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Objective: The first years of life are particularly important because vital developments occur in all development domains including motor, cognition, communication, and social-emotional. Early detection of developmental delays is essential in planning for early intervention. This study aims to standardize the score of bayley scales of infants and toddlers development-third edition (Bayley-III) for Iranian samples aged 1-42 months. Materials & Methods: Participants included 1700 children divided into 17 age groups of 100 children. The normative information was based on a national sample representative of Iran’s population for infants aged 1-42 months based on the 2011 national population and housing census. For each age group, the total raw scores of each Bayley-III subscale (cognition, receptive communication, expressive communication, fine motor, and gross motor) were converted to scaled scores with a Mean±SD of 10±3. The composite scores (cognition, language and motor domains) were obtained by summing up the scaled scores. The composite scores were scaled to a metric with Mean±SD of 100±15 ranged 40-160. Growth scores (ranged 200-800, with a Mean±SD 500±100), percentile ranks (ranged from 1-99, with 50 as the mean and median), and developmental age equivalent were also determined. Confidence intervals for all five subscales were also determined. To compare the development level of the US children (norm samples) and Iranian children, their mean raw scores in five subscales were compared for finding the difference in scores. Results: The Bayley-III was performed on 1744 children aged 0-42 months, including 908 (52.1%) girls and 836 (47.9%) boys. In comparing the development level of Iranian and US children, it was found that the mean scores were significantly different in 28 age groups (P6 months). Conclusion: For early detection and intervention of children with developmental delays, a test with a normalized score should be used in Iran. Using the US norm-based scores in Iranian children leads to inaccuracy in the early detection of children with developmental delays.

Objective: Cerebral palsy Spastic Diplegia (CPSD) is the most common motor disability in childhood. It is a neurodevelopmental condition beginning early in life and continues throughout life. In addition to mobility problems, the environment can also affect the CPSD children’s social participation. This study aims to investigate the relationship of environmental factors with the social participation of children with CPSD. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 116 parents of children with CPSD referred to the occupational therapy clinics in Tehran, Mazandaran, and Alborz provinces of Iran in 2018-2019. They were recruited using a convenience sampling method. Parents completed the European Child Environment Questionnaire (ECEQ) and the life habit questionnaire to assess their perception of the environmental factors and their children’s participation, respectively. The Gross Motor Function Classification System-Expanded and Revised (GMFCS-E&R) was initially used to classify the gross motor function (walking ability) of the children with cerebral palsy living in Europe (The SPARCLE project). We used it to estimate cognitive levels in children. The Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression of SPSS version 22 were used to analyze the results. Results: Based on the GMFCS-E&R classification, 23.3% of children were at level I, 27.6% at level II, 31.9% at level III, and 17.2% at level IV. Moreover, 89.7% of the children had an IQ>75, and 85.3% had no seizures. All domains and sub-domains of ECEQ had significantly correlated with social participation (P

Beaulieu-Boycott-Innes syndrome (BBIS), an autosomal recessive disorder, is characterized by dysmorphic facial features and developmental delay. In this case study, we used the age and stages questionnaire 2 (ASQ-2) to assess the developmental status of an Iranian 20-month-old girl displaying a complex BBIS phenotype. Rehabilitation interventions were designed and performed focusing on neurodevelopmental delay. Because she had a severe developmental delay and her scores in all five domains of ASQ-2 were below the cut-off points available for Iranian children, the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions was slower than expected. It seems that early rehabilitation and close follow-up should be considered for these children. We can assume that early and properly sensory-motor and cognitive interventions in these children may lead to growth development and prevent secondary complications.

Purpose – This paper aims to clear ambiguities regarding the definition of intellectual capital and its components in the evaluation of rehabilitation organizations. Design/methodology/approach – A preliminary definition of intellectual capital and its three domains of human, relational and structural capital and separate lists of proposed components for each domain was developed based on the results of a previous study. Fourteen experts in rehabilitation, health management and management engaged in Delphi rounds to reach agreed-upon definitions. Their ideas on relevance and the measurements of each proposed component in the assessment of intellectual capital in rehabilitation organizations were gathered by a questionnaire. Findings – Intellectual capital was defined as “The capital that emerges from the interaction of human resources’ ‘ability to think’ and to ‘create ideas’ with ‘a favorable internal and external organizational environment’ (including the managerial, social, structural, and physical environment, as well as communication between the inside and outside of the organization).” This capital is expected to gradually increase with further education, skills training and the gaining of experience by staff and managers. Also, the further development of intra-organizational structures and inter-relations with the market will empower the organization to adapt to continually changing circumstances, leading to competitive value and profit. Finally, a list of 101 proposed components was agreed upon in the evaluation of intellectual capital in rehabilitation organizations. Originality/value – This paper may lead to the development of measurement tools and ultimately to planning effective programs to increase intellectual capital in rehabilitation organizations.

Background: Substance abuse is a critical problem in most countries, especially in developing ones. Earlydetection is the pre-requisite of early control, for which reliable and valid tools are required. In the presentstudy, we aimed at measuring the psychometric properties of the 10-item Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10)in Iranian individuals.Methods: After translation and back-translation of the questionnaire, 244 adults were recruited from TehranMegacity, Iran, and completed the questionnaires. Participants were recruited by a multistage randomizedcluster sampling method. Reliability was determined by Cronbach’s alpha. Also, construct validity wasevaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA).Findings: The internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the total score of the Persianversion of DAST-10 was 0.93. EFA evoked only one factor for DAST-10. The CFA for 1-factor models forDAST-10 indicated an acceptable fit for the proposed models.Conclusion: The results prove desirable reliability and validity of the Persian version of the DAST which canbe utilized as a screening instrument for drug abuse among Iranian adults.

Background: Success and profitability of an organization as a social system depend on the effective use of human resources. Job satisfaction is one of the most important issues related to human resources and has long been the focus of attention in organizational studies. Although existing studies have identified several factors affecting job satisfaction, few studies have evaluated the status of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management and job satisfaction in Iran. Employees are exposed to various work-related hazards and crises. Hence, attention to various environmental threats and control of occupational safety and health risks should be considered as one of the major and indispensable goals of the organization. In this regard, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between OHS management and job satisfaction among employees of nongovernmental rehabilitation centers under the supervision of the Welfare Organization in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province using crisis management approach. Materials and Methods: This descriptive correlational study was carried out on 220 employees of non-governmental rehabilitation centers in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, who were selected using the census sampling method. Data collection tools were the Persian version of the Job Descriptive Index instrument and a researcher-made questionnaire in Persian for the assessment of OHS management, which has acceptable validity based on by the opinion of several academic experts. It also has good reliability based on the value of the Cronbach alpha coefficient. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS v. 20 at a significant level of P

Objectives: The Micro Manual Muscle Tester (MMMT) is a Hand-Held Dynamometer (HHD). The current study aimed to evaluate the intra- and inter-rater reliability of this device. Methods: To determine the reliability of the MMMT, two previously trained assessors to work with HHD performed HHD measurements on 7 muscle groups of the lower extremities (hip flexors, hip extensors, hip abductors, knee extensors, knee flexors, ankle plantar-, and dorsiflexors) using the make-test method. The study participants were evaluated thrice by two occupational therapists in 10 separate days. Results: All the inter- and intra-correlations were reported as excellent (ICC>0.90), except for ICC2,3 in the hip flexor muscles; and ICC2,3 in the dorsiflexor muscles that were similarly good (ICC=0.75-0.89) at a high significance level (P˂0.001). Discussion: The MMMT had an acceptable reliability. Furthermore, this device is useful for investigating changes in strength after rehabilitation interventions.

Context: The present study aimed at developing a conceptual co-relational model of personal and environmental factors affecting mobility in children with CP. Evidence Acquisition: This perspective article describes a path model for mobility in children with CP. A conceptual framework for the model was supported by the relevant literature, and published papers on the personal and environmental factors affecting mobility in children with CP were reviewed. A literature search was performed using PubMed, SCOPUS and Google Scholar on papers published from 1970 to 2016. Results: From the initial 228 articles related to personal and environmental factors for children with cerebral palsy, 72 articles met the inclusion criteria. Different factors, affecting the mobility, directly and indirectly, were analyzed based on available evidence. Conclusions: If contributing factors that lead to changes in basic motor abilities are identified and subjected to manipulation, the identified determinants that can be optimized through interventions might enhance long-term results of mobility.

Background and Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between age, gender and body mass index with performance of fundamental motor skills among children aged 7-10 years. Methods: A total of 600 children aged 7-10 years from Tehran participated in this research. Body mass index was directly measured from height (m)2/weight(kg) for each child. Fundamental motor skills were assessed by using the OSU-SIGMA scale. Results: The results showed that age and gender variables had a significant relationship on walking and running skills, but BMI was not significant (P>0.05). Also age, gender and body mass index variables had a significant relationship on jumping, skipping, hopping and ladder climbing (P

Objectives The present study determined the correlation of self-concept and self-efficacy with self-management among elderly in the sanatoriums in Tehran in2015. Methods & Materials This descriptive-analytic research, conducted in a cross-sectional study, enrolled 217 elderlies from the sanatoriums of Tehran in 2015 via a simple random sampling method. Three tools including Rogers self-concept scale, general self-efficacy scale (GSE-10), and self-management ability scale (SMAS-30) were utilized to measure the variables. After sampling and gathering the questionnaires, collected data were entered into SPSS and analyzed using the analytical tests such as Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Pearson’s test, and regression. Results The mean of self-concept, self-efficacy, and self-management were 8.25±1.47, 17.68±4.00, and 59.69±11.59 , respectively. Other findings indicated significant relationships of self-concept and self-efficacy with self-management (P

Study DesignWhiplash injury is a prevalent and often destructive injury of the cervical column, which can lead to serious neck pain. Many approaches have been suggested for the treatment of whiplash injury, including anti-inflammatory drugs, manipulation, supervised exercise, and cervical collars. Cervical collars are generally divided into two groups: soft and rigid collars.PurposeThe present study aimed to compare the effect of soft and rigid cervical collars on immobilizing head and neck motion.Overview of LiteratureMany studies have investigated the effect of collars on neck motion. Rigid collars have been shown to provide more immobilization in the sagittal and transverse planes compared with soft collars. However, according to some studies, soft and rigid collars provide the same range of motion in the frontal plane.MethodsTwenty-nine healthy subjects aged 18–26 participated in this study. Data were collected using a three-dimensional motion analysis system and six infrared cameras. Eight markers, weighing 4.4 g and thickened 2 cm2 were used to record kinematic data. According to the normality of the data, a paired t-test was used for statistical analyses. The level of significance was set at α=0.01.ResultsAll motion significantly decreased when subjects used soft collars (p

Objectives: To assess the relationship between visual rehabilitation with the quality of life and visual status in children who had been diagnosed with amblyopia in the national amblyopia screening program. Methods: Information was gathered from optometric centers in the cities of Nowshahr, Chalus, and Kelardasht, or in case it was not available, from parents of participating children. The KINDL Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire for Children was also completed by the children. Children were examined regarding visual acuity, stereopsis, strabismus, and refractive errors. Statistical tests such as one way ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient were used via SPSS software version 22. Results: Overall, the researchers obtained the records of 90 children with amblyopia, of which 76 were included in the study based on the inclusion criteria. The amblyopic children who did not have an early and timely start of treatment aid and did not complete treatment were the most prevalent group (38.2%). The lowest frequency (13.2%) pertained to those who did not have a timely start of treatment but experienced a completed treatment process. The highest proportion of children with entirely uncorrected amblyopia was those who had a timely start of treatment but did not complete the treatment. The majority of amblyopic children who had a completely corrected amblyopia had strictly acted in accordance with their therapist’s prescription. In contrast, the majority of those children whose amblyopia was left completely untreated had not acted in accordance with the therapist’s prescription. The children who had started treatment early but had not completed it obtained the lowest score on quality of life. The highest mean score was observed in the children who had completed their treatment process, either with or without an early start of the treatment. Discussion: The completion of treatment seemed to be of higher importance in the correction of amblyopia and increased the quality of life than the early start of treatment. Therefore, the authorities and therapists are recommended to pay more attention to follow-ups for completion of the treatment process and its important impact on improving eyesight and children’s quality of life.

Objectives: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopment syndromes with impairments in social communications and restrictive or repetitive behaviors. Neurofeedback is a new method that may regulate neuro and metabolic function in brain. This study is semi-experimental, with pre and post test. Methods: In 26 children with ASD, 40 sessions of Neurofeedback were done. Brain waves were recorded before and after intervention by EEG/ERP 19 channels. Results: The average of Theta (low frequency) power decreased, but there was no difference in the Gamma of Gamma waves (High frequency). Discussion: Our findings showed that the implementation of Neurofeedback sessions improved Theta, which leads to better social communication.

Background and objective: According to the importance of effective social factors on health, in this study a model of the relation between socioeconomic status, perceived stress, social support and domestic violence with women’ depression in reproductive age in Tehran the year of 2014 was tested. Materials and methods: This sectional descriptive-correlative study was performed on 1053 women referred to the medical centers affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. The participants were selected through multi-stage random sampling. For collecting the data, demographic and socio-economic status, perceived stress, perceived social support, domestic violence and Beck depression questionnaires were used. The data were analyzed using SPSS 19 & Lisrel 8.8 software. Results: Results showed that 49.7% of women had mild to severe degree of depression. The average stress score of perceived stress was 23.22±8.34, and most of them (43.1%) had moderate of social support. 70% had good socioeconomic status. 41.1% were taken domestic violence. The final path model fitted well (GFI=1; RMSEA=0.08) and showed that socioeconomic status had direct (β=- 0.20) and indirect effect (β= - 0.07251), perceived stress had direct effect (β=0.16), social support had direct(β=- 0.22) and indirect effect (β=- 0.0672), domestic violence had direct effect (β=0.20) on depression, and in the overall effect social support had the most effects on depression (β= -0.2872). Conclusion: According to the relation between all variables that investigated with depression of women, screening of these factors for prevention and diagnosis of depression in order to promote mental health and early intervention is recommended. Paper Type: Research Article.

Objective Speech and language disorders, when happening during childhood will ultimately lead to important negative outcomes in the life of the child. The farther we move from this critical period, that is, the first 3 years of life, the less will be the positive effects of environmental stimuli on the development of speech and language. Early detection of children at risk for or in the preliminary phases of developmental delays and provision of early intervention services for them is of utmost importance. The objective of this research was to compile and produce protocols for early intervention in childhood speech and language developmental disorders in Iranian children. Materials & Methods This study was conducted in two main phases: review phase and qualitative phase. In the review phase, all accessible search engines and databases, especially those for systematic reviews and guidelines were searched. In the qualitative study phase, several focus group discussions and rounds of Delphi were carried out with 20 experts in 7 subgroups, who were selected purposively. Results The result of this study is presented as 7 intervention packages, including the following domains of disorders: prelingual lingual speech and language hearing impairment, speech sound, dysphagia, stuttering, and dysarthria Conclusion Most studies have confirmed the effectiveness and need for early interventions for children with speech and language impairment. However, most do not explain the details of these interventions. Before the present study, no systematic and evidence-based protocol existed for early intervention in childhood speech and language impairments, in Iran; and due to language differences, as well as possible differences in the speech and language developmental process of children of different communities, making direct use of non-Persian references was not possible and effective. Thus, there was a clear demand for the production of such a protocol.

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire – Older Adults Edition (WHOQOL-OLD). Methods & Materials: The statistical sample consisted of 300 elderly (150 males and 150 females) with an age range of 60-80 years old who were selected in Tehran City. The tools used included the WHOQOL-OLD with 24 questions and 6 components. The IQOLA translation model was used to translate the quality of life in Iranian elderly. To determine the validity, the face, content, concurrent, and structural validity were used. To determine the reliability, the temporal stability and internal consistency methods were used. Results: The results showed that more than 85% of the questions had optimal translation quality, thus the face validity of the Persian version WHOQOL-OLD was obtained. Results showed that the content validity ratio (CVR) for all questions was obtained between 0.7-1 and the content validity index (CVI) was 0.85. Results of Pearson correlation coefficient test showed that the correlation between the total score of WHOQOL-OLD and GHQ-28 questionnaires was 0.53 (P0.75). Conclusion: Results indicated that the Persian version of the WHOQOL-OLD is valid and reliable, and especially can be used to assess the quality of life among Iranian elderly people.

Background: The present study aimed to provide a field-tested model of constituting factors affecting mental health in young Iranian adolescents. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a conceptual model was proposed based on an extensive literature review. A total of 254 young adolescents aged 11–14 years were recruited from north, south, east, and west regions of Tehran megacity by a random cluster sampling procedure, of whom 244 adolescents participated. The adolescents and their mothers altogether completed eight questionnaires pertaining to the proposed conceptual model: (1) Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), (2) Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire, (3) Child Exposure to Domestic Violence Scale, (4) Drug Abuse Screening Test-10, (5) Baumrind Parenting Style Questionnaire, (6) Conflict Behavior Questionnaire, (7) General Health Questionnaire-28, and (8) Garmaroodi Socioeconomic Status Questionnaire. The statistical analysis was performed using structural equation modeling. Results: This study demonstrated that parent mental health (b = −0.111), experience of father's care (b = −1.112), conflict with mother (b = 0.309), conflict with father (b = 0.135), and exposure to domestic violence (b = 0.217), as well as age (b = 0.93) and gender (b = 0.139), had direct effect on adolescent mental health (all P < 0.05). Further, the results showed that exposure to domestic violence and conflict with mother had the greatest direct impact on adolescent mental health among all other family-related factors, followed by conflict with father and parent mental health. Conflict with mother and conflict with father also affected adolescent mental health indirectly through experience of domestic violence and had a mediating effect for the influence of several other factors on adolescent mental health, thus playing an important role in the pathway leading to young adolescent mental health status in the Iranian population. Conclusion: Overall, the final model proved to be fit and the factors constituting the final model were able to predict 88% of the variations in the mental health of Iranian adolescents. This model can guide clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health workers in a more realistic and effective prevention or treatment planning for their young clients. Moreover, it may help in arriving at a comprehensive preventive policymaking for mental health policymakers.

Background & Aim: Given the importance of mothers’ health and considering that developmental delay in children affects their mothers’ mental health this study aimed to compare stress and perceived social support in mothers of 6-18 month old children with and without developmental delay. Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional, analytical study was performed on 610 mothers and their 6-18 month-old infants in health centers affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. The participants were selected through the multi-stage random sampling. To collect data, the following questionnaires were used: obstetric and demographic characteristics, socio-economic status, infants’ characteristics, the Cohen perceived stress scale, perceived social support, and Ages and Stages questionnaire to determine the children’s development status. The data were analyzed by SPSS v.19 software and using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, chi-square, independent t-test and Man-Whitney statistical tests. Results: The mean age of infants were 10.68±4.5 months. Independent t-test revealed a significant difference between mothers’ perceived stress (P=0.004) and social support (P=0.01) in the two groups. In addition, a relationship was observed between the mother’s social support and stress (P

Objectives: One of the problems in the process of assessment and evaluation, especially of clinical training in rehabilitation disciplines, is the lack of an instrument with objective criteria for evaluation. Considering the effects of appropriate evaluation on quality assurance of clinical training, the aim of the present study was to design a valid and reliable tool for general evaluation of clinical training in rehabilitation disciplines. Methods: This study was a methodological research. Initially by literature review and also by holding a focus group discussion with professors of clinical training of rehabilitation disciplines who were recruited by convenient purposive sampling, the main indicators for evaluation of clinical education in those fields were determined. Then, after classification of the indicators and first evaluation tool was developed. The face validity and content validity of the tool were determined with the Lawasche's method and its reliability was determined with the test- retest method and Cronbakh's alpha coefficient in SPSS-19. Results: Content analysis of the focus group discussion resulted in 57 indices, classified in 5 categories (including: the educator, the Trainees, Administration of clinical training, field of clinical training and Evaluation of clinical training). Finally, the final tool was adjusted in two separate questionnaires. The correlation coefficient for the questionnaire of the clinical educators was 0.9, its Cronbakh's alpha coefficient was 0.88 and its content validity coefficient was 0.84. The correlation coefficient for the questionnaire of the students, was 0.7, its Cronbakh's alpha was 0.92 and its content validity coefficient was 0.81. Discussion: The tool designed for the evaluation of clinical training in rehabilitation disciplines has appropriate and acceptable validity and reliability.

Background & Objective: Clinical education courses are recognized as the heart of professional education because more than 50% of students time is spent in clinical environments Therefore qualifying in clinical skills requires an effective clinical learning environment Thus clinical education can be enriched through the consideration of clinical educators and students perspectives The aim of this study was to compare the viewpoints of clinical educators and students of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences Tehran Iran toward the clinical education status of rehabilitation disciplines Methods: This study was a crosssectional study Based on the inclusion criteria and using convenience sampling method 54 clinical educators and 178 students were chosen from among clinical educators and students of orthopedics physiotherapy occupational therapy and speech therapy disciplines The participants completed valid and reliable clinical education questionnaires in the field of rehabilitation Results: A statistical difference was observed between clinical educators and students viewpoints in the area of “clinical learners” With regard to the academic degrees of clinical educators there was a statistically significant difference in the “evaluation area” With regard to the gender of clinical educators differences were observed in the area of “clinical learners” According to students academic disciplines with the exception of the field of “management” statistical differences were observed in other areas Conclusion: Clinical education courses in Rehabilitation Sciences must provide an effective clinical learning setting Moreover reviewing of management and evaluation of clinical education through appropriate evaluation criteria in order to improve the clinical education status is necessary

Development is a dynamic and continuous phenomenon that is under the influence of various factors forming a complicated multidimensional system together. Any impairment in these factors can lead to impaired development in children, which is one of the most common problems in children. Therefore, this study provides a brief overview of these factors and the way they affect early childhood development. A brief review was performed in databases including Google scholar, PUBMED, Proquest, SID, Magiran, Iranmedex, Irandoc with following keywords: child development, income, occupation, education, employment, boy, girl, gender, sex, social class, Race and Ethnicity. All of article was reviewed then categorized based on WHO model. Among the papers reviewed, most of the studies were about employment, education, and income and most of them investigated these risk factors in terms of socioeconomic status. Structural factors of social determinants of health had a close relationship with each other, and they had affected development through each other. Given that, only few studies on structural factors, except for socioeconomic factors, have been conducted and little attention has been paid to the way these factors affect child development, further studies in this area are required to propose a model in order to better understand the interaction between these factors.

Objective: This research was made to personal- social developmental screening of 4-60 months old children in Tehran city by DDST-II and ASQ and determining the agreement coefficient of two tests. Materials & Methods: In this study, the personal-social developmental status of 197 children 4-60 months old were screened by using ASQ and PDQ (93 girls and 104 boys). Convenient sampling was used. Data was analyzed by SPSS software. Results: By using DDST-II and ASQ personal- social developmental delay detected in 11% and 1.5% of children respectively. The estimated consistency coefficient between DDST-II and ASQ for Personal- social domain was 0.06. Conclusion: In this study personal- social developmental screening of children showed different results and kappa measure agreement of two tests was weak. For selecting a suitable tool we must consider the psychometric characteristics (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predicting power) of the tool. This study showed that the results of developmental screening of 4-60 months old children in Tehran by using ASQ and PDQ lead to different results. This finding emphasizes the need to comparing the results of screening tests with a diagnostic gold standard test.

Objectives: The aim of this research was to assess the level of awareness of rehabilitation professionals employed in academic rehabilitation centers in Tehran with reference to Tele-rehabilitation technology. Methods: In this study, a descriptive cross-sectional research method was used. The research was implemented by using a researcher-designed questionnaire which was developed by the integration and cultural adaptation of different tools collected in the field of tele-health implementation feasibility. The content and face validity of the questionnaire was determined and approved by Lawsche’s method. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed by test-retest correlation coefficient determinations. After considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, informed consent was obtained, and the questionnaires were distributed among the study sample, which comprised of 141 rehabilitation professionals. Results: The findings show that a desirable level of awareness does not exist among rehabilitation professionals with regards to this technology. Based upon the results, only 8% of the participants had basic knowledge of this technology required in case of implementation. Discussion: Since rehabilitation professionals’ awareness and knowledge can be a major key to a better implementation and application of this technology, it seems that there is a need for some developmental and training programs, such as informative educational workshops and seminars, to help them improve their level of knowledge and awareness.

Objectives: There are various developmental screening tools that are different in terms of psychometric characteristics and choosing the best one is challenging for the pediatrician. This research was designed to identify the validity and reliability of Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status, a developmental screening questionnaire, in 4-60 months-old children in the city of Tehran. Methods: In order to validate the Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status, a precise translation of the questionnaire was performed by the research team. A Persian version was back-translated by three English language experts who were unfamiliar with the Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status. The back-translated version was compared with the original version. The content validity of the finalized Persian version was verified by three pediatricians. The questionnaire was performed on 648 children ranging from 4 to 60 months old in healthcare clinics. A test-retest method with 2-3 weeks interval and Cronbach’s & alpha were used in order to determine the reliability of the questionnaire. Results: All of the questions in Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status had desirable content validity and there was no need to change them. The total Cronbach’s &alpha coefficient was 0.63, which, when considering the low number of items in Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status, is acceptable. The test-retest correlation coefficient was determined to be 0.87, which is desirable. The estimated Kappa measure agreement between Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status and Ages and Stages Questionnaires was 0.30. Due to the rather large sample size and similarity of the screening results by both questionnaires in 71.5% of cases, it is possible to conclude that this measure is an acceptable one. Discussion: This research showed that Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status has a good content validity and reliability and can be used for developmental screening of children in Tehran city. Because the test is brief, using it can lead to saving time and resources.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess assistive devices needs of adolescent students with hearing impairment in Ahvaz city. Materials & Methods: Although 69(96%) students had digital hearing aids 44(61%) reported difficulties in watching television, 66 (92%) in using alarm clocks, 24(33%) in hearing door and telephone ringing, 63(88%) in using telephone, 14(19%) in face to face communication and 46 (64%) in class participation. Almost none of the participants were aware of existence of above mentioned assistive devices. After introducing the devices, each of the devices, were reported to be highly needed by 2 (3%) to 69 (96%) students and their parents. Results: Although 69 (96%) students had digital hearing aids, 44 (61%) were reported to have difficulties in watching television, 66 (92%) in using alarm clocks, 24 (33%) in hearing door and telephone ringing, 63 (88%) in using telephone, 14 (19%) in face to face communication and 46 (64%) in class participation. Almost none of the participants were aware of existence of above mentioned assistive devices. After introducing the devices, between 2 (3%) to 69 (96%) were reported to need each device. Conclusion: Adolescents with hearing impairment should be widely informed of assistive devices which could be useful to them. Findings on this study could be use in planning for providing assistive devices for adolescents with hearing impairments.

Context: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement problems that do not worsen over time. They cause physical disability mainly in areas of body movement. It is caused by damage to the motor control centers of developing brain. Management of a child with CP to optimize functional abilities, typically includes the input of many disciplines, including occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT) and orthotic treatment. The main aim of this review was to compare the effects of most common rehabilitation intervention on CP. Evidence Acquisition: This systematic review was conducted on published papers that studied rehabilitation interventions approaches for children with CP. A literature search was performed using PubMed, SCOPUS and Google Scholar on papers published from January 1990 to October 2014. Results: From 125 articles related to rehabilitation interventions for children with Cerebral palsy, 36 articles met the inclusion criteria. Conclusions: The efficacy of rehabilitation interventions for children with CP is still inconclusive. Functional ability and social participation should be the main outcome measures in evaluating rehabilitation efficacy.

Objective: Knowledge and attitude of parents about attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an important factor in management of the disorder in children. This study investigates the parents’ knowledge and attitude towards ADHD, its symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Method: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, the subjects were 150 parents (120 mother and 30 father) of ADHD children who were referred to a child psychiatry clinic affiliated in university of social welfare and rehabilitation sciences in Tehran. The diagnosis was made by a child psychiatrist according to DSM-IV TR criteria. The parents completed a 40 items questionnaire that was prepared by the authors and assessed their knowledge and attitude towards ADHD and source of their information. Results: The most common source of parent’s information about ADHD was TV. The parent’s knowledge about the symptoms of the disorder was relatively good. But in regard to diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the disorder, they have very low knowledge and even incorrect beliefs. The parent’s knowledge significantly correlated with their educational level (p=0.01). Conclusion: In general, knowledge of the parents was low and it can lead to misdiagnosis or mismanagement of this common and important disorder and need to further consideration in terms of educating parents about the disorder in media specially TV.

Objectives: The aim of present study was determining the level of satisfaction and its relative factors among parents of mentally retarded children using the services of private rehabilitation centers. Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical study that was conducted on parents of 150 mentally retarded children, who were selected by quota sampling from eight private rehabilitation centers in Tehran. Questionnaires were used to collect data, and correlation tests, independent t-test, and one-way analysis of variance were utilized to analyze data. Results: Upon the results, overall 88% of participants expressed their satisfaction. The major related factors were the behavior of managers and employees, receiving training for follow-up rehabilitation and education programs for the child at home, and the child's progress. The factors related to dissatisfaction included nutrition services, physical condition of the center and lack of parental participation in decision- making on matters related to the child. A significant relationship was found between parental satisfaction and family size, father's job, and the number of other disabled people in the family. Discussion: According to the findings, it seems that patient satisfaction is also affected by the behavioral aspects of care, in addition to the technical aspects. Considering the humans’ need for respect and compassion and the sense of being valuable, this finding could be anticipated. The managers of private rehabilitation centers, for attracting and retain clients, need to pay attention to the factors which have impact on service users’ satisfaction.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of home adaptation on developmental level of 15-60 months old cerebral palsy children. Materials & Methods: In this experimental single-blinded study, forty children with cerebral palsy (15-60 months old) were recruited from some of Tehran public or private rehabilitation clinics based on pre-determined inclusion criteria, and after matching for child age, type of clinic referred to (public or private), type of cerebral palsy, IQ score, GMFCS level and number of occupational treatment sessions already provided at the rehabilitation clinic, the children were divided randomly in to two groups: intervention and control. For data collection, a Demographic Information Questionnaire and Ages & Stages Questionnaires ( ASQ) Test were used. Data were collected on two occasions: before the intervention and 3 months after intervention. For intervention, researcher went to the intervention group home and explained educations related to handling for caregivers and adapted home in a 4-hour session. During 3 months, researcher would follow up to implement the intervention.Finally data were analyzed. Results: there were significant differences in developmental level in total of two groups in 3 months after intervention than before intervention (P

Objective: The aim of the study was to develop a valid and reliable Persian version of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddlers Development Screening Test. Materials & Methods: Forward and backward translation, face and content validity determination, and cultural and linguistic adaptations of the questionnaires were performed, consecutively. Clarity of items of the translated version of the scale were examined by a study that carried out on 45 Persian 1- to 42-month-old children, recruited by sampling in Tehran, during the year 2012 . In order to determine the reliability internal consistency, inter-rater and test-retest, 34 tests carried out. For determining the psychometric properties of the tests, later a representative sample of 260, 1- to 42-months-old children recruited through consecutive sampling from health -care centers in five main districts in Tehran. Results: Performing cultural and lingual adaptations, our expert team made some inevitable changes to the test items. Almost in all age groups, cultural or linguistic changes were made in items in communication domains. The Cronbach alpha in cognitive, communication (receptive and expressive), fine and gross motor subtests were 0.96, 0.95. 0.95 and 0.94 respectively. The construct validity of the tests by factor analysis and comparison of mean scores in age groups was confirmed. Conclusion: The Persian version of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddlers Development Screening test is a valid and reliable tool.

Objective: Febrile seizure (FS) occurs between 6 months and 6 years of age. Febrile seizure is a common disease in pediatrics. Some patients are retarded with recurrent febrile seizure. For example Drawet syndrome was started with febrile seizure and progress into the intractable seizure and finally are retarded. Materials & Methods: This article is the clinical trial study. Population in this study are 86 children whit febrile seizure refer to pediatrics’ medical central. This study was carried out in 2013. In this study evaluated patients with febrile seizure’s criteria and included in the population. Children statistics with febrile seizure refer to pediatrics’ medical center registered and compared with other statistics. Data enter the SPSS program 18 version (SPSS Inc, Chicago, USA) and used analysis statistical tests and also T-test, Chi Square tests. Finally evaluated total parameters by MIN+SD and reported significant difference (P-value

Objective: Early detection of children who are at risk for speech and language impairment and those at early stages of delay is crucial for provision of early intervention services. However, unfortunately in Iran, this disorder is not identified or referred for proper treatment and rehabilitation at early critical stages. Materials & Methods: This study was carried out in two phases. The first phase which was qualitative in nature was meant to identify all potentially affective factors through literature review as well as by acquiring the viewpoints of experts and families on this issue. Twelve experts and 9 parents of children with speech and language disorders participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews, thereby completing the first draft of potentially affective factors compiled through literature review. The completed list of factors finally led to the design of a questionnaire for identifying “factors affecting late referral in childhood speech and language impairment”. The questionnaire was approved for face and content validity. The cronbach’s alpha was determined to be 0.81. Two groups of parents were asked to complete the questionnaire: the parents of children who had attended speech and language clinics located on the west and central regions of Tehran city, after their child was 3 years old and those who had attended before their child was 3 years old, as the case and control group, respectively. Results: According to the results, among the seven factors which showed significant difference between the two groups of children before definite diagnosis of speech and language disorders was arrived for the child, 3 factors were related to the type of guidance and consultation received by the family from physicians, 2 factors were related to parents’ lack of awareness and knowledge, and 2 factors were related to the screening services received. All six factors showing significant difference between the two groups after definite diagnosis of speech and language disorders was arrived for the child were somehow related to the parents’ misbeliefs and incorrect attitude towards the issue. Conclusion: We suggest that executive managers in the field of child health promote awareness programs for families in order to increase their knowledge and correct their beliefs and attitudes, and also to implement complementary training programs for pediatricians and other physicians related to the field of child health.

Introduction: This study intends to determine the needs assessment of rehabilitation specialists for training in child development (0-8 years old).Material and Methods: This study is a cross -sectional, descriptive- analytic. At the first, a questionnaire was made for the assessment of the knowledge and skills of the specialists that work in the rehabilitation team of the children with developmental disorders (occupational therapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy, technical orthopedics, preschool children education, audiometry, social working and psychology of children with special needs). The content and face validity and reliability of the questionnaire were determined. Then 400 rehabilitation specialists fill in the questionnaires. After data collection and analysis, the needs of these specialists were determined.Results: The Cronbach's Alpha of questionnaire was 0.93, which was good. One hundred and four persons (43.2%) knew the most necessity to skill increasing in normal children development indexes as the first priority. Sixty-four persons (26.1%) knew the most necessity in primary prevention methods from developmental disorders as the second priority and 66 persons (27.2%) knew the methods of early detection and intervention in developmental disorders as the third priority. One hundred and twenty five persons (45.1%) knew the most necessity to knowledge increasing in normal children development indexes as the first priority. Seventy- six persons (27.4%) knew the most necessity to the methods of early detection and intervention in developmental disorders as the second priority and 74 persons (26.2%) knew the primary prevention methods from developmental disorders as the third priority.Conclusion: It is necessary to plan and perform training of the different rehabilitation specialists for increasing the knowledge and skills in children development themes that they have sensed as the most necessities.

Objective (s): The purpose of this study was to compare quality of life among rural and urban elderly outpatients attending the Imam Sajjad Hospital of Shahryar during 2010-2011.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of a sample of 203 rural and urban elderly outpatients. HRQoL was measured using the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Data were analyzed using student t-test, ANOVA, and regression analysis in order to indicate the major quality of life determinants.Results: In a step-wise regression analysis gender, age and employment had significant effect on physical functioning. For role physical, education; for bodily pain, education, gender and living area; for general health, gender and employment; for vitality, employment; for social functioning, employment; for role emotional, living area; and for mental health, gender had a significant effect on quality of life.Conclusion: Overall the findings suggest that the urban and rural environment do not have significant effect on health-related quality of life.

Background: To provide the validated and standardized form of the Persian version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires as an appropriate developmental screening tool for evaluation of Iranian children’s development.Methods: This was a cross- sectional study. Translation and back-translation, content validity determination, cultural and lingual modifications, pilot study on 100 parents and inter-rater reliability determinations were performed, respectively. The national and final stage was carried out 11000, 4-60 month- old children in selected cities throughout the country in order to determine the validity, standard deviation, reliability, sensitivity, specificity, and mean scores points of the test.Results: The reliability, determined by cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.76 to 0.86 and the inter-rater reliability was 0.93. The validity determined by factor analysis was satisfactory. The mean scores of Iranian children were identified and compared with those of the normative sample as well as with three other populations of children. The developmental status of Iranian children was higher in the communication, problem-solving and personal-social domains, especially under the age of 24 months, after which their developmental status seems to deteriorate, especially in the motor domains.Conclusion: The Persian version of the ASQ has appropriate validity and reliability for screening developmental disorders in Iran.

Objective: Family Compliance to therapists’ recommendations on home exercise has an important role in success of rehabilitation programs for disabled children. This study intends to determine barriers to compliance of parents with prescribed home exercises. Materials & Methods: In present survey, parents of all of the 60 disabled children who were receiving occupational therapy, speech therapy or physiotherapy at Birjand’s rehabilitation clinics during September 2009 were interviewed. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, developed and validated by the researchers, containing questions about compliance and 21 barriers to compliance with recommended home exercises. Pearson chi-square test and Fisher exact test were used to explore the risk of parental non-compliance to recommendations in case of facing each of the barriers. Independent sample t-test was used to explore the correlation of number of barriers with degree of parental compliance. Results: According to the study, the four main know abstacles consisting "lack of exercises devices in home" (P=0.003) "child’s (or cartaker’s) unwillingness to do the home exercises" (P=0.024). parent’s (or cartaker’s) concerns about child harming due to exercises (P=0.027), and Lack of necessary skills to perform the exercises (P=0.047) significantly increases the parents incompliance to home exercises. There was also a significant relationship between the number of perceived barriers and the degree of compliance (P=0.008). Conclusion: It seems that designing exercises in a way that children would love them and emphasizing on helping parents to acquire the tools, knowledge and expertise would improve parental compliance to home exercise.

Objective: This research was designed to evaluate the developmental status of children aged 4–60 months in Tehran city by two developmental screening tests, Denver Developmental Screening Test II (DDST II) and Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) and also to determine the consistency coefficient between these two tests. Materials & Methods: In this cross–sectional study, DDST II and ASQ were performed on 197 children (104 boys, 93 girls), aged 4–60 months (Mean=23.5 months), at four health centers in Tehran city. Evaluation of 15% of children was repeated by Developmental Pediatricians who were blinded to the screening results. Results: Developmental disorders were observed in 37% and 18% of children who were examined by DDST II and ASQ tests, respectively. Considering those children who were healthy but their parents were concerned about their developmental status, these figures changed to 38% and 43%, respectively. The estimated consistency coefficient between DDST II and ASQ was 0.21 which is weak (P=0.002) (for gross motor 0.24, language 0.18, personal-social 0.06 and fine motor 0.05). The consistency coefficient between the physicians’ examination with DDST II and ASQ were 0.17 (P=0.099) and 0.47 (P=0.003), respectively. Conclusion: A weak consistency coefficient was found between DDST II and ASQ tests. Therefore, the results of these two screening tools should be compared with a developmental diagnostic test in order to choose an appropriate screening tool.

Objective(s): To identify the validity and reliability of Denver Developmental Screening Test II (DDST II) in Iranian children, in order to provide an appropriate developmental screening tool for evaluation of Iranian children development.Methods: A precise translation of the original test to Persian was done and it was revised by three developmental pediatricians. Then, DDST II was performed on 221 children aged 0 to 6 years, in four child health care centers of Tehran city. Available sampling was used. In order to determine agreement coefficient, these children were also evaluated by ASQ test in 4-60 months old children, and by developmental pediatricians in children who were out of this range. Obtained data was analyzed by SPSS software.Results: There were developmental disorders in 34% and 12% of children who were examined by DDST II, and ASQ test respectively. The estimated consistency coefficient between DDST II and ASQ was weak (0.21), and between DDST II and physician’s examination was 0.44. All of the questions in DDST II had content validity, and there was no need to change them. Test-retest and interrater methods were used in order to determine reliability of test, and Cronbach’s α and Kauder-Richardson coefficients. Kauder- Richardson coefficient for different developmental domains was 61- 74%. Kappa measure of agreement for test-retest and interrater were 87% and 76% respectively.Conclusion: DDST II has a good validity and reliability, and can be used as a screening tool for developmental screening of Iranian children, but it is necessary to prepare and standardize of diagnostic developmental tests in Iran due to the low and medium consistency coefficient between DDST II and ASQ and physician’s examination respectively.||

Objective: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive disorder and abnormality of the developing brain and it remains one of the main and prevalent causes of childhood developmental disorder. This study was carried out in order to recognize the types and associated disorders of children with cerebral palsy. Materials & Methods: This study was conducted on one to six years old children with cerebral palsy in eastern and northern districts of Tehran and the European classification of cerebral palsy was used for classification. Participants were evaluated by medical and rehabilitation team and associated disorders were classified based on symptoms such as epilepsy, speech and language disorder, visual problems, hearing disorders, and cognitive developmental delay. Results: In this study, 112 children with cerebral palsy participated. The mean age was 33.3 months for boys and 24.8 months for girls. The prevalence of cerebral palsy were 36.6% in children with unilateral - spastic cerebral palsy 43.7% in bilateral–spastic (diplegia in 31.2%, and quadriplegia in 12.5%), 13.4% in ataxia and 4.5% in dyskinesia. Speech and language disorders were observed in 33%, epilepsy in 30.4%, strabismus in 16.1%, hearing loss in 8%, and mental retardation in 7.1% of participants. Conclusion: In this study, unilateral - spastic cerebral palsy was found as the most common type. Therefore, more evaluation to determine the about etiology of this type of cerebral palsy in our population is necessary.

"nObjective: Tardive Dyskinesia (TD), is one of the important problems of the patients with schizophrenia. The emergence of these side effects depends on so many factors such as the patients' age and the duration of antipsychotic treatment. By discovering new drugs (Atypical), there has been an outstanding decrease in the emergence of these side effects. The present study investigates the symptoms of TD in the Patients with schizophrenia who were under treatments for more than 6 months. "nMethod: The sample of this study was 200 Patients with schizophrenia of four wards in Razi hospital (two acute and two chronic wards) who were hospitalized in the winter of 2006 and were qualified for this study. The subjects were 101 males and 99 females who were younger than 60 and had received antipsychotic drugs for at least 6 months. After psychiatric interview and filling the demographic questionnaire by the patients, the required information about the drugs and the intensity of the symptoms was acquired. Then clinical and physical examinations of tardive dyskinesia were done. Next, the tardive dyskinesia disorders' check list (AIMS) was used. Findings of this cross-sectional, descriptive study were analyzed by SPSS. "nResults: There was a high ratio of 95% between TD and the age factor (P=0.05). There was no relationship between symptoms frequency and duration of treatment (P=0.68). Facial muscles and oral zones were mostly involved in T.D disorder (72%). "nConclusion: No significant difference was observed between nine fold symptoms of T.D in patients who were using traditional drugs and those who were using the new ones (typical and atypical). Findings showed that in the intensity of the symptoms, gender does not play a major role.

"nChildren with cerebral palsy (CP) suffer from several problems, so the family especially the mothers undertake a lot of social and emotional difficulties. The purpose of this study was to determine the severity of depression in mothers of children with CP in comparison with mothers who have normal children and its relation to the type of CP and severity of the disability. During this descriptive-analytic study, 43 mothers who had younger than 8 year-old children with CP under rehabilitation services in SABA clinic, related to the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences (USWR), Tehran, Iran, were selected as the case group by simple sampling. A data registration form and the Beck Depression Inventory II were completed by them. The type of CP and the severity of disability were determined by a pediatrician and an occupational therapist respectively, using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Seventy-seven mothers of normal children, serving as the control group for comparing with case group, filled in the same questionnaires. There were significant differences in the mean depression scores (P=0.003) between the two groups. Having a child with CP also increases the risk of developing depression in mothers as much as 2.26 times (OR=2.26). There were no statistically significant differences in depression scores and the severity of disability and also among the five types of CP. It seems that having a child with CP is probably associated with higher prevalence and severity of depression in mothers. So treatment or prevention of depression in mothers of children with CP is highly recommended for improving the rehabilitation process and achieve better results in these children.

The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the European Child Environment Questionnaire (ECEQ) in the Iranian context. In total, 332 parents (20.2% fathers and 79.8% mothers) of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) with an average age of 12.33 years (min 7.08 to max 18.08) from three provinces in Iran participated in the study. The original version of the questionnaire was translated and back-translated. Confirmatory construct validity was assessed by factor analysis and reliability was evaluated by Cronbach’s alpha (N = 332) and after two weeks’ test–retest reliability (n = 51) using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Eleven questions were dropped as they did not fit well into domains in the Persian version (p > 0.05). Cronbach’s alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient in all domains and overall were acceptable (higher than 0.70) and significant (p > 0.05). The Persian version of the ECEQ is suitable for assessing the needs and availability of environmental factors and is reliable and valid for children with CP, as reported by their parents.

Objective: In this study clients’ satisfaction in public and private rehabilitation centers in Kordestan province was assessed and compared. Materials & Methods: In this comparative and cross-sectional study, 415 people who were admitted for the first time to out patient public and private rehabilitation centers in Kurdistan, during the six month period of autumn and winter 1383, were selected by simple randomized and stratified sampling. Using a structured questionnaire, information was gathered through telephone interviews, and each client’s satisfaction measured and scored by 1-20. The questionnaire’s face validity was approved by experts. Using the test- retest method, the reliability was r = 0.83 and it’s ICC was 0.76 (Kronobakh alpha). Independent t- test and Chi-Square test were used to analyze of data. Results: The total satisfaction score of public sector clients (12.48±1.6) was more than that of private sector clients (12.15±1. 4) and their difference was significant (P=0.04). The private sector clients were more satisfied than public sector clients with physical conditions (P

Objectives: Massage therapy is one of the most widely used complementary and alternative medicine therapies for children. This study was conducted to determine the effect of wedish massage on abnormal reflexes in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: This study was a single blind clinical trial conducted on forty children with spastic CP who were recruited from clinics of the University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences. They were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The routine occupational therapy (OT) techniques were performed during a 3 month-period in both groups. The intervention group also received Swedish massage for 30 minutes before every OT session. Primary, spinal, brain stem, midbrain, cortical and automatic reflexes were evaluated at the beginning of the study and 3 months later. The data analysis was done by parametric and nonparametric tests. Results: Finally, thirteen subjects in the intervention group and 14 subjects in the control group were remained and studied. The average ages in the intervention and control groups were 49.5 and 42.1 months respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in abnormal reflexes in the intervention group in comparison to the control (P>0.05). Discussion: Adding Swedish massage to traditional OT techniques had no significant effects on abnormal reflexes in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Evidently more research is required in order to completely reject the effects of Swedish massage on abnormal reflexes of children with CP.

Introduction. This study aimed to assess rehabilitation professionals’ attitude toward implementation and application of telerehabilitation technology as a novel study in rehabilitation academic centers and affiliated clinics in Tehran. Methods. It was a descriptive cross-sectional study. To collect data, a researcher-designed questionnaire was developed. 141 rehabilitation experts participated in the study. Results. A majority of faculty members (78%) and clinicians (89.7%) either were in “definite agreement” or “somewhat agreed” with implementation and application of this technology, which demonstrates an overall positive attitude. Discussion. Based on the positive attitudes of the majority of participants toward implementation and application of this technology and their preferences in offering different telerehabilitation services, it seems that there is an appropriate and desirable acceptance and administrative culture to implement this technology among rehabilitation experts in Tehran. It is thus expected that implementation and application of this technology will be a promising experience in rehabilitation academic centers and affiliate clinics in Tehran.

Objective: Tardive Dyskinesia (TD), is one of the important problems of the patients with schizophrenia. The emergence of these side effects depends on so many factors such as the patients' age and the duration of antipsychotic treatment. By discovering new drugs (Atypical), there has been an outstanding decrease in the emergence of these side effects. The present study investigates the symptoms of TD in the Patients with schizophrenia who were under treatments for more than 6 months. Method: The sample of this study was 200 Patients with schizophrenia of four wards in Razi hospital (two acute and two chronic wards) who were hospitalized in the winter of 2006 and were qualified for this study. The subjects were 101 males and 99 females who were younger than 60 and had received antipsychotic drugs for at least 6 months. After psychiatric interview and filling the demographic questionnaire by the patients, the required information about the drugs and the intensity of the symptoms was acquired. Then clinical and physical examinations of tardive dyskinesia were done. Next, the tardive dyskinesia disorders' check list (AIMS) was used. Findings of this cross-sectional, descriptive study were analyzed by SPSS.There was a high ratio of 95% between TD and the age factor (P=0.05). Results: There was no relationship between symptoms frequency and duration of treatment (P=0.68). Facial muscles and oral zones were mostly involved in T.D disorder (72%). Conclusion: No significant difference was observed between nine fold symptoms of T.D in patients who were using traditional drugs and those who were using the new ones (typical and atypical). Findings showed that in the intensity of the symptoms, gender does not play a major role.

Communication, cognition, language, and speech are interrelated and develop together. It should come as no surprise to us that the key to intervention with deaf children is to establish, as early as possible, a functional communication system for the child and the parents. Early intervention programs need to be multidisciplinary, technologically sound and most important, it should take cognizance of the specific context (community, country) in which the child and family function. The main aim of this study was to obtain oral communication development regarding current status of the intervention (aural habilitation and speech therapy)for children with severe to profound hearing impairment in Iran. A prospective longitudinal study was undertaken on a consecutive group of children with severe to profound deafness. Nine severe to profound hearing-impaired children out of the primer 42 cases, who were detected below two years old, had been selected in the previous study to receive aural habilitation. The average of their speech intelligibility scores was near 70% at age 6, which was accounted as poor oral communication and only two of them were able to communicate by spoken language. An integrated intervention services continued again for one year and their oral communication skill was assessed by their speech intelligibility. The intelligibility test of children was recorded on audio-tape, when they read 10 questions such as where is your home. This can be answered only in one word. Each tape was presented to10 normal hearing listeners, and their task was to write down, the answers in Persian orthography. At the beginning (at age 6) the average speech intelligibility score of these children was 72% and only two of them had score of 90% and 100%. At age 7, all of the severe groups were over 90%, and only two profound ones achieved the score of 48% and 62%. All of severe groups develop oral communication, but profound ones had a semi-intelligible speech and used Total communication. Oral communication development in severe to profound hearing impaired children is achievable in Iran, but needs integrated public services on aural habilitation and speech therapy. By providing such services, a considerable number of hearing impaired children would have a favorable chance to take part in regular schools and benefit from equivalent social development with normal hearing peers.

Objectives: Quality of life, when referring to an individual’s health, is called health-related quality of life. The purpose of this study is to assess self-perceived hearing loss related quality of life of adolescents with hearing loss and its relationship with sex, age sub-groups or school settings with domains of quality of life. Methods: A school based survey was conducted in Tehran city. Using stratified sampling, 255 7th to 12th grade students with hearing loss, aged 11-19 years, studying in main streaming and special school sitting, were participated in the study by completing the health-related quality of life adolescent’s questionnaire. Physical, Emotional and Social health-related quality of life domain scores as well as Total health-related quality of life scores was calculated in a 0-100 scoring system. Results: As a whole, health-related quality of life of adolescents calculated to be 64.7±16.5. Students with milder hearing loss reported their quality of life (physical, emotional and social domains, as well as total quality of life) better than those with more severe hearing loss. Girls reported their physical and total health-related quality of life better than boys, and adolescents who were studied in mainstreaming reported better physical, social and total health-related quality of life. No significant differences were seen between reported health-related quality of life in early, mid or late adolescent age sub-groups. Nevertheless the power of tests was not enough to exclude differences between groups. Discussion: Findings of this study could be readily used to focus interventions on domains with more weakness in each group of adolescents. Beyond that the results could be helpful as a base line for detecting effectiveness of interventions in future.

Objectives: Speech and language development is one of the main aspects of evolution in humans and is one of the most complex brain functions such that it is referred to as one of the highest cortical functions such as thinking, reading and writing. Speech and language disorders are considered as a major public health problem because they cause many secondary complications in the childhood and adulthood period which affect one’s socioeconomic status overall. Methods: This study was conducted in two phases. The first phase was to identify all potential factors influencing delay in referral of children with speech and language disorders for receiving rehabilitation services, based on literature as well as the families’ and experts’ points of view. In the second phase of the study which was designed in a case-control manner, actual factors influencing the time of referral were compared between two groups of participants. Results: Parental knowledge of their children's problems related to speech and language had no significant impact on the on-time referral for treatment for children with speech and language disorders. After the child definite diagnosis of speech and language disorders, parents’ information about the consequences of speech and language disorders, had a significant influence on early referral for speech and language pathology services. Discussion: In this study family structure plays an important role in the early identification of children with developmental disorders. Two-parent families had access to more resources than single-parent families. In addition, single-parent families may be more involved in the work and business of life.