Are the health needs of children with disabilities being met at primary schools?

Triple-P: Interaction of mother-adolescent with intellectual and developmental disability

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a Positive Parenting Program (Triple-P) on the interaction of the mother-adolescent with intellectual disability. The pre-test and post-test randomized experimental design was used for this research. Thirty-four mothers of adolescents with intellectual disability took part in the present research and were assigned to experimental and control groups, each comprised of 17 people. The experimental group took part in an 8-session Triple-P and each session lasted 75 minutes, but the control group did not participate in this intervention. The data were analyzed using MANCOVA. The findings revealed that Triple-P intervention significantly influenced dependency, closeness, conflict, and positive interaction between the mother and the child with intellectual disability. The present study emphasized that Triple-P will improve the interaction of mother-adolescent with intellectual disability; therefore, Triple-P is a useful intervention.

Eating disorders and needs of disabled children at primary school

AIM

The aim of this study was to provide current information on the eating disorders, needs and confronted problems of children with disabilities during their school hours at primary schools.

BACKGROUND

Eating disorders and needs of disabled children are important in their participation in school life, cognition, and academic achievement.

RESULTS

In this study, It was aimed to reach all children with disabilities attending at 72 primary schools located in low, medium and high socio-economic districts in Ankara, capital of Turkey; 404 parents voluntarly accepted to participate in the study. This study has revealed that students with disabilities experienced eating disorders such as forget to eat foods at feeding time, cannot go to canteen to buy food, have sucking and/or chewing problems, lack of self-care skills and need support while eating at schools. The percentage of children who had breakfast at school was 18.1%. The percentage of those who indicated that their child had lunch at school was 59.0%. The children from low socio-economic district had the highest percentage of adequate nutrition at schools in the last week. Families whose children having lack of self-care skills (50.0%), were picky eaters (38.5%), having lack of appetite (42.1%), experienced from constipation frequently (50.0%), have reflux problem (29.0%) considered that their children needed feeding supports at school.

CONCLUSION

Families whose children having eating disorders at schools considered that their children needed feeding supports. Fulfilling the needs of children with disability and providing them support as positive discrimination would ensure healthy development and participation in school life and generate positive effects on their academic achievement. The school health policies have to encompass nutritional needs of vulnerable children to benefit from right to education in an adequate and effective manner.

Information Requirements and Sources of Families of Mainstreaming Students Elementary Education Model in Respect of Socioeconomic Development Levels

Aim

This research was conducted to reveal the current situation on information requirements of the families of the mainstreaming students and sources they obtained information.

Method

The research is a cross-sectional study and the population consisted of parents whose children need special education and who are in schools located in Altındağ, Yenimahalle, and Çankaya districts of Ankara, which are at low, middle, and high levels, respectively, according to the socioeconomic development. Sample selection was not made. A survey was distributed to 1,151 families of the mainstreaming students in 72 elementary schools in the selected districts, and 404 questionnaires that had been returned were evaluated. A questionnaire developed by the researchers was used as the data collection form.

Results

A total of 75.1% of families are mothers and 24.9% are fathers. In total, 26.5% of families stated that they did not have sufficient information about the diagnosis of their child, 64.2% of the families stated that they want to be informed about adaptation to school life, 25.1% about daily life activities, nutrition, and care skills, and 48.2% of families stated that they are not in cooperation with health care professionals, whereas 57.8% of the families who have sufficient information about the diagnosis of the child are in cooperation with health care professionals; this rate was found to be 31.4% in those who do not have information. Among the health care professionals, where families receive information about the diagnosis of the child, physicians are the most frequently received occupational group, with 82.3%. The rate of receiving information from nurses was found to be 3.4%.

Conclusion

Families of mainstreaming students have need for information regarding the diagnosis of the child. The nurse group has a very low rate among the sources they get information from. It can be said that families do not cooperate adequately with health care professionals.