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Purpose: Little is known about how parents' transactions with health and educational professionals shape their experience of these systems, and impact on capacities to support their child with acquired brain injury (ABI). We explored experiences of specific transactions and perceptions of impact. Methods: A focus group and individual interviews were conducted with seven parents of children in the chronic phase of recovery following ABI. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Results: Four superordinate themes were identified: "These Encounters Matter," "A Person not a Number—Interpersonal Skills that Count," "The Blind Leading the Blind," and "Becoming the Backbone." Findings highlighted that these transactions mattered to parents, promoting either distress or empowerment. Positive outcomes were characterized by transactions related to communication, empathy, trust, collaboration, and connection. However, there was a perception of the "blind leading the blind" and that ultimately parents needed to enter such transactions armed with knowledge and their own therapeutic goals. Conclusions: Our findings unpack contextual and transactional elements of parents' experiences with health and education professionals which empower or distress. Understanding and improving these processes is important, given the central role families play in child outcomes following ABI. Implications for clinical practice are discussed. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Findings suggest encounters with health and education professionals impact parent functioning and enable, or undermine, them in supporting their child with acquired brain injury. Transactional processes between parents and professionals that led to empowering and positive, or disempowering and negative, outcomes were elucidated and professionals are invited to consider these. Training for health and education professionals related to knowledge of childhood acquired brain injury, but also attunement and interpersonal processes for consultations with parents, are highlighted as important. Findings suggest that helping parents develop effective advocacy skills for their child may also be indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Physical interventions during subacute rehabilitation have potential to improve functional recovery. This study explored the perspectives of children and adolescents with acquired brain injury (ABI) and their parents with respect to physical rehabilitation during the subacute phase. Methods: Thirteen children and adolescents with ABI and their parents were included and interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis approach. Results: Six themes were identified: 1) beliefs of physical rehabilitation, 2) content of physical rehabilitation, 3) tailored care, 4) impact of context, 5) communication and 6) transition. The importance of intensive physical practice was widely supported. The positive can-do mentality was emphasised to create an atmosphere of hope, meaning that every effort would be made to achieve maximum recovery. Intensive involvement of parents is considered essential during subacute rehabilitation including an open and mutual dialogue about the focus of rehabilitation, therapy goals and future participation in their own environment. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need for an intensive rehabilitation approach, tailored to the individual's needs. The perspectives of children and adolescents and their parents in our study contribute to a better understanding of factors that are important for optimal recovery through physical rehabilitation during the subacute phase. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Children with acquired brain injury and their parents indicate the potential and thus the importance of intensive physical practice to enhance optimal recovery. Involvement of parents and the potential of their continuous presence during subacute rehabilitation may have a positive impact on the effect of rehabilitation efforts. The positive can-do mentality of rehabilitation professionals creates an atmosphere of hope and is an important requisite to achieve maximum recovery. Open dialogue between clinicians and the family is warranted about the focus of interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of parental engagement for children’s outcomes is indisputable. This paper studies whether teacher perceptions regarding parental engagement, their own proficiency, and contact possibilities for parent-teacher communication, as well as school type (by socioeconomic status), teacher, student, and parental characteristics can explain differences in parental engagement and parent-teacher communication. The results show that differences in school type, teacher perceptions regarding parental engagement, teachers’ perceived own proficiency, and contact possibilities are the main reasons for differences in the extent of parental engagement and parent-teacher communication. Teacher characteristics (such as gender and experience), student, and parental characteristics do not seem to play a role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by Moral Foundations Theory and the Model of Intuitive Morality and Exemplars (MIME), we examined the relationships between parents' moral foundation salience and their attitudes and motivations toward using educational media with their young children (N = 449; child ages 4–7 years). Although research has shown that individuals' moral foundation salience predicts their own liking and selection of media, research has not considered these processes across parents and their children. Results showed distinct patterns of relationships between parents' different moral foundation saliences and their attitudes and motivations toward using educational media with their young children. Specifically, care and fairness were positively related to attitudes toward children's educational media. Additionally, care, fairness, and authority were each positively related to parents' motivations to use media with their children for educational benefits. Finally, care was related to more positive attitudes toward educational media, relative to entertainment media, whereas loyalty and authority were related to more positive attitudes toward entertainment media, relative to educational media. In this way, we extend the MIME by showing that parents' moral saliences can relate to how parents think about the media use of their children, with practical implications for the media ecology of the home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals are increasingly being utilized to assist with therapies for people with various health conditions. Horses are often used as a mechanism of engagement and development for autistic children and adolescents. Horses offer a unique opportunity for interaction as the child or adolescent can physically ride and interact with the animal, thus creating a therapy that involves contact that is different to other animals. Benefits derived from equine-assisted therapies can be physical, social, behavioral, emotional, sensory, and cognitive. However, a current and specific research gap exists in understanding the potential mental health impacts of horse riding on autistic children and adolescents, as perceived and experienced by their parents, carers, and horse-riding service providers. This scoping review examined research on parents' and service providers' perceptions of the benefits of horse-related therapies, with a particular focus on perceptions of positive mental health impacts. A comprehensive electronic search across PubMed, Scopus and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature identified 16 articles from 15 studies which met the inclusion criteria. Findings included non-mental health-related benefits (as perceived by parents and service providers), mental health-related benefits (as perceived by parents and service providers), benefits for those other than the child/adolescent, and limitations of equine-assisted therapies. With the increased use of equine therapy, and the mounting evidence of its positive impacts on mental health, it is timely to expand research on how to better harness interventions and maximize the mental health benefits for autistic children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participation is one key element of inclusive education. While the inclusion rate in German schools is rising, little is known with regard to children's participation in this context. This study examines the participation of children with and without impairments at three inclusive primary schools in Bavaria. Cross-sectional data was collected in parents and teachers of 124 3rd grade pupils (girls: n = 62, age: M = 9.5 years; boys: n = 62, age: M = 9.6). 27% of the parents stated their children had impairments (4.9% physical, 13.1% mental/ intellectual and 9.0% other/multiple). Participation in school and other life areas ('neighborhood & community', 'home' and 'living activities') was assessed by the 'Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation (CASP)'. Parents and teachers of children with impairments reported significantly lower scores in all CASP subsections and total score. In school, according to teacher rating, all pupils showed the lowest participation scores in educational activities with other children in the classroom and in communicating with children/adults. The results highlight the continuing challenges to reach meaningful participation of all children as a condition for effective inclusive education. This seems to be true not only for school but also for other social contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first large-scale study of resources as a form of language management – that is, a way of influencing children's language practices. We introduce the distinction between child-directed resources (i.e. those providing parents with opportunities to engage with their children in the languages they are transmitting) and parent-directed resources (i.e. those providing parents with information about multilingual child-rearing). This study focused on the awareness and use of, as well as the desire for, such resources among Québec-based parents (n = 819) raising infants/toddlers (0-4 years) with multiple languages in the home. Data were collected with a questionnaire. Quantitative data were analyzed statistically, and qualitative data were analyzed using a computer assisted discourse study. We compared parents transmitting at least one immigrant heritage language – usually in addition to English and/or French (HL parents), and parents transmitting only English and French (non-HL parents). Overall, the findings show that non-HL parents were comparatively satisfied with existing child- and parent-directed resources in English and French. By contrast, HL parents had a stronger desire for additional resources in their HLs. All parents desired multilingual resources. The paper discusses the theoretical and practical contributions of this study as well as directions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are both theoretical accounts and empirical evidence for the fact that, in health communication, narratives (story telling) may have a persuasive advantage when compared with information (the provision of facts). The dominant explanation for this potential advantage is that narratives inhibit people's resistance to persuasion, particularly in the form of counterarguing. Evidence in this area to date has most often been gathered through lab or field experiments. In the current study we took a novel approach, gathering our data from naturally-occurring, non-experimental and organically evolving online interactions about vaccinations. We focus on five threads from the parenting forum Mumsnet Talk that centered on indecision about the HPV vaccination. Our analysis revealed that narratives and information were used by posters in similar quantities as a means of providing vaccination-related advice. We also found similar frequencies of direct engagement with both narratives and information. However, our findings showed that narratives resulted in a significantly higher proportion of posts exhibiting supportive engagement, whereas information resulted in posts exhibiting a significantly higher proportion of challenges, including counterarguing and other manifestations of posters' resistance to persuasion. The proportions of supportive versus challenging engagement also varied depending on the topic and vaccine stance of narratives. Notwithstanding contextual explanations for these patterns, our findings, based on this original approach of using naturalistic data, provide a novel kind of evidence for the potential of narratives to inhibit counterarguing in authentic health-related discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-sectional online survey was undertaken (July–August 2020) to ascertain parents' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic of being at home with their newborn baby in the first 6 weeks. Participants (n = 371) were mostly biological mothers (n = 369, 99.4%), white British (n = 351, 94,5%), first baby (n = 186, 50%). A statistically significant positive correlation was found between maternal confidence and number of children (rho (369) = 0.295, p <.001) and baby's age at time of participation (rho (369) = 0.139, p =.009). Participants without higher educational qualifications (median = 62, SIQR = 3.5) had statistically significant higher confidence (U = 11831.500, p <.001) than participants with higher educational qualifications (median = 58, SIQR = 2). Parents of babies without health issues at birth (median, 61, SIQR = 3.5) had statistically significant higher confidence (U = 13213.500, p <.001) than parents of babies with health issues at birth (median = 58, SIQR = 5). Three qualitative themes have emerged: the impact of "no partner" restrictions; mixed emotions and lack of information and support. In conclusion, parenting during a pandemic created anxiety and fear, affected by "no partner" restrictions, not being allowed to appointments, scans, and during labor. Some parents were more confident and indicated benefits including heightening bonding with baby and partner during social distancing. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The strain of the pandemic on the mental health and well-being of parents could have a negative impact on future parenting. Healthcare professionals should not underestimate the potential consequences of declining perinatal mental health and should be vigilant to screen, enquire, and refer. Further research on this cohort of parents and children exploring the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their ongoing health and wellbeing could be beneficial for future health-care policies and guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a discourse analysis of 12 Swedish sexuality education texts intended for preschool practitioners and published between 1969 and 2021. Using Fairclough's framework, we identify three discourses about children's sexual play in relation to children's sexual agency in the texts: child sexuality as encouraged and entangled with adult sexuality; child sexuality as conditioned by what is perceived as normal or abnormal in children; and child sexuality as repressed. These three discourses mainly appear chronologically, but also overlap and connect with one another. When analysis begins from children's position and a theoretical understanding of children's and adults' agency as interdependent, it becomes possible to see how the child is construed as agentic, and how the adult role changes from encouraging sexual play to regulating and monitoring behaviour so that it does not occur. Over time, discourse on young children's sexual play has changed our understanding of both adults and children. Adults are increasingly construed as less knowledgeable in relation to young children's sexuality, and young children have become understood as more dangerous and in need of having their sexuality constrained and civilised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have witnessed growing acceptance of gender and sexuality diversity in Australia; yet, its inclusion in the school curriculum remains contentious. Despite evidence to the contrary, there is a commonly held belief that parents consider the inclusion of such topics inappropriate. In the light of this, this paper focuses on an analysis of three qualitative items from an Australian national survey of parents of children attending government-funded schools. Informed by the responses to these questions, we sought to better understand the concept of age-appropriateness present in the discourses deployed by a (minority) number of Australian parents who did not support gender and sexuality diversity-inclusivity in the curriculum. Thematic data analysis identified three key themes used by parents to warrant gender and sexuality diversity curriculum exclusion based on age inappropriateness: namely, inclusion is 'confusing'; children are too 'immature'; and children are too 'easily influenced'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both princesses and superheroes are highly salient parts of early childhood in the United States. Because of the gendered nature of both princesses and superheroes, it is possible that they represent a salient facet of children's early gendered environments, and may be associated with other facets of gendered parenting. The aim of this study is twofold: (1) to categorize patterns of young children's engagement with princess and superhero cultures using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) and (2) to examine whether children's profiles of engagement with princesses and superheroes are systematically associated with indicators of gendered parenting; approval of boy-typed and girl-typed play, parents' implicit attitudes about gender, and parents use of gendered language with their children. Using a sample of 404 parent–child dyads, we completed a Latent Profile Analysis of children's engagement with princesses and superheroes, identifying four profiles, Low Engagement, Princesses, Heroes, and High Engagement. Children's gender was related to their profile of engagement, but indicators of gendered parenting were not predictive of children's profile of princess/superhero engagement, apart from parent approval of girl-typed play. Finally, child gender did not moderate the relationship between indicators of gendered parenting and children's profile of princess/superhero engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eye-gaze technology provides access to a computer through the control of eye movements, thus allowing students with severe motor and communication difficulties to communicate and participate in curriculum activities and leisure; however, few studies have investigated whether any challenges exist to its implementation. This study examines the feasibility for teachers, parents, and therapists of applying an eye-gaze technology intervention for students with severe motor and communication difficulties in everyday settings. A mixed-method design was applied, focusing on the acceptability, demands, implementation, and practicality of the technology applications. Data was collected from 16 participants who assisted five students using eye-gaze technology in a previous 6-month intervention. The intervention comprised (a) use of eye-gaze devices with individualized content; and (b) services including training in use, team meetings, and bi-monthly support on implementation problems. The results showed that the participants perceived the technology as appropriate to enhance interaction and understanding of the students' learning and communication messages. Portable and easy-to-adjust systems were crucial to apply eye-gaze technology in different contexts. Improving eye-gaze services was required to afford in-service education, follow-up services, and loaning programs for sustainable implementation. The facilitators and barriers could guide researchers and practitioners to enhance the implementation of eye-gaze technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of COVID-19 created a global health crisis and impacted children and families, disproportionately affecting minoritized communities. Simultaneously, protests and anti-racist uprisings against police violence occurred worldwide. This mixed method study examined how a group of racially diverse resource parents navigated these two pandemics. Resource parents (N = 527) in Los Angeles County were surveyed about concerns related to COVID-19, racial injustice, and the sociopolitical climate. Quantitative findings revealed that increased difficulty coping with COVID-19 was associated with the increased reported impact of events surrounding racial injustice. Qualitatively, resource parents expressed a concern for children and stress, anxiety, and fear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluate changes in two-wheel cycling skills and biking participation goals for children with neurodevelopmental disorders (ND) receiving a home visit and email following iCan Bike camp. Participants: 11 children with ND, 9–16 years, and one of their parents. A cycling skills checklist, two-wheel riding Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), and biking participation GAS were completed before camp (T1), at support visit after camp (T2), and three months following camp (T3). Parents completed biking practice logs. Participants received a support visit to provide instruction, coaching, and address questions, and an email to check progress. Significant changes were made in two-wheel riding GAS T1 to T2 (p = 0.01), biking participation GAS T2 to T3 (p = 0.02), and cycling skills T1 to T2 (p = 0.01) and T2 to T3 (p = 0.02). Practice frequency was related to cycling skills (0.72, p = 0.01) and biking participation (0.86, p < 0.001); cycling skills were related to biking participation (0.81, p = 0.003). Children improved cycling skills and biking participation following camp, support visit, and email check-in. Children who practiced more had greater cycling skills and biking participation. Encouraging weekly bicycling and providing support may promote cycling skills and participation following camp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To describe parent, child, and service providers' use of metaphors to communicate the meaning of participation in life and therapy engagement in the field of childhood disability. Methods: Metaphors concerning participation and engagement were extracted from 59 qualitative articles recommended by a group of experts in pediatric rehabilitation. A systematic process of metaphor analysis was used, involving identification of source and target domains, categorization into target-source groupings, and interpretation. Results: 209 metaphors were identified and categorized into seven target-source groupings. These seven groupings reflected environmental, interpersonal, and personal domains of experience: (a) the service system and life context, (b) the interpersonal therapy context, and (c) personal aspects. Together, the groupings expressed experiences concerning service system complexity, therapy engagement, and personal experiences of adaptation. Speakers used several metaphor dichotomies to express different experiences (e.g., open vs closed doors to opportunities). Conclusions: When service providers pay attention to clients' use of metaphors, this can lead to a deeper, more evocative understanding of the meaning of their participation and engagement experiences. Service providers can use metaphors generated by clients to communicate their understanding to clients, thereby creating a common ground for collaboration and assisting clients to interpret their experiences in different ways. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Metaphors are useful clinically as they provide a bridge to joint understanding between a speaker and listener(s), due to their cognitive and communicative functions Service providers can note and attend to clients' use of metaphors to understand clients' experiences in deeper ways Service providers can themselves use metaphors to express new ideas to clients, thereby encouraging clients to adopt new perspectives on their experiences By paralleling clients' use of metaphors, service providers can communicate that they understand clients' experience and provide them with a sense of support [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The philosophy of full-service community schools (FSCS) is increasingly infused into the ethos of schools across the nation in Black and Brown communities with purported goals to engage families and address the multifaceted disparities they experience in schools and communities. Limited research explores the experiences of Black families within contemporary FSCSs. This qualitative critical case study centers the perspectives of parents, district and school staff, and community partners and highlights how the disregard of and inequitable resource access persist for Black families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typically, parents or other legal guardians are asked for an active declaration that the participation of their child in scientific research is informed and voluntary. However, asking for active parental consent leads to lower quality studies and passive parental consent might be preferable. In this study, we used an online survey in which parents (N = 156) watched video vignettes of multiple types of research in the classroom and asked them to rate the appropriateness of using active and passive parental consent. The results indicated that parents perceived active consent procedures as more appropriate in most types of research. However, particularly for secondary school children passive consent was rated as comparably appropriate for several types of research (e.g. observation and questionnaire studies). Other aspects of providing consent are displayed in a supplementary online dashboard. We conclude with recommendations for parental consent procedures for social science research in the school context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents have long been concerned with the transition to adulthood of their children with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) particularly with financial issues. The purpose of this study was to explore the financial concerns of mothers of adults with IDD. Five mothers of adults with IDD participated in a focus group to share their experiences, opinions, concerns, and challenges related to finances. Five themes emerged from the qualitative data analysis: (a) job-related difficulties, (b) living expenses, (c) access to essential services, (d), skills deficits and/or challenging behavior, and (e) long-term care. Mothers in general indicated tremendous financial burdens, loss of income, and expressed concerns about long-term care of their children with IDD. These themes are discussed and implications for practice and research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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AbstractResearch demonstrates a connection between parent perspectives and children’s decisions to pursue careers in STEM (e.g. Albritton et al., 2020; Fouad et al., 2016). However, there is limited research on parents’ impact on CS education advocacy. Through one-on-one parent interviews, this study found that parents engage in educational advocacy, but have limited access to CS resources and information on how to advocate for computing education. Regardless, parents recognize their children need to learn computing and want access to CS. This research illustrates the importance of leveraging parents’ advocacy to ensure meaningful CS education for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enrolling a child in residential treatment for behavioral or emotional disorders is often considered a last resort for parents and can be accompanied by feelings of desperation and failure. Coupled with social discourse inexorably linking parenting with mental health outcomes, parents might experience stigma as they seek support for themselves and their children. Thus, this study implements relational dialectics theory to explore the meaning of parenting from the perspective of parents who have enrolled a child in a residential treatment program. Contrapuntal analysis of six interviews revealed two discourses competing to make meaning of parenting, the Discourse of Demanding Parenting Ideals (DDPI), consisting of two themes: relentless sacrifice and complete responsibility, whereas themes of boundary-setting and acceptance compose the Discourse of Realistic Best Effort (DRBE). Discursive interplay between these discourses occurred in the forms of diachronic separation, synchronic interplay, and discursive transformation to make meaning of parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the relationship between parental attitudes toward outdoor activities and children’s health-related quality of life, focusing on the mediation of outdoor activity time and nature connections. Data from 399 kindergarten children, supplemented by parental insights, were analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Positive parental attitudes toward outdoor activities were found to predict enhanced physical functioning and kindergarten performance. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed for social functioning, while emotional functioning remained unaffected. Parental attitudes directly influenced physical functioning, with indirect effects on kindergarten performance mediated by outdoor time and nature connections. These findings highlight the importance of parental attitudes in promoting children’s well-being and suggest potential strategies to enhance their health-related quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAs Australia considers legislative reform regarding the rights of religious schools to discriminate against LGBT students and staff, claims are often made that religious parents or those enrolling children in religious schools do not affirm diversity of sexuality or gender. Using a national dataset of parents (n = 2418), attitudes towards sexual orientation, gender diversity, homophobia and transphobia were examined. Across all religiosities, school sectors and attitudinal statements, significant majorities of parents reported positive attitudes (62.7%–93.5%). Only small minorities expressly reported negative attitudes (1.6%–20.2%). Pairwise religiosity comparisons between parents with children only at a secular school, versus any religious school, revealed few differences. Amongst Catholic parents, those with children at Catholic schools and those with children only at secular schools, held similar attitudes towards LGBT issues and a majority held favourable attitudes, suggesting most Catholic parents who enrol their children in Catholic schools do so despite or in ignorance of Catholic doctrine. Findings suggest a significant majority of parents sending children to religious schools hold supportive attitudes towards diverse sexual orientations, gender diversity, and actions to address homophobia and transphobia. This empirical evidence contradicts religious schools’ calls for the rights to discriminate against LGBT persons based on parental values and attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurposeMaterial and methodsResultsConclusion\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONTo explore (i) the impact of unmet social needs on children with cerebral palsy and their families; (ii) enablers-, and (iii) barriers to addressing unmet social needs.Eligible participants attended or worked at one of the three Paediatric Rehabilitation Departments including: children with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy; parents/carers; and clinicians. One-on-one interviews were conducted with parents/carers and focus groups with clinicians. Interview and focus group transcripts were deductively thematically analysed according to the social model of disability.A total of 44 participants (8 parents and 36 clinicians) took part. No children consented to participate. Analysis of the qualitative data identified four main themes and 14 sub-themes. The main themes were: Unmet social needs are pervasive; An inequitable health system with no roadmap; Everyone suffers as a result of unmet social needs; and It takes a village to raise a child.Unmet social needs have profound impacts on families. The experiences of unmet social needs are intensified by the extra complexities of raising a child with disability. Societal barriers including inequitable systems and the fragmented services are barriers impeding on families receiving support and ultimately limiting their wellbeing.Many families experience a vicious cycle of disability, unmet social needs, and access – which service providers should thoughtfully consider when providing patient-centred care.For many families, a child’s disability impacts their unmet social needs, which influences their access to services and has consequences on their disability and wellbeing.Addressing unmet social needs is a priority for all people working with families of children with cerebral palsy including health, social care, and education providers.Integrated health-social care models such as social prescribing have the potential to support families to address their unmet social needs and warrant consideration within rehabilitation care.Many families experience a vicious cycle of disability, unmet social needs, and access – which service providers should thoughtfully consider when providing patient-centred care.For many families, a child’s disability impacts their unmet social needs, which influences their access to services and has consequences on their disability and wellbeing.Addressing unmet social needs is a priority for all people working with families of children with cerebral palsy including health, social care, and education providers.Integrated health-social care models such as social prescribing have the potential to support families to address their unmet social needs and warrant consideration within rehabilitation care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Participating in home and community activities can be influenced by environmental factors and parent strategies. Children on the autism spectrum are reported to participate less in home and community activities than their neurotypical peers. Little is known about environmental factors that may influence their participation, and ways parents support their child's participation. Materials and methods: Parents of children on the autism spectrum aged 5–6 years (n = 72) and 10–11 years (n = 94) completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth. This study reports on the perceived support, barriers, and resources in the home and the community environment. Parents reported strategies they used to support their child's participation in home and the community. Results: Home environmental factors were identified as more supportive by the parents of younger children. The sensory quality of activities and social demands were factors identified as making community participation harder for both groups. Parents used a range of different strategies in the home and the community to support their child's participation. Conclusions: Identifying environmental barriers and supports to participation can assist in developing interventions to support meaningful participation in activities for children on the autism spectrum. Implications for rehabilitation: Skills required for the activity and preferences of children on the autism spectrum are important considerations when supporting their participation in activities. When exploring a child's level of participation, it may be helpful to ask parents about what their child can do with or without their support. The sensory quality of the environment is a consideration when supporting the participation of children on the autism spectrum in community activities. As sensory processing is an individual experience, the impact of sensory elements of the environment may differ for individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practice of physical activities is essential for maintaining the health of children and adults. However, among people with disabilities, there is a high prevalence of physical inactivity, especially among children, mainly due to the lack of access to specific programs aimed at their possibilities. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the influence of parental support in the practice of physical activities of children with physical disabilities. Thirty-five children with physical disabilities and their mothers participated in the study. The children and mothers separately answered questionnaires to assess their usual level of physical activity and their perception of parental support for physical activity. The results showed that parental support had a positive relationship with the level of physical activity in younger children. No significant differences were observed in reported and perceived parental support when comparisons were performed according to sex, age group, and type of locomotion. Considering the physical activity level of the mothers, the average result showed an insufficient amount of practice, however the mothers attributed high importance to the physical activity practice of their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the spring of 2020, schools across the globe closed as a public health measure to address the growing COVID-19 pandemic. For children and youth with special educational needs (SEN) who rely on specific additional supports and services, and who were more likely than their peers to experience a lack of school success even before COVID-19, gaps in academic and social development are likely to be magnified. The current study explored the perspectives of 36 Canadian parents of children and youth with SEN regarding the impact of COVID-19 on social wellbeing during the first wave in the spring of 2020. Thematic analysis was conducted of the in-depth interviews, and two key narratives were created in order to tell the stories of families. These narratives provide evidence of the five major themes that were identified, namely: a) pathways to friends, b) isolated and disconnected, c) developmental concerns, d) siblings as peer proxies, and e) role of schools. We discuss these themes in relation to the growing body of research documenting the impacts of COVID-19 on the social lives of children and youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the clear restrictive guidelines about the use of modern handheld devices among children younger than 2 years, parents are seen to extensively use these devices with their infants. However, parents’ perceptions in this regard remain unclear and underexplored especially, in the context of South Asian cultures such as Pakistan. This qualitative study aims to explore parents’ perceptions regarding their infants’ use of mobile devices. Using the purposive sampling technique, 10 couples (i.e. 20 parents) from Pakistan were individually interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Parents with at least two children including one infant (0–2 years) were included. Single parents and parents of children with special needs were excluded. Findings revealed parents hold mixed opinions regarding the use of mobile devices. Parents expressed negative outcomes of the use of mobile devices, which were categorized into internalizing problems, emotional problems, social interaction problems, and issues in cognitive processing. They also shared positive perceptions, categorized as learning outcomes, and increased cognitive abilities. Based on their first-time parenting experiences, parents expressed both negative and positive outcomes of the use of MDs with infants. A shift in perception was observed based on their first-time parenting experiences. With increased parenting demands, participants shared constant challenges in limiting the screen time of infants, leading to experiencing negative emotions among parents i.e. guilt and worry. This study can be useful among clinicians to consider the effects of the use of mobile devices while making a neurodevelopmental diagnosis. It can also be useful in promoting learning among infants in daycare/childcare centers, in developing parenting manuals, and in developing screen time policies or guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refugee young people have high rates of unmet mental health needs. Established barriers to accessing mental health care may be contextual to the host country and its support systems. The aim of this study was to establish the perspectives of refugee young people, parents, and service providers on service responses across one middle-income and one high-income country, Turkey and the UK, respectively. In Turkey, eight professionals (social work, psychology, and education), ten parents and ten young people took part. In the UK, stakeholders included four professionals (health, educational psychology, and non-statutory), seven parents and seven young people. Data were analyzed using a codebook thematic approach. Despite structural differences between the two systems, several commonalities were identified in responses. Conceptualization of mental health, stigma, shame, and parents' language acquisition acted as barriers to help-seeking in both countries, whilst schools were viewed as central to the initiation of interventions. Contextual barriers in Turkey included child marriage and labor, whilst reliance on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) facilitated joint care pathways. In the UK, providers aimed to adapt and extend care pathways through primary health care. Recommendations included designated policy, joint working, schools acting as service hubs, awareness, and training professionals on contextual knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents of children with disabilities (CWD) may experience varying degrees of stress due to the multiplicity of factors affecting both the lives of the children and the increased challenges to parental roles. There has been limited research on the stress experienced by parents of children with disabilities in Arab countries; however, this is in part because of the paucity of reliable and valid instruments to measure stress in this population. We examined the psychometric properties of a widely used instrument, the Parenting Stress Index—Short Form (PSI-SF), on a sample of parents of children with disabilities in three Arab countries: Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Using data from 867 participants, a confirmatory factor analysis found that the data fit a three-factor model. The model showed high reliability for the PSI-SF as well as positive correlations of moderate to high magnitude between the latent factors in each country. The results support configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance across the three countries. Implications for the use of the PSI-SF by clinicians, psychologists, and educational professionals in Arab countries are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although access to effective medical care for acutely sick children has improved globally, the number of children surviving but who may not be thriving due to disability, is increasing. This study aimed to understand the views of health professionals, educators and caregivers of pre-school children with disabilities in Malawi, Pakistan and Uganda regarding early identification, referral and support. Using applied thematic analysis, we identified themes relating to; limited 'demand' by caregivers for services; different local beliefs and community perceptions regarding the causes of childhood disability. Themes relating to 'supply' of services included inability to respond to community needs, and inadequate training among professionals for identification and referral. Stepwise, approaches provided to the families, community health worker and higher-level services could include training for community and primary care health workers on basic identification techniques and enhanced awareness for families and communities on the importance of early identification of children with disabilities. Lack of collaboration between the community and health services may lead to entrenched pessimistic views of what can be done to support children with disabilities - generating a greater mistrust and low parental take-up of vital health services. If parents do not receive help at the community and clinic level, then, there is a need to move away from trying to provide a 'specific diagnosis' to working more on a level of assessing the child's functioning in terms of what their limitations are and how they can be addressed. Any identification and referral programme needs to consider the varying local beliefs, the stigma of having a child with a disability and feelings of blame, right from the start. A stepwise, incremental approaches, ranging from the provision of basic information, such as using brief materials highlighting 'red flag' milestones and conditions which are linked to guidance for support to families, community health workers, as well as higher levels of medical services, are likely to work best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the ways that publicly funded developmental services for adults with developmental disabilities in southern Ontario are limited in how they support clients. This paper is informed by field research conducted in the summer of 2019, which was composed of semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and a policy review. Informed by parent advocates who are the main caregivers of their adult children labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities, this paper claims that the administrative processes of the Ontario ministry that manages and funds adult disability services relate to broader exclusionary patterns among adults with developmental disabilities. I explore this claim by reviewing how common ableist assumptions of people with developmental disabilities are ingrained in the policies and administrative processes of these services. I contribute to ongoing discussions among Critical Disability Scholars of the ways that disability as a social category can be articulated outside of ableist assumptions. Informed by parent caregiver perspectives, this article outlines how the limitations of provincially funded disability services in Ontario, Canada cause significant challenge in the lives of those labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities. One possible explanation for these limitations is that there is a disconnect between how the provincial government classifies who should receive immediate services and how many services, versus the actual need of those labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The criteria for high supports, such as monthly funding, placement into a living facility, and the provincial assessment for determining a person's 'adaptive functioning' are rooted in problematic assumptions made of people labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore barriers to implementing peace education in secondary schools in South Africa. The empirical inquiry employed qualitative research methodology and evaluation research design to examine the implementation of a peace education programme in three selected secondary schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. Purposive sampling was used to select the research sites and participants. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews with the manager of the Quaker Peace Centre (QPC) programme and school principals; and focus group discussions with teachers and learners. The data were analysed through thematic content analysis. Findings indicate that peace education was implemented with modest success outside the formal curriculum by following a multimedia approach using learner-run peace clubs and anti-bullying campaigns. However, barriers to the implementation of peace education persist, including financial constraints; inadequate allocation of time to peace education; poor parental involvement; overburdened teachers; and negative attitudes and societal influences. Based on these findings, the study recommends that government and school management should support the successful implementation of peace education by providing teacher training on peace education, including peace education in the mainstream curriculum; ensuring that all stakeholders participate in peace education efforts; and prioritising funding for implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our separateness from the other is the 'basic agony', the 'original heartbreak' of the human condition, according to Frances Tustin's thinking. The ways we deal with this heartbreak form the foundation through which relationships, self-experience and wellbeing are built and developed. The following paper describes a child's journey, from omnipotent encapsulation, through the extremes of heartbreak – the child's, as well as his parents' and the therapist's – to liveliness and hope. Tustin teaches us the meaning and experience of encapsulation, the delicate balance between 'hard' and 'soft' needed in the therapeutic stance, the extremes of despair, hurt, cruelty and heartbreak that are met with along the way, as well as the possibility of hope even in dire situations. Holding on, survival and faith, as well as hope-against-hope, which is the resistance to despair in situations of hopelessness, are needed in order for this broken heart to be somewhat mended and allowed to flourish and to grow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the attractiveness of Polytechnics (PTs) in India, which are part of the country's Vocational Education and Training (VET) system, from the perspectives of individuals. PTs as institutions of Higher VET are an essential part of the Indian VET system. As no findings on their attractiveness are available, interviews based on an attractiveness model were conducted with 33 students and 17 parents. Results show that although PTs are attractive from an individual point of view and offer numerous advantages for those striving for education, like a wide range of career opportunities or a high level of job security, their attractiveness is considerably affected because of the societal perspective. However, in particular, the emphasis on the strengths of a PT diploma, like the combination of both theoretical and practical elements and the assignment of PTs to Higher VET may help to improve the rather negative societal perception of PTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to explore parents' attitudes towards including children with disabilities (CWDs) in public kindergartens (KGs) in Jordan. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to 250 parents of CWDs and others without disabilities at the kindergarten stage. The results revealed that most respondents had neutral attitudes towards including CWD issues in public KG, and about 36.4% of parents held negative attitudes. The results of multiple regression analysis also indicated that the parent's gender, age, having a CWD, and degree of disability, were considered statistically significant predictors of the parents' attitudes towards including CWDs in public kindergartens. Implications of the findings and recommendations are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst discourses of motherhood, such as the 'ethic of care' and intensive parenting are powerful and persuasive, no form of motherhood can be acceptable to all. In this visual autoethnography, researcher generated photographs, excerpts from training logs and personal narrative texts are used to explore some of the underlying discourses and assumptions associated with motherhood and sport from the perspective of a single parent. Employing a poststructural lens the author explores the ways in which she has knowingly negotiated her identity as a single mother and competitive-recreational long distant triathlete. The research places a spotlight on the significant support role that children can play in relation to adult involvement in sport, turning the tables on the existing focus on parent-athlete relationships. The findings provide further evidence of the value of sports clubs in supporting the continued participation of mothers, adding to the research on sport and parenthood and family studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines parental attitudes towards LGBTQ characters in Flemish children's television shows. Through a survey, this research aims to investigate predictors for the attitudes and levels of resistance among parents, considering specific sociodemographic characteristics and parents' perceptions about the impact of television and children's sexual development. Data were collected from 614 Flemish parents with children aged four to twelve. The results reveal overall positive attitudes towards LGBTQ inclusion. However, attitudes are more negative towards gender diversity (trans and non-binary characters) compared to sexual diversity (non-heterosexual characters). Furthermore, attitudes towards sexual diversity differ among parents: fathers display more negative attitudes compared to mothers, and resistance is highest for parents with a lower educational attainment. Parents who believe in the prosocial impact of LGBTQ representation exhibited more positive attitudes, whereas those with conventional beliefs about children's sexual development displayed more resistance. This study offers insightful findings for future research, television producers, and media literacy initiatives aimed at providing a more inclusive media landscape and promoting acceptance among children and parents alike. Media representations of sexual and gender minorities are increasingly common in children's programming. Nevertheless, global controversies persist, highlighting tensions between inclusive representations and concerns about preserving childhood innocence. Our study reveals generally positive parental attitudes towards LGBTQ representation in Flemish children's programs. However, significant variations exist between different sociodemographic groups (i.e. significant different attitudes between mothers and fathers), and resistant against gender diversity (trans and non-binary characters) persists. Understanding parental attitudes towards LGBTQ representation is primarily beneficial to generate awareness among parents but equally for media workers and policymakers. Promoting prosocial outcomes of LGBTQ representation can enhance acceptance and understanding among children and parents, despite lingering societal tensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurposeMethodsResultsConclusions\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONTo explore the impact of the online ENVISAGE program for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) on parents’ perception of themself, their child with a disability, and their family, as well as to explore experiences of participating in the program in Croatia.In this before-after discourse analysis study, participants took part in the five-week ENVISAGE program. There were two semi-structured interviews for each participant: within one month before and after participating in the program. The proportions of positive, neutral, and negative sentences about themself, their child, and their family from two interviews were compared on an individual and group level. The perceived changes and experiences with the program were also analyzed qualitatively.Data from thirteen participants were included. From the three pre-determined discourse categories (self, child, and family), most changes were observed in parents’ perception of self (average increase in positive views of 8.8% and decrease in negative of 5.3%). Qualitative results showed multiple positive self-perceived impacts on parents’ lives. Participants’ experiences with ENVISAGE were consistently positive; all believed they benefited from the program.The results support our assumption that participation in ENVISAGE positively affects multiple areas of life, particularly parents’ views of themself.ENVISAGE is an online, 5-week empowerment program for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities that was tested for the first time in Croatia in this study.Results show that ENVISAGE mostly led to the improvements in the perception of self and their child with a disability.For all parents, ENVISAGE was a positive experience and a program they would recommend to other parents.ENVISAGE is an online, 5-week empowerment program for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities that was tested for the first time in Croatia in this study.Results show that ENVISAGE mostly led to the improvements in the perception of self and their child with a disability.For all parents, ENVISAGE was a positive experience and a program they would recommend to other parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundMethodResultsConclusionsCompared to their typically developing peers, children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities are at an increased risk of developing emotion regulation difficulties, this is especially the case for autistic individuals with intellectual disabilities. To better understand the emotion regulation experiences of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities, the views of parents were considered through the lens of one of the leading emotion regulation frameworks, the process model of emotion regulation.Twenty parents participated in semi-structured interviews.Thematic analysis supported the relevance of the process model to this population; and identified additional themes and sub-themes. Parental perspectives also differed between parents with autistic children with intellectual disabilities, compared to parents whose children were reported to only have a diagnosis of intellectual disability.These identified themes could guide the development of an emotion regulation measure founded on the process model for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engagement of parents in interventions for their children has many reported benefits. Despite recent advances in conceptualisations of parent engagement within child development and rehabilitation fields, there are limited understandings of parent engagement from a behaviour analytic account. This study aimed to understand how parents experience engagement in child-focused behaviour analytic interventions in Aotearoa New Zealand. An Interpretive Description study was undertaken, involving 14 semi-structured interviews with a sample of 15 parents who had experienced a child-focused behavioural intervention. Four themes were developed including a) the system as the environment, b) what parents bring, c) what clinicians bring, and d) where engagement happens. Themes are presented using an analogy of a river ecosystem, detailing how each theme comes together into an intervention context, where engagement is negotiated through humble communication, development of working relationships, and responsive approaches to intervention delivery. Findings support behaviour analysts attending to antecedent conditions for parent engagement, in efforts to further effective intervention, rather than prioritising focus on treatment adherence at the outset of intervention delivery. The outcomes of the study closely align with other allied health literatures, offering behaviour analysts insight into parent engagement from related service delivery contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the experiences of involvement of adolescents living with cerebral palsy, and their parents, while participating in physical activity. Understanding involvement in physical activity may be used to guide future participation. Methods: Eight adolescents (mean age 13 years 11 months, SD 1 year 6 months) with cerebral palsy participated in a New Zealand-based high-level mobility programme (HLMP) focused on running skills, twice per week for 12 weeks. The adolescents and 12 parents were interviewed before, after the 12 weeks and 9-months following the HLMP. Guided by interpretative description, 38 interviews were coded, analysed, and interpreted. Results: Four themes were: "Turning up is not enough" ("There's no point being there if you're not involved"); "In it all the way", "Changes on a dime", and "What works for me." Perceptions of involvement varied between adolescents and parents. Being "very involved" related to high levels of focus, concentration, effort; but not always enjoyment. Conclusions: Focusing on enjoyment as the key experience of involvement understates the complexity and dynamic nature of involvement. "Being involved" is not always easy and may not mean the absence of discomfort or effort. Optimising the individuals' involvement continuum during physical activity may be essential to promote lifelong participation. Adolescents living with cerebral palsy and their parents have differing perspective of involvement and utilise different strategies to encourage being and staying active. Teaching adolescents living with cerebral palsy about their involvement continuum and optimal level of involvement for each activity, context and environment could promote sustained participation. To ensure adolescents are "being involved" in physical activity, opportunities for engagement, motivation and persistence are important; enjoyment is a possible, but not essential attribute of involvement. Encouraging involvement in physical activity can be a source of family conflict from a young age therefore clinicians have a role as an essential supporter, motivator and educator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gambling patterns among young people are diverse, yet factors that affect changes in their gambling behaviour as they mature remain poorly understood. This study explores gambling trajectories and related sources of influence during childhood, early adolescence and later adolescence, and amongst adolescents at different levels of gambling risk. Qualitative interviews and online communities with 89 Australians aged 12–17 years explored their gambling experiences, from childhood to the present. Reflexive thematic narrative analysis revealed that children often learn how to gamble through their parents. Parents, peers, sports interests, advertising and simulated gambling continue to transfer gambling knowledge and skills throughout adolescence. Gambling is further reinforced through social rewards and is highly normalised through advertising. At-risk/problem gambling adolescents tended to report positive early memories of gambling, but also harmful parental gambling. They reported having friendship groups where betting is highly normalised. They purposefully honed their betting knowledge to demonstrate skill, and also gambled with in-game items (skins). Conversely, non-gamblers reported very little exposure to parental gambling, mirrored their parents’ negative attitudes to gambling, were unlikely to have friends who gambled, and reported less interest in professional sport. Reducing youth gambling and gambling harm requires measures to tackle multiple layers of influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Callousness has been identified as a key driver of aggressive and violent behavior from childhood into early adulthood. Although previous research has underscored the importance of the parenting environment in contributing to the development of youth callousness, findings have generally been confined to the between-individual level and have not examined bidirectionality. In the current study, we test whether aspects of parenting are associated with callousness from childhood to adolescence both between and within individuals, examine the temporal ordering of associations, and test whether these relations are moderated by gender or developmental stage. Data came from a longitudinal study in which parents of 1,421 youth (52% girls; 62% White and 22% Black) from the second, fourth, and ninth grades were interviewed three times, with one year between consecutive interviews. A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model indicated that elevated youth callousness predicts subsequent increases in parental rejection and decreases in consistency of discipline. Findings were largely similar for boys and girls, but within-individual associations were generally stronger for 4th graders compared to the 2nd and 9th graders. Callousness and parenting practices and attitudes were related both at the between-individual and within-individual level. These results have implications for the etiology and treatment of children and adolescents who exhibit callousness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilises data from China's second (2018) Time Use Survey (CTUS) to quantitatively investigate the impact of educational level on the amount of time parents commit to childcare. It finds that as educational attainment increases and attitudes towards parenting change, parents focus on childcare through "primary activities". Mothers engaged in childcare as a "secondary activity" only account for 6.2 per cent of the sample, and fathers for an even lower 4.5 per cent. Education positively affects the time parents devote to childcare. The father's involvement in childcare is significantly influenced by the mother's level of education. Employment status significantly influences both parents and spousal childcare time. Women bear approximately three times as much time to childcare as fathers. Furthermore, the shift away from traditional gender-biased attitudes has not significantly influenced the time that parents commit to childcare. Older generations living in the same household do not significantly reduce parents' childcare time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore sensory processing abilities in kindergarten children based on parents' perceptions of their children's sensory functioning. Employing a non-probability sampling technique, parents of 957 typical kindergarteners (52% males, 48% females) aged between four and six years in Amman-Jordan were surveyed via Arabic-Short Sensory Profile (A-SSP). Results showed that 37% and 24% of children exhibited definite difference and probable difference, respectively. These proportions indicate the importance of including sensory processing as a variable in studies that target children typical development, and to support the development of sensory processing among Jordanian children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores Functional Individualized Therapy for Teenagers with Executive Deficits (FITTED) factors facilitating adolescents' improvement. At each of eight therapy sessions, 41 adolescents with executive function deficits and their parents wrote the primary concept they "took away." Experts categorized their answers by the FITTED model's main factors—goals, strengths, and strategies—adding child's difficulties for the parents' answers. Results describe answer frequencies by factor in each session. Across time, strengths and strategies dominated among adolescents, and strategies and difficulties among parents. Cognitive strategies are integral to the FITTED process for improving the daily functioning of adolescents with executive function deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kinship foster care has increasingly become the first line of support in child removal cases. Case managers, kinship foster caregivers, and foster parents have perspectives that can inform and enhance services for families and children. The authors investigated the lived experiences of 18 families by conducting 38 qualitative interviews with 20 case managers, 10 kinship foster caregivers, and 8 foster parents. These participants reflected on five themes: starting points for placement, perceptions of and motivations for kinship foster caregiving (e.g., placement considerations, risks in kinship foster caregiving arrangements), informational support (e.g., opportunities, hurdles), barriers and challenges related to support (e.g., financial and instrumental support, child care, respite care), and access to improved social and professional support. The authors describe study limitations, implications for practice, and conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]