Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation
Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation (JSER) (ISSN 1409-6099) is a multidisciplinary peer reviewed international journal edited by the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation of the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje, Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism and Macedonian Association of Special Educators. The following articles will be considered for publication: original and review articles, short report, letters to the editor, clinical experiences, survey of cases, doctoral dissertations, master of arts, editorials, rapid communications and other contributions from all the fields of special education, medicine, psychology, pedagogy, social policy, and the related sciences. Special educators, medical doctors, psychologists, pedagogues, social workers and other employed in the public and private special schools, institutions, health departments and hospitals in Republic of Macedonia and all over the world have the right to publish. The aim of the journal is to share and disseminate knowledge between all disciplines that work in the field of special education and rehabilitation. All articles will be critically reviewed within 2 months, but longer delayes are sometimes unavoidable. All manuscripts must comply with Authors Instructions. There are around 20 articles published per year. JSER allows free access (Open Access) to its contents and permits authors to self-archive final accepted version of the articles on any OAI-compliant institutional / subject-based repository. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation is devoted to the scientific study of disability. The subject matter is broad and includes, but is not restricted to, findings from biological, educational, genetic, medical, psychiatric, psychological and sociological studies, and ethical, philosophical, and legal contributions that increase knowledge on the prevention and treatment of disability, and/or inform public policy and practice.
EVALUATION OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AND HYDROCEPHALUS FOR PERFORMING EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES
The master’s thesis is presented on 111 pages. The paper contains the following parts: Introduction, Theoretical part, Research, composed of Methodology of Research, Analysis and Interpretation of Results, Discussion, Conclusions, Recom-mendations, Attachments and Literature. The Introduction explains the concept of cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. Cerebral palsy is chronic, no progressive damage of the brain, which can be developed during pregnancy, birth or in the first few years of the postnatal period (the slow psychomotor early-development). Hydrocephalus represents increased quantity of cerebral liquid and expansion of the cerebral ventricles. The way of life and the everyday functioning depends on the type of the cerebral palsy and whether the child is diagnosed with hydrocephalus. Children with this diagnose cannot take care of themselves. They lose ability to control their muscles. The help of other person is needed because they have difficulties with the transfer, with sitting down and standing up. In the Theoretical part are described definitions of cerebral palsy and hydro-cephalus from more than one author that are present in medical literature. Etiological facts for occurrence of cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus are described, as well as the incidence and prevalence for both conditions. The early diagnostics of cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus, the clinical picture, the classification and the rehabilitation are also shown in the theoretical part. In the research is given the methodology of research and the subject, goal and character of research, quests, hypothesis, variables, methods, techniques and instruments, examples, processing of statistic data, place, time, organization and flow of research are defined. The subject of this research is estimation of the ability to perform the daily activities of the children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and cerebral palsy and hydro-cephalus by themselves. The gained results give us opportunity to make the correlation of how the care is done by the children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and how by the children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. There were 64 examinees, divided in two groups of 32. In the first group, there were children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and in the second with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. The key point of this research is to elaborate how this group of children is struggling with daily activities and the level of self-reliance or level of dependence of other people. A questionnaire was created especially for this issue. The results from this research were gained through method of comparison. Received outcomes were statistically processed with help of χ² test and Fisher Exact test, with level of significance of p = 0.05. The results indicate that 90% of the examinees had the need of other person for performing the daily activities and had difficulties and obstacles for performing them independently. 62.5% of persons with cerebral palsy and 59.4% of persons with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus are walking with help of tools or assistance of another person. Big percent of children with cerebral palsy (43.8%) and children with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus (40.6%) are dependent on another person while they go to the toilet. According to the results from this research and their statistical processing it was concluded that there was statistical signifycance in the level of self-reliance or dependence on others for the children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and the children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. This research showed that children with cerebral palsy have greater impairment of motor skills and mobility and therefore, their level of independence is smaller.
Copyright (c) 2015 Sanja Atanasovska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
VALIDITY, RELIABILITY AND UTILITY OF THE 6-YEAR AGES AND STAGES QUESTIONNAIRE
Introduction: The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), is a parent completed questionnaire that may be used as a general developmental screening tool, evaluating five developmental domains: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal adaptive skills, for children from ages of 1 to 66 months (1). Now that the usefulness of the ASQ has been demonstrated in many contexts, and international interest has been aroused by the demonstrated benefit of early intervention for children with developmental delays, the time has come to expand the age range of ASQ. Researchers have designed the 6-Year ASQ to answer the need for a screening tool for children approaching school age. The 6-Year ASQ (2) will evaluate five developmental domains: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal adaptive skills, for children from the ages of 66 months to 78 months. Objectives: The primary objective of this research study was to expand the age range of the ASQ and measure the psychometric properties of the 6-Year ASQ. Methods: The purpose of this research study is to measure the psychometric properties, including validity, reliability and utility of the 6-Year ASQ. Results: This research study was focused on the psychometric properties of the 6-Year ASQ (2). A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with categorical data confirmed the 6-Year ASQ domains e.g., communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal adaptive skills. The implied model showed high level of fit, so its parameter was interpretable, indicating appropriateness for the 6-Year ASQ structure. The results were promising in terms of reliability, validity and utility of the 6-Year ASQ. The research result showed that the 6-Year ASQ (2) was found to be highly reliable. Conclusion: This research study have investigated the usefulness of the 6-Year ASQ and examined the validity, reliability and utility of the 6-Year ASQ. The results of this research study provided initial evidence for use of the 6-Year ASQ. This questionnaire may help with a model for identifying school-age children early and improving their outcomes. In summary, the result of this research study supported the use of the 6-Year ASQ for early identification of suspected developmental delay. The 6-Year ASQ can be used to improve the early identification of school-age children and improve outcomes before disabilities become more established (2).
Parent-completed Developmental Questionnaire
Copyright (c) 2015 Ajay Singh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
THE MACEDONIAN SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY FOR AUTISM ON FIRST MEETING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHAMPTON IN ENGLAND, AS PART OF THE PROJECT "EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION THROUGH POSITIVE PARENTING"
Between 28 and 30 September 2015, Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski (President of Macedonia Scientific Society for Autism) and Jasmina Troshanska MA (Vice-president of the Society) visited the University of Northampton in England. This was in order to attend the project "Equality and Social Inclusion through Positive Parenting (ESIPP). This project is intended to create a scientifically-proven model for providing training for parents of children with autism at the European level ESIPP is part of the European Commission's Erasmus+ program (project number: 2015-1-UK01-KA204-013397). The project has been funded under Key Action 2 - cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practice - and is a Strategic Partnership in the field of Adult Education. The project coordinator is University of Northampton and partner organizations are: Faculty of Education and rehabilitation University of Zagreb, Croatia; Center for Autism in Zagreb, Croatia; Autism Europe, Belgium; Autism Assessment Support Practi¬ce Center, Cyprus; European University, Cyprus; Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism, Macedonia; Target Autism, UK; and Autism Concern, UK. The project budget is 432,210 euros and duration is 36 months, from 01.09.2015 to 08.31.2018. The objectives of the project are: To develop an evidence-based model for delivering parent education in autism that can be used across Europe. To develop a core curriculum and ecologically valid parent education training materials. To use these materials to provide parent education to families living with autism in areas where it has been previously unavailable. To evaluate the effectiveness of the materials and the impact of the training using quantitative and qualita¬tive data collection and analysis. To share the model curriculum, tools and materials with stakeholders and make recommendations to policy- and decision-makers. During the first meeting, coordinator presented the project, starting from that led to project's development and identifying the expected results at the end of the project. Representatives of the Republic of Croatia, Republic of Macedonia and Cyprus gave presentations outlining the characteristics of their countries (with regard to cultural, geographical and political perspectives) and spoke about the organizations from which they came. They then went to discuss issues relating to the treatment of children with autism within these countries. This included information relating to the numbers of children with autism; opportunities for early intervention and treatment; the education systems; and the problems facing children with autism and their families. Working in groups, and facilitated by Target Autism and Autism Concern, the partners started developing models of education of parents for Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Croatia and Cyprus. Each model was presented to the group and all the positive and negative aspects were considered by mutual discussion. Dates were set for future international project meetings, and planning commenced for the first training sessions for parents of children with autism in the Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Croatia and Cyprus. Six training sessions for parents will be held in each of these states (18 in total). Educators and rehabilitation staff from the partner organisations (e.g. MSSA in Macedonia) will also receive training to work with the parents of children with autism. Four conferences for parents and professionals will be held as part of the project, including one in September 2017 in the Republic of Macedonia. The project partners will also have opportunities to attend national and international conferences, such as the Autism-Europe Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland (September 2016). These will provide opportunities to share and produce scientific papers and reports. The project will be monitored by a reference group of experts on autism in Europe. The hosts for the next international meeting in January 2016 are partners from Cyprus, and the first training for parents and training for coaches is expected to be in March 2016 in Skopje. There is an ongoing international competition for the logo of the project, through the collection of drawings by children with autism from states participating in the project.
Copyright (c) 2015 Jasmina Troshanska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
LECTURE FOR REATTACH: INTRODUCTION OF A NEW SCHEMA THERAPY BY PAULA WEERKAMP - BARTHOLOMEUS
A lecture with topic "Reattach: introduction of a new schema therapy" was held on September 14, 2015 at the Faculty of Philosophy. It was organized under the auspices of The Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism. The lecture started at 10 am with the presentation by the President of MSSA Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski, who warmly welcomed the guests. There were 50 participants among which parents, professionals from different areas and students. He introduced the presenter Dr. Paula Weerkamp - Bartholomeus, who is a school psychologist. Dr. Paula Weerkamp - Bartholomeus has gained a lot of experience in the last 26 years with intensive work and education at the universities in Holland in the fields of psychology and special education and rehabilitation. Dr. Paula Weerkamp – Bartholomeus began the presentation of her work "Reattach: introduction of a new schema therapy", which is a multimodal approach for adults and children who suffer from different functional disabilities, as well as neuropsychological dysfunction. This treatment, despite the fact that it is used as a schema therapy, shows promising implementation in the treatment of people with autism. The treatment can also be used in various fields, as treatment for brain trauma, dementia, and there is the possibility to apply the treatment with persons who suffer from psychopathic behavior. The treatment offers a training of cognitive abilities of the concerned person, while using different methods makes the treatment quite easily adapted for both adults and children. Primarily the treatment begins by stimulating the brain cells through physical contact, allowing increased production of the hormone oxytocin. During the treatment with the physical contact it's provided increase and decrease in the level of arousal. Physical contact allows the participant to release stress and negative thoughts and it encourages social interaction. During the treatment the therapist works with the parents as well, and it's necessary to achieve the same effect for arousal control like in the children. Many persons with special needs, especially autism, receive stimuli only through one channel (auditory, visual, tactile) at a certain time, but have not developed the ability for multisensory integration or simultaneous processing of information received through multiple channels. When a person with disabilities will achieve an optimal level of arousal, then he begins with multisensory stimulation to allow conceptual thinking and processing of received stimuli. Around the first year of life, children are capable to conceptualize coherent information. Children with autism haven’t developed this capability. The information they receive is fragmented, and they lack the ability to create a coherent picture of themselves, others and the world around them. Previous researches showed that among different types of disorders were obtained different results and different progress has been made, but they all have one thing in common, which is that there is an improvement in the personal development of the individual. In people with autism with the use of certain compo-nents of this treatment are achieved impro-vements in different areas of their fun-ctioning. After the presentation of Dr. Paula Weerkamp - Bartholomeus, a discussion followed. The discussion was interactive and was followed with great interest from the guests. After the discussion Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski close the lecture by expressing gratitude to the guests for their participation and expressed gratitude to the Faculty of Philosophy for providing premises for holding the lecture. He especially expressed gratitude to the lecturer Dr. Paula Weerkamp - Bartholomeus and her husband Frederick Bartholomeus who unselfishly and without seeking financial compensation expressed a desire to come on their own expense to enable this lecture which was free and accessible to all. It was expressed gratitude for their selfless sharing of their knowledge and experience. MSSA members sincerely hope that this collaboration with the colleagues from the Netherlands will be strengthened and will continue successfully in the future.
Copyright (c) 2015 Filip Jurtoski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
15 YEARS FROM THE FORMING OF THE MACEDONIAN SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY FOR AUTISM
15 years ago, on 22 May, 2000, the Mace-donian Scientific Society for Autism (MSSA) was established. From that day until today MSSA has left a huge impact in the field of raising the public awareness, providing assistance to parents and children with autism, formation of public opinion about the autism issues, making a huge contribution, especially in terms of the science of autism. In few words, MSSA has left a mark not only in Macedonia, but also in many countries in the region and with its constant, hard-wor-king and scientifically underpinned practice. Today MSSA has 60 members1, most of whom are highly educated experts who, in the last 15 years, have contributed in different ways in the field of education, rehabilitation and treatment of people with autism. As a main indicator for this are the 50 and more published papers2 in renowned international journals as well as in Macedonian journals such as the Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation. In the past period, there were 11 projects3 from which several stand out: Serum immunoglobulins and specific food allergens in people with autism in the Republic of Macedonia; HLA - DNA research in families with autism in the Republic of Macedonia; The rights of persons with autism; Epidemiological studies of people with autism in the Republic of Macedonia; Determination of the prevalence and incidence of autism in the Republic of Macedonia; On the official site of MSSA (http://mssa.org.mk/) various types of information4 are available for anyone who wants to be informed and to know more about the work and mission of MSSA as well as for the autism are available. MSSA members have participated in more than a dozen seminars and congresses in the country, and abroad. MSSA appears as organizer5 and co-organizer with other associations, institutions, and companies of seminars, congresses and conferences where different kinds of problems in the field of autism are discussed. MSSA has also organized three public debates6 for Down syndrome (with which MSSA expands its field of activity outside of autism). MSSA has organized workshops for primary schools to educate teachers about autism. The presence of MSSA in the media7 is also noticeable. For 5 years, starting from 2010 until now, MSSA marks April 2 – World’s Autism Awareness Day8 to raise public awareness of autism by organizing public debates which are attended by a number of artists, musicians and a large number of people with autism. The President of MSSA Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski has published two textbooks on autism. For these 15 years, MSSA has left a great legacy that can be easily recognized, but MSSA’s mission9 does not stop there, it continues every day with increasing venture of our membership, and scientific achie¬vements in the field of autism.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF IMMUNE IMBALANCE AND AUTOIMMUNITY IN NERVOUS SYSTEM DISORDERS (NSDs)
In recent years, the role of immune imbalance and autoimmunity has been experimentally demonstrated in nervous system disorders (NSDs) that include Alzheimer’s disease, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), tics and Tourette’s syndrome, schizophrenia, and some other NSDs. And yet, these NSDs are never counted as autoimmune diseases. Deriving from the rapidly expanding knowledge of neuro-immunology and auto-immune diseases, for example multiple scle-rosis (MS), the author of this mini-review strongly recommends that these NSDs should be included while tallying the number of autoimmune diseases. This effort will help create an updated global database of all autoimmune diseases as well as it should help treat millions of patients who are suffering from debilitating NSDs for which there is no known cure or treatment currently.
Copyright (c) 2015 Vijendra K. Singh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
EXPLORATORY STUDY: STRESS, COPING AND SUPPORT AMONG PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
Introduction:Each year more families are confronted with unique challenges related to raising a child with ASD. Parenting stress is a significant aspect of fulfilling the role as a parent, and having a child with ASD greatly influences the experienced stress. The literature review indicates that parenting stress is inversely proportional to family support and coping mechanisms. Aim:Appraising the stress level among parents of children with ASD, the coping mechanisms and the level of family support, in comparison with parents of children diagnosed with ID. Method:A group of parents of children with ASD (N=35) and a second group of children with ID (N=35) completed four questionnnaires: PSI-SF, Brief COPE, FSS and demographic questionnaire. The data was analyzed using t-test for comparison, Chi-square test for comparing frequency distributions and Pearson coefficient for correlation, with p<r;0.05 level of significance Results:Parenting stress did not differ between the two groups. The coping mechanisms used by the parents of children with ASD showed that increased usage of distraction (r=0.469) and disengagement (r=0.567) increased the level of parenting stress. Family support (r=-0.415) is a key buffer and coping mechanism for managing the stress in parents of children with ASD. Conclusion:There are no differences in the level of stress, coping mechanisms and the level of support comparing parents of children with ASD and ID.
Copyright (c) 2015 Meri Nolcheva https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
SELF-REGULATION IN CHILDREN WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
Background:Self-regulation is an important executive function responsible for the control of emotions, behaviors and inner processes. It is related to the academic success of the children as well as to their cognitive and social development. Children with intellectual disability are reported to have significant deficits in self-regulation skills. Objective:The goal of this study was to examine self-regulation skills in children with mild intellectual disability. The additional goals were to examine selfregulation in relation to the child’s gender and to examine the relationship between age and self-regulation. Method:The sample for this study comprised 42 children with mild intellectual disability, aged 7 to 15. There were 22 boys and 20 girls. Self-regulation was assessed with the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Results:The results indicated that 10 children or 23.8% had clinically significant deficit in self-regulation skills. Self-regulation skills in this sample were significantly lower as compared to the normative sample. Boys had better self-regulation skills than the girls in this sample. Self-regulation skills were improving with age for this sample of participants. Conclusion: Given the fact that these skills can be improved, it is suggested that educational institutions should give more attention to the development of executive functions at school age. Educational institutions should consider incorporating the training of executive functions into their curriculums.
Copyright (c) 2015 Haris Memishevic https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
DYNAMICS OF THE COMPELEX FORMS OF VISUAL PERCEPTION IN CHILDREN OF PRE-SCHOOL AGE (A NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS)
Introduction: Experimental data in preschool aged children proves the determining role of the auditory and visual processes for future reading skills, therefore the investigation of complex forms of visual perception in this age period is diagnostically important. Objectives: Basic aim of the research is assessment of the sensitive period for the non-verbal perceptive operations in pre-school aged children, and determination of subgroup with low results for non-verbal perception. Methods: The dynamics of the visual per-ception (visual gnosis) in typically develop¬ing children were tested with an adapted version of the Poppelreuter-Ghent Test for figure-ground segregation. The total number of overlapping objects is 33, grouped accor¬ding to the level of difficulty. The children are given a group of objects separately in a following sequence and they should segregate and name the objects. Results: A number of 365 typically developing children without diagnosis of visual disorders and without corrected visus took part in the research. All children, aged 4, 5, and 6 from three different settlements attend state nursery schools and have Bulgarian as a mother tongue. A three-factor dispersion analysis was held to define the statistical significance of the independent factors age, gender and settlement. The research’s data define the 5 year olds as sensitive about the dynamics of the complex forms of visual perception, compared to the four year old children (p<0.000009) and the six year old children (p<0.001650). The influence of the demographic factor is engaged with the significantly better results of the children from the big town compared to the capital (p<0.000926) and small town (p<0.000700). The influence of the gender as a factor is due to the better functioning of the non-verbal perceptive operations in the females (F = 1,346, p<0.019). According to the additional analysis, 25% of the children at the age of six demonstrate a low rating of the complex forms of non-verbal visual gnosis that could be reviewed as risk for developing dyslexia. Conclusion: In the age period 4 – 6, there is a process of dynamic maturation of the right-hemispheric structures of the ventral visual system, leading to substantial improvement of the abilities for discrimination of objects in visual crowding. Poppelreuter’s test allows an objective assessment of the state of the non-verbal perceptive abilities in pre-school age and could be used in the diagnostics of predictors for dyslexia.
Copyright (c) 2015 Neli Vasileva https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
SELF-ESTEEM OF DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING COMPARED WITH HEARING ADOLESCENTS IN SLOVENIA – THE CONTEXT OF SOCIAL AND COMMUNICATION FACTORS
Objective: The study focuses on the self-esteem of deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) and hearing adolescents (HA) in Slovenia. The aim of this study is a comparison of self-esteem between D/HH and HA regarding the hearing status, age, gender, and the comparison among D/HH adolescents regarding communication and education settings. It is hypothesized that deaf and hard of hearing adolescents have lower self-esteem than their hearing peers. Methods: The final sample included 130 adolescents who were split into two groups with the method of equal pairs: 65 D/HH adolescents and 65 HA, which were established on the basis of gender, age, nationality, and educational programme of schooling. The phenomenon of self-esteem was measured with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, which was translated and adapted into the Slovenian Sign Language (SSL). Results: The results show significant differrences in self-esteem between D/HH and HA adolescents. D/HH adolescents have, on average, lower self-esteem than HA. There are differences in self-esteem regarding gender and also regarding ages of 16 and of 20. D/HH adolescents who use speech or sign language in their communication have higher self-esteem than those who use mostly sign language. D/HH adolescents in mainstream schools have higher self-esteem than those included into a segregated form of schooling. Discussion: There are differences among adolescents in how they view themselves. Self-esteem can be a significant predictor of life satisfaction. Conclusion: D/HH adolescents experience lower self-esteem when compared with HA peers.
Copyright (c) 2015 Damjana Kogovsek https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
KEY DRIVERS OF OPTIMAL SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS PROVISION: AN ENGLISH STUDY
Background: The aim of this paper is to argue that there are a number of key drivers for Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision that have to be met by Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) and teaching professionals so as to ensure optimal provision and inclusion for children with SEN in mainstream primary schools. Although the research has been carried out in England, there is a significant European Dimension to the issue, as a similar role to that of SENCOs in respect of SEN management already exists in countries such as Finland and Ireland, and is being considered in Italy. Methods: This paper focuses on the data gathered for the purpose of the author’s doctoral research in England, through questionnaires and interviews with SENCOs, head teachers and teachers. Thematic analysis was used to explore key drivers of SEN provision by practitioners who support children with SEN. Results: Data illustrate that the key drivers of SEN provision include time; teacher openness to change; target setting; evidence of tried interventions; empowerment; decision-making and approachability. The implementation of such drivers depend largely on practitioner skills and competencies. Conclusion: The main conclusion within this paper is to develop points of reference for planning and practice, with illustrations of optimal provision by all practitioners who work with children with SEN.
Copyright (c) 2015 Saneeya Qureshi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
JOURNAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION FROM SCIENTIFIC PERIPHERY TO RELEVANT SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL
This editorial describes the growth of the Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation in the last 18 years since it began to be published. Although it began as a local and specialized, it managed to develop into an international and scientific and to attract a large number of authors from over 30 countries around the world. Currently, the journal is indexed in 65 databases worldwide. Macedonia is a tough periphery in the world of science. But, this does not prevent the journal to become more visible and significant in scientific areas that the field of special education and rehabilitation covers. In our country there are many factors that hinder the way for the creation of high quality scientific journal. These are discussed in detail in the paper. To reach higher relevance of the journal, a great dedication of the people working in the publishing offices is necessary. The editors of small journals of the region need to exchange their experiences. The editorial teams of smaller journals have to gather experience from major journals. They need to put more effort into increasing the visibility of the journal online, and they can do this by sharing the labor of the social media. The competent Ministry of Education and Science should allo-cate a greater percentage of the gross domestic product for publishing as small journals could become more relevant in the world of science. The conclusion is that small journals may contribute in the world of science with relevant scientific information.
Copyright (c) 2015 Vladimir Trajkovski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
In the period from 16th to 18th September 2016 in the historic city of Edinburgh the 11th International Congress of Autism Europe organized by the National Organization for Autism from the UK will be held. Theme of the Congress in 2016 will be "happy, healthy and empowered". The Congress will focus on the most recent developments in the field of autism, including causes, genetics, diagnosis, early intervention, treatments, education, support, employment, rights and policies, and many more. The improvement of the science, the rights and services for autistic people will be presented, and an insight into future developments of the events, knowledge and technologies for autistic people that may soon become a part of everyday life will be provided. Plenary lecturers at the conference will be: - Profesorot Fred R Volkmar in the session "State of Autism: Autism today - what we know and what we do not know?" - Peter Vermeulen in the session "Focusing on positivity: measuring outcomes of people with autism from a different perspective"; - Wenn Lawson will lead the session "Autism and Aging"; - Profesorot Roy Richard Grinker in the session "The cultural origins and future of autistic spectrum disorders"; Profesor Liz Pellicano "Towards a New Science of Autism: Building a framework for participation"; - Profesorot Tommy MacKay will lead the session “Autism practice today - where are the gaps?” - Gunilla Gerald in the session "Being a professional in the field of autism: what are the most important tools (and how to use them)”; - Hejlskov Elvén, clinical psychologist, - “Influence of regulation and self-control: using low arousal approaches with people with complex needs”; - Virginia Bovell, parent and researcher – “Healing vs. acceptance and ethical issues”; The workshops will be led by: - Diederik Weve, an engineer and an adult with autism – “Establishing work posts for autistic people”; - Gina Davies, a speech therapist and counselor for sleeping – “Getting in early: the critical importance of early intervention in children with autistic spectrum”; - Wendy Keay-Bright, Professor of Technology and Inclusion “Using technology to engage the pre-verbal children and adults”. At the Conference, within ESIPP (Equity and Social Inclusion trough Positive Parenting) project, members of the Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism, the president of the Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski and the vice president Jasmina Troshanska will also participate. On the sidelines of the conference, the fourth meeting of the transnational team ESIPP (Equity and Social Inclusion trough Positive Parenting) project will be held.
NEWS FOR THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE MACEDONIAN SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY FOR AUTISM
On the 25th of December 2015 in „Porta Macedonia“ in Skopje was held the annual general meeting of MSSA. This is the second year that this meeting took place in „Porta Macedonia“, where the ambient and atmosphere are truly at a satisfying level, for which the members expressed their content from the staff services. The annual general meeting began exactly at 13:00 hours, and it was opened by the president of the MSSA, prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski. The president greeted all the present members and thanked them for attending and began with the agenda of today’s meeting. As every year the first item on the agenda was the adoption of the minutes of the Assembly of MSSA from the annual general meeting held in 2014, which was unanimously adopted by the participants. Every year MSSA makes admission to new members. This year as a member was admitted Anita Stojcevska, student of the generation of the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation for 2014. It is of great importance for one society to promote its ideals and to be recognized by its work, for this item the president with great enthusiasm and pleasure represented the annual report for the work of the MSSA for 2015 to all the members. The report was filled with a substantial number of activities, projects, rewards and many other recognitions and contributions of the MSSA to the science and society. I would like to select a few of those activities for which I believe that should be mentioned. As an important activity I would single out the promotion of the MSSA for celebrating 15 years of its founding. The president declared that this year because of the traumatic events on the 9th of May 2015 the executive board decided that it would be best to celebrate with a campaign that would be focused on the media by promoting the MSSA by social networks. With this action we can see the selflessness of the members of the MSSA and their readiness to respect and uphold the society’s condition in the Republic of Macedonia. Another project which I would like to point out to is the Erasmus plus program „Equality and social inclusion through positive parenting“, which is an international project in which members of MSSA have taken participation. Through this project we can see that the MSSA is not only an organization that acts on local level, but an organization which with its capacity and values is heading towards international programs and experience exchange with colleagues from related areas of work and all of those experiences selflessly shares back here. For the success in the work of the MSSA speak all of the rewards that the MSSA has won in 2015. One of these rewards was for the international contest for best logo of the EU project, which was held between Macedonia, Croatia and Cyprus. Macedonia won with the drawing „Autumn tree“ made by the pupil Elena Delova from VIII4 grade from POU „Dr. Zlatan Sremac“ together with the special educator and rehabilitator Biljana K. Nastevska. MSSA is the winner for best scientific work for 2015, a reward that is given by the „Prof. Dr. Ljupco Ajdinski“ foundation, the reward is 15000 denars. The fifth item on the agenda was the election of a new president and executive board. Because of the dedication and restless leadership of the society by the president prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski who with his selflessness, dedication and professionalism successfully has run the MSSA the past 10 years, the membership decided to give their trust again to uphold that function. The president thanked them all sincerely for giving their trust to him once again and declared that he will continue to work with a maximum effort so that the MSSA become even more influential society that will leave a deeper impact in the science and the civil society. As always the MSSA has a program by which it runs every year. This year the program was presented to the membership. The attribute that makes this organization to be strong is the flexibility of the programs that are presented each year. Not always all of the goals are achieved, but that is why there are a lot of activities and projects and goals that weren’t in the program but came through and left their mark in science and society. With this attribute MSSA has proven itself as an organization that is always ready and looks up to the modern society norms and always follows the modern scientific achievements. As last items on the agenda, members of the MSSA present their work, projects, and activities before the membership. For this year Mr. Rozalija Boskovska and Mr. Meri Nolceva presented their master thesis. The president prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski wished to all of the members a lot of success next year, and the success next year to be even greater then the one we achieved this year.
CELABRATION OF 3RD OF DECEMBER, INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
This year as well, the Institute of Special education and rehabilitation celebrated the International day of persons with disabilities. In that occasion, two different events were organized by the Institute at the Faculty of Philosophy. The first event was held on 03.12.2015 and was organized in collaboration with the students of the Institute of Special education and rehabilitation, Faculty of pedagogy “St. Kliment Ohridski” form Skopje, Faculty of architecture, Faculty of Fine Arts and Faculty of Music. In the official part of the program, speeches were held by Stefani Nakova, student at the Institute of Special Education and rehabilitation, dr. Zora Jachova, PhD, head of the Institute of special education and rehabilitation and dr. Velimir Stojkovski, PhD, rector of the University “Ss Cyril and Methodius” – Skopje. Beside the mentioned speeches, the event was enriched by the students from the Faculty of pedagogy “St. Kliment Ohridski” from Skopje with the performance of “Tajno moja” in sign language by Dzengis Memedovski and the presentation of Aleksandar Matovski called “Youth and the Down syndrome”. The student Ema Ananievska from the Faculty of Music made a piano performance of the Chopin’s “Fantaisie impromptu”, and together with Igor Postolov form the Faculty of philosophy and Dzengis Memedovski sent a message from the students with disabilities called “Equal in diversity”. The name of their performance was the main motto of the whole event. The Foundation “Prof. d-r Ljupco Ajdinski” presented 4 awards this year. The best student award for the generation 2010/2011 belonged to Anita Stojchevska, and also an award was given to the highest ranked student at the university admission in 2015/2016, Angela Nikolovska. The Republic Center for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability was awarded for achievements in the protection, education and rehabilitation of persons with intellectual disability. The award for scientific research achievements was given to the Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism. After the official part of the program, the students were organized in 4 corners for different type of disabilities (intellectual disability corner, hearing impairment corner, visual impairment corner and corner for physical disability). All the guests had a chance to widen their knowledge about the disabilities and experience the barriers of the persons with disabilities. The second event organized by the Institute of special education and rehabilitation was a round table which took place on 04.12.2015 with the topic “Challenges in the education process in special schools in Republic of Macedonia”. The program of this round table was managed by dr. Zora Jachova, PhD. At the round table, beside the institute members, attended representatives from all the special elementary and high schools in Republic of Macedonia and the counselor for education of children with special educational needs in the Bureau for Education Development, mrs. Snezana Trpevska. The first part of the roundtable was intended for presentations of all schools representatives and the counselor Trpevska. During the second part, a workshop with two working groups was organized and each group had to address and synthesize the main challenges in the education process in the special schools in the country. Moderators of the first group were Dr. Zora Jachova and mrs. Snezana Trpevska, and the second group was moderated by Dr. Daniela Dimitrova Radojicikj, PhD, and Dr. Natasha Chichevska-Jovanova, PhD. This roundtable was finalized by presentations of the working groups in order the allocated challenges and problems to reach the relevant institutions and to be resolved.
Copyright (c) 2016 Maja Filipovska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
PHYSICAL DISABILITY, STIGMA, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN CHILDREN: A REPLICA STUDY
Introduction: Stereotypes can be reduced through positive descriptions. A stigma that able-bodied adults have towards children with physical disability can be reduced when the child is portrayed as being active. The study found out that a sporty active child, who uses a wheelchair, is perceived as more competent than the sporty active able-bodied child. Objective: This study is a replica study to support the hypotheses and to examine the stereotypes of able-bodied adults towards children with and without (physical) disabilities. Methods: This study presents two experimental replica studies using a 2 (physical activity) x 2 (sporty activities). The dependent variables were the perception of competencies and warmth according to Stereotype Content Model (SCM). Study 1 is an online experiment with 355 students of the Open University of Hagen. Study 2 surveys 1176 participants (from Munich and Graz) with a paper-pencil-questionnaire. Results: The significant interaction effect was not supported by our studies. The sporty able-bodied child was rated higher in competences than the sporty child, who use a wheelchair. Sporting activity only reduces the stigma towards children with a physical disability slightly. Conclusion: The stigma towards children with physical disability can be reduced when the child is portrayed as being active, but the effect was not strong enough to chance the original classification by the SCM.
Copyright (c) 2016 Markus Gebhardt https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
HOMEWORK ACCURACY TO INCREASE THE ACADEMIC REPERTOIRE OF YOUNG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
There are many forms of interventions used to increase homework completion. However, there is far less research to assess homework accuracy for young children with special needs, and even less for young children diagnosed with Autism. Homework intervention methods have been proven by researchers to be effective under certain specific circumstances. Emphasis should be placed on increasing the accuracy of homework completed prior to deciding what intervention would be more effective for a particular student struggling with homework completion. Educators should take into consideration the level of participation from the children’s home, the needs of the student, and how data would be collected and communicated for homework accuracy. Data for visual analysis would identify the homework completed correctly rather than just completed, and also identify progress over time. Researchers have demonstrated that homework completed cannot determine academic skill gained which is needed for academic success for young students with or without disabilities. Homework accuracy requires greater attention and emphasis in the early childhood research. The need for research on young children with Autism is evident as it is the fastest growing neurobiological condition in the world. The inclusion of children with Autism in the general environment has also greatly increased. Recommendations for further research focused on homework accuracy are offered.
Copyright (c) 2016 Lina Gilic https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
UNDERSTANDING CONATIVE REGULATION SYSTEMS – AN EXAMINATION OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OFFENDERS AND NON-OFFENDERS
Introduction: Numerous studies confirmed personality traits as being important predictors of criminal behavior. The aim of this research was to determine which constellation of basic personality traits incarcerated individuals and those serving alternative sanctions differ, and which traits make the difference between the criminal and the non-criminal populations. In this research, the model of personality used is a cybernetic model of conative functioning, which assumes that conative regulation systems almost completely describe the structure of personality. Methods: The study sample consisted of 391 male respondents (152 offenders serving prison sentence, 91 convicts sentenced to alternative penalties and 148 non-offenders). Examined variables were: the regulator of activity (Extroversion), the regulator of organic functions (Hysteria), the regulator of defense reactions (Anxiety), the regulator of attack reactions (Aggressiveness), the system for coordination of regulatory functions (Psychoticism) and the system for integration of regulatory functions (Integration). Results: There were significant differences in all dimensions of personality between groups, except for the framework of Extraversion. The traits that contribute to the difference between individuals serving prison sentence and offenders sentenced to alternative penalties are Integration and Aggressiveness. The traits that contribute to the difference between non-offenders and offenders serving prison sentence are Psychoticism, Integration, Aggressiveness, and Anxiety. Among offenders sentenced to alternative penalties and the general population no difference in personality traits was found. Conclusion: Our findings may indicate the need for mandatory diagnostic psychological evaluation of persons who have committed minor offenses, to ensure the right decision is made when choosing between prison and an alternative method of punishment.
VOICE QUALITY BEFORE AND AFTER THYROIDECTOMY
Introduction: Voice disorders are a well-known complication which is often associated with thyroid gland diseases and because voice is still the basic mean of communication it is very important to maintain its quality healthy. Objectives: The aim of this study referred to questions whether there is a statistically significant difference between results of voice self-assessment, perceptual voice assessment and acoustic voice analysis before and after thyroidectomy and whether there are statistically significant correlations between variables of voice self-assessment, perceptual assessment and acoustic analysis before and after thyroidectomy. Methods: This scientific research included 12 participants aged between 41 and 76. Voice self-assessment was conducted with the help of Croatian version of Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Recorded reading samples were used for perceptual assessment and later evaluated by two clinical speech and language therapists. Recorded samples of phonation were used for acoustic analysis which was conducted with the help of acoustic program Praat. All of the data was processed through descriptive statistics and nonparametric statistical methods. Results: Results showed that there are statistically significant differences between results of voice self-assessments and results of acoustic analysis before and after thyroidectomy. Statistically significant correlations were found between variables of perceptual assessment and acoustic analysis. Conclusion: Obtained results indicate the importance of multidimensional, preoperative and postoperative assessment. This kind of assessment allows the clinician to describe all of the voice features and provides appropriate recommendation for further rehabilitation to the patient in order to optimize voice outcomes.
Copyright (c) 2016 Dora Cvelbar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
CORRELATION BETWEEN TYMPANIC MEMBRANE PERFORATION AND HEARING LOSS
Introduction: Perforation of the tympanic membrane primarily results from middle ear infections, trauma or iatrogenic causes. The perforation causes conductive hearing loss by reducing the surface area available for sound transmission to the ossicular chain. Objective: The objective was to analyze the characteristics of tympanic membrane perforations in relation to hearing loss and to determine the type and degree of hearing loss. Materials and methods: We analyzed audiometric, otoscopic findings and medical reports of 218 patients, 114 males (52.3%) and 104 females (47.7%), aged 9 to 75 years (mean age of 47.9 years), examined during the period of November 2012 to October 2015. For statistical data analysis we used Chi-square test with level of significance p<0.05. Results: Most of the patients had unilateral perforations (89%) with right ear predominance and involvement of two quadrants of pars tensa (37.2%). Mean air-bone gap was 23.9 dB. The largest air-bone gap was at frequency of 250 Hz. Most of the patients (73.1%) had mixed hearing loss (p=0.032), and average hearing thresholds from 21 to 40 dB. Conclusion: Mean air-bone gap is largest at the lower frequencies, and decreases as frequency increases. Size of the perforation has effect on hearing loss. Mean air-bone gap increases with increasing size of the perforation. There is no big difference between the mean air-bone gap in posterior versus anterior perforations.
Copyright (c) 2016 Lidija Ristovska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
THE EFFECT OF USING AUDIO-VISUAL AIDS VERSUS PICTURES ON FOREIGN LANGUAGE VOCABULARY LEARNING OF INDIVIDUALS WITH MILD INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
This study aimed to examine the effect of using audio-visual aids and pictures on foreign language vocabulary learning of individuals with mild intellectual disability. Method: To this end, a comparison group quasi-experimental study was conducted along with a pre-test and a post-test. The participants were 16 individuals with mild intellectual disability living in a center for mentally disabled individuals in Dezfoul, Iran. They were all male individuals with the age range of 20 to 30. Their mother tongue was Persian, and they did not have any English background. In order to ensure that all participants were within the same IQ level, a standard IQ test, i.e. Colored Progressive Matrices test, was run. Afterwards, the participants were randomly assigned to two experimental groups; one group received the instruction through audio-visual aids, while the other group was taught through pictures. The treatment lasted for four weeks, 20 sessions on aggregate. A total number of 60 English words selected from the English package named 'The Smart Child' were taught. After the treatment, the participants took the posttest in which the researchers randomly selected 40 words from among the 60 target words. Results: The results of Mann-Whitney U-test indicated that using audio-visual aids was more effective than pictures in foreign language vocabulary learning of individuals with mild intellectual disability. Conclusions: It can be concluded that the use of audio-visual aids can be more effective than pictures in foreign language vocabulary learning of individuals with mild intellectual disability.
Copyright (c) 2016 Mohammad Taghi Farvardin https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
THE ROLE OF ARTICLE LEVEL METRICS IN SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHING
Emerging metrics based on article-level does not exclude traditional metrics based on citations to the journal, but complements them. Article-level metrics (ALMs) provide a wide range of metrics about the uptake of an individual journal article by the scientific community after publication. They include citations, statistics of usage, discussions in online comments and social media, social bookmarking, and recommendations. In this editorial, the role of article level metrics in publishing scientific papers has been described. Article-Level Metrics (ALMs) are rapidly emerging as important tools to quantify how individual articles are being discussed, shared, and used. Data sources depend on the tool, but they include classic metrics indicators depending on citations, academic social networks (Mendeley, CiteULike, Delicious) and social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and Youtube). The most popular tools used to apply this new metrics are: Public Library of Science - Article-Level Metrics, Altmetric, Impactstory and Plum Analytics. Journal Impact Factor (JIF) does not consider impact or influence beyond citations count as this count reflected only through Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science® database. JIF provides indicator related to the journal, but not related to a published paper. Thus, altmetrics now becomes an alternative metrics for performance assessment of individual scientists and their contributed scholarly publications. Macedonian scholarly publishers have to work on implementing of article level metrics in their e-journals. It is the way to increase their visibility and impact in the world of science.
Copyright (c) 2016 Vladimir Trajkovski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
TEXTBOOKS FOR INITIAL READING AND WRITING FOR STUDENTS WITH MILD INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY INCLUDED IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
The master thesis is a modern, scientific and empirical study presented at 103 pages, structured with an introduction and six chapters: Theoretical foundations of the problem, Research methodology, Analysis of results and discussion, Concluding observations with suggestions, Literature and Annexes. The literature that has been used for preparation of the thesis is composed of 67 bibliographical units in English and Macedonian Language, representing part of the current thematic relevant manuscripts drawn from many research studies and projects implemented in many countries around the world. The first chapter of the thesis is a very solid theoretical elaboration and definition of the research problem. This chapter contains eleven headings - sections relating to the educational work in schools in Macedonia. The adaptation of the setting to the children is the basis of inclusive education, which is explained in the second section. The ways of implementation of the inclusive education and the awareness of the need for inclusive education are presented further in the theoretical foundations. As outlined in the paper, the implementation of the inclusive education in the school system is inevitably conditioned by the development of successful inclusive culture and inclusive practice. The index of inclusion, the differences in the terminological determination of the terms inclusion and integration, the fundamental principles of quality inclusive education are explained. Index, actually means resources that support the development of the inclusion in schools. It is a comprehensive document which helps in finding different steps for setting an appropriate setting or environment in the teaching process. The index helps in establishing cooperation between pupils and teachers and improves the teaching environment. It represents an aspect where students learn through their active involvement in the learning process and what they learn they integrate it with their own experience. The index is practically a document that describes the importance of the inclusion from all aspects of the school. The term inclusion, in its essence, contains a process of changing, that is changes, and it is a never ending process of making changes for improvement of the teaching and the inclusion of all students in the teaching activities. Often this term is identified with the term integration, so it is necessary to make a distinction between them. While integration is only physical relocation of students in the regular school setting, inclusion involves creating conditions in the physical environment for active involvement in that setting. Basic principles for quality inclusive education are: equal acceptance of all children; all children learn differently. At the end of the theoretical part an attention is paid to the learning resources, with special emphasis on the textbook. Important landmark for a textbook is the logical order of introducing new concepts, which distinguish itself with clearly differentiated content that will be aimed at the adoption of knowledge, and for the lower grades will be aimed at acquiring skills and abilities that will contribute to the adoption of long lasting knowledge. In the modern way of living, it is necessary to create a book that will satisfy the needs of the students with intellectual disabilities, who face difficulties in adopting knowledge. Problems in studying is not a specific term, but a category that contains many specific problems, each of which is the cause of learning difficulties or disorder in one or more basic processes involved in understanding speech and written language. In the second chapter of the thesis the methodological structure of empirical research is explained- the research is quantitative and qualitative with clearly defined subject, goals and objectives of the survey, the hypotheses are set and the sample of research is determined by determining all dependent and independent variables. The subject of the research in this paper is the appropriateness of the Macedonian Language textbooks as a resource in teaching in first and second grade in regular primary education for preparation for initial reading and writing and resource of initial reading and writing which is suitable for students with mild intellectual disability. The research objectives arise from the subject: The objective of this research is to study the suitability and applicability of the contents of Macedonian Language textbooks for first and second grade in the nine-year education in an inclusive classroom, that is whether they are appropriate for preparation for initial reading and for initial reading and writing for students with mild intellectual disabilities. The research has descriptive character, it is directed towards the detection and analysis of the problems in learning that occur in children in the school period in terms of application of the textbooks as the main teaching tool. The third chapter presents the analysis of the results with rich illustrative material with discussion and comparison of the results obtained in a series of relevant research. The analysis of the theoretical debates and the empirical data resulting from the research point to the following conclusions: the compulsory Macedonian Language textbooks for first and second grade are used more by the classroom teachers than teachers - special educators; more positive opinions about the textbooks are given by the teachers with less work experience; the number of anticipated content for preparation for initial reading and writing, that is initial reading and writing is not sufficient from the aspect of the classroom teachers and teacher-special educators. The teachers also think that the books do not follow the development of linguistic characteristics of students with mild intellectual disabilities; the classroom teachers agree more than the teachers – special educators that the visual component of textbooks is students with mild intellectual disabilities apart from the teachers, special education teachers; Macedonian Language textbooks in first and second grade are more aimed at acquiring knowledge and less at developing skills and abilities; for the students with mild intellectual disability acquiring appropriate skills is crucial for adoption further knowledge; in the textbooks the educational function of acceptance and respect for people with disabilities is not sufficiently developed. The results of this research contribute to the direct, immediate recognition of the state of the Macedonia Language textbooks for first and second grade in the nine-year primary education in terms of the application of a teaching area of the curriculum for Macedonian language for first and second grade and it is recommended in the process of creation of the textbooks for primary education, especially for conducting inclusive education, including a special educator in the team for preparation of the textbooks. To have a successful inclusion, experts - special educators to be involved in all spheres of the social life is necessary.
students with mild intellectual disability
Copyright (c) 2016 Slavica Todorova https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
HELD CONFERENCE: CONTEMPORARY THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL TRENDS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION
In the period between 16th and 18th of June 2016 year, Macedonian association of special educators and rehabilitators in cooperation with the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje and the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation held an international conference in Ohrid, on the topic: Contemporary theoretical and practical trends in special education and rehabilitation. Beside the domestic participants there were a lot of guests from many different countries: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Great Britain, as well as representatives from the Ministry of education and science, Agency for international development of the USA (USAID) and European council in the Republic of Macedonia. The event was opened by the Honorary president of the Macedonian association of special educators and rehabilitators Prof. Dr. Ljupcho Ajdinski and on behalf of the dean of the Faculty of philosophy in Skopje, Prof. Dr. Goran Ajdinski, a welcoming speech to the audience addressed assistant Prof. Dr. Olivera Rashikj-Canevska, followed by promotion of the book of papers by the editor in chief Prof. Dr. Risto Petrov. After the opening ceremony, the conference started with nine plenary lectures. At the conference were presented 31 topics in five sessions: Education of persons with disabilities, Clinical strategies and trends in the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, Socioeconomic aspects of the current situation of the persons with disabilities, Actualities in the rehabilitation and education. Beside the presentations in the sessions there were realized 3 workshops: Hyperactive dreamers in school by of Marko Ferek from Croatia, Brain gym – Majda Konchar from Slovenia and Strategy for work with autistic children aged 3 to 7 years – Jelena Panikj form the Republic of Serbia. Productive discussion and conclusions by the present participants were realized during two roundtables: Education and professional status of the special educators and rehabilitators and speech therapists in the Republic of Macedonia and Education of the students with disabilities – defining our own model. The conference was closed by awarding certificates to all participants and evaluation of the efficiency of the conference.
Copyright (c) 2016 Olivera Rashikj-Canevska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
THIRD TRANSNATIONAL MEETING WITHIN THE ESIPP PROJECT
In the period from 15 to 16 of June 2016 at the Faculty of Philosophy, the 3rd transnational meeting of organizations including ESIPP-project (Equity and Social Inclusion trough Positive Parenting) was held. The meeting was hosted by Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism. On June 15, attendees were welcomed by Prof. Dr. Lena Damovska, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski. Then, representatives from the University of Northampton David Preece with Paul Bramble, who was present via Skype talked about the activities and the state of project management, and David Preece explained the project report. Dr. Jasmina Stosic from Faculty for Education and Rehabilitation from Zagreb the state of delivery workstream. Parents from R. Hrvatska and R. Macedonia showed satisfaction from participating in the training. Loizos Simenou from the European University of Cyprus spoke about the realized and future activities related to sustainability of the project. Cristina Fernandez from Autism Europe presented dissemination plan and its ongoing implementation, visits to the project website and social networks. Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski MSSA informed the results of anonymous questionnaire about the quality of implementation of the second transnational meeting held in January in Cyprus. For the participation of parents and parent groups Julia Hardcastle of Autism Concern presented the current situation. On June 16, the positive personal experiences from the cooperation between organizations involving the project were stated for better understanding cultural characteristics of different countries, spreading new friendships and improved skills for project work. Also, there were specified dates for future transnational meetings and it was talked about preparations for the next XI European Congress for Autism "Happy, healthy, empowered," which will be held in September 2016 in Edinburgh. ESIPP project will participate in a poster presentation, titled "Developing parent education in autism in South East Europe." The team, responsible for implementation and evaluation of training for parents of children with autism, evaluated past trainings from R. Croatia and Macedonia and presented future topics for the next training from Ron Fortuna and Angela Capper from Target Autism. In addition to working activities, the guests had possibility to visit Archaeological museum at Faculty of Philosophy, to meet the city of Skopje with all its beauties and land marks. On June 17, 2016 in POU "Dr Zlatan Sremac" Skopje, 17 parents of children with autism from different parts of the Republic Macedonia had the opportunity to participate in two workshops, "Issues related to problems in eating and sleep patterns in children with autism," held by Ron Fortuna and Angela Capper from the organization "Target Autism" and "Puberty and adolescence in autism" held by Dr David Preece from the University of Northampton. Also, parents had the opportunity to talk with Julia Hardcastle, parent of two children with autism from the parent organization "Autism Concern" from Northampton.
Copyright (c) 2016 Jasmina Troshanska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
NEWS ABOUT THE VISIT OF ASS. PROFESSOR BLAKE HANSEN PH.D., CONDUCTED RESEARCH, PARENTS TRAINING, TWO LECTURES HELD IN COOPERATION WITH MSSA
Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism (MSSA) in cooperation with Ass. Professor Blake Hansen Ph.D. and his team began conducting research and trainings that were held in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. Ph.D. Ass. Professor Blake Hansen is a lecturer in Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, USA in the Department for advice psychology and special education. He is also a visiting professor at the University for Medicine in Utah, in the Department of pediatrics. His main areas of expertise are evaluation of challenging behavior and early intervention, instructions for reading and speech and small size sample research. He has worked with graduates from the areas of special education, early intervention, school psychology, advice, experimental psychology and speech language pathology. His research is focused on evaluation and intervention with challenging behavior with persons with intellectual disability, the different kinds and function of repetitive behavior and anxiety disorders. Ass. Professor Blake Hansen Ph.D. has published articles in different journals such as the Journal for practical analysis in behavior, remedial and special education, child and family therapy in behavior and others. After previous consultations, the team of MSSA started the research in March when the parents with children with autistic spectrum disorder were invited to take part of the research and trainings. At the call that we published in the public 18 parents expressed good will to take part in the research and the trainings. When the pre – research period ended, the research itself began with an informative session on the 07.04.2016 at the faculty of Philosophy in Skopje. During the informative session Prof. Vladimir Trajkovski Ph.D. welcomed all the participants and thanked them for taking part in the research. During the informative session the participants were fulfilling questionnaires and were informed about the activities that will be held during the research. Ass. Professor Blake Hansen Ph.D. was connected on Skype and he presented himself to the participants and thanked them for their participation in the research. He was available during the entire informative session and he answered at the questions that were asked by the parents in regard of the behavior treatment with children with ASD. The participants were informed that they will be divided in three groups in each group six parents for a better execution of the second phase of the research or the trainings. The trainings were held from 25.04.2016 to 27.04.2016. During each of the trainings there were six participants. The trainings were held by the MSSA team and the team of Ass. Professor Blake Hansen Ph.D. Each training lasted in average about 2 hours. During these trainings we were discussing the ways and means in which we handle or cope with the challenging behavior with the children with ASD. Afterwards we discussed the ways and methods in which we may improve eye contact, how to use praise, how to reduce stereotypical behavior and to increase the level of obedience. Each of the trainings in the beginning started with a warm welcome by the president of the MSSA prof. Vladimir Trajkovski Ph.D and of Ass. Professor Blake Hansen Ph.D. After the successfully conducted trainings the participants were informed about the activities that follow that will be held during the months of May and June. Since the trainings were completed at 28.04.2016 in amphitheater 4 at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje starting at 10:00 hours. Ass. Professor Blake Hansen Ph.D. held two lectures on the subjects: Evaluation and treatment in behavior disorders with people with autism and similar developmental disorders. Small size sample research. At the first lecture there were 55 participants present from different professions such as: special educators, psychologists, educators, as well parents with children with ASD and students from the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation. The lecture combined with the discussion lasted for 2 hours and it was an interactive lecture in which the public was actively involved in finding solutions for the challenging behavior in children with ASD. The second lecture began at 13:00 on the same day and on this lecture the audience consisted of professors, ass. Professors, masters, Ph.D. and postgraduate students from different profiles. This lecture was intended to show how to create a better scientific article with a small sample size and to increase the chances of getting that article accepted in a scientific journal with impact factor. The audience was very interested in the topic. The lecture ended in 14:30 hours. When the lectures ended Prof. Vladimir Trajkovski thanked Ass. Professor Blake Hansen and his team for their visit and gave him as a gift several issues of the Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation and expressed his good intentions for further and deeper cooperation.
Copyright (c) 2016 Filip Jurtoski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
CHALLENGES OF EMPOWERING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN NIGERIA FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Introduction: This paper reviews issues affecting the empowerment of people with disabilities in Nigeria so they can be productive and contribute to the development of the nation. The questions of concern are: What is known about the extent people with disabilities are empowered to contribute to national development in Nigeria? What challenges do people with disabilities in Nigeria encounter in their attempt to contribute to national development? What are the implications of these challenges regarding strategies that could enhance the empowerment of people with disabilities to facilitate their contribution to national development? Method: This paper addresses these questions by reviewing available research on issues pertaining to (1) legislative mandates on provision of services to individuals with disabilities in the country, (2) funding for services by the government, (3) accessing education and related services, which can ensure that people with disabilities are able to develop their potential and be able to contribute to national development as workers, administrators or employers of labour. Findings: Available evidence indicates that people with disabilities in Nigeria encounter challenges in accessing essential services that could enhance their contribution to national development due to factors such as the absence of legislation protecting their rights to receive these services, inadequate funding of services, absence of effective inclusion programmes, and lack of facilities, personnel, and resources. Suggestions and conclusion: The author recommended some strategies that could produce better outcomes and enhance the opportunities for people with disabilities to be empowered so that they can contribute their quota to national development. These strategies include: enacting and implementing а national disability legislation, utilisation of community-based strategies in the provision of services, and increased advocacy activities by disability organisations.
Copyright (c) 2016 Johan Eleweke https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
THE RELATION BETWEEN SCHOOL BULLYING AND VICTIMIZATION IN CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT/ HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)
The ADHD symptoms put the children suffering from this disorder at a higher risk of being a victim of bulling as well as of behaving aggressively towards peers. Objectives: This study is conducted in order to identify the frequency of specific forms of victimization and bullying in children with ADHD, and to determine if there is any correlation between victimization and bullying, and between different forms of bullying in children with ADHD. Methods: Bullying was tested on a sample of 72 first-through-eighth graders with ADHD diagnosis by means of the School Bullying Questionnaire (UŠN-2003) designed in line with the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. Results: The results indicate a statistically significant correlation between being a victim and being a perpetrator of bullying. The study also shows statistically significant correlations between specific forms of bullying. Conclusion: The results of this study provide guidelines for further studies and prevention/ intervention programs concerning bullying which involves children with ADHD.
Copyright (c) 2016 Anamarija Žic Ralić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
EXAMINING THE FACTOR STRUCTURE OF AN EARLY CHILDHOOD SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SCREENING ASSESSMENT
ntroduction: The Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE) has been recommended for screening young children for social-emotional delays in pediatric practices and other early childhood settings. While many psychometric properties of the ASQ:SE have been examined, the factorial structure of the instrument has not as yet been comprehensively investigated. This study examined the factorial structure of the ASQ:SE in order to establish its construct validity, including study of all eight age intervals. Method: A total of 13,718 child/parent dyads participated in the study in the United States, completing one ASQ:SE test interval. ASQ:SE is a screening instrument exclusively focusing on social-emotional competence in 3-to-66 month old children. A series of eight questionnaires at different age intervals (i.e., 6-, 12-, 18-, 24-, 30-, 36-, 48-, and 60-month) make up the content. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the number of factors that should be retained, factorial structures, and item loading on factors. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to further examine the goodness-of-fit of the fit model to data, based on the exploratory factor analysis result. Results: One-factor and two-factor structure models were suggested by the exploratory factor analysis results depending on the age intervals. Confirmatory factor analysis indicted that a two-factor structure model was a better fit than a one-factor structure for all intervals. Conclusion: The items representing social-emotional competence in the ASQ:SE can be classified in two highly correlated clusters, labeled as Emotion and Sociality. The findings supported the construct validity of the ASQ:SE, measured the intended underlying constructs.
Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE)
Copyright (c) 2016 Chieh-Yu Chen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY OF INDEPENDENT PHONOLOGICAL MEASURES OF 2-YEAR-OLD SPEECH: A PILOT STUDY
Introduction: Within the field of speech-language pathology, many assume commonly used informal speech sound measures are reliable. However, lack of scientific evidence to support this assumption is problematic. Speech-language pathologists often use informal speech sound analyses for establishing baseline behaviors from which therapeutic progress can be measured. Few researchers have examined the test-retest reliability of informal phonological measures when evaluating the speech productions of young children. Clinically, data regarding these measures are critical for facilitating evidence-based decision making for speech-language assessment and treatment. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to identify the evidence-base regarding temporal reliability of two such informal speech sound measures, phonetic inventory and word shape analysis, with two-year-old children. Methods: The researchers examined analyses conducted from conversational speech samples taken exactly one week apart for three children 29- to 33-months of age. The videotaped 20-minute play-based conversational samples were completed while the children interacted with their mothers. The samples were then transcribed using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and analyzed using the two informal measures noted above. Results: Based on visual inspection of the data, the test-retest reliability of initial consonant and consonant cluster productions was unstable between the two conversational samples. However, phonetic inventories for final consonants and word shape analyses were relatively stable over time. Conclusion: Although more data is needed, the results of this study indicate that academic faculty, clinical educators, and practicing speech-language pathologists should be cautious when interpreting informal speech sound analyses based on play-based communication samples of young children.
Copyright (c) 2016 Katherine Marie Wittler https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0