Are the special educational needs of children in their first year in primary school in Ireland being identified: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: If the window of opportunity presented by the early years is missed, it becomes increasingly difficult to create a successful life-course. A biopsychosocial model of special educational need with an emphasis on participation and functioning moves the frame of reference from the clinic to the school and the focus from specific conditions to creating supportive environments cognisant of the needs of all children. However, evidence suggests that an emphasis on diagnosed conditions persists and that the needs of children who do not meet these criteria are not identified. The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a well-validated, teacher-completed population-level measure of five domains of child development. It is uniquely placed, at the interface between health and education, to explore the developmental status of children with additional challenges within a typically developing population. The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which the special educational needs of children in their first year of formal education have been identified. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Ireland in 2011. EDI (teacher completed) scores were calculated for 1344 children. Data were also collected on special needs and on children identified by the teacher as needing assessment. Mean developmental scores were compared using one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: Eighty-three children in the sample population (6.2%) had identified special educational needs. A further 132 children were judged by the teacher as needing assessment. Children with special needs had lower mean scores than typically developing children, in all five developmental domains. Children considered by the teacher as needing assessment also had lower scores, which were not significantly different from those of children with special needs. Speech, emotional or behavioural difficulties were the most commonly reported problems among children needing further assessment. There was also a social gradient among this group. CONCLUSIONS: A small but significant number of children have not had their needs adequately assessed. Teacher observation is an effective means of identifying children with a level of impairment which prevents them from fully participating in their educational environment and could be integrated into a multi-disciplinary approach to meeting the needs of all children

Using the Communication in Science Inquiry Project professional development model to facilitate learning middle school genetics concepts

This study describes the effect of embedding content in the Communication in Inquiry Science Project professional development model for science and language arts teachers. The model uses four components of successful professional development (content focus, active learning, extended duration, participation by teams of teachers from the same school or grade level) and instructional strategies for inquiry, academic language development, written and oral discourse, and learning principles as components of science activities. Teachers were given a pre/ post-institute genetics assessment. There was a statistically significant increase in scores for the entire sample and a statistically significant difference between science and language arts pre and post scores, with science teachers scoring higher in both cases

Patient engagement in action: Timing and intensity of strategies used to engage low income depressed mothers of infants and toddlers

The purpose of this study was to illuminate the process of patient engagement and to determine how components of patient engagement were operationalized in the nurse-patient interpersonal relationship with low income, depressed mothers, a traditionally underserved population. Using a descriptive quantitative design, we examined how components of patient engagement were executed across three phases of the nurse-patient interpersonal relationship. We assessed for differences in engagement strategies used in different phases of the interpersonal relationship and with mothers with varying levels of engagement. Through this study, we observed that patient engagement has several dynamic components varying in intensity and frequency, depending on the phase of the nurse-patient relationship. Mothers varied in their degree of engagement. Lack of engagement by mothers limited the nurses’ use of engagement skills and strategies, thus underscoring the importance of effort and time spent in the orientation phase. Findings from this study can inform and advance the science of patient engagement by expanding the knowledge base and understanding as to the rhythm and flow of patient engagement in practice. Patient engagement requires persistence and variation of engagement strategies to establish an ongoing interpersonal relationship with patients. Experience Framework This article is associated with the Patient, Family & Community Engagement lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework. (http://bit.ly/ExperienceFramework) Access other PXJ articles related to this lens. Access other resources related to this lens

Synoptic climatology of northwest flow snowfall in the southern Appalachians

Snowfall in association with low-level winds out of the northwest is a common occurrence at higher elevations and along windward slopes in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. These northwest flow snow (NWFS) events typically have low temperatures and considerable blowing and drifting snow. Due to the high degree of spatial variability of snowfall and limited ability of numerical models to predict these events, forecasting NWFS remains a challenge. This dissertation analyzes the synoptic climatology of NWFS events in the Southern Appalachians for the period 1950 to 2000. Hourly observations from first-order stations, daily snowfall data from cooperative observer stations, and National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis data are utilized to identify NWFS events, defined here as snow events with 850 hPa northwest flow (270 to 360 degrees) at the hour of greatest snow extent. Atmospheric fields of temperature, wind, moisture, and associated variables are analyzed for heavy and light snowfalls separately by calculating composite field values and constructing composite plots of the synoptic patterns. The NOAA Hysplit Trajectory Tool is used to calculate 72-hour antecedent upstream air trajectories, and composite trajectories are mapped in a geographic information system (GIS). The sample of events in the trajectory analysis is limited to those with synoptic-scale subsidence, a frequent occurrence with NWFS. Analyses of vertical soundings are coupled with NCEP data to iv determine the synoptic characteristics associated with different air trajectories. Results indicate that NWFS accounts for as much as 56 percent of mean annual snowfall along the higher elevation windward slopes. Heavy NWFS events are tied to higher values of synopticscale ascent and relative humidity in the lower troposphere, as well as lower 500 hPa heights and longer event durations. Additionally, upstream air trajectories with a Great Lakes connection have higher composite mean areal and maximum point snowfall totals along the higher elevation windward slopes than other northwest trajectories. Little Great Lakes influence is noted at lower elevations and on leeward slopes

Spatial Patterns of Snow Cover in North Carolina: Surface and Satellite Perspectives

Snow mapping is a common practice in regions that receive large amounts of snowfall annually, have seasonally-continuous snow cover, and where snowmelt contributes significantly to the hydrologic cycle. Although higher elevations in the southern Appalachian Mountains average upwards of 100 inches of snow annually, much of the remainder of the Southeast U.S. receives comparatively little snowfall (< 10 inches). Recent snowy winters in the region have provided an opportunity to assess the fine-grained spatial distribution of snow cover and the physical processes that act to limit or improve its detection across the Southeast. In the present work, both in situ and remote sensing data are utilized to assess the spatial distribution of snow cover for a sample of recent snowfall events in North Carolina. Specifically, this work seeks to determine how well ground measurements characterize the fine-grained patterns of snow cover in relation to Moderate- Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow cover products (in this case, the MODIS Fractional Snow Cover product)

Competing Risk of Death and Time-Varying Covariates in Cardiovascular Epidemiologic Research: Modeling the Hazards of Coronary Heart Disease in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-Up Study

Competing risk of death and time-varying covariates, often overlooked during statistical analyses of longitudinal studies, can alter the magnitude of estimates of the effect of covariates on the hazards of health outcomes. This study aimed to investigate whether estimates obtained when modeling the effect of risk factors on the hazards of coronary heart disease (CHD) varied significantly while accounting for the presence of competing risk of death and time-varying covariates. We used data from the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-Up Study (n=6346) to model estimates of the effect of risk factors on the hazards of CHD using Cox proportional hazards model, Cox extension with time-varying covariates, and the Fine Gray approach. We used a chi-square test to compare coefficient estimates obtained from the three modeling techniques. We obtained a P-value > 0.05 when comparing coefficient estimates for body mass index, age, cholesterol, smoking, and diabetes after fitting the three models. Coefficient estimates obtained when modeling the effect of risk factors on the hazards of CHD did not vary significantly in the presence of competing risk of death and time-varying covariates. Researchers should consider exploring these concepts more systematically in cohort studies with cardiovascular outcomes