Robert T. Connor

An Intervention Approach for Children with Teacher-and Parent-Identified Attentional Difficulties

Using a multimodal and multi-informant method for diagnosis, we selected 33 children by teacher and parent nomination for attention and work completion problems that met DSM-IV criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Of the 33 children in this group, 21 participated in the initial intervention, and 12 were placed in an ADHD control group and received the intervention after pre- and posttesting. A similarly selected group of 21 children without difficulties in attention and work completion served as a control group. Each child was assessed on pre- and posttest measures of visual and auditory attention. After an 18-week intervention period that included attention and problem-solving training, all children in the intervention and control groups were retested on visual and auditory tasks. Children in both ADHD groups showed significantly poorer initial performance on the visual attention task. Whereas the ADHD intervention group showed commensurate performance to the nondisabled control group after training, the ADHD control group did not show significant improvement over the same period. Auditory attention was poorer compared to the control group for both ADHD groups initially and improved only for the ADHD intervention group. These findings are discussed as a possible intervention for children with difficulties in strategy selection in a classroom setting.

The relationship between sources and functions of social support and dimensions of child- and parent-related stress

BACKGROUND In this longitudinal study, we examined the relationship between the sources and functions of social support and dimensions of child- and parent-related stress for mothers of young children with mild developmental delays. METHODS Sixty-three mothers completed assessments of stress and support at two time points. RESULTS Multiple regression analyses revealed that parenting support during the early childhood period (i.e. advice on problems specific to their child and assistance with child care responsibilities), irrespective of source, consistently predicted most dimensions of parent stress assessed during the early elementary years and contributed unique variance. General support (i.e. primarily emotional support and validation) from various sources had other, less widespread effects on parental stress. CONCLUSIONS The multidimensional perspective of the construct of social support that emerged suggested mechanisms mediating the relationship between support and stress and provided a framework for intervention.

Promoting the Peer-Related Social Development of Young Children With Mild Developmental Delays: Effectiveness of a Comprehensive Intervention

To address the unusual peer-related social competence difficulties characteristic of young children with mild developmental delays, we conducted a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive, developmentally oriented, highly individualized intervention extending over a 2-year period. Outcome measures emphasized generalization of peer interactions in unfamiliar playgroups. Results revealed modest effects of the intervention, with children who had lower cognitive levels benefiting most. Intervention effects were best conceptualized as preventative, minimizing the negative features and atypical patterns of childrens social play with peers. Our discussion of future work was focused on alternative implementation models to enhance intervention intensity, inclusion of specific subgroups of children, and direct measurement of children engaging in social tasks.

Family Factors Associated with the Peer Social Competence of Young Children with Mild Delays.

A model addressing family influences on the peer-related social competence of young children with mild developmental (cognitive) delays was developed and tested. Constructs representing child peer competence, types of parent action (arranging play for their child and socialization strategies varying in degree of control or power), parent attitudes (beliefs as to the degree their childs peer interactions could be influenced by external actions), parent stress, social support, and child risk were examined. Path analytic techniques were used to evaluate the model. Results supported the importance of family influences on the peer-related social competence of young children with mild developmental delays. With the exception of parent attitude, all theoretical constructs were retained in the analysis and significant paths followed predicted relationships.

Mothers' Social Communicative Adjustments to Young Children with Mild Developmental Delays.

The social communication and compliance patterns of 63 mothers interacting with their young children who had mild developmental delays in social play and instructional tasks were examined in a longitudinal study. Results were consistent with the hypothesis that mothers appropriately adjust their social communications in accordance with childrens developmental characteristics and task demands. The extent of scaffolding specificity that mothers used in the instructional task also indicated a high level of sensitivity to childrens developmental characteristics. Analyses conducted over a 2-year period revealed that adjustments were commensurate with childrens emerging social communication abilities, suggesting that mothers of children with developmental delays continue to display social communication patterns that are supportive of their childs development.

Home-Based Peer Social Networks of Young Children With Down Syndrome: A Developmental Perspective

Numerous dimensions of the peer social networks of children with Down syndrome were examined within a developmental framework. Results revealed that for many key measures, particularly involvement in play, linkages to other settings, and control of play, children with Down syndrome have less well-developed peer networks even in comparison to a mental age matched group of typically developing children. This suggests both an absence of any social advantage in the peer context for children with Down syndrome and the existence of unusual difficulties that may be traced to underlying problems in peer-related social competence. The need for future observational studies of peer interactions for this group of children was emphasized.

Subtypes of nonsocial play: comparisons between young children with and without developmental delays.

Subtypes of nonsocial play were examined for matched groups of young typically developing children and children with mild developmental (cognitive) delays. Based on intercorrelation patterns, interindividual stability, and associations with peer interaction measures, findings indicated that the nonsocial play of children with delays can be characterized as multidimensional in a manner similar to that of typically developing children. However, analyses suggest different interpretations of the psychological meaning of nonsocial play subtypes for both groups of children than indicated by previous work. Context factors did not influence nonsocial play subtypes. Evidence was found indicating considerable heterogeneity within subtypes, suggesting the need for longitudinal studies focusing on childrens peer-related social competence, which may reveal subgroups within subtypes that both refine the constructs and provide direction for clinical interventions.

Peer-related social competence of young children with Down syndrome.

The peer-related social competence of children with Down syndrome was examined in an observational study. Dyadic interactions with peers of children with Down syndrome were compared with the dyadic interactions of matched groups of typically developing children and with playmates differing in both familiarity and social skills. Results suggested that both risk and protective factors influenced the peer interactions of children with Down syndrome. Recommendations are made for applying contemporary models of peer-related social competence to etiologic subgroups to better understand the mechanisms involved and to provide direction for the design of intervention programs.

Continuity and Change From Full-Inclusion Early Childhood Programs Through the Early Elementary Period

A large and well-characterized group of children with mild developmental delays initially enrolled in full-inclusion preschool or kindergarten programs was followed for 3 years. Changes in the type of inclusive placements as children transitioned to first and second grades were monitored, and associations between placement type and child and family characteristics were examined. Results revealed a high level of continuity in that most children remained in partial or full inclusion settings over time. However, a substantial reduction in full-inclusion placements occurred between the 2nd and 3rd year when children were completing the transition to first and second grades. Placements in less inclusive settings were associated with childrens levels of cognitive and language development but not their adaptive, social, or behavioral characteristics. A hypothesis was put forward that placement in full-inclusion programs during the early childhood years creates a momentum to continue maximum participation in inclusive settings over time.

Nonsocial Play Patterns of Young Children With Communication Disorders: Implications for Behavioral Adaptation

It has been well established that young children with communication disorders (CD) have considerable difficulties interacting socially with peers in free-play settings. The central purpose of this study was to determine whether behavioral adaptations of children with CD could contribute to their peer interaction problems. To accomplish this, the behavioral patterns of reticent, solitary–passive, and solitary–active subtypes of nonsocial play of children with CD were observed in unstructured playgroup settings and compared to the nonsocial play of matched groups of typically developing children. Also examined was whether the associations with peer social interaction measures and child and family characteristics differed among the reticent, solitary–passive, and solitary–active subtypes and whether the context factors of the developmental status and familiarity of peers influenced these patterns. Results revealed that preschool children with CD do not exhibit distinct patterns of nonsocial play and provide no evidence for situation-specific (i.e., with peers) behavioral adaptations despite difficulties interacting with peers. The developmental characteristics of or familiarity with ones peers did not influence these results. Moreover, the peer social interaction patterns corresponding to each subtype, as well as child and family characteristics associated with each subtype, were also similar for both groups of children. Recommendations for preventive intervention programs to minimize future peer interaction problems emphasizing social–information and emotional regulation processes were presented.