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Objectives: The primary objective was to compare the percentage of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) uncorrected errors during hospital admission before and after the implementation of an Antiretroviral Stewardship Program (ARVSP).Practice Description: This was a 2-year single-center, pre-post quality improvement study. Included in the study were admitted patients at least 18 years of age, diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and taking at least 1 antiretroviral. The baseline percentage of uncorrected ARV errors was retrospectively determined during the first year. The second year consisted of implementing an ARVSP that prospectively audited ART orders. The ARVSP consisted of a pharmacy resident, a medical resident, an infectious disease, HIV trained pharmacist, an infectious disease physician, and ancillary health care providers. The impact of the ARVSP was assessed by comparing the percentage of uncorrected errors between the 2 time periods.Results: The number of uncorrected errors were 64.1% versus 31.1% before and after ARVSP implementation, respectively (P < 0.05). Delay in therapy errors were statistically significantly reduced (30.1% vs. 22.2%; P < 0.05). The time to overall correction of any error before ARVSP was 3.1 days, and after ARVSP, it was 1.8 days (P = 0.11).Conclusion: Implementation of an ARVSP reduces the number of uncorrected antiretroviral-related errors. Because health care resources are finite and focused on the acute care of hospitalized patients, this multidisciplinary practice model may provide a practical approach for similar institutions to improve antiretroviral stewardship surveillance in the inpatient setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The primary objective was to compare the percentage of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) uncorrected errors during hospital admission before and after the implementation of an Antiretroviral Stewardship Program (ARVSP).Practice Description: This was a 2-year single-center, pre-post quality improvement study. Included in the study were admitted patients at least 18 years of age, diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and taking at least 1 antiretroviral. The baseline percentage of uncorrected ARV errors was retrospectively determined during the first year. The second year consisted of implementing an ARVSP that prospectively audited ART orders. The ARVSP consisted of a pharmacy resident, a medical resident, an infectious disease, HIV trained pharmacist, an infectious disease physician, and ancillary health care providers. The impact of the ARVSP was assessed by comparing the percentage of uncorrected errors between the 2 time periods.Results: The number of uncorrected errors were 64.1% versus 31.1% before and after ARVSP implementation, respectively (P < 0.05). Delay in therapy errors were statistically significantly reduced (30.1% vs. 22.2%; P < 0.05). The time to overall correction of any error before ARVSP was 3.1 days, and after ARVSP, it was 1.8 days (P = 0.11).Conclusion: Implementation of an ARVSP reduces the number of uncorrected antiretroviral-related errors. Because health care resources are finite and focused on the acute care of hospitalized patients, this multidisciplinary practice model may provide a practical approach for similar institutions to improve antiretroviral stewardship surveillance in the inpatient setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family quality of life (FQoL) constitutes an important aspect of early intervention. However, the culture bound nature of this construct necessitates validation of FQoL measures when being used in a culture different from the one in which they were developed. This study sought to understand the psychometric properties and construct validity of the Beach Center FQoL (BCFQoL) scale in Singapore. Data from 307 caregivers of children in an early intervention program were used. These caregivers completed the BCFQoL scale and external validity measures of family outcomes, psychological distress, and life situation. Confirmatory factor analysis and correlations were used to examine the factor structure and convergent and discriminant validity of the BCFQoL scale. Results indicated support for 5 FQoL dimensions and a higher-order FQoL factor. External convergent and discriminant validity, as well as internal statistical discriminant validity of the individual BCFQoL dimensions were supported. Despite evidence of internal statistical discriminant validity, there was little variation in the strength of the relationships between individual BCFQoL dimensions and the various external validity measures. Overall, the results of this study support the use of the BCFQoL scale as a valid measure of FQoL in Singapore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasingly diverse student population within classrooms potentially stretches the competencies of every teacher. Differentiated instruction has been offered to help teachers accommodate diverse learners, but most instructional strategies are typically directed at compensating for – not remediating – cognitive and academic skill deficits. This differentiated instruction approach is contrasted with the extant learning science and educational neuroscience literature, which suggests early intervention and remediation of skill deficits is the preferred evidence-based practice. To overcome these competing and apparently contradictory positions, we argue children should be provided with systematic brain-based differentiated instruction in inclusive classrooms to prevent skill deficits, with compensatory accommodations provided only as necessary to help children access the general education curriculum. For those who continue to struggle, we argue remedial efforts should occur outside of, and in addition to, inclusive general education instruction, given the empirical evidence supporting both practices. Implications for training and system-level reform will be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Parent–child agreement in reporting anxiety in ASD was examined in a non-clinical sample. [•] Thirty-eight dyads completed the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS). [•] Agreement was strongest in Physical Injury, Separation and GAD subscales. [•] 14/38 SCAS items largely describing overt anxiety symptoms showed moderate/strong agreement. [•] More autistic symptoms were associated with poorer agreement in GAD, Panic and OCD subscales. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aims: This study examined parental perspectives on the importance and likelihood of future adult outcomes for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Intellectual Disabilities (ID), or Multiple Disabilities (MD) and some of the factors that may affect parental aspirations. Methods: Parents of 105 children with ASD, ID, or MD were presented with 21 possible future outcomes and were asked to indicate how important and how likely they considered these outcomes for their children with disabilities when they become adults. Results: Parents rated the overall likelihood of their child attaining various future outcomes significantly lower than the importance they placed on these same outcomes. They mostly valued future outcomes relating to their children''s personal satisfaction, safety and security over and above those relating to social participation. Parental ratings of the importance or likelihood of outcomes did not differ across the diagnostic groups. Ratings of importance were independent of the child''s age, gender, diagnosis, or severity of functioning, but likelihood ratings were significantly predicted by the children''s symptom severity. Conclusions: The implications of this study''s findings for service development, intervention and transitioning planning, and treatment outcome research are discussed in relation to existing literature and the study''s strengths and limitations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article evaluates early childhood intervention services which are available for young children in Singapore in 2012 who are at risk of or have disabilities using M. J. Guralnick's Developmental Systems Approach to Early Intervention. The emergence of programs and services for children with disabilities which was seen in Singapore in the 1980s is discussed. Developments, including the Enabling Masterplan for the Disability Sector 2012-2016, which have been seen in Singapore's early childhood intervention sector, are examined. The future of early childhood intervention services in Singapore is discussed.

This study describes the profile of and relationships between adaptive skills and the maladaptive behaviors exhibited by adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) attending special schools in Singapore. Parents of 20 adolescents with ASD attending special schools completed the Development Behavior Checklist (DBC; Einfeld & Tonge, 1995; Einfeld & Tonge, 2002) and were interviewed on Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, second edition (VABS-II; Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla, 2005). Consistent with studies conducted in other contexts, this study reported low levels of adaptive skills and the presence of challenging behavior, albeit at levels reflecting lower levels of severity when compared with previous research. The only statistically significant relationship between the instruments was the correlation between the social and communication subscales of the VABS-II with the social relatedness subscale of the DBC. Implications for further research and for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses how to plan interventions for children with developmental disabilities and their families affected by challenging behavior. Interventions can be designed by understanding the source of challenging behaviors. Interventions can reduce avoidable secondary behavior problems that might affect learning, family stress, and opportunities for social inclusion. The children's environtype can be shaped by challenging behavior, which is a transactional phenomenon.