published_or_final_version / Paediatrics / Master / Master of Philosophy

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Recorded on July 27, 2007 by Eugene Barsky, Physiotherapy Outreach Librarian, UBC / N/A

The effectiveness of the Touch Math method of instruction was examined in count-all addition procedures with Down Syndrome children. Four children with Down Syndrome were selected for a multiple probe design study. The participants, two male and two female, are students at a school for intellectually handicapped children and adolescents. They were ascertained to have the minimum required skills in rote counting, one-to-one correspondence, and recognition and identification of numbers. In a multiple pretest procedure with 15 simple addition problems, they demonstrated ineffective addition strategies such as guessing and averaged less than 35% correct. / The Touch Math program was then implemented during the regularly scheduled math period four days a week for 40 minutes each day. Students progressed through an incrementally more difficult series of simple addition worksheets. During each session the student received training on the problems and then was administered the worksheet. / Results indicate that the Touch Math method has been successful for the teaching of simple addition with these students. Scores on the worksheets progressed from 0% to 100% correct and probe results improved from less than 35% correct to greater than 86% correct following completion of the program. Subjects completed the program in 5 to 16 days.

No description available.

The perspectives of New Zealand parents of children with Down syndrome regarding their children’s experience of school were explored in the present analysis, based on a study carried out by the Champion Centre, an early intervention service in Christchurch, New Zealand. Participants were 137 parents of children with Down syndrome who had experienced the New Zealand formal education system. They took part in a survey, designed to explore the outcomes and achievements of individuals with Down syndrome in New Zealand. The results of the present analysis indicated that parents are typically satisfied with the experience their children with Down syndrome have of school. It highlighted considerable variation in the experiences they have of school, but also emphasised some general trends and themes. Such efforts to clarify individual as well as shared characteristics and experiences among children with Down syndrome will contribute to ongoing efforts to enhance their experience of school and consequently, their active, valued participation in the classroom, school, and society in general.

Background Out of all chromosomal disorders, Down syndrome is the most common. Being a parent to a child with this contition comes with unique challenges and can be a life-changing experience, as the child will require special attention and interdisciplinary care throughout the life span. Limited research has been done regarding parents experiences of daily life with a child having Down syndrome, and this study is an attempt to contribute to the understanding of this phenomenon in general, and in Costa Rica in particular. Aim The aim of the study was to describe parent's experiences of daily life with a child having Down syndrome in Costa Rica. Method A qualitative interview study with a semi-structure was used as approach together with qualitative content analysis. An inductive approach was used for the analysis. Six parents in San José were interviewed for the study. Result Parents' experiences of daily life with a child having Down syndrome in Costa Rica was associated with various aspects, some in general and some more specific. The general were positive and negative experiences, whereas the others were more focused on specific areas regarding the daily life and Costa Rica as a country. Conclusion Parents in Costa Rica tend to have similar positive and negative experiences when comparing to other studies of this phenomenon. The findings suggest that Costa Rica is a country with deficiencies when it comes to the social, legal and educational system.

Previous studies have found that spatial processing in children and adults with Down syndrome is different in comparison to the normal population. Some previous studies have also found that there is a high prevalence of colour vision deficiencies in people with Down syndrome. The aim of the present study was to use an objective test, the transient visual evoked potential (VEP), to assess achromatic and chromatic visual processing in adults with Down syndrome. Achromatic VEPs were recorded in response to black-white stimuli presented in patternreversal mode. Chromatic VEPs were recorded in response to two types of colour pattern, presented in pattern onset-offset mode. The two colour types were intended to preferentially stimulate the two principal chromatic pathways of the visual system, the ???redgreen??? and ???blue-yellow??? colour-opponent pathways. These stimuli are here termed the ???LM??? and ???S-(L+M) stimuli, respectively, reflecting the cone types that input to the pathways they are intended to stimulate. Each subject also completed two subjective colour vision tests, the Colour Vision Test Made Easy (CVTME) and the City University Colour Vision Test (CUT). Morphology of the achromatic and chromatic VEPs was found to differ between the group with Down syndrome and an age-matched control group. The latency of the P100 component of the achromatic VEP was found to be significantly later in the group with Down syndrome compared to the control group (the N75 latency was earlier in the group with Down syndrome, but not significantly so). The group-averaged peak-to-peak amplitude of the achromatic VEP was significantly lower in the group with Down syndrome compared to the control group. The major positive component of the VEP in response to the L-M stimulus was of significantly longer latency compared to that of the control group. The major negative component and the peak-to-peak amplitude of this response were not significantly different between the groups. For the response to S-(L+M) stimuli, the latency of the major negativity was significantly earlier in the group with Down syndrome and the major positivity was later, but not significantly so. Amplitude of this response was significantly higher in adults with Down syndrome compared to the control group. Most subjects in both groups passed both the CVTME and CUT. Our findings indicate that chromatic VEPs are abnormal in Down syndrome, and this may reflect abnormal processing of chromatic stimuli in this population. Alternatively, these abnormalities may arise due to abnormal cortical morphology, which may occur with normal or abnormal processing of chromatic signals. These findings further indicate that abnormality of chromatic VEPs may be expected in Down syndrome, and is not necessarily indicative of pathology or other abnormal function that is unrelated to the syndrome.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2007. / Prepared for: Dept. of Psychology. Bibliography: leaves 87-95.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2005. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.