Research exploring parents’, teachers’ and educational psychologists’ perceptions of consultation in a changing Irish context

Research and recent policy developments in Eire highlight that there is a growing number of children in Irish schools presenting with special educational needs, leading to an increased need for Educational Psychology services. This research utilised case studies of children who were presenting to teachers with academic, social, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the perceived effectiveness of consultation as a model of delivery for Educational Psychologists (EPs). Each case comprised a teacher, parent and psychologist, (n = 9) from three different case studies. This research found potential benefits of consultation particularly for children and parents, although the results from this study are difficult to generalise, given the small sample size. This study has practical implications for EPs: by understanding parents’ and teachers’ perspectives this can help EPs in future planning for consultation. Further research should explore children’s perceptions of consultation.     

A social constructivist assessment process model: how the research literature shows us this could be best practice

Although assessment is acknowledged as vitally important in its effect on students’ approaches to learning, there is much criticism of assessment practice. This paper argues that if a social constructivist approach is applied to the assessment process many of the problems could be overcome. It describes what a social constructivist approach to assessment would look like and gives practical examples, from the research literature, of ways it could be implemented.     

Extinction of stimulus elements decreases the rate of conditional discrimination learning

Pigeons were trained on a successive discrete-trial conditional discrimination, in which either of two colors appeared on the center key and either of two forms appeared on the two side keys. Some combinations of color and form (S+ trials) were followed by food; other combinations (S-trials) were followed by no food. The colors on the center key appeared throughout the intertrial interval (ITI) preceding the trial period in which both the color and the form compound were presented or the color appeared only during the trial period in compound with the forms. Presentation of the colors during the ITI substantially degraded acquisition of two separate types of conditional discrimination. The results show that the temporal correlation of the eolors-with food, independent of their association with the form cues, played a substantial role in determining their availability for acquisition of the conditional discrimination.     

Families at risk of poor parenting: A model for service delivery,assessment, and intervention

The At Risk Parent Child Program is a multidisciplinary network agency designed for the secondary prevention of poor parenting and the extremes of child abuse and neglect. This model system of service delivery emphasizes (1) the coordination of existing community resources to access a target population of families at risk of parenting problems, (2) the provision of multiple special services in a neutral location (ambulatory pediatric clinic), and (3) the importance of intensive individual contact with a clinical professional who serves as primary therapist, social advocate and service coordinator for client families. Identification and assessment of families is best done during prenatal and perinatal periods. Both formal and informal procedures for screening for risk factors are described, and a simple set of at risk criteria for use by hospital nursing staff is provided. Preventive intervention strategies include special medical, psychological, social and developmental services, offered in an inpatient; outpatient, or in-home setting. Matching family needs to modality and setting of treatment is a major program concern. All direct services to at risk families are supplied by professionals employed within existing local agencies (hospital, public health department, state guidance center, and medical school pediatric clinic). Multiple agency involvement allows a broad-based screening capacity which allows thousands of families routine access to program services. The administrative center of the network stands as an independent, community-funded core which coordinates and monitors direct clinical services, and provides local political advocacy for families at risk of parenting problems.     

Emotional Determinants of Infant-Mother Attachment

The present study examined the assumption that emotion-related characteristics of mothers and infants contribute to the development of infant-mother attachment in the first year of life. Mothers' emotion and personality characteristics were assessed with expressive-behavior ratings and self-report scales. Infant characteristics were measured by emotion and temperament questionnaires (mother report) and objective coding of facial expressions of emotions. Attachment classifications were determined by means of the Strange Situation procedure, and a continuous-variable index of attachment security was derived by a discriminant function procedure. Mothers' emotion experiences, expressive behaviors, and personality traits were significant predictors of the level of security of the infant-mother attachment. Infants' expressive and temperamental characteristics as rated by their mothers were also significant predictors of attachment security.     

Developmental dyscalculia is a familial learning disability

Whereas current evidence attests to a genetic component in the etiology of dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), little is known about the role of genetics in developmental dyscalculia (DC). The objective of this study was to determine the familial aggregation of DC. Siblings and parents of children with DC were assessed for arithmetic, reading and attention disorders. The criteria for DC were an IQ higher than 85, poor performance in arithmetic, and a significant discrepancy between arithmetic achievement and IQ. The study group was composed of 39 children with DC, 21 mothers, 22 fathers, 90 siblings, and 16 second-degree relatives. We found that 66% of mothers, 40% of fathers, 53% of siblings, and 44% of second-degree relatives had DC. The intraclass correlation between the sib pairs was .27. A 95% confidential interval (CI) for the prevalence of DC among siblings of DC probands (see Note 1) ranged from 40% to 64%, indicating a familial prevalence almost tenfold higher than expected for the general population. IQ and attention problems were not risk factors for DC. We conclude that DC, like other learning disabilities, has a significant familial aggregation, suggesting a role for genetics in the evolution of this disorder.