Inclusive education: An enigma of ‘wicked proportions’

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Brill via the DOI in this recor

Cytokine expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of dogs with mitral valve disease

Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of congestive heart failure (CHF). In humans with CHF, increased production and high plasma concentrations of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1, IL-8 and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) have been associated with disease progression and a negative prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether differences in cytokine blood mRNA expression exist between clinically healthy dogs and dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD); to determine if the expression was related to the severity of MMVD, and to detect any correlations with echocardiographic parameters of cardiac remodelling. Twenty-three dogs with MMVD of varying severity and six clinically healthy dogs were included in the study. Whole blood samples were obtained for measurement of mRNA expression of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TGF-β1, TNF-α by reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR). There were statistically significant differences between clinically healthy dogs and dogs with MMVD for IL-8 and TGF-β1 gene expression. IL-8 expression increased with increasing MMVD severity and TGF-β1 expression was higher in asymptomatic dogs with echocardiographic signs of cardiac remodelling (American College Veterinary Internal Medicine class B2) than in all other groups. These results could suggest the involvement of these cytokines at different stages of the disease

Teacher perceptions of inclusive education in the Cook Islands

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis (Routledge) for Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) via the DOI in this recordThe inclusion of all students with special educational needs in mainstream classes was formally enacted by the Cook Islands Ministry of Education in the Special Needs Education Policy of 2002 and updated in 2011 to reflect support for diversity among all learners. This paper investigates the current views about inclusive education (IE) by exploring the perceptions of 10 in-service teachers. Qualitative korero (conversations) were conducted, and transcripts were coded using a thematic analysis approach, which indicated teachers were concerned about a lack of formal diagnosis of children's disabilities. The results also highlighted the impact of individual teacher's attitudes on inclusion. Additionally, teachers perceived a need for regular and compulsory training and support in IE. The findings are discussed regarding developing strategies to further promote IE within Cook Islands' schools

Becoming a mentor: The impact of training and the experience of mentoring university students on the autism spectrum

While it is widely recognised that the number of young adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disoders (ASD) is increasing, there is currently limited understanding of effective support for the transition to adulthood. One approach gaining increasing attention in the university sector is specialised peer mentoring. The aim of this inductive study was to understand the impact of peer mentor training on seven student mentors working with university students with an ASD. Kirkpatrick’s model framed a mixed methods evaluation of the mentors’ training and description of their experience. Overall, the training was well received by the mentors, who reported on average a 29% increase in their ASD knowledge following the training. Results from the semi-structured interviews conducted three months after the training, found that mentors felt that the general ASD knowledge they gained as part of their training had been essential to their role. The mentors described how their overall experience had been positive and reported that the training and support provided to them was pivotal to their ability to succeed in as peer mentors to students with ASD. This study provides feedback in support of specialist peer-mentoring programs for university students and can inform recommendations for future programs and research

Ικανότητα χειρισμού προβλημάτων συμπεριφοράς στο σχολείο και ανάγκες εξειδίκευσης εκπαιδευτικών [Management of problem behaviors in schools and needs for specialization of teachers]

This publication reports findings from a study with the following aims: a) to explore teachers' perceptions of behavioural problems in their classrooms, and b) to evaluate any associations between the teaching experience and the gender of teachers with their views on their competence on classroom management. A sample of 259 teachers working in regular schools completed the Teacher Manageability Scale by Safran and his colleagues. Statistical analysis revealed that teachers did not seem to face any difficulty in handling any behaviour problem. However, teachers indicated that social isolation, lack of attention, lack of cooperation and avoidance of communication present the greatest challenges for their handling. On the other hand, teachers seemed to feel competent to handle children's behaviours, such as dependency on teachers' instructions, complaints for grades, and being sensitive to criticism. Besides, teaching experience appeared to be significantly related with teachers' perceptions on the management of four types of behavioural problems. Last, it became evident that the ins service training needs of teachers on classroom management need to be focused on the handling specific behaviours that they consider as challenging in their daily practice at school

Befrienders to persons in the autistic spectrum in Greece: what support do they offer and what challenges they face?

The aim of this research was to examine the type of activities as well as the challenges faced by befrienders supporting persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Twenty-nine volunteers befriending an equal number of families with children with ASD participated in this study. Content analysis was applied on visit logs (n = 465) completed by befrienders during a nine month period, supplemented by thematically analysed evidence derived from semi-structured interviews with befrienders at the end of their volunteering experience. In agreement with our expectations, findings indicate a variation in the type, number and location of activities as well as the challenges of befrienders, depending on the level of ability of persons with ASD. Befrienders in both groups were mostly involved in leisure activities, had greater social interaction with the high functioning autistic group and carried out more structured 1: 1 activities with individuas with low functioning autism. Interestingly, befrienders in both groups did not differ significantly on their reported challenges. The implications of this befriending service as a means of social support for families with persons with ASD are discussed

Greek teachers' perceptions of autism and implications for educational practice: A preliminary analysis

The general aim of this study was to examine perceptions about autism in regular education (n = 35) and special education (n = 29) teachers attending the second year of their in-service training. Data were collected through a series of written questions covering four areas of interest (general information, aetiology, behavioural characteristics, treatment). The analysis of findings revealed some confusion in regard to the causes of the syndrome in both groups of teachers. However, special education teachers were more likely to identify correctly the specific characteristics of autism. Regular and special education teachers also identified different instructional priorities in the treatment of autism. The practical implications of these findings for in-service training are discussed

Story composition, mental state language and self-regulated strategy instruction for writers with autism spectrum conditions

In this single-subject study, we evaluated the effects of an intervention using a modified version of the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) approach on the story composition skills and the use of mental state language in three writers with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). Interestingly, the intervention was not found to be effective in increasing the number of words, sentences and advanced words for all participants, while only two participants used more story elements and improved the holistic quality of their compositions. Nevertheless, all participants used more mental state terms, spent more time for story planning, transferred their new skills to different writing tasks and maintained them 4 weeks post-intervention. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the extended version of the SRSD approach on the use of mental state language in the writings of children with ASC. © 2017 NASE