Self-Perceived Scholastic Competence, Athletic Competence, and Physical Appearance Are Enhanced in Children and Young Adults with Physical Disabilities Following a Community-Based Running Program The authors would like to correct a minor error in the article that occurred in the production process.

Impact of Inclusive Soccer Program on Psychosocial Development of Children with and without Intellectual Disabilities Abstract Erroneous perception of “disability” in typically developing children leads to the exclusion of children with intellectual disabilities in sport. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of inclusive soccer (INS) program on ameliorating adverse behavior in children with and without intellectual disabilities (ID). Participants were 40 children, with half having intellectual disabilities (n = 20). Both the experimental and comparison groups consisted of 10 children with and without ID, respectively. The experimental group participated in an INS whereas the comparison group participated in a segregated soccer program. The Withdrawn Behavior Checklist (WBC) and Social Distance Scale (SDS) were measured repeatedly for children with and without ID, respectively. A mixed-design ANOVA was conducted for data analysis. There were significant main effects on time, group, and interaction for both SDS and WBC of the experimental group, except between-group difference on WBC. The comparison group did not show any significant change. The social distance of children toward peers with ID and withdrawn behavior of children with ID have been reduced. The INS could provide benefits for the psychosocial development of children on both populations toward inclusion.

The Effect of Task Modifications on the Fundamental Motor Skills of Boys on the Autism Spectrum: A Pilot Study Abstract A growing body of research has shown children on the autism spectrum are behind their peers developmentally in regard to their gross motor skill development. Given the increased risk for obesity and other health related co-occurring conditions associated with autism spectrum disorder, building foundational gross motor skills is vitally important so that individuals grow into physically active adults. However, the research on motor skill interventions for children on the autism spectrum is limited. Therefore, a multi-element multiple baseline across behaviors single subject design was employed to test the effectiveness of a motor intervention based on task modifications developed based on Dynamic Systems Theory. Using a purposive sample of two boys, aged 7 and 8 years, on the autism spectrum, task modifications were evaluated to understand the impact on the child’s motor performance and their performance’s persistence across two skills (i.e., horizontal jump and two-hand strike; P1jump-pre = 3; P1strike-pre = 4; P2jump-pre = 2; P2strike-pre = 2). As a result of the task modifications, both boys scores increased according to developed skill criterion and the raw scores of the Test of Gross Motor Development, 3rd Edition (Ulrich 2018; P1jump-post = 6; P1strike-post = 6; P2jump-post = 6; P2strike-post = 8). Once the modifications were faded, both boy’s two-hand strike performance persisted; however, one boy’s horizontal jump performance returned to baseline levels. Yet, for this still there remained a high level of non-overlap (90.5%). This study demonstrates the potential impact that an intervention designed around task modifications can have; however, it also shows that interventions may need to be designed at an individual level and contain the flexibility to adjust to the needs of the child.

History of Maltreatment is not Associated with Symptom Profiles of Children with Autism Abstract Some authors hypothesize that autism in children from orphanages results from neglect, which has been referred to as “quasi-autistic pattern” and “post-institutional autistic syndrome.” However, studies of children who have been neglected show even higher rates of ADHD, oppositional defiant and conduct disorders, anxiety, and depression than rates of autism. Our study determined if autism symptoms differed between children with autism who were and were not maltreated and if duration of and number of years since removal from neglect were related to symptoms in 789 children with autism, 2–17 years of age. Mean scores on a 30-item autism diagnostic symptom checklist (Checklist for Autism Spectrum Disorder, CASD) did not differ between the 700 children with autism who were not maltreated (21.6), the 80 children with autism who were neglected (21.5) and the 89 with autism who experienced neglect and/or physical or sexual abuse (21.1). These scores were similar to the mean of 21.7 for the 1052 children in the CASD autism normative sample. Correlations between CASD scores and duration of neglect and number of years since removal from neglect were close to zero. Findings suggest that symptoms of autism are likely independent of maltreatment. This has important implications for treatment. Autism in maltreated children should not be considered as “quasi-autism” or possibly temporary because these children may then be denied evidence-based intervention that can improve outcomes in children with autism.

Functional Gait Measures Prediction by Spatiotemporal and Gait Symmetry in Individuals Post Stroke Abstract Hemiplegic individuals often exhibit gait impairments. Current technologies allow for simple and fast acquisition of spatiotemporal gait parameters and gait Symmetry Indices (SI). Gait SI have been associated with instability and fall risk. These data may therefore prove an important addition to the already common conventional clinical measures, e.g. the 10 Meter Walk Test (10MWT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and the Motor Functional Independence Measure (MFIM). However, the prediction of these conventional clinical measures using spatiotemporal gait parameters and gait SI for individuals post stroke, has yet to be thoroughly investigated. We aimed to evaluate the correlation between spatiotemporal gait parameters and commonly-used clinical gait test scores, and to predict common clinical measures by spatiotemporal gait parameters in patients post stroke. In this cross-sectional retrospective study, spatiotemporal data were collected from files of adult patients (n = 70) post stroke, who performed one or more of the aforementioned functional evaluations within 1 year following stoke. Correlations were also performed for 53 of these subjects who performed all the tests in the subacute stage. High correlations (>0.7) were found between 10MWT, 6MWT and TUG and between diverse spatiotemporal parameters. Spatiotemporal parameters significantly predicted the 6MWT (R2 = .743), TUG (R2 = .668), 10MWT (R2 = .552), MFIM (R2 = .513), and the BBS (R2 = .556). An objective computerized evaluation producing spatiotemporal and symmetry gait parameters is compatible with common functional gait measures and might prove more advantageous in patient evaluation, since it provides additional multiple data, easily and quickly acquired.

Self-Perceived Scholastic Competence, Athletic Competence, and Physical Appearance Are Enhanced in Children and Young Adults with Physical Disabilities Following a Community-Based Running Program Abstract Children and young adults with physical disabilities consistently report low self-concept across multiple domains. The purpose of this study was to (1) determine if a community-based running program working to improve physical activity patterns in children and young adults with physical disabilities also affected self-concept, and (2) identify specific self-concept domains affected by the community-based running program. Twenty children and young adults (17 males, 3 females, 7–24 years) participated in a community-based running program. The 10-week community-based program occurred twice weekly with a time-based progression of total run time each week. The Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC) was used to assess self-concept at baseline and following the program. Data were analyzed for 19 participants using mixed analysis of variance models. Mean improvements were noted in each subscale of the SPPC. Significant main effects (p < .05) were found in the specific domains of scholastic competence, athletic competence, and physical appearance. Among elementary aged children, the greatest improvements were found for scholastic competence (0.56, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.87); the greatest improvements were found for athletic competence among high school aged children and young adults (0.42, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.84). The community-based running program described in this study may have the ability to improve self-concept in young people with physical disabilities, particularly in the domains of scholastic competence, athletic competence, and physical appearance. The ability of a program to improve components of health beyond physical well-being has important implications for future implementation of community-based interventions.

Reading Failure in a Completely Transparent Orthography Representing a Morphologically Highly Complex Agglutinative Language: the Case of Turkish Abstract This study investigates differences in the word processing skills of students with and without reading difficulties who read Turkish, an entirely transparent orthography. Thirty-five students diagnosed as poor readers and 51 typically developing controls were tested across two experiments, one that assessed their ability to process identicalness of isolated real words as opposed to pseudowords and another that assessed their ability to judge semantic relatedness of two real words. Participants were from two education levels; half of them were 3rd-4th graders and half were 6th–7th graders. An integrative view of the findings points to an apparent failure of Turkish poor readers to develop a lexicalized reading route that mediates word recognition by means of permanent orthographic knowledge. Moreover, their ability to effectively process word letter sequences along a non-lexical grapheme-to-phoneme conversion-based reading route was found to be seriously restricted. Findings are discussed with direct reference to orthographic transparency, dual-route reading theory and the orthographic self-teaching concept.

Delivering Quality Allied Health Services to Children with Complex Disability via Telepractice: Lessons Learned from Four Case Studies Abstract People with disabilities living in rural and remote areas often have insufficient access to the allied health services that they require. Telepractice has emerged as a promising solution, yet little is known about whether it is possible to deliver quality disability therapy services via technology or of the considerations required to achieve positive outcomes. Multiple case studies using mixed methods were conducted to achieve in-depth examination of the telepractice services received by four children with disabilities and their families living in rural and remote Australia. Data analysis indicated that telepractice services were highly acceptable to parents and teachers and supported children to achieve positive outcomes for a variety of functional goals related to speech-language pathology and occupational therapy. Findings indicated that quality telepractice can deliver services consistent with contemporary disability expectations. Of critical importance were the skills of allied health professionals to facilitate person-centred practice and strong therapeutic relationships with children, parents, and other stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes for children. Our findings indicate that telepractice is a legitimate option for therapy service delivery that has the potential to provide people with disabilities increased choice and control over the services they receive.

Parental Perception of Quality of Life for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Abstract Our purpose for this study was to investigate how parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) rate their child’s quality of life (QOL). We began by developing a parent proxy-report QOL assessment instrument with subscales and then distributed it statewide to parents of children with ASD. The scale demonstrated strong internal consistency with a full-scale Cronbach’s alpha of .835. Our results indicated that 0% of the parents rated their child as having a poor QOL, 66% rated their child as having a good QOL, and 16% rated their child as having an excellent QOL. Our results support the notion that QOL can be assessed in early childhood to develop and ensure effective programing across the lifespan for an individual with ASD.

Cognitive and Behavioral Functioning Among Fraternal Twins with an Unbalanced Translocation of Chromosomes 10q and 12p: A Case Report Abstract Because neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and language disorder, are genetically heterogeneous, there is a need for exploring their many pathways, and case studies provide a means to do so in rare conditions. We present a case study describing fraternal twins with an unbalanced translocation, resulting in a partial trisomy of chromosome 10 (q24.1) and a partial monosomy of chromosome 12 (p13). The twin’s father, a healthy individual with typical development, was found to have a balanced translocation between chromosomes 10q and 12p. Although a handful of cases have described individuals with only trisomies of chromosome 10q or only monosomies of chromosome 12p, none have examined children with both chromosomal aberrations. We describe the children’s cognitive and behavioral phenotype (including autism spectrum disorder, moderate intellectual disability, and language disorder), discuss a possible genetic mechanism contributing to their comorbidities (i.e., 12p13 microdeletions), and review other potential contributing factors to their presentation.