Specific Educational Interventions Research Articles

The Implementation of Life Space Crisis Intervention in Residential Care and Special Education for Children and Adolescents with EBD: An Effect Study

When working with children and adolescents with emotional and behavioural disorders, conflicts are a part of daily life. At present, a variety of conflict resolution or conflict management programs, that can be divided into three categories, are described in the literature. A first category contains programs that focus on training for children and adolescents, and are often curriculum-based. The second category focuses on training for parents, and the third category contains programs that focus on training for professionals. The presents study was designed to evaluated the effectiveness of Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI), a therapeutic and verbal strategy developed by Long that fits into this third category of conflict management programs. Throughout a four-year project, al staff in a Flemish centre offering residential care and special education were trained in LSCI. On a yearly basis, data with regard to time in program, academic achievement, behavioural problems and anxiety problems were collected. The results show an increase in time spent in program and in academic achievement, and a decrease in youths' anxiety, indicating that the implementation of LSCI contributes constructively to the treatment of children and adolescents with EBD.

From Deficit to Divergence: Integrating Theory to Inform the Selection of Interventions in Special Education

Special education provides service and access to students and families who have varied life experiences that manifest as variations in development, learning, and behavior. The contention of this paper supports the notion of refocusing our efforts on developmental and learning theories that take into consideration human variance and individual difference to inform intervention selection in special education. The author briefly discusses the current practice of Special Education in the United States and presents definitions of divergence versus deficit to build the argument that focusing inadequacy of student performance as opposed to variation in student performance can lead to inaccurate identification of appropriate strategies for students with exceptionalities. A definition of deficit model in conjunction with cultural and social implications, with regard to students identified as having emotional and behavior disabilities will be discussed. Emotional intelligence and moral development are introduced as theoretical models that can inform selection and classroom use of preventative mental health curriculum and interventions designed to improve student capacity in emotion-based utility, perspective taking, and decision making.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Cognitive Behavioral Interventions in Special Education and School Psychology

Cognitive behavioral interventions (CBIs) attempt to affect behavior change by teaching relevant tasks that are based around strategies to correct cognitive distortions through the application of logic and the search for evidence. Goals are clearly specified; decisions are made on how to best meet specified goals and how to measure progress toward goals to provide feedback. The intervention is task-oriented and focused on problem-solving. This article provides a brief review of the theoretical tenets of CBIs and use with children and adolescents. A review of the literature describes the efficacy and practical implementation of CBIs in school settings. An interdisciplinary collaborative framework is discussed to better support the implementation of school-based mental health programming in schools.

Case study: Saturday cognitive habilitation program for children with prenatal alcohol exposure.

case study describes the outcomes of a Saturday community intervention program for children suspected of or affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol who exhibited learning deficits. Five children participated in the program and received individualized interventions designed to address learning and academic deficits in either reading or mathematics. Often children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure exhibit deficits with executive processes, including metacognitive functioning, that interfere with learning. Instruction to improve metacognitive skills was incorporated into the intervention programs. The metacognitive training was adapted from the Math Interactive Learning Experience (MILE) and targeted the children's skills to plan, organize, shift, and evaluate problem solving strategies. Standardized tests of nonverbal reasoning and academic achievement were administered before and after the children received interventions to measure progress. The results indicated that four of the five children who participated in the program showed clinically significant gains with scores increasing from the borderline or low average to the average range on measures of nonverbal reasoning, reading comprehension, or mathematics reasoning. One child showed no gains on measures of nonverbal reasoning and reading. A variety of factors including age, cognitive profile, session attendance, and access to special education and other intervention services may have influenced the child's progress. Overall, the case reviews suggest that the interventions show promise to remediate learning problems of children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure in a community setting.

Ethics training for accountants: does it add up?

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to investigate the effectiveness of an International Federation of Accountants (IFAC)-aligned business ethics course in relation to its ability to positively influence the ethical sensitivity of accounting students. Design/methodology/approach – Using a quantitative, quasi-experimental design, senior accounting students were subjected to a pre- and post-test, measuring ethical sensitivity, with an IFAC-aligned business ethics course as the intervention. Multivariate analysis also focused on the interrelation of demographic characteristics with ethical sensitivity. Findings – The results indicate that the business ethics course was indeed effective in increasing the ethical sensitivity of accounting students. Students' demographic characteristics, in terms of accounting specialisation area and years of work experience, did play a role in the extent of their changes in ethical sensitivity. However, gender and previous ethics education as influencing factor in ethical sensitivity was negated. Research limitations/implications – The study focused on the first component (ethical sensitivity) of Rest's four-component model that predicts ethical behaviour. Additional research is therefore needed into the other components in Rest's model and their respective interrelations. The current study also used a small convenience sample rather than one that was randomly selected. The findings in this study do, however, add to the limited body of evidence on ethical sensitivity in accounting education world-wide. Practical implications – The results can assist accounting professional bodies, associated higher education institutions and accounting firms in implementing specific educational interventions to develop greater ethical sensitivity in prospective and current accountants. Originality/value – The audit failures at the start of this century placed a renewed focus on the ethical behaviour of accountants. Consequently, ethics training was included in the curriculum of aspiring accountants. The research that informed this article attempted to gauge the effectiveness of this response, given the current knowledge gap, specifically in the South African context. Professional accounting bodies, associated higher education institutions and accounting firms could use the curriculum design presented in this study to implement a similar intervention. Such interventions could enhance the ethical behaviour of both prospective and current accountants, and this, in turn, should aid in lessening ethical crises, thus protecting the social stature of the accounting profession.

A High Impact Practice that Works: Connecting Mentors From the Professional Community to Teacher Education Students

A high impact mentoring program at a community college connected professionals from the special education and early intervention fields with small groups of teacher education students. Two federal grants from U.S. Department of Education funded tuition scholarships and mentoring for 76 Special Education students and 78 Early Childhood Education/Early Intervention students in associate degree programs. The mentor programs consisted of individual monitoring by project staff, consistent contact with a mentor from the professional community and with other students in mentor groups, and structured monthly dinner meetings. Students who participated in the mentoring programs showed increased persistence and higher grade point average when compared with the general population of similar majors. Within each grant-funded population, students who showed low participation in the mentor programming presented lower retention rates and lower GPA than grant-funded students who took full advantage of the mentoring program.

Evaluation of the Bonapace Method: a specific educational intervention to reduce pain during childbirth

ObjectiveAs pain during childbirth is very intense, several educational programs exist to help women prepare for the event. This study evaluates the efficacy of a specific pain management program, the Bonapace Method (BM), to reduce the perception of pain during childbirth. The BM involves the father, or a significant partner, in the use of several pain control techniques based on three neurophysiological pain modulation models: (1) controlling the central nervous system through breathing, relaxation, and cognitive structuring; (2) using non-painful stimuli as described in the Gate Control Theory; and (3) recruiting descending inhibition by hyperstimulation of acupressure trigger points.MethodsA multicenter case control study in Quebec on pain perception during labor and delivery compared traditional childbirth training programs (TCTPs) and the BM. Visual analog scales were used to measure pain perception during labor. In all, 25 women (TCTP: n = 12; BM: n = 13) successfully reported their perceptions of pain intensity and unpleasantness every 15 minutes.ResultsA positive correlation between the progression of labor and pain was found (pain intensity: P < 0.01; pain unpleasantness: P < 0.01). When compared to TCTP, the BM showed an overall significant lower pain perception for both intensity (45%; P < 0.01) and unpleasantness (46%; P < 0.01).ConclusionThese significant differences in pain perception between TCTP and the BM suggest that the emphasis on pain modulation models and techniques during labor combined with the active participation of a partner in BM are important variables to be added to the traditional childbirth training programs for childbirth pain management.

Specific teaching about doping in sport helps medical students to meet prevention needs

Summary Objectives To assess medical students’ knowledge and training requirements in relation to doping in sport and to investigate their attitudes on doping prevention. Methods Prospective study based upon the comparison of two randomised groups: experimental group (A) benefiting of a specific educational intervention (role-playing games) on doping in sport and control group (B). Training requirements, knowledge and attitudes were assessed by questionnaires at the beginning (T0) and the end (T1) of the training and 1 year later (T2). Results A total of 58 students participated to the study at T0 and T1 (A = 31; B = 27) and 52 at T2 (A = 28; B = 24). Even 88% felt that they have a role to play in the prevention of doping in sport, 91% felt that the vocational training scheme did not deliver accurate formation for such a role. After the training, knowledge is improved (T1 and T2) for both groups especially regarding to the French law against doping and the ability to access to the list of prohibited substances. Role playing games are effective in improving medical students’ attitude in doping issues and its prevention with a higher level of confidence of group A at T1 (P Conclusions Basic medical training of medical students’ is perceived as insufficient to effectively participate in the prevention in doping issues. A specific training is able to provide them accurate communication skills to meet future prevention needs.

Variation in Use of Buprenorphine and Methadone Treatment by Racial, Ethnic, and Income Characteristics of Residential Social Areas in New York City

National data indicate that patients treated with buprenorphine for opiate use disorders are more likely to be White, highly educated, and to have greater incomes than those receiving methadone, but patterns of buprenorphine dissemination across demographic areas have not been documented in major metropolitan areas where poverty, minority populations and injection heroin use are concentrated. Rates of buprenorphine and methadone treatment are compared among areas of New York City defined by their income and ethnic/racial composition. Residential social areas (hereinafter called social areas) were defined as aggregations of ZIP codes with similar race/ethnicity and income characteristics, and were formed based on clustering techniques. Treatment rates were obtained for each New York City ZIP code: buprenorphine treatment rates were based on the annual number of buprenorphine prescriptions written, and the methadone treatment rate on the number of methadone clinic visits for persons in each ZIP code. Treatment rates were correlated univariately with ethnicity and income characteristics of ZIP codes. Social area treatment rates were compared using individual ANOVA models for each rate. Buprenorphine and methadone treatment rates were significantly correlated with the ethnicity and income characteristics of ZIP codes, and treatment rates differed significantly across the social areas. Buprenorphine treatment rates were highest in the social area with the highest income and lowest percentage of Black and Hispanic residents. Conversely, the methadone treatment rate was highest in the social area with the highest percentage of low income and Hispanic residents. The uneven dissemination of 0pioid maintenance treatment in New York City may be reflective of the limited public health impact of buprenorphine in ethnic minority and low income areas. Specific policy and educational interventions to providers are needed to promote the use of buprenorphine for opiate use disorders in diverse populations.

Identifying Evidence-Based Special Education Interventions from Single-Subject Research

Identifying Evidence-Based Special Education Interventions from Single-Subject Research

Structured Read-Aloud In Middle School: The Potential Impact On Reading Achievement

Read-aloud is a technique predominantly utilized at the elementary level. This study was designed to research the effectiveness of this technique at the middle school level, specifically students who were not receiving special education or additional reading intervention services. For the current investigation, students in two middle schools within the same Virginia school district were assigned to receive the treatment of Structured Read-Aloud or received traditional middle-school reading instruction. These students were tested using the Diagnostic Online Reading Assessment (DORA), both in the fall before the intervention was implemented and again in the spring of the same year, to assess gains. Results indicate that the use of Read-Aloud instruction had an impact on student DORA scores, and implications of the research are discussed.

Colorectal Cancer Screening: Knowledge, Perceived Benefits and Barriers, and Intentions Among College and University Employees

Background: Early detection through routine screening is critical in reducing the incidence rate of colorectal cancer (CRC). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine college and university employees' knowledge of CRC issues, their perceptions of the benefits of and barriers to CRC screening, and their intentions toward it. Methods: This study surveyed a targeted sample of 350 employees aged 45 and older and examined their knowledge of CRC issues and screening, their screening status, and group differences in perceptions about screening and in their intentions toward it. Results: Less than half of the participants answered correctly about CRC being one of the leading causes of cancer. The top perceived barriers were “fears,” followed by “doctor never recommended” and “preparation for the test is difficult.” A discriminant analysis revealed that individuals who had not been screened and those who did not intend to get screened perceived significantly more barriers. Discussion: Perceptions about screening appear to be a major determinant in CRC screening, regardless of knowledge. Translation to Health Education Practice: Further study using a representative sample of university employees may provide a clearer picture of the determinants of CRC screening so that specific health education interventions can be planned.

Nutritional knowledge in an Italian population of children, pre-adolescents and adolescents.

To evaluate general knowledge about nutrition in an Italian population of children, pre-adolescents and adolescents. Knowledge about nutrition-related items such as healthy eating, breakfast, snacks, fast food, beverages, fruits and vegetables, cereals and tubers, meat/fish/legumes/eggs, milk and dairy products, fats and dressings, and sweets was analysed by means of a self-administered questionnaire (QuesCA IT) containing thirty-one questions, that was translated and adapted from a Swiss version (QuesCA) previously used in Geneva and Vaud. North of Italy (Bergamo, Milan). Students (n 614) belonging to two different age groups: 9-11 years (GR1) and 12-16 years (GR2). Data analysis showed that nutritional knowledge varied in relation to the age of the participants, increasing in particular in the older group, although this difference was not statistically significant for all the considered items. Nutritional knowledge also varied in relation to the gender of the participants, with females in particular seeming to possess better cognition. For each age group there was poor knowledge about the items healthy diet, snacks, milk and dairy products, meat/fish/legumes/eggs, and fats and dressings. Moreover, the percentage of participants who declared own knowledge as insufficient was higher in GR2 compared with GR1. The present research demonstrates a lack of knowledge about the main concepts of healthy nutrition both in the youngest and oldest participants of the survey. This evidence, together with the presence of higher self-consciousness in GR2, should be taken into account in specific educational interventions during the school period.

Association of physical activity and body mass index with metabolic syndrome among US adolescents with disabilities

BackgroundAdolescents with disabilities (A-With-D) have shown to be less physically active and more obese compared to adolescents without disabilities (A-Without-D); however, little is known in regards to the impact of physical activity (PA) and body mass index (BMI) on metabolic syndrome (MetS) among A-with-D. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of MetS, PA levels and BMI percentile between A-With-D and A-Without-D, and to examine the influence of PA and BMI on MetS among A-With-D. MethodsData from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2010 was used in this study. Inclusion criteria for the study consisted of those who indicated, in the survey, that they had received special education or early intervention service (n = 278). PA level was assessed subjectively by asking the amount of leisure time PA. BMI percentile was obtained using BMI growth charts by age and sex. The continuous MetS (cMetS) score was computed using age and sex standardized residual for mean arterial blood pressure, triglyceride, glucose, waist circumference, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. ResultsA-With-D were more likely to be obese and less likely to be engaged in PA compared to A-Without-D. A-With-D were less favorable to MetS with significantly higher cMetS scores than A-Without-D. Lower levels of PA and higher percentile of BMI were significantly associated with higher levels of cMetS scores among A-With-D. ConclusionThis study provided empirical evidence for the importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle (i.e., increasing the level of PA and decreasing the BMI percentile) among A-With-D in order to reduce the risk of MetS.

What do school personnel know, think and feel about food allergies?

BackgroundThe incidence of food allergy is such that most schools will be attended by at least one food allergic child, obliging school personnel to cope with cases at risk of severe allergic reactions. Schools need to know about food allergy and anaphylaxis management to ensure the personal safety of an increasing number of students. The aim of this study was to investigate Italian school teachers and principals’ knowledge, perceptions and feelings concerning food allergy and anaphylaxis, to deeply understand how to effectively support schools to manage a severely allergic child. In addition a further assessment of the impact of multidisciplinary courses on participants was undertaken.Methods1184 school teachers and principals attended courses on food allergy and anaphylaxis management at school were questioned before and after their course. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the resulting data.ResultsParticipants tended to overestimate the prevalence of food allergy; 79.3% were able to identify the foods most likely involved and 90.8% knew the most frequent symptoms. 81.9% were familiar with the typical symptoms of anaphylaxis but, while the majority (65.4%) knew that “adrenaline” is the best medication for anaphylaxis, only 34.5% knew indications of using adrenaline in children. 48.5% thoroughly understood dietary exclusion. School personnel considered that food allergic students could have social difficulties (10.2%) and/or emotional consequences (37.2%) because of their condition. “Concern” was the emotion that most respondents (66.9%) associated with food allergy. At the end of the course, the number of correct answers to the test increased significantly.ConclusionsHaving adequately trained and cooperative school personnel is crucial to significantly reduce emergencies and fatal reactions. The results emphasize the need for specific educational interventions and improvements in school health policies to support schools to deal with allergic students ensuring their safety and psychological well-being.

Delayed Special Education Placement for Learning Disabilities Among Children of Immigrants

Prior theory and research suggest that children of immigrants would be at especially high risk for special education placement with learning disabilities. However, their longitudinal special education placement patterns have received scant attention. This study examines temporal patterns of special education placement among children of immigrants, focusing on the timing of special education placement for learning disabilities among first- or second-generation children compared with their third-plus generation peers. Results provide evidence that children of immigrants face comparatively lower odds of receiving early special education intervention services, but demonstrate an increasing risk as the school years progress. This relationship is explained by children of immigrants’ frequent participation in English as a second language programs in the early grades.

Developmental Disabilities From Childhood to Adulthood: What Works for Psychiatrists in Community and Institutional SettingsDevelopmental Disabilities From Childhood to Adulthood: What Works for Psychiatrists in Community and Institutional Settings Dryden-EdwardsRoxanne C.M.D. and Combrinck-GrahamLeeM.D.; Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010, 376 pages, $67

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Book ReviewsFull AccessDevelopmental Disabilities From Childhood to Adulthood: What Works for Psychiatrists in Community and Institutional SettingsTimothy C. Van Deusen, M.D.Timothy C. Van DeusenSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:1 Aug 2012https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20120p839aAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Developmental Disabilities From Childhood to Adulthood: What Works for Psychiatrists in Community and Institutional SettingsDryden-EdwardsRoxanne C.M.D. and Combrinck-GrahamLeeM.D.; Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010, 376 pages, $67While reading Developmental Disabilities From Childhood to Adulthood, one realizes how complex this group of patients can be and the challenges that arise in treatment. Despite these challenges, the rewards can be astounding, especially when the patients make progress.This text is a collaboration of many authors and comprises 15 chapters arranged in five parts: development disabilities, etiology and assessment, community living, interventions, and special issues. The editors were wise to allow the wide range of topics; the result provides the reader a solid reference for learning more. Joel D. Bregman, M.D., begins the book with an overview of developmental disabilities and discusses controversies in definitions and conceptions, stating “they have ranged from structure vs. function to defect vs. differences to transient delay vs. permanent impairment to disability vs. differential ability.” Since the 1990s, there has been a shift from considering tested intelligence to considering adaptive functioning as the primary indicator of severity. Dr. Bregman states that this shift provided researchers little direction and created confusion, because adaptive functioning has little standardization. Adding to that confusion is the term “developmental delay,” used to describe children with problems in development. Dr. Bregman refers to a 1998 study that advised that the term “delay” is best used as a chief complaint or presenting symptom rather than a diagnosis. He completes the chapter by discussing epidemiology, etiology, risk factors, and finally specific genetic and clinical groups associated with developmental disabilities.When assessing patients who may be nonverbal, many psychiatrists struggle and must depend on caretakers or family members to describe problematic behaviors or symptoms. The excellent chapter on assessment by Stephanie Hamarman, M.D., presents many issues to consider for thorough assessments. She defines “diagnostic overshadowing” in which mental retardation “overshadows” other psychiatric diagnoses, such as depression, anxiety, and psychosis, and results in a failure to make the additional diagnosis. Many states separate mental retardation from mental health services, with the effect of blocking treatment of psychiatric disorders. The authrodiscusses studies showing the prevalence of both mental retardation and psychiatric disorders (dual diagnosis) and questions whether traditional DSM or ICD diagnosis is applicable for persons with mental retardation who are not able to participate fully in an assessment. As severity of retardation increases, so too does the difficulty in recognizing and distinguishing a psychiatric diagnosis. Behaviors that require psychiatric intervention include hyperactivity, inattention, irritability, and aggression, which can improve with medications even if the diagnosis is not clearly established. Dr. Hamarman completes the chapter with a discussion of diagnostic scales, including autism instruments, medical conditions, speech delay, eating disorders, and psychosis.Dr. Combrinck-Graham's chapter, “A Life Cycle Approach to Developmental Disabilities,” reviews Erik Erikson's eight stages of development. It is useful to consider how difficult it must be for limited individuals to master these stages, and educating families and caregivers about these milestones can be helpful. She diagrams the family life cycle to be a continuous spiral in which the relationships of three generations of traditional families interact. However, this concept is difficult to apply to patients from broken homes who are in the care of child services.Other chapters cover community living; interventions, including legal aspects of special education, pharmacotherapy, and behavioral interventions; and ethical issues and advocacy. Most chapters include a case example to illustrate the particular area of study. Developmental Disabilities From Childhood to Adulthood is written for community psychiatrists, but other mental health practitioners who turn to this volume will also benefit and can use it as a reliable textbook.Dr. Van Deusen is attending psychiatrist, Young Adult Service, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, and assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine.The reviewer reports no competing interests. FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited ByLocating, understanding and celebrating disability: Revisiting Erikson’s “stages”28 April 2017 | Feminism & Psychology, Vol. 28, No. 3 Volume 63Issue 8 August 2012Pages 839-840 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 August 2012 Published in print 1 August 2012

Primary care intervention programme to improve early detection of hearing loss in the elderly

To improve audiology screening in general practice, using an intervention programme aiming to empower older adults and their general practitioners. We conducted a quasi-experimental community study comparing 206 patients and two control groups (the first being 101 people registered with the same general practitioner, and the second 87 people registered with another general practitioner). Outcome measures were: rates of hearing tests in the six months before interview, and screening recommendation by the general practitioner. Amongst patients, there was a significant increase in numbers undergoing a hearing test, from 19 per cent before the intervention to 49 per cent two years later, while in the two control groups there was little change. Twenty-two per cent of patients and 19 per cent of the first control group reported that their physicians suggested undergoing a hearing test; the second control group subjects (whose general practitioners received no specific educational intervention) showed no change. The two crucial factors for improving hearing screening uptake in the elderly are general practitioner education and patient empowerment.

The Alignment of CEC/DEC and NAEYC Personnel Preparation Standards

This article describes the process for alignment of the personnel preparation standards developed by the Council for Exceptional Children and Division for Early Childhood with the standards developed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The results identify areas of convergence across the two sets of standards and areas that were primarily addressed through only one set of standards. Areas of nonalignment may constitute specialized knowledge and skills within the disciplines of special education, early childhood special education and early intervention, and early childhood education. This standards alignment can be used by states and university and college personnel preparation programs to develop blended programs that highly qualified early childhood professionals to meet the needs of all children in a variety of settings.

Early Childhood Special Education and Early Intervention Personnel Preparation Standards of the Division for Early Childhood

Results of the field validation survey of the revised initial and new advanced Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Division for Early Childhood (DEC) early childhood special education (ECSE)/early intervention (EI) personnel standards are presented. Personnel standards are used as part of educational accountability systems and in teacher personnel preparation program accreditation to train highly qualified teachers. DEC and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) members were partners in the validation survey. The method and survey procedures are described along with the knowledge and skill standards selected as essential and retained in the final DEC ECSE/EI approved sets of standards. Purposeful sampling was used to select DEC respondents for their knowledge and expertise in personnel preparation and operation of ECSE/EI and early childhood education (ECE) programs. Results from the DEC and NAEYC respondents are compared and contrasted. Challenges and limitations are discussed.