Participation: Theoretical Aspects and Assessment in Early Intervention Practice

The article discusses the theoretical and practical aspects of participation as one of the assessment criteria of the support effectiveness for early aged children and preschool aged children with disabilities and for their families. The definition of participation and its measuring recommendations in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health is compared with studies of participation of early aged and preschool aged children, with a variability of currently used assessment tools of participation. The summary gives the generalized description of the existing methods of participation assessment and lists the tendencies of further developments and researches in this field

Using the questionnaire

We have conducted a pilot study of the typically developing preschool children's functionality, their peers with Down syndrome and autism, with a new questionnaire "Functionality-07" (F-07). We have examined 164 children 2,7 - 7,1 years of age (31-95 months): 94 boys and 73 girls, attended educational services, including 11 - with autism, 10 - with Down syndrome. F-07 method has demonstrated high internal coherence: Cronbach alpha = 0.99. Functionality of children with autism and Down syndrome was significantly lower than that of their typically developed peers (p <0,1 E-6). We believe that monitoring of functionality can be used to identify the children requiring special psychological and educational assistance

Effectiveness of Skills Training in Toddlers and Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders Through Counseling and Coaching of Parents: A Pilot Study.

This work shows the results of four pilot studies conducted at the Regional Public Organization to Help Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) «Contact». Mothers of children of early age with ASD and other mental disorders have received help in the form of remote counseling-coaching within the competency-based approach. The evidences of the reliability, construct validity of the Child Competence Profile questionnaire for parents and the reliability of the Parental Competence Self-Assessment questionnaire was given. There were no significant differences in the improving of the overall competence of children between subgroups of children with autism who have received (N=10) and have not received (N=9) additional correctional assistance. A comparative study of the dynamics of general competence in children with childhood autism (N=9) and other general developmental disorders (N=5), including 5 measurements, showed a significant increase in general competence in both subgroups. The significant increase in the competence of mothers in these children also revealed

Diffraction of light wave on bi-dimensionally periodic metallic nanogratings. Theoretical study

The paper suggests a model to address the problem of enhanced optical transmission through doubly periodic metallic nanostructures. The theoretical model combines integral equations method with impedance boundary conditions in rigorous fashion and enables modeling nanostructures with apertures of different shape. Numerical results obtained with the model have been shown to be in a good agreement with experimental ones. A comparison between square and circular aperture array enhanced transmission properties has been carried out as well