Reading Problems in School Children and Adults: Experiences,Self-Perceptions and Strategies

Three adults, one male and two females, with moderate to severe reading problems were interviewed about their reading problems, self-perceptions, experiences in education and at the workplace, self-presentation concerns, and their coping strategies in situations involving reading requirements. The informants were selected in order to vary age, level of education, and type of occupation. Despite these variations the results revealed striking similarities in their self-perceptions, motivational and emotional responses, and strategies in school years and later in life. Self-presentation concerns were salient in all informants and all informants reported various indications of negative affect. All informants also reported using self-defensive strategies, particularly emphasizing that they were hiding their reading and writing problems. The results are discussed in terms of self-worth theory as well as goal theory. Practical implications are also discussed.     

Using Implementation Intentions in Shopping Situations: How Arousal Can Help Shield Consumers Against Temptation

Previous research has suggested that individuals who repeatedly experience self‐regulatory failure in purchasing behaviour have trouble shielding themselves against temptations. Because shopping is often accompanied by increased arousal, we examined whether attending to affective arousal could help people keep their attention focused. Before participants completed a visual distraction task embedded in a shopping context, we (i) instructed them to formulate an implementation intention with affective arousal as the eliciting cue and concentrating on the task as the intention; (ii) instructed them to formulate the goal intention of concentrating on the task without mentioning an eliciting cue; or (iii) gave them no further instructions. During the task, we recorded eye movements to measure the time they looked at the target products. The findings suggest that implementation intentions with affective arousal as an eliciting cue enable consumers who repeatedly perceive self‐regulatory failure to focus their attention on their initial shopping goal. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamics in Using Different Question Types in Estonian Police Interviews of Children

The present study examined Estonian police officers' interviewing tactics with children in cases of physical and/or sexual abuse, as there are no published studies conducted in a country formally part of the Soviet Union. Also, the dynamics in using different question types within interviews was examined. Investigative interviews with 66 children (mean age 8 years 10 months, range 4 to 14 years) were transcribed and analyzed. Option‐posing and direct questions were most frequently employed, but invitations produced significantly more information. Four to seven‐year‐old children were asked more suggestive questions than older children. As interviews progressed, the average number of explanations and general invitations per interview decreased, whereas the number of suggestive and option‐posing questions increased. This study suggests that like police officers in other countries, Estonian investigators require training in structured interviewing methods to increase the number of invitations and reduce reliance upon option‐posing and direct questions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Future Issues in Pediatric Psychology: Delphic Survey

Using a Delphic poll procedure, we surveyed pediatric psychologists who were established in either clinical practice or empirical research in pediatric psychology. Three rounds of expert responses were logically combined in order to identify domains of importance to the future of pediatric psychology and to determine to what extent research and clinical aims concur. Overall, researchers and clinicians did not differ in the types of issues deemed important to the field. The top three domains for the next decade are concerned with pediatric psychology's ability to demonstrate viability, to integrate psychologists into primary care settings, and to demonstrate need for changes in reimbursement systems within managed care. Implications of the ten priority issues are discussed.     

Growing Pains: How Psychologists Can Help to Meet the Clinical Needs of Clients With Autism Spectrum Disorders

The pervasiveness and the prevalence of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are now much more recognized than in years past. The treatment needs of higher functioning people with ASD unfortunately often go unmet, and there is tremendous potential for psychologists to help meet these needs. The four articles in this special series provide current, best practice reviews and recommendations for practicing psychologists who work in this area. They highlight commonalities that cut across ASD and other clinical populations, and offer considerations that are unique to working with clients who have ASD. This commentary emphasizes the need for clinicians and applied psychological scientists to consider some of these issues in their own work.     

Coping Strategies and Resolution in Mothers of Children With Cerebral Palsy

“Parental resolution” represents parents coming to terms with their child’s health condition. Differences in the use of coping strategies between mothers who were resolved versus unresolved to their child’s diagnosis was investigated, and a possible moderating effect of these strategies was explored. A strategy aimed at mobilizing the family to acquire and accept help (institutional, formal support) was shown to be a significant moderating variable, in a way that its more frequent use allowed mothers of children with better functional status (but not mothers of children with poorer functional status) to reach resolution.     

Pediatric Psychology: Child Psychological Health in the Next Century

The future of pediatric psychology is reviewed and placed in brief historical context in relation to children's psychological health care. Contemporary trends affecting the delivery of psychological services, research, and clinical training are highlighted, with suggestions for future development. Pediatric psychology is a child-based, developmentally-focused multidisciplinary practice directed toward psychosocial and neuropsychological issues of health and illness in children and youth. Pediatric psychologists need to develop strong professional identities as health care psychologists combined with a collegial and collaborative arrangement with physicians to ensure the future growth and development of pediatric psychology in the next century as a major vehicle to promote children's health care.     

Using a Self-Management Intervention to Increase Compliance in Children With ASD

This two-study series examined the effectiveness of self-management in increase compliance with parental requests. Three boys diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their parents participated. The intervention involved self-monitoring combined with parent-delivered reinforcement. A multiple baseline design was used. The intervention was successful in increasing rates of compliance and reducing problem behavior in training and generalization settings with each participant. Social validity was high and treatment integrity data indicated that the intervention could be readily implemented by parents. Study 2 also provided evidence of a strong treatment effect for the self-management beyond a small effect for effective instructional delivery.     

Professional Development in Sport Psychology: Relating Learning Experiences to Learning Outcomes

To enhance the training of sport psychology consultants, it is important to know which learning experiences are useful for which components of professional development. We interviewed 15 novice consultants on their learning experiences related to 13 different topics. Traditional learning experiences (e.g., courses, teachers) were related to the development of practical know-how. Learning from others (e.g., peers, colleagues) was related to professional development (i.e., dealing with issues, challenges, and dilemmas that occur in sport psychology practice). Practical experience and reflective activities were related to both know-how and professional development. These results can be used to shape effective sport psychology education.     

Using Counselor Training and Collaborative Programming Strategies in Working With International Students

This article offers an overview of the adjustment concerns of international students in the United States and explores venues for inclusion of this population in multicultural training and counselor competency development opportunities for graduate students. Counselor educators need to provide awareness and knowledge about the issues faced by international students within graduate course work and training models. This will ensure that counselor trainees are competent within a multicultural framework to understand the unique issues of international students and respond by providing culturally sensitive counseling services and programming. A model of programming implemented at a private university that provided a training opportunity for counselors‐in‐training is highlighted. Considerations in designing collaborative programs are also discussed. Este artículo da un resumen de las preocupaciones de ajustamiento de estudiantes intemacionales en los Estados Unidos y explora avenidas para incluir esta población en el entrenamiento y desarollo multicultural de estudiantes de consejería. Educadores de consejeros necesitan proveer consciencia e información sobre las situaciones enfrentadas por estudiantes intemacionales en el entrenamiento de estudiantes graduados. Esto asegurara la competencia multicultural de los estudiantes para que así entiendan las necesidades unicas de los estudiantes intemacionales y puedan proveer sensibilidad cultural en la consejería y programación de servicios. Este artículo describe un modelo de programación implementado en una universidad privada que entrenó a estudiantes de consejería. Además se discuten consideraciones para el diseño de programas colaborativos.     

Primary Care and Clinical Psychology: Assessment Strategies in Medical Settings

There is ample evidence regarding medical-psychological comorbidity to consider clinical psychology as a viable component of health care services in medical settings. Psychologists can become valuable assets to primary care physicians who treat a high number of primary psychiatric cases as well as medical cases with secondary psychological symptoms. Psychologists who function in hospital-based clinics as well as affiliates with primary care (PC) offices can provide empirically supported assessment services that can make treatment more effective and efficient. Multiple studies indicate high prevalence rates of psychiatric patients in PC settings using various instruments. This paper reviews selected assessment tools that have established diagnostic validity and reliability that can be both strategic for patient care and useful to reinforce psychologist collaboration with primary care physicians (PCP).     

ABA-Based Programs for Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Parental and Professional Experiences at School and at Home

Having a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) poses a range of challenges to families, many of which can be addressed through appropriate intervention. A study of parental (n = 95) and professional (n = 67) experiences was carried out in relation to two settings: (a) schools that provided intensive interventions based on the science of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), and (b) non-intensive ABA-based home programs. Results show that parents whose children attend ABA-based schools were generally more satisfied with their child's educational provision, monitoring procedures, and level of staff training, than parents who were not offered ABA-based education in schools.     

Movement Control Strategies in a Dynamic Balance Task in Children With and Without Developmental Coordination Disorder

Abstract

Our study aimed to analyze movement control strategies using predefined criteria for amplitude and differences in these strategies between children with and without DCD. Children with (n?=?28) and without DCD (n?=?15) were included. A video-observation-tool was used to score the moving body parts during a Wii Fit slalom task over multiple time points. Two-step cluster analysis was used to extract distinct movement strategies. Two different movement strategies were identified that were independently validated by a measure of task performance and a subjective mark of quality of the movement. Initial differences between groups and changes over time toward the more successful strategy were found in both groups, albeit in a different percentage. This study shows that the more efficient movement strategy is seen in the majority of the TD children and only in a small number of children with DCD, even after practice.     

Using a Behavioral Treatment Package for Sleep Problems in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

This study investigated the effectiveness of a behavioral treatment package for sleep problems in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Treatment consisted of four behaviorally based components: circadian rhythm management, positive bedtime routines, white noise, and graduated extinction. A multiple-baseline design across three participants was used. Families completed a baseline of various lengths followed by 1 month of intervention. Results indicated the treatment package was effective in decreasing sleep onset latency and the frequency of night awakenings. A week of follow-up data showed continued improvement. Parents reported their children slept better and satisfaction with the four intervention components.     

Targeting Co-Sleeping in Children With Anxiety Disorders Using a Modified Bedtime Pass Intervention: A Case Series Using a Changing Criterion Design

Children with anxiety disorders experience high rates of sleep-related problems, with co-sleeping and resistance to sleeping independently being among the more frequent problems reported. Although extinction-based behavioral sleep interventions have repeatedly been shown to be highly effective for treating bedtime resistance, the primary obstacle to their implementation is parent discomfort with these procedures. The bedtime pass intervention was developed to minimize extinction bursts when implementing extinction procedures for childhood sleep problems. Several studies have found this intervention to be effective for treating bedtime resistance behaviors, but not co-sleeping specifically, in nonclinical samples of children. The current paper describes the use of a modified bedtime pass procedure to target problematic co-sleeping and related bedtime resistance behaviors in two children with anxiety disorders who presented for treatment at an outpatient pediatric anxiety specialty clinic. A changing criterion, single subject methodology was used to evaluate the effectiveness of this procedure. Data indicate that both children were able to transition from co-sleeping with parents every night, to sleeping independently, with relatively limited need for contact with parents at night during the intervention. These findings extend the data for the bedtime pass procedure to both co-sleeping and children with anxiety disorders. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed given the limited guidance for treating comorbid sleep problems in anxious children. Strengths and limitations of the data being drawn from a clinical treatment setting are also discussed.     

Time Reproduction in Children With ADHD: Motivation Matters

The primary goal of this study was to examine whether children with ADHD have a true deficit in subjective time sense, or whether their impairment reflects a motivational deficit. Thirty children with ADHD and 30 matched control children completed two versions of a time reproduction paradigm (“Regular” and “Enhanced”) in which motivational level was manipulated by the addition of positive sham feedback and the prospect of earning a reward. A secondary goal was to investigate performance on measures of working memory and behavioural inhibition, and how those constructs relate to time reproduction in the context of Barkley’s (1997a) model of ADHD. Children with ADHD performed significantly better on the motivating ‘Enhanced’ versus the Regular time reproduction paradigm, although they continued to perform significantly worse than controls on both tasks. Control children exhibited no reliable change in performance between versions of the task. Significant group differences were also observed on the working memory and behavioural inhibition tasks. We discuss the impact of motivation, working memory, and behavioural inhibition on time reproduction performance.     

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Diabetes in Adulthood: Support for a Collaborative Approach to Primary Care

Prior studies have demonstrated an association between retrospective reports of experiencing trauma in childhood and the current incidence of type 2 diabetes in adulthood. Much less is known about this association among low-income minority patients in primary care settings. We replicated the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) Centers for disease control and prevention (CDC) study with a low-income minority sample of primary care patients (N = 801) at a community-based healthcare center. We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective quantitative survey study to examine the association between participants’ reports of past childhood trauma and their current health care outcomes. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression to evaluate the hypothesis that low income minority patients who reported more childhood trauma (abuse, neglect, household dysfunction, cumulative adverse childhood experiences [ACEs]) would more likely be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Results suggest that the number of ACEs in our sample were considerably higher than the original CDC ACEs study, as almost 50 % of patients surveyed at our clinic reported 4 or more ACEs, confirming that trauma is central in our urban primary care setting. The results of the cumulative ACEs score was in the expected direction and was significant, suggesting that participants who cumulatively reported experiencing more childhood trauma were more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in adulthood. These findings have implications for family therapists, primary care providers, researchers, and policy makers to develop more collaborative approaches to primary care that better target the negative sequelae of ACEs.     

Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Clinical Work With African American Children and Adolescents: A Review of the Literature

A comprehensive review of the literature on clinical work with African American youth with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is presented. The strengths and limitations of CBT in relation to this population are outlined. Although CBT shows promise in helping, research on the efficacy and effectiveness of CBT in this group is lacking. Se presenta una reseña exhaustiva de la literatura sobre trabajo clínico con jóvenes Afroamericanos usando terapia cognitiva conductual (TCC). Se perfilan los puntos fuertes y las limitaciones de la TCC en relación a esta población. A pesar de que la TCC muestra signos prometedores para servir de ayuda, no hay suficiente investigación sobre la eficacia y efectividad de la TCC en este grupo.     

Graduate Students' Experiences in Dealing With Impaired Peer,Compared With Faculty Predictions: An Exploratory Study

In this study, we present data on graduate students' actual experiences in dealing with impaired peers and faculty predictions of how students would deal with such situations. A total of 29 faculty and 73 graduate students responded to a survey of 40 randomly selected clinical psychology training programs. Student respondents were almost universally (95%) aware of peers whom they regarded as impaired in their professional functioning, and half (49%) the sample reported being aware of a peer's ethical impropriety. Faculty overestimated the number of students who said they "did nothing" when confronted with the resulting ethical dilemma and underestimated the degree of conflict and turmoil (i.e., anger, frustration, dismay) that students reported experiencing. Faculty also estimated that students would be more concerned with peer loyalty issues, whereas students indicated that they were strongly motivated by ethical considerations. Ethics curricula ought more thoroughly to address affective concerns through experiential learning vehicles such as faculty modeling, simulation exercises, and small-group discussion.