Markus Lang

Parent stress and satisfaction with early intervention services for children with disabilities – a longitudinal study from Germany

This study assessed parent–child and family-related stress at two points of time and analysed relationships between stress, child and family characteristics and parent satisfaction with early intervention services. In Germany, 125 parents of young children with intellectual disabilities, hearing impairment or visual impairment responded to a questionnaire. Eighty-seven parents agreed to participate in the second survey. Results indicated that (a) perceived parenting competence is associated with general self-efficacy and satisfaction with professional support, (b) parent–child interactional stress increased with time, specifically in families with children with intellectual disability or visual impairment, (c) the level of satisfaction with amount and quality of family support was low in a considerable subgroup of parents, (d) regression analyses support predictive relationships among parent–child stress, family-related stress, perceived parenting competence and satisfaction with early intervention services.

Social-emotional competences in very young visually impaired children

Social-emotional competences are an important developmental domain for children with a visual impairment (VI). Therefore, early diagnosis in this regard is needed to ensure that VI children receive appropriate support. In this study, we used two preliminary German versions of the Infant–Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) and the Social-Emotional Assessment/Evaluation Measure (SEAM) to assess social-emotional competences in 92 VI infants and toddlers aged 12–36 months. Our results indicate that both instruments provide valid, reliable data and are suitable for use in practice. The results still reveal that understanding the emotions of other persons, paying attention to things around them and engaging with their environment, in addition to relating to other peers, seem to be the most important challenges for early intervention in VI toddlers. An additional disability is yet another condition that poses a specific challenge for VI education. The data also corroborate well-known findings from other research on the education of children with different conditions; in particular, the role of parental responsivity for the development of social-emotional competences is confirmed. Overall, the results suggest that the two instruments employed provide important information for educational practice, but further research is needed to demonstrate their full value.

Originalarbeit: Praxis familienorientierter Arbeit. Eine explorative empirische Studie in der Frühförderung für sehbehinderte und blinde Kinder

In einer explorativen Studie wurden 49 Fruhforderstunden aus dem Bereich der Fruhforderung von sehbehinderten oder blinden Kindern analysiert. Es wurden Beobachtungsdaten erhoben zur Rolle der Fachkraft und zur Beteiligung der Eltern an den Forderaktivitaten, zu den Themen der Beratung, die im Rahmen der Forderstunden stattfindet, sowie zum Einsatz von familienorientierten Strategien im Vorgehen der Fachkrafte, die geeignet sind, die aktive Beteiligung der Eltern an der Forderung zu starken. Die Auswertung zeigt, dass die Fachkrafte etwa 50 % der Zeit auf die direkte Forderung des Kindes verwenden. Im Gesprach mit den Eltern werden vor allem Fragen der Forderung und des Entwicklungsverlaufs des Kindes thematisiert. Probleme der Erziehung und Belastungen der Eltern werden kaum angesprochen. Ein Coaching der Eltern in entwicklungsforderlichen Interaktionsweisen mit dem Kind findet nur in geringem Mase statt. Die Ergebnisse werden vor dem Hintergrund familienorientierter Konzepte der Fruhforderung diskutiert.

Risikofaktoren für selbstverletzendes, aggressives und stereotypes Verhalten bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit Sehschädigungen

Objective To increase the limited knowledge concerning the form and risk factors of self-injurious, aggressive, and stereotypic behavior in children and youths with visual impairments. Method Parents of 83 children and youths with visual impairments report on the characteristics of visual impairment, the social-communicative competence of their children, and the frequency and severity of self-injurious, aggressive, and stereotypic behaviors. Results Stereotypic behaviors are reported more often than the other behavioral abnormalities. The frequencies of stereotypic and self-injurious behaviors are correlated with each other. Children with higher social-communicative competence received lower scores in stereotypic and self-injurious behaviors (range of correlation coefficients between –.26 and –.48). Furthermore, the developmental delay of cognitive and adaptive competence is associated with the frequency and severity of these self-injurious behaviors (F = 4.65, p = .012/F > 5.65, p < 0.01). For blind children, the parents describe a higher frequency and severity of stereotypic and self-injurious behaviors. The frequency of self-injurious behavior is lower for children in an integrative setting. Conclusions Frequency and severity of stereotypic and self-injurious behavior varies with characteristics of the child’s visual impairment and additional disabilities. This association is not supported for aggressive behaviors.

Sozial-emotionale Kompetenzen hörgeschädigter Kleinkinder

Objective Hearing loss in the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) is associated with an elevated risk of problems in socio-emotional development. Early assessment is necessary to start timely interventions. The present study tested two parent questionnaires that allow evaluation of the socio-emotional development of toddlers from a competence perspective. Method 128 parents with DHH toddlers aged 18 to 36 months were asked to evaluate the development of their children and their own educational competences using two preliminary German adaptations of internationally well-known social-emotional assessment measures. Results In addition to a series of results within the normal range, the data also reveal some specific problems in the socio-emotional development of children with hearing loss. DHH toddlers in particular show more problems developing empathic competences and maintaining relations with peers. DHH toddlers with additional handicaps have a higher risk of developing socio-emotional problems. Parental responsivity proves to be important regarding the development of socio-emotional competences in toddlers. Conclusions The presented data strongly confirm results available from deaf research regarding the development and promotion of DHH children. The two questionnaires used in this study provide the opportunity to evaluate socio-emotional competences in DHH toddlers and to start appropriate interventions very early.

Preliminary Evidence Assessing Social–Emotional Competences in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants and Toddlers Using a New Parent Questionnaire

Social-emotional competences are an important developmental domain for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children and early diagnosis of problems is needed to ensure that DHH children receive appropriate support in this domain. In order to explore the usefulness of an instrument, which was recently developed for very young children, two studies in DHH infants and toddlers were conducted from Germany using the Social-Emotional Assessment/Evaluation Measure (Squires et al. (2013). Social-Emotional Assessment/Evaluation Measure (SEAM). Baltimore, ML: Brooks). Preliminary analysis of data obtained from a sample of 182 DHH children aged between 2 and 36 months (Study 1) suggests that it provides valid, reliable data and is suitable for use in practice. The data also corroborate well-known findings from other research in deaf education, in particular the role of parental responsivity for the development of social-emotional competences. Study 2 documents the consistency of evaluations of 44 DHH children by their mothers and by early intervention providers using the scales. Overall, the results suggest that this new evaluation instrument has potential applications in deaf educational practice but further research is needed to demonstrate its full value.

[Social-Emotional Competence in Young Children with Hearing, Visual or Intellectual Impairments - an Explorative Study with the ITSEA].

Zusammenfassung Fruhe emotionale und soziale Kompetenzen gelten als wichtige Voraussetzungen fur das Gelingen der sozialen Teilhabe in Familie und Kindergarten. Wir berichten uber eine explorative Studie zur Erprobung von Kompetenzskalen aus dem „Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment“ (ITSEA) fur ein- bis dreijahrige Kinder bei 253 Kindern mit einer Hor- oder Sehschadigung bzw. einer intellektuellen Beeintrachtigung. Die interne Konsistenz der sechs verwendeten Skalen ist hoch (Alpha > .86). Eine Kovarianzanalyse zeigt signifikante Unterschiede in den sozial-emotionalen Kompetenzen aus Sicht der Eltern zwischen den drei Gruppen und in Abhangigkeit vom Vorliegen zusatzlicher Behinderungen. Die Ergebnisse dieser ersten Erprobung sprechen dafur, das Verfahren in deutscher Sprache zu standardisieren und zu normieren.

Kinder mit Taubblindheit und Hörsehbehinderung. Wie steht es um ihre Versorgung in der Frühförderung

Die Fruhforderung von horsehbehinderten und taubblinden Kindern stellt besondere Anforderungen an die Fachkompetenz. Nicht alle Kinder mit einer kombinierten Sinnesbehinderung werden durch spezialisierte Fruhforderstellen betreut. In einer schriftlichen Befragung berichten 16 Fachkrafte – davon 11 Fachkrafte, die in Fruhforderstellen mit anderen Schwerpunkten arbeiten, aber horsehbehinderte Kinder betreuen – uber die Hilfsmittelversorgung, Umgebungsgestaltung, Kommunikation und psychosoziale Situation von 52 Kindern sowie uber ihre eigenen Kompetenzen. Daraus wird deutlich, dass eine Verbesserung der Versorgung und der Aus- und Fortbildung erforderlich ist, um den Bedurfnissen der Kinder gerecht zu werden.