ABSTRACT
The goal of the present study was to assess the family quality of life (FQOL) in families with children with developmental disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We examined the FQOL in relation to parents' demographic variables (gender, age, employment status), children's gender and age, type of children's disability (mild and moderate intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder) and parent's depression, anxiety, and stress levels. The sample consisted of 270 parents of children with disabilities; 90 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder, 90 parents of children with mild intellectual disability, and 90 parents of children with moderate intellectual disability. We also included a control group of 90 parents of typically developing children. The results of this study showed that parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and parents of children with moderate intellectual disability had statistically significantly lower FQOL than parents of children with mild intellectual disability and parents of typically developing children. Child's gender had a significant effect on FQOL. Also, depression, anxiety and stress levels significantly affected FQOL, while the parents' gender, age, and employment status did not have a significant effect. Implications of these findings are discussed and some measures on supporting parents are proposed.
ABSTRACT
Since the development of the original Support Intensity Scale-Adult Version (SIS-A) and the Support Intensity Scale-Child Version (SIS-C), the interest in supporting people with intellectual disabilities (ID) has changed. Resource allocation, better quality of resource utilization in the rehabilitation process, the development of support systems, and redefining the roles of organizations that support people with ID are just some of the changes. The aim of this study was to determine the factor structure of the SIS-C conducted on a sample of Bosnian-Herzegovinian (B&H) children (SISC B&H). The study included 377 children ID in B&H, aged 5-16. The data was analyzed with the SPSS 21 software (with the AMOS package). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine the factor structure of the SIS-C. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied to determine the factor and constructive validity of SIS-C B&H. The CFA results indicated a poor fit of both the theoretical and empirical models even after modifications were made. The EFA showed the opposite results. This could be explained by the fact that within the factor solutions obtained from the EFA, various aslope or orthogonal models, linear or hierarchical, can be constructed. Among these models, some exhibited good fit to the data. Thus, data from the current study could be used to generate new hypotheses and deliver more conclusive answers.
ABSTRACT
Aim of this study was to determine the probability of occurrence of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder- ADHD in children of preschool age and early school age, and to identify differences in the assessment of children identified with high probability for the disorder with regard to assessment by parents and teachers, and with respect on age and sex of children. Total of 107 children were included in the study: 51 girls and 56 boys. The study employed two questionnaires: Questionnaire for Analysis at School for teachers and Questionnaire for Analysis at Home for parents. Both questionnaires contained 39 statements which covered three dimensions of child's behavior needed for ADHD diagnosis. Raw data in each questionnaire were converted according to the standard norms of Guide to Standard Scores (SS) and Total Standard Scores (TSS) and as such were used for statistical analysis. It was found that a considerable number of children demonstrated high probability for ADHD disorder in assessments done by both parents and teachers. Parents recognize probability of ADHD presence more frequently among male children, while teachers recognize this probability more often among female children. Research shows that a significant percentage of children from the entire sample have been labeled with significant ADHD symptoms. Given the age of the child both parents and teachers recognize similar levels of high ADHD probability. Future studies should be directed toward early detection and recognition of children with ADHD syndrome, and clinical evaluation as a first step toward successful treatment and prevention of additional psychological and other problems in an adult.
