Support Services For Children Research Articles

Visual acuity and reading print size requirements in children with vision impairment

ABSTRACT Clinical Relevance The support of students with a vision impairment throughout education could be enhanced by assessing the functional reading ability of the individual. This visual assessment could inform educators of individualised student needs and potentially improve the academic achievement for these students. Background Support for children with a vision impairment within a classroom is typically based on clinical findings of distance visual acuity and visual fields. Therefore, determining optimal print size for reading is essential to ensure best academic outcomes. Secondary aims were to investigate the possible impact of underlying pathology on reading ability. Methods Forty-seven participants were recruited from a state-wide support service for children with a vision impairment in South Australia. Three visual acuity groups were formed based on World Health Organisation definitions of mild, moderate, and severe vision impairment. Correlation between clinical measures of distance visual acuity using the Freiburg Visual Acuity Test, were compared with reading acuity and critical print size (smallest font before reading speed reduced) using Minnesota low vision reading chart (MNREAD). Results No significant correlations were found for mild (0.20–0.49 logMAR) and severe (1.00–1.52 logMAR) vision impairment groups between distance visual acuity and reading acuity read (p = .64, CI [−.585, .395]/p = .82, CI [−.48, .58]) or critical print size (p = .78, CI [−.57, .45]/p = .43, CI [−.34, .68]. A significant correlation was found for the moderate vision impairment group: 0.50–0.99 logMAR for minimum reading acuity (p < .001, CI [.44, .91]) and critical print size (p = .03, CI [.05, .80]). Conclusions Standard clinical measures of distance visual acuity are an unpredictable estimate of reading ability in children with mild and severe vision impairment. Additional measures of functional near reading ability could provide a more meaningful indicator of reading ability and help provide optimum support to students through education.

Experiences of Parental PTSD for Children Aged 9–17 in Military and Emergency First Responder Families

AbstractThis study is the first to examine the experiences of children aged 9–17 who have a military or emergency first responder (EFR) parent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These experiences of children are important to understand through a lens of intergenerational trauma theory, given the high rates of PTSD in these service populations. Additionally, we need to know if they differ from the experiences of children of civilian parents with PTSD. To examine this, we conducted a total of 17 in-depth interviews in Australia with 5 service parents, 5 co-parents and 7 children aged 9–17 who have a parent who had formerly served in the military or an emergency service. Interviewees were not always from the same family. The families included single-parent, dual-parent, separated, and same-sex families. Gender and service type (military or EFR) were evenly distributed among interviewees. We used a critical humanist approach and undertook a reflexive thematic analysis of the interview data. The major themes were (1) parental emotional extremes, volatility, and unpredictability, (2) changes in home and family relations, (3) impacts on child wellbeing, and (4) PTSD awareness and help-seeking. We found evidence of specific impacts for children related to a combination of parental PTSD symptoms and service conditioning and culture. This study highlights the role of reduced parental capacity in the transmission of trauma from parent to child. It provides an evidence base to direct policy and research into targeted and culturally specific therapeutic interventions and support services for children and parents in service families living with PTSD.

Addressing Barriers to Inclusion: Challenges and Recommendations for Inclusive Primary Education in Bangladesh

Despite policy commitments to inclusive education, significant barriers hinder its true realization in Bangladesh, particularly at the primary level. This research utilizes secondary data analysis to comprehensively identify and examine these challenges, drawing insights from official reports, academic literature, and stakeholder interviews. The study investigates four primary domains: policy and infrastructure, teacher preparedness and practices, attitudes and awareness, and accessibility and support mechanisms. Findings reveal systemic limitations in infrastructure and resource allocation, inadequate teacher training in inclusive pedagogies, persisting negative attitudes towards diverse learners, and insufficient support services for children with disabilities and marginalized backgrounds. Drawing on these insights, the paper proposes multi-pronged recommendations across each domain, advocating for: 1) strengthened policy frameworks and resource allocation, 2) comprehensive teacher training in inclusive practices and differentiated instruction, 3) community-based awareness campaigns on inclusion and diversity, and 4) improved accessibility measures in schools and learning materials. The research emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts at national, local, and school levels to dismantle identified barriers and create a truly inclusive primary education system in Bangladesh, ensuring equitable access and quality learning for all children.

Online peer support for children with a family member experiencing mental health challenges: perspectives from children and young people during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Objective This study aimed to investigate the benefits and difficulties with providing online peer support services for children with a family member experiencing mental health challenges. Method Using a qualitative descriptive design, the perspectives were gathered of Australian children and young people with a family member experiencing mental health challenges and had participated in online peer support activities during the COVID-19 restrictions of 2020 and 2021. Five age-differentiated focus groups were held with participants aged between 8 and 24 years (N = 32), and interviews were held with youth peer leaders (N = 3) and program facilitators (N = 6). Results This paper presents seven themes generated from the qualitative data. The themes captured the benefits of an online setting such as enabling greater accessibility, participation and comfort. Juxtaposed with this, themes also captured challenges such as the unease and risks of participating online, as well as the perspective that in-person activities facilitated stronger and quicker connections. Discussion It was concluded that a blended model of online and in-person support services is likely to be valuable for children with a family member experiencing mental health challenges to ensure accessibility and provide the capacity to meet the varied needs of this cohort.

Needs for Child Abuse Reporting Process Among Korean Child Support Agency Professionals

This study aims at investigating the need for child abuse reporting a system among the professionals at the Child Support Agency. Based on the review of the job characteristics of the child support services and the examples of the child abuse reporting systems in similar agencies in and out of Korea, focus group interviews were conducted with eight professionals from the Child Support Agency. The results showed that they were frequently exposed to suspicious child abuse cases. However, the professions tended not to report the cases due to uncertainty about following the original goal of the service and absence of reporting procedure. The unique needs for a child abuse report process for the professions in the Child Support Agency were discussed in this study.

SOCIAL AND PEDAGOGICAL SUPPORT OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS IN DAY CARE CENTERS

The article highlights the problem of ensuring the full development of children with disabilities in day care centers. Despite the fact that today children with disabilities can be included in the education system of regular educational institutions, the full integration of such children into the unified educational space of Ukraine is currently under considerable doubt. This is due to the need for great changes: development of a model for working with such children; improvement of activities of support services for children in educational institutions; significant difference in the level of development of children with special educational needs compared to their healthy peers. Among the tasks of the day care center there are the following ones: promotion of the development of abilities in accordance with the interests and needs of persons with disabilities; organization of their leisure time; formation of knowledge, abilities and skills regarding self-care; mastering the norms of behavior in society, etc. The main role in implementing the tasks of such institutions is played by socio-pedagogical work with children, which involves the unity of socio-pedagogical focus on the development of children with disabilities. The essence of socio-pedagogical work with children with special educational needs in such centers on the basis of support was analyzed. Definitions of "social support", "pedagogical support" and "social-pedagogical support" were provided. The features of socio-pedagogical support for children with special educational needs were identified, including: purposeful step-by-step activities (diagnostics of the child's real state and level of development; planning and forecasting the child's development process; counseling; direct implementation of socio-pedagogical activities; remedial work; monitoring of intermediate and final results of social and pedagogical work with such children); provision of a safe educational and developmental environment; creating a "success situation"; person-oriented, individual and differentiated approaches; interdisciplinary approach; multidisciplinary nature; specially oriented methods and ways of influencing children with special educational needs. Kindergartens should create conditions for comprehensive development of children, improve their well-being, and specialists who work with such children should be highly qualified and constantly self-educated in order to find effective ways to help each child.

Experiences of parents and stakeholders in caring for, and supporting children with special needs in Ghana.

We studied the caring, parenting, and support services for children with special needs in Ghana. Many of the study participants reported re-adjusting their lives in virtually every domain-social, economic, and emotional to deal with and manage the new realities. How parents navigate this space varied considerably from setting to setting. Regardless of individual and interpersonal resources, community, institutional, and policy circumstances seemed to exacerbate notions of disability. In many instances, parents had a low depth of suspicion about the precursors to disabling events in their children. Parents are constantly pursuing health care, including a cure for their children with disabilities. Views about "otherness" were noted, and these tended to undermine medical interpretations/explanations of disability generally, which in turn affected formal education and health-seeking for children. Institutional arrangements exist to encourage parents to invest in their children regardless of their perceived abilities. However, these do not seem to be sufficient, particularly for health and formal education. Programming and policy implications are highlighted.

Education support services for improving school engagement and academic performance of children and adolescents with a chronic health condition.

Education support services for improving school engagement and academic performance of children and adolescents with a chronic health condition.

AWARENESS OF PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES ABOUT EARLY SUPPORT SERVICES

Parents of children with disabilities receive many different forms of support, and among those is also the support provided by professionals from different systems. It is very important for parents to be informed about early support services so that their children can be included in the services in a timely manner. The aim of this research was to determine parents’ awareness of the system of early support services for children with disabilities and their families in Brod-Posavina and Istria counties.In total, 152 parents participated in the study, out of which 63,8% were female and 36,2% were male. The average age of parents is 38 years. Data was collected using a questionnaire specifically designed for the purpose of this study, which is a component of a large-scale research on early support provided to children with disabilities and their parents. The first part of the questionnaire concerns sociodemographic characteristics, while the second part deals with the parents’ awareness of the system of early support services with regard to sociodemographic characteristics of parents. Considering the findings of the regression analysis, parents with a higher education were also better informed about early support services (ß = .25, p &lt; .01). The collected data are a useful source about information of early support services by parents.Key words: system of early support services, parents' awareness, children with disabilities.

Going Beyond the Known: Pilot Study on Prevalence, Situational Context and Consequences of Sexual Abuse of Children and Adolescents in Germany

The current study assesses prevalence rates, circumstances and consequences of sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence. A random sample from an urban population (18-69 years) was surveyed by postal or online questionnaire. Instruments included WHO-5 well-being index, knowledge on support services for children and adolescents experiencing sexual abuse, incidents and consequences of sexual abuse. 159 persons returned the questionnaire (17.3%). 18.2% experienced sexual abuse. Of these, 34.5% disclosed sexual abuse for the first time. Psychological well-being was significantly lower in sexually abused persons. There was a lack of knowledge regarding support services for sexually abused ones. The present design is applicable in the context of a nationwide representative survey on childhood sexual abuse and provides insights into the field of concealed sexual abuse.

Caregiver and Clinician Experience With Virtual Services for Children and Youth With Complex Needs During COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, support services for children and youth quickly shifted to virtual means. To continue delivering essential, trauma-informed, specialized services, a center transitioned to providing most services by phone/videoconference. A quality improvement project using survey methods was conducted to determine if virtual delivery was timely and satisfactory for inpatient and outpatient care. Findings indicated services were timely, and caregivers appreciated the support received, felt a personal connection with staff, and confirmed services met their goals and expectations. However, challenges faced by staff included engaging the child/youth by phone/video, loss of collaboration with colleagues, and concerns about fulfilling their role through virtual means. Understanding stakeholder experiences illuminated the path of quality improvement during this major shift in service delivery. Benefits were shown for a blended model of in-person and virtual services based on clinical judgement and the unique needs of clients and families in considering future service model options.

Supporting school nurses to deliver emotional and mental health interventions: a service evaluation

School nurses often encounter children and young people with emotional and mental health needs and therefore need to be able to manage potentially distressing situations. A service evaluation explored the experiences and perceptions of a small school nursing team of the support they receive to deliver emotional and mental health interventions. Three school nurses and one child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) practitioner, all working in a remote and rural area of Scotland, took part in individual semi-structured interviews.Peer support emerged as the most important facilitator but participants lacked time to access it. Training was identified as another crucial source of support, but again time for it was lacking. Moreover, limited access to further support services for children and young people, and a lack of recognition and understanding of participants’ role by others, made it more challenging for participants to deliver emotional and mental health interventions. School nurses could be better supported in that aspect of their role by ensuring they have time for reflection and learning; by enhancing the training, tools and resources available to them; and by improving their professional recognition within and outside the NHS.

Animal-Assisted Counseling for Young Children: Evidence Base, Best Practices, and Future Prospects.

Increasing numbers of young children are experiencing mild to moderate mental health issues that require support in addition to that typically provided by family members and teachers. The services of professional counselors can be particularly useful when children need help adjusting to and coping with various stressors and situations. Many school counselors and other mental health professionals have found that carefully planned interactions between young children and animals (e.g., guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, horses) represent an effective alternative/complementary therapeutic modality. Animals may provide an accepting, nonjudgmental presence that focuses young children’s attention, motivates them to learn, and encourages participation in planned intervention activities. This article begins by describing the general purposes for counseling with young children and the role that early childhood educators can play in increasing families’ awareness of and access to these services in their communities. Next, it defines animal-assisted counseling and reviews the relevant research to build a rationale for including carefully selected animals in mental health support services for children. The third section discusses caveats about involving animals in individual and small group counseling sessions, in classrooms, and in other facilities/programs that work with young children. The article then summarizes best practices in animal-assisted counseling and how they are influenced by variables within the child, animal welfare considerations, different contexts, availability of resources, and interagency collaborations. The conclusion is a statement on the future of animal-assisted counseling for young children and how it supports the goals of humane education.

Do Carrots Work Better than Sticks? Results from the National Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration

AbstractMost children in the United States will spend at least part of their childhood living apart from one of their parents; the child support system is designed to ensure that they nonetheless receive financial support. While the system is largely effective when noncustodial parents have substantial regular earnings, many noncustodial parents, including a disproportionate share of those whose children live in poverty, have limited earnings and ability to pay child support. The system's response to nonpayment is primarily “sticks,” that is, threats and punishments. Nonexperimental evaluations of alternative approaches have shown promise. The National Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration (CSPED), a large‐scale random‐assignment evaluation enrolling more than 10,000 noncustodial parents across 18 locations in eight states, was designed to test the effectiveness of an alternative approach—adjusting child support orders, reducing punitive enforcement, and offering employment and parenting services. We find that CSPED, using carrots in place of sticks, substantially increased the satisfaction of noncustodial parents with child support services, lowered the amount of support owed, and increased noncustodial parents’ sense of responsibility for their children. However, CSPED had limited to no effects on child support compliance, child support payments, or employment outcomes.

Employment and child support outcomes among noncustodial fathers: An evaluation of the Fathers Advancing Community Together program.

Prior research underscores the importance of fathers' involvement in their children's lives. However, there is mixed evidence about the degree to which fatherhood programs improve economic stability and child support outcomes among noncustodial fathers. We attempted to address some of these gaps in the literature by evaluating the Fathers Advancing Community Together (FACT) program. FACT was implemented by Rubicon Programs, a community-based nonprofit organization in the Bay Area, California known for providing services to help move people out of poverty. The program provided parents economic stability, responsible parenting, and healthy relationship workshops, as well as support services and intensive case management. We relied on data from the Department of Child Support Services to assess whether FACT increased the likelihood of employment, child support modifications, and child support payments among noncustodial fathers during a 6-month post-enrollment period. Using 3:1 coarsened exact matching procedures, the total sample resulted in 744 fathers (186 in the intervention group and 558 in the comparison group). Results from logistic regression models indicate that FACT participants were more likely to be employed and more likely to receive a child support modification during the post-enrollment period than their comparison counterparts, though we found no significant relationship between FACT participation and whether fathers made a child support payment.

Исследование влияния аутизма ребёнка на бюджет семьи, в которой он растёт

This article examined the effect of presence of a child with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) on the family budget. The article presents the effect on the structure of expenses, reveals which main factors the budget depend. The article considers the results of the response of 629 respondents from 43 regions of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus to one of the questionnaire questions (more than 20 items in total): «You have a child with ASD in your family. How does this affect the family budget»? 8.3% of respondents do not note any impact of the child’s autism on the family budget; 46.4% («does not influence» and «affects tolerably») do not consider this impact as negative, 53.6% — as negative to varying degrees (including «negative» — 24.5%, «very negative» — 16.8%, «catastrophically negative» — 12.5%). It has been shown that the dependence of the negative impact on the economy of a family in which there is a child with autism is weak, although statistically significant (polychoric indicator of the relationship K = 0.12, P &lt; 0.05) depends on the region of residence, and the economic well-being of the region (donor/recipient) is more affected, but the quality and range of services provided in the region to children with ASD and the families in which they grow up. The need to develop the expert community and state certification of support services for children with ASD and the quality of their provision was noted.

Interprofessional Collaboration in the Care of Children With Complex Care Needs: The Experiences of Children, Their Families, and the Intersectoral Care Team

Introduction: Coordinated care has the potential to provide positive outcomes for children with complex care needs (CCN) and their caregivers. This population requires a multitude of services that are administered by various providers across sectors. Research has shown that care for this demographic can be improved through interprofessional care models and communication among providers. The primary objective of this study was to explore the barriers to collaboration among members of the care team. The second objective was to identify ways to improve coordination between caregivers and providers. Methods: This qualitative study focused on the perspectives of caregivers of children with CCN, health professionals, educators, and social care providers regarding their experiences with interprofessional collaboration in the care of children with CCN and their families in two Atlantic Canadian provinces (New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island). The study was conducted using semi-structured interviews of 32 family members and 88 stakeholders from the educational, health, and social sectors. Interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun &amp; Clarke, 2006). Results: Participants included caregivers, health-care providers, educators, social workers, and therapists. All participants were involved in the care of children with CCN. Findings indicate that participants experience difficulties when accessing primary care and support services for children with CCN. These barriers were correlated with fragmented and uncoordinated care. Results were organized into three main themes: (a) Role Clarification, (b) Communication, and (c) Patient/Family-Centred Care. Each theme was explained through subthemes highlighting experiences of caregivers and care providers across sectors. Discussion: This study emphasized the need for increased research and evidence-based practices to address the current barriers to collaboration among care providers and caregivers when caring for children with CCN. By providing a patient-centred approach, there is opportunity to improve collaboration among providers and with caregivers while meeting the care needs of children with CCN.

Helen Milroy: pioneer in Indigenous and child mental health

In 1983, Helen Milroy became Australia's first Indigenous doctor to qualify medicine—a pivotal moment in the country's history. She never envisioned being a trailblazer, but her list of firsts in Australia includes being the first Indigenous psychiatrist and the first Indigenous Commissioner to the Australian Football League. Reflecting today as the Stan Perron Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Perth Children's Hospital and the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the Co-Director of Embrace at Telethon Kids Institute, she says: “My passion is to make sure we get the best wellbeing and mental health outcomes for our kids right across Australia.” Pat Dudgeon, Professor of Indigenous Psychology at UWA, recognises her contribution to strengthening support services for children's mental health, and comments: “Helen has created a bridge between Aboriginal and mainstream mental health and understandings. Her pioneering work developing cultural models of care and healing, using art and narratives alongside psychiatric concepts, has enabled her to combine Aboriginal and western knowledge systems to train and educate mental health workers all over the world.”

Being a parent of a child with Down’s arthritis: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Purpose To explore the parental impact and experiences of caring for a child with Down’s arthritis (DA), an aggressive, erosive form of arthritis affecting children with Down syndrome. Materials and methods Ten mothers of children with DA were interviewed via telephone. Interviews were guided using a semi-structured non-directive topic guide and ranged from 17 to 242 minutes in duration. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was the method of analysis. Results Three superordinate themes were identified: “Struggle for Help,” “Mothers Know Best,” and “Daily Impacts.” Common challenges included issues around child pain, communication, and challenges in accessing diagnoses and relevant healthcare services. Parents portrayed a reality characterised by ongoing struggles, particularly parents of nonverbal children and those living further from paediatric rheumatology services. Connecting with other parents of children with DA provided a vital source of emotional and informational support. Conclusions Findings provide novel insight into the experience of being mother of a child with DA, highlighting regional healthcare disparities, the need for upskilling of healthcare professionals, and for increased public awareness. Further research is needed to better understand the impact of DA on fathers and siblings. Findings can contribute to development and provision of supports to children with DA and their families. Implications for Rehabilitation Healthcare professionals need to be upskilled in the treatment of, and communication with, children with Down syndrome with chronic illnesses and their families. A specialised stream of care for children with Down’s arthritis (DA) within paediatric rheumatology services may facilitate timely diagnosis and treatment and minimise risk of future complications. Formalised support services for children with DA and their families are needed to minimise emotional distress.

Satisfaction with Child Support Services

AbstractAlthough previous qualitative research in the United States suggests that noncustodial parents have difficult experiences with the child support system, there is no large-scale study of sat...