This study examined the effects of a support group for parents of autistic children on the parents' reported stress levels.

Previous studies suggest that Medicaid-enrolled children have difficulties accessing dental care, which can lead to untreated dental disease, poor oral health, and compromised overall health status. While Medicaid-enrolled children with a chronic condition (CC) encounter additional barriers to dental care, most relevant studies on dental utilization fail to adopt risk adjustment methods. As such, the impact of CC status and CC severity on access to dental care for Medicaid-enrolled children is poorly understood. The main objectives of this dissertation were to: 1) compare dental utilization for Medicaid-enrolled children with and without a CC; 2) assess the relationship between CC severity and dental utilization; and 3) identify the other factors associated with dental utilization. The 3M Clinical Risk Grouping (CRG) Methods were applied to enrollee-level data from the Iowa Medicaid Program (2003-2008) to identify children with and without a CC and to classify children with a CC into a CC severity level. Three outcome measures were developed: 1) access to an annual dental visit; 2) use of dental services under general anesthesia (GA); and 3) time to the first dental visit after initial enrollment into the Medicaid program. We used multiple variable logistic regression models and survival analytic techniques to test our study hypotheses. Compared to Medicaid-enrolled children without a CC, those with a CC were more likely to have had an annual dental visit and earlier first dental visits. Having a CC was an important determinant of dental utilization under GA for older but not for younger Medicaid-enrolled children. In terms of CC severity, Medicaid-enrolled children with more severe CCs were less likely to have had an annual dental visit and more likely to have utilized dental services under GA. CC severity was not associated with the rate at which the first dental visit took place. Not residing in a dental Health Professional Shortage Area, previous use of dental care, and previous utilization of primary medical care were all positively associated with dental utilization. Identifying and understanding the determinants of access to dental care is an important first step in developing clinical interventions and policies aimed at improving access to dental care for all Medicaid-enrolled children. Future work should focus on identifying the socio-behavioral determinants of as well as the clinical outcomes associated with access to dental services for vulnerable children.

Thesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / Background: Disabled children with different conditions such as cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries, developmental delays, severe orthopaedic impairment, hydro and micro-cephalous are brought to Elim Hospital for rehabilitation therapy. Most of these disabled children stay with caregivers who are responsible for their care including rehabilitation therapy at home to avoid complications. The aim of the study was to establish factors that contribute to development of complications in disabled children. Methods: The quantitative descriptive study design was used and convenience sampling method was used to select 52 caregivers out of the population of 60. Questionnaires and observation checklist were used for data collection at the rehabilitation therapy clinic during their rehabilitation therapy visit. Data were analysed using SPSS version 22. Results: The results show that there is no association between diagnosis and the development of complications. There was an association between availability of resources which is one of the caregiver factors and the development of complications. Conclusion: The study concludes that, availability of resources to provide the rehabilitation therapy on the disabled children is the contributing caregiver factors on the development of complications in disabled children at Elim Hospital.

The Common Core Standards for Math (CCSM) require a fundamental shift in what is expected of students with and without disabilities. Computation and finding correct answers are no longer sufficient. Students need to articulate the basis of their understanding and extend it. Teachers of students with a mathematical learning disability (MLD) are challenged in meeting the immediate academic needs of their students as well as the expectations outlined by the new standards. Students identified as having MLD with a deficit in executive functioning (EF) are expected to utilize the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP) to access the CCSM as their general education peers do. Yet, when the three main brain functions of EF (working memory, mental flexibility, and self-control) are considered, deficits in these areas hinder access to the SMP. A compromise in any one of these functions may inhibit the students’ ability to master the standards.   This study examined which of the 11 identified EF skills are perceived deficiencies of students with MLD and deficits in EF, as well as what tools and resources are needed to support and develop EF skills in relation to the SMP. The focus was on the SMP and their use by K-5 teachers who serve students with MLD, coupled with cognitive deficits in EF. A manual was created specifically for this study, which found that the perceived deficit areas did not always align with the actual need areas by users of the manual. Respondents consistently identified resources aligned with EF skills associated with behavioral skills as most necessary, though survey results identified cognitive skills as most required to access the SMP. From a practical teaching perspective, these results are not surprising, as research has shown that a strong classroom culture (which directly correlates to internalization and use of behavioral executive functioning skills) is necessary for learning to take place, regardless of content. Participants indicated that the manual’s skills and strategies were beneficial for both the target population and general education students. Recommendations to expand the target audience of the manual and develop a training companion were crucial next steps.

Bibliography: pages 252-280. / Special Education encompasses a wide field. It is an expensive form of education and is often criticized for its shortcomings. One part of Special Education is remedial teaching for children with learning disabilities. In order to provide good quality services, it is necessary to evaluate what is currently being offered and what is envisaged as desirable for the future. This study focusses on those two factors by examining the perceptions of remedial teaching as held by educators (principals, regular class teachers and remedial teachers themselves) in fifty-two schools of the Department of Education and Culture - House of Representatives (DEC-HR). Current service provisions and the desired role of the remedial teacher are thus examined to determine whether educators perceive these as adequate and desirable. A study of the literature was undertaken and guided by those insights a questionnaire was drawn up. This was distributed to educators and the information was verified and augmented by personal interviews with remedial educators. Three hundred and twenty questionnaires were distributed. The views of principals, regular class teachers and remedial teachers were surveyed in those primary schools served by a remedial teacher. Descriptive statistical analyses were used to arrive at both quantitative and qualitative assessments of the position of Remedial Services in the Department of Education (House of Representatives). The study revealed a strong correspondence between the three groups of educators regarding their perception of remedial services. The author endeavours to illustrate that the lack of consensus about criteria for definition and classification of Learning Disability and consequently Remedial Education, leads to confusion of the role(s) remedial teachers are expected to fulfil. This affects the provision of adequate and effective remedial services to pupils in need of such specialised educational facilities. Results from this study led the author to draw up a proposed structure for Specialised Education, in particular, Remedial Education, in a unitary Education System in South Africa.

The effectiveness of a training procedure designed to teach developmentally disabled children to play by themselves was examined. In addition, the influence of the frequency of probing was investigated. Baseline data showed low levels of self-amusement. The generalization training procedure produced moderate increases in self-amusement when probes were conducted frequently. The same treatment procedure produced higher levels of self-amusement when probes were conducted intermittantly. Some strategies for more successfully programming self-amusement are suggested.

This investigation was concerned with determining the effectiveness of filial therapy as a method of intervention for families of children with pervasive developmental disorders.

Recent research in juvenile justice has focussed on identifying precursors of delinquency, which are referred to as "risk factors." These are biological or psychosocial conditions that increase the probability of an individual developing problem behaviors. Delinquency prevention and intervention programs are adopting a risk-focussed approach which attempts to reduce targeted youth's exposure to risk factors. Limited attention has been paid to investigating whether commonly accepted risk factors are equally relevant across various subtypes of juvenile offenders. Two subgroups of offenders deserving of special attention by virtue of their extremely high prevalence rates in the juvenile justice system are those with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) and those with learning disabilities (LD). The purpose of this study was to determine the relevance of specific individually-, family-, and school-based risk factors for delinquency across three specific groups of juvenile offenders: (a) those with EBD, (b) those with LD, and (c) those who did not qualify as disabled under the definition of disability used in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Individual risk factors that were measured included aggressive/acting-out behaviors, irresponsible/inattentive behaviors, fearful/anxious behaviors, social withdrawn behaviors, age at first arrest and history of substance use. School-based risk factors examined were students' reading and math scores and attitude towards and involvement in school. Attachment to family, parental discipline style, and level of supervision provided by parents were the family-based risk factors examined. Discriminant analysis procedures indicated that juvenile offenders with EBD, juvenile offenders with LD, and nondisabled offenders differed significantly in their demonstration of aggressive/acting-out behaviors, irresponsible/inattentive behaviors and fearful/anxious behaviors. In contrast, no significant differences were found across family-, and school-based risk factors. This implies that until research demonstrates the existence of unique risk factors or a difference in the magnitude of risk factors experienced by juvenile offenders with EBD and LD, it would be premature to develop and implement differential delinquency prevention and intervention programming for these subgroups of offenders.

This study was designed to determine the effectiveness of the Landreth 10-week filial therapy model as an intervention for the parents of children experiencing learning difficulties.The purpose of this study was to determine if filial therapy is effective in: 1) increasing parental acceptance of children with a learning difficulty; 2) reducing the stress level of parents of children with learning difficulties; 3) decreasing social problems and total behavior problems of children with learning difficulties as reported by parents and teachers.

This study investigated whether a computer-administered mathematics test can provide equivalent results for normal and mathematically disabled students while retaining similar psychometric characteristics of an equivalent paper and pencil version of the test. The overall purpose of the study was twofold. First, the viability of using computer administered assessment with elementary school children was examined. Second, by investigating items on the computer administered mathematics test for potential bias between normally achieving and mathematically disabled populations, it was possible to determine whether certain mathematical concepts consistently distinguish between the two ability groups.