Specialized Rehabilitation Centers Research Articles

Investigation of the Relationship between Physical Activity Level and Quality of Life in Children with Specific Learning Disabilities using Regression Analysis

It has been reported that the academic skills of children with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) and their participation in physical activity may be affected. This study aimed to examine the relationship between physical activity level and quality of life in children with SLDs. The study was conducted with children diagnosed with SLDs at the Afyonkarahisar Special Education and Rehabilitation Center. Once the sociodemographic information of the participants was recorded, their physical activity levels were determined using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C, ages 8-14 years), and their quality of life levels were assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). A total of 51 individuals, 21 girls and 30 boys, were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 10.58±1.51 years. Physical activity score had a weak positive correlation with the physical health summary score (rspearman=0.342, p=0.014); weak positive correlations with the emotional functionality score (rspearman=0.308, p=0.028) and the school functionality score (rspearman=0.337, p=0.016); and moderate positive correlations with the school functionality score (rspearman=0.427, p=0.002), the psychosocial health summary score (rspearman=0.440, p=0.001), and the total PedsQL score (rspearman=0.462, p=0.042). In addition, the physical activity score was determined to statistically significantly predict the total PedsQL score (F=13.297; p=0.001). In conclusion, this study revealed that the physical activity levels of children with SLDs significantly affected their quality of life.

Mortality in French people with polyhandicap/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

In recent decades, progress has been made in the care of people with polyhandicap/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) through a better understanding of the pathophysiology and the development of new care management and rehabilitation strategies adapted to these extreme pathologies. Although there is a lack of knowledge about the health status and care management of the oldest people, a better understanding of the natural course of life of people with polyhandicap/PIMD would consequently allow the optimisation of preventive and curative care management strategies. Few robust data on mortality and life expectancy have been documented for this population in France. Our aims are to estimate the median survival time and assess the factors associated with mortality in people with polyhandicap/PIMD receiving care in France. This study included people with polyhandicap/PIMD, followed by the French national cohort 'Eval-PLH' since 2015. These individuals were included in specialised rehabilitation centres and residential institutions. The people included in the first wave of the cohort (2015-2016) were eligible for the present study. Vital status on 1 January 2022 (censoring date) was collected in two ways: (1) spontaneous reporting by the participating centre to the coordinating team and (2) systematic checking on the French national death platform. According to the vital status, survival was calculated in years from the date of birth to the date of death or from the date of birth to the censoring date. The factors associated with mortality were evaluated using the Cox proportional regression hazards model. Data from 780 individuals aged between 3 and 67years were analysed. At the censoring date, 176 (22.6%) had died, and the mean survival was 52.8years (95% confidence interval: 51.1-54.5). Mortality was significantly associated with a progressive aetiology, recurrent pulmonary infections, drug-resistant epilepsy and a higher number of medical devices. This study shows for the first time the survival and impact of factors associated with mortality in people with polyhandicap/PIMD in France.

The Effectiveness of Augmented Reality Offered with Constant Time Delay Procedure in Teaching the Functions of Organs to Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Introduction: Science course allows student to follow scientific developments, understand and interpret the events that occur around them, and develop scientific process skills. Different methods are employed in teaching science to student childeren with intellectual disabilities. There has been a recent increase in technology-supported methods. One of the technology-supported methods is Augmented Reality. For this reason, the effectiveness of the augmented reality provided with the constant time delay procedure in teaching the functions of the organs to childeren with intellectual disabilities was investigated in the present study. The study was conducted in the individual education setting of a private special education and rehabilitation center. Method: Three students who had intellectual disabilities participated in the study. The multiple probe design with probe conditions. Phases across behaviors, which is one of the single-case research designs, was used in the study. Findings: According to the study results, it was found that all participants acquired the target behaviors successfully and the participants retained the behaviors they acquired after the teaching of organs and their functions ended and they were able to generalize the behaviors they acquired to different materials. Discussion: Based on the results of the study, it can be argued that the Augmented Reality offered with the Constant Time Delay Procedure is effective in teaching science subjects to childeren with intellectual disabilities. It can also be argued that the permanence of the acquired behaviors is high when students who have mental disabilities are taught science subjects by using Augmented Reality along with the Constant Time Delay Procedure. To generalize the results obtained in the present study, it may be suggested that the same practice be performed with other experimenters and different age groups. For the social validity of the study, the teachers of the participants expressed positive opinions about the Augmented Reality offered with target behaviors and Constant Time Delay Procedure.

Investigation of the Relationship between Burnout Level and Psychological Resilience in Parents of Children with Down Syndrome

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between burnout level and psychological resilience in parents of children with Down syndrome (DS). This study was conducted at a Special Education and Rehabilitation Center in Türkiye between August and October 2022. The sample of the correlational and cross-sectional study consisted of 80 parents of children with DS. In this study, descriptive characteristics form (DFC), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and brief resilience scale (BRS) were used to collect data. The parents' mean scores on the emotional exhaustion subscale (EES) and personal achievement subscale (PAS) of MBI according to descriptive characteristics revealed statistically significant difference in the EES and PAS scores associated with the parents' age, gender, education status, working status, number of children in the family, and family type (p < 0.05). The parents' mean scores on the BRS according to descriptive characteristics revealed statistically significant difference in BRS scores associated with the gender, educational status, working status, number of children, type of family, and presence of a chronic disease in the child (p < 0.05). There was a strong negative correlation between the EES and the BRS (r = −0.740, p < 0.05), and a strong positive correlation between the PAS and the BRS (r = 0.758, p < 0.05). It was determined that parents' emotional exhaustion levels increased as their psychological resilience levels decreased, and parents' personal accomplishment increased as their psychological resilience levels increased.

Examination of Academic Human Resource Management Policies of Private Special Education Institutions and Rehabilitation Centers

This research aims to examine the human resource management policies of private special education institutions and rehabilitation centers based on the managers’ views. The basic qualitative research design was adopted in the research. The participants of the study consisted of managers of private special education institutions and rehabilitation centers operating in the province of Adıyaman. Criterion sampling technique was adopted in determining the participants. In this context, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 managers of private special education institutions and rehabilitation centers. The data obtained from the interviews with managers has been analyzed through content analysis. In the research, the opinions of the institution managers regarding the teacher employment process of their institutions were discussed under the themes of "employment criteria“, “employment process," and "problems encountered in the employment process." Policies for teacher development were examined under the themes of "personal development" and "professional development", while policies for teacher integration were examined under the themes of "rewarding". Policies for teacher evaluation were studied under the themes of "in-house evaluation" and "external evaluation". According to research results, the policies that shape the employment process are related to the nature of pre-service education and the professional and academic qualifications of teacher candidates. Additionally, based on the views of school administrators, it has been concluded that the shortage of subject experts is one of the problems encountered in the human resources management process of teacher employment. However, it has been stated that career planning and policies for professional development are insufficient in the process of teacher training and development, and teacher evaluation policies are shaped within the framework of internal and external evaluation criteria.

A comparative study on fundamental movement skills among children with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing children aged 7-10.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with unique differences in social interaction, communication, and a spectrum of behavioral characteristics. In the past, motor disturbance in individuals with ASD has not been considered a significant core deficit due to the predominant focus on sociability and communication issues. However, recent studies indicate that motor deficits are indeed associated with the fundamental symptoms of ASD. As there is limited research on the motor behavior of children with ASD, particularly in China, the objective of this study is to investigate the development of fundamental movement skills (FMS) in children with ASD and compare them to typically developing children. The study recruited 108 children with ASD (87 boys, 21 girls) aged 7-10 years from two special education rehabilitation centers in Wuhan, China. For comparison, a control group of 108 typically developing children, matched by age and gender, was randomly selected from three local primary schools. FMS were assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children - Second Edition (MABC-2), which evaluates manual dexterity, aiming and catching, as well as static and dynamic balance. Group differences on MABC-2 percentile scores were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U test. Effect sizes were also calculated for practical significance. Findings from the study showed that a significant majority, around 80%, of children with ASD either displayed motor challenges or were at risk of developing such delays. When comparing to their typically developing peers, children with ASD scored notably lower in areas of manual dexterity, ball skills, and both static and dynamic balance (with all these findings being statistically significant at p < 0.001). Interestingly, gender did not show a significant influence on these results (p > 0.05). In addition to addressing the other skill development areas outlined in the diagnostic manual for ASD, clinicians diagnosing and treating children with ASD should also assess the presence of motor skill development. For individuals with ASD who have co-existing motor difficulties, it is essential to offer evidence-based interventions tailored to their specific needs.

Özel Eğitim ve Rehabilitasyon Merkezinde Çalışan Yönetici ve Uzmanların Prososyal Davranışlarının Değerlendirilmesi

Bu çalışma özel eğitim ve rehabilitasyon merkezinde çalışan yönetici ve uzmanların prososyal davranışlarının değerlendirilmesi amacıyla yapılmıştır. Bu doğrultuda çalışma, nicel araştırma yöntemlerinden ilişkisel araştırma modeli ile desenlenen betimsel bir çalışmadır. Çalışmaya kartopu örnekleme yöntemi ile seçilen ve İstanbul’da bulunan özel eğitim ve rehabilitasyon merkezlerinde çalışan, 27’si kurum yöneticisi, 203’ü uzman olmak üzere 230 kişi katılmıştır. Çalışmada veri toplama aracı olarak demografik bilgi formu ve Yetişkin Prososyallik Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Ölçme araçları “Google Forms” üzerinden özel eğitim ve rehabilitasyon merkezinde çalışan yönetici ve uzmanlara gönderilerek doldurulmuştur. Çalışmada veriler SPSS-26 ile analiz edilmiştir. Veri analizinde Spearman korelasyon katsayısı, Mann-Whitney U ve Kruskal Wallis testi kullanılmıştır. Yapılan analizler sonucunda, özel eğitim ve rehabilitasyon merkezinde çalışan yönetici ve uzmanların prososyal davranışları ile yaş ve mesleki kıdem yılı arasında pozitif yönlü düşük düzeyde bir ilişki olduğu, prososyal davranışları ile ideal maaş beklentisi arasında anlamlı bir ilişki olmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca özel eğitim ve rehabilitasyon merkezinde çalışan yönetici ve uzmanların prososyal davranışlarında cinsiyet ve kurumdaki göreve göre anlamlı farklılık olduğu, ancak meslek ve öğrenim durumuna göre anlamlı bir fark olmadığı bulunmuştur. Bu bulgulara göre özel eğitim ve rehabilitasyon merkezinde çalışan yönetici ve uzmanların bu alanda çalışmak isteyenlerin prososyal davranışları, istemeyenlere göre daha yüksek olduğu, bu çalışma alanını meslek olarak kabul edenlerin prososyal davranışları kabul etmeyenlere göre daha yüksek olduğu söylenebilir

Program Adaptations of Special Education Teachers

Introduction: Arrangements are made in the curriculum elements due to the individual differences of students with special needs. It is necessary to determine how programs implemented in special education classrooms are adapted by teachers for program functionality. The purpose of this study is to determine special education teachers' patterns of how and in what ways they adapt their curriculum during implementation. Method: This study, which was conducted to determine the curriculum adaptation by special education teachers and the factors that cause this adaptation, used a case study design from the qualitative research approach. The sample of this study consisted of four special education teachers: two working at the secondary level of a public school and two working at a special education and rehabilitation center. In this study, data diversification was used by employing more than one data collection instrument. These included observations, interviews, and special education lesson plans. As the data needed to be examined and analyzed in detail, content analysis was used. Findings: The observations, interviews, and document reviews revealed that teachers working in special education classrooms in public and private institutions make program adaptations such as omitting, expanding, and replacing/revising. Teacher qualifications, student characteristics, school climate, program characteristics, and family expectations played a substantial role in shaping the emergence of adaptation patterns. Discussion: Based on the results, it was found that special education teachers did not implement the written (official) program exactly in their schools and classes. It was found that the student's area and level of disability was the most important reason for the difference. The differences in the areas and degrees of disability of students with special needs in public schools and private institutions shape adaptations for expansion and revising.

Eating habits and the desire to eat healthier among patients with chronic pain: a registry-based study

Healthcare professionals often meet pain patients with a poor nutritional status such as obesity, unhealthy dietary behaviors, and a suboptimal dietary intake. A poor nutritional status may play a significant role in the occurrence, development, and prognosis of chronic pain. This study investigated eating habits in a specialized pain rehabilitation center using data (N = 2152) from the Swedish quality registry for pain rehabilitation during the period 2016–2021. Patients answered a lifestyle questionnaire regarding their eating habits and desire to modify their lifestyle. The mean (SD) patient age was 46.1 (14.6) years, with 24.8% classified as obese. Suboptimal eating habits included irregular mealtimes (27.2%), weekly consumption of fast-food (20.3%) and nearly daily consumption of confectionery (33.3%). Approximately 20% (n = 426) reported a desire to eat healthier. Frequent confectionery intake (Odds ratio [OR] 1.23, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.04–1.47) and fast-food consumption (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.24–2.02) increased the likelihood to desire healthier eating. Younger patients (18–29 years), those classified as obese, and those with more extended spatial pain were more likely to express a desire to eat healthier. Eating habits should be addressed in pain management and interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation teams are encouraged to provide nutritional care tailored to the patient's needs.

Associations between personality traits and depressive and anxiety symptoms among persons with spinal cord injury in first inpatient rehabilitation.

Retrospective analysis of medical records. To assess personality traits in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) and compare these with the general population group. Moreover, to explore associations between personality traits and depressive and anxiety symptoms among persons with SCI in first inpatient rehabilitation. Specialized rehabilitation center in The Netherlands. Data were used from a routine psychological screening, administered in the first weeks of admission (N = 67). Measures included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Dutch Personality Questionnaire, which includes subscales measuring neuroticism, social inadequacy, rigidity, hostility, egoism, dominance, and self-esteem. Correlational and regression analyses were conducted. Mean age of the participants was 58 (SD 17) years. The majority (63%) were male, and had a low lesion (57%). The participants scored significantly higher on dominance and lower on social inadequacy, hostility, and egoism in comparison with the general population. In the bivariate regression analyses, high neuroticism (β = 0.42 and β = 0.53) and low self-esteem (β = -0.25 and β = -0.29) were significantly associated with increased depressive and anxiety symptoms. In the hierarchical regression analyses, only high neuroticism was significantly associated with increased depressive (β = 0.42, p < 0.05) and anxiety (β = 0.55, p < 0.001) symptoms. Personality traits are not the same between the SCI population and the general population. Assessment of personality traits early in inpatient rehabilitation can help to identify individuals at risk of mood problems and, thereby, facilitate interventions. Future research with a larger, representative SCI sample, is required to confirm these findings.

Prevalence of Coccydynia among Wheelchair Users Due to Prolong Sitting

Background: Coccydynia, characterized by pain in or around the coccyx, is a condition that is particularly prevalent among wheelchair users due to prolonged sitting. Previous studies have highlighted various factors contributing to coccydynia, including extended sitting on hard surfaces, obesity, and gender-specific susceptibility. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of coccydynia among wheelchair users, with a focus on identifying key risk factors such as prolonged sitting, gender, and sitting surface hardness. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized convenience sampling to gather data from 250 wheelchair users across private/government special education institutes, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and homes in the South Punjab region. Participants aged 15-60 years using a wheelchair for more than one year were included, excluding those with spinal cord injuries, spina bifida, coccyx fractures, sensory loss, psychological issues, or postpartum women. Data was collected via a self-structured questionnaire, Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25, focusing on frequencies, percentages, cross-tabulation, and Chi-square tests. Results: The study found that 72.4% of participants experienced tailbone tenderness, with a significant association between longer wheelchair usage hours and increased tenderness (P &lt; 0.001). A majority of participants (76%) reported tailbone pain, with 72.4% experiencing tenderness. The prevalence of coccydynia was higher in females, and most participants did not use a cushion despite the prolonged sitting. The pain was predominantly described as an ache/dull sensation (89.6%), and it worsened after prolonged sitting in 90.8% of cases. Conclusion: Coccydynia is a prevalent condition among wheelchair users, influenced by prolonged sitting, gender, and the hardness of the sitting surface. The study emphasizes the need for educational interventions, ergonomic wheelchair designs, and the usage of specialized cushions to mitigate the risk and alleviate symptoms.

Occupational Therapy and Assistive Technology: Experience in Using 3D Printing and Open Source Platforms

Three-dimensional printing technology has evolved rapidly, being widely spread throughout the world and used in various fields such as design, engineering, medicine, and dentistry, among others. However, it is still little used in research and clinical practice in occupational therapy. A report is presented on the use of three-dimensional printing and open source platforms in clinical practice, based on experience in research and extension activity developed by the Laboratory for Research in Neuropediatrics, Technology and Inclusion (LINTI), which aims to provide an assistive product made in 3D printing to patients treated in the Supervised Internship in Occupational Therapy services that take place at the Specialized Rehabilitation Center (CER II). The actions are developed in four stages: 1- identification of the need; 2 - problem analysis and specification of the open source product;3 – 3D printing production; 4- user assistive product validation tests. This project has highlighted the possibility of creating functional, accessible assistive products, with desired aesthetics, and above all, with modification alternatives and adjustments for the user. 3D printing technology and open source platforms can be applicable and innovative tools in the practice of occupational therapists working in assistive technology.

Audição e funcionalidade: Análise do contexto de um serviço de reabilitação auditiva com base na Classificação Internacional de Funcionalidade

ABSTRACT Purpose: to verify the association between types and degrees of hearing loss and demographic factors and categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health, related to “Body Structures and Functions” and “Activities and Participation.” Methods: a cross-sectional, analytical, observational study with a nonprobabilistic sample, developed with secondary data, according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health, obtained from the medical records of patients assessed for hearing rehabilitation at a specialized rehabilitation center. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed. Association analyses used Pearson’s chi-square test, with the significance level set at 5%. Results: the study analyzed 122 medical records, which revealed a predominance of women, a sensorineural hearing loss of a moderately severe degree and progressive history. The type of hearing loss was associated with three categories of Body Structures and Functions and three categories of Activities and Participation. The degrees of hearing loss were associated with 10 categories of Body Structures and Functions and six categories of Activities and Participation. Conclusion: types and degrees of hearing loss are associated with Body Structures and Functions and Activities and Participation, further impairing communication.

Özel Eğitim ve Rehabilitasyon Merkezlerinde Görev Yapan Öğretmenlerin Karşılaştıkları Psikososyal Risklerin İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Açısından Değerlendirilmesi

Rehabilitation services are the process of providing disabled individuals with the highest level of integration into society. Thanks to these services, the quality of life of disabled individuals is improved and they are enabled to take a more active role in society. Special education teachers are one of the professional groups that play an important role in supporting the education and development of disabled individuals. However, this situation can also expose teachers to a range of psychological risk factors such as workload, stress, and challenging working conditions. Among the stress factors are meeting the special needs of students, communicating with families, and other social factors, as well as burnout syndrome. These factors can have negative effects on the psychological health of teachers and subsequently negatively affect their professional performance. The study shows that teachers working in special education and rehabilitation centers experience psychological problems resulting from the difficulty of their profession. The majority of teachers struggle with anxiety about the future and especially concerns about their children being born with disabilities leading to significant problems in their social lives. Additionally, a relationship between their work hours and psychological state has been identified

Percepção de cuidadores sobre a qualidade de serviços de Fisioterapia Neuropediátrica em Centros de reabilitação no estado da Paraíba, Brasil

This study evaluates the perception of caregivers of the quality of neuropediatric physiotherapy services offered at specialized rehabilitation centers (SRC) in Brazil. This is a cross-sectional, quantitative, evaluative study whose target population was caregivers of children in rehabilitation. The AQSF-Neuroped instrument was used to evaluate the quality of three SRC based on the perception of 320 caregivers. The one-proportion hypothesis test was used based on each AQSF-Neuroped item and dimension. The Weight of Evidence and Latent Class Analysis models were used to evaluate the influence of variables on the perception of quality. A mean overall quality score of 133±14 points indicated a positive perception of quality; however, there were aspects related to physical structure (Interpersonal Dimension) and access (Organizational Dimension II) that needed to be improved (p-values

МОДЕЛЬ ФУНКЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЇ БАГАТОФУНКЦІЙНОГО РЕАБІЛІТАЦІЙНОГО ЦЕНТРУ ДЛЯ ВІЙСЬКОВОСЛУЖБОВЦІВ

The war with Russia, which has been ongoing since 2014, has become an indicator of the lack of specialized mixed-used rehabilitation centers for military personnel. The issue of the formation of such institutions in Ukraine is particularly relevant. The article reviews scientific and theoretical research devoted to the development of rehabilitation of military personnel in Ukraine and abroad. The world experience of designing rehabilitation centers for military personnel- participants in hostilities was analyzed and the influencing factors on the formation of such facilities were outlined. The specificity of the functional organization of the mixed-used rehabilitation center involves the implementation of justified actions to ensure the integrity of the object as a whole. Based on the analysis of the needs of servicemen, the goals of the project were formulated, as well as the set of necessary functional blocks, taking into account the peculiarities of the architectural and planning organization of the rehabilitation center. Such a feature, in turn, depends on the idea of a specialized rehabilitation center, namely the provision of complex rehabilitation in the space of one facility: medical, physical, psychological, social, and military-professional.

The care burden of mothers of children with disability: Association between family quality of life and fatigue

AimThis study was performed with the aim of investigating the correlation between care burden, family quality of life and fatigue of mothers of children with disability. Material and methodThe sample for this descriptive study comprised the mothers of 280 children with disabilities accepting participation in the study, meeting the inclusion criteria, and registered in special education and rehabilitation centers in Turkey. Data were collected with the Mother-Child Descriptive Information Form, Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale (BCOS), Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale (BCFQOLS) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). ResultsMothers, mean BCOS scores were 63.29 ± 17.47, mean BCFQOLS scores were 93.74 ± 14.63, and mean FSS scores were 3.84 ± 1.43. There was a statistically significant positive, moderate intensity correlation between the BCOS scores and BCFQOLS scores of mothers (r = 0.404, p < 0.001); a statistically significant negative weak correlation between BCOS scores and FSS scores (r = −0.346,p < 0.001); and a statistically significant negative weak correlation between BCFQOLS scores with FSS scores (r = −0.22,p < 0.001). According to regression analysis, the care burden of mothers was identified to be a significant determinant of family quality of life and fatigue severity (p < 0.05). ConclusionThe results of the study showed that as the care burden of mothers of children with disability increases, family quality of life reduces and fatigue levels increase. Practice implicationsIt is recommended to support the mother in the care process, to plan activities and trainings to reduce the burden and fatigue of care, to increase the quality of family life, and to provide psychological support.

Developing of in-service training program for teacher working with gifted learning disabled students

It is noteworthy that there is little research on the education of twice exceptional students. In fact, most of these studies are descriptive studies. The rarity of studies on twice exceptionality is due to the problems in diagnosis and the lack of knowledge and experience of teachers on this subject. There is no in-service training program for teachers on this subject. This research is a research on the problem of designing an in-service training program for teachers of students who twice exceptional students. This research is action research model because the researcher is both the practitioner and the researcher of the research and takes the role of an active solver for the solutions to the problem. Document analysis is suitable for the research technique in terms of designing the training program by searching and analysing the relevant literature. Selecting of participants process; Bursa province, which is a medium-development province in Turkey, was chosen for the research. In the study, a special special education rehabilitation center where learning disability and giftedness are seen together and the probability of being seen is very high was chosen. Fifteen special education teachers working in this institution formed the study group of the research. Two data collection tools was used in this research that are Teacher Needs Analysis Determination Form; It was created to determine the knowledge, experience and proficiency levels of teachers who are interested in the education of different students twice. In the creation of this form, first of all, a literature review was made, a draft form was created, and then the form was finalized by referring to the expert opinion. Teacher needs analysis form consists of 6 dimensions and 12 questions. Documents; Since there are not many documents related to the education of twice exceptionalty, documents suitable for teacher training for gifted education and learning difficulties were selected. Teacher In-Service Training Program Preparation Process; In the preparation of the in-service training program, the Taba Model, in which the inductive approach is used, was used. The program, designed as a result of the research, consists of 6 sessions and 11 instructional stages. In this program, there are 17 outcomes that are expected to be developed by teachers. For the realization of these outcomes, 15 instructional designs (activities) were created. The duration of the training program was determined as 10 hours, with an average of 40 minutes for each activity. The in-service training program prepared for students who twice exceptionality has the feature of improving teachers' self-regulation and exhibits a program approach to direct their own learning. Therefore, the activities progress on the worksheets and by giving instructions.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Educational Process of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Effects on the Parental Quality of Life

Background: After the pandemic period, the daily routines changed, and this caused a significant decrease in families’ quality of life. We aimed to show how the pandemic period and closure of educational institutions influenced children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families’ quality of life. Method: The study is a descriptive type of research. The study population consists of families of children aged between 3 and 16 diagnosed with ASD who attended special education and rehabilitation centers and educational practice schools in Trabzon for at least 6 months before the pandemic, registered with the Trabzon Autism Association, and were followed at the Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Medicine Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Pediatric Neurology Polyclinic. Families were asked to complete the questionnaire we designed. The data was collected face-to-face prospectively. The questionnaire consisted of six parts: sociodemographic and personal characteristics of children and parents; education problems during the pandemic period; the effect of daily routines during the pandemic period on both children and families; the Quality of Life in Autism Questionnaire-Parent Version; and the Parental Burnout Scale. Results: We contacted 169 parents. Mothers were more likely than fathers to complete the questionnaire (73.1% vs. 26.9%). School attendance decreased by 11.9%, while regular education availability fell by 8.1%. The pandemic has caused changes in the daily routines of families and children in many areas of life, such as decreased physical activity, changes in sleep duration and time, and deterioration in regular eating habits (p = 0.035; 0.001; 0.004; 0.001, respectively). The QoL of parents whose daily schedules changed decreased as a result. Our study found that their levels of burnout significantly increased, and the PBS total score and the QoLA scores had a moderately significant correlation (rs = 0.411, p&amp;lt;0.001). Conclusions: In this study, we showed that the COVID-19 epidemic negatively affected the education process of children with ASD. In order to improve the QoL of families and reduce burnout levels, we suggest providing additional service opportunities (parks, playgrounds, hobby centers, etc.) and special psychiatric services for children with ASD during pandemic periods.

Directors’ Views on Adapted Physical Education and Sports Practices in Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the current situation regarding physical education and sports practices for special needs students in special education and rehabilitation centers and to analyze the views of the directors of these institutions in detail. Method: The case study design used for qualitative research was employed. The research was conducted in nine institutions operating in the Izmit district of Kocaeli province, Turkey, via selection through easily accessible case sampling. The directors of the institutions were interviewed individually following semi-structured interview forms. The data obtained were analyzed using the content analysis method. Findings: In line with the opinions expressed by the participants, four main themes and ten sub-themes emerged. The main themes identified were the shadow of the Ministry of National Education, educator characteristics, guidance toward physical education and sports, and integrity of development. Discussion: Although there are no official guidelines for physical education and sports, services and guidance pertaining to physical education and sports exist thanks to the sensitivity and efforts of the institutions. The participating directors revealed the desire to add a module in physical education and sports to the regulations, and they are committed to fulfilling the relevant requirements. For the directors of the institutions, who undertake their efforts in the shadow of the regulations and are aware of the benefits that sports practices will provide to children with special needs, using their initiative and whatever financial and moral means are at their disposal are viewed as necessary steps to be taken in the name of education. Within this context, physical education and sports teachers and recreation leader should also be included and employed as personnel in such institutions, a condition that should be considered mandatory in the Special Education Institutions Regulation of the Ministry of National Education.