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Enhancing children's daily participation is the optimal goal of early childhood intervention. This study aimed to identify child and family predictors of participation for toddlers with global developmental delay. Fifty-nine toddlers with global developmental delay (aged 24–43 months) and their mothers participated in a 6-month longitudinal study. Predictors for participation were child factors [age, gender, delay severity, mastery motivation (perceived persistence and task persistence), and withdrawal behavior], and family factors (socioeconomic status, family income, maternal education, stress, and maternal teaching behavior). Dependent variables were participation diversity and intensity of four activity types measured 6-month later using the Assessment of Preschool Children's Participation (Chinese version). Correlation and hierarchical regression statistical methods were used. Older children with higher persistence had higher overall participation. Different factors predicted different participation dimensions and different activity types. Older age, higher perceived persistence, and being less withdrawn predicted higher diversity and intensity for play participation. For skill development participation, older age, less severity, higher mastery motivation, and better maternal teaching behaviors predicted higher diversity; and age, mastery motivation and maternal teaching predicted intensity. Different factors predict participation attendance differently. Supporting parents to enhance toddlers' mastery motivation may optimize children's participation in daily activities. Based on the child and their caregiver preferences, applicability and/or engagement for different activity types, interventionists could collaborate further with caregivers to find strategies to increase children's participation attendance in daily life. Interventionists could consult with caregivers: (a) to observe the persistence and positive affect (mastery motivation) of children during different activities, (b) to figure out the possible barriers to participation in those activities, and (c) to demonstrate appropriate caregiver-child interactions. Interventionists are encouraged to support children's mastery motivation and quality of maternal teaching behaviors to enhance participation in daily activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: In Chinese-speaking societies, a reliable and valid measure is needed to enable early identification of young children's challenges in sensory processing. Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile (ITSP--C) when used with Taiwanese children. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Multiple settings. Participants: Participants were 367 typically developing (TD) infants ages 0--6 mo (mean [M] age = 3.44 mo, standard deviation [SD] = 1.82) and 677 toddlers ages 7--36 mo (M age = 22.33 mo, SD = 8.15), along with 42 toddlers with developmental disabilities (DD; M age = 28.4 mo, SD = 6.7). Outcomes and Measures: The ITSP, a caregiver questionnaire that measures how children respond to sensory events in daily life, was translated and cross-culturally adapted into a Chinese version (ITSP--C). Results: Internal consistency was high for the 0--6 mo subscale (a = .80) and the 7--36 mo subscale (a = .82). Test--retest reliability was excellent for the 7--36 mo subscale (intraclass correlation coefficient = .94). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the ITSP--C discriminated between children with DD and TD children. Conclusions and Relevance: The ITSP was successfully adapted to Chinese with similar reliability and validity to the original ITSP. The 7--36 mo subscale had a higher level of reliability than the 0--6 mo subscale, and quadrant scores were more reliable than section scores. Moreover, the ITSP--C discriminated children with DD from TD children on the basis of their sensory processing patterns. What This Article Adds: The ITSP--C has sound psychometric properties and support for its use in early identification of sensory processing difficulties in young Chinese-speaking children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Family-centered intervention for preterm infants has shown short- to medium-term developmental benefits; however, the neurological effects of intervention have rarely been explored. Objective The objectives of this study were to examine the effect of a family-centered intervention program (FCIP) on neurophysiological functions in preterm infants with very low birth weight (VLBW; birth weight of < 1500 g) in Taiwan, to compare the effect of the FCIP with that of a usual-care program (UCP), and to explore the FCIP-induced changes in neurobehavioral and neurophysiological functions. Design This was a multicenter, single-blind randomized controlled trial. Setting The study took place in 3 medical centers in northern and southern Taiwan. Participants Two hundred fifty-one preterm infants with VLBW were included. Intervention The FCIP group received a family-centered intervention and the UCP group received standard care during hospitalization. Measurements Infants were assessed in terms of neurobehavioral performance using the Neonatal Neurobehavioral Examination–Chinese version, and their neurophysiological function was assessed using electroencephalography/event-related potentials during sleep and during an auditory oddball task during the neonatal period. Results The FCIP promoted more mature neurophysiological function than the UCP, including greater negative mean amplitudes of mismatch negativities in the left frontal region in the oddball task in all infants, lower intrahemispheric prefrontal-central coherence during sleep in infants who were small for gestational age, and higher interhemispheric frontal coherence during sleep in those who were appropriate for gestational age. Furthermore, interhemispheric coherence was positively associated with the total neurobehavioral score in preterm infants who were appropriate for gestational age (r  = 0.20). Limitations The fact that more parental adherence strategies were used in the FCIP group than in the UCP group might have favored the intervention effect in this study. Conclusions Family-centered intervention facilitates short-term neurophysiological maturation in preterm infants with VLBW in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Increasing evidence shows common motor deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that can relate to impaired planning and control processes of the sensorimotor system. Catching is a fundamental motor skill that requires coordination between vision, posture, and arm movements. Although postural control and ball catching have been shown to be impaired in children with ASD, previous studies have not investigated how these components are integrated. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the sensorimotor control of arm movements and postural adjustments during ball catching in children with and without ASD. Design This study employed a cross-sectional design. Methods Fifteen children with ASD (mean [SD] age = 8.8 [1.2] years; 12 boys) and 15 age- and sex-matched typically developing children participated in this study. Children were asked to catch a ball rolling down a ramp in 6 test conditions in which visual inputs and ramp direction were manipulated to provide different sensory conditions and postural demands. Results Compared with their typically developing peers, children with ASD had increased difficulties catching balls, especially those from lateral directions. They less often used visual information to plan for catching motion, demonstrated fewer and delayed anticipatory postural adjustments, and exhibited increased corrective control. Limitations The sample excluded children with intellectual disability and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders that might reduce the generalizability to the whole ASD population. Conclusions Our results suggest that motor difficulties present in children with ASD can result from compromised sensorimotor integration in planning and control of movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose:The study aimed to investigate comprehensively the determinants of the quality of life (QOL) of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy (CP) based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth (ICF-CY). Methods:A total of 167 children with CP (mean age 9.06 years, SD 2.61 years) and their caregivers (mean age 40.24 years, SD 5.43 years) participated in this study. The QOL of caregivers was measured with the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF-Taiwan version (WHOQOL-BREF-TW). The potential determinants of QOL were collected, including child characteristics, caregiver characteristics, and environmental factors from all dimensions of the ICF-CY and analysed using multiple regression models. Results:Four multiple regression models revealed that determinants of the QOL of caregivers of children with CP was multidimensional, encompassing child characteristics (age, type of CP, fine motor impairment, other diseases, behaviour and emotions, visual impairment, hearing impairment), caregiver characteristics (general mental health, parenting stress, marital status, family coping patterns, and socio-economic status), and environmental factors (child’s medication, school setting, and current rehabilitation service, caregiver’s spouse’s age, family life impacts, and domestic helper). Conclusions:Knowledge of the determinants of QOL could serve as a guide in a holistic approach to evaluation and intervention and help plan interventions targeted at these determinants to improve the QOL of caregivers of children with CP.Implications for RehabilitationCaregivers of children with CP had lower QOL, except the environment QOL.The QOL determinants of caregivers of children with CP are multidimensional, including child characteristics, caregiver characteristics, and environmental factors.In addition to child characteristics of severity of fine motor impairments and emotional and behavioural problems, caregiver characteristics of general mental health, parenting stress, and coping patterns, and environmental factors of family life impacts, and school setting demonstrated important relationships with caregiver QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]