Early assessment of communicative competence in children with hearing loss using the Child-Caregiver Communication Assessment through Rebesco's Evaluation (CC-CARE) method.

PURPOSE: This work presents a new frame-by-frame video analysis method called Child-Caregiver Communication Assessment through Rebesco's Evaluation (CC-CARE), developed in the context of pediatric hearing loss as a rehabilitation tool for assessing children's early communication skills. CC-CARE stems from the commonly used Tait video analysis and extends it by including a new set of parameters aimed at disentangling between hearing-dependent and hearing-independent aspects of communication. METHOD: In this paper, we collected video samples of child-caregiver interactions in a group of 65 normal-hearing children and a group of 165 hearing-impaired children. For each group, we present the CC-CARE method and describe the parameters, their score distributions, correlations and we estimate the adherence of the CC-CARE scores with children's developmental trajectory. Moreover, we compare the results of CC-CARE scores between the two groups having had different development of the auditory system. Finally, a fully-data driven approach was employed to assess the consistency of the communicative efficacy index (CEI), a score aiming to capture a global result of the CC-CARE procedure. RESULTS: Correlations among parameter scores were found in each within-group analysis, revealing CC-CARE's internal consistency in measuring associated but nonoverlapping communication dimensions. For both groups, CC-CARE scores were associated with participants' age. Differences between scores emerged for a between-group analysis, indicating CC-CARE sensitivity to extract communication differences as a function of the hearing status. For both groups, the data analysis revealed that the CEI captures large variance portions across all parameter scores of the CC-CARE method. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide the first evidence that the CC-CARE video analysis method could be a reliable tool capable of highlighting the cascading effects of hearing impairment on children's preverbal communicative efficacy. The CC-CARE method aims to support early rehabilitation of hearing loss by describing a child's communicative efficacy.

Metodología 'SLIDE-4-U' para implicar al alumnado en el desarrollo de la clase presencial / How to involve students in the development of the face-to-face class: the 'SLIDE-4-U' methodology

Introducción: Desde hace unos años, tanto en grupos grandes como pequeños, y principalmente en clases en línea, se hapuesto en práctica la metodología ‘SLIDE-4-U’ o ‘una diapositiva para ti’ (2020PID-UB/023), con el objetivo de implicar alestudiante en su propio proceso de aprendizaje y en el de sus compañeros. Se consiguió mediante la participación delalumnado en la explicación en clase de diapositivas específicamente diseñadas para este fin. Métodos: La experiencia se llevó a cabo en el primer semestre del curso 2021-22 en la asignatura Nutrición Molecular delgrado de Nutrición Humana y Dietética (Universitat de Barcelona). Se preparó una sesión de seminario presencial centrada en inmunonutrición. El profesor dirigió la sesión seleccionando de forma aleatoria al estudiante, que debía explicar ladiapositiva sin preparación previa. Las explicaciones del alumnado fueron complementadas o corregidas por el profesordurante el desarrollo de la actividad. Al final del seminario se realizó una encuesta de opinión en la que se constató labuena aceptación de esta iniciativa (puntuaciones medias superiores a 4,2 sobre 5). Resultados: El alumnado consideró que era un reto explicar una diapositiva sin prepararla previamente y que este hecho,asociado a no saber quién haría la explicación, había provocado un cierto clima de nerviosismo. Ahora bien, la mayoríaestaba de acuerdo en que los esquemas/imágenes aportados fueron suficientes para poder desarrollar la actividad y quelas explicaciones hechas por los compañeros eran suficientemente correctas. Asimismo, también valoraban positivamente la participación del profesor a la hora de completar las explicaciones de sus compañeros. En general, la metodologíautilizada hizo que el alumnado fuera más consciente de que las diapositivas tienen una estructura y un objetivo, y de ladificultad de comunicar correctamente...(AU)

Introduction: Lately, both in large and small groups and mainly in online classes, the 'SLIDE-4-U' or 'one slide for you' methodology (2020PID-UB/023) has been put into practice, with the aim of involving the student in their own learning process and that of their classmates. It is achieved through the participation of the students in the explanation of slides in class, specially designed for this purpose. Methods: The experience was carried out in the first semester of the 2021-22 academic year in the subject Molecular Nutrition of the Human Nutrition and Dietetics degree (Universitat de Barcelona). A face-to-face seminar session focused on immunonutrition was prepared with this type of material. The teacher led the session by randomly selecting the student, who had to explain the slide without prior preparation. The explanations of the students were complemented and/or corrected by the teacher, during the development of the activity. At the end of the seminar, an opinion survey was carried out in which the good acceptance of this initiative was verified (average scores higher than 4.2 out of 5). Results: The students considered that it was a challenge to explain a slide without previously preparing it, and that this fact, associated with not knowing who would do the explanation, had caused a certain climate of nervousness. However, the majority agreed that the diagrams/images provided were sufficient to be able to carry out the activity and that the explanations made by the classmates were correct enough. Likewise, they also positively valued the teacher's participation when completing the explanations of their classmates. In general, the methodology used made the students more aware that the slides have a structure and an objective, and of the difficulty of communicating correctly...(AU)

Role-playing para la mejora de las habilidades comunicativas en estudiantes de grado de Odontología. Un ensayo clínico no aleatorizado / Role-playing for the improvement of communication skills in Dentistry undergraduate students. A non-randomized clinical trial

Introducción: Se trata de analizar el impacto de una secuencia formativa en la autopercepción del alumnado sobre las habilidades comunicativas. Secundariamente, se pretende conocer el grado de satisfacción del alumnado en relación con las actividades propuestas. Mètodos: Es un estudio cuasi experimental realizado sobre cuatro de los subgrupos de prácticas de la asignatura obligatoria de cuarto curso Cirugía Bucal Clínica e Implantología. Dos de los subgrupos recibieron una secuencia formativa específica para la mejora de sus habilidades comunicativas (n = 40) y los otros dos actuaron como controles (n = 47). Al inicio y al final del estudio, los participantes respondieron el cuestionario validado SE-12 de autopercepción sobre comunicación odontólogo-paciente. La estrategia evaluativa fue continua y formativa. Se analizaron y compararon las puntuaciones de los distintos indicadores e instrumentos de evaluación empleados.Resultados: A excepción de un alumno del grupo de control, todos los estudiantes participaron de forma activa en el proyecto. En ambos grupos se observó una mejora estadísticamente significativa en la percepción de las habilidades comunicativas (p < 0,001). No obstante, los alumnos asignados al grupo experimental percibieron una mejora significativamente mayor (diferencia de medias = 0,96 puntos; intervalo de confianza al 95% = 0,66-1,27; p < 0,001). Los alumnos valoraron la secuencia con un 8,56 (desviación estándar = 1,14).Conclusiones: La implementación de la secuencia formativa produjo una mejora en la percepción que tienen los estudiantes sobre sus habilidades comunicativas. Es necesaria la inclusión de programas longitudinales de formación en comunicación en los planes de estudio para acreditar la consecución de las competencias comunicativas.(AU)

Introduction: To analyze the impact of a training-learning sequence on students' self-perception of communication skills. Secondarily, to know the degree of student satisfaction in relation to the proposed activities.Methods: A quasi-experimental study was carried out on four of the clinical practice subgroups of Clinical Oral Surgery and Implantology (fourth year of study). Two of the subgroups received a specific training-learning sequence to improve their communication skills (n = 40) and the other two served as controls (n = 47). At the beginning and end of the study, the participants answered the validated SE-12 self-perception questionnaire on dentist-patient communication. The evaluation strategy was continuous and formative. The scores of the different indicators and evaluation instruments used were analyzed and compared.Results: Except for one student in the control group, all students participated actively in the project. In both groups, a statistically significant improvement was observed in the perception of communication skills (p < 0.001). However, the students assigned to the experimental group perceived a significantly greater improvement (difference in means = 0.96 points; 95% confidence interval = 0.66-1.27; p < 0.001). The students valued the training-learning sequence with an 8.56 (standard deviation = 1.14).Conclusions: The implementation of the training-learning sequence produced an improvement in the perception that students have about their communication skills. It is necessary to include longitudinal training programs in communication in the curricula to prove the achievement of communication skills competences.(AU)

Prelinguistic intersubjective and socio-communicative skills in infants with neurodevelopmental disabilities aged 0-36 months: A new assessment and parent support tool.

Background: Although children with neurodevelopmental disability (NDD) present with several deficits, they partially share developmental impairments in prelinguistic intersubjective and socio-communicative skills, which are not easily assessed by conventional tests during the first years of life. Aim: The current paper presents a new procedure to assess the prelinguistic intersubjective and socio-communicative skills of NDD children aged 0-36 months. A specific observation form template, called the Observation of Prelinguistic Intersubjective and Socio-Communicative Skills (OPISCoS) form, has been designed to systematically detect infant skills during daily routines (e.g., mealtime, playtime, desk activities). The OPISCoS form helps speech therapists to provide parents support to better perceive and understand early communicative signals from their children, avoiding the risk of excessive or reduced social stimulation. Methods: The OPISCoS form is composed of three sections, namely, "Pragmatics and Communication," "Decoding," and "Expression," which are useful to delineate the communication abilities of children with NDD and are not tapped by traditional batteries. Vignettes from clinical practice illustrate and provide exemplifications for using the OPISCoS form with NDD infants and their parents. Results: The OPISCoS form was reported for two children and showed potential in detecting disrupted communicative behaviors and planning specific early interventions. Further, we observed an improvement not only in children's communicative abilities improve but also in their interactions with parents. From a clinical point of view, the OPISCoS form (1) offers an observational perspective of prelinguistic intersubjective and socio-communicative skills in infants with NDD and (2) may be useful to practitioners to enhance parents' sensitivity to their infants' communicative behavior. Conclusion: The OPISCoS form was developed in clinical practice and is based on a very preliminary description of a new observational procedure as integration for the assessment of NDD children. The OPISCoS form appears to be a useful tool for the clinical assessment of prelinguistic intersubjective and socio-communicative skills in NDD infants as well as for promoting the quality of early parenting.

The timeline of non-vocal and vocal communicative skills in infants with hearing loss.

Objective: The study investigates what is the link between early verbal and non-vocal abilities, when does predominantly verbal communicative style occur after the intervention with cochlear implants (CI) or hearing aids (HA), and how predictive it is of later linguistic development in deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) infants and children. Methods: Cohort: children with moderate-to-profound hearing impairment (N = 49, 20 girls, mean age at HA or CI intervention = 15 months, range: 4-35 months). Measures: Receptive and productive vocabulary at 24 and 36 months and video analysis at 12 months post-intervention. Analysis: Predictive values of total and verbal responses to communicative turns for later vocabulary development were assessed, as well as the relative time course of the development of vocal/verbal communication in DHH children. Results: Vocabulary at 24 months is predicted by auditory responses at 12 months, as well as by overall responsiveness before intervention. Non-vocal responses decline and overall verbal responses increase significantly between 6 and 12 months after intervention. The trend is delayed in children with delayed (>12 months of age) treatment with CI or HA. Conclusions: Age of intervention affects the development of vocal/verbal communicative style. Language development, in particular, vocabulary growth, can be further stimulated by the enhancement of preverbal (both vocal and non-vocal) communicative skills.

La dimensión colaborativa-dialógica en la labor pedagógica del profesor de fútbol / A dimensão colaborativa-dialógica no trabalho pedagógico do professor de futebol / The collaborative-dialogical dimension in the pedagogical work of the soccer teacher

RESUMEN Introducción: Las habilidades comunicativas dialógicas constituyen una necesidad para el buen desempeño de la labor pedagógica del profesor de deporte. Sin embargo, todavía es una problemática el poco uso de herramientas que sitúen al estudiante-atleta en condición de sujeto de su propio proceso de aprendizaje. Objetivo: Consistió en elaborar un procedimiento formativo centrado en lo comunicativo para dar tratamiento a las relaciones que se establecen entre profesor y estudiante-atleta durante el proceso de enseñanza del deporte de fútbol en la categoría escolar 11-12 años del Distrito #4. "Abel Santamaría" Santiago de Cuba. Materiales y métodos: A partir del diagnóstico realizado a diez profesores del equipo masculino de fútbol del centro seleccionado, se pudieron constatar las deficiencias en la asunción de procedimientos desarrolladores, reflexivos y creativos para la enseñanza de los contenidos del deporte. Para la realización de este estudio, se aplicaron métodos como: observación, encuesta y entrevista, así como la escala valorativa de Linkert para evaluar el grado de aceptación y aplicabilidad de la propuesta. Resultados: Se obtuvo un instrumento formativo para el perfeccionamiento de la dimensión colaborativo-dialógica del profesor de fútbol en interrelación sujeto-sujeto-objeto, basado en estudios principales de autores, lo que posibilitó el fortalecimiento de la labor pedagógica en los sujetos actuantes del proceso y, por consiguiente, la transformación gradual media en el modo de actuación profesional pedagógica del profesor de fútbol durante el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Conclusiones: Los resultados de la aplicación enfatizan la necesidad de expresión de una comunicación asertiva reflejada en un proceso continuo de negaciones y significados en la orientación conductual objetiva del profesor deportivo.

SÍNTESE Introdução: As habilidades comunicativas dialógicas constituem uma necessidade para o bom desempenho do trabalho pedagógico do professor de esporte. Entretanto, o pouco uso de ferramentas que colocam o estudante-atleta como assunto de seu próprio processo de aprendizagem ainda é um problema. Objetivo: Consistia em elaborar um procedimento de treinamento centrado na comunicação para tratar as relações estabelecidas entre professor e aluno-atleta durante o processo de ensino do esporte do futebol na categoria escolar 11-12 anos de idade no Distrito #4 "Abel Santamaría" Santiago de Cuba. Materiais e métodos: Com base no diagnóstico realizado em dez professores da equipe de futebol masculino do centro selecionado, foi possível confirmar as deficiências na assunção de procedimentos de desenvolvimento, reflexivos e criativos para o ensino do conteúdo do esporte. Para a realização deste estudo, foram aplicados os seguintes métodos: observação, pesquisa e entrevista, bem como a escala de avaliação da Linkert para avaliar o grau de aceitação e aplicabilidade da proposta. Resultados: Foi obtido um instrumento formativo para a melhoria da dimensão colaborativa-dialógica do professor de futebol na inter-relação assunto-sujeito-objeto, com base nos principais estudos dos autores, o que possibilitou o fortalecimento do trabalho pedagógico nas disciplinas de atuação do processo e, conseqüentemente, a gradual transformação média na forma de atuação pedagógica profissional do professor de futebol durante o processo de ensino-aprendizagem. Conclusões: Os resultados da aplicação enfatizam a necessidade de expressão de comunicação assertiva refletida em um processo contínuo de negações e significados na orientação comportamental objetiva do professor de esportes.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Dialogic communication skills are a necessity for the good performance of the pedagogical work of the sports teacher. However, the little use of tools that place the student-athlete as a subject of their own learning process is still a problem. Objective: It consisted of developing a training procedure focused on communication to treat the relationships established between teacher and student-athlete during the process of teaching the sport of soccer in the 11-12-year-old school category of District #4. " Abel Santamaría" Santiago de Cuba. Materials and methods: From the diagnosis made to ten teachers of the male soccer team of the selected center, it was possible to verify the deficiencies in the assumption of developing, reflective and creative procedures for teaching the contents of sport. To carry out this study, methods such as: observation, survey and interview were applied, as well as the Linkert rating scale to assess the degree of acceptance and applicability of the proposal. Results: A training instrument was obtained for the improvement of the collaborative-dialogical dimension of the soccer teacher in the subject-subject-object interrelation, based on main studies of authors, which made it possible to strengthen the pedagogical work in the acting subjects of the process and, consequently, the gradual transformation in the mode of pedagogical professional performance of the soccer teacher during the teaching-learning process. Conclusions: The results of the application emphasize the need to express assertive communication reflected in a continuous process of denials and meanings in the objective behavioral orientation of the sports teacher.

Reviewing the role of positive classroom climate in improving English as a foreign language students' social interactions in the online classroom.

The teacher and learners are cooperatively involved in the creation of a positive climate in an L2 class. In the online language learning environment today, teachers can make the best use of technology, multimedia learning, and accessibility of learners to create a supportive and effective climate. In this productive climate, the teacher and learners can have multiple forms of social interaction which can improve language learners' communicative skills. Not only can the teacher expect better learning outcomes, but s/he can also ensure students' wholehearted attendance in, attention to, and participation in class activities. A positive class climate and the consequent better social interactions can also enhance learners' affective well-being. For example, higher self-esteem leads to lower levels of anxiety and better emotional health. This study aims to review the contribution of a positive classroom climate to the improvement of students' social interaction in the online L2 classroom. To do this, the findings of the relevant studies have been presented and their implications for the construction of a positive online L2 classroom climate have been provided. Suggestions are made on how to help teachers create a positive climate in online L2 classes and how to pave the way for more effective social interactions between teachers and students and among students. Also, implications are provided for L2 teachers, researchers, and trainers, especially in the post-pandemic era.

Does a sense of gratitude protect against empathy loss in medical students? An exploratory study.

Introduction: The promotion of physicians' empathy (PE) skills in medical school plays a central role in physician-patient communication. However, a significant decline in empathy among medical students during their training has been repeatedly reported. Gratitude could be a possible protective factor for PE. However, as some students do not seem to be affected by this empathy loss, this study explores the relationship between gratitude and PE. Methods: Using validated questionnaires (JSPE-S, IRI and GQ-6), 88 medical students at LMU München evaluated their self-assessed PE and gratitude. In addition, they went through four OSCE stations focusing on general medicine, in which their empathy and communication skills were assessed by simulated patients (SP) and by an assessor using the Berlin Global Rating. Correlations were analysed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and gender differences were analysed using Mann-Whitney U-tests. Results: In the self-assessment, there was a significant, moderate correlation between students' attitude towards empathy (JSPE-S) and their gratitude (GQ-6) and a weak correlation between the IRI subscale "Empathy" and the GQ-6. In terms of the performance-based assessment, there were also weak correlations between PE or communication skills and gratitude. There were no gender-specific differences in the gratitude of the students. Conclusion: We were able to demonstrate a correlational relationship between gratitude and empathy in medical students. Whether gratitude acts causally as a protective or supportive factor for empathy remains open. A causal relationship of gratitude to empathy should therefore be examined in a prospective study design.

Bridging the communication gap in autistic children, one picture at a time.

One of the main domains of paediatric dentistry is providing oral health care, especially to the children with special needs, like those affected with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Such children exhibit poor oral hygiene primarily due to their limited communication ability, lack of joint attention, oversensitivity to sensory stimuli and motor coordination deficits. In such cases, multiple studies suggest and emphasize on the importance of early use of interventional services. Children affected with ASD tend to be visual learners, and therefore, are better suited for visual interventional methods. Amongst which, picture exchange communication system (PECS), originally developed by Bondy-Frost, is gaining rapid momentum. It is suggested to help individuals to initiate requests and communicate their needs via picture cards; hence aid in acquiring functional communication and speech, improve socio-communicative impairments, and decrease the behavioural problems. This scoping review aims to raise awareness on PECS amongst the dental fraternity, by emphasizing its usage pertaining to dentistry. PECS though rated hard, has proved to be beneficial in improving oral hygiene practices among autistic children.

Enhancing Literacy and Communicative Skills of Students With Disabilities in Special Schools Through Dialogic Literary Gatherings.

Enhancing the quality of learning opportunities for students with disabilities and the learning level attained is a pending challenge. This challenge is especially relevant in the context of special schools, where the learning possibilities derived from interactions with others is limited. However, providing these students with a sufficient level of instrumental learning, such as literacy, and communicative and reasoning abilities is crucial for their subsequent educational and social opportunities. In this case study we analyse a special school that has implemented Dialogic Literary Gatherings with their students as a means to increase learning interactions within the group around the reading and debate of classical books. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the school principal and with a teacher of the transition to adult life course, and two focus groups were conducted with teachers-one with primary education teachers and one with secondary education teachers-and two focus groups with students-one with primary education students and one secondary education and transition to adult life students-. On the one hand, results show the characteristics of the Dialogic Literary Gatherings that allowed these students to participate and learn. On the other hand, several improvements have been observed. First, regarding instrumental learning, students increased their motivation for reading, and improved their communicative and reasoning abilities and in their reading proficiency. Second, regarding students' behavior, conflict has reduced, solidarity attitudes have increased, and they have acquired dialogic and argumentative habits. Finally, at the emotional level, they gained self-esteem and confidence and feel more empowered to make their voice heard.

The impact of social complexity on the visual exploration of others' actions in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder.

BACKGROUND: Typical development of socio-communicative skills relies on keen observation of others. It thus follows that decreased social attention negatively impacts the subsequent development of socio-communicative abilities in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In addition, studies indicate that social attention is modulated by context and that greater social difficulties are observed in more socially demanding situations. Our study aims to investigate the effect of social complexity on visual exploration of others' actions in preschoolers. METHODS: To investigate the impact of social complexity, we used an eye-tracking paradigm with 26 typically developing preschoolers (TD, age = 3.60 ± 1.55) and 37 preschoolers with ASD (age = 3.55 ± 1.21). Participants were shown videos of two children engaging in socially simple play (parallel) versus socially complex play (interactive). We subsequently quantified the time spent and fixation duration on faces, objects, bodies, as well as the background and the number of spontaneous gaze shifts between socially relevant areas of interest. RESULTS: In the ASD group, we observed decreased time spent on faces. Social complexity (interactive play) elicited changes in visual exploration patterns in both groups. From the parallel to the interactive condition, we observed a shift towards socially relevant parts of the scene, a decrease in fixation duration, as well as an increase in spontaneous gaze shifts between faces and objects though there were fewer in the ASD group. LIMITATIONS: Our results need to be interpreted cautiously due to relatively small sample sizes and may be relevant to male preschoolers, given our male-only sample and reported phenotypic differences between males and females. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that similar to TD children, though to a lesser extent, visual exploration patterns in ASD are modulated by context. Children with ASD that were less sensitive to context modulation showed decreased socio-communicative skills or higher levels of symptoms. Our findings support using naturalistic designs to capture socio-communicative deficits in ASD.

Early Pragmatics in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A set of important pragmatic skills emerge during infancy and pave the way for later language learning. It is thought these early social communication skills develop through infant-caregiver interaction. In a microanalysis, we tested whether deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) infants (typically at high risk of reduced access to rich communicative interaction in infancy) are less likely to engage in gestural and vocal pragmatic behaviors. METHODS: We coded the naturalistic communication of 8 DHH infants who had no additional needs, who were not preterm or low birth weight, whose parents were hearing, monolingual English speakers, and who had spoken English as their primary target language. The frequency of use of 5 types of infant communication known to positively predict later language development (show gestures, give gestures, index-finger pointing, communicative vocalizations, and early word use) was compared with that of 8 typically hearing infants matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic status. RESULTS: Hearing loss had a significant negative effect on the frequency with which infants engaged in all types of early communication that predict later language development. CONCLUSIONS: DHH infants are at high risk of delay in the gestural and vocal communicative skills that lay the foundations for later language. Delay in the gestural domain suggests this is not simply a consequence of difficulties in imitating auditory stimuli. There is significant potential to lift DHH infants onto a positive developmental trajectory by supporting caregivers to nurture interaction from the first year.

Digital Storytelling in Language Education.

Modern technology provides lots of opportunities in order to connect classrooms with the world. Technology provides a greater and better source of information, yet solutions are needed to be mediated through the appropriate remedy. The emergence of new technology and digital resources during the past few decades has significantly influenced the learning environment and educational prospects. However, one of the challenges of practitioners and researchers is preparing learners with the required skills for the effective use of modern technology in the process of learning. Researchers proposed that a combination of societal constructivism and technology-integrated learning is crucial for obtaining and accomplishing present-day academic goals. The present paper highlights the significance and intricacy of modern technology, specifically digital storytelling (DST), in education. It elaborates the most salient aspects of DST application in language education, considering phases and elements of effective digital stories, steps of composing a digital story, and a critical description on the implementation of DST and fosterage of academic performance.

Vocal training technology for children with delayed psychoverbal development

The relevance of this research is based on the fact that delayed psychoverbal development is very common is very common in modern children. The problems caused by delayed psychoverbal development accompany many pathologies connected with the development of the nervous system. Therefore, the issues of providing help and training to such children are becoming increasingly relevant both in Russian and foreign pedagogy. The article looks at some aspects of the vocal training technology used in work with children who have delays in psychoverbal development in order to improve the level of their cognitive and communicative skills, develop their thinking, speech, memory and empathy and overcome psychological difficulties. Research methods include theoretical works by Russian psychologists and a pedagogical experiment in vocal training of children with health problems.

Family Factors and Communicative Skills in Children with Autism Without Intellectual Disability.

The primary objective of this study was to identify the profiles of families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability (ID) based on several risk indicators: sociodemographic and emotional indicators, parental stress, confidant social support, and coping strategies. A second aim was to determine the differences in communicative skills between children of family subtypes empirically established according to the aforementioned risk factors. Participants were 52 Spanish mothers and their children with ASD. Through cluster analysis, three subtypes of families were identified, classifying them as "high risk, moderate risk, and little risk". The "little risk" profile showed significantly less stress and greater use of coping strategies and confidant social support. Furthermore, the children's communication exhibited better development, compared to children from the other family environments.

Habilidades comunicativas en estudiantes de la formación técnica en enfermería / Communicative ability in students of the nursing technical training

Para las ciencias de la Enfermería, la adecuada comunicación puede definir la calidad de los cuidados prestados por lo que dada su importancia en la formación de los recursos en salud y el reto que constituye en la actualidad, la inserción de la formación técnica en enfermería con solo 9no grado, dentro de los escenarios universitarios, se ha desarrollado una investigación en la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de la Habana, Cuba, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas "10 de Octubre", con el objetivo de diseñar una estrategia educativa para el desarrollo de las habilidades , comunicativas en los estudiantes de la Formación Técnica en Enfermería en correspondencia con las exigencias de la sociedad cubana. El estudio se realizó combinando técnicas propias de los enfoques cuantitativos y cualitativos lo que permitió identificar el estado actual de las habilidades comunicativas en estos estudiantes y los factores que pueden influir en su desarrollo.

For the nursing sciences, adequate communication can define the quality of the care provided. Given its importance in the training of health resources and the challenge, that currently constitutes the insertion of technical training in Nursing with 9th grade. Within the Medical university of Havana, Cuba, has developed an investigation with the objective of design an educational strategy for the development of communicative skills in students of Technical Training in Nursing, in accordance with the demands of Cuban society. The study was carried out combining techniques of the quantitative and qualitative approaches that allowed identifying the current state of the communicative abilities in these students and the factors that can influence their development.

Las habilidades comunicativas en el proceso formativo del profesional de la salud / Communicative skills in the health professional training process

El modelo de formación profesional de la Universidad Médica Cubana contempla las habilidades comunicativas como requerimiento esencialmente valioso para dar solución a los problemas profesionales que se presentan en situaciones comunicativas diversas. El objetivo es valorar la necesidad de desarrollo de habilidades comunicativas en los procesos formativos de la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas, sobre la base del enfoque desarrollador de la educación cubana que se promueve actualmente. El estudio histórico-lógico realizado, permitió conocer los diferentes autores y posiciones asumidas con relación a las habilidades comunicativa se identificar cómo se han ido tratando en torno a su desarrollo. La teoría histórico-cultural permitió una comprensión del desarrollo humano producto de la actividad y la comunicación, en un proceso de socialización; que, contextualizado a la educación médica, pone a relieve la incidencia directa de las habilidades comunicativas en la calidad de la atención de los servicios de salud. El análisis documental de programas de las asignaturas, estrategias curriculares, permitió identificar insuficiente espacio curricular para propiciar el desarrollo de tales habilidades que le den salida a las exigencias declaradas en el modelo del profesional de la salud; y estudios realizados, constatan un déficit de trabajos que de manera explícita analizan la importancia de una cultura comunicativa. Como conclusión, la necesidad de desarrollo de habilidades comunicativas en el profesional de la salud, apunta a que se realicen propuestas metodológicas científicamente fundamentadas que aseguren niveles cualitativos superiores en este sentido(AU)

The professional training model of the Cuban medical university includes communication skills as an essentially valuable requirement to solve professional problems that come up in diverse communicative situations. The objective of this research is to assess the need for developing of communication skills in the training processes of the medical sciences university, based on the developmental approach of Cuban education currently promoted. This historical-logical study allowed to know the different authors and assumed stances regarding communicative skills in order to identify how their development has been addressed. The historical-cultural theory permitted understanding human development resulting from activity and communication, in a process of socialization, which, contextualized to medical education, highlights the direct effect of communication skills on the quality of health services. The document analysis of programs of study, as curricular strategies, allowed to identify insufficient curricular space to promote the development of such skills as a response to the demands declared in the health professional model; while some studies are consistent with a deficit of works that explicitly analyze the importance of communicative culture. To conclude, the need to develop communication skills in the health professional aims to make scientifically based methodological proposals that ensure higher qualitative levels in this respect(AU)

Effectiveness of a Multisystem Aquatic Therapy for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Aquatic therapy improves motor skills of persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), but its usefulness for treating functional difficulties needs to be verified yet. We tested effectiveness of a multisystem aquatic therapy on behavioural, emotional, social and swimming skills of children with ASD. Multisystem aquatic therapy was divided in three phases (emotional adaptation, swimming adaptation and social integration) implemented in a 10-months-programme. At post-treatment, the aquatic therapy group showed significant improvements relative to controls on functional adaptation (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales), emotional response, adaptation to change and on activity level (Childhood Autism Rating Scale). Swimming skills learning was also demonstrated. Multisystem aquatic therapy is useful for ameliorating functional impairments of children with ASD, going well beyond a swimming training.

Significance of gender in the attitude towards doctor-patient communication in medical students and physicians.

BACKGROUND: Gender-specific differences in the attitudes towards doctor-patient communication among medical students and physicians were assessed. METHODS: A total of 150 medical students and 51 physicians from different departments took part in the study. The association, attitude and experiences regarding doctor-patient communication were assessed with a series of tools and questionnaires. RESULTS: Female doctors and students tended to describe the doctor-patient communication with positive attributes, such as "helpful", "sentimental", "voluble", "sociable", "gentle", "yielding" and "peaceful". Male students and physicians, on the other hand, described doctor-patient communication as "overbearing", "robust" and "inhibited". The most frequent associations females had with the term doctor-patient communication were "empathy", "confidence", "openess", while the most frequent association of the male colleagues was "medical history". Female doctors reported speaking about the psychosocial situation of the patient significantly more often and believed in higher patient satisfaction by sharing more information. Furthermore, they reported having longer conversations with a more equal partnership than their male colleagues. Compared to male students, female students were willing to take part in training their communication skills more often and had more interest in research about doctor-patient communication. Male medical students reported self-doubt during conversations with female patients, while one third of the male physicians talked about "the power over the patient". CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates a gender-dependent communication style influenced by stereotypes. At the establishment of communication training these differences should be taken into account, especially to strengthen male communication skills and improve their attitudes.