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Exploring individual differences and looking beyond averaged parameters of early numeracy in young children with mild intellectual disabilities has become an area of interest to many researchers worldwide. This study aimed to identify the different profiles of early numeracy skills in young children with mild intellectual disabilities. For this purpose, we assessed early numeracy through Utrecht early numeracy test and learning aptitude through Detroit Test, in a sample of 135 children diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. The mean of their mental age was 5:09 (years:months). Two-step cluster analysis identified four homogenous groups of children with distinct early numeracy profiles as follows:C1 were fluent in relational and numerical skills up to 20, C2 were fluent in relational skills and numerical skills up to 10, C3 had basic knowledge of relational skills and inconsistent numerical skills up to 10 and C4 had inconsistent relational skills and numerical skills. Results are discussed with reference to their educational implications.

While open and distance education gains growing recognition over time, it also faces increasing drop-out rates. Consequently, the development of predictive models for early identification of students at-risk for drop-out could be critical to promote ongoing engagement. This study aims to gain insights into the dropout prediction problem in a sample of postgraduate special education students. Therefore, a nonlinear state-space model was employed. An Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm that iterates between state estimation (E-step) and parameter estimation (M-step) was retrieved from the existing literature. However, the variables were redefined according to available data. In the dataset a total number of n[subscript 1] = 1337 students were enrolled, attending n[subscript 2] = 7 different modules. Statistical analysis showed that the majority of the students dropped out during the second week. Moreover, an inversely proportional relationship was observed between the dropout rates and the number of weeks that the student has actively engaged in the module. Significant differences across modules were also observed. Results are discussed in terms of their application in the training and education of the collaborating teaching staff working in the HOU. Future work in the field should be expanded in order to investigate students' drop-out in more courses other than special education.

Exploring the individual differences of the longitudinal growth of early numeracy (EN) in young children with Intellectual disabilities (IDs) prerequires the critical stage of exploring and validating the potential factor structure. Despite the fact that Relational Skills (RS), Counting Skills (CS) and Operations (O) are expected to constitute distinct domains of EN, there is not sufficient evidence to support either the above position or the position that they are different means of assessing a general-informal numeracy skill construct. This study was designed to shed light in the field through the evaluation of a measurement model describing the structure of RS, CS and O domains of EN and their interrelation. The sample included N = 155 children with IDs, enrolled in special school classes, mentally aged between 5;02 (y;m) and 6;10 (M = 5.11, SD = 0.974). Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated a "good fit" of the two-factor model (RS, CS + O) of EN in ID (RMSEA=0.029 < 0.08, CFI = 0.98 [more than or equal to] 0.90 and SRMR = 0.000 < 0.08). No measurement invariance across gender was reported for the proposed two-factor model of EN. The nested EN models validated full measurement invariance across gender. Finally, educational implications are discussed.

The purpose of this research was to measure teachers and students interpersonal competences in situations that a teacher may face at school and which require interpersonal interaction with students, parents or other teachers. In addition, the mediating role of interpersonal competences was examined in the relationship between teachers' interpersonal style and burnout. In order to measure interpersonal competences, a test (Teachers' Interpersonal Competency Test) was constructed according to the standards of Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs). The sample consisted of 269 Greek General and Special Education teachers and 117 students from General and Special Education Departments. Participants completed the Teachers' Interpersonal Competency Test, the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. According to the results of the statistical analysis, interpersonal competences were mainly differentiated between teachers who worked at different levels of education. Differences in interpersonal competences also occurred between teachers and students, as well as between first- and third-year students. Interpersonal competences have been shown to play a protective mediating role between interpersonal style and burnout. The present research contributes to the study of teachers' interpersonal competences and their importance to the wellbeing of teachers and students as well, through the development of supportive interpersonal styles.

In the present study, the role of interpersonal coping strategies was examined in relation to teachers' characteristics and burnout factors. Two hundred sixty-nine General and Special Education teachers completed the Teachers' Interpersonal Competences Test and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Differences in the use of interpersonal coping strategies were noted on teachers' gender, teaching experience, grade level, experience and training in Special Education. Interpersonal coping strategies predicted most of teachers' burnout factors according to regression analyses. The importance of developing strategies that enhance interpersonal relationships and reduce conflicts at schools, in order to reduce teachers' burnout, is discussed.

The current study explores the parental perspectives of children with intellectual disabilities (ID) on the effectiveness of inclusive education in Greek mainstream schools. The participants were 83 parents, whose children had different degrees of ID and all of them were attending mainstream schools at the time of the study. They completed a questionnaire examining their perspectives with regard to (a) the most effective educational placement in mainstream schools (special class, mainstream class or co-teaching), (b) their satisfaction with the inclusive mainstream education, (c) their cooperation with the teachers, (d) the perceived benefits of their children's educational placement and (e) their suggestions regarding the improvement of the inclusive educational model. Results indicated that most parents of children with ID would like their child to attend a mainstream class with a co-teaching arrangement. The perceived benefits are mostly related to the development of their children's social skills. Significant considerations regarding cooperation with the teachers, lack of individualized information and guidance, administrative and organizational issues were expressed.

The purpose of the present study was to identify the correlation between gender and reading preferences and reading strategies employed by 5th and 6th Grade students of primary school in Greece. The main objectives of the present study were (1) to identify possible differences between male and female students in employing cognitive and metacognitive strategies, (2) to record the difficulties encountered by males and females when reading and (3) to highlight possible differences between male and female students in reading preferences. 405 Greek students (206 boys and 199 girls, M = 11.21 years old, SD = 0.47) participated in the study and were asked to fill in a questionnaire including questions related to reading preferences and attitudes. In addition, 32 students from the total sample were asked to choose their favourite text to read and think aloud about the processes they followed and the strategies they used. The questionnaire results indicated significant differences between male and female students in reading preferences, since the female students showed a greater preference for "human-interest" stories and male ones preferred to read comics and action-stories. The verbal data revealed the female students' flexibility in strategy use and their higher metacognitive awareness compared to male students. Reading, gender and social factors are discussed in the light of citizenship education.

Teachers' interpersonal style is a new field of research in the study of students with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors in school context. In the present study, we investigate emotions and causal attributions of three basic types of challenging behaviors: aggression, stereotypy, and self-injury, in relation to teachers' interpersonal style. One hundred and seventy seven Greek general and special educator teachers participated in the study by completing a three-scaled questionnaire. Statistical analysis revealed that the type of challenging behaviors affected causal attributions. According to regression analysis, emotions, teaching experience, expertise in special education, and gender explained a significant amount of variance in interpersonal style. Emotions were found to have a mediating role in the relationship between causal attributions and interpersonal style of "willingness to support," when challenging behaviors were attributed to stable causes or causes under the control of the individual with intellectual disabilities.

Written language is a difficult endeavour as the demands of transcription require self-regulatory skills from a motor, cognitive and attention perspective. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relation between the Test of Writing Difficulties (Porpodas et al., 2007) and the Test of Detection and Investigation of Executive Functions (Simos et al., 2007) in a sample of 50 Greek-speaking, 5th-grade students with writing disabilities. The results of our study indicated that there were significant Pearson correlations ranging from 0.35 to 0.44 between executive functions and written expression. Furthermore, regression analysis showed that the subscales of the Test of Executive Functions had significant predictive power for spelling correctness and correction of jumbled sentences. Further implications of these findings for a school-based neuropsychological evaluation and planning of individualised educational interventions are discussed.

The Parkinson's disease questionnaire (PDQ-39) is a well-validated British scale for the assessment of health-related quality of life (HQoL) in Parkinson's disease (PD). The PDQ-39 has been translated into Greek and it was applied to 119 Greek PD patients. These patients were classified in stages according to the Hoehn and Yahr (HY) scale and their motor disability was assessed by means of the Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) as well as the Schwab and England activities of daily living scale (ADL). The Beck depression inventory (BDI) was applied for the evaluation of depression. The translated version of PDQ-39, designated PDQ-39GrV, was validated as follows: (1) Cronbach's alpha coefficient and item-total Spearman's rank-order correlations were calculated in order to estimate the internal consistency of PDQ-39GrV scales. (2) Validity of the PDQ-39GrV was examined in terms of agreement with the clinical assessment parameters (stage, UPDRS. ADL and BDI scores). (3) Sixty one PD patients were re-evaluated 3-7 days later in order to check test-retest reliability. The results showed the following: (1) The PDQ-39GrV demonstrated very good internal consistency (alpha 0.71-0.94). Item-total correlations were statistically significant (r: 0.52-0.93). Test-retest measurements correlated significantly (p = 0.001). (2) Clinically obtained motor parameters correlated well with PDQ-39GrV scales influenced by physical aspects of the disease, while emotionally and socially influenced ones correlated with depression. Our findings indicate that PDQ-39 GrV is a reliable, easy to administer scale for the assessment of HQoL in Greek PD patients.