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This study examines the effect of a reading intervention aimed at improving the comprehension performance of three students with hyperactive behaviours in Hong Kong. Comprehension tasks, adopted from local exercise books based on Hong Kong Certificate Education Examination Paper I, were used to appraise three participants' reading performance, and their corresponding in-class behaviours were observed and recorded as a point of reference. A five-week reading intervention, introducing four major adjustments to the conventional drilling task, including pre-teaching vocabulary, providing visual clues, offering instructions on a separate piece of paper and encouraging productive physical movements, resulted in an improved reading outcome. Following the treatment stage, a two-week conventional comprehension approach was re-employed and results compared with those at the pre-intervention stage. A very slight improvement was shown, suggesting the effectiveness of the intervention. A similar pattern of improvement in students' behaviour was shown during the intervention. The results indicated that students made improvements in terms of both comprehension results and behavioural status. Implications for teachers facilitating students with hyperactive behaviours are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the effectiveness of directive programmes led by professionals where parents were taught specific parenting knowledge and strategies (Triple P – Positive Parenting Program) and non-directive parenting programmes in the form of mutual-aid support group as a universal prevention programme. Design/methodology/approach – This study employed a randomised controlled trial design. Participants included 92 Hong Kong Chinese parents with preschool children recruited from eight kindergartens and a local church. They were randomised into Group Triple P, non-directive group and control group. They completed measures on their perception of child behaviour problems and their parental stress before and after intervention. Findings – At post-intervention, results indicated significantly greater decrease in child disruptive behaviours among participants in the Triple P group than those in the non-directive group and control group while no significant group difference was found between the latter two groups. No significant difference was found in post-intervention parental stress level among the three groups. Originality/value – This study provides empirical evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of a directive parenting programme vs a non-directive one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: This study evaluates the clinical effectiveness of a multicomponent aroma‐massage with an acupressure treatment protocol and compared it to cognitive training for the management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Background: Pharmacological interventions have been unsatisfactory in managing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia; thus, complementary and alternative medicine has been extensively researched to identify an adjunct safe and cost‐effective intervention. Design: This randomised clinical trial utilised a three‐arm parallel group design. Cognitive training was used as a conventional intervention to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, whereas exercise was considered “treatment as usual” in this study; both were used as comparisons with the experimental protocol. There were three treatment groups: Group 1: aroma‐massage with acupressure + exercise, Group 2: cognitive training + exercise and Group 3: aroma‐massage with acupressure + cognitive training. Method: Sixty older adults were recruited and randomly assigned to the three groups (20 each). Using the 29‐item Chinese Version of the Cohen‐Mansfield Agitation Inventory, Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Mini‐mental State Examination and Barthel Index‐20, the outcome measures were assessed at preintervention, postintervention and the 3‐month follow‐up to assess behaviour, Activities of Daily Living, cognition, and behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia severity and distress. Multiple comparisons performed through repeated measures were analysed to detect between‐group differences and within‐subject differences, as well as the interaction effects between groups and times. Results: The Group 1 and 3 participants showed a significant reduction in the severity and distress caused by behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, whereas Group 2 did not demonstrate similar effects. Conclusions: This clinical study suggests that aroma‐massage with acupressure is as effective as cognitive training and can enhance cognitive training in reducing the severity and distress of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Relevance to clinical practice: Aroma‐massage with acupressure may serve as an adjunct therapy to reduce behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. This therapy is safe, cost‐effective and can be implemented by caregivers and family members who are not professionally trained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present pilot study evaluated the efficacy of the Level 4 Group Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) with Hong Kong Chinese parents who had a child with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD), using a randomised controlled trial design. It was a mixed research method involving quantitative measurement and semi-structured focus group. Participants were randomly assigned to Triple P ( n = 8) or control group ( n = 9) and completed measures on child disruptive behaviours, sense of parenting efficacy and satisfaction, family stress and service needs. Outcomes were assessed at pre-, post-, and 3-month follow-up. A focus group was also conducted with the participants in the intervention group upon the programme completion. Compared with the control group, the intervention group reported a significant reduction in intensity of child behaviour problems and a significant increase in parenting efficacy at post-intervention. The gain in reducing intensity of child disruptive behaviours maintained to 3 months after the completion of programme. Qualitative data suggested the three key elements to help both parents and children get positive changes: understanding and empathy, emotional control, and persistence in applying positive parenting strategies. The results partially provided preliminary evidence supporting the efficacy of Triple P in reducing child behaviour problems for ADHD in Chinese society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on teachers' perception of what works for them in managing students with emotional and behavioral difficulties (EBD). The main purpose is to compare the current findings in mainstream schools with the study that was conducted in special schools in 2006-2007 to see if there are any discrepancies of approaches implemented by teachers. This recent study was carried out in 11 mainstream schools involving 102 teachers. It is compared to the seven special schools with 89 teachers. Focus group interviews with the same open-ended questions were adopted for both studies. Findings indicated that the majority of the strategies perceived by both groups of teachers as helpful were very similar, and they can be classified under eight major categories. In collating all the approaches deemed supportive in working with EBD students, a holistic conceptual framework is delineated to address the complexities of managing emotional and behavioral disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]