Role of Callous and Unemotional (CU) Traits on the Development of Youth with Behavioral Disorders: A Systematic Review

Numerous studies have shown that youth with behavioral disorders (BD) present an increased risk for developing severe and persistent antisocial behaviors in adulthood. Retrospective research notes that not all children and adolescents follow a negative trajectory and explains this heterogeneity in particular by the severity of CU traits. Our study examines how these traits affect the functioning of children and adolescents with BD. Method: A systematic literature review conducted through various databases and using different keywords made it possible to analyze 52 studies published from 2015 to 2020 that measured the bidirectional effects of CU traits on the functioning of young. Results: Out of the 52 studies, 47 analyzed links between CU traits and neurobiological or mental health, 20 examined family and school contexts, eight focused on social adjustment, 10 on social interactions and 19 measured links with cognitive functioning, especially executive functions. Conclusion: Consistent with previous recommendations in the field, our findings emphasize the importance of assessing the presence of UC traits in early childhood to prevent the emergence of comorbid disorders and to target multimodal (early) interventions to influence the life trajectories of youth with high CU traits

Effects of a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Training Course on the Development Teachers’ Competences: A Systematic Review

The aim of the study was to analyze the effects of a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) training course on the competence development of teachers working in inclusive classrooms. This model provides a useful framework to address this issue, establishing evidence-based guidelines for creating learning environments that meet the needs of all learners. The move towards inclusive education requires teachers to reassess their pedagogical practices by considering the contributions of neuroscience and cognitive psychology to support effective teaching in heterogeneous classrooms. Consequently, teacher training should include, in its curricula, practices and evidence that support teachers to develop skills for working in inclusive contexts. The study aimed to answer the main research question, namely, how effective the UDL approach is in developing teachers’ skills. To answer this question, a systematic review was conducted in different databases allowing the extraction and the analysis of 12 studies. Results were organized around the four dimensions linked to the model of the European Profile of Inclusive Teacher (PIT). Outcomes of the review highlighted three main findings: 1. a UDL training course has significant effects on students’ diversity valuing skills; 2. the effectiveness of the course appears to be independent of its duration, delivery mode, and the type of teachers to whom it is addressed; 3. UDL training fosters the implementation of accessible lesson planning and implementation skills. Still uncertain or unexplored, however, are the effects on teachers’ areas of collaboration and reflective practice

Quels sont les liens entre la prématurité et le fonctionnement exécutif au cours du développement : une revue systématique de la littérature

Les enfants nés prématurés sont plus à risque de présenter des troubles au niveau de leurs fonctions exécutives. Un fonctionnement exécutif peu ou pas efficient peut occasionner des difficultés dans les apprentissages scolaires, émotionnels et sociaux. Comme le développement des fonctions exécutives est un processus dynamique, il est légitime de s’interroger si l’écart observé chez les prématurés durant la petite enfance perdure jusqu’à l’âge adulte. Aussi, la présente étude répond à la question de recherche suivante : quels sont les liens entre la prématurité et les fonctions exécutives à court, moyen et plus long terme? Pour répondre à cette question, une revue systématique de la littérature, menée à l’aide de différentes bases de données, a permis de retenir 40 études publiées entre 1999 et 2020 pour analyse. Les résultats sont structurés autour des fonctions exécutives de base du modèle de Diamond (2013), à savoir le contrôle inhibiteur, la mémoire de travail et la flexibilité cognitive et sont traités selon les grandes étapes du processus développemental : âge préscolaire, âge scolaire, adolescence et jeune adulte. Les résultats de la revue indiquent qu’à tout âge les anciens prématurés éprouvent davantage de difficultés que leurs pairs non prématurés à réaliser les tâches impliquant la mobilisation des fonctions exécutives. La prématurité affecte ainsi au fil du temps, trois fonctions exécutives de base. L’article discute la nécessité d’évaluer de manière précoce les fonctions exécutives et propose des pistes d’interventions adaptées reconnues comme efficaces chez les jeunes prématurés afin de limiter les conséquences sur leur parcours scolaire.Children born prematurely are at greater risk of having executive dysfunction. Inefficient or poor executive functioning can lead to difficulties in academic, emotional and social learning. As the development of executive functions is a dynamic process, it is relevant to ask whether the discrepancy observed in preterm infants during infancy persists until adulthood. Thus, the present study answers the following research question: What are the links between prematurity and executive functions in the short, medium and long term? To answer this question, a systematic review of the literature, conducted through different databases, identified 40 studies published between 1999 and 2020 to be analyzed. Findings are organized around the core executive functions of Diamond’s (2013) model, namely inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, and are discussed according to the main developmental stages: preschool, school age, adolescence, and early adulthood. Results of the review suggest that at any age older preterm infants have more difficulty than their non-preterm peers in carrying out tasks that involve the mobilization of executive functions. Thus, prematurity seems to affect the three core executive functions throughout time. The paper discusses the necessity of early assessment of executive functions and proposes adapted interventions recognized as effective in young preterm infants with a view to limit the consequences on their educational career

Introducing the COVID-19 crisis Special Education Needs Coping Survey

Individuals with special education needs have been particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as they have been shown to be at high risk of losing medical and institutional support at a time when people are being asked to stay isolated, suffering increased anxiety and depression as a consequence. Their families have often found themselves under tremendous pressure to provide support, engendering financial hardship, and physical and emotional strains. In such times, it is vital that international collaborations assess the impact on the individuals and their families, affording the opportunity to make national and international comparisons of how people have coped and what needs to be done to optimize the measures taken by families, associations and governments. This paper introduces one such collaboration