Will Programs Be Prepared to Teach Young Children At-Risk Post-pandemic? A Scoping Review of Early Childhood Education Experiences

Given that quality early school experiences are predictive of later school success, fostering efficacious early education and kindergarten adjustment is an educational priority. Yet pre-COVID-19 research demonstrates that children who are at risk for academic difficulties experience barriers in school that require additional support during their early education. The COVID-19 global crisis has erected additional, unpredictable barriers that may be detrimental to early school experiences and, in many cases, has resulted in the elimination of early schooling opportunities altogether. While inimical to most children, eliminating early education opportunities for students with multiple risk factors (e.g., geographic isolation, developmental delays, and low socioeconomic status) sets conditions for an even higher risk of academic failure. This scoping review synthesizes current research on teacher, parent, and child experiences during pandemic-related school closures and recommendations for school adaptations and family support around early education and transition to kindergarten in the shadow of COVID-19. A scoping review of the literature was conducted, drawing upon four databases (ERIC, MEDLINE, APA PsycNet, and Science Direct). Searches included quantitative and qualitative studies published from January 2020 until the end of July 2021, examining inquiry into early education experiences and kindergarten transition during the COVID-19 pandemic for young children at-risk for academic difficulties. A total of 13 articles were included in the review. Results inform school transition, early childhood education practice, and means to support families with young children at-risk for academic difficulties as the pandemic continues and potential future crises arise. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Adapting parent-focused interventions for diverse caregivers of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Lessons learned during global crises

Parent-focused interventions have been designed to provide training and support to caregivers who are essential in achieving positive outcomes for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In 2020, significant crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and continued racial tensions, profoundly impacted the livelihood of children with IDD and their families. Many ongoing efforts to address disparities among this population were halted temporarily and required further adaptations. Researchers adapted interventions and support to address the disparities impacting children with IDD and their families with limited guidance. We provide a descriptive case analysis of four parent-focused interventions that responded to the global crises to continue serving children with IDD and their families. The four distinct programs were based on applied behavior analysis and naturalistic, developmental-behavioral paradigms that were culturally adapted for families of young children with IDD from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. We present the qualitative reports on the challenges and benefits that arose with adapting the four parent-focused interventions for telehealth implementation. We focused specifically on adaptations made in recruitment and retention, instrumentation and measurement, research staff training, and intervention delivery. We synthesize our experience with challenges and solutions in adapting parent-focused interventions for racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse children with IDD and their families. We conclude with recommendations for researchers and practitioners on methods for adapting parent-focused interventions to address the significant health disparities that impact racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse children with IDD and their families. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities published by International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Wiley Periodicals LLC.

COVID-19 and pregnancy: Case series with diabetes co-morbidity from the registry study ‘Covid-19 Related Obstetric and Neonatal Outcome Study‘ (CRONOS)

From March 3 to October 13, 2020, 27 cases with diabetes comorbidity have been recorded in the CRONOS registry (Covid-19 Related Obstetric and Neonatal Outcome Study in Germany) among 262 registered women with SARS-CoV‑2 infection during their pregnancy. Of those, 21 presented with gestational diabetes, 5 with type 2 diabetes and 1 with type 1 diabetes. About half of the women were asymptomatic and were diagnosed via general screening at hospital admission. The most common symptoms were nasal congestion, cough, tiredness, malaise and changes in smell and taste. The majority of pregnant women showed a mild to moderate course, three women were admitted to the intensive care unit and none required invasive ventilation. In the type 2 diabetes group, there were two cases with late fetal death (37 and 40 weeks of gestation) and one with a malformation, an association with diabetes being most likely. Pregnant women with diabetes mellitus represent a special subgroup;1 in 10 women in this small cohort required intensive care monitoring due to COVID-19. In addition, this case series underscores the need for unrestricted access to pregnancy care, especially in times of pandemic, for optimal perinatal outcome.