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Çocukların başarılarının arttırılmasını amaçlayan aile katılımı, ailelerin konuya özgü becerileri öğrenmelerinden aile içinde uygun ilişkilerin geliştirilmesine kadar pek çok becerinin kazandırılmasını kapsamaktadır. Aile katılımının her ne kadar yasalarda geçen hükümlerle gerekliliği belirlenmiş olsa da uygulama alanında günümüzde halen pek çok ülke için katılımın sağlanması güç olmaktadır. Alan yazında aile katılımının akademik başarıya etkisine yönelik birbiriden farklı sonuçlarla karşılaşılmıştır. Bunun nedeni aile katılımı kavramının, pek çok değişkeni barındırıyor olması ve bu kavramın farklı şekillerde tanımlanıyor olmasıdır. Her ne kadar aile katılımının hangi bileşeninin akademik başarıya etki ettiği açıkça ortaya konulamasa da araştırma bulguları aile katılımının öğrencilerin akademik becerilerini arttırdığını göstermektedir. Bu alan yazın taramasında aile katılımı ve akademik başarı tanımlanmış, aile katılımını engelleyen etmenler, açıklanmaya çalışılmıştır. Aile katılımının akademik başarıya etkisini gösteren çalışmalara ayrıntılı olarak yer verilmiş, bu çalışmaların bulduğu farklı sonuçlar ve nedenleri tartışılmıştır. Aile katılımının sağlanması, ekolojik bakış açısı ve sistem yaklaşımı bağlamında ele alınarak, okul açısından aile katılımını destekleyici stratejilere değinilmiştir.

Purpose: This study aims to help researchers design observational measurement systems that yield sufficiently stable scores for estimating caregiver talk among caregivers of infant siblings of autistic and non-autistic children. Stable estimates minimize error introduced by facets of the measurement system, such as variability between coders or measurement sessions. Method: Analyses of variance were used to partition error variance between coder and session and to derive g coefficients. Decision studies determined the number of sessions and coders over which scores must be averaged to achieve sufficiently stable g coefficients (0.80). Twelve infants at elevated likelihood of an autism diagnosis and 12 infants with population-level likelihood of autism diagnosis participated in two semistructured observation sessions when the children were 12-18 months of age and again 9 months later. Caregiver follow-in talk was coded from these sessions. Results: Two sessions and one coder were needed to achieve sufficient stability for follow-in talk and follow-in comments for both groups of infants at both time points. However, follow-in directives did not reach sufficient stability for any combination of sessions or coders for the population-level likelihood group at either time point, or for the elevated likelihood group at Time 2. Conclusion: Researchers should plan to collect at least two sessions to derive sufficiently stable estimates of caregiver talk in infants at elevated and general population-level likelihood for autism.

Purpose: The present study explored the extent to which early prelinguistic communication skills predict expressive language in toddlers with autistic siblings (Sibs-autism), who are known to be at high likelihood for autism and language disorder, and a comparison group of toddlers with non-autistic older siblings (Sibs-NA). Method: Participants were 51 toddlers (29 Sibs-autism, 22 Sibs-NA) aged 12-18 months at the first time point in the study (Time 1). Toddlers were seen again 9 months later (Time 2). Three prelinguistic communication skills (i.e., intentional communication, vocalization complexity, and responding to joint attention) were measured at Time 1 via the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile-Behavior Sample. An expressive language aggregate was calculated for each participant at Time 2. A series of correlation and multiple regression models was run to evaluate associations of interest between prelinguistic communication skills as measured at Time 1 and expressive language as measured at Time 2. Results: Vocalization complexity and intentional communication displayed significant zero-order correlations with expressive language across sibling groups. Vocal complexity and responding to joint attention did not have significant added value in predicting later expressive language, after covarying for intentional communication across groups. However, sibling group moderated the association between vocalization complexity and later expressive language, such that vocal complexity displayed incremental validity for predicting later expressive language, covarying for intentional communication, only within Sibs-NA. Conclusions: Results indicate that prelinguistic communication skills, in particular intentional communication, show promise for predicting later expressive language in siblings of autistic children. These findings provide additional empirical support for the notion that early preemptive interventions targeting prelinguistic communication skills, especially intentional communication, may have the potential to scaffold language acquisition and support more optimal language outcomes in this population at high likelihood for a future diagnosis of both autism and language disorder.

Bu çalışma Sabancı Vakfı Toplumsal Gelişim Hibe Programı tarafından desteklenmiştir. Yazarlar Güneydoğu Özel Eğitim Kurumları Derneği’ne (GÜNDER) katkılarında ndolayı teşekkür ederler. Prof. Dr., Ankara Üniversitesi, Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi, Ankara, Türkiye. E-posta: nimetbulbin@gmail.com Yrd.Doç. Dr., ÇukurovaÜniversitesi, EğitimFakültesi, Adana, Türkiye. E-posta: dolunaysarica@gmail.com Yrd.Doç. Dr., Ankara Üniversitesi, Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi, Ankara, Türkiye. E-posta: haticebakkaloglu@gmail.com Dr., Ankara Üniversitesi, EğitimBilimleri Fakültesi, Ankara, Türkiye. E-posta: baharkk@gmail.com ÖZET Amaç ve Önem: Erken çocukluk özel eğitimi (EÇÖE), artan sayıda özel gereksinimli çocuklarla birlikte ülkemizde gelişmekte olan bir alandır. Bu gelişmelerin yanında, alanda çalışan nitelikli personel sayısının yetersizliği, bu çocukların ve ailelerinin hizmetlerden yeterince yararlanamamalarına neden olmaktadır. Gelişmiş ülkelerde bu sorunu gidermek amacıyla paraprofesyoneller yetiştirilmekte ve onların uzman denetiminde çocuklara ve ailelerine hizmet vermeleri sağlanmaktadır. Ülkemizde de, benzer bir amaca yönelik olarak 2010 yılında Sabancı Vakfı, iki sivil toplum örgütü ve bir üniversitenin işbirliği çerçevesinde Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi’nde yer alan 3 ilde başlatılan bir projede, kız meslek lisesi mezunlarına Küçük Adımlar Erken Eğitim Programı (KAEEP) kursu düzenlenmiştir. Projede kurs bitiminde kursiyerlerin en az %40’ının bölgedeki özel özel eğitim ve rehabilitasyon merkezlerinde istihdam edilmeleri amaçlanmıştır. Bu araştırmanın amacı, kursa katılan kız meslek lisesi mezunlarının kurs ile ilgili görüş ve önerilerini belirlemektir

Purpose: This study evaluates the extent to which automated indices of vocal development are stable and valid for predicting language in infants at increased familial likelihood for autism and/or language impairment and relatively lower likelihood infants. Method: A group of infants with autistic siblings (Sibs-autism; 20 infants) and a comparison group of infants with non-autistic siblings (Sibs-NA; 20 infants) wore Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) recording devices for 16 hr on 2 days within a 1-week period. Extant software was used to derive several putative indices of vocal development from these recordings. Stability of these variables was examined across and within groups. Expressive and receptive language aggregates were calculated for each participant. Multiple regression analyses were used to (a) evaluate zero-order correlations for variables derived from LENA recordings with concurrent and future language and (b) test whether those associations were moderated by group status. Results: Both stability and validity differed by variable and group status. All variables reached acceptable stability in the Sibs-autism group within two to three observations, whereas stability of most variables was attenuated in the Sibs-NA group. No variables were associated with concurrent language in the theoretically motivated direction across groups, but two variables were strongly associated with concurrent expressive language in only the Sibs-NA group. Additionally, two variables were associated with later expressive language, though these correlations were again stronger in the Sibs-NA versus Sibs-autism group. Conclusions: Although selected automated indices of vocal development were stable in Sibs-autism and/or valid for predicting expressive language within Sibs-NA, no scores showed strong, theoretically motivated associations with language within the Sibs-autism group. Automated indices of vocal development may, thus, have limited validity or clinical utility for predicting language development in infants at elevated familial likelihood for autism.

Abstract Background Differences in responding to sensory stimuli, including sensory hyperreactivity (HYPER), hyporeactivity (HYPO), and sensory seeking (SEEK) have been observed in autistic individuals across sensory modalities, but few studies have examined the structure of these “supra-modal” traits in the autistic population. Methods Leveraging a combined sample of 3868 autistic youth drawn from 12 distinct data sources (ages 3–18 years and representing the full range of cognitive ability), the current study used modern psychometric and meta-analytic techniques to interrogate the latent structure and correlates of caregiver-reported HYPER, HYPO, and SEEK within and across sensory modalities. Bifactor statistical indices were used to both evaluate the strength of a “general response pattern” factor for each supra-modal construct and determine the added value of “modality-specific response pattern” scores (e.g., Visual HYPER). Bayesian random-effects integrative data analysis models were used to examine the clinical and demographic correlates of all interpretable HYPER, HYPO, and SEEK (sub)constructs. Results All modality-specific HYPER subconstructs could be reliably and validly measured, whereas certain modality-specific HYPO and SEEK subconstructs were psychometrically inadequate when measured using existing items. Bifactor analyses supported the validity of a supra-modal HYPER construct (ωH = .800) but not a supra-modal HYPO construct (ωH = .653), and supra-modal SEEK models suggested a more limited version of the construct that excluded some sensory modalities (ωH = .800; 4/7 modalities). Modality-specific subscales demonstrated significant added value for all response patterns. Meta-analytic correlations varied by construct, although sensory features tended to correlate most with other domains of core autism features and co-occurring psychiatric symptoms (with general HYPER and speech HYPO demonstrating the largest numbers of practically significant correlations). Limitations Conclusions may not be generalizable beyond the specific pool of items used in the current study, which was limited to caregiver report of observable behaviors and excluded multisensory items that reflect many “real-world” sensory experiences. Conclusion Of the three sensory response patterns, only HYPER demonstrated sufficient evidence for valid interpretation at the supra-modal level, whereas supra-modal HYPO/SEEK constructs demonstrated substantial psychometric limitations. For clinicians and researchers seeking to characterize sensory reactivity in autism, modality-specific response pattern scores may represent viable alternatives that overcome many of these limitations.