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In order to examine the change in self-esteem of adolescents enrolled in a child development/nursery laboratory program, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory - Form B was administered early in the nursery laboratory portion of the course. It was readministered five months later. Results were analyzed using paired t-tests. Gains in self-esteem were too slight to be significant. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for future studies. / Master of Science

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2007. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2766.

Visual-spatial skills deficits are one of the primary neuropsychological deficits among children with Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD; Rourke, 1989) and Asperger's Syndrome (AS; Ellis, & Gunter, 1999; Klin, Volkmar, Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Rourke, 1995). In addition to affecting written tasks, visual-spatial deficits also have implications for the social functioning of children. Children who are not able to accurately process visual-spatial information will have difficulty processing the visual, nonverbal cues present in social situations including facial expressions, hand movements, and body posture (Nowicki & Duke, 1992). These social perception deficits make social interactions difficult for these children. As a result of their social differences, they are likely to get negative reactions from others, have social skills deficits (Petti, Voelker, Shore, and Hayman-Abello, 2003), and have much difficulty fitting in with same-aged peers. These social skills deficits will likely lead to internalized adjustment problems in which these children feel isolated, withdrawn, and depressed around their peers. This sequence of events, visual-spatial deficits, followed by social perception deficits, followed by social skills deficits, which ultimately lead to internalized emotional problems, is implied, but not empirically proven, in a study by Petti and colleagues (2003). In addition to experiencing greater socioemotional problems than other LD subtypes, visual-spatial and social deficits of children with NVLD have been shown to worsen with age (Casey, Rourke and Picard, 1991). This dissertation study investigated the relation between these four constructs (i.e., visual-spatial skills, social perception, social skills, and internalized emotional functioning). It was hypothesized that social perception and social skills mediate the relationship between visual-spatial skills and internalized emotional functioning. In addition, these deficits were expected to increase as these children get older. As NVLD and AS are commonly co-morbid with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderPredominantly Inattentive Type (ADHD: PI; Gross-Tsur & Shalev, 1995; Voeller, 1996), this diagnostic group was compared to children diagnosed with ADHD: PI. An additional aim of this study was to differentiate the classification of Learning Disability (LD) by demonstrating the socioemotional functioning differences between individuals with NVLD/ADHD: PI and their counterparts -- individuals with a Verbal Learning Disability (VLD/ADHD: PI). Seventy-one children, ranging in age from 8-14 participated in the study and were assigned to one of three groups (e.g., NVLD/AS with ADHD: PI, VLD with ADHD: PI, or ADHD: PI) based on pre-determined criteria. The NVLD/AS group, as expected, showed impairments in all areas (i.e., visual-spatial skills, social perception, social skills, and internalized socioemotional functioning) and significantly differed from one or both of the other groups on each of the four domains. Support was not found for the age effects for the NVLD/AS group. That is, visual-spatial and internalized socioemotional scores did not worsen with increasing age as expected. Also, visual-spatial skills were not significantly related to internalizing socioemotional functioning, and the hypothesized mediation variables were not statistically significant. The current study contributes to the understanding of individuals with NVLD, an under-studied population. The proposed visual-spatial skills deficits and social perception deficits in Rourke's (1989) theoretical model were supported. This study also offers some insight into the internalizing socioemotional functioning of children with NVLD. It clarifies the heterogeneity of socioemotional functioning among LD children, suggesting that it is children with the LD subtype, namely NVLD, who are at greater risk for social problems. / text

Para a adequada percepção dos fonemas da fala e conseqüente desenvolvimento da linguagem oral estão diretamente envolvidas as habilidades relacionadas ao processamento auditivo, onde se destacam a atenção auditiva e a resolução temporal. Partindo desse pressuposto, este estudo buscou analisar a atenção auditiva e a resolução temporal de duas crianças com desvio fonológico, antes e após o tratamento fonoaudiológico. O procedimento de pesquisa consistiu da comparação das respostas obtidas ao teste de padrão de duração do som (TPD) e aos componentes N2 e P300 dos potenciais evocados auditivos de longa latência (PEALL), antes e depois do tratamento. Os resultados dos exames foram comparados com a performance para a produção de fala e as estratégias utilizadas para o tratamento fonoaudiológico, que esteve pautado na estimulação da percepção auditiva para os traços distintivos dos fonemas. A partir desses resultados foram discutidos aspectos envolvidos com o processamento auditivo e suas implicações para a percepção de fala. A análise dos dados evidenciou dificuldade para atenção auditiva e resolução temporal para sons não verbais, nas duas crianças, antes e após o tratamento fonoaudiológico. Este fato sugere que a dificuldade com a atenção auditiva e a resolução temporal para sons não verbais pode permanecer mesmo após a superação dessa dificuldade para os sons da fala / Central auditory abilities, specifically auditory attention and temporal resolution, are directly related to speech perception and production. Based on these concepts, this study aimed to investigate auditory attention and temporal resolution processes in two children with phonological disorder, before and after speech therapy. The method consisted in comparing results from Duration Pattern Test and Late Latency Auditory Evoked Potentials (specifically the N2 and P300 components) obtained before and after speech therapy. Test results were correlated to speech production performance and therapy strategies, which were focused in auditory perception of the phonemes distinctive characteristics. Based on these results, aspects related to auditory processing and its implications for speech perception were discussed. Results show that both children had difficulties in auditory attention and temporal resolution for non-verbal sounds before and after speech therapy. These findings suggest that even after overcoming difficulties in speech perceptions, auditory attention and temporal resolution difficulties for non- verbal sounds may continuous

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study of three-dimensional boxes is widely regarded as a suitable topic for entry-level geometry. In order to inform teaching and curriculum design this study takes children's intuitive knowledge of boxes as point of departure to research the following aspects: • the meaning children assign to boxes • children's ability to create and manipulate mental images • children's strategies to solve a three dimensional construction problem • possible age and gender differences • the role of measurement • possible links with Van Hiele's thought levels Revised clinical interviews were conducted with groups of six to ten children. Each child could select an object from a set provided by the researcher and had to build a box from cardboard into which the object could fit. The problem-solving processes were captured on video. The children's boxes, verbal utterences and overt manipulation of the materials as well as the empirical referent objects were analised. The researcher made use of grounded theory procedure to analise and categorise the data. The research indicates that young children are not necessarily aware of the shape and structural properties of three-dimensional boxes. It is also evident that children's ability to represent properties of shape of boxes through language, drawing and hand movements does not necessarily indicate adequate understanding of the structural properties of boxes to enable them to build a box from two-dimensional materials. The research further indicates that aspects of representation that are judged to be based on lack of knowledge of conventions in a medium such as drawing, may have deeper intuitive and conceptual roots. An alternative view of childrens spatial/geometric thought on VanHiele level 0 is described based on their assignment of meaning to geometric tasks. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Drie-dimensionele houers word allerweë as geskikte konteks vir aanvangsmeetkunde-onderrig beskou. In hierdie studie word kinders se intuïtiewe begrip van alledaagse houers of bokse as vertrekpunt gebruik om die volgende aspekte te ondersoek met die oog daarop om inligting te bekom vir kurrikulering: • die betekenis wat kinders aan bokse (as meetkundige objekte) toeken • kinders se vermoë om 'n denkbeeld te skep en te manipuleer • kinders se strategieë om 'n drie-dimensionele konstruksieprobleem op te los • moontlike ouderdoms- en geslagsverskille • die rol wat meting speel wanneer 'n drie-dimensionele konstruksieprobleem opgelos word • moontlike ooreenkomste met Van Hiele-denkvlakke 'n Taakgerigte ondersoek (revised clinical interview) is met groepies van ses tot tien kinders op 'n slag gedoen. Elke kind kon 'n voorwerp kies uit 'n versameling en moes 'n houer of boks uit karton bou waarin die voorwerp kon pas. Die probleemoplossingsproses is met 'n videokamera afgeneem. Die kinders se voltooide houers, taaluitinge en overte hantering van die empiriese verwysingsvoorwerpe en die materiaal waarmee hulle gewerk het, is as data ontleed. Die navorser het gebruik gemaak van die analitiese prosesse wat beskryf word as begronde teorie-ontwikkeling om die data te ontleed en te kategoriseer. Die navorsmg hat aangetoon dat jong kinders nie noodwending bewus is van die vorm- en strukturele eienskappe van drie-dimensionele houers nie. Verder is dit duidelik dat kinders se voorstellings van veral vormeienskappe van houers deur middel van taal, handbewegings en tekeninge, nie impliseer dat hulle die nodige begrip van die struktuur het om so 'n houer uit tweedimensionele materiaal te kan vervaardig nie. Die navorsing het verder aan die lig gebring dat aspekte van kinders se ruimtelike kennis wat voorheen as aanduiding van gebrekkige kennis van konvensies beskou is, moontlik dieper konseptuele wortels het. 'n Alternatiewe beskouing van kinders se ruimtelik-meetkundige denke op Van Hiele Vlak 0 word ook voorgestel.