Effects of a weighted vest on attention to task and self-stimulatory behaviors in preschoolers with pervasive developmental disorders.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effectiveness of using a weighted vest for increasing attention to a fine motor task and decreasing self-stimulatory behaviors in preschool children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). METHOD: Using an ABA single-subject design, the duration of attention to task and self-stimulatory behaviors and the number of distractions were measured in five preschool children with PDD over a period of 6 weeks. RESULTS: During the intervention phase, all participants displayed a decrease in the number of distractions and an increase in the duration of focused attention while wearing the weighted vest. All but 1 participant demonstrated a decrease in the duration of self-stimulatory behaviors while wearing a weighted vest; however, the type of self-stimulatory behaviors changed and became less self-abusive for this child while she wore the vest. During the intervention withdrawal phase, 3 participants experienced an increase in the duration of self-stimulatory behaviors, and all participants experienced an increase in the number of distractions and a decrease in the duration of focused attention. The increase or decrease, however, never returned to baseline levels for these behaviors. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that for these 5 children with PDD, the use of a weighted vest resulted in an increase in attention to task and decrease in self-stimulatory behaviors. The most consistent improvement observed was the decreased number of distractions. Additional research is necessary to build consensus about the effectiveness of wearing a weighted vest to increase attention to task and decrease self-stimulatory behaviors for children with PDD.     

Effects of therapeutic climbing activities wearing a weighted vest on a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a case study

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of therapeutic climbing activities on the brain waves and attention of a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. [Subject and Methods] The subject of this case study was a 7 year 6-month old child diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This study was based on evidence gathered at 3 distinct stages: a pre-intervention period, 10 intervention periods (2 weeks), and one post-intervention period. The intervention involved therapeutic climbing activities wearing a weighted vest over the course of 4 weeks. The clinical outcome measures were electroencephalography and the Star Cancellation Test. [Results] The mean activation of alpha waves was improved by the therapeutic intervention. During the intervention, the mean activation of alpha waves was the highest at the F3 cortical locus and the lowest at the T4 cortical locus. The average Star Cancellation Test scores were 43 at pre-intervention, 50 during the therapeutic intervention, and 52 at post-intervention. The performance time of the Star Cancellation Test was 240.1 seconds at pre-intervention, 90.2 seconds during the therapeutic intervention, and 60.0 seconds at post-intervention. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest that therapeutic climbing activities performed wearing a weighted vest had positive effects on the brain waves and the attention span of a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Key words: Attention, Brain wave, Sensory     

The use of sound during exercise to assist development for children with and without movement difficulties

Purpose.?To identify and review the literature on the role of sound in facilitating movement and development. The emphasis was to consider the role of sound during exercise and rehabilitation and to encourage researchers to further explore the role of sound in movement development and rehabilitation.

Methods.?A review of key and relevant literature was conducted. Data related to the proof-of-concept of a ball emitting broadband sound to enhance motor development in children with and without movement disorders is presented.

Results.?Analyses of the data indicated an interaction between group and block of training (p?≤?0.05). Scores indicated that there was no effect of training on the pre- and post-scores for the non-sound group or the control group. However, there was significant effect of training on pre- and post-scores for the group using a ball emitting broadband sound.

Conclusions.?Preliminary results indicate skill development can be enhanced by the use of broadband sound in balls and further research is required.     

注意缺陷多动障碍儿童行为特征评估

目的探讨注意缺陷多动障碍儿童的行为特征。方法采用中国修订韦氏儿童智力量表、Achenbach儿童行为量表、Conners父母症状问卷对78例注意缺陷多动障碍儿童及其父母进行测试和问卷调查,并与正常对照组进行对比分析。结果注意缺陷多动障碍患儿的社交和活动能力保持较好,男患儿Achenbach儿童行为量表总分及学习能力、焦虑、抑郁、交往不良、强迫、体诉、社交退缩、多动、攻击、违纪因子分均高于对照组（P〈0．05或0．01）,女患儿总分、抑郁、社交退缩、多动、性问题、攻击等因子分均高于对照组（P〈0．05或0．01）。男患儿的智商总分、言语智商、操作智商分以及知识、分类、词汇、数字广度、木块图案等因子分均显著低于对照组（P〈0．05或0．01）,而女患儿智商评分与女对照组差异无显著性（P〉0．05）。结论注意缺陷多动障碍儿童有较多的行为和智商问题,家长应该根据他们的行为特征,有针对性的进行辅导,帮助患儿改善不良行为和社交技能。     

Evaluation of children with reading difficulties

Reading difficulties are common and are associated with poor long-term academic achievement. Evaluation of a child's developmental, educational, and family histories in conjunction with standardized screening tests (e.g., Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status, Safety Word Inventory and Literacy Screener) can increase recognition of risk factors for reading difficulties. Validated, office-based, standardized screening tests and school-administered standardized achievement tests (e.g., California Achievement Tests, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, Metropolitan Achievement Tests, Stanford Achievement Test) can be used to assess school-age children with reading difficulties. Reading difficulties in children often are caused by environmental and organic risk factors. However, many children have reading or learning disabilities and will have lifelong difficulties with reading despite adequate intervention. Children with substantial reading difficulties should receive a full educational assessment. There is good evidence that individualized instruction emphasizing increased phonologic awareness can have a favorable long-term effect on academic achievement.     

Physical fitness in children with movement difficulties

Objective

This study examined physical fitness in 9- and 10-year-old children with and without movement difficulties.

Design

The whole sample of children completed the Test of Physical Fitness, which included nine component tasks.

Setting

School sports hall of participating children.

Participants

An initial sample of 67 children was ranked on their scores from the Movement Assessment Battery for Children. The 12 children with the highest scores were designated the group with movement difficulties, and the 12 children with the lowest scores constituted the comparison group.

Results

Significant differences between the group with movement difficulties and the comparison group were found for all nine tasks and the total score for the Test of Physical Fitness.

Conclusion

The relatively poor performance of the group with movement difficulties is hypothesised to result from their lower levels of physical activity. Poor physical fitness in these children is an important concern for present and future health status.     

The difficulties of educating children with chronic illness in the hospital context

The objective of this qualitative study was to understand the perception that families of hospitalized children with chronic illness about their being away from the process of education. The empirical material was produced by means of interviews performed with families of hospitalized children with chronic illness. The data was analyzed based on the principles of thematic analysis. Among other aspects, the data showed the lack of systematized pedagogical actions in the studied hospital, in a way that the educational activities that were developed were seen as a moment of leisure. We understand that the hospital class is becoming an important health care technology for hospitalized children. Therefore, it requires support, especially from the Departments of Education, in terms of providing the necessary human resources, funding and materials. This is a pioneer study, capable of helping improve the quality of life of children with chronic illness.     

Self-concept in children with attention deficits

This study focuses on the BASTA project (basic skills, social interaction and training of the working memory), which studied children with attention deficits and hyperactive behaviour attending remedial classes in regular schools. The project is interdisciplinary, with research teams from both social science and medicine. Our study is both qualitative and quantitative with a socio-cultural approach, and focuses on the pupil's social interaction, self-concept and the classroom climate. This article reports on the results of the study on self-concept. Our supposition was that the pupil's self-concept should change when they improved their skills in reading, writing and mathematics, but this was not the case. The results showed the dominating pattern to be that the differences between data from the BASTA project and comparison data from a similar study on academic self-concept, social self-concept, personal self-concept and global self-concept are small to nonexistent. Our results indicate that the children studied report higher degrees of self-concept than were warranted and that entering remedial classes was often linked to previous academic failures, social failures or both.     

Breast self examination: use of a visual reminder to increase practice.

1. Breast cancer, the most common type of cancer affecting women and the second leading cause of cancer death in women, will affect more than 10% of the female population of this country. 2. Breast self examination (BSE), known to be an effective component of a three part breast health program which includes physical examination and mammography, is not practiced consistently by American women. 3. A convenient memory aid serving as a visual stimulus, combined with appropriate educational materials, is effective in increasing both the knowledge of breast health and the frequency of BSE practice.     

Interactive metronome training for a 9-year-old boy with attention and motor coordination difficulties

The purpose of this case report is to describe a new intervention, the Interactive Metronome, for improving timing and coordination. A nine-year-old boy, with difficulties in attention and developmental delay of unspecified origin underwent a seven-week training program with the Interactive Metronome. Before, during, and after training timing, accuracy was assessed with testing procedures consistent with the Interactive Metronome training protocol. Before and after training, his gross and fine motor skills were examined with the Bruininiks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP). The child exhibited marked change in scores on both timing accuracy and several BOTMP subtests. Additionally his mother relayed anecdotal reports of changes in behavior at home. This child's participation in a new intervention for improving timing and coordination was associated with changes in timing accuracy, gross and fine motor abilities, and parent reported behaviors. These findings warrant further study.     

The use of a metal detector to locate ingested metallic foreign bodies in children.

OBJECTIVE: A pilot study to assess whether modern metal detectors can reduce unnecessary radiation in searching for ingested metallic foreign bodies. METHODS: Over a one year period, 20 children presenting to an accident and emergency department with suspected metallic foreign body ingestion were studied. Using an Adams Electronics AD15 metal detector, the radiographer recorded the location of metallic foreign bodies on a pictorial representation of neck, chest, and abdomen. The child then had plain radiographs of abdomen, chest, and neck in sequential order until the foreign body was located. RESULTS: In seven cases neither metal detector nor radiography revealed a foreign body (true negatives). In the remaining 13 cases where metal detection was positive, subsequent radiography or faecal search was also positive (true positives). The 13 foreign bodies were coins (8), gold ring (1), ball bearing (1), screw (1), staple (1), and washer (1). All were in the stomach or proximal small bowel on radiography except for one coin in the right iliac fossa. CONCLUSIONS: The detector can demonstrate ingested metallic foreign bodies reliably in children, thereby reducing unnecessary irradiation.     

The use of individualized goal setting to facilitate behavior change in women with multiple sclerosis.

Setting goals is a useful strategy for changing behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a wellness intervention for women with multiple sclerosis (MS) on achieving health-related goals set individually by each participant in the experimental group (N = 57) using goal attainment scaling. The two-phase intervention included lifestyle-change classes over 8 weeks, then telephone follow-up over 3 months. Participants were followed over an 8-month period. Goal achievement was assessed at baseline, 2 months (following class), 3 1/2 months (6 weeks after class), 5 months (following 3 months of telephone follow-up), and at 8 months. The majority of the women met or exceeded all their individualized goals for changing behavior at the 6-week postclass assessment. Achievement and maintenance of individual goals remained high (59%-84%) over the 5 months after class follow-ups. These data support the positive effects of wellness interventions for helping women with MS to meet their own individualized health goals. Setting goals with incremental steps helped participants to articulate their individual goals and monitor achievement over time.