Search

To systematically review and evaluate existing psychometric evidence for the Family Empowerment Scale (FES), which has been widely used to measure empowerment across the world. Three databases were searched up until December 2021. Eligible studies were identified by an interdisciplinary team using the PRISMA procedure. The methodological quality of psychometrics (Risk of Bias standards) and sufficiency of each psychometric property (e.g., reliability, content validity, construct validity, responsiveness) were independently evaluated by three members, following COnsesus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN). Twelve studies involving 3278 caregivers were included in the review. Studies reported limited information about content validity and study sample characteristics. There is sufficient evidence with moderate methodological quality to support structural validity for a four and three-bifactor structure. Sufficient evidence with good methodological quality was found for internal consistency. No studies examined responsiveness. Future psychometric studies of the FES should include diverse families and establish content validity following current COSMIN standards. Structural validity evidence does not support the original three-factor structure, which suggests the need to refine the theoretical measurement constructs. Responsiveness is needed prior to using FES as an instrument of change in applied research studies. The evidence for the use of the Family Empowerment Scale (FES) is primarily with families of children with disabilities who identify as white, non-Hispanic, and live in the US. Across studies, evidence suggests the FES items work well together to measure family empowerment. Caution should be used when using the FES to measure changes in empowerment over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Systematic professional development leads to fidelity of practice implementation. • Teacher use of Pyramid Model practices results in positive social and behavioral outcomes. • Adult–child ratios moderate the effects of the intervention on children's outcomes. Professional development (PD) focused on social, emotional, and behavioral teaching practices has been identified as a critical need for preschool teachers. The Pyramid Model for Promoting Social Emotional Competence is a multi-tiered framework of evidence-informed teaching practices. Previous studies have shown that PD, which includes workshops, implementation supports, and controlled doses of Practice-Based Coaching, is associated with teachers' improved fidelity of implementation of Pyramid Model practices. Some studies have shown corollary improvements in child outcomes. The present study reports corollary child outcomes from a cluster randomized efficacy trial examining effects of a PD intervention versus business-as-usual (BAU) PD. Ninety-two teachers and 997 children in these teachers' classrooms, including 250 focal children at elevated risk for poor social, emotional, or behavioral outcomes, participated. Data on social, emotional, behavioral, and other developmental outcomes were collected pre-intervention and post-intervention for all children via teacher-completed rating scales. Data for focal children were collected on social interactions and challenging behavior using an observational coding system and for other developmental outcomes through direct child assessment. Results showed statistically significant and noteworthy effects for children whose teachers were in the PD intervention versus BAU PD for both non-focal and focal children's social skills and challenging behavior. By post-intervention, focal children whose teachers were in the PD intervention condition showed greater rates of social interaction than their peers in BAU teachers' classrooms. No statistically significant or noteworthy differences were found for other child development outcomes. Mediation of treatment effects based on teachers' Pyramid Model practice implementation was evidenced for social and behavioral child outcomes. Moderator analyses for select teacher and classroom variables showed differential treatment effects for non-focal children's challenging behavior in classrooms with higher child-to-adult ratios. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author states in the preface of the book that it is intended for two groups of people. The first group consists of individuals living in the tropics who require [...]

Data sets from large-scale longitudinal surveys involving young children and families have become available for secondary analysis by researchers in a variety of fields. Researchers in early intervention have conducted secondary analyses of such data sets to explore relationships between nonmalleable and malleable factors and child outcomes, and to address issues of measurement. Survey data have been used to a lesser extent to examine plausible causal relationships between variables, perhaps due to the increased likelihood of selection bias that results with nonexperimental data. In this article, we use National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study data to demonstrate the use of inverse probability of treatment weighting, a quasi-experimental methodology based on propensity scores that can be used to reduce selection bias and examine plausible causal relationships. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, and implications for its use in early intervention research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite an emphasis in the field on triadic approaches to the delivery of early intervention (EI), remarkably little is known about the shared experiences of caregivers (CGs) and providers during home visits. Within the context of developing, refining, and evaluating the Embedded Practices and Intervention With Caregivers (EPIC) approach, two studies were undertaken with 11 EI providers and 19 CGs of infants/toddlers with moderate-severe delays/disabilities to gather their perspectives about and experiences with the EPIC approach. The EPIC intervention has two components: CG coaching and a fivequestion (5Q) process for supporting embedded practices. Interview, focus group, and rating scale data were collected in both studies and aggregated for reporting purposes in the present article. Findings are described with regard to the coaching and 5Q components and the extent to which participants found the intervention to be feasible, acceptable, and useful. Implications for future research and professional development on coaching and embedded intervention practices are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined children's task engagement during a challenging puzzle task in the presence of their primary caregivers by using a representative sample of rural children from six high-poverty counties across two states. Weighted longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to identify a task engagement factor indicated by child positive mood, persistence, enthusiasm, and compliance at both 24 and 35 months. Child attention and maternal responsiveness were significantly related to child task engagement at 24 and 35 months controlling for demographic factors. Additionally, a challenging behavior factor in children's task-oriented behaviors was found as indicated by child negative mood, aggression and noncompliance. This factor was predicted by low maternal acceptance of child behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) which is caused by hantavirus infection transmitted to humans by exposure to infected rodents. The case of an HPS in a 70-year-old man referred to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is discussed. HPS, a life-threatening illness, was identified in 1993 and since then up to December 15, 2010, about 560 cases from 32 states were reported to CDC.

Though treatment integrity measurement is important for research intended to promote social and behavioral outcomes of children at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs) in early childhood settings, measurement gaps exist in the field. This paper reports on the development and preliminary psychometric assessment of the treatment integrity measure for early childhood settings (TIMECS), an observational measure designed to address existing measurement gaps related to treatment integrity with tier 2 interventions in the early childhood field. To assess the preliminary score reliability (interrater) and validity (construct, discriminant) of the TIMECS, live observations (N = 650) in early childhood classrooms from 54 teachers (92.6% female, 7.4% male; 61.1% White) and 91 children (M age = 4.53 years, SD =.44; 45.1% female, 54.9% male; 45.1% Black) at risk for EBDs were scored by 12 coders using the TIMECS and an observational measure designed to assess teacher–child interactions. Teachers also self-reported on the quality of the teacher–child relationship. Interrater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients, ICC [2,2]) for the quantity (i.e., adherence) item scores had a mean of.81 (SD =.07; range from.68 to.95), and the quality (i.e., competence) item scores had a mean of.69 (SD =.08; range from.52 to.80). Scores on the TIMECS Quantity and Quality items and scales showed evidence of construct validity, with the magnitude of the correlations suggesting that the quantity and quality items assess distinct components of treatment integrity. A TIMECS quantity scale also showed promise for intervention evaluation research by discriminating between teachers who had and had not been trained in a specific evidence-based intervention targeting social and behavioral skills in early childhood. The findings support the potential of the TIMECS to assess treatment integrity of teacher-delivered practices designed to address child social and behavioral outcomes of children at risk for EBDs in early childhood settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of coaching caregivers to embed both communication and motor outcomes concurrently within daily routines of their infants or toddlers with significant disabilities using Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT) strategies. The coaching and embedding practices were part of a multicomponent intervention known as Embedded Practices and Intervention with Caregivers (EPIC). Three children, aged 15 to 23 months with significant disabilities, their caregivers, and an early intervention provider participated in this single case multiple probe design study. Primary dependent variables were caregivers' number of naturalistic teaching strategies used and rates of correctly embedded instruction for each learning target in each routine. Child motor and communication outcomes were also examined. Results provide initial support for the positive effects of the EPIC approach using EMT strategies to embed intervention on two developmental domains concurrently in caregiver's daily routines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early intervention (EI) researchers (i.e., those focused on children birth to age 3 and their families who experience early vulnerabilities) often engage in translational research and implementation science at the intersection of public health, pediatrics, and EI. There is currently a significant research-to-practice gap in EI despite ongoing efforts to close it. Translational research and implementation science are promising approaches to promote transdisciplinary collaborations among researchers and to move EI research into practice, thus supporting positive outcomes for young children and families. This commentary proposes a contemporary alignment of translational research phases for EI. Two literature reviews served to inform development of this alignment: (1) a narrative literature review identified existing applications of translational phases to EI; and (2) a rapid review identified examples of existing behavior-focused translational models across disciplines. Several case examples of current translational research being conducted in EI are discussed and classified according to their respective translational phase. The proposed alignment and case examples provide a basis for transdisciplinary conversations among those working across the various fields and disciplines relevant to EI research. A shift in EI research to reflect a translational and implementation focus will help bridge the research-to-practice gap and, most importantly, speed the movement of scientific evidence into real-world contexts to positively impact young children and families., Competing Interests: PS currently receives funding support from the Institute of Education Sciences, US Department of Education. The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers and her co-authors. No official or implied endorsement from any funding entity, including the Institute of Education Sciences, should be inferred. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Shaw, Salloum and Snyder.)

Child-directed speech (CDS), which can help children learn new words, has been rigorously studied among infants and parents in home settings. Yet, far less is known about the CDS that teachers use in classrooms with toddlers and children's responses, an important question because many toddlers, particularly in high-need communities, attend group-care settings. This exploratory study examines the linguistic environment during teacher-led book readings in American Early Head Start classrooms serving 2-year-olds from households in poverty. Seven teachers in four classrooms were trained to emphasize target words while reading story and informational books. We first analyzed the nature and quality of their book readings from a macro-level, exploring global instructional quality [Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)] and linguistic complexity [i.e., diversity of vocabulary ( D ) and sophistication of syntax (MLU-w)], and we also examined micro-level teacher-child talk strategies and use of target words. Compared to prior research, these classrooms had similar global quality and syntactic complexity, although less lexical diversity. Exploratory results also revealed three distinct teacher talk patterns-teachers who emphasized (1) comments, (2) questions, and (3) a balance of the two. Question-focused teachers had more adult and child talk during reading, as well as more repetitions of target words, and stronger CLASS Engaged Support for Learning. However, comment-focused teachers used more diverse vocabulary and had stronger CLASS Emotional and Behavioral Support. Results illuminate the nature and quality of CDS in toddler classrooms, particularly in the context of an intervention emphasizing target vocabulary words, and highlight applications for professional development and questions for further research., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Hindman, Farrow, Anderson, Wasik and Snyder.)

The purpose of this systematic review was to systematically locate and analyze the research on caregiver-implemented functional analyses and subsequent function-based interventions. We included 36 studies and examined multiple features of the studies, including participant demographics, functional analysis characteristics, intervention characteristics, procedural fidelity, risks of bias, and social validity. Overall, the studies showed that caregivers were able to implement functional analyses that yielded differential responding, although few studies reported procedural fidelity data. Caregivers were also able to implement function-based interventions that led to socially significant changes in challenging behavior. Implications for practice and future research are discussed., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© Association for Behavior Analysis International 2020.)

Positive outcomes for pediatric in-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest remain low with little change in mortality rates. Infrequently used clinical knowledge and skills decline quickly, contributing to poor quality of resuscitation. The aim of this pilot study exploring the outcomes of repeated pediatric mock code simulations with structured debriefing demonstrated statistically significant differences in participants' knowledge of pediatric emergencies, with no significant decline in resuscitation skills. This provides an evidence-based approach for professional development educators working with nurses on pediatric emergencies.