Journal of Exceptional Childre
Year:2005 | Volume:5 | Issue:2 (16)|Papers Count:7

This research was carried out with the purpose of standardization and finding validity and reliability of Williams Intelligence Test for Farsi speaking Children with Visual Impairment. The test administered on a sample of 439 participants (221 boys and 218 girls) at about 6 to 15 years old with visual impairment from Tehran and Mashhad cities. This test consists of two parts: Vocabulary (route), and main test. Internal consistency of the two tests was estimated by KR-20 formula for each age group. Range of these coefficients for main test was .94 through.97 (mean .96), and for Vocabulary test was .87 through .94 (mean .91). To examine test-retest reliability of the test, 70 subjects were selected randomly from the normative sample and the test was administered with an interval of 3 to 4 interval months. The correlation coefficient between the results of the two administrations was .88 for the main and .87 for the Vocabulary test. These coefficients showed that the stability of the tests was satisfactory. Content, criterion, and construct validity of the main test was studied by appropriate methods. The results of these studies indicated that this test is a valid and reliable tool for assessing general intelligence of children with visual impairment. Norm tables were provided for the main and Vocabulary tests. In summary, the results ensure the applicability of this test for the assessment of general intelligence of children with visual impairment.      

This research was aimed to adaptation and standardization of the Nonverbal Intelligence Test (TONI-3) for 6-14 years old students in Tehran city. For this purpose, a preliminary study was carried out on 320 students (girls and boys) of 6-14 years old in 10 districts of Tehran city and Form A of test was administered. This step repeated for Form B of test. After analysis of items on item- response theory (IRT), the five items from Form A and five items from Form B omitted and number of items for each Forms of test decrease to 40 items. In second step, the 1600 students of 6-14 years old was selected for standardization of each of two Forms of test with multi- step sampling in 10 districts of the city of Tehran, and the two forms of test were administered. The results of Reliability showed that coefficients Alpha for Form A, for 6-14 years old was ordinarily .82,.83,.83, .87,.86,.81,.81,.80 and total coefficient Alpha was .85 and coefficients Alpha for Form B was .82, .79, .85, .85, .88, .80; .80 and for total of test was .84. Also correlation coefficients for test-retest for Form A and Form B were .89 and .90. In general the Alpha coefficients indicated high reliability for this test. The correlation of Form A and Form B with Raven test was.78 and .74. Discrimination validity showed that TONI-3 is strongly related to age up. In fact, for subjects ages 6 to 14, the test's total raw score correlate strongly with age. Norms for TONI-3 were presented as standard scores for 6-14 years old students, having a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15.    

The ability to understand that other people have mental states such as thoughts, desires and beliefs that may be different from one's own is termed as "theory of mind". In this article, firstly, we discuss about theoretical basics of theory of mind, and then we review published researches about theory of mind development in deaf children. We answer two questions; do deaf children delay in development of theory of mind? And, Do deafness of parents impact theory of mind development of deaf children? Some theorisians believe that development of theory of mind related to language; in other side are theorisians who believe theory of mind development is related with executive functions. Some researches show delay in theory of mind development in deaf children. Few researches show no delay in theory of mind development in deaf children. Studies about the impact of parental deafness on development of their deaf children theory of mind indicated no delay. These children are similar with hearing children in theory of mind development.    

In studies on psychological health and children's personality development and in researches on emotional distresses, children's behavioral disorders associated with mother deprivation are known as the most major cause of mental disorders. Therefore, for identification of children's attachment styles in day care centers provided are of significant importance. For this purpose, to compare the attachment styles between children of day care centers with those provided care by their families, the Separation Anxiety Test (SAT) Slough and colleagues (1988) on 72 children (36 in day care centers & 36 ordinary ones) was carried out. The results have shown, almost half of children in both groups have insecure attachment styles. Tendency ratio of both groups of children towards Secure and Ambivalent Insecure styles are almost the same. However the avoidant style of attachment in children of day care centers are more than those provided care by their families [0]. The children under family care compared to the children of day care centers in the situations of separation from their mothers in the first day of school and sleeping in their room, have shown more self reliance.      

Many achievement tests have been made to assess writing process. The aim of present research is to make and standardize an achievement test of writing for first grade elementary school. After constructing subtests and items based on the test specifications table, tryout, and correcting items on the basis of psychometrics characteristics, final form of the test was made. The test consists of two sections: dictation and writing expression. First to fourth subtests are related to dictation, and fifth to sixth subtests belong to writing expression section. The test was run on a sample of 400 first grade students (200 boys and 200 girls) who had been selected on the basis of random cluster sampling. Results showed that reliability and validity of the test are valid. Reliably coefficient by internal consistency (cronbach's Alpha) of subtests is 0.94, 0.93, 0.88, 0.68, 60, and 0.69 for first to sixth. The criterion validity was confirmed by correlation coefficient of writing achievement with Wechsler verbal intelligence test, Dictation marks and average marks. In the differential validity there are meaningful differences between mean of marks for normal students, learning disabilities group and mental retarded students. Correlation coefficient of subtests with each other was meaningful. This factor acts as a validity index for test.      

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common autosomal aberration among liveborns in developed and developing countries. There are several clinical features and metabolic disturbance with this syndrome. Defective oxidative balance is one of the most common metabolic problems in DS. It is suggested clinical features and metabolic disturbance specially oxidative stress in DS are a consequence of specific chromosome 21 segments, but results of many studies haven't confirmed it. Findings of recent researches have propounded mitochondrial dysfunction as causes of pathology and aetiology of DS. Defect in respiratory enzymes and mutation in mtDNA can cause mitochondrial dysfunction. Increasing in generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the results of mitochondrial dysfunction in DS.