Ana Maria Serrano

Early intervention in Portugal: study of professionals’ perceptions

Early intervention (EI) has been characterized by considerable advances in its domain, which has had great repercussions in the implementation of the family-centered approach. These changes have had implications in the practices and in the adoption and learning of new values that should be implemented in EI. This study evaluates the professional perspectives regarding family-centered practices in EI programs in Portugal. The results highlight the importance of effective collaboration and coordination between health, education, and social services and the importance of providing child and family support in a natural context. These results reinforce the need to invest in professional training to improve the quality of services offered to families in EI.

O momento da avaliação na intervenção precoce: o envolvimento da família estudo das qualidades psicométricas do ASQ-2 dos 30 aos 60 meses

The relationship between parents and health and education professionals is fundamental to the development of the child. This becomes even more important in children who are at risk. This relationship is valued in a family-centered approach and there are significant implications for practice in different contexts, requiring professionals to take on new roles and learn new skills in working with families. These skills come to the foreground during the first contacts with the family beginning at the time of assessment through to the effective provision of services. This study arose due to the perception that parents needed to be involved from the very beginning of the process in Early Intervention, by means of a formal instrument and simple application. The ASQ-2 is composed of 19 different questionnaires organized according to age intervals from 4 to 60 months. Each questionnaire comprises 30 items grouped according to the developmental areas of communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving and personal-social. This study presents the analysis of questionnaires from 30 to 60 months to observe the psychometric properties of the ASQ applied to a convenience sample of 127 households in the district of Braga. We concluded that the ASQ-2 presents attractive results suggesting that it could be used by the Portuguese population of parents and professionals (health and education) who wish to answer some questions using a formal screening and monitoring of child development instrument.

Psychometric properties and validation of Portuguese version of Ages & Stages Questionnaires (3rd edition): 9, 18 and 30 Questionnaires

BACKGROUND The essential underlying foundations of Early Intervention (EI), in which parents/family play a critical role in their childs development, leads us to conclude that their contribution assessing early detection of problems is fundamental. The Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) is a standardized screening instrument that has been successfully studied in different countries and cultures. AIMS Translate and study the psychometrics proprieties of the Portuguese version of the 9, 18 and 30month questionnaires of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, 3rd edition (ASQ-3). STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS Validity and reliability were studied in a sample of 234 parents of children within 9, 18 and 30months. RESULTS The results indicated that the questionnaires had good internal consistency, strong agreement between observers and between observations with two weeks interval, and strong Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients between the overall and the total for each domain. The cutoff points (i.e. 2 standard deviations below the mean domain score), that identifies children who should receive further referral for more comprehensive assessment, were close to those determined in the original ASQ-3 psychometric studies. Cronbachs alpha ranging from .42 to .70 and Pearsons r values varies from .22 to .60. CONCLUSIONS Although some weaknesses were noted in psychometric qualities analysis, it can be concluded that the ASQ-PT of 9, 18 and 30months of age fulfills the requirements of a screening tool validated for the Portuguese population. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS To allow the early identification of children with developmental problems.

Parâmetros recomendados para a qualidade da avaliação em intervenção precoce

This article aims to do a synthesized review of theoretical and empirical principles underlying the practices currently recommended for assessment in early intervention. Describes the major paradigm shifts in Early Intervention in the last decades, and how they are reflected in assessment processes, and presents a brief description of the evidence-based characteristics of assessment in Early Intervention. It also presents some tools and assessment procedures that are consistent with the practices described within the research literature, as more responsive to the needs, concerns and priorities of children and their families.

ADHD: after All, What is its Origin?

This study aims to contribute to demystify one of the main misconceptions involved in this issue, namely that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), derives essentially from problems in family education. This article results from an updated research in different journals and books of the specialty and aims to give an explanation about the main etiological causes of ADHD: (i) genetic/hereditary; (ii) neurobiological and neuropsychological; (iii) other etiological factors with pre, post, and postnatal origin; and (iv) contextual factors. It is now known that ADHD is a multidimensional condition whose confluence of different endogenous and exogenous factors results in a heterogeneous expression of its main symptoms throughout life (i.e., inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity). Knowing really the nature of the problem, we will know (all, but in particular parents, teachers and other educational agents) better how to act with these individuals in the different contexts where they are inserted.

PHDA: O que Há de Novo no DSM‑5

The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by behavioral manifestations that affect the normal operation/development of children, adolescents and adults in different life contexts. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders6 (DSM), the ADHD presents the necessary clinical strength to be considered a specific neurodevelopmental disorder. In this article we describe the main characteristics of ADHD, highlighting aspects related to epidemiology, symptomatology, comorbidity and evaluation, but above all we debate the amendments made to the diagnostic criteria in the DSM‑5, namely: specifiers, age of onset, cutoff, and comorbidity with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

DIÁLOGOS SOBRE A INTERVENÇÃO PRECOCE

Historicamente, a IP tem sido marcada pelos modelos voltados ao padrao medico, em que os profissionais sao considerados os “experts” e exercem dominio sobre as informacoes, decisoes e recursos para as criancas com necessidades educativas especiais. No entanto, no Brasil, observa-se grande diferenca em estudos e praticas sobre a tematica da Intervencao Precoce, que quando ocorre, e focada no modelo baseado nas deficiencias. Conscientes de que, o fundamental e conseguir identificar, aplicar e avaliar os elementos chave para a IP centrada na familia, bem como a partir do testemunho de profissionais de uma equipa de um servico de IP e as familias atendidas, temos como objetivo perceber ate que ponto estes valorizam e utilizam as praticas centradas na familia, e como se situam nas diferentes etapas do modelo de desenvolvimento sistemico de IP Guralnick (2005b).