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PubMedDate not supplied

Speech, language and literacy skills 3 years later: a follow-up study of early phonological and metaphonological intervention.

BACKGROUND: Three years before the present study, 19 preschool children participated in a phonological and metaphonological intervention programme. The phonological intervention programme was based on non-linear phonological analyses. The metaphonological intervention programme included both rhyming and alliteration tasks and was directly targeted during the last section of the programme. All children made significant gains in phonology, and many in metaphonology. However, the literature notes a tendency for children with history of early speech or language impairments to have difficulty acquiring literacy skills or to show residual speech impairment. The participants of the 1998 study were therefore considered at risk for continuing speech impairment and/or academic performance. AIMS: The primary objectives were to document the children's later speech, language and literacy skills, and to determine potential relationships between previous and concurrent child factors. METHODS & PROCEDURES: Twelve children from the original cohort (aged 6;1-8;5) received a comprehensive battery of speech, language, cognitive and academic tasks 3 years after the original study. Data were evaluated both concurrently and in terms of the children's preschool performance. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: Five of the children had residual phonological impairment. Only two children showed below average reading (decoding and comprehension), although five also showed below average spelling performance. Children with limitations in verbal memory, language production and metaphonology at the follow-up point were more likely to show delays in literacy. Language production skills at the follow-up point were most strongly correlated with literacy development. In terms of the early study, the strongest predictor for literacy development was performance on metaphonology tasks at the end of the early intervention study. The strongest predictor for ongoing speech impairment was phonological skill at the end of the early study. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that early phonological and metaphonological intervention can promote normalization of speech development and normal acquisition of literacy skills for at least some children with a history of severe phonological impairment. In the earlier study, the component structure of words (onsets, rhymes, codas) was emphasized through both metaphonological and non-linear phonological intervention. Risk for literacy and ongoing speech impairment can be reduced through early intervention that draws attention to the structure of words.

Child↗
PubMed2002

Social problem-solving skills in children with traumatic brain injury: long-term outcomes and prediction of social competence.

The effects of childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI) on social problem-solving were examined in 35 children with severe TBI, 40 children with moderate TBI, and 46 children with orthopedic injuries (OI). The children were recruited prospectively following injuries that occurred between 6 and 12 years of age. They were followed longitudinally, and ranged from 9 to 18 years of age at the time of the current study, which occurred on average 4 years post injury. They were administered a semi-structured interview used in previous research on social problem-solving to assess the developmental level of their responses to hypothetical dilemmas involving social conflict. Children in the severe TBI group defined the social dilemmas and generated alternative strategies to solve those dilemmas at the same developmental level as did children in the OI group. However, they articulated lower-level strategies as the best way to solve the dilemmas and used lower-level reasoning to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies. After controlling for group membership, race, socioeconomic status, IQ, and age, children's social problem-solving, and particularly the developmental level of their preferred strategies for resolving conflicts, predicted parents ratings of children's social skills, peer relationships, aggressive behavior, and academic performance. The findings indicate that children with severe TBI demonstrate selective, long-term deficits in their social problem-solving skills that may help to account for their poor social and academic outcomes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Reading abilities and cognitive functions of children with epilepsy: influence of epileptic syndrome.

Children with epilepsy are at risk of developing learning disorders. To explore the influence of the epileptic syndrome on reading abilities, we have compared the neuropsychological profile of 12 children with benign idiopathic epilepsy with rolandic spikes, 10 with temporal lobe epilepsy and 12 with idiopathic generalized epilepsy. Children underwent a selection of standardised tests designed to assess: oral language, reading, short-term memory, attention and behavioural adjustment. Analysis of variance was adjusted according to age of onset of the epileptic syndrome, duration of the syndrome, and performance IQ for each group. Children with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) had significantly lower scores for reading speed and comprehension, but epileptic variables (the age of onset of epilepsy, duration and activity of epilepsy) had influenced academic performances. In the TLE group there was a clear effect of the topography of the epileptic foci (left-side TLE vs. right-side TLE) on reading profile. Furthermore, the effect of epileptic syndromes was found in phonological, semantic and verbal working memory deficits in the TLE group. To a lesser extent children with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) also exhibit cognitive deficit. The results of the present study lend support to epilepsy-specific patterns of neuropsychological dysfunction in children that should be considered to improve remediation of academic underachievement in these populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Family medicine and primary care: trends and student characteristics.

Using data from a longitudinal study of medical students at Jefferson Medical College, the authors analyzed trends in senior student interest in primary care specialties between 1971 and 1975 and selected background characteristics and performance levels of students choosing family medicine compared with those in other specialties. The proportion of students interested in family medicine residencies increased from 6 to 17 percent in the study period. The academic performance of students selecting family medicine was equal to or better than that of those in all other specialties except internal medicine. Smaller proportions were interested in teaching and research than those in other specialties, and larger proportions intended to work in communities of 100,000 population or less.

Achievement↗
PubMed2000

Neurodevelopmental outcome and lifestyle assessment in school-aged and adolescent children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study are to describe the quality of life and cognitive function in school-aged children who have undergone staged palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), and to identify factors that are predictive of neurodevelopmental outcome in this population. METHODS: School-aged survivors with HLHS who had undergone palliative surgery at our institution were identified and mailed a questionnaire to assess subjectively quality of life, school performance, and incidence of medical complications. A subgroup of local patients underwent standardized testing of cognitive function and neurologic examination. These patients were compared with the larger (remote) group of questionnaire respondents to determine whether results may be generalizable to the entire HLHS population. Potential predictors of neurologic and cognitive outcome were tested for their association with test scores using multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: Questionnaire results were obtained from 115 of 138 eligible children (83%; mean age: 9.0 +/- 2.0 years). Standardized testing was performed in 28 of 34 (82%) eligible local patients (mean age: 8.6 +/- 2.1 years). The majority of parents or guardians described their child's health as good (34%) or excellent (45%) and their academic performance as average (42%) or above average (42%). One third of the children, however, were receiving some form of special education. Chronic medication usage was common (64%); the incidence of medical complications was comparable to that previously reported in children with Fontan physiology. Cognitive testing of the local group demonstrated a median full scale IQ of 86 (range: 50-116). Mental retardation (IQ: <70) was noted in 18% of patients. In multivariate analysis, only the occurrence of preoperative seizures predicted lower full scale IQ. CONCLUSIONS: Although the majority of school-aged children with HLHS had IQ scores within the normal range, mean performance for this historical cohort of survivors was lower than that in the general population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Standardized examination performance and specialty choice.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It has been suggested that medical students who attend schools known for graduating prospective primary care physicians may enter primary care residencies, rather than non-primary care residencies, because they are unable to compete for subspecialty residencies due to poorer academic performance. This study determined if performance on standardized examinations conducted by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) could differentiate between students who selected primary care and those who selected non-primary care specialties at a medical school in the southeastern United States committed to graduating primary care physicians. METHODS: We examined initial scores on NBME examinations and subsequent residency selections by 780 students over a 14-year period to determine if there were differences in the kind of residency placements of students who passed and those who failed the examinations. RESULTS: Data analysis indicated that medical students who entered primary care and non-primary care residencies were not distinguishable on the basis of standardized examination performance. CONCLUSIONS: These results may help to refute negative stereotypes about students who enter primary care residencies and about medical schools known for promoting careers in primary care.

Career Choice↗
PubMed2007

Academic pathways between attention problems and depressive symptoms among urban African American children.

The present study investigated the pathways between attention problems and depressive symptoms, particularly the role of academic incompetence, among a community sample of urban African American children. Results supported the hypothesized path models from inattention to depressive symptoms for girls and boys. Academic performance in the spring of first grade mediated the relationship between inattention in fall of first grade and depressive symptoms in spring of 3rd grade. The effects held when controlling for conduct problems and academic competence in first grade suggesting the path was specific to attention problems rather than a more general externalizing or school readiness pathway. Implications for designing interventions and prevention strategies for children with attention problems and depressive symptoms are discussed.

Aggression↗
PubMed2003

Approaches to learning: psychometric testing of a study process questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: One method of evaluating students' learning is to measure surface, deep and achieving approaches to learning using a questionnaire. In comparison with research on student nurses' learning styles, there has been little examination of their 'approaches to learning'. Much of the 'approaches to learning' research has been conducted with higher education students in Australia and Hong Kong and this kind of measurement is viewed as a valid and reliable way to assess learning. AIM: The aim of study reported here was to establish the validity of an 'approaches to learning' questionnaire, the study process questionnaire, for use with student nurses by undertaking psychometrical testing, including exploratory factor analysis. METHOD: The study process questionnaire is a 42-item questionnaire measuring surface, deep and achieving approaches to learning. It was distributed to 300 student nurses attending a common foundation programme in a higher education establishment in the United Kingdom (UK) in July 2000. Principal components analysis was conducted to determine the validity of the deep, surface and achievement scales in the questionnaire. RESULTS: A new factor structure was identified comprising three main scales which were similar in content but not identical to the original questionnaire. The deep factor correlated positively and significantly with grade performance average and sociology examination results. CONCLUSION: The study process questionnaire is a valid and useful tool for nurse teachers to gain knowledge about student nurses' approaches to learning. Deep learning appears to influence academic performance. More work is required to elucidate the complex nature of deep learning.

Achievement↗
PubMed2006

Teachers' perceptions of remediation possibilities of Dutch students in special education.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that referral practices of teachers in regular education are not only affected by the level of learning difficulties but also by student behaviour and the level of students' parental involvement in education. It was hypothesized that teachers maintain a notion of the 'ideal' student, who has relatively good academic skills, is well behaved and has highly involved parents. AIMS: The main question of this study was whether special-education teachers' perceptions regarding remediation possibilities are similarly affected by student behaviour and the level of students' parental involvement. SAMPLE: Nineteen experienced Dutch school teachers in special education each evaluated four students: two with relatively high and two with relatively low academic performance. METHODS: Three questionnaires to assess learning difficulties, behavioural problems and the level of parental involvement were developed. RESULTS: Teachers' perceptions of remediation possibilities were related to the severity of the learning difficulties and academic skill. Academic skill, in turn, was strongly related to the perception of the children's behavioural problems and parental involvement, which, in turn, links the perception of remediation possibilities indirectly to children's behavioural problems and parental involvement. CONCLUSIONS: Special education teachers may also hold an image of the 'ideal' student. Students with high academic achievement levels are perceived as having fewer behavioural problems and more highly involved parents than students with low academic achievement levels. Whether this is due to justified or unjustified teachers' perceptions is a matter for future research. What is important is that stereotyping of students (justly or not) poses a serious problem for the Dutch reintegration policy.

Achievement↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Learning difficulties in schoolchildren born with very low birth weight.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between very low birth weight and learning difficulties at school by means of a systematic review of the literature, identifying patterns of learning difficulties among these schoolchildren, possible cognitive correlations, peculiarities of the lowest birth weight ranges and any interference with outcomes by socioeconomic and/or clinical factors. SOURCES OF DATA: Bibliographic search (MEDLINE, LILACS, Excerpta Medica, reference lists of original articles, periodicals related to the subject, information from experts in the area and thesis and dissertation databases) on the keywords: prematurity/very low birth weight, learning difficulties/academic achievement/school performance, follow-up/results/cohort. SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS: The search returned 114 articles and the 18 of these were selected as having investigated learning difficulties in schoolchildren born with very low birth weights using appropriate methodology. The academic performance of these children was observed to be inferior the whole study population was compared with those born full term. The subject most compromised was mathematics. The risk of suffering from learning difficulties increased in inverse proportion to birth weight. An association was identified between very low birth weight and cognitive compromise. CONCLUSIONS: The systematic approach corroborated the results obtained by published studies: schoolchildren born with very low birth weights exhibited increased risk of learning difficulties when compared with those born at full term. There was a predominance of children with multiple academic subjects compromised and mathematics was the most affected. Risk was observed to follow an ascending gradient as birth weight reduced. There was an association between very low birth weight and cognitive compromise.

Child Development↗
PubMed1997

Biological predictors and co-morbidity of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in extremely low birthweight infants at school.

OBJECTIVE: To examine biological predictors and co-morbidity of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and associated academic and social impairment in a cohort of extremely low birthweight of (ELBW) children attending school. METHODOLOGY: Eight seven (70%) of 125 ELBW children born between 1977 and 1986 were followed prospectively. Neonatal and biological data including cranial ultrasound for 62% of children, formal developmental assessment at 4 or 6 years of age, teacher and parent ADHD questionnaire, parental rating of health status and social impairment and school teacher rating of academic performance was recorded. RESULTS: Apart from grades 3 or 4 intraventricular haemorrhage in a minority of children, there was no evidence to suggest an association between ADHD and perinatal adversity in ELBW children. Social impairment, academic difficulty and atopic symptoms were significantly related to ADHD. CONCLUSIONS: Extremely low birthweight children presenting with symptoms of ADHD are likely to suffer social and learning impairment and these, rather than perinatal risk factors, should be the focus of clinical attention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Prevalence and correlates of excessive daytime sleepiness in high school students in Korea.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and its associations with sleep habits, sleep problems, and school performance in high school students in South Korea. A total of 3871 students (2703 boys and 1168 girls with a mean age of 16.8 years and 16.9 years, respectively) aged 15-18 years in the 11th grade of high school completed a questionnaire that contained items about individual sociodemographic characteristics, sleep habits, and sleep-related problems. The overall prevalence of EDS was 15.9% (14.9% for boys and 18.2% for girls). Mean reported total sleep time was similar in EDS and non-EDS (6.4 +/- 1.6 and 6.4 +/- 1.3 h/day, respectively). The increased risk of EDS was related to perceived sleep insufficiency (P < 0.001), teeth grinding > or = 4 days/week (P < 0.001), witnessed apnea > or = 1-3 days/week (P < 0.01), nightmares > or = 4 days/week (P < 0.05), low school performance (P < 0.01), and two or more insomnia symptoms (P < 0.05). Students with low school performance had a 60% excess in the odds of EDS compared to those whose school performance was high. These findings suggest that EDS is associated with multiple sleep-related factors in adolescents. Whether interventions to modify associated correlates can alter EDS warrants consideration, especially because it may also improve academic performance in high school students.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Detection of young children in need of reading help. Evaluation of specific reading disability formulas.

To determine whether formula-based definitions of specific reading disability (SRD) were related to the actual classroom performance of children aged 7 1/2, the authors applied five definitions of SRD to a cohort of 243 children. The children were followed from birth and not selected on the basis of cognitive, reading, or academic performance criteria. The authors determined the concurrent validity of each of the formulas by comparing the prediction of each definition to whether the child received additional reading help in the classroom. Although the years behind method was significantly better than other approaches, no method identified more than 48 percent of the children who were given additional reading help. This study questions the ability of formula-based definitions adequately to identify young children with reading dysfunction.

Child↗
PubMed2005

Prenatal alcohol exposure and ability, academic achievement, and school functioning in adolescence: a longitudinal follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with learning, behavioral, and academic problems even in children without the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). OBJECTIVE: To examine the prenatal alcohol exposure and ability, academic achievement, and school functioning in adolescence. METHODS: In a longitudinal cohort, intelligence, academic performance, and school functioning were evaluated in 265 low socioeconomic status (SES) adolescents (M age = 15.1 years), 128 prenatally exposed to alcohol, 53 controls, and 84 special education students by using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 3rd edition (WISC-III) and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT). School records were abstracted for grade point averages (GPA), standardized achievement test scores, conduct, attendance, and special education placement. RESULTS: Alcohol-affected youth had significantly lower IQs than those in the other three groups. CONCLUSION: Although academic achievement (WIAT scores) was most impaired in the special education group who showed lower performance over all as well as in reading and spelling, alcohol-affected youth showed significant deficits on mathematics subtests. There was no increased incidence of conduct problems in school records related to alcohol exposure.

Achievement↗
PubMed1999

Pre-registration diploma students: a quantitative study of entry characteristics and course outcomes.

Nurse education has been transformed over the last decade and continuing change is likely. Nurse educators are responsible for meeting the quality assurance standards of local stakeholders and student retention and progress are important aspects of this process. As part of a monitoring exercise, an enquiry was set up to review pre-registration selection and recruitment strategies and to establish if there were any significant relationships between the characteristics of pre-registration diploma entrants and their academic achievement or completion rates. A multi-factorial tree-based technique was used for this purpose. This is one of the first British studies to consider both academic performance and completion rates for pre-registration diploma students. Four cohorts (N = 355) were studied. There was marked heterogeneity in student characteristics with a wide age distribution, a significant proportion of mature entrants with previous care experience, and considerable diversity in terms of education. Education and age were significant predictors of academic achievement: entrants with a minimum of two A levels and mature women with recent study experience did particularly well. Younger recruits with modest educational qualifications on entry performed less well in their assessments of theoretical knowledge. Younger students tended to leave more regularly, and well-qualified entrants showed a greater tendency to complete, although these relationships were not statistically significant. Multi-factorial analysis demonstrated that organisational and course characteristics have a conjoint influence on course outcomes. Although the study is concerned with Project 2000 in the United Kingdom, there are lessons to be drawn concerning the selection and support of non-traditional recruits into nursing.

Achievement↗
PubMed1995

Early otitis media and later educational risk.

Fourteen children aged 6 years received screening for educational risk status and formal measures of academic performance. These children have been followed prospectively from birth for their otitis media status. Seven of the children were considered positive for otitis media in year one (recurrent episodes bilaterally), while 7 were considered otitis free. Academic status was related to early hearing acuity (as determined by repeated ABR assessment). Moreover, teachers' ratings of academic risk status were related to a measure at 4 years that examined the children's capacity to listen in background noise.

Achievement↗
PubMed2004

Performance, training, quality assurance, and reimbursement of emergency physician-performed ultrasonography at academic medical centers.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the current state of bedside emergency physician-performed ultrasonography in terms of prevalence, training, quality assurance, and reimbursement at emergency medicine residency programs. METHODS: The link to a 10-question Web-based survey was e-mailed to ultrasound/residency directors at 122 emergency medicine residency programs in the United States. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 84%. Ninety-two percent of programs reported 24-hour emergency physician-performed ultrasonography availability. Fifty-one percent of programs reported that a credentialing/privileging plan was in place at their hospital, and 71% of programs had a quality assurance/image review procedure in place. Emergency medicine specialty-specific guidelines of 150 ultrasonographic examinations and 40 hours of didactic instruction were met by 39% and 22% of residencies, respectively, although only 13.7% of programs were completing the 300 examinations recommended by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. Sixteen programs (16%) reported that they were currently billing for emergency physician-performed ultrasonography; of those not billing, 10 (12%) planned to bill within 1 year, and 32 (37%) planned to bill at some point in the future. CONCLUSIONS: Performance and training in emergency physician-performed ultrasonography at academic medical centers continues to increase. The number of emergency medicine residency programs meeting specialty-specific guidelines has more than doubled in the last 4 years, but only a small number are meeting American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine guidelines. Although only 16% of programs reported that they were currently billing for emergency physician-performed ultrasonography, most had plans to bill in the future.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed1980

The effect of frontal EMG biofeedback training on the behavior of children with activity-level problems.

N = 1 withdrawal designs were employed with three children evidencing activity-level problems. Tutoring sessions occurred daily over a 2 1/2-month period. Each child was reinforced for decreasing frontalis muscle tension during auditory feedback while working arithmetic problems. Feedback was faded while tension reduction reinforcement was maintained. These procedures were repeated with reinforcement for increasing, rather than decreasing, muscle tension. Frontal EMG level, percent time on task, and motoric activity rate were obtained during sessions. Parent ratings of problem behavior in the home were recorded daily. Biofeedback with reinforcement was effective in both raising and lowering muscle tension. Effects were maintained by reinforcement. Results suggest a direct relationship between tension and activity levels. Academic performance and problem behavior improved significantly with reductions in EMG activity, although individual exceptions to these findings were present. Results lend support to the efficacy of frontal EMG biofeedback training in reducing activity, increasing attention to an academic task, and reducing problem behaviors.

Biofeedback, Psychology↗