Nutrition education incorporation into mainstream primary school curriculum in Ghana: Stakeholders' sources of nutrition information and perceived barriers.

INTRODUCTION: Nutrition literacy has been cited as a crucial life skill. Nutrition education as a primary school subject has been treated inconsequentially when compared to other subjects. We investigated an aspect of the current state of nutrition education in Ghana by engaging stakeholders about their sources of nutrition information and the perceived barriers in implementing nutrition education in mainstream primary schools. METHODS: Three hundred and fifty one (351) primary school children, 121 homebased caregivers, six schoolteachers, two headteachers, two Ghana Education Service (GES) officials, and six school cooks were involved in the study. Surveys were used to collect data on nutrition information acquisition behaviors and to record perceived barriers. Key Informant Interviews were conducted among GES officials, headteachers, schoolteachers and school cooks, while Focus Group Discussions were used among homebased caregivers and children to gather qualitative information. RESULTS: Only 36.3% of the primary school children had heard about nutrition, and 71% of those got nutrition information from their family members. About 70% of homebased caregivers had heard or seen nutrition messages, and their source of nutrition information was predominantly traditional media. Schoolteachers mostly received their nutrition information from non-governmental organizations and the Internet, while most of the school cooks stated their main source of nutrition information was hospital visits. Perceived barriers included schoolteachers' knowledge insufficiency, and lack of resources to adequately deliver nutrition education. Lack of a clear policy appeared to be an additional barrier. CONCLUSION: The barriers to the implementation of nutrition education in the mainstream curriculum at the primary school level that were identified in this study can be resolved by: providing schoolteachers with learning opportunities and adequate nutrition education resources for practical delivery, having specific national policy framework, and including family members and school cooks in the nutrition education knowledge and information dissemination process.

Revisión de guías para avanzar hacia una educación más inclusiva en los centros escolares / Review of Guidelines for moving towardsmore Inclusive Education in Schools

En los últimos años, ha habido un incremento exponencial en el número de guías, materiales e informes que se encuentran a disposición de los centros escolares para orientar su camino hacia la inclusión. Partiendo de esta realidad, se ha llevado a cabo un estudio de naturaleza cualitativa cuyo objetivo principal ha consistido en una selección de guías sobre inclusión que resultan de utilidad para iniciar procesos de re­flexión-acción en la comunidad educativa. El análisis documental de contenido (de un total de 13 guías) ha permitido identificar los facilitadores/limitadores que posibilitan/ dificultan el avance de la inclusión. Asimismo, se han especificado los recursos/instru­mentos que ofrecen las guías para acompañar a los centros en el camino hacia una edu­cación más inclusiva. Los resultados recogen la importancia que tiene la formación del profesorado en la atención a la diversidad, la puesta en marcha de redes de colaboración y la reformulación de barreras en facilitadores. Las conclusiones apuntan a la necesidad de iniciar/sostener procesos de mejora para una mayor inclusión dentro y fuera de las aulas y de dar a conocer este corpus de guías a los profesionales que están en la práctica

In recent years, a growing number of guides and reports have become available for schools to guide them on their paths towards inclusion. A qualitative study has been carried out, whose main aim was to select guides on inclusion that are useful for initiating reflection-action processes within educational community. The documentary analysis (of 13 guides in all) led to the identification of the facilitators/barriers that fa­vor/hinder the advance of inclusion. Likewise, the resources/instruments offered by the guides have been specified in order to support schools on their journeys towards a more inclusive education. The results reflect the importance of teacher training in dealing with diversity, the implementation of collaborative networks and the reformulation of barri­ers into facilitators. The conclusions point to the need to initiate/sustain improvement processes for greater inclusion within and outside the classroom, and to make this cor­pus of guidance known to practitioners

Validation of the Index for Inclusion Questionnaire for Parents of Non-University Education Students.

The perspective from the parents of non-university students is essential in determining inclusive education in a school. The Index of Inclusion is one of the most widely used self-assessment tools and strategies to help teaching teams self-assess their political cultures and practices from the perspective of the values and principles of educational inclusion worldwide. For this reason, the present study intends to show evidence of validity of the Index for Inclusion questionnaire for parents of non-university education students, in a quantitative way, through a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In this study, 108 fathers and 500 mothers took part, aged between 21 and 62 years (M = 43.59; SD = 6.64), whose children belonged to educational institutions throughout Spain. The results revealed adequate adjustment rates, showing invariant structure with respect to sex. The Index for Inclusion for families of non-university education students was shown to be a robust and adequate psychometric instrument to assess the degree of development of inclusive education in educational institutions from the perspective of the parents of said student body. The family is a basic pillar in the education of children and a reference for them. In addition, parents of non-university education students are configured as fundamental participatory elements of the child's educational institution thus; making the family a fundamental element that favors inclusive education. Precisely because of all this, the future administration of this questionnaire (to the parents of these students) is recommended.

Evaluation of a Transition to University Programme for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Applying to university can be an anxiety-provoking time for many autistic students, though enrolment can be increased by actively involving them in transition planning. We provide an evaluation of a transition to university pilot programme (Autism Summer School) for autistic students (16-19 years) who are seeking to apply/attend university. The content focused on introducing students to various aspects of university life including academic (sample lectures), social (e.g., clubs and societies), and daily living (eating in university canteen and staying in student accommodation). Students' quantitative and qualitative feedback are positive and promising, showing significant reduction across a range of concerns related to transition to university after the programme, as well as general optimism related to starting university.

The Responsible Inclusion of Students Receiving Special Education Services for Emotional Disturbance: Unraveling the Practice to Research Gap.

The majority of students receiving special education services for emotional disturbance (ED) receive a significant amount of instruction in general education classrooms, which emphasizes curriculums based on college and career readiness standards. In turn, those teachers who provide instruction to students with ED in inclusive settings are responsible for using evidence-based practices (EBPs) for those teaching situations in which they exist to meet free appropriate public education (FAPE) mandates. However, the identification of EBPs is a necessary pre-condition to eventual school adoption and teacher use of such practices. In this investigation, we completed a synthesis of syntheses to (a) determine the degree to which academic intervention research has focused on students with ED in general education classrooms and (b) identify practices that are effective at improving the academic performance of students with ED in these settings. Overall, few studies were identified. Of those studies identified, half did not disaggregate outcomes for students with ED. A quality indicator coding based on the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) design standards revealed that no studies with disaggregated outcomes permitted causal inferences. Implications for school practice and areas for future research are discussed.

Unregulated Autonomy: Uncredentialed Educational Interpreters in Rural Schools.

Although many rural Deaf and Hard of Hearing students attend public schools most of the day and use the services of educational interpreters to gain access to the school environment, little information exists on what interpreters are doing in rural school systems in the absence of credentialing requirements. The researcher used ethnographic interviews and field observations of three educational interpreters with no certification or professional assessment to explore how uncredentialed interpreters were enacting their role in a rural high school. The findings indicate that uncredentialed interpreters in rural settings perform four major functions during their school day: preparing the environment, staff, and materials; interpreting a variety of content; interacting with numerous stakeholders; and directly instructing Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. Generally, educational interpreters in rural districts operate with unregulated autonomy, a situation that warrants further research and a national standard for all educational interpreters.

A Closer Look: Examining Teachers' Language Around UDL, Inclusive Classrooms, and Intellectual Disability.

The purpose of this study was to examine the language teachers used to discuss inclusion, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and learners with intellectual disability (ID) in an effort to better understand how teachers describe the relationship between those three. Utilizing a secondary analysis procedure, interview transcripts from seven general education teachers were reanalyzed to identify language used by teachers to refer to inclusive educational settings, the implementation of UDL, and learners with intellectual disability. The identified themes were then juxtaposed against the UDL framework (principles, guidelines, and checkpoints) and the current literature related to UDL and inclusive education. We end with recommendations for future practice and research involving inclusive classrooms, UDL, and learners with ID.

Comprensiones del discurso normativo sobre inclusión educativa en Colombia / Realizations of the regulatory discourse on educational inclusion in Colombia

Se presenta un análisis cualitativo al discurso normativo colombiano en torno a la Inclusión Educativa producido entre los años 1991 y 2013, se identifican conceptos, criterios e imaginarios que lo atraviesan, algunas relaciones entre dicho discurso y sus condicionesde emergencia. Se destaca, entre otros asuntos, que el discurso normativo colombiano con respecto a la Inclusión Educativa tiende a desconfiar de sí mismo, aspira a abarcar todas las realidades humanas, en este sentido homogeniza e idealiza los fenómenos.

A qualitative analysis to the Colombian regulatory discourse around Educational Inclusion, produced between 1991 and 2013, is introduced. Besides, some concepts, criteria, and imaginaries which cross it, as well as some relations between that speech and emergencyconditions are identified. Among other issues, the Colombian normative discourse regarding Inclusive Education, which tends to distrust itself, is highlighted, and aims to encompassall human realities, which, in this sense homogenizes and idealizes the phenomena.

El autismo en personas con síndrome de Down / No disponible

No disponible

La gestión del aula: Una herramienta para la inclusión del alumnado con síndrome de Down / No disponible

Para responder a la diversidad es preciso mejorar las prácticas de aula y las medidas organizativas de los centros educativos. La gestión del aula puede ser, en sí misma, una medida que favorezca la inclusión escolar del alumnado con síndrome de Down. Dentro del marco de las que hemos denominado adaptaciones curriculares de aula, el presente artículo intenta proporcionar al maestro de aula o tutor formas de actuación en la clase que sean aplicables al grupo de alumnos en conjunto, de manera que el niño con síndrome de Down sea uno más y que no requiera de ninguna medida diferente, salvo las derivadas de su propio estilo de aprendizaje

To attend educative diversity requires engaging in both classroom activities and organizational program in the whole school. Proper management in the classroom, per se, contributes to the inclusion of the student with Down syndrome. In the context of the curricular adaptations we have previously proposed, this article describes many activities which may help teachers to offer to all students in their classrooms, even if no other special educator is present in the room. In this way, the child with Down syndrome will be no exception and will receive adequate inputs, as long as his learning style is secured and properly used

Review: typically-developing students' views and experiences of inclusive education.

PURPOSE: The present review aimed to summarize and critique existing qualitative studies that have examined typically-developing students' views of inclusive education (i.e. the policy of teaching students with special educational needs in mainstream settings). METHODS: Guidelines from the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination were followed, outlining the criteria by which journal articles were identified and critically appraised. Narrative Synthesis was used to summarize findings across studies. RESULTS: Fourteen studies met the review's inclusion criteria and were subjected to quality assessment. Analysis revealed that studies were of variable quality: three were of "good" methodological quality, seven of "medium" quality, and four of "poor" quality. With respect to findings, three overarching themes emerged: students expressed mostly negative attitudes towards peers with disabilities; were confused by the principles and practices of inclusive education; and made a number of recommendations for improving its future provision. CONCLUSIONS: A vital determinant of the success of inclusive education is the extent to which it is embraced by typically-developing students. Of concern, this review highlights that students tend not to understand inclusive education, and that this can breed hostility towards it. More qualitative research of high methodological quality is needed in this area. Implications for Rehabilitation Typically-developing students are key to the successful implementation of inclusive education. This review shows that most tend not to understand it, and can react by engaging in avoidance and/or targeted bullying of peers who receive additional support. Schools urgently need to provide teaching about inclusive education, and increase opportunities for contact between students who do and do not receive support (e.g. cooperative learning).

La integración escolar de alumnos con síndrome de Down en colegios ordinarios (diciembre 2014) / No disponible

No disponible

Caracterização do uso de atividades físicas em crianças e adolescentes com anemia falciforme / Characterization of the use of physical activities of children and adolescents with sickle cell anemia

Das anemias hereditárias, a falciforme (AF) configura-se como a anemia hemolítica do tipo autossômica recessiva mais prevalente no mundo, determinada por uma alteração dahemoglobina que não consegue transpor-se pelos vasos e fazendocom o que o sistema circulatório apresente dificuldades para levar aoxigenação ao organismo. Visto que na literatura brasileira têm-seponderações apenas em relação à descrição da prática de atividadefísica por indivíduos com o traço falciforme, este estudo buscou investigar e pontuar considerações referentes ao desempenho ocupacional de crianças/adolescentes com AF para a realização de atividades físicas. Foi realizado um estudo de naturezaqualitativa exploratória e como procedimento de delineamento o estudo de caso, os dados foram coletados utilizando-se a Medida Canadense de Desempenho Ocupacional com 13 sujeitos, crianças/adolescentes com o diagnóstico de AF. Foram constatadasalterações obtidas no desempenho das crianças/adolescentes com AF no que diz respeito às atividades físicas, como a indisposição, cansaço, dor, edema. Contudo, verificou-se que tais acometimentos não são compreensíveis para esta população, e que existemdistintos graus de limitação...

In hereditary anemias, sickle cell disease (SCD) is confi gured as hemolytic anemia autosomal recessive type most prevalent in the world, determined by an altered hemoglobinthat cannot be transposed vessels, making with the circulatory system will have problems to carry oxygen to the body. Whereas in Brazilian literature have been weighted only for the description of physical activity for individuals with sickle cell trait, this study sought to investigate and scoring considerations regarding theoccupational performance of children/adolescents with SCD toperform physical activities. A qualitative and exploratory study was performed design procedure as a case study; data were collected through the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure(COPM) with 13 subjects, children and adolescents diagnosed with SCD. Changes obtained were found in the performance of children and adolescents with SCD related to sports activities, such as malaise, fatigue, pain and edema. However, it was foundthat these affections are not understandable for this population,and that there are different degrees of limitation...

Cochlear implants: an educational perspective past, present, and future.

The purpose of this presentation was to explore the past, present, and future of cochlear implants (CIs) using an educational perspective. The presentation uses a range of ways to explore these themes from school data to pupil contributions. Current issues relating to CIs are investigated from school, pupil, and parental perspectives. Future considerations relating to pupils, CI management, and training are discussed. In conclusion, in educational settings staff work with students who have both hearing aids, CIs, or a combination of the two and therefore all professionals need to prepare for the future by blending services and training.

Deaf children in regular classrooms: a sociocultural approach to a Brazillan experience.

Inclusion of deaf children in regular classrooms is often described as unsuccessful. The present article shows how communicative and metacommunicative strategies used in teacher(s)-deaf students(s) interactions may facilitate inclusion. A fourth-grade classroom was investigated where a coteaching approach--a master teacher working with a teacher trained in Brazilian Sign Language (BSL)--was used. The class, 7 deaf and 19 hearing students, was selected because of the teacher dyad's effectiveness with these students. The teachers' interactive styles and strategies are highlighted, along with communicative and metacommunicative processes that occurred between them and the deaf students. The authors show that meanings are co-constructed not only through words or BSL but through nonverbal actions. Relational metacommunicative strategies make integration more effective and learning easier and more pleasant; therefore, dialogue with deaf children entails more than the mere use of words, either vocally or with signs.

Successful inclusion of a child with a stoma in mainstream schooling.

The inclusion of children with medical issues, such as stomas, in schools has caused much disruption and anxiety in the past. Many of the problems have been the result of misconceptions and lack of understanding of the issues involved, along with an often irrational fear of 'bodily fluids'. By developing closer links with the education department and opening up clear lines of communication it has been possible to raise awareness and reassure school staff regarding related issues. This article discusses the inclusion of a child with ulcerative colitis, following stoma formation, into mainstream school, and demonstrates how appropriate staff training and the development of a structured individual care plan enabled inclusion to proceed smoothly.

Primary prevention: educational approaches to enhance social and emotional learning.

The 1995 publication of Goleman's Emotional Intelligence triggered a revolution in mental health promotion. Goleman's examination of Gardner's work on multiple intelligences and current brain research, and review of successful programs that promoted emotional health, revealed a common objective among those working to prevent specific problem behaviors: producing knowledgeable, responsible, nonviolent, and caring individuals. Advances in research and field experiences confirm that school-based programs that promote social and emotional learning (SEL) in children can be powerful in accomplishing these goals. This article reviews the work of the Collaborative to Advance Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), its guidelines for promoting mental health in children and youth based on SEL, key principles, and examples of exemplary programs.

Outcome assessment after milieu-oriented rehabilitation: new considerations.

OBJECTIVE: This study incorporated level of functional impairment ratings at program admission into rehabilitation outcome (return to work/school) at the time of program discharge. HYPOTHESES: (1) Patients and families with better working alliance ratings will show better adjusted outcome; (2) patients seeking compensation will have poorer outcome than those not seeking compensation or receiving benefits; (3) speed of information processing and memory will relate to the level of adjusted outcome. DESIGN: Consecutive neurorehabilitation admissions from March 1992 to May 1996. SETTING: Outpatient milieu-based interdisciplinary day treatment program. SUBJECTS: Sixty-four patients with heterogeneous brain injury etiologies. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adjusted outcome, defined as level of discharge productivity adjusted by staff ratings of functional severity of impairment at program admission; work readiness and work eagerness, based on average staff ratings. RESULTS: At discharge, 89.5% of patients showed fair or good adjusted outcome; 62% were gainfully employed/full-time students; 15.6% resumed preinjury status. Better working alliance predicted better adjusted outcome. Patients seeking compensation showed significantly lower work eagerness ratings. Poorer outcome was associated with better neuropsychological status. CONCLUSIONS: Efficacy of neurorehabilitation was demonstrated for patients with better working alliance who were not seeking compensation. Adjusted outcome demonstrated greater sensitivity and utility by incorporating the variable of functional severity of impairment at program admission. Inclusion of "process" variables addressing working alliance, motivation, and capacity to work provide important contributions to understanding rehabilitation outcome.

Secondary health educators' perceived self-efficacy in teaching mainstreamed mentally disabled students.

This study examined secondary school health education teachers' perceived adequacy of professional training and perceived self-efficacy in teaching mainstreamed mentally disabled students (MMDS). Subjects included a stratified random sample (N = 333; response rate = 63%) of secondary school health education teachers in nine states which require that health education be taught in the schools. Subjects were 44% female, 92% White, had a mean age of 40.6 years (SD = 8.6) and a mean of 12.1 years (SD = 7.5) of teaching experience. One in four received no training on teaching MMDS. Efficacy expectation (EE) scores were significantly higher in teachers with some training in teaching MMDS (p < .001) but outcome expectation (OE) scores were not significantly different based on training. Also, EE and OE scores were higher in teachers who perceived the need for health knowledge and skills (outcome value) as greater in this population (p < .001). A significant correlation existed between the degree of reward in teaching MMDS and EE and OE (p < .01). Fifty-four percent believed materials available for teaching this group were inadequate; however, 77% reported that there special education department was supportive in material development.