The Cognitive Abilities Profile (CAP) (Deutsch and Mohammed, 2010) is a collaborative tool for psychologists and teachers. The CAP is based on principles of Dynamic Assessment (DA) and uses a consultative model for rating pupils' cognitive abilities in various cognitive domains and for planning interventions to facilitate pupils' progress accordingly. The CAP was developed in response to a perceived need for educational psychologists (EPs) to have access to alternative assessments to standardised psychological tests, particularly in the case of learning disadvantaged and ethnic minority pupils. Using DA as one possible approach creates a need for EPs to have access to training and to receive support with the implementation of DA-based intervention methods within local services. However, surveys of EP use of DA indicate limitations in training, inadequate support and difficulties in wider application of DA. In the present work, a quantitative methodology has been used to examine the validity and reliability of the CAP in overcoming the above-noted difficulties in the implementation of DA by EPs. The methodology involved the collection and analysis of data from three groups of EPs, two of which conducted consultations with teachers using the CAP and the third group of EPs used its own choice of consultation methodology and functioned as a control group. The findings of the present work provide evidence of good construct validity of the CAP cognitive domains, adequate inter-rater reliability between CAP users and evidence of advantage for pupils in some areas of functioning between pre- and post-use of the CAP, as validated by independent standardised tests. Analysis of perceptions of EPs of the utility of the CAP, based on the results of feedback questionnaires, addresses issues of user friendliness of the CAP. CAP users agreed on the need for initial training for psychologists and support for practitioners. The findings have implications for adoption of a novel approach in EP and teacher related work.

The effects of androgens reach far and wide and can be physiological as well as pathological. They are not limited to males and involve almost every system in the human body. Their influence on reproductive development and behaviours is well studied, but more recently, attention has turned to the wider reaching consequences of androgen exposure. Disorders of sex development (DSD) are rare conditions in which individuals may be deficient in, or resistant to, the effects of androgens. The long-term health and quality of life for these individuals is not well reported, but where there are reports, there are descriptions of increased depressive like behaviours, anxiety and poor social functioning. Lack of androgens has been linked to poorer neurocognitive outcomes in some studies and there is a concern that more aggressive hormone replacement should be considered in early life for those individuals lacking in androgens. These disorders can be difficult to study for many reasons. Firstly, they are rare conditions. Secondly, adults with DSD do not tend to visit hospital regularly and can therefore be challenging to engage in research. Thirdly, studying the effects of early life exposure to steroid hormones and relating these to later life behaviours is incredibly complex. Animal models have been used for many years to study the hormonal environment. For my first study, I used a model of rodent neonatal androgen blockade by treating pups with the anti-androgen flutamide for the first five days of life. The animals were studied again in adolescence (6 weeks of age) and early adulthood (10 weeks of age). There were no significant differences found in testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and androstenedione levels in either age group, demonstrating that the androgen blockade was transient. The anogenital index (AGI) was significantly shorter in the treated animals when compared to controls at 6 weeks of age and 10 weeks of age. Phallus length was significantly shorter in treated males when compared to the healthy males at 6 weeks of age and at 10 weeks of age. Phallus weight was significantly lower in the treated animals at 10 weeks of age when compared to the healthy animals. This work demonstrated that my rodent model of neonatal androgen blockade was an effective one. My next study used the same rodent model and aimed to link the perinatal hormonal environment with in vivo brain chemistry using a painless, non-invasive technique known as Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Using a mixed effects model, I analysed the effects of sex, gender, treatment with flutamide and age on the metabolite pattern of the rodent brain. Ɣ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glucose, glutamine, glutamate, phosphocholine and myo-inositol all changed over time. The combined peaks of glutamate and glutamine also demonstrated a significant change over time. GABA, glutamate, phosphocholine and myo-inositol showed significant sex differences as did the combined peaks of glycerophosphocholine and phosphocholine, N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) and glutamate and glutamine. Aspartate, GABA and myo-inositol were all significantly changed by treatment of the animals with flutamide and GABA and myo-inositol levels in treated males were similar to control females at both 6 and 10 weeks. My final study using the rodent model of androgen blockade looked at the histological changes in the brain. Brains were sectioned and stained for neuronal cell counts and microglial cell counts, and PCR for the Androgen Receptor (AR) was performed. I demonstrated significant, sexually dimorphic changes in neuronal cell counts, microglial cell counts and androgen receptor expression in two clearly defined areas in the rodent brain. In summary, my rodent work demonstrated a link between the neonatal hormonal environment and the sexually dimorphic chemistry and histology of the in vivo brain, and supports the hypothesis that the microglial cell plays a critical role in brain masculinisation. To include a translational aspect to this thesis I extended my work to a population of undermasculinised boys, who were attending hospital for an hCG stimulation test as part of their investigations for 46 XY DSD. The hCG stimulation test is a valuable method for assessing androgen production but there is a need to explore its utility in assessing androgen responsiveness and long-term prognosis. I aimed to assess the effects of the hCG test on the in vivo brain chemistry using MRS, and the peripheral transcriptome using microarray. I reliably demonstrated metabolites in the brains of healthy male infants, healthy female infants and affected male infants. Healthy male infants had significantly lower levels of N-acetylaspartate than affected males in the hypothalamus and lower levels of the phosphocholines in the frontal cortex. In my transcriptomic study of DSD patients, I demonstrated the existence of an androgen responsive group of small RNAs that are measurable in peripheral mononuclear blood cells, and that change over the short duration of an hCG stimulation test, raising the prospect of combining the biochemical assessment of testosterone production with an objective molecular assessment of androgen sufficiency. In summary, in this thesis I have successfully linked the early hormonal environment with later life in vivo brain chemistry, confirmed by histological studies. I have also identified a novel marker, which could potentially be used as an assessment of androgen sufficiency in the future.

Hypoglycaemia is an unavoidable consequence of treatment of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). Symptoms are often embarrassing and distressing and can lead to the development of fear of hypoglycaemia (FoH). This fear can have a negative impact on diabetes management and can lead to further medical complications. 210 children and young people (CYP), aged 3-17 years and 190 parents from diabetes paediatric clinics across the West Midlands, UK, completed questionnaires exploring the prevalence of hypoglycaemia, FoH and links to hypoglycaemia awareness, self-care, quality of life and anxiety. Demographic information and HbA1c data were also collected. Results indicated that hypoglycaemia and severe hypoglycaemia (SH) are a problem for CYP in the UK. Hypoglycaemia Fear Survey (HFS) scores were higher in parents than in CYP (Total HFS 37.1±14.9 vs. 50.2±17.8 vs. 45.2±18.0, CYP vs. mother vs. father, respectively, p < 0.01). Adolescents with prior experience of severe hypoglycaemia (SH) had higher HFS scores compared to those without (t=-3.61, p < 0.001). Trait anxiety and SH explained 23% of the variance in HFS scores in adolescents. Trait anxiety explained 37% of the variance in HFS scores in under 11 year olds, 18% in mothers of under 11 year olds, 6% in mothers of adolescent and 10% in fathers of adolescents. There was no correlation between HFS and HbA1c. Qualitative analyses identified ‘Burden’ as an overarching theme from CYP and parent interviews. ‘Negative emotions’ and ‘Living with diabetes’ emerged as the key themes of analysis. This research study adds to existing findings on the prevalence of hypoglycaemia, severe hypoglycaemia, FoH and possible related factors, by focusing on the paediatric population and their parents, in the UK, for which there is limited research. Qualitative analyses also provided novel reports of the experience of T1DM for CYP and their mothers. Implications of this research could lead to the development of an FoH and anxiety managementprogramme for CYP and their parents. The findings of this study also help to raise awareness of this very real and current issue in diabetes management.

This thesis is based on a research study examining the extent to which cultural background and cultural factors are taken into account by Child Protection Workers investigating allegations of child maltreatment due to inappropriate or excessive punishment. Profiles of child discipline practices within a cultural and historical context were developed and qualitative and quantitative data was gathered through a survey questionnaire sent to all the metropolitan offices of Family and Children's Services. Data was also collected from ethnic leaders, some of their community members and from refugees. The data collected was examined in relation to Child Maltreatment Guidelines of Family & Children's Services and current Child Protection Laws in Western Australia, with a particular focus on practice implications for child protection workers.

Minority children are involved in the child welfare system at rates disproportionate to their numbers in the overall population. Prior research argues that risk assessments conducted by child welfare agencies may be racially biased, and thus contribute to disproportionality. This study seeks to explore the effect of different risk assessment models on racial disproportionality. This is done by examining the relationship between race/ethnicity and various child welfare outcomes in three states that utilize the consensus-based model and three states that utilize the actuarial model of risk assessment. Results were similar for both groups of states, suggesting that one model is not more biased than the other. The results also indicate that racial/ethnic groups enter the child welfare system at different rates. However, groups remained involved in subsequent outcomes at consistent percentages. Finally, the results suggest differential treatment among the most restrictive child welfare outcomes. / McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts / Graduate Center for Social and Public Policy / MA / Thesis

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Psychology, June 1997. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (EdD)--Open University. BLDSC no. DXN115889.

Inaug.-Diss.--Halle-Wittenberg. / Lebenslauf. "Literatur": p. 136-143.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1931. / Vita. "Carried on in the nursery schools of the Child Development Institute of Teachers College, Columbia University."--Introd. Published also without thesis note. Bibliography: p. 100.

Thesis (D. Phil.(Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 247-285).