Exploration of the Feasibility of Remote Assessment of Functioning in Children and Adolescents with Developmental Disabilities: Parents' Perspectives and Related Contextual Factors

Association between environmental factors during the COVID-19 pandemic and functioning of infants with biological risk in the first year of life: Cross-sectional exploratory study

BACKGROUND

Child development can be influenced by family and environmental factors, which changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is important to explore how these factors are associated with the functioning of infants with biological risk in the first year of life.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate associations between family factors, home opportunities, caregiver perception of environmental support and barriers at home and environmental factors during the COVID-19 pandemic and gross motor skills and home participation in infants with biological risk in the first year of life.

METHODS

Fifty-six infants aged two to 12 months (M = 5.80 months; ±2.44) and their mothers performed remote assessments of gross motor skills using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS); participation and environment (phone call) by the Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure (YC-PEM); family factors (income, age and maternal education), home opportunities - The Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development - Infant Scale (AHEMD-IS) and environmental factors during the COVID-19 pandemic (social distancing, emotional and financial factors and physiotherapy) (online forms). Regression models were constructed, considering gross motor skills and home participation as outcome variables, with a 5 % significance level.

RESULTS

We found that older maternal age (p = 0.001), more home opportunities (p = 0.043), and less rigorous social distancing (as opposed to total social distancing [p = 0.045]) were significantly associated with better gross motor skills; and higher maternal education (p = 0.050) was associated with more involvement in home activities.

CONCLUSION

Family factors, home opportunities and social distancing were differently associated with the gross motor skills and home participation of infants with biological risk in the first year of life.

The psychometric properties and feasibility of the Alberta infant motor scale used in telehealth: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Telehealth can be a viable option for improving equitable access to early motor assessment for financially vulnerable individuals.

AIM

This review aimed to identify the psychometric properties of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) when applied via telehealth and assess its feasibility.

METHODS

Papers were systematically retrieved from electronic databases until October 4, 2023. We included studies that assessed the motor development of infants using the AIMS through telehealth.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies, encompassing 897 infants (449 male and 396 female), were included in this review. Among them, 805 were typical infants and 92 were at risk of motor delay. The age range of participants spanned from 4.9 weeks to 20 months. The studies found good concurrent validity between telehealth and in-person assessments (ICC > 0.98, SEM < 1.6, mean difference = 0.5) and good to excellent reliability (ICC > 0.80) using home videos recorded by parents or video calls with researchers. Telehealth was perceived as feasible by parents, who expressed high satisfaction, and the quality of images and assessments met commendable standards.

CONCLUSION

Considering the limited number of studies that have assessed infants with neuromotor disorders, this scale has the potential for telehealth application in evaluating typical infants.

Following 4 months of social distancing during COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil did not change aspects of functioning in children and adolescents with developmental disabilities: A longitudinal study

The COVID-19 pandemic and its demands of social distancing have created challenges in the lives of children/adolescents with developmental disabilities and their families, which would change aspects of children's functioning. The objetive of this study was to evaluate changes in some components of functioning of children/adolescents with disabilities following 4 months of social distancing during a period of high contamination rate in the year 2020 in Brazil. Participated 81 mothers of children/adolescents with disabilities, 3-17 years, most of them (80%) diagnosed with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disorder. Remote assessments of functioning' aspects including IPAQ, YC-PEM/ PEM-C, Social Support Scale and PedsQL V.4.0. Wilcoxon tests compared the measures, with significance level <0.05. No significant changes in participant's functioning were identified. Social adjustments required to facing the pandemic during two points in time in the midst of the pandemic did not change the evaluated aspects of functioning in our sample of Brazilian.