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To explore longer-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and participation outcomes and goals of children and young people (CYP) with acquired brain injuries (ABI) and their families in a region of the UK and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-sectional survey of (5-18 CYP) and their parent-carers 12–43 months following ABI. Included measures of HRQoL, participation, family function and parental wellbeing and demographic and free text questions. Ninety-five responses (30% response) were received. 67% of CYP were at risk of impaired HRQoL, 72% had severely impaired participation. 53% of parent-carers reported reduced HRQoL and family functioning, 37% of parent-carers screened positive for anxiety/depression. Relationships exist between CYP participation and HRQoL and parental HRQoL and family functioning. Goals were overwhelmingly activity and participation focused. Participants described the global impact of an ABI on the CYP and family as well as the additional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CYP and family wellbeing. ABI significantly impacts CYP participation and both CYP and parent-carer wellbeing in the long-term, potentially further impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rehabilitation interventions should address both participation and the psychological wellbeing of CYP with ABI and their parent-carers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia, the growing assisted reproductive technologies (ART) industry has recently received some public criticism. Much of this criticism centres on the concern that doctors are increasingly motivated by profit, rather than patient interests. These concerns appear to suggest that the growing business of ART generates conflicts of interest (COI) for clinicians. While media reports may be rhetorically compelling, claims that ART practice is distorted by COI must be supported by empirical evidence. This preliminary study sought to engage with people involved with the ART industry and map out their concerns related to COI in ART. A small convenience sample of eight professionals was interviewed. Here, we present the major themes uncovered, including a richer understanding of the 'interests' of various parties involved in Australian ART. We then propose a strategy for how this topic could be constructively explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade ‘social egg freezing’ has emerged as a technology of hope that purports to empower women by enabling them to continue their careers or find the right partner without the fear of jeopardising their fertility. This technology has been promoted and celebrated by fertility companies, bioethicists, clinicians, and multi-national corporations such as Apple and Facebook. While critical questions have been raised, they tend to focus on ethical and legal issues, such as informed consent and patient autonomy. This paper uses Foucault’s notion ofdispositifas analytic lens to examine the entanglement of the commercial arrangements of fertility companies, the discursive use of hope in promoting these services, and effects on professional medical care. Drawing on socio-political analyses of hope, this paper examines the potential financial conflicts of interest facing clinicians and the way discourses of hope might mask problematic financial relations and lack of evidence of effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to interrogate the potential and challenges in interdisciplinary working across disciplinary boundaries by examining a longitudinal partnership designed to research student experiences of digital technologies in undergraduate medicine established by the authors of this paper (one from Education and the other from Medical Education). The paper is situated in current methodological trends including the changing value of replicability and evidence-based methods and increases in qualitative and mixed methods studies in medical education, whilst education research has seen growing encouragement for randomized controlled trials and large-scale quantitative studies. A critical analysis of the partnership interactions is framed by Holland’s positional and imagined identities, negotiated across ‘figured’ worlds and the concept of epistemic games that guide knowledge construction. We consider social, political and cultural challenges; and how ‘in-between’ sites of knowledge were established where the academic identity of each was shaped by engaging with the other and new theoretical, methodological and ethical understandings were co-constructed. The paper concludes that despite the ongoing challenges, ‘bottom-up’ partnerships can contribute to a growth in interdisciplinarity which might itself be understood as a boundary object. Interdisciplinarity necessitates improvisation and boundary crossing and can, therefore, always be considered a matter of negotiation, creativity and collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increased emphasis has been placed in pediatric residency programs on the identification and treatment of child mental health disorders. Description: An electronic record audit was developed to assess residents' behavioral health skills and optimize behavioral health training. Information from the electronic audit was used to provide feedback to preceptors, modify the training curriculum, and increase access to mental health referrals. Evaluation: The audit determined the frequency of detected mental health problems, types of disorders identified, use of screening instruments, and behavioral health interventions and/or referrals by pediatric residents over a 2-year period. However, measurement of the effectiveness of curriculum and training interventions was undetermined due to the evolving implementation of changes based on continuous audit findings. Conclusions: Recommendations for future use of this technique include establishing baseline skills and targeting specific areas for training and evaluation, providing feedback to residents, and tracking specific patients over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focus by child health professionals on the well-being of young Australian children and their families has intensified in the past decade, with particular attention drawn to the importance of the early detection and intervention of developmental problems. While many children with developmental difficulties are detected in the preschool years, those with more subtle forms of developmental problems are often only noticed by their mothers, passing unnoticed by professionals until the children begin school and fail socially or academically. This study aimed to ascertain ways in which child health professionals may utilise the experience of mothers to improve early recognition and diagnosis of subtle developmental and behavioural problems in children. French philosopher, Roland Barthes (1973) proposed that myths play an important social role in defining underlying social values that affect how people interpret what others say or do. This paper explores how the social myths of childhood, motherhood and medicine impact upon the early detection of children with subtle developmental problems. In particular, it examines how social myths affect when and how mothers become concerned about their children's development, from whom they seek advice, and the responses which mothers receive in regard to their concerns. Mythical notions of the 'blameless child', 'boys will be boys' and 'children who look OK are OK', and the constituted myth of motherhood, are all shown to affect when mothers become concerned about their children's development. What mothers do about their concerns and the responses they receive from child health professionals are also influenced by these myths. The myth of medicine is also examined to determine how it affects communication between mothers and doctors, the roles and responsibilities of doctors, and the value placed on a mother's concerns by doctors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the role of consultants for implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1997 in the United States. Collaboration between general and special educators; Addition of the Individualized Education Program to the IDEA regulation; Provision of technical assistance and professional development activities with parents.

Decreased memory skills have been reported in children with epilepsy. However,standardized instruments to evaluate learning and memory in children havebeen unavailable until recently. The present study was designed to assessmemory patterns in children with epilepsy based on the California Verbal LearningTest-Children's Version (CVLT-C). The test was administered to 44 childrenwith complex partial seizures and 21 children with generalized seizures between8 and 13 years of age. Children in the study had been treated for epilepsyfor at least 6 months, had well-controlled seizures on monotherapy, and hadno evidence of anticonvulsant toxicity. Children with head injuries, learningdisabilities, or hyperactivity were excluded. Test results did not reflectdifferences in memory performance based on seizure type. Scores for the entiresample indicated intact new learning, decreased intrusions and perseverativeresponses, and better short-term than long-term delayed recall. Recognitionskills were stronger than long-term delayed recall skills and suggested thatmemory performance may be improved for these children when a multiple-choiceformat is available in academic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a comparative analysis of constructivism between children with learning disabilities and children with normal achievement. Basis on Verbal-Performance IQ differences on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised; Categories of comparison; Categories for determining level of operative thought.

Children with chronic or intractable epilepsy are at higher risk for medical and social difficulties. A multidisciplinary clinic was established to improve medical management and address psychosocial issues. The purposes of the present study were to describe the multidisciplinary clinic, retrospectively examine the referral patterns for children served by the clinic, and analyze factors significantly predictive of parental satisfaction with the multidisciplinary approach. The Epilepsy Clinic Satisfaction Questionnaire was sent to all patients seen in the clinic over a 2-year period. Outcome findings were based on 136 respondents. A stepwise regression analysis indicated that the best predictor of parental rating of clinic quality was the amount of information given concerning the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. Staff attitude was also significantly related to parental satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few socially recognized death customs are available for bereaved pet owners, who may experience adverse mental health as a result of disenfranchisement and other complications surrounding pet loss. Additionally, pet owners can experience complex grief when the death is by euthanasia. When a human loved one dies, societal infrastructures allow mourners to express loss through death rites. Such customs often include a eulogy; a traditional testimony of praise which serves a number of functions in human bereavement, allowing the mourner to celebrate the life of the deceased, publicly validating their loss, and facilitating a "letting go." This study assessed the value of eulogy writing as a therapeutic memorial device for bereaved pet owners. The text of 19 human-style pet eulogies, provided by professional celebrants, was investigated using inductive thematic analysis and emerging themes revealed two higher order categories: Structural Content and Emotional Content. Lower-order Structural Content themes included references to "biographical detail" of the pet, "relationships," "spirituality," and "death." Lower-order Emotional Content themes included the strong presence of "love" and "joy/happiness," as well as "sadness" and "guilt" around euthanasia. Similarities in content and structure were found between pet and human eulogies: praising the deceased and describing fond memories and happy times spent together. This suggests that human and pet eulogies may also share similar therapeutic benefits: allowing mourners to "let go," providing validation, and a means of retaining a remembrance bond with the pet. We suggest that eulogy writing could offer a powerful tool to allow bereaved owners to process their loss within a positive framework, and recommend that supporting professionals, like veterinarians, social workers and bereavement counsellors, should consider exploring the use of eulogy writing as a coping-strategy option for vulnerable bereaved clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation examined the test-retest reliability and the factorial validity of the Children's Color Trails Test 1 & 2 (CCTT) using two distinct and independent studies and their respective research samples. The reliability of the CCTT was evaluated in a study with 6-12-year-old children (n = 54) strictly selected and diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder from an interventional protocol using test-retest coefficients at 8- and 16-week time intervals. Factorial validity was investigated using groups of children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) (n = 137), children with other types of trauma than brain or head injury (Other Injury) (n = 132), and healthy controls (n = 114) from a protocol assessing the neuropsychological sequelae of traumatic brain injury. The results revealed completion time test-retest reliability in the moderate range, which may be considered modest (rtt =.46-.68) in this sample of children with ADHD. Interference reliability coefficients were greater and in the moderate-high range (rtt =.75-.78). Factorial analytic results revealed a three-factor structure solution for all three groups (TBI, Other Injury, and controls). As a result of CCTT's factorial loadings, Factor 1 was labeled speed of perceptual tracking and susceptibility to interference, Factor 2 was labeled inattention and impulsivity, and Factor 3 was labeled simple inattention. Relative limitations and strengths associated with this investigation including practice effects associated with repeated CCTT administrations also were addressed within the context of the extant findings and existing trail-making test literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined specific memory functions in 52 children with mild-moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 29 noninjured controls using the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML). Children's recall varied as a function of injury severity and task demands. The participants with severe brain injuries performed worse than controls on global measures of visual memory, learning, and general memory functioning, as well as on specific subtests measuring recall of contextual verbal information. Children with mild-moderate brain injuries performed similarly to controls except for poorer performance on 2 subtests measuring sound-symbol learning and recall of geometric designs. Results suggest that the WRAML provides clinically useful information and that specific aspects of memory processing need to be evaluated following childhood TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on collaboration between Australian preschool and primary school teachers co-located on same sites, with a view to understanding and strengthening collaboration for supporting continuity of practice across preschool and primary school settings. Based on findings from a narrative inquiry study framed by Freire's notion of dialogic encounters, we examine teachers' challenges to collaboration within an Australian public education system, understood through their perspectives and enactment of their professional identities as collaborators in this physically shared space. We present a possible framework for creating a shared space in which preschool and primary teachers collaborate to support continuity of learning for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the memory functioning of 25 children who sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and who had prior learning problems, 48 children with TBI who did not have prior learning problems, and 23 noninjured controls. The children with TBI and prior learning problems displayed significantly worse memory abilities than both the control participants and the children with TBI and no prior learning problems. They differed significantly from these 2 groups on measures of general memory, verbal memory, sound-symbol learning, and attention. The results suggest that children with premorbid learning problems who sustain TBI have less cognitive reserve and a lower threshold for the expression of cognitive impairments in areas that reflect preexisting learning and language problems, compared to children without premorbid learning problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]