Background Individuals with intellectual disabilities need continued supports in completing daily living tasks to increase the likelihood of achieving independence. Fortunately, research has shown that assistive technology, and particularly video prompting helps support independent living for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Aims This study investigated the efficacy of a highly customizable task analysis smartphone application in assisting three young adults with intellectual disabilities learn how to cook three different multistep recipes. Materials & Methods Three young adults with intellectual disabilities enrolled in a four-year postsecondary education program (PSE) participated in a multiple probe design across participants to examine the effect of a Task Analysis app on the participants' completion of three cooking tasks. Results In this present study, the use of video prompting to teach a daily living skill resulted in large and meaningful effect size gains of 99%–100% for all three participants, as measured by Tau-U. Discussion Video prompting is an effective instructional strategy which allows the user to self-prompt and manage their ability to successfully complete daily living skills. In this current study, video prompting made a substantial difference in the safety of participants. Conclusion The use of video prompting can decrease the reliance on others (e.g., teachers and caregivers), improve self-confidence of the user, and improve the user's level of autonomy.

No description available.

Bakgrund. Föräldrar till barn som har cancer upplever en livssituation som präglas av osäkerhet och oro och de ställs inför sociala och känslo­mässiga utmaningar. Jämfört med föräldrar till friska barn, upplever de också högre stress och drabbas i större utsträckning av posttraumatiska stres­symptom. Trots att information om barnets sjukdom är ett centralt behov för föräldrarna, upplever de otillfredsställelse med den information som ges. Syfte. Syftet med denna avhandling var att inom barnonkologisk vård beskriva vårdares och föräldrars upplevelser av information, studera deras inbördes interaktion samt beskriva upplevelser och effekter av en intervention för personcentrerad information till föräldrar. Metod. I delstudie I–III användes fokusgruppintervjuer (I, II), individ­uella intervjuer (II, III) och deltagande observationer (III). Deltagarna bestod av 20 vårdare (I), 14 föräldrar till barn med cancer (II) respektive 25 vårdare och 25 föräldrar (III). Data analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys (I, II) och diskurspsykologi (III). I delstudie IV testades en intervention för per­son­cen­tre­rad information på åtta föräldrar med hjälp av en experimentell single-case-design. Data samlades in med kvalitativa intervjuer och internetenkäter. Upplevd stress, kroppsliga symptom på stress, ångest, nedstämdhet och tillfredsställelse med information var utfallsmått. Resultat. I delstudie I bestod resultatet av två teman: anpassa mängden information till föräldrarnas behov, som handlade om skillnader i hur mycket information som gavs till föräldrarna utifrån vårdarnas bedömning av föräldrarnas behov, och navigera i en vag struktur, som handlade om brister i ansvar, miljö, tajming och språk när informationen lämnades. I delstudie II konstruerades två teman. Känna sig bekräftad som en viktig person handlade om att föräldrarna kände sig trygga, kunde hålla hoppet uppe och fick stöd från andra föräldrar. Temat var mer framträdande under behandlingens tidiga skeden. Det andra temat var känna sig som en objuden gäst vilket handlade om att kännas övergiven vid viktiga milstolpar, att tvingas tjata sig till information och att belastas av att själv behöva informera andra inom sjukvården. I delstudie III använde vårdarna tolkningsrepertoarer som var barn-, föräldra- eller familjeorienterade, vilket avspeglade deras primära fokus i interaktionen. Föräldrarna använde tolkningsrepertoarer som talesperson, observatör eller familjemedlem. Hur dessa kombinerades inbördes påverkade interaktionen. I delstudie IV erfor föräldrarna stor tillfredsställelse med den per­son­cen­tre­rade informationen och upplevde att de hade nytta av att på egen hand få diskutera barnets sjukdom och ställa frågor de annars inte skulle ställt. Interventionen visade ingen effekt på stress eller kroppsliga symptom på stress, ångest och nedstämdhet. Slutsatser. För att förbättra information till föräldrar som har barn med cancer är det en central uppgift att bedöma hur mycket och vilken information som ska ges vid varje tillfälle, att uppmärksamma att föräldrarna kan ha andra informationsbehov än barnet och att möten med föräldrarna ska ske i lugn och ro samt att organisera vården så att ansvaret är tydligt. I synnerhet bör det ske förbättringar kring det som föräldrarna upplever som viktiga milstolpar under barnets sjukdomstid. Interventionen för per­son­cen­tre­rad information uppskattades av föräldrar som har barn med cancer men effekten på föräldrarnas psykosociala välbefinnande behöver utforskas ytterligare. / Background. Parents of children with cancer experience a life situation characterised by uncertainty and worries, and they face ongoing social and emotional challenges. Compared to parents of healthy children, they also experience increased levels of perceived stress and they suffer to a greater extent from post-traumatic stress symptoms. Even though information about the child’s disease is crucial for parents, they still experience low satis­faction with the information given to them. Aim. The aim of this thesis was to, within the field of paediatric oncology care, describe health care professionals’ and parents’ experiences from infor­mation, study their joint interaction and describe experiences and effects from an intervention based on person-centred information to parents. Methods. For study I–III, focus group interviews (I, II), individual inter­views (II, III), and participant observations (III) were used. Participants were 20 health care professionals (I), 14 parents of children with cancer (II) and 25 health care professionals and 25 parents (III). Data were analysed by qualitative content analysis (I, II) and discursive psychology (III). In study IV, an intervention for person-centred information was tested on 8 parents using a single-case experimental design. Data were collected with qualitative interviews and web questionnaires. Outcome measures were perceived stress, physical symptoms from stress, anxiety, depression, and satisfaction with information. Results. In study I, the analysis resulted in two themes, Matching the amount of information to the parents’ needs, which dealt with differences in the amount of information provided to parents according to the health care professionals’ assess­ment of parental needs, and Navigating through a vague structure, which was about shortcomings in responsibilities, setting, timing, and language when parents were informed. In study II, two themes were constructed. Feeling acknowledged as a person of significance was about feeling safe and secure, having one’s hopes supported and getting relief from other families. This was accentuated early in the treatment trajectory. Feeling like an unwelcome guest was about feeling abandoned at important milestones, feeling forced to nag for information and being burdened by informing others. In study III, the health care professionals used interpretative repertoires that were child, parent, or family oriented, which mirrored the primary focus of the inter­action. Parents used repertoires as a spokesperson, an observer, or a family member. The combination of the repertoires steered the interaction. In study IV, parents reported a high satisfaction with the person-centred information intervention and perceived benefits from having their own time to discuss the child’s disease and pose questions that they otherwise would not have an opportunity to ask. No effects from the intervention were demon­strated on perceived stress, physical symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depressive mood. Conclusion. To improve information to parents of children with cancer, a central task is to assess the amount of and what information given to parents, pay attention to possible differences in infor­mation needs between parents and children, as well as to organise the care so that the respon­si­bilities are clear and that parents are met in a calm setting. Improvements at important milestones during the illness period should be pri­ori­tised. A person-centred information inter­ven­tion is perceived as bene­ficial by parents, however, its effect on perceived parental stress has further to be investigated.

Le trouble d’anxiété de séparation (TAS) est le trouble anxieux le plus prévalent chez les enfants. Il apparaît tôt et entraîne plusieurs conséquences négatives. La thérapie cognitivo-comportementale (TCC) a été reconnue efficace pour traiter les troubles anxieux. Toutefois, peu d’études ont vérifié son efficacité pour le traitement spécifique du TAS et très peu en ont examiné l’effet auprès d’enfants de moins de 7 ans. Les quelques interventions étudiées visant les moins de 7 ans ont en commun d’inclure le parent dans le traitement ou de l’offrir directement à celui-ci. L’objectif principal de cette thèse est de vérifier l’efficacité d’un programme d’entraînement parental de type TCC, adapté pour les parents d’enfants de 4 à 7 ans souffrant de TAS. Cette étude vise également deux objectifs spécifiques : observer la fluctuation des symptômes de TAS de l’enfant pendant le traitement et examiner l’impact du programme sur les variables parentales. Un devis à cas unique à niveaux de base multiples a été utilisé. Six familles ont pris part à l’étude. Des entrevues semi-structurées, des questionnaires auto-administrés et des calepins d’auto-observations quotidiennes ont été utilisés auprès des parents pour mesurer les symptômes anxieux des enfants, leurs pratiques parentales, le stress parental et leurs symptômes anxieux et dépressifs. Des questionnaires sur les difficultés de l’enfant incluant l’anxiété ont aussi été envoyés à l’éducatrice ou à l’enseignante. Tous les questionnaires ont été administrés aux trois temps de mesure (prétraitement, post-traitement et relance 3 mois). Les calepins d’auto-observations ont été remplis quotidiennement durant le niveau de base, pour toute la durée de l’intervention et pendant une à deux semaines à la relance. Les résultats de l’étude indiquent que cinq enfants sur six ne répondent plus au diagnostic de TAS suite au traitement ainsi que trois mois plus tard. Les résultats des calepins d’auto-observations montrent une amélioration claire des manifestations principales de TAS pour la moitié des enfants et plus mitigée pour l’autre moitié, de même qu’une amélioration systématique de la fréquence hebdomadaire totale de manifestations de TAS suite à l’intervention pour quatre enfants. Les résultats aux questionnaires remplis par les parents montrent une amélioration des symptômes d’anxiété et de TAS chez quatre enfants au post-test et/ou à la relance, tandis que les questionnaires de l’éducatrice (ou enseignante) suggèrent que les symptômes anxieux des enfants se manifestaient peu dans leur milieu scolaire ou de garde. L’impact du programme sur le stress parental et les pratiques parentales est également mitigé. Ces résultats suggèrent que le Programme d’entraînement parental pour les enfants souffrant d’anxiété de séparation (PEP-AS) est efficace pour réduire les symptômes de TAS chez les enfants d’âge préscolaire ou en début de parcours scolaire et appuient la pertinence d’offrir le traitement aux parents et d’inclure un volet relationnel. D’autres études seront cependant nécessaires pour répliquer ces résultats auprès d’un plus vaste échantillon. Il serait également intéressant de vérifier les effets indépendants des différentes composantes du traitement et d’évaluer les effets du programme sur davantage de pratiques parentales associées spécifiquement à l’anxiété. / Separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is the most prevalent anxiety disorder among children. It appears early in development and has multiple negative consequences. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to be an effective treatment for anxiety disorders. However, few studies have examined the efficacy of CBT to treat SAD in particular, and even fewer have examined the impact of this form of therapy on children younger than 7 years old. The main objective of the present doctoral thesis was to evaluate the efficacy of a CBT parent-training program, that was adapted specifically for parents of children aged 4 to 7 years old suffering from SAD. This study had two specific objectives: to observe any fluctuations in the child’s SAD symptoms during the treatment and to examine the impact of the program on parental variables. A single-case multiple baseline across-subjects design was used. Six families with a child aged 4-7 years old and with a diagnosis of SAD participated. Semi-structured interviews, self-reported questionnaires and daily diaries were used with the parents to assess the child’s anxiety symptoms, parental practices, parenting stress, and the parents anxious and/or depressive symptoms. Questionnaires on child problems were also sent to the children’ teacher or educator. All questionnaires were administered at three times of measurement (pre-treatment, post-treatment and 3 months follow-up). Daily diaries were also completed by the parents at baseline, throughout the treatment, and during one to two weeks at follow-up. Results revealed that five of the six children no longer met the criteria of a SAD diagnosis after treatment and three months later. Findings from the daily diaries showed a clear reduction of the principal SAD symptoms for half of the children but mixed results for the other half of the children and that four of six children presented a systematic favourable change of the total weekly frequency of SAD symptoms after the intervention. The results of parent questionnaires showed an improvement of SAD symptoms for four children at post-treatment and/or follow-up. The teacher/educator questionnaires indicated low impact of anxiety symptoms. The impact of the program on parenting stress and parental practices is mixed with some parents showing improvement and others less so. The results support the efficacy of the Programme d’entraînement parental pour les enfants souffrant d’anxiété de séparation (PEP-AS) to reduce SAD symptoms in preschool age children and support the relevance of directing the treatment towards parents and including a relational component in the intervention. However, more research is needed to replicate these findings with larger samples and randomized control trials. It would also be interesting to dismantle the program and to examine the various components of the treatment in different combinations, and to explore more specifically the program effects on parental variables.

Depuis une vingtaine d’années, le modèle cognitif basé sur les interprétations (Groupe de recherche sur la cognition dans le trouble obsessionnel compulsif [OCCWG], 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005) représente le modèle psychologique de l’étiologie et du maintien du TOC le plus étudié au plan empirique. Cependant, peu de recherches ont porté sur les deux postulats importants du modèle touchant respectivement le développement des croyances liées à l’obsessionnalité et la contribution des états affectifs au maintien des interprétations et des croyances (réactivité cognitive). L’objectif de cette thèse est de contribuer à la validation empirique de ces postulats. Fondé sur un devis corrélationnel dans un échantillon de participants mixte (participants troubles obsessionnels-compulsifs et participants non cliniques), le premier article étudie les liens entre les expériences de l’enfance et la présence de croyances obsessionnelles chez l’adulte. Deux modèles alternatifs sont comparés qui représentent d’une part un lien spécifique, et d’autre part un lien non spécifique entre les expériences de l’enfance et les croyances obsessionnelles adultes. Les résultats suggèrent la présence à la fois de relations spécifiques et non spécifiques entre les expériences de l’enfance et les croyances adultes. Les expériences de l’enfance et les domaines de croyance obsessionnels qui montrent des liens spécifiques sont ceux relatifs à la responsabilité, à la perception du danger, et au perfectionnisme. En contrepartie, les expériences de l’enfance relatives à la perception de danger et dans une moindre mesure la sociotropie, apparaissent étroitement liés à la plupart des domaines de croyances adultes (intolérance à l’incertitude, surestimation du danger, importance et contrôle des pensées). Dans la seconde étude, nous nous intéressons à la mesure et l’analyse longitudinales de la réactivité cognitive telle qu’elle s’exprime dans l’environnement naturel de huit participants troubles obsessionnels-compulsifs de type ruminateur. Par le biais de huit protocoles à cas uniques intensifs, l’analyse de contingence entre les scores quotidiens d’humeur (4 états émotionnels cotés par participant) et d’interprétations (une interprétation idiographique des intrusions par participant) permet d’établir une mesure de l’importance de la réactivité cognitive chez chaque participant. Ces résultats sont ensuite analysés du point de vue des postulats principaux de deux modèles spécifiques de la réactivité cognitive (modèle de l’Infusion de l’affect [Forgas, 2008] et modèle de l’Humeur comme intrant [Meeten & Davey, 2011]. Ainsi, les analyses intra-individuelles répétées trans-comportements) et interindividuelles (trans-participants) permettent d’illustrer le rôle proximal déterminant des stratégies de traitement de l’information (traitement systématique; traitement superficiel; traitement altéré) employées par les participants. En résumé, les résultats obtenus dans ces deux études fournissent des données utiles à la poursuite de la validation du modèle des interprétations du TOC. Dans la première étude, l’identification de liens spécifiques entre les EE et les croyances obsessionnelles soutient la séquence étiologique postulée, alors que l’identification de liens non spécifiques suggère que d’autres trajectoires étiologiques peuvent être pertinentes. Dans la seconde étude, l’analyse longitudinale et naturaliste des covariations humeur – interprétations se révèle d’abord féconde à identifier les phénomènes de réactivité cognitive postulés dans le modèle des interprétations. Ensuite, en conformité aux modèles intégrés de la réactivité cognitive, l’analyse des liens entre cette réactivité et les stratégies privilégiées de neutralisation des participants permet d’identifier le rôle clé des différentes stratégies de traitement de l’information dans la réactivité cognitive. / Over the past twenty years, the «appraisal model» of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (Obsessive Compulsive Cognition Working Group, 1997, 2001, 2003, and 2005) has drawn most of the empirical research on the psychological etiology and maintenance of the disorder. Nevertheless, only a few studies addressed two important postulates of the model, which is the development of beliefs associated with OCD, and the contribution of affective states to the maintenance of appraisals and beliefs (p. ex., cognitive reactivity). The current thesis aims to contribute to the empirical validation of these postulates. Based on a retrospective correlational design in a mixed (OCD and normal) sample, the first article aims to explore the links between childhood experiences (CEs) and adult OCD related beliefs. Two alternative etiological models are compared emphasizing either a rather specific association between different CEs and beliefs; or conversely, a broad non-specific association between CEs and different OCD related beliefs. Results support both the existence of specific and non-specific associations between CEs and beliefs. CEs and OCD related beliefs that showed specific links were those CEs that showed specific links to OCD related beliefs were those related to the concepts of Responsibility (R-E and OBQ-R), Threat perception (TP-E et OBQ-T), and Perfectionism (SO-E et OBQ-P). On the other hand, CEs emphasizing Threat perception (TP-E) and Sociotropy (SOC-E) related experiences also showed significant links with most OCD related beliefs (Intolerance of uncertainty [OBQ-U], Overestimation of threat [OBQ-T], Importance and Control of thoughts [OBQ-I et OBQ-C]). The aim of the second article is to assess and analyze cognitive reactivity in an OCD sample (rumination subtype) through a longitudinal naturalistic design (eight intensive single-case designs). In a first step, the contingency analysis between daily mood-states scores (4 mood-states in each participant) and daily thought appraisals (one idiosyncratically defined thought appraisal in each participant) allows for the assessment of the magnitude and rate of cognitive reactivity in each participant. On the basis of integrative models of cognitive reactivity (Affect Infusion Model, and Mood as input Hypothesis) further repeated intra-individual analyses (across subjects) and inter-individual analyses (between subjects) illustrate the critical proximal role of different processing strategies used by the participants. In summary, both studies provide results that contribute to further the validation of the appraisal model of OCD. In the first study, the identification of specific links between CEs and OCD related beliefs in adults supports the postulated etiological sequence; while the identification of non-specific links suggest that other etiological paths may be relevant In the second study, the longitudinal investigation of covariations between mood-states and appraisals of thoughts allows to reveal the expected cognitive reactivity processes. Such processes are further supported with reference to integrated models of cognitive reactivity that emphasize the critical role of different processing strategies in their expression.

O entendimento do comportamento verbal (ou simbólico) e sua aplicação aos problemas comportamentais é importante para a análise clínica do comportamento pelo fato de o comportamento verbal humano ser pervasivo. Ou seja, humanos, ao serem verbalmente capazes, interagem com o ambiente, e processos verbais se tornam uma fonte de regulação comportamental. Considerando a psicoterapia como eminentemente verbal, entende-se como necessário a condução de pesquisas que abordem a complexidade do comportamento verbal no ambiente terapêutico. Embora metáforas, uma forma de intervenção verbal, tenham sido utilizadas por terapeutas analítico-comportamentais, nem sempre são claras as vantagens ou elucidados os efeitos que tal manejo traria. Esta pesquisa investigou, num delineamento experimental de caso único A-B-A-B na clínica, os efeitos do manejo de metáforas orientadas para valores na psicoterapia analítico-comportamental em um cliente com queixas ligadas à ansiedade. Os resultados foram comparados e correlacionados da categorização das sessões segundo o SiMCCIT - Sistema Multidimensional para a Categorização de Comportamentos na Interação Terapêutica e a qualidade das relações estabelecidas pelo cliente, com os resultados do EAS-40 e do BAI. Sugere-se que o manejo de metáforas evocou um estabelecimento de relações maior por parte da cliente no momento em que metáforas eram manejadas, embora os dados sejam pouco conclusivos. O uso de observações repetidas e contínuas, a avaliação da linha de base e o critério de estabilidade nesta e para as mudanças nas fases, assim como a replicação direta, permitiram demonstrar confiabilidade e contribuíram para a validade interna da pesquisa / The understanding of verbal (or symbolic) behavior and its application to behavioral problems is important for the clinical behavior analysis due to verbal behavior pervasiveness. While being able to verbally interact with the environment, humans verbal and cognitive processes become a source of behavioral regulation. As psychotherapy is considered eminently verbal, it is understood as necessary conduct researches that address the complexity of verbal behavior in this context. Although metaphors, a form of verbal intervention, are being used by behavioral therapists, advantages or effects of the management of them would bring are not always clear. This research investigated, in a single case ABAB experimental design, the effects of the management of oriented values metaphors in a behavior therapy on a client with complaints related to anxiety. The results were compared and correlated with the categorization of sessions using the SiMCCIT, the quality of the relations established by the client on then, and the results of the EAS-40 and BAI. It is suggested that the management of metaphors evoked a greater establishment of relations by the client at the time that metaphors were handled, although the data are still inconclusive. The use of repeated and continuous observations, the evaluation of the baseline and the stability criteria on this and in the changes of the phases, as well as direct replication, have demonstrated reliability and contributed to internal validity

O entendimento do comportamento verbal (ou simbólico) e sua aplicação aos problemas comportamentais é importante para a análise clínica do comportamento pelo fato de o comportamento verbal humano ser pervasivo. Ou seja, humanos, ao serem verbalmente capazes, interagem com o ambiente, e processos verbais se tornam uma fonte de regulação comportamental. Considerando a psicoterapia como eminentemente verbal, entende-se como necessário a condução de pesquisas que abordem a complexidade do comportamento verbal no ambiente terapêutico. Embora metáforas, uma forma de intervenção verbal, tenham sido utilizadas por terapeutas analítico-comportamentais, nem sempre são claras as vantagens ou elucidados os efeitos que tal manejo traria. Esta pesquisa investigou, num delineamento experimental de caso único A-B-A-B na clínica, os efeitos do manejo de metáforas orientadas para valores na psicoterapia analítico-comportamental em um cliente com queixas ligadas à ansiedade. Os resultados foram comparados e correlacionados da categorização das sessões segundo o SiMCCIT - Sistema Multidimensional para a Categorização de Comportamentos na Interação Terapêutica e a qualidade das relações estabelecidas pelo cliente, com os resultados do EAS-40 e do BAI. Sugere-se que o manejo de metáforas evocou um estabelecimento de relações maior por parte da cliente no momento em que metáforas eram manejadas, embora os dados sejam pouco conclusivos. O uso de observações repetidas e contínuas, a avaliação da linha de base e o critério de estabilidade nesta e para as mudanças nas fases, assim como a replicação direta, permitiram demonstrar confiabilidade e contribuíram para a validade interna da pesquisa / The understanding of verbal (or symbolic) behavior and its application to behavioral problems is important for the clinical behavior analysis due to verbal behavior pervasiveness. While being able to verbally interact with the environment, humans verbal and cognitive processes become a source of behavioral regulation. As psychotherapy is considered eminently verbal, it is understood as necessary conduct researches that address the complexity of verbal behavior in this context. Although metaphors, a form of verbal intervention, are being used by behavioral therapists, advantages or effects of the management of them would bring are not always clear. This research investigated, in a single case ABAB experimental design, the effects of the management of oriented values metaphors in a behavior therapy on a client with complaints related to anxiety. The results were compared and correlated with the categorization of sessions using the SiMCCIT, the quality of the relations established by the client on then, and the results of the EAS-40 and BAI. It is suggested that the management of metaphors evoked a greater establishment of relations by the client at the time that metaphors were handled, although the data are still inconclusive. The use of repeated and continuous observations, the evaluation of the baseline and the stability criteria on this and in the changes of the phases, as well as direct replication, have demonstrated reliability and contributed to internal validity

O abuso sexual infantil (ASI) é um problema de grande relevância social que pode trazer prejuízos como risco aumentado para psicopatologias, problemas sexuais e déficit nos relacionamentos interpessoais. A Psicoterapia Analítica Funcional (FAP) propõe um tratamento baseado na instalação de repertório de relacionamento interpessoal, modelado na relação terapêutica, em um ambiente seguro para o cliente e com baixa probabilidade de punição. O objetivo da pesquisa foi verificar os efeitos da FAP no tratamento de um menino de 11 anos de idade vítima de ASI, por meio da mensuração de comportamentos clinicamente relevantes (CCR) e comportamentos extrassessão. Foi realizado um delineamento experimental de caso único de reversão (A1-B1-A2-B2) em que a Fase A1 correspondeu a Terapia Analítico- Comportamental Infantil (TACI) enfocando análise dos comportamentos fora do setting terapêutico, a Fase B1 correspondeu a introdução sistemática da FAP e as fases A2-B2 corresponderam a replicação das condições anteriores com a retirada da FAP e sua reintrodução, respectivamente. Uma sessão de follow-up também foi realizada um mês após o término da psicoterapia. Cinco sessões de cada fase foram categorizadas pelo instrumento FAPRS. Utilizou-se o questionário CBCL e a Escala de Comportamentos Extrassessão, respondidos pela mãe da criança, afim de obter as medidas de comportamento externo, bem como o instrumento PedsQL para medir mudanças na autoavaliação da criança sobre a satisfação com a qualidade de vida e CAPS para as mudanças na autoavaliação de atribuições/percepções sobre a experiência de ASI. Os resultados apontaram aumento da porcentagem de CCR2 e queda da porcentagem de CCR1 durante as fases de inserção da FAP; queda dos CCR2 e aumento dos CCR1 quando a FAP foi retirada. As mudanças das porcentagens dos CCR2 foram mais contingentes à manipulação da variável independente. Não foi observada reversão dos CCR1, resultado do bloqueio de esquiva produzido pelo contexto terapêutico e por características específicas dos CCR1 da criança. O CBCL demonstrou melhora global na maioria de suas categorias, fazendo com que a criança saísse da faixa clínica dos problemas para a faixa considerada normal. As melhoras clínicas sugeridas nas categorias da Escala de Comportamentos Extrassessão que se relacionavam com os CCR da criança parecem ter sido produzidas pela introdução da FAP enquanto as pioras clínicas parecem ter sido produzidas pela retirada da FAP, o que sugere uma generalização (para o ambiente natural) dos ganhos terapêuticos obtidos em sessão. Tanto a CAPS quanto o PedsQL apontaram uma piora na avaliação do cliente. No entanto, discutiu-se que tal quadro é representativo de uma melhora no autoconhecimento da criança / Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a problem of great social relevance that can cause impairment as an increased risk for psychopathologies, sexual problems and interpersonal relationships. Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) proposes a treatment based on the installation of an interpersonal relationship repertoire, shaped by the therapeutic relationship, in a safe environment for the client and a low probability of punishment. The objective of this study was to ascertain the effects of FAP on the treatment of an 11-year-old boy victim of CSA by measuring clinically relevant behaviors (CCR) and out-of-session behaviors. A single-subject withdrawal experimental design (A1-B1-A2-B2) in which Phase A1 corresponded to Childrens Behavioral-Analytic Therapy (TACI) focusing on behavioral analysis outside the therapeutic setting, Phase B1 corresponded to the systematic introduction of FAP and the A2- B2 phases corresponded to the replication of the previous conditions with the withdrawal of FAP and its reintroduction, respectively. A follow-up session was also held one month after the end of psychotherapy. Five sessions of each phase were coded by the FAPRS system. The CBCL questionnaire and the Out-of-session Behavior Scale, answered by the child\'s mother, were used to obtain the external behavior measures, as well as the PedsQL instrument to measure changes in the child\'s self-assessment on quality of life satisfaction and CAPS for the changes in the self-assessment of attributions/perceptions about the CSA experience. The results indicated an increase in CCR2s percentage and a decrease in CCR1s percentage during the FAP insertion phases; reduction of CCR2 and increase of CCR1 when FAP was withdrawn. Changes in CCR2 percentages were more contingent on independent variable manipulation. No reversal of CCR1 was observed, because of the avoidance behavior blockade produced by the therapeutic context and by the specific characteristics of the childs CCR1. The CBCL showed overall improvement in most of its categories, causing the child to leave the clinical range of problems for the range considered normal. The clinical improvements suggested in the Out-of-session Behavior Scale categories that related to the child\'s CCRE appear to have been produced by the introduction of FAP while clinical worsening appears to have been produced by FAP withdrawal, suggesting a generalization (for the natural environment ) of the therapeutic gains obtained in session. Both CAPS and PedsQL pointed to a worsening client assessment. However, it was argued that such a picture is representative of an improvement in the childs self-knowledge

The present thesis was concerned with the possible constraints set by visual and attentional pre-orthographical factors on visual word recognition in dyslexic individuals. In a first study, we investigated the visual word recognition ability of MT, a young boy with surface dyslexia, by means of a paradigm that measures performance as a function of the eye fixation position within the word, known as the "viewing position effect" paradigm. In well-achieving readers, the viewing position effect is mainly determined by factors affecting letter visibility and by lexical constraints on word recognition. We further quantified MT's sensory limitations on letter visibility by computing visual span profiles, i.e. the number of letters recognizable at a glance. Finally, in an ideal-observer's perspective, MT's performance was compared with a parameter-free model combining MT's letter visibility data with a simple lexical matching rule. The results showed that MT did not use the whole visual information available on letter identities to recognise words. These results can be best accounted for by a reduction of the number of letters processed in parallel. Accordingly, there is growing evidence that some dyslexic children suffer from a deficit in simultaneously processing of multiple visually displayed elements. The aim of the remaining studies was to investigate possible cognitive impairments at the source of the multi-element visual processing deficit in dyslexic children. A computational model of the attentional involvement in multi-object recognition [TVA: Bundesen, C. (1990). A theory of visual attention. Psychological Review, 97(4), 523--47] served as framework for this investigation. In a second study, we used TVA to investigate multi-element processing in two young dyslexic participants, AB and PA. By combining psychophysical measurements with computational modelling, we demonstrated that this multi-element processing deficit stems from two distinct cognitive sources: a reduction of the rate of visual information uptake, and a limitation of the visual short-term memory capacity. These deficits were replicated in a third study, in which the multi-element processing was investigated in three dyslexic individuals, FA, LT and YC. The last study further demonstrated that the multi-element processing deficit observed in dyslexia is not simply due to a sluggish activation of items names, instead of visual processing difficulties. Finally, the generalisability of the multi-element processing deficit has been assessed by comparing report performance of letters vs colour patches. Unfortunately, the results were inconclusive. Taken together, the results of these different studies point to a reduced capacity of processing visual information in parallel (at least for letters), that might constrain visual word recognition.

This thesis is comprised of four studies and concerns haemodialysis patients’ confidence in being able to manage fluid intake between treatment sessions, and whether the fluid intake is influenced by certain modifiable characteristics of the persons in question. The overall aim was to study aspects of excessive fluid overload and haemodialysis patients’ self-regulation of fluid allotment from a bio-psychosocial and behavioural medicine perspective. The extent of non-adherence to fluid allotment was described in Study I. National registry data were used. Three out of ten Swedish haemodialysis patients had excessive fluid overload and one out of five was at risk for treatment related complications due to too rapid ultrafiltration rate. The objective in Study II was to develop and psychometrically evaluate a self-administered scale to measure situation-specific self-efficacy to low fluid intake. The measure (the Fluid Intake Appraisal Inventory) was found to be reliable and valid in haemodialysis settings. Subgroups based on individual profiles of self-efficacy, attentional style and depressive symptoms were explored in Study III using a cluster analytic approach. Three distinct subgroups were found and the subgroup structure was validated for clinical relevance. The individuals’ profile concerning self-efficacy, attentional style and depressive symptoms has to be taken into account in nursing interventions designed to reduce haemodialysis patients’ fluid intake. In Study IV, an intervention designed to reduce haemodialysis patients’ fluid intake was introduced and its acceptability, feasibility and efficacy were evaluated and discussed. Acceptability of such an intervention was confirmed. Addressing beliefs, behaviours, emotions and physical feelings is clinically feasible and may reduce haemodialysis patient’s excessive fluid overload. This thesis indicates that there is a potential for improvement in the fluid management care of haemodialysis patients. Behavioural nursing strategies that aim to assist patients to achieve fluid control should be applied more extensively. Cognitive profiles of the patients should be taken into account when targeted nursing intervention aiming to encourage and maintain the patient’s fluid control is introduced.