ADHD and ASD presented social functioning difficulties in comparison to ND children. However, a different pattern of performance emerged. Children with ADHD showed higher difficulties in social performance than those with ASD, whereas autistic children revealed more difficulties in social perception and in some aspects of social knowledge. Conclusions Our findings have important clinical implications for assessment, intervention, and differential diagnosis, and should encourage clinicians to investigate different aspects of social functioning and identify specific strengths and weaknesses in each social profile.

CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY IN LEMBAGA PENYELENGGARA KESEJAHTERAAN SOSIAL (LPKS)

Lembaga Penyelenggaraan Kesejahteraan Sosial (LPKS) is an institution that organizes social rehabilitation programs for children in conflict with the law. LPKS applies a social work and child rights approach to achieve children's social functioning, growth, and development in a safe environment while participating in social rehabilitation programs. LPKS chose the Child Safeguarding Policy (CSP) to uphold a safe environment. CSP is a system or collection of activities, procedures, documents, and responses in addressing child protection issues in the context of the institution. It covers a range of activities from prevention to response to child abuse issues. This article aims to describe the process of the Social Welfare Institution in implementing the Child Protection Policy. This article is a qualitative article based on the framework of constructivism and interpretivism, using ethnographic methods. Its selection is based on the benefits of collecting information through involvement in implementation, participatory observation, field notes, and report documents. The process of LPKS in implementing the Child Protection Policy implies (1) the role of leaders in demonstrating the commitment of the institution to protecting children from the risk of abuse, (2) the Child Protection Policy must be carried out integrally through awareness, prevention, reporting, and response to child abuse issues, (3) the Protection Policy must be carried out in an integrated manner.

A systematic review of the efficacy of group social skills interventions on social functioning and social participation in children with acquired brain injury or cerebral palsy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Group social skills interventions (GSSIs) versus any comparator on social functioning in children aged 5-12 years with acquired brain injury or cerebral palsy. GSSIs are an evidence-based approach to foster social skills development in children with autism spectrum disorder. Currently, limited literature exploring GSSIs in children with acquired brain injury and cerebral palsy is available. MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, clinicaltrials.gov, ICTRP and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses were systematically searched. Study screening, risk-of-bias, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation and data extraction were performed in duplicate. Six studies were included in the narrative synthesis (one randomised controlled trial and five nonrandomised studies). Results indicate that GSSIs may increase children's social skills as measured on the Social Skills Rating System and Social Skills Questionnaire. Very low certainty evidence was found for improvements in social functioning and competence. There is low certainty evidence that participation in GSSI may lead to gains in social functioning for children with acquired brain injury or cerebral palsy. Given the certainty of the evidence, these results must be interpreted with caution. Only one randomised controlled trial of GSSIs for children with acquired brain injury was identified, underscoring the need for additional high-quality studies.

Dog-Assisted Therapy in Mental Health Care: A Qualitative Study on the Experiences of Patients with Intellectual Disabilities.

(1) Background: Dog-assisted therapy (DAT) is an experiential intervention to promote psychological, physical, and social functioning in children and adults. Only few studies have been conducted on DAT in adults with a mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning (MID-BIF). The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of patients with MID-BIF undergoing DAT in a mental health care facility. (2) Method: Seven patients completed 13 to 15 sessions of DAT. Within two weeks of completing the program, they were interviewed using a semi-structured interview. The transcripts of the interviews were analysed using interpretational phenomenological analysis. In addition, the patients' relatives and the DAT therapist were interviewed, and a focus group discussion took place with each patient's treatment team. (3) Results: The patients' experiences were predominantly positive. Physical contact with the dog calmed them down. The dog offered them emotional support and helped them to make contact inside and outside the therapy and the setting where they lived. The patients also liked the fact that DAT focused on the dog rather than their problems, that the therapy was experiential and using a positive approach, and that, during the therapy, they did not feel like a patient but a human being. DAT is a promising therapy for patients with MID-BIF in mental health care facilities, but more research into its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness and ways to implement DAT in clinical practice is needed to make more definitive statements.

Advanced Maternal Age: A Scoping Review about the Psychological Impact on Mothers, Infants, and Their Relationship.

The mean age at childbirth in Europe has gradually increased, and it is now around 29 years of age. It has been shown that older maternal age is associated with problems of fertility; in fact, with increasing age, the chance of conceiving diminishes, and fetal and obstetric complications grow. Research has focused particularly on the biological risks associated with late pregnancy, both for the child and the woman. Less space has been dedicated to the potential psychological and relational benefits of motherhood at an advanced age. The aim of this review was to summarize the existing literature on this issue. Qualitative and quantitative studies were sourced from Pubmed, Science Direct, PsycINFO, and SciELO. The selected works highlight that advanced maternal age can be associated with some advantages for both mothers and their offspring in terms of physical healthcare, parenting styles, and child developmental outcomes. Specifically, the review suggests that older mothers have greater emotional maturity and feel more prepared for motherhood; also, advanced maternal age appears to exert a protective influence on children's behavioral, social, and emotional functioning, compensating for the biological risks.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: an exploratory telehealth pilot group intervention for caregivers

ABSTRACT The Family Foundations: Behavioral, Emotional, Social, and Team-Based [B.E.S.T.] program is a novel trauma-informed intervention for caregivers of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) to address emotional, behavioral, and cognitive problems. Twenty-five caregivers participated in this exploratory pilot study and completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. There was a significant decrease in child externalizing behavioral problems and total problems (p < .01). There was a significant decrease in caregiver stress (p < .01) and an increase in self-reported parenting confidence (p < .01). Mixed results were obtained for change in child social functioning. Further evaluation with a control group and larger sample size is needed to further assess the effectiveness of the program.

Evidence-based interventions targeted at behavioral inhibition, shyness, and anxious withdrawal during the preschool years: A rapid review

High and stable behavioral inhibition (BI) during early childhood may place individuals at increased risk of experiencing anxiety during the COVID-19 crisis. Prior knowledge syntheses showed that selective prevention interventions were effective in reducing child BI and anxiety. However, the effectiveness of preschool-based universal and selective prevention interventions targeted at BI to improve child social outcomes remains unclear. Due to the vulnerability of highly inhibited children, this rapid review aimed to (1) synthetize the characteristics of evidence-based interventions targeted at BI, and (2) summarize intervention outcomes in domains of child individual and social functioning. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), published between january 1991 and december 2021, conducted with highly inhibited children aged 3 to 5 years, were included in the review. Thirteen RCTs on four evidence-based interventions targeted at BI were retained. Most studies were conducted in samples of married/cohabitating and highly educated mothers and almost half of them described parent-only interventions. Three pilot RCTs on child-only and multimodal interventions found significant post-intervention improvements in observed child social competence and positive peer interactions. Pre-to-post intervention changes in parent and teacher ratings on child social outcomes were less consistent across studies. Further large-scale RCTs with medium-to-long term follow-ups are needed to examine intervention outcomes in domains of child social functioning, using a multi-informant and multi-method approach. After the COVID-19 crisis, preschool-based universal interventions targeting BI may enhance the engagement of inhibited children from diverse communities and contribute to the generalization of intervention effects to naturalistic peer settings.

Music as a Language

The number of children in western countries diagnosed with Down syndrome (DS), a disease caused by chromosomal abnormalities, is still increasing. The resulting delayed cognitive development also leads to deficits in social functioning in children under 12. Active music therapy (MT), as a natural intervention to achieve therapeutic functions through improvisation, performance, and singing, has been proven to promote the socialization development of children with DS. To get a better idea of the extent of the promotion and exactly what aspects it has improved, I conducted literature reviews and interviews with a music therapist. The results suggest that active MT can stimulate the socialization development of children under 12 with DS in three aspects: language skills, social-emotional development, and prosocial behavior. Although the improvement effect of active MT is better than that of passive MT, it requires the client to have a basis of music theory, that is, it requires higher requirements on the client, so the treatment method should be selected according to the severity of the client's DS or a combination of the two. Hence, future research could be aimed at finding the simplest interventions with sufficient client engagement and verifying the continuation of the effect of active MT.

Intimate partner violence exposure during infancy and social functioning in middle childhood: An Australian mother and child cohort study.

Social functioning of children with experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) between caregivers in early childhood has received less attention than emotional-behavioral outcomes. Drawing on data from 1507 ten-year-old Australian-born children and their mothers participating in a community-based longitudinal study, this study examined the associations between IPV exposure during infancy and social development during middle childhood. IPV during the first 12 months of life was associated with lower social skills, higher peer problems, and peer victimization at age 10 years, while accounting for concurrent IPV. This study provides evidence for the long-term impacts of early-life IPV exposure on children's social functioning, and the importance of prevention and early intervention programs focused on social development following experiences of IPV.