JOURNAL OF EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN EMPOWERMENT
Year:2020 | Volume:10 | Issue:4 |Papers Count:10

The present study was conducted aiming to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on negative automatic thoughts and sleep problems in female students with Depression Disorder. It was a quasi-experimental study with pretest, posttest and control group design. The statistical population of the current study included female students with Depression Disorder in Tehran City in the academic year 2018-19. 30 female students with Depression Disorder were selected through purposive sampling method and they were randomly assigned to experiment and control groups (15 students in the experiment and 15 in the control group). The experiment group received mindfulness-based cognitive therapy intervention (Segal, Williams and Tizdel, 2013) during two months in eight seventy-five-minute sessions. The applied questionnaires in this study included Depression Questionnaire (Goldberg, 1972), Negative Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (Holon and Kenda, 1980) and Sleep Problems Questionnaire (Bois et. al, 1989). The data from the study were analyzed through MANCOVA method using SPSS23 statistical software. The results showed that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy has significant effect on negative automatic thoughts (p<0. 001) and sleep (p<0. 001) in the students with Depression Disorder. Findings of the present study reveal that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can be used as an efficient therapy to decrease negative automatic thoughts and sleep problems in the students with Depression Disorder employing techniques such as mindful thoughts, emotions and behavior.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of two strategic planning and time management constructs in children and adolescents with MS. This study was a causal-comparative study with post-facto and control group design. The statistical population comprised all children and adolescents with MS who are members of the MS Society of Iran. For this purpose, 30 MS patients and 30 non-MS patients aged 18 years and younger were selected by convenience sampling method and evaluated by parental version of the BRIEF Questionnaire. The results of children and adolescents affected were compared with non-affected samples. The research tool of the present study was BRIEF Questionnaire (Gioia, Isquith, Guy & Kenworthy, 2000) and data were analyzed using independent t-test, analysis of variance and correlation in version SPSS26 of software. Analysis of the planning variable showed that the mean of children with MS was significantly higher than non-affected children (t=5. 758, df=58, p<0. 000) and a significant correlation between this construct and educational status were observed (p<0. 020). Results of the study of time management variable were similar to the previous one (t=5. 394, d. f=58, p<0. 000), but no significant correlation was found between this variable and educational status (p<0. 691). As a result of the analysis, it was found that children and adolescents with MS have significant deficits in their planning and time management components compared to their non-MS counterparts. However, weakness in the planning component can also affect their educational status. Therefore, early diagnosis and intervention in this field is necessary.

The present study was conducted aiming to investigate the effectiveness of Superbrain Yoga exercise on fluid intelligence, visual spatial perception, academic achievement and balance in slow paced children. This quasi-experimental study was conducted as a pretest-posttest with control group design. The statistical population of this study consisted of students with intellectual disabilities of Shahid Beheshti Exceptional School in Tehran. The study participants were 20 boys with mean and standard deviation (76/0± 3/8) years old who were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned into experiment (n=10) and control (n=10) groups. The experiment group performed 12 sessions of Experimental Yoga exercises. The data collection tool was Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Ed (Karami, 2017) and Modified Stroke Test (Sabzi, Damanpak & Tatari Hasan Gavyar; 2019). The data were analyzed using independent t test. Based on the findings of this study, Superbrain Yoga exercises did not have a significant effect on improving fluid intelligence (P = 0. 81), visual spatial perception (P=0. 16) and static equilibrium (P=0. 19), but there was a significant effect on academic achievement of children (p=0. 04). The results of this study showed that it would be advisable to use Superbrain Yoga exercises for improving educational achievement for Slow Paced Children, along with other commonly used educational programs.

The present study was conducted aiming to determine the effectiveness of training the parents through Adler-Dreikurs approach on emotion regulation and parent-child interaction of the children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It was a quasi-experimental study with pretest, posttest, control group and two-month follow-up design. The statistical population of the current study was the all the primary school children with ADHD and their parents in Isfahan City in academic year 2018-19. 30 primary school children with ADHD were selected using purposive sampling method and they were randomly assigned into experiment and control groups (each group of 15 children). The parents in the experiment group received ten sessions of training Adler-Dreikurs approach (Amiri, Alizadeh, and Farrokhi, 2014). The applied questionnaires in this study included Conners ADHD Questionnaire, teachers form (Brook and Clinton, 2007), Emotional Regulation (Shield and Kiketi, 1998) and Parent-Child Interaction (Pianta, 1994). The data from the study were analyzed through repeated measurement ANOVA method Using SPSS23 statistical software. The results showed that training the parents through Adler-Dreikurs approach has had significant effect on emotion regulation (p<0. 001) and parent-child interaction (p<0. 001) of the children with ADHD. According to the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that training the parents through Adler-Dreikurs approach can be used as an efficient method to improve emotion regulation and parent-child interaction of the children with ADHD focusing on normal principles of parent-child interaction.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of procrastination in correlation between resilience, vitality and academic performance of students with Learning Disabilities. The present study was of correlational methid and path analysis type. The statistical population included all elementary school students in Tehran during the academic year 1995-96. A total of 150 individuals of both sexes (70 girls and 80 boys) were selected by random sampling. They answered the Resilience Scale (ARS), Academic Vitality Questionnaire (AVQ), and Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students Questionnaire (PASS). The results showed that resilience has a positive and significant relation with the vitality and performance of students. Also, procrastination has a meaningful and negative relationship with vitality and performance. On the other hand, the results showed that procrastination has a significant mediating role between vitality and performance as well as vitality and performance. Educational procrastination, educational resilience and academic vitality affect the educational, economic, social and mental health of students with learning disabilities, and academic procrastination plays a mediating role in the relationship between vitality, resiliency and performance.

This research aimed to examine the causal model of mental health based on lifestyle and cognitive flexibility through negative thinking control in mothers of exceptional children. The statistical population included all mothers of exceptional children who lived in Ahwaz in 2018. 264 of them were selected by convenience sampling method and responded to the Symptom Check List 25-Rivised (SCL-25), Life Style Inventory (LSI), Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire (CFQ), and Negative Thinking Control Questionnaire (NTCQ). Data were analyzed using path analysis method using Amos software. The results showed that there was a positive and significant direct relationship between lifestyle, and negative thoughts control, respectively. There was also a positive and significant relationship between lifestyle and cognitive flexibility with negative thoughts control. Negative thoughts control partially mediated the relationship between lifestyle and mental health and completely mediated the relationship between cognitive flexibility and mental health. Given the importance of the mental health of mothers of exceptional children, it can be predicted that by changing their lifestyles and enhancing their flexibility both directly and through controlling negative thoughts of mental health.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of interpersonal problem-solving training on social skills and self-esteem of slow-paced adolescents. This study was conducted through a quasi-experimental research with a pretest-posttest and a control group design. The statistical population included all slow-paced girl students in 2019 year in Shahriar City. From among these, 30 students were selected and randomly assigned to the experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. Social Skills Rating System-teacher forms (SSRS) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES) were used as dependent variable measuring tools. The participants of the experiment group received the interpersonal problem solving intervention program in 10 sessions for 60 minutes. The obtained data was analyzed using Multiple Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA). Results indicated that the intervention had statistically significant effects on enhancing cooperation, assertiveness, self-control and overall social skill (P<0. 05), as well as improving the self-esteem (P<0. 05) of the students in the experimental group. According to the findings, it can be concluded that interpersonal problem-solving training can be effective in enhancing social skills and self-esteem of slow-paced adolescents.

The present study was conducted to develop a family-based art therapy method adjusted to hospital condition, and evaluate its effectiveness on the children’ s coping with cancer. The present research is a single-subject study (A-B) as a kind of experimental research. The statistical population of the study consisted of all children aged 9-14 years old admitted to Children Medical Center (CMC) from November 2018 to February 2019 that among them, five children were selected by purposeful sampling. Each child accompanied with her/his mother received eight family-based art therapy sessions. The tools of the present study were Checklist of Bio-Psycho-Social Expressions of Incompatibility in Hospital-BPSEIH (Purrezaian, Besharat, Koochakzadeh, & Farahani, 2019) and Children’ s Coping Strategies Checklist-revision 1 (Ayers & Sandler, 1999). Research data were analyzed using specific charts and tables for single-subject designs. In addition, the effect size (ES) and the reliable change index (RCI) were also reported. The findings showed that family-based art therapy reduced the expressions of incompatibility and avoidance strategy (P  0/05) on the one hand, and increased support seeking strategy (P 0/05) on the other, significantly. According to the findings, it can be concluded that family-based art therapy can reduce the incompatibility of children with cancer in hospital and change their coping strategies. Therefore, this method can be considered as one of the useful and practical psychotherapies in the hospital especially for children with cancer.

The aim of research was developing a group problem-solving training program with an art approach and evaluating its effectiveness on social attitude and spiritual happiness of gifted adolescents. In this research, the effectiveness of the program was assessed through a quasi-experimental research and its design was, pre-test, post-test, and follow-up stages. The participants of this research were female gifted adolescents aged 15 to 18 years old in Tehran who were studying in the academic year of 96-97. The students were screened by the Tehran Stanford-Binet Test of Intelligence and 30 gifted students were selected based on purposive available sampling method and placed randomly in the two experiment and control groups each consisting of 15 individuals. The experiment group experienced a 14-training session focusing on training program. Each session held lasted 90 minutes. The instruments of this research were Social Attitude Assessment Scale (Jordan & Afrooz, 1976) and Spiritual Happiness Scale (Afrooz, 2016). Then, the data were analyzed via repeated measurement tests and multivariate analysis of variance (MANCOVA). The results illustrated that group problem-solving training program with an art approach can effect on social attitude (p≤ 0/01 effect size 0/46) and spiritual happiness (p≤ 0/01 effect size 0/5) of gifted adolescents. Also, it was shown that the effect of this instruction was constant even after 1/5 months. Training group problem-solving with an art approach can enhance social attitude and spiritual happiness of gifted adolescents.

The present study aimed to investigate attachment in deaf toddlers and compare the results with their hearing peers. The study was a descriptive retrospective one. The population included all profound deaf toddlers of 10-24 months who had referred to Iran Cochlear Implant Center and were in cochlear Implant waiting list. 37 deaf toddlers were selected whose average age was 13. 24by random sampling and were compared to 30 normal children with the average age of 11. 16 in terms of child-parent attachment. Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS: Condon &Corkindale) was completed by mothers of both hearing and deaf groups. Data analysis was done by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and independent t-test in SPSS22. The results showed that there was no significant difference between the hearing and deaf groups in terms of the total score of attachment and its subscales, including attachment quality, absence of hostility and pleasure in interaction (P<0. 001). It seems that, deafness in children alone would not reduce maternal attachment to their mothers. Factors such as the age of intervention, parents’ sensitivity and accountability level, and social support to facilitate the acceptance of deafness affect the quality of parent-child attachment.