Error self-correction and spelling: improving the spelling accuracy of secondary students with disabilities in written expression

In order to improve the spelling performance of high school students with deficits in written expression, an error self-correction procedure was implemented. The participants were two tenth-grade students and one twelfth-grade student in a program for individuals with learning disabilities. Using an alternating treatments design, the effect of error self-correction was compared with a more traditional method of spelling practice. The intervention and follow-up phases were implemented over a 6-week period with maintenance checks conducted 4 and 8 weeks after the termination of instruction. Results indicated that the error self-correction procedure was superior to the traditional method of review during the intervention and follow-up phases, but some gains were lost during the maintenance phase.     

School social climate and teachers’ perceptions of classroom behavior problems: a 10 year longitudinal and multilevel study

Using longitudinal and cross-sectional data, the present research sought to identify school social climate predictors of teachers’ perceptions of classroom behavior problems. The social climate and classroom behavior in 107 public and private French speaking Canadian high schools was evaluated by 1399 teachers. The present analysis is unique in its ability to control for school differences in the enrollment of students with a history of problem behavior. As hypothesized, between-school variation in the proportion of students with histories of disruptive problems predicted high school classroom behavior problems. Moreover, when controlling for these between-school differences, concurrently measured school-level variables (type of school, location of school, and academic emphasis) are found to be significant predictors of classroom behavior problems. The theoretical and practical implications of the present findings are examined and recommendations are made for future research.     

关于初中学业不良者学业求助特征及相关研究

本研究通过问卷与学业测验方法对165名初中生进行了学业不良者学业求助特征及相关研究,其研究结果表明:初中学业不良者在学业求助对象选择上倾向于向同学求助;在求助态度衡量上,他们对求助益处的考虑较少;更能知觉到来自同学的自尊威胁;在求助方式的选择上更倾向于执行性求助。成绩-回避目标、低下的自尊与自我效能感等是学业不良者学业求助特征的影响因素。     

Brief functional analysis and supplemental feeding for postmeal rumination in children with developmental disabilities

Rumination is a serious problem demonstrated by some people with developmental disabilities, but previous research has not included a functional analysis and has rarely compared intervention methods during the assessment process. We conducted functional analyses with 2 children who displayed postmeal rumination and subsequently evaluated a supplemental feeding intervention following meals. Results showed that noncontingent food or liquid presentation effectively reduced rumination with both children.     

Standing balance of children with developmental coordination disorder under altered sensory conditions

Maintenance of standing balance requires that sensory inputs be organized with the motor system. Current data regarding the influence of sensory inputs on standing balance in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are limited. This study compared the influence of sensory organization and each sensory input on the standing stability between a group of 20 children, 4-6 years old, with DCD and an age- and gender-matched control group of 20 children. Three types of visual inputs (eyes open, eyes closed, or unreliable vision) and two types of somatosensory inputs (fixed or compliant foot support) were varied factorially to yield six sensory conditions. Standing stability was measured with a Kistler force plate for 30s and expressed as the center of pressure sway area. The results showed that the standing stability of the children with DCD was significantly poorer than that of the control children under all sensory conditions, especially when the somatosensory input was unreliable (compliant foot support) compared to when it was reliable (fixed foot support). The effectiveness of an individual sensory system, when it was the dominant source of sensory input, did not significantly differ between the groups. The results suggest that children with DCD experience more difficulty coping with altered sensory inputs, and that such difficulty is more likely due to a deficit in sensory organization rather than compromised effectiveness of individual sensory systems.     

Infant–mother attachment security and children's anxiety and aggression at first grade

With a large and diverse sample of children from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, the role of infant–mother attachment security as a protective factor against the development of children's anxious and aggressive behaviors at first grade was examined. When child's sex, family income, maternal sensitivity, and prior levels of anxiety and aggression were controlled for, attachment security at 15 months of age was found to moderate the effects of negative life events families experienced, thereby protecting children from experiencing symptoms of anxiety, but not aggression, at 4.5 years of age. Children classified as insecurely attached at 15 months of age who experienced many stressful life events exhibited more anxiety symptoms in first grade than children classified as securely attached who similarly experienced many negative life events. These findings are interpreted within attachment theory, which predicts that early attachment security has a unique role in children's anxiety experiences later in childhood.     

Mathematical skill in individuals with Williams syndrome: evidence from a standardized mathematics battery

Williams syndrome (WS) is a developmental disorder associated with relatively spared verbal skills and severe visuospatial deficits. It has also been reported that individuals with WS are impaired at mathematics. We examined mathematical skills in persons with WS using the second edition of the Test of Early Mathematical Ability (TEMA-2), which measures a wide range of skills. We administered the TEMA-2 to 14 individuals with WS and 14 children matched individually for mental-age on the matrices subtest of the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test. There were no differences between groups on the overall scores on the TEMA-2. However, an item-by-item analysis revealed group differences. Participants with WS performed more poorly than controls when reporting which of two numbers was closest to a target number, a task thought to utilize a mental number line subserved by the parietal lobe, consistent with previous evidence showing parietal abnormalities in people with WS. In contrast, people with WS performed better than the control group at reading numbers, suggesting that verbal math skills may be comparatively strong in WS. These findings add to evidence that components of mathematical knowledge may be differentially damaged in developmental disorders.     

Interventions for inappropriate sexual behavior in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A brief review

Although prevalence rates vary, 6% to 28% of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDDs) engage in inappropriate sexual behavior (ISB), ranging from public masturbation to sexually aggressive behavior. Along with increased risk for contacting the criminal justice system, people with IDDs who display ISB may encounter negative social consequences, restricted community access and barriers to independence, and a variety of counter-therapeutic outcomes. The purpose of the present review is to highlight recent, efficacious behavior-analytic treatments for ISB in individuals with IDDs. Ethical considerations and areas for future research will be discussed.     

Pathways to adulthood and their precursors and outcomes

Norway has an extensive welfare system which may provide adolescents with many options and high levels of flexibility in terms of pathways to adulthood. This study aimed to describe Norwegian developmental pathways to adulthood, including changes in role statuses (such as living situations, education, work, marriage/cohabitation and parenthood) from 16 to 30 years of age, and their precursors and outcomes. Repeated measures latent class analysis of longitudinal data from 998 Norwegian individuals indicated three main pathways to adulthood among women and men. In both sexes, most individuals undertook a long period of education and postponed family formation. However, some individuals started working early, a group of women established families with partners and children early, and a group of men remained primarily single between 16 and 30 years of age. Furthermore, the results show that pathways to adulthood in Norway are surprisingly similar to pathways in other countries such as the US, UK and Finland. The results indicate that pathways to adulthood are influenced by social reproduction factors in a country with high levels of welfare benefits as well. In addition, the results suggest that pathways involving living with a partner and either higher education or work are associated with high life satisfaction at age 30.