Specialized Rehabilitation Centers Research Articles

Epidemiological Characterization of Patients with Intestinal Stomas

Abstract Objective To characterize the sociodemographic and clinical variables of people with intestinal stomas. Materials and Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with 47 patients of a Specialized Rehabilitation Center (CER II/APAE) in the municipality of Três Lagoas, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Midwestern Brazil, from December 2019 to June 2020. Data was analyzed using inferential descriptive statistics (Anderson-Darling, Chi-squared, and Mann-Whitney normality tests). Results Regarding the patients, 87.23% were from Três Lagoas, 51.06% were female, 40.43% were aged from 60 to 69 years, 59.57% were married, 53.19% were brown, 59.57% were catholic, 36.17% finished elementary school, 46.81% were retired, and 57.45% earned a monthly income below 1 minimum wage. Moreover, 61.70% had undergone terminal colostomy (61.70%), 61.70% had received guidance about its placing, 57.45% had it placed due to situations of urgency, 74.47% had a stoma installed due to a neoplasia, 38.30% were permanent, with 46.81% located in the inferior left quadrant (ILQ), 59.57% presented pasty effluent, 63.83% had a circular diameter, 53.19% had pouches with 2 pieces and 57.45%, with a flexible base, 87.23% had other adjunct equipment, and 95.74% had been trained in self-care. The most common complication was skin/peristomal irritant contact dermatitis (59,57%), and 65,95% of these cases were solved by teaching self-care. The type of stoma was significantly associated with the consistency of the effluent and the size of the protrusion (p > 0.05). Conclusion The results found can support strategies to implement practices to promote health, develop new public policies, to provide training in self-care, and prevent and treat complications.

SUPPORTING TEACHER DEVELOPMENT ABOUT EARLY LITERACY IN CHILDREN WITH HEARING LOSS: AN ACTION RESEARCH IN TURKEY

Children with hearing loss show a similar development to their hearing peers in terms of the development of oral and written language. They may experience some delays in oral language skills, which is one of the sub-fields of literacy. Children with hearing loss in the preschool period in Turkey receive support education services from preschool inclusive environments and special education and rehabilitation center (SERC). Research indicates that education programs related to early literacy positively affect teachers' professional development, the characteristics, and practices of literacy environments. In addition, supporting the professional development of teachers with roles such as guidance/mentoring/coaching indirectly affects the literacy development of children indirectly. Research with teachers on early literacy development in children with hearing loss in Turkey are about teachers' reflections on their own learning-teaching processes. It is stated that teachers working with preschool children do not have sufficient knowledge about early literacy in Turkey. Research in SERCs also emphasize the importance of supporting the education of children with hearing loss through the participation of teachers in SERCs with in-service training. The study aims to examine the process with one hearing-impaired children teacher in the context of the early literacy development in-service training program. It was designed as participatory action research because it overlaps with an in-service training process that can meet the information needs of one teacher in SERC about early literacy development. The data were collected through field notes and video recording observations, semi-structured and unstructured interviews, documents, products, and a research diary. All data were analyzed inductively during the research process and at the end of the research. It is seen that the knowledge of teachers in the SERC, where support education services in Turkey, is limited on early literacy development. Teacher's needs can be listed as relating the goals with early literacy experiences, planning the lesson in accordance with the level of the child and supporting early literacy, determining the appropriate material, implementation and evaluation. A program to be developed to support teachers regarding early literacy; in addition to informing, it can be stated that the implementation and evaluation processes are supportive of the development. In the implementation of such programs, it can be emphasized that it is important to consider adult learning, to give positive and immediate feedback, and to use internal and external motivational resources.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0005/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

MEDICAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL ASPECTS OF ACTIVITIES AND EQUIPMENT FOR A POST-COVID REHABILITATION CENTER

The aim of the work is to identify the most common complications after COVID–19 and to develop a system of step-by-step rehabilitation of patients using modern medical equipment. The research program is based on the analysis of data from a sociological survey of 792 respondents aged 18 to 76 years, whose average age was 29 ± 1.8 years, while the proportion of women was 70.8%. The following methods are used in the work: bibliographic, analytical, mathematical-statistical, sociological (questionnaire). Relative extensive indicators are used in data processing and presentation. In the course of the study, complications that were most pronounced in patients after a coronavirus infection were studied; an analysis of effective methods for their prevention was carried out; the most effective methods of rehabilitation based on the stages of patient recovery were developed and proposed. As a result of the work carried out, a comprehensive method of restorative therapy of patients is proposed, depending on their functional capabilities and the medical rehabilitation equipment available at the disposal of postcovid centers. It has been established that effectively staged post COVID-19 rehabilitation carried out in a specialized rehabilitation center enables to improve the patients' quality of life, restore physical activity and mental health, reduce the risk of comorbidities, and mortality associated with post-COVID complications.

Late adverse events in patients with pelvic cancer after oncologic treatment—intervention and treatment effect

PurposeFew studies have focused on the late adverse events after oncologic treatment in pelvic cancer patients. Here, the treatment effect/interventions were studied on late side effects as GI, sexual, and urinary symptoms in pelvic cancer patients who visited a highly specialized rehabilitation clinic in Linköping.MethodsThis retrospective longitudinal cohort study included 90 patients who had at least one visit at the rehabilitation clinic for late adverse events at Linköping University hospital between 2013 to 2019. The toxicity of the adverse events was analyzed by using the common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE).ResultsBy comparing the toxicity of symptoms between visits 1 and 2, we showed that the GI symptoms decreased with 36.6% (P = 0.013), the sexual symptoms with 18.3% (P < 0.0001), and urinary symptoms with 15.5% (P = 0.004). Patients who received bile salt sequestrant had a significant improvement in grade of GI symptoms as diarrhea/fecal incontinence at visit 2 compared to visit 1 where 91.3% were shown to have a treatment effect (P = 0.0034). The sexual symptoms (vaginal dryness/pain) significantly improved due to local estrogens between visits 1 and 2 where 58.1% had a reduction of symptoms (P = 0.0026).ConclusionThe late side effects as GI, sexual, and urinary symptoms was significantly reduced between visits 1 and 2 at the specialized rehabilitation center in Linköping. Bile salt sequestrants and local estrogens are effective treatments for side effects as diarrhea and vaginal dryness/pain.

THE RESULTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT AND NEURODEVELOPMENTAL TREATMENT IN SHPRINTZEN-GOLDBERG SYNDROME: A CASE REPORT

Purpose: This case report aimed to investigate the efficacy of the physiotherapy program in a child with Shprintzen-Goldberg syndrome (SGS). &#x0D; Methods: A 9-month-old case diagnosed with SGS by a medical geneticist was the focus of the study. Congenital pes varus, craniosynostosis and craniofacial deformities, mental, social, emotional and motor retardation, regulation and sensory hyperreactivity symptoms were observed in the case. The physiotherapy program consists of environmental enrichment and Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT) approaches twice a week for 12 months and was conducted by a physiotherapist at Karadeniz Ereğli Private Gökkuşağı Special Education and Rehabilitation Center. Gross motor function and disability level were assessed using Gross Motor Function Measurement-88 (GMFM-88) and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), respectively. The success of physiotherapy goals was determined by Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS).&#x0D; Results: At 12 months follow-up, GMFM-88 score increased from 5.52% to 45.47% and GAS total scores increased from -6 to +6 point. &#x0D; Conclusions: The literature review shows that no previous study assessed the effectiveness of 12 months physiotherapy program in a child with SGS. We consider that physiotherapy including targeted NDT approaches can support motor development in rare cases, such as SGS characterized by severe motor involvement.

Desafios para a implementação da Rede de Cuidados à Pessoa com Deficiência em uma região de saúde: um olhar a partir das dimensões política, organização e estrutura

Abstract People with Disabilities (PWD) experience profound inequalities both social and in the access to health. The Care Network for Persons with Disabilities (Rede de Cuidados à Pessoa com Deficiência, RCPD) was established in 2012, with the goal of improving this access in an equitable and equal manner. This article aims to analyze the implementation and constraints of the implementation and the conditionings of the RCPD in the health region of São José do Rio Preto. This is an exploratory case study, of qualitative and quantitative approach, anchored in the instrumental of public policy analysis. The dimensions of policy, organization, and structure guided the analysis of results. Interviews were conducted with 37 key players from management, providers, and society. The Ministry of Health is considered the protagonist in defining policy and transferring financial resources. The state agency is the service provider and conciliator of municipal demands by the RCPD leading group. The lack of an assistance regulation system is an obstacle to the network organization. Contracted services decide who will have access to care, not respecting agreed flows. The structure of rehabilitation services, with the exception of the Specialized Rehabilitation Center, was not guided by health needs but by the existence of services in the territory. Barriers to guaranteeing the right to health are evident, perpetuating the inequalities experienced by the PWD.

Development of Specific Learning Disability Screening Scale

It is known that students with Specific Learning Disability (SLD) are noticed because of the difficulties they experience in academic lessons, especially in primary school years. Especially the difficulties they experience in reading, spelling mistakes, problems in arithmetic skills, attention problems, inability in taking responsibility and communication skills attract attention. The scale, which was developed in Turkey in order to identify students suspected of having SLD during the primary school years and between the ages of 8-11, by their teachers, is a five-points Likert type, 7-factors and 39-items measurement tool. The study was carried out with teachers working with students with Special Learning Disability in Ministry of Education and Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers in the 2019-2020 academic year. A total of 401 classroom teachers and special education teachers from Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, Çorum, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Isparta, İzmir, İstanbul, Kayseri, Konya, Sivas and Trabzon provinces participated in the study. In data analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis were performed and a seven-factors structure was found. It was determined that seven-factors explained 73,224% of the total variance. The factors were as follows: writing process, communication skills, literacy skill, taking responsibility, attention skills, arithmetic skills and skill of recognition the numbers. The Cronbach Alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.963 and the RMSEA value was 0,063.

Analyzing the selected Eurofit test batteries of the children with Down syndrome and autism in the age range of 12-16 and receiving Montessori education

It is aimed in this study to analyze the effects of the Montessori education method on children with Down syndrome and autism having special training who have received and not received Montessori education through the Eurofit test batteries selected for motor skills and physical fitness. A total of 20 male children with Down syndrome and autism in the age range of 12 to 16 and receiving and not receiving Montessori education at two different special education and rehabilitation centers in Kayseri were included in the study. The treatment group included a total of 10 children, 5 with Down syndrome and 5 with autism, and the control group of 10 children, 5 with Down syndrome and 5 with autism. While the volunteers included in the treatment group received Montessori education, those included in the control group received a traditional education. In the study, the volunteers performed the selected Eurofit tests including flamingo balance, plate tapping, sit and reach, handgrip and standing long jump tests. When the results of the Eurofit test batteries of the treatment and control groups were examined, plate tapping and standing long jump test results were found significant in the comparison of the pretest and posttest of the treatment group (p &lt; 0.05). In the pretest and posttest comparison of the control group students, a significant difference was determined in the sit and reach test (p &lt; 0.05). In the posttest comparison of the control and treatment groups, a statistically significant difference was determined between the pretest and posttest measurements of the plate tapping and between the pretest and posttest measurements of the standing long jump (p&lt;0.05). In the pretest comparison of the control and treatment groups, no statistically significant difference was found between the pretest and posttest of flamingo balance, pretest and posttest of plate tapping, pretest and posttest of sit and reach, pretest and posttest of standing long jump and pretest and posttest of handgrip measurements of the control and treatment groups (p&gt;0.05). Consequently, the use of Montessori education materials supports the big and small muscle groups of children with disabilities since most of them learn about an object through touch. In our study, when some activity and motor skills of the children with down syndrome and autism in the special rehabilitation school that uses the Montessori education method were analyzed, it was observed that there was an improvement in their physical activities and some motor skills according to the results of plate tapping, standing long jump and sit and reach tests. It is recommended that education programs can be prepared by using Montessori Approach as part of the education programs applied in preschool education institutions and that they can be used more widely together with traditional education programs.

PARENT-TO-PARENT SUPPORT PERCEPTION SCALE FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN WITH DISABILITY: SCALE DEVELOPMENT STUDY

Background: Social support is the entirety of perceptions that make an individual feel that he/she is cared for, loved, trusted and valued within a network of mutual responsibility and communication. Research carried out on the subject of perceived social support have generally focused on how social support reduces or prevents stress and contributes to developing positive coping skills. Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the perceptions of the social support that families with children with disability expect from each other and to develop a culture-specific scale for this purpose as a contribution to the literature. Methods: This study was conducted in special education and rehabilitation centers in Zonguldak, Turkey. The study sample consisted of 420 parents who had a child or children enrolled at the centers and who had consented to participate. Data were collected using the Parent-to-Parent Support Perception Scale for Families with Children with Disability. The validity of content and construct was examined to evaluate the validity of the parent-to-parent support perception scale. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess internal consistency reliability. Results: A 43-item pool of items was created for a 4-point Likert-type scale in the light of the literature in order to assess the support perceptions of parents with children with disability. After content validity was assessed by a panel of eight specialists, the number of items was determined to be 30. In the construct validity testing, the KMO value was 0.91 and Bartlett’s sphericity test resulted in 6134.24 (p = 0.001). The results of the factor analysis indicated a scale with 24 items, four factors, where R2 = 62.33%. The total Cronbach's alpha value for the scale is 0.94. Conclusions: According to the results of the analysis, the developed scale was found to have excellent validity and reliability for families with children with disability. What is currently known? When the literature is examined, there is no measurement tool that measures the perception of support from family to family for families of children with disabilities. What does this article add? The developed scale was found to have excellent content and construct validity and reliability for families with children with disability.

Özel Eğitim Öğretmenlerinin Öğrencileriyle İlgili Sosyal Medya Paylaşımlarının İncelenmesi

Bu araştırmada özel eğitime ihtiyacı olan çocukların kişisel bilgilerinin sosyal medya uygulamalarında paylaşılmasının çocuk hakları bağlamında doğuracağı sonuçlara ilişkin bilgi vermek ve özel eğitim öğretmenlerinin özel eğitime ihtiyacı olan öğrencilerini içeren paylaşımlarını incelemek amaçlanmıştır. Nitel yöntemlerden doküman analizi tekniğinin benimsendiği bu araştırmada Instagram uygulamasındaki herkese açık 52 kişisel hesaptaki 1951 fotoğraf ve 1262 video incelenmiştir. Analizler sonucunda bir ana tema ve dört alt tema belirlenmiştir. Özel eğitime ihtiyacı olan çocukların fotoğraflarındaki ve videolarındaki görsel kimliklerinin çoğunlukla gizlenmediği, yüz ve bedensel özelliklerinin açıkça paylaşıldığı, bunların yanı sıra fotoğraf veya video paylaşımlarının açıklamalar kısmında çocukların adlarının da gizlenmeden yazılı olarak paylaşıldığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Öğretmenlerin özel eğitime ihtiyacı olan çocuklarla kucağına alma, öpme ve sarılma gibi fiziksel temasları olduğu ve fiziksel temasa ilişkin en çok görülen davranışların da bunlar olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır. İncelenen hesaplarda görsel içerikler ile yazılı açıklamaların uyumlu olduğu paylaşımların daha fazla olduğu belirlenmiştir. Son olarak yapılan paylaşımlardaki mekânların büyük çoğunluğunun okul veya özel eğitim kurumlarının bir parçası olan derslik, bahçe, oyun alanı gibi alanlar olduğu belirlenmiştir.

Labour market participation among rehabilitated individuals with spinal cord injury in Brazil: a cross-sectional study.

Cross-sectional study. To document the labour market participation rate and investigate the impact of social and economic characteristics on this outcome among individuals with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D) who participated in a multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme in Brazil. A specialised rehabilitation centre in southern Brazil. An interview was performed with former rehabilitation clients with SCI/D. A total of 111 community-dwelling individuals with SCI/D who had been previously rehabilitated in a large regional rehabilitation centre were considered. Employment status and demographic, injury, work, and economic characteristics were self-reported via interview. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed. The labour market participation rate was 21.6% (24 individuals). Five respondents were employed in formal work activities, and the other 19 were involved in informal activities (self-employed). Since the onset of injury, a shorter time was associated with nonparticipation in occupational work. Individuals with a higher level of education were more likely to be working. Household income was higher among the participants who had returned to work than among those who had not returned. There is a relatively low labour market participation rate among rehabilitated individuals with SCI/D in southern Brazil. The rehabilitation services should emphasise vocational training, access to education, and employment support for individuals with SCI/D from early onset after the injury. Public policies must be revised to support labour market participation among individuals with SCI/D in Brazil.

Özel Eğitim ve Rehabilitasyon Merkezlerinde Çocuk Gelişimci Olmak

Bu araştırmada özel eğitim ve rehabilitasyon merkezlerinde çalışan çocuk gelişimcilerin çalışma biçimleri, çalışma koşulları ve yaşadıkları sorunların belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Nitel araştırma yaklaşımlarından fenomenolojik desende yürütülen araştırmada amaçlı örnekleme yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Bu doğrultuda araştırmaya gönüllü olarak dahil olmayı kabul eden 20 çocuk gelişimciye ulaşılmıştır. Veriler araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu kullanılarak toplanmış ve betimsel analiz yöntemiyle değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırma bulgularına göre çocuk gelişimciler, özel eğitim ve rehabilitasyon merkezlerinde görev tanımlarına uygun olarak çalışamamaktadır. Yoğun çalışma süreleri, düşük maaş, meslek yasası, meslek tanımı ve özlük hakları açısından sorunlar yaşamaktadır. Bununla birlikte çocuk ve aile merkezli çalışmalar yaparak bütüncül bakış açısıyla ekibin önemli bir parçasını oluşturdukları sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

A survey of statistical methods for inequalities in access to healthcare—Kermanshah in West Iran

Background:Access to medical care is one of the major issues affecting human health. This study aims to investigate inequality in access to medical care in the townships in Kermanshah, Iran.MethodsMethodology approach includes a descriptive-analytic study followed by determining the degree of development of the townships calculated in terms of access to medical care through the hierarchical cluster analysis and the combined model of human development index. Additionally, the mean center and standard distance tests are handled in a geographic information system software to identify the deployment pattern of the status of access to medical care indexes.ResultsAs for the ratio of physicians, nursing staff, paramedical staff, administrative staff of health care, dentists, pharmacists, hospitals, general and specialized clinics, radiology, rehabilitation centers and laboratories to a population of 10,000, the results of analyzing the findings were indicative of unequal distribution of facilities at the level of townships. This is based on The results of comparing the mean centers of population and health facilities showed that the centers of both data categories were located in Kermanshah. The two standard distances (i.e., population and health facilities) demonstrated that the health facilities witnessed more dispersion in the northwestern regions than the concentration of population in the central and southeastern regions of the province.ConclusionsThe results indicated that the indexes of development of facilities and healthcare resources were not distributed equitably and with a balance between the townships of the Kermanshah Province.

Strokes in children

Introduction and purpose A stroke is a group of neurological symptoms that develops when blood flow to the brain is stopped suddenly. Stroke is relatively rare in the group of pediatric patients. The incidence is estimated at 2.5 cases per 100,000 children per year. Mortality is up to 4%. Long-term consequences and complications concern more than half of the patients. Brief description of the state of knowledge The etiopathogenesis of stroke in children is diverse. The main risk factors are congenital heart disease, vascular damage, metabolic diseases and infections. The symptoms of a stroke depend on the location and extent of the ischemic changes. In children they may initially be uncharacteristic. The most common are headaches, vomiting, convulsions, disturbed consciousness, and hemiparesis. The gold standard in cerebral ischemia imaging is brain magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). In treatment controlling vital parameters plays an important role. Treatment includes anti-aggregating and anticoagulant drugs. It is possible to transfuze blood or surgical treatment. Complications of stroke in children are diversify and depend on a lot of factors. These include movement disorders, cognitive functions impairment, tension headaches and difficulty with expression and fluency of speech. Conclusion A stroke is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate treatment. It can have uncharacteristic symptoms in children. Acute cerebral ischemia in children carries the risk of developing long-term, severe complications. Pediatric patients with a history of acute cerebral ischemia should be under the constant care of specialized treatment and rehabilitation centers, which will enable patients to function independently among their peers.

The Implementation of Rehabilitation against Narcotics Abuser

The purpose of this study is to find out and analyze the implementation of rehabilitation for narcotics abusers, to find out and analyze the obstacles faced by the Public Prosecutor in implementing the rehabilitation of narcotics abusers and their solutions. The research approach method used is the sociological juridical method. The conclusion of this study is that the implementation of rehabilitation for narcotics abusers is carried out entirely by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN). The obstacles faced by the Public Prosecutor in implementing rehabilitation are the absence of juridical qualifications between the types of criminal offenses and violations, the absence of a special rehabilitation center for narcotics abusers, the lack of rehabilitation technicians and the limited rehabilitation budget owned by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN).

Evaluation of Gravitational Insecurity in School-Age Children Diagnosed with Learning Disorder

AIM: This study was conducted to determine the incidence of Gravitational Insecurity in individuals with Specific Learning Disorder.&#x0D; MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included 99 children, 65 boys and 34 girls, diagnosed with Specific Learning Disorder in our study. All children participating in the study were attending a special education and rehabilitation center. Physically independent individuals without any orthopedic or neurological diagnosis other than Specific Learning Disorder were included in the study. 99 children were evaluated with the Gravitational Insecurity Assessment and the data obtained were statistically analyzed.&#x0D; RESULTS: Gravitational Insecurity is commonly seen in individuals diagnosed with Specific Learning Disorder. In individuals diagnosed with Specific Learning Disorder, the severity and incidence of Gravitational Insecurity increase with age, there is no significant difference between genders, and these individuals react to different movement patterns at different levels. In individuals diagnosed with Specific Learning Disorder with Gravitational Insecurity, postural symptoms of Gravity Insecurity are observed at higher rates than emotional symptoms. The incidence of both postural and emotional symptoms increases with age.&#x0D;

The effect of pet therapy on the stress and social anxiety levels of disabled children: A randomized controlled trial

ObjectivePet therapy is an effective method in reducing stress and anxiety levels in the treatment and care of children. This study aimed to determine the effects of pet therapy on the stress and social anxiety levels of physically disabled children. MethodThis study was a single-blind randomized controlled experimental study with a pre-test, post-test and follow-up design. The study was carried out between November 2019 and September 2020 in two separate Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers with a total of 44 physically disabled children, 23 in the control and 21 in the intervention group, who met the inclusion criteria. The NCT number of this study is NCT04231799. The data of the study were obtained through Personal Information Form (PIF), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Social Anxiety in Children Scale-Revised Version (SACS-R) and blood pressure measurements. A pet therapy program was applied to the intervention group. Apart from the standard training given in the rehabilitation center, no intervention was made on the control group ResultsAfter the pet therapy program intervention, it was found that there was a decrease in the mean PSS and SACS-R scores of the children in the intervention group, and this decrease was significant compared to the individuals in the control group (p<0.05). ConclusionIt was determined that the pet therapy program was an effective intervention in reducing the stress and social anxiety levels of the physically disabled children.

THE EFFECT OF ANKLE LIMITATION ON DYNAMIC BALANCE AND FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY IN CHILDREN WITH DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of ankle limitation on dynamic balance and functional capacity in children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). This cross-sectional study included thirty-six 6- to 11-year-old children with DMD who were followed up in the special education rehabilitation centers. In addition to recording of the demographic data of the children, ankle limitations were recorded in degrees using a goniometer. Dynamic balance and functional capacity of the patients were evaluated using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), respectively. Ankle limitation had a statistically significant effect on dynamic balance and functional capacity of children with DMD (p = 0.008 and p = 0.006, respectively). In children with DMD, dynamic balance and functional capacity deteriorate as their ankle limitation increases. Treatment methods applied to increase/maintain joint range of motion in children with DMD should be added to the rehabilitation programs as early as possible.

Investigation of Published Postgraduate Theses on Individuals with Down Syndrome in the Field of Sport Sciences in Turkey

Background: Sports activities are one of the most important factors that play a role in the rehabilitation of individuals with special needs and their reintegration into society. Individuals with special needs can take the opportunity to protect and develop their existing abilities with the sports activities they participate in. In this context, studies on individuals with Down syndrome in the field of sports sciences gain more importance. Aim: The aim of this research is to examine the postgraduate theses on individuals with down syndrome in the field of sports sciences in Turkey. Methods: In the literature, review studies are generally carried out with three different methods: systematic review, traditional review and meta-analysis. This research was designed using the systematic review method. A total of 176 theses were reached as a result of the search made by scanning the keyword "Down Syndrome" between 20.03.2022 and 30.03.2022 on the database of the Turkish National Thesis Center. As a result of the first evaluation made within the framework of the inclusion criteria of the research, it was determined that 165 theses were outside the field of sports sciences and these theses were not included in the research within the scope of exclusion criteria. Within the scope of the inclusion criteria of the study, it was determined that there were 11 postgraduate theses and these theses were grouped as the theses suitable for the purpose of the research and included in the research. Results: Physical activity, exercise and games improve motor skills of individuals with Down syndrome. The happiness and anxiety levels of parents who participate in practices such as physical activity and exercise increase. Practices such as physical activity and exercise positively affect the psychomotor, cognitive and social development of individuals with Down syndrome. Sportive performance parameters of individuals with Down syndrome vary according to characteristics such as age, height, and gender. Recreational activities in special education and rehabilitation centers positively affect the health, perception and self-behavior levels of children with Down syndrome. Therapeutic recreational activities positively affect the socialization of individuals with Down syndrome. Conclusion: As a result, it can be said that participation physical activities can positively affect the cognitive, affective and physical levels of individuals with Down syndrome. Keywords: Down Syndrome, Sports Sciences, Individuals with Special Needs

Sustainable Management and Policies: The Roles of Stakeholders in the Practice of Inclusive Education in Digital Transformation

Children are a country’s most valuable asset. Educating them and bringing them into society is one of the most fundamental tasks of a nation. The disadvantageous position that individuals with a disability are exposed to shows the importance of the need for inclusive education for the quality of life. It is important to use the merits of digital transformation to provide services and education for all to support sustainability. This research aims to shine a light on the problems related to inclusive education faced in the special education schools and rehabilitation centers and put forward suggestions for digital transformation. As inclusive means inclusion, social interaction, access, and equality for education, the role of digital transformation is examined for the quality of inclusive education. Self-reflection is a qualitative form which was employed in the research involving school managers and teachers who were selected randomly from the Special Education Schools and Rehabilitation Centers that participated in the research. It is revealed that most of the studies focus on inclusive education, the digital divide, social inclusion, online learning, and the implication of inclusive education in digital transformation. Although studies expose inclusive education in digital transformation, most of these have 0.20 quality criteria, showing an intensified need to extend the existing body of knowledge. It is shown that the vast majority of inclusive education aligns with the institution’s inclusive education vision and purpose. Concerning financing, it is difficult to find sponsors among non-governmental organizations to support the institution’s inclusive education-related material, equipment, and security needs, and Ministry of National Education funding is essential. There is a need to improve the inclusive education competencies of administrators and teachers, and in-service training should be provided. Self-improvement opportunities of administrators and teachers of the institution are significantly inadequate and should be improved.