Search

Background and Aims: Children with special educational needs (SEN) are generally less accepted by peers in school and have fewer friendships than those without SEN. However, little research has examined peer relations across multiple dimensions, relative to severity of need and in relation to classroom experiences and individual behavioural characteristics. This unique study aimed to extend understanding of the peer relations of pupils with differing levels of SEN support relative to children of differing attainment levels without a formally recognized SEN and in relation to levels of social contact in class and teacher ratings of behaviour., Sample: Three hundred and seventy-five 9- to 11-year-old children recruited from 13 classes in four mainstream primary schools in the south of England. Fifty-nine pupils had been identified as having a SEN, of which 17 had a statement of SEN., Method: Pupil sociometric questionnaires provided a range of peer relations measures and the extent of meaningful contact with peers. Pupil behaviour was rated by teachers using the Pupil Behaviour Rating scales. Analyses examined differences in peer relations measures, pupil behaviour, and meaningful contact across different levels of educational need., Results: Compared to pupils without SEN, pupils with a statement of SEN had lower levels of peer acceptance, fewer reciprocated friendships, and were less integrated into peer groups. While internalizing behaviours, such as social anxiousness and anxiety, and externalizing behaviours, such as aggression and hyperactivity, were related to peer relations measures, frequency of meaningful contact with peers was more predictive of peer relations measures than either SEN status or behaviour., Conclusion: Findings point to the crucial role of meaningful social contact in the classroom for children's relationships with peers. The study advances understanding by highlighting that greater opportunity for meaningful social contact may improve social involvement of, as well as enhance academic outcomes for, pupils with SEN educated in mainstream schools., (© 2018 The British Psychological Society.)

Background: Friendships have been linked to mental health and school attainment in children. The effects of friendlessness and friendship quality have been well researched, but less is known about the role of friendship stability (i.e., maintaining the same friend over time), an aspect of friendship which is often interrupted by the transition between phases of schooling. Many children report concerns about the secondary school transition which introduces a number of new social and academic challenges for children., Aims: To explore rates of friendship stability and whether maintaining a stable best friend across the primary to secondary school transition provided benefits to children's adjustment during this period., Sample: Data were from 593 children (M age = 11 years 2 months)., Methods: This study used longitudinal data from children transitioning into 10 UK secondary schools and explored the association between self-reported friendship stability and three outcomes: academic attainment, emotional problems and conduct problems. Analyses controlled for friendship quality and pre-transition psychological adjustment or attainment as appropriate., Results: Rates of friendship stability were relatively low during this period. Children who kept the same best friend had higher academic attainment and lower levels of conduct problems. Exploratory analyses indicated that secondary school policies that group children based on friendships may support friendship stability., Conclusions: Helping maintain children's best friendships during the transition to secondary school may contribute to higher academic performance and better mental health., (© 2018 The British Psychological Society.)

This paper documents co‐participatory research with children in six primary schools in Ireland during the COVID‐19 pandemic. It explores the use of what we term digital dialogues with diverse groups of children aged 9–10 years as members of Child Research Advisory Groups. The paper conceptualises the digital dialogues as sites of resistance as well as constraint, empowering children to articulate their voices in relation to schooling and the pandemic, whilst mediated by power dynamics—between adults and children, and between children, in the articulation of those voices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed at comparing different formats of illustrations for children's books created by modern Chinese and Ukrainian artists. At the same time, it was not focused just on determining the leading format, but on identifying the attractiveness factors of each format. To this end, the study investigated children's illustration preferences drawing from the following three age groups: 5–6 years old (preschoolers), 7–8 years old (second‐graders), and 9–10 years old (fourth‐graders). According to the survey, children were most concerned with illustration colourfulness (this is true for paper and pop‐up books) and viewing convenience. There were no statistically significant differences found between Chinese and Ukrainian books in terms of these parameters. At the same time, Chinese e‐books appeared to outperform the Ukrainian texts in terms of feature management and illustration colourfulness. Publishers and artists of children's books can use these data for effective creative activity and making constructive decisions. At the same time, these findings may be of interest to parents, informing or guiding book selection for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topic: Internationally, preventing suicide in children and young people is a priority and there are a range of preventative approaches available for health professionals to use, including brief interventions. Safety planning is one such brief intervention. Safety plans have long been recommended for use with young people who are suicidal but, these were initially developed for adults. A recent scoping review revealed safety plans need to be tailored to children and young people. This review also identified an important practice gap, that parents also require plans supporting them to keep their child safe. Purpose: This paper highlights how a Scottish clinical child and adolescent mental health setting in the UK's National Health Service developed and implemented evidence‐based safety plans for suicidality–the Lothian Safety Plan for young people and the Lothian Safekeeping Plan for parents. This paper outlines both plans and gives recommendations for their use by healthcare professionals. The parental Lothian Safekeeping Plan is discussed in more depth as this is a novel intervention. Conclusion: The Lothian Safekeeping Plan is a clinically led evidence‐based practice innovation. It is a specific suicide prevention plan for use by parents as an additional, complementary, and enhanced resource to the Lothian Safety Plan for young people. It is recommended that healthcare professionals also use a parental safety plan when supporting young people presenting with suicidal crisis. Further research is needed to evaluate the impact of these plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anxiety is now recognized as one of the most common co‐occurring conditions in youth diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite the prevalence of this comorbid condition, accurate assessment and diagnosis of anxiety in ASD has proven difficult. This paper will address the considerable research literature on assessing anxiety in youth with ASD, including difficulties related to assessment and differential diagnosis. In addition, this paper will describe relevant tools and methods for assessing anxiety in this complex population. Highlights: Due to the communication and cognitive impairments that make it challenging to identify and diagnose anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), when trying to tease apart whether a symptom is better explained by autism or anxiety, psychologists should ask questions about the behavioral markers of anxiety that may accompany the given symptom and attempt to directly observe these behaviors.Although some questionnaires that were designed to assess anxiety in neurotypical youth may be appropriate for screening anxiety in some youth with ASD, it may be more accurate to use questionnaires and interviews that were designed and validated specifically for youth with ASD, such as the Anxiety Scale for Children—ASD (ASC‐ASD), the Parent‐rated Anxiety Scale for ASD (PRAS‐ASD), or the Autism Spectrum Addendum to the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule (ADIS/ASA).Given that it may be challenging for children with ASD to verbally report their symptoms of anxiety and/or for parents or teachers to recognize the symptoms of anxiety in ASD, direct observation often provides more detailed and accurate information about the behaviors children exhibit when they are anxious, the situations that elicit anxiety, and the consequences that maintain anxiety in youth with ASD.In light of the challenges associated with assessing anxiety in youth with ASD, we recommend a multi‐informant and multi‐method approach for assessing anxiety in youth with ASD using a combination of direct observation, interviews, and questionnaires (self‐report, parent‐report, and teacher‐report questionnaires) to most reliably and accurately identify anxiety in this complex populationIt is important to differentiate between anxiety and other emotional states in youth with ASD, particularly in those with minimal verbal ability, so that parents, teachers, and clinicians do not misattribute anxiety to anger, frustration, sadness, boredom, or excitement, or vice‐versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sexual exploitation of children and youth remains a critical issue within the child welfare system, despite the limited availability of models of care to support these vulnerable individuals. The START with the YOUTH (STAR‐Y) program adopts a preventative approach, offering personalized care and wraparound support to youth exhibiting at‐risk behaviours. This paper employs a case study methodology using both thematic and content analyses to longitudinally assess the effectiveness of this exploratory program. This evaluation encompasses a comprehensive assessment of various factors associated with the risk of sexual exploitation among program participants. Throughout the program's extended duration (originally planned for one year), predefined risk factors, including concerning Internet behaviours, were monitored and analysed. Qualitative data were gathered through interviews and observations, focusing on the experiences of both the youth and their foster parents. The results highlight the program's successful implementation, with youth enrollment (N = 3) demonstrating a reduction in sexual exploitation risk factors over time, including a decrease in behaviours such as concerning Internet usage. The importance of wraparound support and the foster parent‐youth relationship in mitigating risk and nurturing resilience became evident. This exploratory evaluation serves as the initial phase of a comprehensive assessment aimed at understanding how to effectively support youth within this population, including those at higher risk, such as those possibly involved in sex trafficking. The study's findings provide valuable insights into strategies for mitigating the risk of sexual exploitation among vulnerable youth, informing future endeavours to develop and implement similar programs within the child welfare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The whole of society has been passing through difficult times due to the effects of COVID‐19. Such a lengthy period has greatly impacted lifestyles and living standards. Accordingly, this paper aimed to examine the role of Jordanian children in purchasing decision‐making within the framework of parental mediation during COVID‐19. A quantitative methodology was applied, and a questionnaire targeted 287 children aged 8–12. Findings demonstrated a correlation between the influence of COVID‐19. They changed the purchasing behaviour of children, as their daily habits have changed to increased periods of stay at home, leading to a long preoccupation with watching the Internet/commercials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although research on mathematics learning programs has taken off in recent years, little is known about how different person characteristics are related to practice behaviour with such programs. When implementing a mathematics learning program in the classroom, it might be important to know whether students with specific characteristics need more encouragement to make use of this learning opportunity. Objectives: Using a supply‐use model, we analysed the predictive power of students' cognitive characteristics (prior mathematics knowledge), personality traits (conscientiousness), motivational‐affective characteristics (mathematics self‐concept and mathematics anxiety), and family background characteristics (socioeconomic status and migration background) for practising with an adaptive arithmetic learning program. Methods: We used longitudinal data from 203 fifth graders from seven non‐academic‐track schools in Germany. Practice behaviour, measured by completed tasks in the learning program, was recorded weekly for every student over a period of 22 weeks. Results and Conclusions: The results of our multilevel analyses showed that mathematics anxious students practised less with the program. We did not find any relationship with the other characteristics. Takeaways: Our results suggest that mathematics anxious students need more encouragement when practising with a mathematics learning program; otherwise, they do not get the chance to benefit from the use. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The use of mathematics learning programmes in mathematics education has recently intensified.It is important that students practice with such learning programmes regularly over a longer period of time in order for them to achieve learning success.Students differ in their mathematics learning behaviour. What this paper adds: Little is known about how person characteristics are related to practice behaviour with mathematics learning programmes.Students may differ in their use of a mathematics learning programme, which is why cognitive characteristics, personality traits, motivational‐affective characteristics, and family background characteristics may affect students' practice behaviour. Implications for practice: Mathematics anxious students practiced less with a mathematics learning program, and need more encouragement to benefit equally from the implementation in school.Teachers should keep in mind that after the initial enthusiasm, practice with a programme may decrease over time, especially after school holidays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing interest in the use of unconditional cash transfers as a means to alleviate poverty, yet little is known about the effects of such transfers in the U.S. This paper reports on the results of a randomized controlled study of a one‐time $1,000 unconditional cash transfer in May 2020 to families with low incomes in 12 U.S. states. The families were receiving, or had recently received, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. We examine the impact of the cash transfer on five pre‐registered outcomes (material hardship, mental health, parenting, child behavior, partner relationships) and several secondary outcomes (hardship avoidance, consumption, employment, benefit use). We find no statistically significant effects (powered to detect effects of 0.09 standard deviations) of the cash transfer on any outcomes for the full sample. In pre‐specified exploratory analyses, we find significant reductions in material hardship (‐0.17 standard deviations) among families with less than $500 of earnings in the previous month, roughly the bottom 50 percent of monthly earnings for the study sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggressive behaviors in early childhood may indicate future violence, so effective intervention measures should be taken on time to promote children's physical and psychological health. Based on sampling survey data from Jintang County in Sichuan Province of China, this paper analyzes the mechanism of rural children's aggressive behaviors from the perspective of peer influences and examines the role of parent involvement in it. The results show that the deeper the degree of deviant peer affiliation, the poorer the psychosocial adaptation of rural children, which is more likely to lead to aggressive behaviors. Parent involvement can effectively inhibit the aggressive behaviors of rural children arising from deviant peer affiliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper responds to concerns over the assumed 'feminisation' of early childhood education and care (ECEC) and adds children's perspectives to debates on whether more men should work in ECEC. Pictorial conversations were conducted with 280 children aged 2–6 years old from the cities of Edinburgh, Hong Kong and Tianjin. Findings show that although children sometimes related practitioners to their gendered experiences in and outside ECEC, children's gender subjectivities are dynamic and are linked to their short‐term and long‐term, fluid and stable, and interactive relationships with practitioners. This paper argues that practitioners need to openly discuss gender with children in ECEC practices and pedagogies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper details a study that listened and empowered an adult (Beth, a pseudonym), through the use of a life story methodology, to reflect on her childhood experiences of parental drug misuse. Voice Relational Analysis was applied to Beth's life story to assist the researcher to unravel and cipher, through the complexities and nuances of her voice, Beth's familial relational experiences and the lengthy lineage these have had on her ability to relate with others. This paper highlights the somewhat complex composition of her interpersonal relationships and reveals how she related both positively and negatively within them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper investigated cortical thickness and volumetric changes in children to better understand the impact of obstructive sleep disordered breathing (SDB) on the neurodevelopment of specific regions of the brain. We also aimed to investigate how these changes were related to the behavioral and cognitive deficits observed in the condition. Neuroimaging, behavioral, and sleep data were obtained from 30 children (15 non‐snoring controls, 15 referred for assessment of SDB) aged 7 to 17 years. Gyral‐based regions of interest were identified using the Desikan‐Killiany atlas. Student's t‐tests were used to compare regions of interest between the controls and SDB groups. We found that the cortical thickness was significantly greater in the right caudal anterior cingulate and right cuneus regions and there were volumetric increases in the left caudal middle frontal, bilateral rostral anterior cingulate, left, right, and bilateral caudate brain regions in children with SDB compared with controls. Neither cortical thickness nor volumetric changes were associated with behavioral or cognitive measures. The findings of this study indicate disruptions to neural developmental processes occurring in structural regions of the brain; however, these changes appear unrelated to behavioural or cognitive outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an account of how children's sense of agency is produced in machinic assemblages. The ethnographic data used in this study originated in one elementary school classroom. By utilising children's own expressions of their agency and by examining the machinic assemblages in which these expressions were produced, we demonstrate that school policies are not merely a background for schools' mundane practices. Rather, when combined with other elements in a school setting, policies have heterogeneous consequences for children's sense of agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paternal incarceration (PI) is recognised as a severely stigmatising event that undermines social connections leaving affected children isolated and vulnerable. However, few studies have explored social group membership as a potential mediator of positive outcomes. This paper analysed data from two national contexts, Scotland and the United States, to examine the potential for social group membership in childhood to mediate the association between PI and child behavioural and emotional outcomes. Study 1 reported on cross‐sectional data from the Growing Up in Scotland dataset of children aged 12 years. Study 2 used longitudinal data from the Fragile Families cohort study (USA) of children aged 9 years and then 15 years. Children and parents completed measures of PI, children's group membership, as well as positive functioning. In Study 1, a mediated indirect effect of PI on prosocial behaviour via children's group membership was observed. In Study 2, children's reported social group membership mediated the effect of PI on positive adolescent functioning longitudinally. Whilst experiences of PI at age 9 were linked with lower group membership at age 15, group membership was associated with higher levels of positive adolescent functioning. This has implications for the support families receive when a parent is incarcerated to avoid children serving sentences for 'the sins of their fathers'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Incredible Years ® (IY) Teacher Classroom Management (TCM) programme may reduce disruptive behaviour in the classroom and improve child and teacher mental health; however, few studies have considered how acceptable TCM is to teachers or what facilitators and barriers there are to its implementation., Aims: In this paper we examine the acceptability of the full 6-day TCM programme and teachers' perceived barriers and facilitators to implementation in the English (UK) primary school context., Sample: Forty-four English (UK) primary school teachers who attended the TCM programme as part of the STARS trial., Methods: We completed focus groups and telephone interviews with participating teachers 2 months after they completed the TCM programme. Thematic analysis was used to examine the data, and a framework approach was applied to organize and summarize themes., Results: Teachers liked the structure of the course, the peer group learning environment, delivery methods, and the opportunity to reflect outside the classroom on their practice. They reported that the video clips used lacked cultural relevance and highlighted the importance of group leadership style. Perceived facilitators to implementation included an understanding of the theory underpinning TCM and adaptability of the TCM strategies. Barriers included perceived gaps in the course content in relation to challenging behaviour, applying strategies with older children and the school context within which teachers were working., Conclusion: Our findings suggest high levels of acceptability to TCM overall, but also highlight the need for a whole school approach to combat potential barriers to implementation., (© 2022 The Authors. British Journal of Educational Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.)

Family homelessness is a key social issue across many European countries and is associated with uncertainty, a lack of safety and increased risks for children which can trigger the involvement of child welfare services. Living in homeless accommodation during the early years of a child's life also has the potential to impact on a child in many ways, for example, academically, physically, emotionally and socially. In the current paper, the authors review existing literature regarding the impact of family homelessness on children's development in order to identify key messages for social work practitioners working with children and families experiencing homelessness, for example, in the field of child protection and welfare. Findings reveal that family homelessness impacts on various aspects of a child's world and ultimately on their development, as a result of reduced social networks, inappropriate space to facilitate play, increased school mobility and school‐dropout rates and increased levels of behavioural challenges and mental health concerns. These findings are discussed with relevance to social work practice when working with children and families who experience homelessness and how social work professionals can address the developmental needs of children who experience homelessness. Implications regarding future research and the education and training of social workers are also explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Related to the target group of young children with a significant cognitive and motor developmental delay, the aims of this study were to obtain more insight into (the interrelations between) several characteristics of these children's expressive communicative behaviour and to explore associations between child behaviour, partner behaviour and contextual factors. Methods: A coding scheme was specifically developed and used to code observational data of 38 children. Three different communication‐eliciting situations were video recorded. Potential communicative acts were detected, described, coded and counted within various coding categories. Data analysis mainly involved chi‐square tests in combination with Cramer's V and Friedman's two‐way analysis of variance by ranks. Findings: Potential communicative acts of young children with significant cognitive and motor developmental delay can be described in terms of focus, used modalities, level of initiative, communication complexity, signs of functionality and signs of emerging intentionality. The communicative focus of the children is mostly elicited by the prompt given by the communication partner and relates to certain behavioural modalities. Specific scaffolding behaviours of the partner are associated with the communication complexity of the children. Conclusion: This study provides some concrete suggestions on how to organise the interaction with these children. Accessible summary: This paper is about young children with significant cognitive and motor developmental delays.The communication behaviours of this group seem all to alike.We took a closer look at these children's communication behaviours and how these relate to what other people do and the context of their interactions.We found that if you describe these children's low‐level communication behaviours in great detail, interesting differences can be seen, and other people can help the children to focus on specific objects or to shift attention from an object to person they are interacting with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gathering of 'wishes and feelings' in UK child protection proceedings (s.53 Children Act 2004) should highlight the child's opinion of social work intervention and services provided. However, with no statutory social work guidance on participation currently in place, children frequently miss opportunities to be involved in their own child protection planning. This paper is drawn from a 3‐year study into participation in child protection social work. It includes findings from qualitative interviews, and one focus group, with social workers, parents, children and participation workers, from three local authorities in the United Kingdom. The findings revealed some examples of significant gaps in service provision, particularly from the perspective and understanding of the child. The skewed translation of wishes and feelings legislation, along with its subsequent (and often inadequate) application to practice, prevents children from understanding and responding to social work intervention and can lead to idiosyncratic practice. This paper provides recommendations for a practical response to practitioner dilemmas regarding wishes and feelings and bridges the gap between research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses the various topics within the issue, including the tools for helping child survivors of maltreatment, the statement validity analysis (SVA) in child sexual abuse case, and the adult attachment interview (AAI) on parent-child relations.

Background: Individuals with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) are at greater risk of contact with the criminal justice system. Diagnosis and appropriate treatment of SLCN reduces these risks, leading to better life outcomes for the individual as well as broader social and economic benefits. These youth represent a particularly high‐priority group for research into language deficits, as the juvenile justice system involves situations with a high risk or serious consequences that rely upon the application of effective language skills. Whilst some studies have established some gains in speech and communication from speech pathology (SP) interventions during custody, there is limited evidence on the long‐term impact of these gains following release from custody. Similarly, few studies have directly measured the cost savings associated with early SP on subsequent youth antisocial behaviour and crime. Aims: To estimate the youth antisocial behaviours, youth justice (YJ) contacts and associated costs (from a justice perspective) of childhood SLCN. Methods & Procedures: Using 12 years of data from a longitudinal study of Australian children and young people, we employ a panel fixed‐effects model to explore the relationship between SLCN and youth antisocial behaviour and youth offending between 12 and 17 years of age. Using these results, we estimate the cost of SLCN and subsequent cost savings associated with identification of SLCN. Outcomes & Results: The results showed that the annual cost of SLCN to the YJ system (exchange rate as at 9 December 2020) is A$875 (95% confidence interval (CI) = A$195, A$1916) (US$$649, €536, £485) per person who participates in youth crime, which is due to higher rates of youth antisocial behaviour and youth offending. Identification of SLCN (defined by SP treatment) appears to have a positive impact on youth antisocial behaviour and crime, mediated through improved language and communication. On average, young people with a history of 'identified' SLCN incur A$188 (95% CI = A$42, A$412) lower YJ costs (US$$140, €105, £115), compared with the same individual, before identification. Over the lifetime of the individual, this equates to A$9.2 million (95% CI = A$2.05 million, A$20.2 million) (US$$6.8 million, €5.6 million, £5.1 million) cost savings to the YJ system (A$3389 per person with SLCN) (2020 Australian dollars) (US$2513, €2074, £1880). Conclusions & Implications: Overall, the findings revealed that young people with SLCN have an elevated risk of youth antisocial behaviour and crime. However, the identification of SLCN (and subsequent treatment) leads to changes in the offending risk trajectory for these individuals, resulting in lower rates of youth antisocial behaviour and consequently lower rates of crime and its associated justice costs. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: It is well documented in the literature that young people in contact with the justice system have much higher rates of previously undiagnosed SLCN than those of the general population. There is less known about whether the identification of SLCN (and subsequent treatment) leads to changes in the offending risk trajectory for these individuals, leading to lower rates of youth antisocial behaviours and crime. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: This study uses a longitudinal survey of 5000 children and young people to track the antisocial behaviour and crime‐risk trajectory of children and young people with SLCN. The study finds evidence that young people with 'identified' SLCN report less juvenile antisocial behaviour and lower YJ contacts after intervention. The potential lifetime cost savings associated with intervention is A$9.2 million (95% CI = A$2.05 million, A$20.1 million) (US$$6.8 million, €5.6 million, £5.1 million). What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: The findings of this study can quantify the effects (in terms of cost savings to the justice system) of the early identification and subsequent intervention for young people with SLCN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Adolescent overweight and obesity (AdOWOB) in Europe has proven to be a persistent and complex problem, and appropriate systems methods may help in evaluating potential policy options. This paper describes the development of a system dynamics model of AdOWOB as part of the EU‐funded CO‐CREATE project. The model was developed using literature and data from the Health Behavior in School‐Aged Children (HBSC) study across 31 European countries. We identified 10 HBSC variables that were included as direct or indirect drivers of AdOWOB in the dynamic model, seven at the level of the individual, and three related to the social environment. The model was calibrated to 24 separate cases based on four gender and perceived wealth segments for each of the five CO‐CREATE countries (The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and the UK) and for Europe overall. Out of 10 possible intervention points tested, exercise, fruit, life dissatisfaction, school pressure, and skipping breakfast were identified as the top five most influential ones across the 24 cases. These model‐based priorities can be compared with the policy ideas suggested by the CO‐CREATE adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Infant Mental Health Journal is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Children and young people with long‐term conditions (LTCs) are usually dependent on, or share management with, their families and are expected to develop self‐management skills as they mature. However, during adolescence, young people can find it challenging to follow prescribed treatment regimens resulting in poor clinical outcomes. Though reviews have looked at children's and parents' experiences of self‐management, none have explicitly examined the parent‐to‐child transfer of self‐management responsibility. Methods: An integrative review was conducted with the aim of exploring the parent‐to‐child transfer of LTC self‐management responsibility, through addressing two questions: (a) How do children assume responsibility from their parents for self‐management of their LTC? (b) What influences the parent‐to‐child transfer of this responsibility? Eight databases were searched for papers published from 1995 to 2017. Methodological quality was assessed; included papers were synthesized to identify themes. Results: Twenty‐nine papers were identified. Most papers used qualitative designs and focused on children with diabetes. Participants were predominantly children and/or parents; only two studies included health professionals. Assuming self‐management responsibility was viewed as part of normal development but was rarely explored within the context of the child gaining independence in other areas of their life. Children and parents adopted strategies to help the transfer, but there was limited evidence around health professionals' roles and ambivalence around what was helpful. There was a lack of clarity over whether children and parents were aiming for shared management, or self‐management, and whether this was a realistic or desired goal for families. Multiple factors such as the child, family, social networks, health professional, and LTC influenced how a child assumed responsibility. Conclusions: Evidence suggests that the parent‐to‐child transfer of self‐management responsibility is a complex, individualized process. Further research across childhood LTCs is needed to explore children's, parents', and professionals' views on this process and what support families require as responsibilities change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prelinguistic communication complexity refers to the use of different communication forms such as eye gaze, gestures and vocalisations and the degree to which these forms are coordinated and how directed to a communication partner. To date, little is known about the relationship between prelinguistic communication complexity and expressive language in minimally verbal autistic children. Aims: To test the hypothesis that prelinguistic communication complexity predicts expressive language 12 months later in autistic children and explore whether there are any differences in specific prelinguistic intentional communicative behaviours that are related to later expressive language levels. Methods & Procedures: This longitudinal study examined 37 minimally verbal autistic children (29–71 months old). The Communication Complexity Scale (CCS) was used to measure participants' prelinguistic communication behaviours, which were extracted from a semi‐structured play interaction at Time 1. The Chinese Communicative Development Inventory (CCDI) was used to examine participants' expressive language at Time 1 and Time 2 (12 months later). According to Time 2 vocabulary size, participants were divided into two groups: Low CCDI, between 0 and 62 words, and High CCDI, more than 100 words. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between early prelinguistic communication complexity and later expressive language. Binary logistic regression was used to determine which of the early communication behaviours were uniquely significantly related to later expressive language levels. Outcomes & Results: There was a significant positive relationship between prelinguistic communication complexity and expressive language 12 months later, even after controlling for age and concurrent language. Findings revealed a group difference in the frequency of gesture and vocalisation combinations between the Low and High CCDI groups at Time 1. Gesture‐vocalisation combinations also predicted better expressive language levels at Time 2. Conclusions & Implications: Our findings suggest that it may be beneficial to incorporate different complex communication behaviours into prelinguistic intervention targets for minimally verbal autistic children. The CCS hierarchies can be used as a reference for the intervention goals of minimally verbal autistic children. These findings highlight the importance of targeting gesture and vocalisation combinations when autistic children transition from single prelinguistic communication behaviours to multimodal behaviours. What this paper adds: What is already known on this subject: Children use eye gaze, gestures and vocalisations to communicate with others before they learn spoken language. There is strong evidence suggest that the frequency of prelinguistic communication predicts later linguistic achievements in autistic children. However, less is known about whether prelinguistic communication complexity also predicts later language and which specific behaviours are most predictive of language outcomes. What this study adds: Minimally verbal autistic children who exhibit more complex prelinguistic communication behaviours have better expressive language 12 months later. Gestures combined with vocalisations predict better expressive language in minimally verbal autistic children. What are the clinical implications of this work?: When identifying intervention targets for minimally verbal autistic children, the clinicians may reference the prelinguistic communication behaviours from the CCS. The gesture and vocalisation combinations are the key behaviours when targets transit from single form to two‐form behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Very young children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds often show poorer language development. Whilst there have been attempts to provide early intervention programmes, these sometimes miss the most disadvantaged groups. Aims: This report presents preliminary feasibility and effectiveness data for a novel language intervention designed for parents of toddlers in the United Kingdom. Methods and Procedures: In total, 43 UK families of 2–4‐year‐olds were recruited to the study, half of whom completed an 8‐week course (Tots Talking) focussed on parent interaction, and half of whom acted as wait‐list controls. Results and Outcomes: Results suggest that such programmes are feasible for families with 86% staying in the intervention. In addition, greater changes in underlying communication skills such as joint attention and gesture were evident compared to wait‐list controls. Conclusions and Implications: We conclude that pre‐verbal skills may be more important to measure as initial outcomes than language or vocabulary change in this population. What This Paper Adds: What is already known on the subject: Children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds are at higher risk of communication difficulties and there is a need for community intervention programmes for very young children. What this study adds: This study suggests that such programmes can be feasible and effective, but that very early/basic communicative skills (such as joint attention) may be boosted first rather than language or vocabulary. What are the clinical implications of this work?: Children's centres and other community services could feasibly run short parent facing courses emphasising contingent communication in low SES families and other diverse groups. These may be more successful run with younger preschoolers. Joint attention may be a better focus of intervention before expecting vocabulary or language change. Community health professionals may find this information useful in referring and supporting families in need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To summarize the parenting intervention literature for parents of children aged 2-10 years (mean age <10 years) with type 1 diabetes and to evaluate intervention efficacy in improving a range of parent, family and child outcomes. The present review de-emphasizes the traditional medical approach to illness management summarized in previous reviews and focuses on parenting factors identified in the literature as important to diabetes management. This review article is important as it outlines the present state of parenting intervention literature for this population. Methods Electronic searches were conducted for seven databases (Cumulative index to nursing and allied health literature, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, The Cochrane library and Web of Science) from their start dates until April 2014. Reference lists of all included papers were also searched for potentially relevant articles. Results Seven papers, representing six studies, met the inclusion criteria. Three studies primarily focused on improving parenting practices. The intervention programmes described in the remaining studies comprised multiple components; thus, it is difficult to establish the contribution of the parenting components to improving outcomes. Conclusions Parenting interventions may help to improve responsibility sharing and cooperation in diabetes management, child behaviour difficulties, parental behaviour, parents' psychological distress and child health outcomes. This review suggests the need for further well-designed trials of parenting interventions to determine their specific contribution to improving outcomes for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Educational robotics (ER) is a means of teaching technology and engineering to students that offers an active learning environment by encouraging them to create meaningful and unique products. ER also gives students the opportunity to work collaboratively. Objectives: In this study, elementary school students' behavioral patterns were explored while they were working on a collaborative robotics project. Additionally, behavioral patterns of higher‐achievement and lower‐achievement groups were compared. Methods: The participants of the study were a total of 18 students (aged 10–12), including 17 males and 1 female. A problem‐based robotics competition was designed within the scope of the study. The students were asked to design and program a robot based on certain rules in groups within four weeks for this competition. All robot design processes and the competition were video‐recorded. Quantitative content analysis and lag‐sequential analysis methods were used to analyze students' behaviors. Results and Conclusions: The results showed that ER improves collaborative learning, and behaviors in the contributing and planning categories were the dominant behaviors during the robotics project development. Grouping skills of higher‐achievement groups were better. Based on the significant collaborative behavioral patterns that emerged from the study, implications were discussed in terms of theoretical insights and collaborative educational robotics practices. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Studies have shown that educational robotics (ER) has a potential impact on students' collaborative learning (CL).Communication and collaboration skills stand out among the 21st century skills that students need to have.Knowledge‐construction behaviours are very important in CL, and researchers have conducted studies to determine behavioural patterns in different technological environments.Previous studies have highlighted the importance of understanding students' behavioural patterns in technology‐assisted learning environments. What this paper adds: This study aims at comprehensively examining collaborative behavioural patterns of elementary school students working on a robotics project.The results showed that behaviours in the contributing and planning categories were the dominant behaviours.Grouping skills of higher achievement groups were better. Implications for practice and/or policy: Our results suggest that ER activities can improve students' co‐regulation skills by supporting the problem‐solving process.ER could be considered as a tool able to contribute to collaborative learning.By using problem‐based collaborative educational robotic activities, students' interactions with their peers can be strengthened.Students' grouping skills should be taken into consideration when establishing groups in ER activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The many adverse effects of child maltreatment make the scientific investigation of this phenomenon a matter of vital importance. Although the relationship between maltreatment and problematic emotion reactivity and regulation has been studied, the strength and specificity of these associations are not yet clear. We examine the magnitude of the maltreatment-child-emotion reactivity/regulation link. Studies with substantiated maltreatment involving children aged up to 18 were included, along with a smaller number of longitudinal studies (58 papers reviewed, encompassing more than 11,900 children). In comparison to nonmaltreated children, maltreated children experience more negative emotions, behave in a manner indicative of more negative emotion, and display emotion dysregulation. We outline several theoretical implications of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotion regulation is a principal task of early development. The failure to develop effective emotion regulation skills is associated with behavioural, academic, psychological and socioemotional difficulties. Although researchers have studied emotion regulation for decades, work on emotion dysregulation—defined as the inability to maintain emotional control, engage with the environment or recover from distress in a developmentally appropriate manner—is rare and there are discrepancies in its conceptualisation among very young samples. While some scientists refer to emotion dysregulation as if it were a discrete concept, it may be more accurately depicted as a multidimensional system of developmental processes. The National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) is a framework that allows researchers to track dysfunction across multiple areas of analysis and may be an ideal system for exploring the multidimensional nature of infant emotion dysregulation. In this paper, we draw on empirical studies to describe how the RDoC framework can be used to support studies of emotion dysregulation in infancy. This proposed model can also serve as a roadmap for future researchers to follow to generate the evidence base for a multidimensional conceptualisation of infant emotion dysregulation and its underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical findings and theorizations of both imitation and selective trust offer different views on and interpretations of children's social learning mechanisms. The imitation literature provides ample documentation of children's behavioural patterns in the acquisition of socially appropriate norms and practices. The selective trust literature provides insights into children's cognitive processes of choosing credible informants and what information to learn in future interactions. In this paper, we place together findings from both fields and note that they share analogically similar theoretical underpinnings and offer explanations that are complementary to each other. We contend that children's imitative tendency may be due to their selection of in‐group members as cultural experts, who serve as reliable sources of conventional information. Moving forward, we note the importance of evaluating individual differences and cultural factors to provide a more holistic understanding of universality and variation in children's social learning mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous eBook studies were primarily cross‐sectional surveys or experimental studies providing a snapshot of the impact of eBook reading on children's emergent literacy skills. Scholars have yet to characterize more fine grain developmental progressions in the use of eReaders and similar devices – that is, how children's eBook‐related practices evolve over time and what might be changing behaviourally over the course of repeated readings for any age group. Objectives: This is the first study to characterize young children's (2 to 3 years) use of eReaders over the span of several months under semi‐naturalistic conditions. Methods: Twenty five mothers and their 2.5‐ to 3.5‐year‐old child engaged in a series of documentation exercises and interviews around use of a novel eReader device. This study is exploratory and deductive in nature, and hypotheses were not set forth a priori. Results and Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that children develop increasing mastery of the affordances of eReaders as their device exposure increases. Over time, their ability to independently engage with devices rapidly increases. They transition from needing technical support from parents and high levels of encouragement to attend to literacy content over hotspots, to sometimes using the device independently, to considering the device a mainstay in their home – no longer a novelty. Implications for practice and/or policy: The developmental usability patterns noted in this study extend our naturalistic understanding of young children's dexterity with digital devices and point to methodological approaches that might yield more ecologically valid findings in future studies. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: eBooks and eReaders can engage young children in independent reading and may encourage literacy skills.Young children may also turn what could be an educational device into a sensory toy. What this paper adds: This is the first study to characterize toddlers' use of eReaders over several months under semi‐naturalistic conditions.Children progressed from needing parental instruction to systematically attend to text to developing independence and mastery.Three‐year‐olds generally advanced through device affordance stages more rapidly than two‐year‐olds. Implications for practice and/or policy: The developmental usability patterns noted in this study extend our naturalistic understanding of young children's dexterity with digital devices.This study points to methodological approaches that might yield more ecologically valid findings in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University of California at Los Angeles‐Young Autism Project (UCLA‐YAP) provides one of the best known and most researched comprehensive applied behavior analysis‐based intervention models for young children on the autism spectrum. This paper reports a systematic literature review of replication studies over more than 30 years. The data show that the relatively high‐intensity UCLA‐YAP model can be greatly beneficial for children on the autism spectrum, particularly with regards to their cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior. This review concludes that, while more research is always welcome, the impact of the UCLA‐YAP model on autism interventions is justified by more than 30 years of outcome evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the perspectives of 29 child language brokers living in the UK who interpret for their family following migration. They were presented with vignette stories depicting a potentially conflictual situation between a language broker, a parent and an adult 'other' in a position of power or authority. Drawing on debates about language brokering as a family care practice, the 'parentified child' and discussions about non‐normative childhoods, the analysis highlights how the role played by the adult 'other', coupled with a sometimes‐hostile sociocultural context, can exaggerate tensions or facilitate interactions in the parent–child relationship. The young people's views and experiences illuminate how they navigate these complexities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary: Music is often part of our lives.We asked parents what music is like for children and young people with profound learning disabilities at home.People listened to music more than they made music at home.Music is used for different reasons.Music can help families feel more connected. ​ Background: Music is weaved within our cultures; it is ever‐present within daily‐life and can considerably influence our mood, well‐being and relationships. This study explores parental perceptions of the role of music in the home‐lives of children and young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities in the UK. It considers parental views of how listening to and making music can shape the mood and behaviours of their child and their relationship. Methods: Using a mixed‐method explanatory sequential design and cross‐sectional survey methodology, the study collected data from parents and carers of children and young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Data were collected from an online questionnaire (n = 48) followed by online one‐to‐one interviews (n = 10). Findings: Parents reported that children and young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities more frequently listen to music than make music within the home. They also stated that music is used for enjoyment, to support mood‐regulation and to add structure to the lives of young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Parents finally reported that listening to music together helps families feel more connected and strengthened their relationships. Conclusion: This paper outlines the positive role music may have in the home lives of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A central goal of developmental psychopathology research is to understand the mechanisms linking environmental exposures in childhood to variations in mental health and development across the lifespan. The Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry has featured many influential studies and reviews addressing this important topic. This month's issue of the journal presents papers which address several specific environmental exposures, including prenatal factors, parenting and adverse childhood experiences, and illustrate important principles that should be used as a basis for taking the field forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to explore the reasons for unintended placement disruptions in foster care. Based on a semistructured survey, the paper presents the views of 132 Norwegian foster parents who have experienced placement disruption between 2013 and 2015. Foster parents rated several relevant causes of placement disruption: the child's behaviour, the need for care, concern for the well‐being of their biological children, and lack of support from the Child Welfare Service (CWS). Although the child's behaviour was the cause most frequently reported in the quantitative data, CWS‐related factors such as poor collaboration, not being valued and listened to, insufficient support and follow‐up, and a mismatch between the child's needs and the foster carers' capacity were reported most frequently in the qualitative data. Placement disruption appears to be caused by the sum and interaction of several coexisting causes. It may not be the child's behaviour per se but rather the combination of challenging behaviour, concern for one's biological children, and insufficient support from CWS that lead to disruption. Good collaboration with the CWS in the form of respect, recognition, support, and follow‐up appears to be of the utmost importance in reducing the risk of placement disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper engages with the lived and experiential aspects of (trans)national identities in childhood, through the exploration of an ethnographic biography of a Greek‐Albanian boy in Athens. Through a grounded ethnographic approach, we examine the ways in which he experiences and negotiates his (trans)national identity. Our analysis demonstrates the everyday subtle and sophisticated understanding of the complexities and contradictions of national identities, and the child's own positioning within that. In conclusion, we suggest that interdisciplinary approaches should be assumed in the study of (trans)national identities in childhood, and ones that are grounded in children's own meaning making of their experiences of such identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the methodological advantages and challenges of participatory tools used in research with young children in Ireland. Taking a child‐centred approach, hand puppets and 'draw and tell' helped elicit children's expressions and meanings. Both techniques assisted in shifting the power balance between children and researchers, encouraged dialogue, created a fun atmosphere and promoted children's participation. When children are given the space, opportunity and means, and with skilled facilitation, they can clearly share their perspectives and meanings. It is important that researchers and practitioners use techniques that will facilitate and maximise young children's competencies, agency and preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the literature on the impact of social media on the health of children and young people. Relevant papers were identified from Medline, Embase and PsycINFO databases. The studies identified that the health impact of social media on children and young people was greatest on mental health and specifically in the areas of self-esteem and well-being, with related issues around cyberbullying and 'Facebook Depression', with an association between the use of social media and self-esteem and body image. However, it is difficult to determine the cause and effect, which is likely to be related to the nature of the young person. There is little work on the impact of social media on younger children. More research is needed to identify those most at risk of harm from social media and risk mitigation strategies to assist health-care professionals to provide essential education for parents and young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Children with sensory food aversions (SFAs) are at risk for nutritional problems and occupational dysfunction during daily meals. To facilitate optimal occupational performance for children with SFAs, it is critical that clinicians understand child behaviour and caregiver strategy use to manage child behaviour during meals. The purpose of this paper is to examine the reliability of a novel coding scheme, the Behavioural Mealtime Coding System (BMCS) and identify associations among child acceptance of preferred and targeted foods, child food exploration and caregiver use of strategies to manage child behaviour. Methods: Twenty‐one children (aged 18–60 months) with SFAs and their caregivers were recruited using a convenience sample. An observational video coding system was developed to code mealtime behaviour in 63 typical mealtime videos recorded by caregivers in the home environment. Inter‐rater reliability, descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations were calculated. Results: The BMCS demonstrated excellent inter‐rater reliability (ICC =.95). Child bites of targeted foods were associated with mealtime duration (rs =.51, p =.02) and events of the child licking food (rs =.57, p =.007). Caregiver use of threats was positively associated with child age (rs =.48, p =.03) and negatively associated with caregiver education level (rs = −.49, p =.03). Conclusion: For children with SFAs, increasing mealtime duration by embedding positive activities to encourage food exploration may improve acceptance of healthy targeted foods. Future research is needed to better understand the complex relationships among caregiver strategy use, mealtime duration and child mealtime behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the study of admonishments, the operation of shaming in family interaction, and more broadly presses the virtue of a discursive psychological reconsideration of the social psychology of emotion. It examines the methodological basis of contemporary research on shame in experimental and qualitative social psychology, illustrated through the Test of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA) and qualitative work using shame narratives. Doubts are raised about how these methods can throw light on shaming practices in natural situations. The study uses a collection of video recordings of family mealtimes, focusing on admonishment sequences in which parents address the interrogatives 'what are you doing' or 'what did I say' to a 'misbehaving' child. Despite the interrogative syntax, rather than soliciting information we show that these interrogative forms pursue behaviour change by publicly highlighting both the problem behaviour and the child's active and intentional production of that behaviour. This is the sense in which the practice can be understood as shaming. Although this practice prosecutes shaming, ways in which the children can ignore, push back, or rework parents' actions are highlighted. This study contributes to a broader consideration of how enduring behavioural change can be approached as a parents' project., (© 2019 The Authors. British Journal of Social Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.)

This paper is in response to the commentary written by Richard Woods in which he attempts to provide support for his Monotropism autism theory and the research indicating that Demand Avoidance Phenomena may not be developmentally persistent (Woods, 2019). We acknowledge the continuing controversy around the proposed construct of PDA and the clinical dilemma faced by professionals, within the United Kingdom, following increased demand from families seeking assessment and support. We appreciate that research on this topic is scarce and understanding of PDA behaviours remains limited and that methodological improvements are required. However, it is important to remember that anxiety, which often has an onset in middle childhood and adolescence, is a major risk factor for mental health difficulties. Therefore, treatments targeting underlying and potentially modifiable mechanisms rather than anxiety symptoms may be more likely to be effective. Read the commentary at doi: 10.1111/camh.12368 and full article at doi: 10.1111/camh.12336 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The presence of parents during the dental appointment can affect the child's behaviour and, consequently, the success of the treatment. Aim: This systematic review aimed to evaluate whether parents' presence in the operatory room influences children's behaviour, anxiety and fear during dental treatment. Design: EMBASE, Cochrane Library, LILACS, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, OpenGrey and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Databases were searched. Randomized and non‐randomized clinical trials in which some measure assessing children's behaviour and/or anxiety and fear during dental treatment with the presence and absence of parents were included. Two reviewers assessed studies for selection, extracted data, evaluated bias (Joanna Briggs Institute) and graded the certainty of evidence (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation). Random‐effects meta‐analyses using mean difference (MD) and narrative synthesis were performed. Results: A total of 2846 papers were identified, and after a 2‐phase selection, sixteen studies were included (five in meta‐analyses). There was no difference in children's behaviour in the presence or absence of parents (P =.23, P =.40, P =.60 and P =.89, respectively). The presence or absence of parents did not influence children's anxiety (P =.94 and P =.97) or fear (DM: −0.08; CI:‐0.34–0.19, P =.24). All included studies presented a high risk of bias, and the certainty of evidence was considered to be very low. Conclusion: It is concluded that parents' presence in the operation room does not influence children's (up to 12 years old) behaviour, anxiety and fear during dental treatment with very low certainty of evidence. Methodological limitations of included studies, however, suggest that better designed trials are needed to adequately understand this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A randomized controlled trial was conducted to test the efficacy of the Cool Little Kids program implemented for parents of temperamentally inhibited Hong Kong Chinese preschool-aged children. This early intervention program was designed to help inhibited children alleviate shy and anxious behaviors in social situations by training parents on adaptive parenting skills. Parents of 57 inhibited children (mean age = 3.91, 35 boys) were randomly assigned to an intervention group and a waitlist control group. Children were assessed by teachers on Chinese shyness, social initiative, and internalizing problems before and after the intervention to evaluate the program effects. As hypothesized, relative to the control group, children from the intervention group reduced significantly with a large effect size detected (Cohen's f = .40) in anxious shyness but not regulated shyness. However, the same children did not significantly improve on social initiative with peers nor decrease in internalizing problems. These results were discussed with some plausible explanations. The randomized controlled trial supported wider dissemination of this preventive intervention for alleviating anxious shyness in early childhood. The positive parental receptivity also demonstrated the feasibility of a larger-scale implementation. A future community-wide program rollout for Chinese families in Hong Kong is warranted. Highlights This paper investigates if parenting intervention can help reduce anxious shyness among Hong Kong Chinese children., A randomized controlled trial evidenced the efficacy of the Cool Little Kids program in alleviating Chinese children's shyness., Wider dissemination of this early intervention program in the Hong Kong Chinese community is supported by this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young children are introduced to mobile technology at an early age, with many using touchscreens daily. One appeal of touchscreen technology is that it seems to be intuitive for very young children. As a result, many children's e‐books are designed for tablets rather than for e‐readers or computers. E‐books often contain hotspots—interactive areas children can press to receive immediate auditory or visual feedback. This study assessed whether children's (N = 76, aged 3–5 years) interactions with hotspots increased their engagement with reading when using an e‐book independently and how such interactions were related to their learning from the story. Our results suggested that interacting with hotspots enhanced children's emotional engagement and sustained visual attention but not verbal engagement. Interacting with hotspots also benefited children's recall of story elements relevant to the hotspot but not their overall comprehension of the story. These findings inform the design and use of touchscreen media in early childhood. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Interactive features, such as hotspots on which children can press to receive visual or auditory effects, are commonly incorporated in children's electronic books.Hotspots may stimulate children's engagement and help children understand the content of the story; hotspots may also increase the demand of working memory, thus resulting in children's cognitive overload.These interactive features may increase or decrease children's engagement with and comprehension of the story depending on how children use them. What this paper adds: The present study explored the association of hotspots interaction with children's engagement with and learning from tablet‐based electronic books.Interaction with hotspots enhanced children's emotional engagement and visual attention as children used an e‐book, but not verbal engagement.Hotspot interactions benefited children's recall of story elements relevant to the hotspot but did not appear to enhance their holistic comprehension of the story. Implications of study findings for practitioners: Integrating hotspots that are congruent with the story into electronic books can offer young readers a more enjoyable and focused digital reading experience.Prompts or instructions should be given to guide children in their hotspot interactions.Designers may also want to consider incorporating hotspots that may facilitate children's verbal engagement with reading and story comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper was to replicate previous research on preference displacement with edible and leisure stimuli. In the present study, the experimenters evaluated preference displacement in 25 children with autism spectrum disorder using combined multiple stimulus without replacement preference assessments that consisted of highly preferred edible and leisure stimuli. In addition, the experimenters used a block randomization procedure to evaluate if assessment order influenced displacement outcomes. The experimenters observed patterns of complete displacement by edible stimuli for four participants and complete displacement by leisure stimuli for two participants; assessment order did not influence outcomes. The results and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While observers acknowledge that the 2007–2008 crisis increased food insecurity, few studies considered how being food poor affects children's daily lives. In this paper, I discuss how children from low‐income families in Portugal experience food and deal with food scarcity. I draw on data from a larger European study, which employed a case study approach with a combination of semi‐structured interviews and photo‐elicitation. Children's accounts reveal how food poverty is embedded in their lives, affecting the quality and quantity of food, reducing opportunities to socialize with kin and friends and creating emotional stress. Visual methods added depth to our understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how children's perceptions of their agency, as something that is closely associated with its exercise, appear in relation to social structural factors, especially their socioeconomic positions, as they age. Using data from 862 10–18 years old in South Korea, we examine how children's expressed optimism about their ability to achieve their occupational choices can conceal the impact of structural factors on their 'choices' and dispositions for (non‐)action over time. Based on the findings, we argue for a more careful interpretation of children's sense of agency that recognises its propensity to continuously adjust in contexts of structural inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]