Journal of Exceptional Childre
Year:2020 | Volume: | Issue: |Papers Count:10

Objective: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a consistent pattern of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and impulsivity behaviors that disrupts individual's action at home and society. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of neurofeedback on cognitive empathy and cognitive emotion regulation in adolescents with ADHD. Method: This applied study has a quasiexperimental design with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up with a control group. The statistical population was adolescents with ADHD who referred to the counseling clinics in Tehran. They were selected through a purposeful convenience sampling method in 16 adolescents and randomly assigned into two groups of experimental and control (n=8). Neurofeedback treatment protocols were conducted based on the alpha/theta protocol for 16 weeks, two sessions per week (30-minute). The instrument of this study was Conner’, s Adult ADHD Rating Scale- Self-report form, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), and the Empathy Self-assessment Scale. To analyze the data, the descriptive statistics, mean, frequency, standard deviation, the inferential statistics, repeated measure, and ANOVA were provided to test research questions. Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference between the neurofeedback group and the control group in the pre-test and post-test in cognitive empathy and cognitive emotion regulation but no significant stability was observed in the follow-up stage (p ≤, 0. 05). Conclusion: According to the results, it is recommended that the principles and concepts of the neurofeedback, which in fact, this study confirmed their impact in Iranian society, should be considered as a training and executive duty for school and family advisers in empowerment, analysis, and interpretation in workshops and meetings so that they can use these methods to help students with ADHD and their families through learning process.

Objective: Children need proper sensory stimulation. proper sensory stimulation promotes the development and improvement of children's motor skills and competence. Among these stimulations is vestibular stimulation. Many of educable children wih mentally disability have poor motor coordination and balance. some of these children, developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of vestibular stimulation on improving motor skills in educable mental retardation children with DCD. Method: This study is a quasi-experimental (pre-test, post-test control group) desing. The statistical population of this study included all children with educable mentally disability in elementary schools in Isfahan City. The sample included 30 children who were randomly selected from one dual-shift school. Then they were randomly assigned into two equal groups: experimental and control. The tools used in this study were: Lincolen-Osertsky Motor test and Developmental Coordination Disorder List (DCDQ, 07,Wilson, 2007). Data were analyzed using Independent t-test and Mancova statistical method. Results: Statistically significant differences were observed in motor skills (fine and gross) improvement in children with educable mental retardation using vestibular stimulation (P<0. 001). Conclusion: Vestibular stimulation therapy has important positive effects on ability to improve motor skills in children with mental retardation with DCD. Our results also showed that vestibular stimulation therapy can significantly increase the motor skills perception development in educable mental retardation children.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of Sensory Processing Measure-Preschool (SPM-P) to achieve a reliable tool for measuring the sensory processing challenges of children. Method: This research was a descriptive-analytical study. After translation, adaptation and some modifications, 384 children aged 2-5 years of kindergartens in Tehran city were chosen by multi-stage sampling. SPM-P was performed on them and psychometric analyses within the context of content validity, construct validity and reliability were done. Results: showed that the sub-scales, as well as the whole scale's content validity and construct validity were desirable. In addition, the evidence from different sources and analyses represented the internal and external consistency of the scale (P<0/05). The Cronbach's alpha was used to examine the reliability. The Cronbach’, s alpha value for the whole questionnaire was 0. 83, and for some subscales, it was at least 0. 75. Conclusion: Accordingly, we can conclude that SPM-P is a reliable tool that can be used to measure the capability of sensory processing, praxis and social participation of Iranian children. It can also be used in health clinics and educational centers for screening purposes and research activities.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a creative problemsolving program training on the enhancement of creativity and social adjustment in gifted and talented boy adolescents. Method: This research was carried out in a quasi-experimental and pre-& post-test design with control group. The population of the study was 452 high school boy students of exeptional talents in Ardabil City. Finaly 46 students were selected. The research tools were Raven's Matrices (1938), Tehran-Stanford-Binet's Intelligence Test (Afroz and Kamkari, 2011), Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) (1998), and Bell Social Adjustment (1962) Inventoris. The experimental group participated in a problem solving training program during 13 sessions (75 minutes per session). In order to control the effect of pre-tests, data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Results: The results showed that the mean scores of in the subscales of fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration, general social adjustment, health adjustment and emotional adjustment between the experimental and evidence groups were meaningly different. Conclusion: According to the results, applying creative problem solving training program for improvement of creativity and social adjustment for gifted and talented male adolescents was effective. Based on the results of this study, using a creative problem solving training program to improve creativity and social adjustment for gifted students is recommended.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of rhythmic and group games on the gross motor skills and social interaction of children whit autism. Method: The statistical population of semi-experimental study included all children with autism in Urmia City, of which 21 children with mean age (9. 4 ±,2. 08) with autism spectrum disorders in Urmia were selected by available sampling method. They were randomly assigned to three groups of group practice, rhythmic games and control group based on pre-test results. Data collection was done by Bruninks Oseretesky test and Gars questionnaire. Subjects in the three groups after the pretest, which included the implementation of the Bruninx Oseretsky test and the completion of the questionnaire by the carers of the child (parents, coaches), participated in 24 sessions in group and rhythmic games. The control follow their routine daily activities without a specific game scheduling program. One day after the end of session 24, subjects from all three groups were tested by Bruninx Oseretsky test. Gars questionnaire was completed by the child carers. Results: Analysis of data by ANCOVA analysis, one way ANOVA and t-dependent variables at the significant level (p≤, 0. 05) showed that practice had a significant effect on the scores of gross motor skills in the experimental group with the rhythmic group's superiority. Also the practice had an impact on the social interaction privileges of the two experimental groups. Although the differences between the rhythmic group and the group were not statistically significant. The mean social interaction scores of the rhythmic group showed greater improvement. Conclusion: The research findings confirmed the role of game, especially in combination with music to increase motivation and interest in children and ultimately, improve the motor and social skills of children in the autistic spectrum.

Objective: Designing extensive programs for training families with Down Syndrome children and implementing appropriate supportive programs for them require assessing their educational and supportive needs. In the present study, the educational and social needs of mothers with Down Syndrome children were assessed in order to design a comprehensive program for training mothers. Method: The study was a descriptive-survey design, and participants were 30 mothers of female children with Down Syndrome attending Aslani Special School in the academic year 2015-2016 in Tehran, Iran. The mothers were selected by convenient sampling method. The Need Assessment Questionnaire (Beh-Pajooh & Mahmoudi, 2014) was adapted and completed by the mothers. The questionnaire consisted of three parts: The first part included demographic information about children with Down Syndrome and their parents,The second part included 13 open-ended questions, and the third part consisted of 28 items using four-point Likert scale (very much, much, little, and very little). Results: The findings revealed that mothers of children with Down Syndrome reported high levels of worry about their children’, s future, and would like to know about services at the present and the future. What matters is to inform them about their children’, s future and there should be appropriate educational programs –,especially regarding independent living skills training –,for such children and their families. Conclusion: Mothers of children with Down Syndrome have a need for social support and education,this shows the importance of planning and implementing appropriate supportive and educational programs for such families.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of training the method of intensive interaction on reducing challenging behaviors and increasing social skills in children with autism spectrum disorder in the Center of Autism in Tehran city during 2017-18. Method: The research method was a single-subject single baseline (A-B-A-B) and several types of therapies. The sample size consisted of 5 children aged 5-8 years with autism spectrum disorder who were selected randomly from among 36 non-randomized individuals. Who the 22 sessions of the first three bases, 8 sessions of the Ulf treatment line, the three bases of the second baseline and 8 sessions of the second medication intervention, each partricipant was subjected to an intensive interaction method. Data were collected using observation questionnaire, Jelili Challenging Behavioral Questionnaire (2007) and Social Communication Skills Questionnaire (SCQ) by Rutter et al. (2003). Results: The results showed that the effect size in the variable of challenging behaviors in the first subject was 1. 26, the second one, 1. 33, the third one, 0. 49, the fourth one, 1. 83, and the fifth one, . 0. 71. The effect size of social skills variable in the first subject was 0. 55, the second one 0. 99, the third one 0. 74, the fourth subject 76. 0 and the fifth subject 1. 03. The effect size of the subjects was between 0. 41 and 2. 7% showing that the method of intensive interaction had a significant effect on the challenging and social skills of children in the autism spectrum. It was also revealed that the effect size in eye contact, touch, and solitary involvement in the five subjects ranged from 0. 41 to 2. 7, indicating the effect of the all-encompassing method on the mentioned components. Conclusion: Considering the impact of this type of intervention, it is suggested that educators and specialists use the method of intensive interaction to improve challenging behaviors and increase social skills in children with autism spectrum.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of positive cognitive behavioral program on executive functions and social skills in students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Damghan University, Damghan, Iran. Method: The statistical population of this study was all students (male and female) of Damghan University in year 2018 who participated in the Student Mental Health Monitoring Plan. Thirty students who received the highest scores in the Conner's Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Questionnaire were randomly assigned in two experimental and control groups (n = 15 each). Both groups completed the Barclays Executive Function Questionnaire and Rigo and Canary Social Skills Questionnaire. The experimental group received 12 sessions of positive cognitive behavioral program training. After completing the training, both groups completed the above mentioned two questionnaires again. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software (version 24) and multivariate analysis of covariance. Significance level of 0. 05 was used. Results: The results showed that the effect of positive behavioral cognitive training program on executive functions and social skills and their subscales was significant (P <0. 001). However, there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups regarding their executive functions, social skills and their subscales. Conclusion: Using positive cognitive behavioral programming, changing beliefs, positive thinking, and teaching effective behaviors and strategies can improve the executive functions and social skills of students with ADHD.