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Students at risk for learning disabilities (LD) are overidentified in elementary schools in Oman due to the absence of adequate instruments which teachers can use in validating their observations. Teachers need valid instruments so that their judgment of students' behaviours can help in making academic and non-academic decision. The Learning Disabilities Diagnostic Inventory (LDDI) is widely used to examine manifestations of LD as an intrinsic processing disorder. This study aimed to verify the six-factor structure with confirmatory factor analysis, and test its measurement invariance across child gender. Teachers completed the Arabic version of the LDDI for an Omani sample of 1564 children aged 7 to 11. Overall, the six-factor model showed an acceptable fit after performing some post-hoc modifications that were justified on a theoretical ground. Results indicated metric invariance across gender. Zero-order correlations, however, were highly significant, which reflected that the Arabic version of the LDDI showed poor discriminant validity compared to the original LDDI. The Arabic version of the LDDI, however, can be a handy tool to screen for the LD manifestations and help in responding to teachers' academic concerns about students in Key stages 1 and 2 in Oman.

Staff providing support to children with disabilities in residential disability centres in Oman are exposed to stressful work environments which may put them at an increased risk of burnout. Previous research has examined predictors of stress in disability support staff, but there is little consensus as the findings are inconclusive. Using a cross-sectional design, a short survey examined religious coping styles, meaning and inner sense of peace, attitude to meaning in life, organisational religiousness practices and stress of 142 female disability support staff from community disability centres in Oman. Multiple regression analyses indicated that positive religious coping was more predictive of stress than negative religious coping. There was an association between meaning-making and stress in disability support staff. Religious organisation explained most of the variance in stress scores and was the best predictor of stress in disability support staff. Implications of the study are discussed in relation to the role of both culture and religion.

A number of Egyptian children experience psychiatric or mental health problems owing to a variety of internal and external qualities in their social context. These problems may mask strengths, particularly their social potential represented in their prosocial behaviour (PB). Research on emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBDs) should thus consider their strengths. The present study focuses on the PBs of Egyptian children. Teachers of 454 children from 6 schools completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to identify the children's EBDs as well as their PBs, together with Conners' Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS-39) to identify EBDs alone. The investigation entailed examining gender differences in strengths and difficulties, frequency of prosociality categories and associations between high versus low levels of PB with EBDs. Descriptive statistics, bi-variate and regression analyses, and t-test statistics were employed to answer the research questions. Results showed that boys were reported to show more EBDs than girls, whereas girls showed better PBs than did the boys. Caring was the most prevalent PB among both girls and boys. EBDs composed a significant and fit model for predicting PBs. Implications of the present study regarding the assessment of social behaviours in schools are discussed. (Contains 7 tables.)

Objectives: Mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have been reported to be more likely to experience lower levels of mental health as a result of the increased challenges associated with care provision and social inclusion of their children. Social inclusion in Arab countries differs in terms of quality and practices due to ecological and cultural variations. Based on an expected impact of culture and resilience, this study investigated the relationship between social inclusion practices and mothers' mental health in two Arabic-speaking countries. Methods: A total sample of 660 mothers of children with ASD from Oman and Egypt participated in the study and were administered measures of perceived social inclusion practices, mental health, and resilience. Results: Multi-group path analyses showed that culture and resilience have an impact on the association between social inclusion practices and mothers' mental health. Conclusions: Our findings have significant implications for social inclusion practices. They underscore the need to build mothers' resilience to improve their mental health. Additionally, social inclusion practices need to be prioritized by policy makers and professionals in Arab countries in order to develop a model of best practices of social inclusion across Arab countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Oman and elsewhere in Arab countries school professionals rely on measures that were developed in Western countries. Measures that assess adaptive behaviour (AB) that have been developed in Western cultures are argued to be culturally bound. Nevertheless, these measures are used elsewhere despite a paucity of data that examine their cross-national transportability. The theme of test adaptation and transportability of psychological measures is an important issue for school/educational psychologists, clinicians and educational professionals. The present study describes the adaptation process of the U.S.–developed Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System, Third Edition Teacher Form (ABAS-3-TF) for ages 5 to 14 in the Sultanate of Oman, one of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Procedures implemented to help ensure a valid translation and cultural adaptation process are described. Data on 410 children with intellectual disability are examined using the Arabic version of ABAS-3-TF, focusing on testing its factor structure and gender invariance. Data from the Arabic version of ABAS-3-TF provide evidence for the adequacy of a one general factor model. Scale reliability is high for the Arabic version. The finding of invariance across males and females indicate that the scale's factor structure is similar for the two groups. The Arabic version of ABAS-3-TF is adequate for use by clinicians, school psychologists and educational professionals in Oman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBDs) began to receive considerable attention in several countries in the Middle East and North Africa region including Oman. In the Omani context, there is lack of valid assessment instruments which can be used to obtain information on EBDs in schools. The current study used the Arabic selfreport version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (A-SDQ) to examine EBDs in a sample of middle school students. 816 middle school students from both genders, who were randomly selected from different schools in two big cities in Oman, filled out the A-SDQ. Results provided initial evidence of good psychometric properties of the A-SDQ reflecting that it can be a valid tool for use in schools in Oman. Further, the participants reported moderate to high rates of EBDs as measured by the different subscales of the A-SDQ. Significant gender differences were found in students self-report of EBDs. Compared to boys, girls reported more emotional symptoms, less conduct and peer problems. Implications of the study findings for the identification of students with EBDs in schools in Oman are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The estimated worldwide prevalence of learning disorders (LDs) is approximately 2‒10% among school-aged children. LDs have variable clinical features and are often associated with other disorders. This study aimed to examine the comorbidity of LDs and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among a sample of schoolchildren in Oman. Methods: This study was conducted between January 2014 and January 2015 at the Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman. The Learning Disabilities Diagnostic Inventory (LDDI) and the 28item version of the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale was completed by classroom teachers to determine the existence of LD and ADHD symptoms in 321 children in grades 1‒4 who had been referred to a learning support unit for LDs from elementary schools in Muscat. Results: The mean age of the students was 8.5 years. Among the cohort, 30% were reported to have symptoms of ADHD, including conduct problems (24%), hyperactivity (24%) and inattentivepassive behaviours (41%). Male students reportedly exhibited greater conduct problems and hyperactivity than females. However, there were no gender differences noted between LDDI scores. Conclusion: This study suggests that Omani schoolchildren with LDs are likely to exhibit signs of ADHD. The early identification of this disorder is essential considering the chronic nature of ADHD. For interventional purposes, multidisciplinary teams are recommended, including general and special educators, clinical psychologists, school counsellors, developmental or experienced general paediatricians and child psychiatrists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has documented overlapping and coexisting characteristics of learning disabilities (LD) and emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD). Such concomitance may impact teacher referrals of children at risk for LD which in turn may influence service delivery. Using the Learning Disabilities Diagnostic Inventory (LDDI) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), we examined teachers’ ratings of EBD and LD symptoms in 439 students referred for LD in elementary schools in Oman. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed that there were no gender differences in LD symptoms, whereas there were significant gender differences in teachers’ ratings of hyperactivity and conduct problems in referred children. There was an association between teachers’ ratings on the LDDI and SDQ dimensions, reflecting children’s concurrent display of LD and EBD symptoms. Implications are discussed within an Omani context in which there is a need to increase teachers’ awareness of the behavioural and emotional profile of children at risk for LD. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]