Childhood Special Education Research Articles

Self-Acceptance of Young Prisoners in the Institute for Special Education for Children (LPKA)

Adolescent inmates are a population that is vulnerable to depression because being a prisoner is a hard life for adolescents. All the pressure in prison will be a major cause of depression for juvenile prisoners while in detention. In addition, feelings of fear caused by public perceptions of free teenage inmates will make prisoners increasingly feel isolated. Therefore, to reduce these impacts, self-acceptance is needed. The purpose of this study is to describe the aspects of self-acceptance that exist in adolescent prisoners in prison. Samples were collected form 46 prisoners adolescents by applying the purposive sampling technique. The instruments used were self-acceptance questionnaires which has a reliability score of 0.934 (Alpha Cronbach).Data analysis used aquantitative approach with descriptive methods. The results of self-acceptance juvenile inmates obtained an average score of 155.93 (hight self-acceptance category) with an average percentage category of 70.88%.

Individual-psychological factors and perception of social support in burnout syndrome

Background/Aim. Burnout syndrome is a psychological phenomenon that occurs as a response to chronic interpersonal stressors at work. It is manifested by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a sense of reduced personal accomplishment. The aim of the study was to examine the correlation between burnout syndrome, individual-psychological factors and social support among special and regular education teachers, as well as to determine differences of burnout syndrome dimensions between groups of teachers with different educational backgrounds. Methods. This non-experimental, cross-sectional correlation study included 317 teachers (122 special education teachers and 38 other teachers in special education for children with intellectual disabilities and 157 teachers from regular primary schools) from Belgrade. Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Assertiveness Assessment Questionnaire Scale (A-Scale), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSS), Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES), and Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS) were used in the study. Results. The highest prevalence of high levels of burnout were recorded on the emotional exhaustion subscale and were 38% for special education teachers, 47% for other teachers in special education, and 39% for teachers in regular education. The most important predictors of burnout in special education teachers were: for emotional exhaustion (self-esteem, efficiency of class management and seniority); for depersonalization (self-esteem, efficiency of class management and social support); for a sense of lower personal accomplishment (assertiveness, effective student learning and class management). The most important predictors of burnout in regular education teachers were: for emotional exhaustion (assertiveness, effective class management, social support and seniority); for depersonalization (self-esteem, effective student learning and seniority); for a reduced personal accomplishment (self-esteem, effective student learning and social support). Conclusion. Individual-psychological factors have emerged as an important predictor of burnout syndrome in the teaching profession, indicating the importance of examining the impact of these factors in other professions that are characterized by the specific demands for a deeper emotional investment during the work process.

Promoting statewide discipline reform through professional development with administrators

Researchers and policymakers have written extensively about the lack of evidence for the use of suspension and expulsion in schools and the disproportionate impact among racial and ethnic minorities and children in special education. As a result, states across the country have passed legislation to reform school discipline practices, with varying provisions for providing professional development within the reforms. The current study provides findings from a content analysis of activities completed as part of a day-long interdisciplinary professional development implemented within one state in the throes of sweeping discipline reform legislation. Lessons learned and future directions for professional development in school discipline reform are offered.

Playful learning with sound‐augmented toys: comparing children with and without visual impairment

AbstractSound‐augmented toys producing factual knowledge were thought to encourage incidental, playful learning in children with visual impairments (VIs). A group of 15 children with VIs and 22 sighted controls played with a sound‐augmented savannah landscape and listened to an informative story in a counterbalanced order. Children's knowledge about savannah animals was assessed at baseline and after each condition in order to quantitatively compare knowledge gains between conditions. Results indicated that children with VIs gained more knowledge than sighted controls from playing with the sound‐augmented toy. Furthermore, offering both the augmented toy and the informative story led to higher knowledge gains than a single medium, especially in children with VIs. Sound‐augmented toys could therefore be a useful addition to the current curriculum in special education for children with VIs.

Maltreatment Profiles of Child Welfare–Involved Children in Special Education: Classification and Behavioral Consequences

In this study, I investigated the maltreatment profiles of child welfare–involved children in special education and examined how those profiles influenced their internalizing and externalizing behaviors. I analyzed data on a sample of 290 children (63% male, 37% female, Mage = 11 years) from the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-Being II. When weighted, this sample represented approximately 233,000 children involved in the child welfare system and in special education. Results from latent class analyses revealed four maltreatment classes, listed by predominance: supervisory neglect, physical abuse, other forms of maltreatment, and sexual abuse. Relative to children in the sexual abuse class, children had higher teacher-reported internalizing problem behaviors if their predominate maltreatment class was either supervisory neglect or physical abuse. Understanding maltreatment and its consequences for child welfare–involved children in special education can help better inform ways to promote their educational success.

KAJIAN FURNITURE PADA INTERIOR RUANG KELAS PENYANDANG AUTIS

Autism sufferers have a disruption to social interaction, communication, imagination with repetitive behavior patterns and resistance (not easy to adjust) to the environment and routine in general. This disorder in social interaction issue causes autism sufferers to look strange and different from other people. Autistic sufferers must be given the widest opportunity to develop their potential by creating a special forum that aims to get special education for children with special needs such as autistic children. One form of therapy offered is one on one method. Designing the right layout and using the right furniture can provide an autistic child to be relaxed and comfortable to undergo the therapy and learning. Objectives to be achieved in the design of children’s autism desk is to help children and mentors carry out the therapeutic process by considering several factors namely safety, comfort, and optimization of the therapeutic process. In the process with the existing planning and design methods among them; Data collection, design concepts, design alternatives, design development of selected alternatives, and final design, the final result of the design of this autistic children’s desk is designed to function as well as a means of sensory and motor therapy of children

A Review of EI/ECSE Systems Across Four Settings: Procedures and Lessons Learned

There is currently no reliable information on the number of children with disabilities across the globe due to differences in terminology, child find systems, and available of psychometrically sound assessment tools to identify children timely. This literature review examines the extant literature related to assessment methods used for identification of children for early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) services in four settings: China, Singapore, Taiwan, and Turkey. Search criteria for the study started with peer-reviewed articles, published in English between 2008 and 2019. In addition to the peer-reviewed article search, government reports and technical evaluation papers in each setting’s native language are included. Findings are summarized in the following areas: 1) legal foundations; 2) assessment procedures on identification of young children with disabilities, and 3) education services for children with disabilities and their families. Similarities and differences across four settings regarding the EI/ECSE systems and initiatives are examined. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

ZORA Robot Based Interventions to Achieve Therapeutic and Educational Goals in Children with Severe Physical Disabilities

This study aimed (1) to examine the contribution of robot ZORA in achieving therapeutic and educational goals in rehabilitation and special education for children with severe physical disabilities, and (2) to discover the roles professionals attribute to robot ZORA when it is used in robot-based play interventions in rehabilitation and special education for children with severe physical disabilities. A multi-centre mixed methods study was conducted among children with severe physical disabilities in two centres for rehabilitation and one school for special education. The participating children played with robot ZORA six times during a period of 6 weeks, in individual or group sessions. Quantitative data were gathered about the contribution of ZORA in reaching individual goals for all of the participating children, using the Individually Prioritized Problem Assessment (IPPA). Playfulness was measured with a visual analogue scale (0–10) and children could indicate whether they liked the sessions using a scale consisting of smileys. Video-stimulated recall interviews were used to collect qualitative data about the different roles of ZORA. In total, 33 children and 12 professionals participated in the study. The results of the IPPA showed a significant contribution of ZORA to the achievement of (children’s) individual goals. The data gathered using the IPPA during the ZORA-based interventions showed that the largest contributions of robot ZORA lie in the domains of movement skills and communication skills. Playfulness of the sessions was 7.5 on average and 93% of the sessions were evaluated as ‘enjoyable’ by the children. Overall, ZORA could positively contribute to the achievement of individual goals for children with severe physical disabilities. According to the participating professionals the most promising roles in which robot ZORA can be used are motivator, rewarder or instructor.

P81 Modification of a Preschool Nutrition Education Curriculum for Use in Special Education Classrooms

Background Special education (SPED) classrooms may be overlooked when nutrition interventions are implemented because of the potential for numerous modifications to meet the need of children with diverse developmental needs. Objective This study presents the process for modification of We Inspire Smart Eating (WISE), a classroom-based nutrition education curriculum, for use in preschool SPED classrooms. Study Design, Settings, Participants As part of an agency-wide adoption of WISE, SPED teachers (N = 4) were trained in the WISE core components and given freedom to adapt the curriculum to their needs while keeping the core components. After two year of implementation, four focus groups were held with the SPED teachers to solicit the types of modifications made by SPED teachers. Measureable Outcome/Analysis WISE modifications were coded using Wilstey-Stirman and colleagues’ (2013) coding system. The coding focused on (a) By WHOM are the modification made; (b) WHAT is modified (content, context, and/or, training); (c) (If yes to content) at what LEVEL OF DELIVERY and (d) the NATURE of the content modification; and (e) to what AREAS are context modifications made. Results Teachers made both content and context modifications. The majority of WHAT was modified was content at the group/classroom LEVEL OF DELIVERY. The NATURE of the majority of the modifications were coded as tailoring/tweaking/refining, shortening/condensing, and lengthening/extending. For example, in typically developing classrooms, WISE is implemented in short sessions once per week across the month. In SPED, WISE is shortened to be implemented across one week/month with lessons lengthened and extended to better meet children's developmental needs. Many WISE lessons are also tailored (e.g., follow the recipe for making applesauce but then give ready-made applesauce for instant gratification due to cognitive delays). Conclusion This study illustrates the application of the Wilstey-Stirman framework to capture the adaptations to a classroom-based nutrition curriculum for use with children in SPED. In addition, the captured adaptations provide examples for how SPED classrooms can be included in nutrition promotion interventions. Funding NIH Lincoln Health Foundation.

Prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder among special subpopulations: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AimTo collate prevalence estimates of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) among special subpopulations (defined by service use).DesignSystematic literature review and meta‐analysis of original, quantitative studies published between 1 November 1973 and 1 December 2018. The PRISMAGATHER were adhered to. The review protocol [includes FASD prevalence in (a) general and (b) special populations] is available on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42016033837). Prevalence estimates were collated for all included studies with country‐, disorder‐ [FASD and fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)] and population‐specific random‐effects meta‐analyses conducted.Setting and ParticipantsA number of service‐defined subpopulations globally (see Findings).MeasurementsThe main outcome was the prevalence of FASD among special subpopulations. The critical appraisal of each study was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool.FindingsWe identified 69 studies, comprising 6177 individuals diagnosed with FASD from 17 countries: Australia (n = 5), Brazil (n = 2), Canada (n = 15), Chile (n = 4), eastern Europe (Moldova, Romania and Ukraine; n = 1), Germany (n = 1), Israel (n = 1), Lithuania (n = 1), the Netherlands (n = 1), Poland (n = 1), Russia (n = 9), South Korea (n = 1), Spain (n = 1), Sweden (n = 1) and United States (n = 25). FAS and FASD prevalence rates were collated for the following five subpopulations: children in care, correctional, special education, specialized clinical and Aboriginal populations. The estimated prevalence of FASD in these special subpopulations was 10–40 times higher compared with the 7.7 per 1000 (95% confidence interval = 4.9–11.7) global FASD prevalence in the general population.ConclusionsGlobal subpopulations of children in care, correctional, special education, specialized clinical and Aboriginal populations have a significantly higher prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder compared with the general population, which poses a substantial global health problem.

Special Education for Children with Limited Health Abilities: Factors of Inequality Regions

В статье рассмотрены тенденции специального образования в России. Показан уровень регионального неравенства в доле детей с ограниченными возможностями здоровья (ОВЗ) в численности школьников, в их распределении по формам обучения, проведены сопоставления с развитыми странами. На основе анализа зарубежных исследований выявлены факторы неравенства, характеризующие население и территории, которые приводят к росту численности детей со специальными образовательными потребностями, к снижению объемов поддержки. Определены характерные для России социально-экономические и демографические (в том числе территориальные) факторы, взаимосвязанные с высокими показателями доли детей с ОВЗ в численности школьников, выделена группа регионов с низким уровнем жизни населения и низкой плотностью. Выявлены значимые факторы: плотность населения и тип поселения, обуславливающие худшие условия для выявления нарушений и для обеспечения специального образования. Выделены группы регионов с достоверно высокими показателями детей с ОВЗ; доли детей с ЗПР, доли детей с ОВЗ в обычных и специальных классах, а также с достоверно низкими – в специальных школах. Информационную базу исследования в субъектах РФ составили данные федеральной статистики Росстата и Министерства образования и науки РФ за период с 2011 по 2015 г.

‘Córdoba, through Children’s eyes’. Assessing citizenship literacy in Early Childhood Education and Special Education classes

ABSTRACTThis dissertation assesses an innovation experience carried out by the RIECU network (Early Childhood Education Schools -Teachers’ Centre- University). The aim is to enable children to investigate the wealth of their city’s heritage through an inclusive proposal, due to the value of a paradigm of peaceful intercultural coexistence. 234 people participated: Early Childhood Education and Special Education teachers, advisers and children, as well as students and professors. The experience focused primarily on development of project to learn more about the monuments and main features of the three cultures that coexisted peacefully in the city of Córdoba. This project was assessed with the help of a mixed focus group in which all the parties involved participated. The data analyzed reveal that: (1) Children explored the main features of the monument assigned and the culture to which it belongs; (2) The innovation experiences positively impacted educational inclusion processes; and (3) Children did not acquire an overall understanding of the city as a paradigm of peaceful intercultural coexistence.

Práticas colaborativas dos psicólogos escolares portugueses: Uma análise de tipologias e contextos

A colaboração entre psicólogos escolares e os vários serviços e profissionais da comunidade educativa é essencial para a prestação de serviços compreensivos, integrados e eficazes a alunos e famílias. Tendo por base a resposta de 477 profissionais a um inquérito eletrónico, este estudo investiga as práticas colaborativas intra e interinstitucionais dos psicólogos escolares portugueses. Os resultados encontrados sugerem que estes profissionais colaboram de forma regular, e com uma vasta gama de propósitos, com uma grande diversidade de entidades, serviços e equipas, internos e externos à escola. Entre as práticas colaborativas reportadas com mais frequência, destaca-se a colaboração dos psicólogos escolares com conselhos de turma, equipas de educação especial, comissões de proteção de crianças e jovens, e serviços de saúde. Os objetivos e a natureza das atividades desenvolvidas no contexto destas e de outras colaborações são explicitados, permitindo concretizar e colocar em evidência a natureza multifacetada do papel dos psicólogos escolares e os seus múltiplos contributos para as escolas. Implicações para a prática profissional, o desenvolvimento da profissão e futuras investigações são apresentadas.

Educação infantil e educação especial em tempos de educação inclusiva

O artigo objetiva identificar o que vem sendo produzido nos Programas de Pós-Graduação em Educação na Amazônia Legal sobre o atendimento e articulação da Educação Infantil na Educação Especial. Assim, o que essas produções acadêmicas retratam? Como articulam a Educação Infantil e a Educação Especial? Trata-se de uma interface entre essas duas áreas de conhecimento, a Educação Especial e a Educação Infantil, que embora com pouca visibilidade, é relevante e necessária em tempos de Educação na perspectiva de Educação Inclusiva, para garantir o acesso e permanência de seu público-alvo. Os resultados apontados pelo balanço das produções mostram que há reduzido número de pesquisas realizadas sobre Educação Especial e Educação Infantil na região norte, especificamente nos Programas de Pós-Graduação em Educação.

The effects of an elementary school transition program on social skills and academic preparation skills of young children with special needs

이 연구는 초등학교 전이 지원 프로그램이 특수교육대상 유아의 사회성기술과 학업 준비도 기술에 미치는 영향을 알아보았다. 연구 대상은 현재 사설 치료실에 다니고 있는 예비 초등학생으로, 자폐성장애 유아 2명, 지적장애 유아 2명 총 4명이다. 중재는 특수교육대상 유아들이 다니고 있는 사설 치료실에서 이루어졌다. 연구 설계는 중재를 실시하고, 사회성 기술은 대상 유아들의 사전- 사후 검사를 개별적으로 분석하였고, 일화 기록에 근거한 소집단 내 또래 관계 관련 사회적 기술을 요약하였다. 학업준비기술은 대상 유아들의 사전- 사후 검사 결과를 개별적으로 분석하였다. 연구 결과, 초등학교 전이 지원은 특수교육대상 유아의 사회성 기술과 학업 준비도 기술 향상에 효과적인 것으로 나타났다. 이 연구는 특수교육관련서비스 전문가들의 긴밀한 협력을 통한 초등학교 전이 지원 프로그램이 특수교육대상 유아의 사회성 기술과 학업준비기술의 향상에 효과적임을 시사한다.This purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the pre-school transfer program on the social skills and academic preparation skills of young children with special needs. The study subjects elementary school students who are currently attending private treatment centers, two autistic children and two intellectually disabled children. The intervention took place in a private treatment room where children in special education were attending. The study design conducted a small group arbitration, the social skills were individually analyzed for pre-posting of the target infants, and the relevant social skills of the children within the group peer relationship were analyzed separately. Studies have shown that the transition program is effective in improving the social skills and academic preparation of young children with special needs. The study suggests that the elementary school transfer program, through close cooperation with special education related service experts, was effective in improving the social and academic skills of young children with special needs.

Preschool Inclusion Placement in Taiwan

Despite the steady decline in birth rate in Taiwan, the number of special education children continues to increase, especially after the implementation of the Early Childhood Education and Care Act in 2012. The most significant increase was seen with placing special education preschoolers in inclusion classrooms. In particular, the number of students receiving itinerant services has grown the most dramatically, accompanied by a decrease in the number of students receiving special education programs delivered in regular classrooms. However, almost half of the counties and cities in Taiwan failed to deliver itinerant services to half of the special education students in their jurisdictions, which signals a shortage of special education support for regular early childhood teachers. The lack of clear guidelines in the current policies for preschool inclusion placement has also led to the neglect of special education inclusion students right to appropriate education. Responding suggestions are discussed.

The effect of hypoglycaemia on neurocognitive outcome in children and adolescents with transient or persistent congenital hyperinsulinism.

To examine the hypoglycaemic effect on neurodevelopmental outcome in patients with transient and persistent congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) born in the 21st century. A cohort of 117 patients (66 males, 51 females) with CHI aged 5 to 16years (mean age 8y 11mo, SD 2y 7mo) were selected from a Finnish nationwide registry to examine all the patients with similar methods. Neurodevelopment was first evaluated retrospectively. The 83 patients with no risk factors for neurological impairment other than hypoglycaemia were recruited and 44 participated (24 males, 20 females; mean age 9y 7mo, SD 3y 1mo) in neuropsychological assessment with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition and the Finnish version of the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition domains of attention, language, memory, sensorimotor, and visual functioning. In retrospective analysis, transient and persistent CHI groups had similar prevalences of mild (22% and 18% respectively) or severe (5% and 7% respectively) neurodevelopmental difficulties. In clinical assessment, the neurocognitive profile was within the average range in both groups, but children with persistent CHI showed significant but restricted deficits in attention, memory, visual, and sensorimotor functions compared with the general population. The transient CHI group did not differ from the standardization samples. Besides the more apparent broader neurological deficits, children with persistent CHI have an increased risk for milder specific neurocognitive problems, which should be considered in the follow-up. Children with persistent congenital hyperinsulinism showed deficits in attention, memory, visual, and sensorimotor functions. The deficits were potentially of hypoglycaemic origin. Children with transient hyperinsulinism did not differ from the general population.

Mediation with a puppet: The effects on teachers' mediated learning strategies with children in special education and regular kindergartens

The main objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of mediation with a puppet on teachers' mediated learning experience (MLE) strategies. The sample was composed of 18 teachers and 145 kindergarten children, selected from special education (n = 68) and regular (n = 77) kindergartens. About half of each group was assigned to a puppet and half to a no-puppet group. Each teacher was assigned to a small group of 3–5 children and asked to teach them a story for 15 min in a puppet and 15 min in no-puppet conditions in a counterbalanced order. The teaching lessons were videotaped and analyzed by the Observation of Mediation Interaction scale. The findings revealed that teachers in the puppet condition used significantly and uniquely higher levels of mediation in all MLE strategies than in the no-puppet condition. A significant Mediation Modality X MLE Strategy interaction indicates that the differences between the two conditions were highest in strategies of Intentionality and Reciprocity and Meaning and lower in strategies of Transcendence, Feelings of Competence and Self-Regulation. Use of a puppet was effective similarly for children in special education as for children in regular group. When mediators accessed the puppet (i.e., in puppet condition) their level of mediation for Meaning was significantly higher than when the puppet was not accessed. When mediators did not access the puppet their level of mediation for Intentionality and Reciprocity, Feelings of Competence, and Self-Regulation was higher than when the puppet was accessed. The findings were discussed in relation to MLE theory and educational implications are provided.

Validating GO4KIDDS as a brief measure of adaptive skills in special education settings for children with severe intellectual disability.

Adaptive skills measures tend to be lengthy. The GO4KIDDS (Great Outcomes for Kids Impacted by Severe Developmental Disabilities; (Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 58, 2015 and 594)) Brief Adaptive Behaviour Scale was developed to provide a brief assessment of adaptive skills. Our study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of G04KIDDS Brief Adaptive Scale in a large sample of children in special education. Teachers reported on 361 students with severe to profound intellectual disability. The scale's factor structure was examined through principal components analysis (PCA), while its convergent validity was examined in relation to the Vineland (VABS-II; Vineland-II adaptive behavior scales, Circle Pines, MN, AGS and 2005). The PCA indicated a single component measuring overall adaptive skills, which had excellent internal consistency (alpha=0.93), and convergent validity (Pearson's r=0.81). Teacher-reported scores on GO4KIDDS Brief Behaviour Scale can provide a reliable and valid composite of adaptive skills in children with severe to profound intellectual disability. The scale will be useful to researchers and teachers who need a brief descriptive assessment of adaptive functioning.

Rotina e necessidades de apoio: relato de familiares de crianças de zero a dois anos Público Alvo da Educação Especial

Considerando que os primeiros anos de vida das crianças Público Alvo da Educação Especial (PAEE) despertam em seus familiares diferentes experiências e cuidados, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi identificar a rotina e as necessidades de apoio das famílias de crianças de zero a dois anos PAEE e relacionar tais variáveis. A amostra foi composta por 23 mães e um pai de criança PAEE. Para atender aos objetivos, os participantes responderam por meio de entrevista o “Inventário de Recursos do Ambiente Familiar – RAF” e o “Questionário sobre as necessidades das famílias – QNF”. Foram realizadas análises descritivas e teste de correlação de Pearson. Os resultados mostraram que as crianças recebiam estímulos em casa, porém os pais apresentavam necessidades de informação, apoio e necessidades financeiras. Isto mostra o quanto esses fatores são importantes ao possibilitar às famílias a compreensão e aceitação da deficiência das crianças, além de auxiliar na organização familiar e solução de conflitos. Também é possível que pela idade das crianças, os pais ainda estejam em fase de adaptação e busca de informações e serviços que possam auxiliar no desenvolvimento dos seus filhos. Portanto, sugerem-se estudos com amostras ampliadas e com populações de diferentes idades para a generalização dos dados que possam embasar intervenções com famílias futuramente.