Autism severity level affects working memory and planning but not inhibition, shifting and emotional control.

Autistic children often have difficulties in executive functions (EF). These difficulties can, in turn, affect their everyday functioning. It is less clear in what way EF are affected by the severity of autism symptoms in children. We hypothesize that autism severity level does not have the same effect across the different components of EF. In this study, we examined how EF are affected by the autism severity level in a sample of 52 autistic children aged 4-7 years (mean age- 5.4 years, SD- 0.9 years). EF were measured through teachers' reports on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions- Preschool Version. Autism severity level was measured with the Social Communication Questionnaire- Current Form. The results of this study showed that autism severity level impacted two EF, namely Planning and Working memory, and did not affect three EF components: Inhibition, Shifting, and Emotional Control. These results indicate that the cool or cognitive EF are more affected by autism severity level than hot EF. We conclude the article with suggestions for improving EF in autistic children.

The Relative Strengths of Relationships Between Fine Motor Skills, Working Memory, Processing Speed and Fluid Intelligence in Early Elementary School Children.

The goal in the present paper was to examine the combined and relative impact of fine motor ability, auditory working memory, and processing speed on fluid intelligence in a sample of early elementary school students. Our participant sample was 145 children (Mage = 9.1 years, SD = 1.1; 80 boys, 65 girls). We used the Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices Test as a measure of fluid intelligence and five other measures to represent the three predictor variables: the Grooved Pegboard Test as a measure of fine motor skills, Digit Span Forwards and Digit Span Backwards tests as measures of working memory, and Rapid Automatized Naming and Letter-Digit Substitution tasks as measures of processing speed. Regression analyses indicated that only two of these measures had a statistically significant association with the fluid intelligence test scores, namely, scores on the Grooved Pegboard (fine motor skills) and Digit Span Backwards (working memory) tests, with these two measures explaining 35% of the variance in the fluid intelligence test scores. Thus, fine motor skills and working memory were correlated with fluid intelligence in early elementary-grade students. Until the directions of these relationships are better understood, we might assume that interventions aiming to increase young children's fluid intelligence, or at least their intelligence scores, might partly target working memory and fine motor skills.

Content Analysis of Abstracts Published in Autism Journals in 2021: The year in Review.

PURPOSE: Ever since Leo Kanner first described autism in 1943, the research in this field has grown immensely. In 2021 alone, 5837 SCOPUS indexed documents were published with a title that contained the words: "autism", "autistic", or "ASD". The purpose of this study was to examine the most common topics of autism research in 2021 and present a geographical contribution to this research. METHODS: We performed a content analysis of 1102 abstracts from the articles published in 11 Autism journals in 2021. The following journals, indexed by the SCOPUS database, were included: Autism, Autism Research, Molecular Autism, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Advances in Autism, Autism and Developmental Language Impairments, and Autism in Adulthood. RESULTS: According to the analysis, the main research topics were: mental health, social communication, social skills, quality of life, parenting stress, ADHD, Covid-19, self-efficacy, special education, and theory of mind. In relation to geographic distribution, most studies came from the USA, followed by the UK, Australia, and Canada. CONCLUSION: Research topics were aligned with the priorities set by stakeholders in autism, most notably persons with autism themselves and their family members. There is a big gap in research production between developed countries and developing countries.

Parent-teacher interactions, family stress, well-being, and parental depression as contributing factors to parental involvement mechanisms in education of children with autism.

Parental involvement (PI) in education contributes to numerous positive outcomes in children, including educational outcomes and social competence. The goal of the present study was to examine differences in PI mechanisms between parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and parents of typically developing (TD) children. An additional goal was to examine factors affecting PI mechanisms in education in parents of children with ASD. The sample for this study consisted of 50 parents of children with ASD and 50 parents of TD children. The results of this study indicate that parents of children with ASD had lower levels of PI mechanisms in education than parents of TD children. The strongest predictors of PI mechanisms in education in parents of children with ASD were subjective well-being and child's emotional reactivity. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Family quality of life: perceptions of parents of children with developmental disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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.

Factor structure of the BRIEF-P teacher version in a sample of Bosnian preschool children with intellectual disability.

Executive functions (EF) play a key role in child's development as they are necessary prerequisites for everyday functioning and later academic success. Much research has been directed at examining whether EF are unidimensional or multidimensional construct. In this study, we tested two theoretically driven models and one mathematically driven EF model based on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions - Preschool Edition (BRIEF-P). The sample for this study consisted of 102 children with intellectual disability (77 boys, 25 girls), aged 40-71 months (mean age- 62.1 months, SD- 7.6 months). Early childhood special education teachers completed the BRIEF-P Teacher Version. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to assess the validity of different EF models. The original BRIEF-P, with a second-order, three-factor model and one-factor model were not a good fit to the data. Mathematically driven one-factor model, with the addition of correlated errors between the scales of working memory and shift, and working memory and plan/organize was a good model fit. The current study indicates that EF differentiation begins to emerge at preschool age in children with intellectual disabilities. Understanding EF structure in children with intellectual disability will help create better intervention programs for this population.

Identifying predictors of reading speed and reading comprehension in Bosnian.

The goal of the present study was to examine the predictors of reading speed and reading comprehension in third-grade students from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH). The sample consisted of 168 third-grade students (86 boys, 82 girls) attending regular schools in Canton Sarajevo, BIH. We examined the effects of phonological awareness (phoneme deletion and rhyming), rapid automatized naming (RAN) of letters and objects, semantic fluency, working memory, and processing speed, on three reading speed tasks and a reading comprehension task. For the reading speed tasks, total amount of explained variance was 33% for reading a text passage, 40% for word reading and 36% for pseudoword reading. The most important predictors of reading speed tasks were phoneme deletion task and RAN: Letters. On the other hand, the model explaining reading comprehension was much less predictive and explained about 11% of variance. Significant predictors of reading comprehension were working memory and processing speed. The results of this study are very informative in creating better models of reading. This in turn will help create better reading intervention programs and potentially reduce the number of children with reading disabilities.

Exercise-Based Interventions Aimed at Improving Balance in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have deficits in motor skills, especially balance. This article presents a meta-analytic review of 15 intervention studies that aimed to improve balance in children and adolescents with ASD. Across these studies, there were 195 participants with ASD for whom pre-intervention and post-intervention balance scores were available. We measured the standardized mean difference (Hedges' g) between their pre-intervention and post-intervention balance scores and found a large, positive effect from these balance interventions (standardized mean difference-1.82 (95% CI [1.34, 2.29]). Various balance intervention procedures were shown to be very efficacious for children and adolescents with ASD. Clearly, balance is a motor skill that is very susceptible to intervention efforts. We also provided recommendations to researchers regarding what information to include when conducting intervention studies.

Mental Health of Teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemics.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic of COVID-19 has affected all spheres of life, including education. Teachers at all levels were faced with numerous challenges during the pandemic. These challenges had an impact on their mental health. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the present study was to examine the depression, anxiety, and stress levels in teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. METHODS: The sample for this study consisted of 559 teachers (471 female teachers and 88 male teachers). We used the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS 21) to measure teachers' emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress. RESULTS: The findings of this study clearly indicate the high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress in teachers. We also identified that levels of support provided by family members and school administration served as protective factors in the time of crisis. CONCLUSION: Teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina have a high prevalence of elevated depression, anxiety, and stress levels. The article concludes with some recommendations on how to improve the mental health of teachers.

Visual-Motor Integration in Children With Mild Intellectual Disability: A Meta-Analysis.

Visual-motor integration (VMI) skills, defined as the coordination of fine motor and visual perceptual abilities, are a very good indicator of a child's overall level of functioning. Research has clearly established that children with intellectual disability (ID) have deficits in VMI skills. This article presents a meta-analytic review of 10 research studies involving 652 children with mild ID for which a VMI skills assessment was also available. We measured the standardized mean difference (Hedges' g) between scores on VMI tests of these children with mild ID and either typically developing children's VMI test scores in these studies or normative mean values on VMI tests used by the studies. While mild ID is defined in part by intelligence scores that are two to three standard deviations below those of typically developing children, the standardized mean difference of VMI differences between typically developing children and children with mild ID in this meta-analysis was 1.75 (95% CI [1.11, 2.38]). Thus, the intellectual and adaptive skill deficits of children with mild ID may be greater (perhaps especially due to their abstract and conceptual reasoning deficits) than their relative VMI deficits. We discuss the possible meaning of this relative VMI strength among children with mild ID and suggest that their stronger VMI skills may be a target for intensive academic interventions as a means of attenuating problems in adaptive functioning.

Is Bacterial Meningitis a Risk Factor for Developing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Bacterial meningitis is a severe disease with high morbidity. Many medical conditions are known to be associated with meningitis including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The goal of the present study was to examine the frequency of ADHD in children who had had bacterial meningitis. An additional goal was to assess the odds ratio for ADHD in children who had had meningitis and children who had not had it. METHODS: The sample comprised 60 children who had had meningitis in the first year of their lives and 60 control children who had not had the disease. ADHD was assessed through the structural clinical interviews with parents according to the criteria set in DSM-IV. RESULTS: The total frequency of ADHD in children who had had meningitis was 62%, as compared to 5% in children who had not had the disease. The odds ratio for developing ADHD was 30.5 (95% CI = 8.5 to 109) in favor of children in the meningitis group. CONCLUSION: Meningitis is a significant risk factor for developing ADHD later in childhood. Children who had meningitis need to be monitored for timely detecting and treating ADHD symptoms.

Making Use of H-index: the Shape of Science at the University of Sarajevo.

INTRODUCTION: Quantifying science and scientific contribution has become one of the main tasks in evaluating researchers and their impact. How do we value research and science in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH)? Scientific community has mostly agreed upon that one of the best ways to value researchers is through their h-index value. However, there are many databases and services from which h-index can be retrieved. AIM: To describe different databases and services such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus and Researchgate in evaluating the researcher. An additional aim of this paper is to present "the shape" of science at the University of Sarajevo and to examine what are the best predictors of h-index. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the data from 100 Google Scholar Profiles of researchers from University of Sarajevo. RESULTS: The study showed some benefits and shortcomings of mentioned databases and services. Most researchers in the sample were from natural sciences, in particular from the field of medicine. The mean value of h-index in relation to the researcher's gender was not statistically significant. We conclude the article with some ideas on how to improve the visibility of researchers from BIH.

MOTHERS' SATISFACTION WITH TREATMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA.

AIM: The goal of this study was to examine the general satisfaction of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with treatment opportunities for their children in Bosnia and Herzegovina. An additional goal was to assess the level of mothers' satisfaction with their own involvement in the creation and implementation of Individual Education Plans. METHODS: The sample consisted of 98 mothers of children with ASD. Mothers answered to questions related to their perceived satisfaction with treatment options. RESULTS: The results of this study indicated that mothers are generally satisfied with educational opportunities for their children (61.2%). However, their satisfaction with involvement in the creation and implementation of Individual Education Programs was much lower (35.7%). Most comments of the mothers were that the treatment options should be more widely available and that the educational programs could be improved. CONCLUSIONS: Parents of children with ASD should have more information on the treatment options available for their children. More educational opportunities need to be offered to children with ASD in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Facial Emotion Recognition in Adolescents With Disabilities: The Effects of Type of Disability and Gender.

Emotion recognition is very important for successful social interactions. This study compared adolescents with intellectual disability and adolescents with hearing impairment on a facial emotion recognition task. The sample for this study comprised 78 adolescents (46.2% females, 53.8% males; M age = 16.4, SD = 1.0) divided into three groups (N = 26) of adolescents with intellectual disability, adolescents with hearing impairment, and adolescents without disabilities. Emotion recognition abilities were measured using a computerized Emotion Recognition Test. Adolescents with intellectual disability achieved lower scores on Emotion Recognition Test in comparison with adolescents with hearing impairment and adolescents without disabilities. There were no significant differences on Emotion Recognition Test between adolescents with hearing impairment and adolescents without disabilities. Given the importance of emotion recognition in everyday functioning, it is of crucial importance to have emotional training programs as part of the school curriculum.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children with intellectual disability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is very frequent in children with intellectual disability. The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence of ADHD in children with intellectual disability in Bosnia and Herzegovina with regard to their sex, etiology and level of intellectual disability. The method for data collection was the examination of the children's medical records. The sample consisted of 167 children attending two special education facilities in Sarajevo. Overall occurrence of the disorder was found to be 20.4%, a finding which is in accordance with existing studies. The results in this study revealed different male to female ratio (1.5:1) of the disorder as compared to existing studies. A difference in the prevalence of ADHD was found in relation to the level of intellectual disability. There are many children with dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and ADHD. It is necessary that multidisciplinary team is involved in the creation of behavioral and educational programs for these children.

Executive functions as predictors of visual-motor integration in children with intellectual disability.

The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between visual-motor integration and executive functions, and in particular, the extent to which executive functions can predict visual-motor integration skills in children with intellectual disability. The sample consisted of 90 children (54 boys, 36 girls; M age = 11.3 yr., SD = 2.7, range 7-15) with intellectual disabilities of various etiologies. The measure of executive functions were 8 subscales of the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) consisting of Inhibition, Shifting, Emotional Control, Initiating, Working memory, Planning, Organization of material, and Monitoring. Visual-motor integration was measured with the Acadia test of visual-motor integration (VMI). Regression analysis revealed that BRIEF subscales explained 38% of the variance in VMI scores. Of all the BRIEF subscales, only two were statistically significant predictors of visual-motor integration: Working memory and Monitoring. Possible implications of this finding are further elaborated.

Predictors of visual-motor integration in children with intellectual disability.

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of sex, age, level and etiology of intellectual disability on visual-motor integration in children with intellectual disability. The sample consisted of 90 children with intellectual disability between 7 and15 years of age. Visual-motor integration was measured using the Acadia test of visual-motor integration. A multiple regression analysis was used for data analysis. The results of this study showed that sex, level of intellectual disability, and age were significant predictors of visual-motor integration. The etiology of intellectual disability did not play a significant role in predicting visual-motor integration. Visual-motor integration skills are very important for a child's overall level of functioning. Individualized programs for the remediation of visual-motor integration skills should be a part of the curriculum for children with intellectual disability.

Age at menarche and premenstrual syndrome in adolescent girls with intellectual disability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The issues involving menstruation are the topic of many scientific inquiries in the fields of medicine, psychology, sociology and anthropology. The aim of this study was to determine the age at menarche and the most common symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in adolescent girls with intellectual disability. The main method of data collection was through the use of a survey and an interview with the girls. The sample consisted of 31 adolescent girls with intellectual disability and 31 adolescent girls without intellectual disability serving as a control group. Both groups were between the ages of 14 and 18 years. The results of this study revealed higher variability of age at menarche in girls with intellectual disability compared to girls without intellectual disability. The symptoms of PMS were almost equally distributed in both groups of girls. Many girls with intellectual disability do not have enough knowledge about menstruation. More attention needs to be given to treating the symptoms of PMS and educating the girls in a school setting.

Epilepsy in children with intellectual disability in Bosnia and Herzegovina: effects of sex, level and etiology of intellectual disability.

The purpose of this study was to examine the occurrence of epilepsy in children with intellectual disability. An additional goal was to determine if there were statistical differences in the occurrence of epilepsy related to the sex, level and etiology of intellectual disability of children. The sample consisted of 167 children with intellectual disability attending two special education schools in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The method for data collection was the examination of the children's medical records. A chi-square test was performed to determine if there were any significant differences in the occurrence of epilepsy among different categories of children with intellectual disability. Additionally, Phi coefficient and Cramer V coefficient were calculated to determine the strength of association. The occurrence of epilepsy in children with intellectual disability is high and certain etiological categories are associated with an even higher risk of epilepsy. The study confirmed a high occurrence of epilepsy in children with intellectual disability. Some psycho-educational implications of epilepsy were discussed and in the future there should be better cooperation between medical and educational institutions in treating the bio-psycho-social issues of a child with epilepsy.