As the first exploratory qualitative study on child sexual abuse in the People's Republic of China, this study adopted system-individual-culture-gender-resilience perspectives under social constructionism approach using the family as the unit of study, and extended the research parameters beyond the individual child to other systems. The data was collected through ethnography, family and couple interviews, individual interviews with parents and the abused children, participant and part-participant observation by this researcher in a village in north-eastern China. Six families were selected for the study, each with a 10-year-old daughter who had been sexually abused by the same male teacher for two years, with the said teacher engaging in molestation, masturbation, oral sex, intercourse, etc. on the girls, two of whom were also known to have been physically abused. The researcher conducted the field study between eight and thirteen months after the disclosure (over a six-month period), and sought to understand the family experiences from seven aspects: the disclosure process, the family coping, traumatic experiences (including the abused and their family), the family relational process, the reactions from extra-familial systems, the healing process for the abused, and the need for professional support. / Results indicated that while the entire family was traumatically impacted, there were significant differences in reactions from male and female parents. In responding to "one of their own" being sexually exploited by an outsider, parents made concerted efforts in facing external ramifications, often at the expense of marginalizing the abused daughter and adding an extra burden on the whole family in healing from the trauma. Furthermore, parents were observed to become more protective in the process, providing physical care and material needs, and refraining from mentioning the trauma before the abused. As for emotional support, families varied in their coping at different stages in time. At the initial stage, parents seemed to be overshadowed by shame towards their daughter's loss of chastity. As time went by, they resumed their parenting routine, until eventually the adult-, sibling- and extended family relations constituted a circular impact that would in turn impact on the parent-child relations. The external systems, the family relational reality before disclosure, as well as family financial conditions combined could either facilitate or hinder the family system in seeking change. / The study further analyzed the systems and cultural mechanisms vis-a-vis the traumatic experience and family support, seeking to de-construct the chastity myth in the Chinese rural culture, as well as expert discourses in mainstream western research that focused on a psycho-pathological approach to study trauma. It further challenged the cultural practice of attributing blame to the individuals and their family, and provided recommendations to address the above-mentioned issues. / Western studies on the sexual abuse of children and the resulting trauma on the abused and their families have adopted primarily a psycho-pathological perspective. This has led to the tendency of blaming the victim, the mother and the family. Until now, comparative studies on this subject have not been carried out in a Chinese context. / 龍迪. / 論文(哲學博士)--香港中文大學, 2005. / 參考文獻(p. 464-487). / Adviser: Joyce Ma. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: A, page: 2753. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts also in English. / School code: 1307. / Lun wen (Zhe xue bo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2005. / Can kao wen xian (p. 464-487). / Long Di.

Expanding interests may be a behavioral cusp, resulting in widespread changes across skills, and therefore is particularly relevant in intervention programs for children with autism. Little research has addressed directly increasing the diversity of activities and interests for this population. This study describes a program developed to increase activities and interests in a girl dually-diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD-NOS) and Downs syndrome (DS). A multiple-baseline design across stimuli was employed to evaluate the program. The results show that the program increased number of total and different toy interactions. No effects were observed for overall duration of toy interactions. Results are discussed in relation to play skill instruction and preference assessment literature, the cusp, and autism intervention programs.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Deaf learners are unique and require special support and assistance. It is apparent in the literature that deaf learners are more exposed to both physical and sexual abuse. The consequences of the latter can lead to emotional problems, for example, enuresis, anxiety disorders, depression, panic attacks, anger outbursts and attention deficits. One of the biggest challenges in the life of deaf learners must surely be communication. Misunderstandings and subsequent frustrations that ensue, normally occur as a result of communication difficulties between deaf learners and the hearing person. From the literature it appears necessary to stimulate the deaf learner's language development as early as possible, as it impacts on several aspects of his/her maturation into adulthood. Communication difficulties can also influence the emotional development of deaf learners. Therapeutic support for deaf learners are a challenge. The therapist that works with the learners should ideally be able to sign. The young deaf learners do, however, not yet have a signing system and consequently communication is problematic. The learners themselves experience frustrations as he/she is not able to express his/her emotions. The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of developmental play therapy as a psychotherapeutic technique for the treatment of emotional problems in young deaf learners. To some degree, the technique makes it possible for verbal communication between therapist and learners to be replaced by physical contact. The aim of the activities is to take learners back to the early mother-child relationship and for the therapist to model healthy relationships. The research undertaken here is a qualitative case study. It was approached from an eco-systemic perspective, in other words learners are viewed as the core system which, in turn, is part of several other systems for example the family, school, church, community, etc. The systems are interdependent, which means that change in the one system also results in change within the other systems. In the data production video recordings, unstructured interviews, observations and field notes were used. Data analysis was done using the principles of coding. The results of the study show that developmental play therapy is indeed an effective psychotherapeutic technique in the treatment of emotional problems in young deaf learners. It would appear that the technique requires adaptation for deaf learners needs in order to be effective. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dowe leerders is uniek en het spesiale ondersteuning nodig. Uit die literatuur wil dit blyk of dowe leerders meer blootgestel word aan beide fisiese en seksuele mishandeling. Die gevolge van laasgenoemde kan lei tot meer emosionele probleme, byvoorbeeld enurese, angsversteurings, depressie, paniekaanvalle, woedeuitbarstings en aandagafleibaarheid. Een van die grootste uitdagings in dowe leerders se lewe is seker kommunikasie. Misverstande en frustrasies wat daaruit vloei, ontstaan gewoonlik as gevolg van kommunikasieprobieme tussen dowe leerders en die horende persoon. Uit die literatuur blyk dit noodsaaklik om dowe leerders se taalontwikkeling so vroeg as moontlik te stimuleer aangesien dit verskeie aspekte in sy/haar volwassewordingsproses beïnvloed. Kommunikasieprobleme het ook 'n invloed op dowe leerders se emosionele ontwikkeling. Terapeutiese ondersteuning van dowe leerders is 'n uitdaging. Die terapeut wat met die leerders werk, moet verkieslik gebaretaal kan praat. Die jong dowe leerders het egter nog nie werklik 'n gebaresisteem nie en gevolglik is kommunikasie 'n probleem. Die leerders self ervaar frustrasies, omdat hy/sy nie die vermoê het om uiting te gee aan sy/haar emosies nie. Die doel met hierdie studie was om die moontlikheid van ontwikkelende speelterapie as psigoterapeutiese tegniek in die hantering van emosionele probleme by jong dowe leerders te ondersoek. Die tegniek maak dit in 'n mate moontlik om die verbale kommunikasie tussen terapeut en leerders te vervang met fisiese kontak. Die doel met die aktiwiteite is om die leerders terug te neem na die vroeê moeder - kindverhouding en gesonde verhoudings deur die terapeut te modelleer. Die navorsing neem die vorm van 'n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie aan. Dit word benader vanuit 'n ekosistemiese perspektief, dit wil sê die leerders word gesien as die kernsisteem wat deel is van verskeie ander sisteme soos byvoorbeeld die familie, skool, kerk en gemeenskap. Die sisteme is interafhanklik wat beteken dat verandering in die een sisteem ook verandering in die ander sisteme tot gevolg het. In die data-produksie is tegnieke naamlik video-opnames, ongestruktureerde onderhoude, observasies en veldnotas gebruik. Data-analise is volgens die beginsels van kodering gedoen. Die resultate van die onderhewige studie wys daarop dat ontwikkelende speelterapie wel In effektiewe psigoterapeutiese tegniek is in die hantering van emosionele probleme by jong dowe leerders. Dit wil voorkom of die tegniek aangepas moet word by dowe leerders se behoeftes om werklik effektief te wees.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Preparation for Adult Living skills training program by measuring the learning gains and learning outcomes of students participating in the training. The quasi-experimental posttest control group design was used. A treatment sample of twelve students received the Preparation for Adult Living training. A nontreatment sample was selected by matching the characteristics of educational and reading level and the gender of twelve students with no previous independent living skills training with those of the treatment sample. Students in the treatment sample were tested for learning gains using the Preparation for Adult Living Test. Both the treatment and nontreatment sample were tested using the post-training Preparation for Adult Living Scale to determine the level of their learning outcomes. The Preparation for Adult Living Test results were analyzed using the t-test for correlated samples of pretests and posttests. The t-test for independent samples was used to analyze the Preparation for Adult Living Scale results to determine the students' learning outcomes. A Pearson r correlation coefficient was calculated for Preparation for Adult Living Scale scores to determine if a relationship existed between employment and the life coping skills of the treatment sample. The findings indicated that no learning gains were made during the training, but that the training had an impact on the students' post-training life-coping skills. A strong relationship was found between the specific life-coping and employment skills of the treatment sample. Investigation of the reliability and validity of the Preparation for Adult Living Test and Scale instruments was recommended.

Rapport has been acknowledged as an important variable in therapeutic contexts. The current evaluation defined and assessed rapport quality between children with autism and behavioral therapists based on behavioral correlates. In addition, the author evaluated the effects of an operant discrimination training procedure to enhance rapport levels for therapists with low levels of rapport. More specifically, the current study evaluated: (a) if the discrimination training procedure would establish therapists’ social interactions as a discriminative stimulus and (b) if social interaction would function as a conditioned reinforcer for novel responses. Results suggest that the discrimination training procedure was successful in conditioning social interaction as a reinforcer for all child participants, and as a result, rapport increased.

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) on the social competence, empathy, and self-regulation of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The constructs of social competence, empathy, and self-regulation were measured using the Social-Emotional Assets Rating Scale (SEARS). This study utilized a single-case design; the researcher collected data throughout the duration of the study, including baseline, treatment, and follow-up phases. The sample included 5 children ranging from ages 6 to 8 years old: 3 Caucasian males, 1 African-American female, and 1 Latin-American female. Mothers of the participants completed the parent form of the SEARS once per week throughout all phases of the study. During the treatment phase of the study, the children participated in CCPT approximately 2 times per week for 30 minutes each time. Visual analysis of the data indicated play therapy was beneficial for three participants, as they demonstrated improvements in social competence, empathy, and self-regulation. Two participants responded to the intervention with mixed results. Discussion includes implications for clinical practice and future research as well as limitations of the study.

[Truncated abstract] This thesis consists of five experimental studies from seven data collection periods. The first two studies quantitatively analyse children with and without cerebral palsy using upper limb three dimensional (3D) motion analysis. Upper limb angular kinematics and sub-structures were measured and analysed, both of which were utilised during subsequent studies. The final three studies assess the efficacy of lycra® arm splints using clinical assessments, 3D dimensional upper limb kinematics and 3D sub-structures. Study 1 analysed 3D movement sub-structures in children with and without cerebral palsy ... The aim of the study was to quantitatively analyse movement sub-structures in children with and without cerebral palsy during four functional tasks taken from the Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function (Melbourne Assessment - Randall, Johnson & Reddihough, 1999) ... Results demonstrated significant differences in angular kinematics in children with and without cerebral palsy, while the methodology developed in this study provided improved insight into the movement of the upper limb and trunk during functional tasks. Study 3 reported a randomised controlled trial of lycra® arm splints in children with cerebral palsy across all levels of the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) ... Lycra® arm splints were shown to have a statistically significant impact at the level of participation, whereas no significant difference was seen at the level of impairment and activity. Study 4 reported a randomised controlled trial of the effects of lycra® arm splints on 3D movement sub-structures during functional tasks in children with cerebral palsy ... This research demonstrated that movement sub-structures (including movement time) can be quantified and are amenable to change with intervention. Study 5 reported a randomised controlled trial of the effects of lycra® arm splints on angular kinematics (thorax, shoulder and elbow) during functional tasks in children with cerebral palsy ... The benefits of the splint on angular kinematics were only apparent when worn for the 3 month period, as minimum evidence was established for the short-term (1hour) and long term (3 month post splint wear) carry-over effects.

My study arose in the context of an intervention programme aimed at the development of a child with autism’s communication and social interaction skills. The approach I take is a social constructionist one in which language is considered to be constructive and constitutive of social and psychological reality. This orientation challenges the assumptions of a western psychiatric approach that emphasizes the impairment and deficits associated with autism. The participants of the study are a 6-year-old boy diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (Autistic Spectrum), and his mother, father, sister and a volunteer on the intervention programme. The discourse analytic method of conversation analysis is employed as a means of elucidating the collaborative mechanisms employed by both the child and his co-participants in making sense of one another. The specific aims of the study are to closely examine the communicative behaviour and interactive styles of the child and his coparticipants, their implications for communicative success (co-ordinated interaction) or breakdown (discordant interaction), and the implications for how the child is positioned within the discourse in relation to his co-participants. My constructions of the data suggested that a playful, activity-based interactive style constituted by non-verbal turns, affection and short, simple utterances enhance mutual participation and the accomplishment of co-ordinated interaction. Barney’s co-participants sometimes tend to dominate interaction and frequently employ a strategy of repetitive questioning, which functions to direct and constrain the interaction and results in the child’s withdrawal and discordant interaction. This tendency to withdraw, however, seems to function as a means by which the child is able to actively resist positioning by others, and thus constitutes himself in a position of greater power. Furthermore, his use of the pronoun ‘I’ and collaborative negotiation of the words yours and mine suggest the active co-construction and positioning of himself as a separate person in relation to his co-participants. This research informs intervention efforts and encourages the co-participants to reflect on how interaction is co-constructed between themselves and the child.

Este trabalho descreve a implementação, construção e a validação de um dispositivo para desenvolvimento de exercícios fisioterapêuticos visando o tratamento da Paralisia Obstétrica do Plexo Braquial. O projeto consiste em uma mesa de exercício, denominada mesa de desenvolvimento motor e um software de controle de execução, histórico de exercícios, cadastro de pacientes, cadastro e histórico de medidas goniométricas. A mesa de desenvolvimento motor, construída em madeira, composta por 8 placas de circuito impresso, chamadas segmentos, cada qual constituída por matrizes de LEDs e sensores infravermelhos, permite ao fisioterapeuta a execução de exercícios personalizados para cada paciente, baseados no toque com a mão, do usuário, em um segmento acionado e aferição através de sensores ópticos. Quando o usuário toca o segmento indicado pela mesa, luzes verdes são acionadas juntamente com a sonorização de um nota musical. Quando é tocado um segmento que não foi indicado pela mesa, um sinal vermelho acusa o erro no exercício. Os exercícios executados são mediados por um sistema embarcado que envia ao software de controle dados de tempo de execução e erros cometidos durante o exercício. O software, por sua vez, permite que o fisioterapeuta acompanhe o progresso das sessões de cada um de seus pacientes através de gráficos construídos a partir dos dados de exercícios executados na mesa de desenvolvimento motor e nas medidas goniométricas, cadastradas manualmente pelo profissional a cada sessão. Observando-se os objetivos propostos para este trabalho, pode-se afirmar que o projeto alcançou bons resultados. Através da análise dos testes aplicados à solução, a fim de verificar padrões de comportamento em relação a iluminação ambiente, tempo de resposta e até mesmo a opinião do público, observou-se que a Mesa de Desenvolvimento motor mostrou-se uma solução lúdica de fácil utilização, integração e que oferece ao profissional o controle sobre o exercício, seus resultados e o progresso do paciente. / This paper describes the implementation, construction and validation of a device for developing the physiotherapy treatment of obstetric brachial plexus palsy. The project is the set of a table of exercises, called motor development table and execution control software and workout history, patient registration, cadastre and history goniometric measures. The motor development table, constructed in wood, comprising by 8 printed circuit boards, called segments, each one comprised of arrays of LEDs and infrared sensors, allows the physiotherapist performing custom exercises for each patient, where the base of operation are the user hand touch in a triggered segment, measured using optical sensors. When the user touch the triggered segment indicated by the motor development table, green lights are turned on with a musical note. When touched a segment that was not indicated by the table, a red light indicates an error on the proposed exercise. The exercises performed are mediated through an embedded system that sends data to the control software and runtime errors made during the exercise. The software, on the other hand, allows the physiotherapist to track the progress of the sessions from each one of his patients through detailed graphs constructed based on the data of exercises performed on the table and motor development in goniometric measures, registered manually by the professional in each session. Observing the proposed objectives for this work, it can be stated that the project achieved good results. By analyzing the tests applied to the solution in order to verify behavior patterns relative to environment illumination, response time and even the public opinion, it was observed that the motor development table proved to be an easy solution, integration, and offering to the professional control over exercises, their results and progress of the patient.

Este trabalho descreve a implementação, construção e a validação de um dispositivo para desenvolvimento de exercícios fisioterapêuticos visando o tratamento da Paralisia Obstétrica do Plexo Braquial. O projeto consiste em uma mesa de exercício, denominada mesa de desenvolvimento motor e um software de controle de execução, histórico de exercícios, cadastro de pacientes, cadastro e histórico de medidas goniométricas. A mesa de desenvolvimento motor, construída em madeira, composta por 8 placas de circuito impresso, chamadas segmentos, cada qual constituída por matrizes de LEDs e sensores infravermelhos, permite ao fisioterapeuta a execução de exercícios personalizados para cada paciente, baseados no toque com a mão, do usuário, em um segmento acionado e aferição através de sensores ópticos. Quando o usuário toca o segmento indicado pela mesa, luzes verdes são acionadas juntamente com a sonorização de um nota musical. Quando é tocado um segmento que não foi indicado pela mesa, um sinal vermelho acusa o erro no exercício. Os exercícios executados são mediados por um sistema embarcado que envia ao software de controle dados de tempo de execução e erros cometidos durante o exercício. O software, por sua vez, permite que o fisioterapeuta acompanhe o progresso das sessões de cada um de seus pacientes através de gráficos construídos a partir dos dados de exercícios executados na mesa de desenvolvimento motor e nas medidas goniométricas, cadastradas manualmente pelo profissional a cada sessão. Observando-se os objetivos propostos para este trabalho, pode-se afirmar que o projeto alcançou bons resultados. Através da análise dos testes aplicados à solução, a fim de verificar padrões de comportamento em relação a iluminação ambiente, tempo de resposta e até mesmo a opinião do público, observou-se que a Mesa de Desenvolvimento motor mostrou-se uma solução lúdica de fácil utilização, integração e que oferece ao profissional o controle sobre o exercício, seus resultados e o progresso do paciente. / This paper describes the implementation, construction and validation of a device for developing the physiotherapy treatment of obstetric brachial plexus palsy. The project is the set of a table of exercises, called motor development table and execution control software and workout history, patient registration, cadastre and history goniometric measures. The motor development table, constructed in wood, comprising by 8 printed circuit boards, called segments, each one comprised of arrays of LEDs and infrared sensors, allows the physiotherapist performing custom exercises for each patient, where the base of operation are the user hand touch in a triggered segment, measured using optical sensors. When the user touch the triggered segment indicated by the motor development table, green lights are turned on with a musical note. When touched a segment that was not indicated by the table, a red light indicates an error on the proposed exercise. The exercises performed are mediated through an embedded system that sends data to the control software and runtime errors made during the exercise. The software, on the other hand, allows the physiotherapist to track the progress of the sessions from each one of his patients through detailed graphs constructed based on the data of exercises performed on the table and motor development in goniometric measures, registered manually by the professional in each session. Observing the proposed objectives for this work, it can be stated that the project achieved good results. By analyzing the tests applied to the solution in order to verify behavior patterns relative to environment illumination, response time and even the public opinion, it was observed that the motor development table proved to be an easy solution, integration, and offering to the professional control over exercises, their results and progress of the patient.