Emergent literacy profiles of learners with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in a grade one classroom: a South African context

A vulnerable group, learners with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) within the Foundation Phase learner population, has often been neglected with regards to literacy development. These learners in many cases do not get optimal teaching and learning due to an inability of teachers to address the literacy needs adequately within the mainstream classroom context. The purpose of this study was to determine the emergent literacy profile of learners with FASD in a Grade One classroom in a selected rural farming community. This study aimed to understand the socio-economic elements that may contribute to barriers in the families of learners with FASD that contribute to the possible emergent literacy problems. As well as highlight the strengths present in the socio-economic context of these families that can be used to support learners with FASD. Bronfenbrenner’s and Morris (1977; 1992) ecological systems theory provided a framework for understanding the complexity of influences, interactions and interrelationships between an individual and various other systems that are linked to the individual. A mixed methods research design was used in order to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Multi-method data collection strategies were employed in this study. The multi-method approach involved: baseline assessment, interviews and drawings. An interpretive data analysis style was employed for the qualitative data analyses and the quantitative data analysis was statistical. The results of the quantitative and qualitative data were interpreted together. The findings suggest that the participants showed significant challenges in the areas pertaining to phonemic awareness, print awareness, oral language and reading skills. And according to the mothers’ adverse socio-economic environmental conditions also daze the effects of FASD on the learners emergent literacy profile

Feeding Activity Book for Home Treatment Programs

Sensory processing challenges in children can have adverse effects on their ability to eat. These children may experience food temperatures, flavors and textures more intensely, causing them to have an aversion to many food types, which can potentially lead to the inability to get proper nutrition. In observing feeding therapy at Cascade Children’s Therapy (CCT), it was discovered that the therapists would benefit from a book to efficiently assign home treatment programs to these children with sensory processing challenges as an adjunct to in-clinic intervention. However, the home treatment programs needed to be playful in order to enhance adherence to the program. Eat, Play, Love is a book created for CCT containing 20 sensory-rich, playful food games and crafts from which therapists can efficiently reproduce, and assign to children and their caregivers as a home treatment program. This feeding activity book aims to improve food tolerance, and to increase food repertoire

Engaging Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Physical Activity to Improve Health and Educational Outcomes

This starred paper will attempt to describe how physical activity can have lifelong and short-term benefits for youth and adolescents with ASD. Emphasizing positive behavioral impacts that PA may have on other aspects of a student’s learning experience. It will explore some of the barriers these students face in getting enough PA and more importantly the practices that should be utilized to overcome these obstacles. Simply finding ways for positive engagement is a strong predictor of success. With that in mind, there will also be a focus on unique strategies or types of activities that students may not typically receive in a standard physical education class. The literature review in the following chapter will examine the most current studies and analysis on the topic

The impact of traumatic childhood experiences on cognitive and behavioural functioning in children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can cause lasting physical damage to the developing foetusincluding the brain. This brain damage can manifest as cognitive dysfunction and behaviouraldifficulties, which can be diagnosed as foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). FASD is thought tobe common in the UK, with estimates ranging from 3.24% up to 17% of the population affected,although rates of diagnosis are much lower than this. Children with FASD are at increased risk of arange of traumatic or adverse childhood experiences, such as neglect or abuse. Studies into the longtermeffects of neglect or abuse show a similar range of cognitive dysfunction and behaviouraldifficulties as those seen in FASD, but there is a lack of evidence on the impact of a dual exposure ofPAE and trauma. This is especially necessary for clinicians, who may need to use the presence oftrauma to inform and potentially exclude a diagnosis on the foetal alcohol spectrum. This aim of thisthesis was to investigate the impact of childhood trauma on the cognitive and behaviouralfunctioning of children with FASD. A wide-ranging overview of the literature on the effects of PAEand trauma as separate exposures was conducted and was followed by a systematic literaturereview of studies into the dual exposure of PAE and trauma. The reviews showed that only fivestudies had investigated the impact of both exposures, although one further study was publishedmore recently. The literature reviews, including the one new study showed that, although there hadonly been a small number of studies conducted, a pattern was emerging that children with bothFASD and trauma were more similar to children with just FASD than they were to children with justtrauma, in terms of their cognitive and behavioural functioning.The findings of the reviews were used to develop four original studies, which advanced theevidence in this area. The studies were designed to assess the damage caused by dual exposure atfour levels: neurological, cognitive, behavioural, and finally the effect of behavioural problems onother people. A neuroimaging study measured task-related blood oxygenation in the prefrontalcortex in 15 children aged 8-14 years with FASD with and without a history of trauma. A series ofcognitive tasks assessed verbal, non-verbal and overall intelligence, working memory and inhibitorycontrol in 25 children aged 8-14 years with FASD with and without a history of trauma. Aninformant-report survey that assessed Adverse Childhood experiences, cognitive, affective andoverall empathy, behavioural strengths and difficulties, and comorbid diagnoses was completed bythe carers of children aged 4-16 years with FASD. A series of semi-structured interviews wasconducted with caregivers of children aged 8-14 years with FASD, with and without a history oftrauma.Children with FASD had high levels of adverse childhood experiences including neglect andabuse, poor empathy, high levels of behavioural difficulties, and high levels of comorbid diagnoses,particularly attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They also had verbal, non-verbal andoverall intelligence in the average range, and working memory and inhibitory control scores thatwere similar to the scores of typically developing children of the same age. Children with both FASDand a history of trauma were found not to be significantly different from children with FASD withouttrauma in terms of their task-related prefrontal activity, verbal, non-verbal and overall intelligence,working memory, inhibitory control, and empathy. There was a slight tendency for children withhigher numbers of adverse childhood experiences to exhibit more severe behavioural difficulties,particularly conduct problems. Caregivers of children with both exposures described experienceswith the same themes as those whose children had FASD without trauma. Caregivers described theirchildren as difficult to manage, but also described many strengths and rewarding moments.Caregivers were critical of service providers including medical and educational services, socialservices, adoption agencies and local authorities, who lacked knowledge and understanding of FASD.This led to their children being misunderstood and offered insufficient or inappropriate services.The findings of this thesis support previous research showing that children with FASD havehigh levels of behavioural difficulties, poor empathy, and high levels of comorbid diagnoses. Itprovides the first data on levels of adverse childhood experiences in children with FASD, which arealso high. The main finding of the thesis is that the impact of traumatic childhood experiences on thecognitive and behavioural functioning of children with FASD may be very subtle, especially in termsof cognitive functioning. Clinicians and other professionals should be aware that a history of neglector abuse does not appear to be a better explanation for cognitive dysfunction or behaviouraldifficulties than prenatal alcohol exposure. Where children have a history of both exposures, theyshould primarily be treated as children with FASD, and provided appropriate support andinterventions specifically designed for FASD

Assessing Volition in Pediatrics: Using the Volitional Questionnaire and the Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire

Evidence suggests that pediatric occupational therapists predominantly use bottom-up, impairment-focused theoretical frameworks and assessments to guide their practice, despite the current trends promoting top-down, occupation-based approaches. Understanding a child’s volition, guided by the use of the Model of Human Occupation, contributes to a more occupation-based, client-centered, holistic, and strength-based approach to therapy. Two assessment tools, the Volitional Questionnaire and the Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire, contribute to a therapists’ understanding of children’s volition. These assessments facilitate therapists’ clinical reasoning and the ability to assess and address volition throughout the occupational therapy process