Quality of Life Outcomes for Young Children with Disabilities: Legislative and Service Delivery Implications

Improving the quality of life for people with disabilities through early intervention has been a major focus over the past 20 years. However, much of the direction of intervention has been upon quality of process rather than upon quality of outcome. If early intervention is to have a significant impact upon the lifestyles of people with disabilities, it is important that a longitudinal perspective be adopted and quality of life defined and appropriate measures developed. In this paper a longitudinal perspective on early intervention is discussed along with quality of outcome and programmatic features of quality programs.     

生活质量导向课程观在培智教育课程改革中的体现

二十一世纪初期,渐渐地有人使用生活质量的观点对残障人的问题进行分析,尽管在国际社会上,生活质量还得不到人们的一致认识,但是在中国已经颁发的一系列课程设置方案中都体现出了生活质量导向的课程观。基于此,本文首先从康复训练课程、生活适应课程、生活语文课程、校本课程、艺术休闲以及信息技术课程六个方面简要介绍了生活质量导向课程观在培智教育课程改革中的体现,紧接着简要论述了生活质量导向课程观给培智教育课程改革带来的经验启示,以供相关人士参考。     

Examining Response to Intervention Using a Framework of Best Practice from Early Childhood Special Education

I believe that the integration of people with disabilities is one of the most critical issues that the field is currently facing. It is an issue in which there is little agreement over what integration is, whether it is desirable or not, and to what degree it should occur as a policy and on an individual level. My co-authors and I strongly support the integration of people with disabilities into all aspects of society and that empirically based intervention strategies are needed to ensure that quality programming is provided for successful integration. Starting inte- gration in early childhood settings is an important point to begin efforts because children become used to having peers of differing abilities and are then more likely to be accepting of others as they get older if they receive this exposure at an early age. I highlight two important points of our article.     

‘Equal in Uniform’: People with Intellectual Disabilities in Military Service in Israel

Although many nations advocate for the full inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in all realms of life, these individuals are nevertheless still frequently excluded. One field of life that has rarely been considered central for inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities is military service. A unique programme was developed that provides an opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities to serve in the military in Israel. The centrality of the military within Israeli society, along with the aims and phases of the project are described, and brief evidence of the impact of the programme is provided.     

Defining and Assessing Quality in Early Intervention Programs for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities and their Families: Challenges and Unresolved Issues

Historically, child care quality research has focused primarily on typically developing children cared for in center-based programs. Findings from this research suggests that variations in quality of care have an effect on children's well-being and developmental outcomes. In this paper, we draw on child care quality research to inform our understanding of quality in early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. Conceptual issues in defining quality and methodological challenges for assessing quality of early intervention services are presented. In the final sections of this paper, we discuss our efforts to design a measure of quality for early intervention programs and present some of the unresolved issues related to the assessment of quality in early intervention programs.     

The next decade of research on the effectiveness of early intervention.

The effectiveness of early intervention programs for children with developmental disabilities and for children at biologic risk was reviewed and analyzed. A general pattern indicating important effects of early intervention programs was noted, with effect sizes averaging between one-half and three-quarters of a standard deviation. The ability of early intervention programs to minimize declines in development was identified as a significant outcome. The effects of specific program features--age of start and family involvement--were selected for more detailed examination, and the moderating influence of the levels of severity of children's disabilities was also analyzed. Future directions for improving the effectiveness of early intervention include using the emerging knowledge of biobehavioral and child development research, as well as enhancing children's social competence.     

Implications of social capital for the inclusion of people with disabilities and families in community life

This paper seeks to ascertain the usefulness of the theory of social capital as a framework for developing and sustaining the inclusion of people with disabilities and families in community life. We discuss the theoretical elements of social capital and assess its relevance when understanding both the experiences of people with disabilities and their families and the possible implications for policy and programme efforts to promote inclusion. Preliminary findings from two studies of the experiences and social networks of people with disabilities and their families in communities in regional and rural Australia are presented. It is argued that to date, people with disabilities and their families have largely been excluded from the broader social capital debate and that social capital thinking has had minimal influence on efforts to achieve the inclusion of people with disabilities into community life. It is further argued that new paradigms of support are needed that build capacity and social capital through working alongside individuals and families to influence not only outcomes for them, but also for the communities on which they live. The local area coordination model as it has developed in Australia since 1989 provides some instructive signposts for integrating individual, family and community approaches. It is concluded that social capital theory can make a contribution to inclusion theory and practice but we should use it with circumspection.     

Attitudes Toward the Participation of Individuals With Disabilities in Physical Activity: A Review

This review covers articles published during the recent two decades on attitudes toward the participation of individuals with disabilities in physical activity. Research literature has been retrieved and analyzed by content and quality, across research type categories (cross sectional vs. intervention) and members of the participation context (i.e., professionals, peers, and participants with disabilities). The underlying theories, instruments, methodological approaches, and outcome variables are discussed in each category. Contact theory has served as the most popular theoretical foundation, however, without significant effectiveness in most trials. Gender has almost unanimously been recognized as a significant factor in all participant categories. Females tend to express more positive attitudes toward inclusion than males do. Participation in Adapted Physical Activity (APA) courses and previous experience with individuals with disability tend to improve professionals' attitudes.     

Does Teaching Young Children with Disabilities to Read Facilitate their Language Development? A Critical Review of Current Theory and Empirical Evidence

Instruction in reading has been an important component of many early intervention programs for children with disabilities over the past two decades. Justification for the inclusion of reading, prior to the age when it is traditionally taught to children with normal development, has included the importance of reading as a life skill and the value of teaching reading in a systematic, individualised program with the reduced risk of failure. It has also been argued that the teaching of reading, at a time when oral language skills are emerging, will enhance the development of speech and language skills. This proposition is an interesting one in view of the belief, commonly held by educators, that reading needs to be established on a firm language base and that good language skills will enhance the acquisition of reading skills. This paper explores the theoretical and empirical support for the teaching of reading as a supportive language development program for young children with disabilities.     

残疾儿童的游戏特征及基于游戏的干预策略

残疾儿童干预的一个主要宗旨是帮助他们尽可能参与社会,游戏具有这方面的功能。成人应意识到残疾儿童不同于正常儿童的游戏特征,考虑到可以利用游戏干预残疾儿童,促使他们尽可能健康发展。基于游戏的干预策略包括:选择有效策略合理干预残疾儿童的游戏过程、创设适宜残疾儿童的游戏环境、开发适宜技术提高残疾儿童的游戏质量等方面。     

Predicting First Grade Reading Performance from Kindergarten Response to Tier 1 Instruction

Many schools are beginning to implement multi-tier response to intervention (RTI) models for the prevention of reading difficulties and to assist in the identification of students with learning disabilities (LD). The present study was part of our larger ongoing longitudinal RTI investigation within the Florida Learning Disabilities Center grant. This study used a longitudinal correlational design, conducted in 7 ethnically and socio-economically diverse schools. We observed reading instruction in 20 classrooms, examined response rates to kindergarten Tier 1 instruction, and predicted students' first grade reading performance based upon kindergarten growth and end of year reading performance (n = 203). Teachers followed an explicit core reading program and overall, classroom instruction was rated as effective. Results indicate that controlling for students' end of kindergarten reading, their growth across kindergarten on a variety of language and literacy measures suppressed predictions of first grade performance. Specifically, the steeper the students' trajectory to a satisfactory outcome, the less likely they were to demonstrate good performance in first grade. Implications for future research and RTI implementation are discussed.     

Intimate partner violence during infancy and cognitive outcomes in middle childhood: Results from an Australian community-based mother and child cohort study

The cognitive functioning of children who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) has received less attention than their emotional-behavioral outcomes. Drawing upon data from 615 (48.4% female) 10-year-old Australian-born children and their mothers (9.6% of mothers born in non-English speaking countries) participating in a community-based longitudinal study between 2004 and 2016, this study examined the associations between IPV in infancy and cognition in middle childhood (at age 10). Results showed that IPV in the first 12 months of life was associated with lower general cognitive ability and poorer executive attention but not working memory skills. IPV in middle childhood (in the 10th year postpartum) was not associated with cognition. This study provides evidence for the long-term impact of early life exposure to IPV on children's cognition, and points to the importance of early intervention to optimize development.     

An examination of the values and perceptions of parents and teachers in relation to parental involvement in school policy formation

Abstract

In the last decade access initiatives have been designed to facilitate greater access and participation for people from marginalised groups who have traditionally been excluded from higher education. In common with international trends, young people with disabilities in Ireland have been included in this process. However, people with disabilities remain under‐represented in higher education. This study explored the quality of access to higher education for young people with disabilities through existing access routes. Both the young people and the professionals (career guidance teachers) agreed that access routes lack transparency. There was a dearth of professional knowledge about the options available to young people with disabilities leaving school. This lack of professional knowledge combined with the opaqueness of access routes forced the young people to rely on parental support and/or disability agencies for information and guidance. It can be concluded that goodwill and compassion are no substitute for an informed system that ensures equitable access for young people with disabilities to higher education.     

Comparative Evaluations of Early Intervention Alternatives: A Response to Commentaries by Guralnick and Telzrow

This article responds to two commentaries by Guralnick (1993) and Telzrow (1993) published in the October 1993 issue of Early Education and Development. The commentaries addressed the six longitudinal, comparative studies from the Early Intervention Research Institute's (EIRI's) investigations of the effects and costs of early intervention for children with disabilities. In this response to their thoughtful critique, we clarify details of our research design and procedures that may have been unclear. We also discuss the specificity and consistency with contemporary developmental/ecological issues raised by Guralnick We contend that the interventions investigated address important questions about age at start, intensity, and parent involvement with which today's service providers contend. We give our opinion on how the results of these studies should be interpreted, and emphasize their implications for other second-generation early intervention research.     

Comparative Evaluations of Early Intervention Alternatives: A Response to Commentaries by Guralnick and Telzrow

This article responds to two commentaries by Guralnick (1993) and Telzrow (1993) published in the October 1993 issue of Early Education and Development. The commentaries addressed the six longitudinal, comparative studies from the Early Intervention Research Institute's (EIRI's) investigations of the effects and costs of early intervention for children with disabilities. In this response to their thoughtful critique, we clarify details of our research design and procedures that may have been unclear. We also discuss the specificity and consistency with contemporary developmental/ecological issues raised by Guralnick We contend that the interventions investigated address important questions about age at start, intensity, and parent involvement with which today's service providers contend. We give our opinion on how the results of these studies should be interpreted, and emphasize their implications for other second-generation early intervention research.     

Politics of inclusive education policy‐making: the case of Cyprus 4784 (excluding references)

ABSTRACT

There has been little empirical study within low- and middle-income countries on how to effectively prepare teachers to educate children with disabilities. This paper reports on the impact of an intervention designed to increase teaching self-efficacy, improve inclusive beliefs, attitudes and practices, and reduce concerns around the inclusion of children with disabilities within the Lakes region of Kenya. A longitudinal survey was conducted with in-service teachers (matched N?=?123) before and after they had participated in a comprehensive intervention programme, delivered in the field by Leonard Cheshire Disability. Results showed that the intervention increased teaching self-efficacy, produced more favourable cognitive and affective attitudes toward inclusive education, and reduced teacher concerns. However, there was little evidence regarding the impact on inclusive classroom practices. The increase in teaching self-efficacy over the intervention period was also found to predict concerns over time. Results are discussed in terms of implications for international efforts, as well as national efforts within Kenya to promote inclusive education.     

从《白居易集》看大和初至会昌年间洛下文人士大夫的闲适生活

在唐代,士人是一个特殊的社会群体。初盛唐时期,由于国力强大,士人们往往有着恢弘的胸怀气度和强烈的进取精神;但到了中晚唐,社会动荡,唐帝国由盛而衰,唐代的社会生活发生了巨大的变化,文人士大夫也随之有了新的特点,怀才不遇的愤懑与生不逢时的感叹便成为中晚唐文士们的主要情结。他们侈于游宴,蓄女乐、设酒筵成为他们乐于事之的社会风尚。     

The impact of education in shaping lives: reflections of young people with disabilities in Ghana

There is increasing recognition of the importance of focusing on people with disabilities (PWDs) in international efforts aimed at poverty alleviation. While universal education has been central to these efforts, the specific and additional needs of children with disabilities are often overlooked in policies and programmes. In order to gain a nuanced appreciation of the lives of young PWDs in a Ghanaian context, this paper draws on research conducted with young PWDs and their significant others in order to understand their educational journeys, employment prospects and perceptions towards disability of those around them. In addition to collecting primary data, the latest policy documents related to disability, education and employment are reviewed and statistical analysis is undertaken based on the Housing and Population Census 2010. Our research highlights the barriers facing those with disability in accessing quality education. While education was recognised as paramount to leading a better life and participants noted benefits beyond employment such as gaining self-sufficiency and social benefits, unequal educational opportunities underpin some of the reasons for the widening of gaps between those with disabilities and their non-disabled counterparts. Furthermore, while education was perceived as important for gaining employment, this was not the case in reality, as young people faced difficulties due to both physical and attitudinal barriers limiting their opportunities for economic and social participation. The paper concludes by noting that systematic changes in the policy arena are needed to enable youth with disabilities to take their rightful place in mainstream society.     

Social service utilisation patterns among children with mild intellectual disability – differences between children integrated into mainstream classes and children in self-contained classes

The role of supporters in facilitating access to and use of technology by people (adolescents and adults) with learning disabilities has not been the primary focus of much of the research that has been undertaken to date. The review of literature presented in this paper suggests, however, that issues of support, risk and safety are emerging as factors that have a significant influence on the quality of technology access and use that adults with learning disabilities experience. There is a need for more research into how the relationship between supporters, technologies, adolescents and adults with learning disabilities is mediated by risk, and this paper offers an original perspective on how positive risk-taking might be a useful conceptual framework to aid in the exploration of this relationship.     

Longitudinal Studies of Alternative Types of Early Intervention: Rationale and Design

In 1985, the US. Department of Education awarded a competitively bid contract to Utah State University to conduct a series of longitudinal studies on the effects and costs of alternative types of early intervention programs for children having disabilities. Issues addressed by this set of studies included the effects and costs of varying (a) the intensity of intervention, (b) the age at which intervention is begun, and (c) the ways in which parents are involved in intervention programs. This article summarizes the historical context in which these studies were implemented, the rationale for conducting this type of study, and the procedures incorporated into the design of each study to ensure that the results would be useful to practitioners and other researchers.