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The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA; L.eBuffe & Naglieri, 1999), a standardized strength-based measure, was used with 125 kindergarten children from two different regions in British Columbia to investigate the relationship between mother and teacher ratings of students’ strengths and behaviour problems. Results suggest that the level of agreement between mother and teacher ratings for children’s strengths is similar to the level of agreement between mother and teacher ratings for children’s problem behaviours. The level of agreement between motherreported and teacher-reported scores was found to be low for all DECA scales and most DECA items, with some differences found upon examination of the sample by gender. The findings revealed three main trends: first, a higher degree of correspondence and a lower degree of difference was found between mother and teacher ratings for the Self-Control scale and items, compared to the other scales and items; second, a lower degree of correspondence and a higher degree of difference was found between mother and teacher ratings for the Attachment scale and items, compared to other scales and items; third, the level of agreement between mothers and teachers ratings was higher for boys than for girls. These patterns of cross-informant correspondences and differences are discussed in the context of the need for practitioners to obtain rating information from both mothers and teachers, since each rater provides a unique perspective. Furthermore, the importance of highlighting children’s strengths in the assessment process is emphasized.

The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA; L.eBuffe & Naglieri, 1999), a standardized strength-based measure, was used with 125 kindergarten children from two different regions in British Columbia to investigate the relationship between mother and teacher ratings of students’ strengths and behaviour problems. Results suggest that the level of agreement between mother and teacher ratings for children’s strengths is similar to the level of agreement between mother and teacher ratings for children’s problem behaviours. The level of agreement between motherreported and teacher-reported scores was found to be low for all DECA scales and most DECA items, with some differences found upon examination of the sample by gender. The findings revealed three main trends: first, a higher degree of correspondence and a lower degree of difference was found between mother and teacher ratings for the Self-Control scale and items, compared to the other scales and items; second, a lower degree of correspondence and a higher degree of difference was found between mother and teacher ratings for the Attachment scale and items, compared to other scales and items; third, the level of agreement between mothers and teachers ratings was higher for boys than for girls. These patterns of cross-informant correspondences and differences are discussed in the context of the need for practitioners to obtain rating information from both mothers and teachers, since each rater provides a unique perspective. Furthermore, the importance of highlighting children’s strengths in the assessment process is emphasized.

The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA; L.eBuffe & Naglieri, 1999), a standardized strength-based measure, was used with 125 kindergarten children from two different regions in British Columbia to investigate the relationship between mother and teacher ratings of students’ strengths and behaviour problems. Results suggest that the level of agreement between mother and teacher ratings for children’s strengths is similar to the level of agreement between mother and teacher ratings for children’s problem behaviours. The level of agreement between motherreported and teacher-reported scores was found to be low for all DECA scales and most DECA items, with some differences found upon examination of the sample by gender. The findings revealed three main trends: first, a higher degree of correspondence and a lower degree of difference was found between mother and teacher ratings for the Self-Control scale and items, compared to the other scales and items; second, a lower degree of correspondence and a higher degree of difference was found between mother and teacher ratings for the Attachment scale and items, compared to other scales and items; third, the level of agreement between mothers and teachers ratings was higher for boys than for girls. These patterns of cross-informant correspondences and differences are discussed in the context of the need for practitioners to obtain rating information from both mothers and teachers, since each rater provides a unique perspective. Furthermore, the importance of highlighting children’s strengths in the assessment process is emphasized. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Caregivers of children with health problems have been demonstrated to show poorer physical and psychological health than caregivers of healthy children. It has been suggested that child behavioural problems are key and account for a large proportion of the variance in caregiver health. Currently, the relation between behaviour problems and caregiver health remains unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis and a secondary data analysis using national data to describe and compare the associations between internalizing and externalizing behaviour problems and caregiver health. Meta-analytical results suggest an association between child behaviour problems and parental stress, depression, and presence of psychiatric symptoms. National data analyses suggested an important association between child behaviour problems, particularly externalizing behaviour problems, and caregiver physical and psychological health when accounting for socioeconomic variables. Results suggest mothers may be more impacted than fathers, and that externalizing behaviour problems may contribute to bigger caregiver health effects than internalizing behaviour problems.

Children with impaired emotion knowledge are likely to also experience difficulties with social skills (Bukato, 2008) and internalising and externalising behaviour problems (Trentacosta & Fine, 2009, Fine et al, 2003). Given that children with developmental disabilities are both at risk of developing behaviour problems (Roberts & Lawton, 2001), and may have impairments in emotion knowledge (Wishart et al, 2007, Kasari et al, 2001, Sinzig et al, 2008; Bal et al, 2010), teaching emotion knowledge skills is likely to be beneficial in helping to ameliorate the risks faced by these children, for developing behaviour problems. The research question investigated in this study was; can using an adapted version of the PATHS programme with children and adolescents aged between 9 and 18, who have developmental disabilities, improve both their emotion knowledge and their behaviour problems? Four participants were recruited, aged between nine and 18 who had developmental disabilities, one of whom served as a pilot participant. The intervention was carried out in the participants’ homes, with two one hour-long sessions a week. The measurements used included the Vineland-II, a behaviour diary and the Emotion Knowledge Test (EKT) - designed specifically for this research by the researcher. All participants included in the main study made improvements on the sentence-labelling task but not on the photograph-labelling task of the EKT. Participants 2 and 4 improved in regards to the number of problem behaviours displayed each week, Participant 3’s problem behaviours did not occur often enough to determine whether improvements had been made. Participant 2 improved on both of the Socialisation and Maladaptive Behaviour domains of the Vineland-II, Participant 3 improved on the Socialisation domain and Participant 4 improved on the Maladaptive Behaviour Domain, however all improvements made were small. The results indicate that there may be promise with using the PATHS programme with children with developmental disabilities, in one-to-one settings. However this research involved several limitations, such as the reliability and sensitivity of the measures used and the short length of the baseline and intervention periods. More research is needed in this area, as there are many possible social, emotional and academic benefits for these children, using the skills taught in the PATHS programme.

This study examined whether cortical changes underlying treatment for children with aggressive behaviour problems are related to changes in executive function (EF) performance. Fifty-five 8- to 12-year-old clinically-referred children were tested before and after a 14-week treatment intervention. Performance on four EF tasks varying in affective relevance was assessed at each session. EEG was also used to record peak amplitudes for the “inhibitory” N2, an event-related potential, while the children completed an emotion-induction Go/Nogo task. Results showed that changes in N2 amplitudes significantly predicted changes in performance only for the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) – an affectively relevant task. Subsequent analysis revealed that only children who improved with treatment displayed significant decreases in N2 amplitudes and significant improvement in IGT performance from pre- to post-treatment. These findings suggest that cortical changes underlying successful treatment for children’s aggressive behaviour problems tap improvement in executive functions recruited for emotionally demanding events.

This study examined whether cortical changes underlying treatment for children with aggressive behaviour problems are related to changes in executive function (EF) performance. Fifty-five 8- to 12-year-old clinically-referred children were tested before and after a 14-week treatment intervention. Performance on four EF tasks varying in affective relevance was assessed at each session. EEG was also used to record peak amplitudes for the “inhibitory” N2, an event-related potential, while the children completed an emotion-induction Go/Nogo task. Results showed that changes in N2 amplitudes significantly predicted changes in performance only for the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) – an affectively relevant task. Subsequent analysis revealed that only children who improved with treatment displayed significant decreases in N2 amplitudes and significant improvement in IGT performance from pre- to post-treatment. These findings suggest that cortical changes underlying successful treatment for children’s aggressive behaviour problems tap improvement in executive functions recruited for emotionally demanding events.

In the last decade, global instability has led to higher demands placed on military members and their families, especially in the area of deployment. Longer and more frequent deployments have had significant psychological consequences on soldiers who have been deployed. Deployment has also been shown to negatively impact child adjustment; however, the research in this area is limited, particularly within a Canadian military context. The purpose for the two current studies was to examine specific areas of child adjustment affected by military status, particularly deployment, and to explore potential pathways through which this impact occurs. Study 1 included an examination of the effect of military status on maternal depressive symptoms, parental stress, and marital satisfaction, as well as on the quality of the child's attachment to the parent at home. Further analyses were conducted to determine if maternal well-being mediated the effect of military status on attachment, and if there was a moderating role of social support on these associations. In Study 2, the unique role of military status in predicting reported behaviour problems over and above what was accounted for by child attachment and parental stress was explored. Findings from these studies revealed an association between deployment and higher levels of insecure attachment; and although deployment modestly predicted maternal depressive symptoms, there was no mediating effect found for maternal well-being. Furthermore, while insecure attachment and higher levels of parental stress were associated with elevated behaviour problems, deployment uniquely predicted conduct problems, internalizing problems, and total behaviour problems. Findings from the current studies add a valuable contribution to the limited available literature on how deployment affects young children in military families. Moreover these findings provide a basis in which to direct further research, and to also guide the development and implementation of interventions to support at-risk children in military families.

Studier har visat att dialektisk beteendeterapi (DBT) är en tidskrävande integrerande behandlingsform. DBT beskrivs utifrån fyra hörnstenar: inlärningsteori, kognitiv teori, dialektisk filosofi och zenbuddistisk filosofi. DBT utvecklades för självskadebeteende, senare utvecklades den också för annan beteendeproblematik. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur behandlare och behandlingsassistenter med DBT erfarenheter upplever att klienterna tillgodogör sig DBT-behandlingen och om män respektive kvinnor tillgodogör sig olika. En man och fem kvinnor i Sverige med olika yrkeserfarenheter inom DBT intervjuades mellan 45-60 minuter om hur DBT-behandling av klienter tillgodogörs på LVM-hem utifrån behandlarens perspektiv. Intervjuerna meningskoncentrerade och resulterade i fem teman: a) främja positiv utveckling; b) en ökad kunskap; c) en ökad självkontroll; d) en ökad självkänsla; e) ett ökat välbefinnande. Slutsatsen är att ökad kunskap om sin personlighet främjar positiv utveckling att tillgodogöra sig verktyg för att öka självkontrollen, vilket kan leda till ökad självkänsla som främjar till ett ökat välbefinnande.