Cluster Analysis of Clinical Features of Children Suspected to Have Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

Early identification of neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) is critical to a good prognosis. Several factors such as overlapping diagnoses can complicate this process and thus delay access to services. This study sought to identify meaningful clinical profiles, beyond diagnostic labels, in 194 children with NDDs referred to an assessment clinic. Cluster analyses were applied to eight selected behavioral and cognitive variables. Results suggested a cluster structure in which three homogenous groups differed significantly from one another: children who presented either (1) heterogeneous diagnoses and ambiguous profiles, (2) a clinical profile closely aligned to a classic presentation of ASD, and (3) emotional and behavioral challenges. These distinct profiles may have implications for assessment and clinical practices.

Developmental and behavioral groupings can predict changes in adaptive behavior over time in young children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

The heterogeneity within, and the overlap between, diagnostic categories for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) remain poorly understood. Developmental trajectories may diverge among children with the same diagnosis, who may also respond very differently to treatment. In a previous study, we used statistical clustering methods in a sample of 194 preschoolers who were referred for NDD assessment. We identified three distinct subgroups based on multiple developmental and behavioral variables. The present study aimed to identify: (1) early developmental markers at the surveillance and screening period that are predictive of subgroup membership at the diagnostic period (i.e., around age 5), (2) associations between subgroups and the evolution of adaptive behavior over the course of two years, and (3) predictors of adaptive behavior change. Subgroup membership was the only significant predictor of adaptive behavior change over time, which suggests that a clustering method based on developmental and behavioral profiles may be useful in treatment planning.

Validation of the multidimensional attitudes toward preschool inclusive education scale in the bilingual context of Québec.

BACKGROUND: The Multidimensional Attitudes Toward Preschool Inclusive Education Scale (MATPIES; Lohmann et al., 2016) seeks to assess preschool educators' attitudes toward inclusive education. It has been used in wide range of settings and with varied populations, but there has been a lack of systematicity in translation, adaptation, and validation procedures associated with it. For instance, its use in French or in a French-English bilingual context such as Québec (Canada) has yet to be validated. AIMS: The present study documented the translation and validation process for the MATPIES in bilingual early childhood education settings. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The MATPIES was completed by 211 French- and English-speaking early childhood educators and administrators in the province of Québec, Canada. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the original factor structure for the MATPIES was not replicated within the bilingual Québec sample.Exploratory analyses suggested a four-factor structure encompassing 15 items, which had good internal consistency (α = 0.87). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The factor structure of the MATPIES may vary across populations. This study underscores the importance of evaluating instruments in contexts that differ from those in which they were originally constructed to ensure the validity of results.

Using Prevent Teach Reinforce for Young Children to Manage Challenging Behaviors in Public Specialized Early Intervention Services for Autism.

This proof-of-concept study assessed the feasibility of implementing Prevent-Teach-Reinforce-for-Young-Children (PTR-YC) program to address challenging behaviors in children with autism within the context of public, specialized early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) services offered in community settings. Following a 2-day training and with brief weekly supervision meetings, children's EIBI educators acted as facilitators in 35 families' home environments. Small and moderate effect sizes were observed for children's behavioral outcomes and parenting stress. Recruitment and retention rates, implementation fidelity, as well as treatment acceptability from the perspective of participating parents and the organization attested to the feasibility and relevance of implementing and evaluating this program on a larger scale as part of a multi-center randomized controlled trial.

Parent coaching intervention program based on the Early Start Denver Model for children with autism spectrum disorder: Feasibility and acceptability study.

A parent coaching intervention program was launched in a Quebec community-based organization for autism spectrum disorder. This initiative was intended to support families following the child's diagnosis, as they awaited public early intensive behavioral intervention services. The parent-mediated intervention program, based on the Early Start Denver Model, included a 3 h parent group training, an initial assessment followed by the development of an individualized intervention plan, 8 weeks of live coaching, a final assessment to evaluate children's progress, and a feedback meeting with families. The present study used a mixed-method design to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the program. Ten families (ten mothers and three fathers) and four coaches participated in the present study. Parents and coaches perceived and achieved high levels of implementation overall (91 %) and there was a moderate improvement of parents' teaching skills. All participating families and coaches were satisfied or highly satisfied with the program and found it acceptable.

Psychometric Properties of the Beach Center Family Quality of Life in French-Speaking Families With a Preschool-Aged Child Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale (Beach Center FQOL) is used to evaluate and develop family-centered intervention services. However, its use with families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and in non-English speaking populations requires further investigation. The present study sought to assess the psychometric properties of a French translation of this scale on 452 parents of children aged 5 and under who were recently diagnosed with ASD. The resulting Satisfaction and Importance scales presented excellent internal consistency at the scale level and acceptable internal consistency at the subscale level. Theoretical model positing 5 dimensions of FQOL generally fit the data acceptably. Satisfaction ratings were found to be sensitive to changes and were negatively correlated with parenting stress.