نشریه کودکان استثنایی
سال دوازدهم شماره 4 (پیاپی 46، زمستان 1391)

This study compares the effectiveness of Fernald multi-sensory instruction and computerbased methods in reduction of spelling problems ofthird and fourth grade elementary students.

In this semi-experimental research, the sample contained 30 male and female subjects. They had learning disorders. So there were three equal – sized groups of 10 in the study. Simple random sampling and measurement instruments such as WISC- R, and Achievement Test for Spelling were used. The data were analyzed by one–way ANOVA and Scheffe post-hoc test.

The results revealed that both multi-sensory Fernald method and computer-based methods were effective in reduction of third and fourth grade elementary students spelling problems who had learning disorder.

The two instructional methods are quite effective and helpful in reduction of elementary students spelling problems.

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of relaxation training on reducing of anxiety and depression in mothers of children with intellectual disabilities.

The study was a quasi-experimental research with twoheterogeneous groups design with pretest and posttest. First, 20 mothers who were regularly able to participate in the classes of relaxation training were selected as experimental group and then, 20 mothers were also selected as control group viaparameters such as the rate of anxiety and depression, literacy level, educational level, and severity of intellectual disabilities in the child. The group exercises of relaxation training have been conducted for experimental group three times a week for 2 months. Data of mothers’ anxiety and depression in both groups were obtained by Beck Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory- II in two stages of pretest and posttest. The data were analyzed with covariance analysis.

The findings indicated that relaxation training exercises were effective in decreasing symptoms of both anxiety (P<0.001) and depression (P<0.001) of mothers.

Generally, the results indicated that the short-term relaxation training technique designed in this research could reduce anxiety and depression of mentally retarded children's mothers participated in this study.

The purpose of this clinical study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Lidcombe Program in reduction of preschool children’s stuttering severity.

This study was a single group semiexperimental clinical trial with repeated measurement, in which 10 preschool stuttered children were selected and were affected by Lidcombe Program within a period of 12 individual sessions. Children’s stuttering severity was measured according to the percentage of syllables stuttered (%SS) at three time points. Obtained data were analyzed according to ANOVA with zepeated management.

The results showed that Lidcombe Program could reduce significantly zpreschool children’s stuttering severity (p<0/01).

This study confirmed the effectiveness of Lidcombe Program in reduction of preschool children’s stuttering severity.

This study examined the effects of identity status in coping strategies in stressful situations and depression, in visually impaired adolescents.

This causal comparative research was enrolled with 96 visually impaired male and female students in Tabriz, Tehran and Maragheh schools ageing 16-19 years old. The Depression Inventory of Maria Covacs, Dellas Identity Status Inventory-Occupation, and Coping Inventory of Endler & Parker, were used.

Analysis of variance showed that except moratorium identity, all others were significantly different between visually impaired and normal students, but no gender difference was observed.

This study reveals some health related issues in visually impaired adolescents.

This research was aimed to investigate the possible relationship between Sidedness and communicative function in autistic students.

40 autistic students with age average 10 years and 8 month (SD = 2 years and 5 months) were chosen. The sampling method was convenience.Communicative function questionnaire was completed by the students parents. An observation checklist was used to examine handedness, footedness, and dominant eye and ear. Using of ttest, Wilcoxon, Friedman and Mann-Whitney test, covariance analysis data were analyzed.

Research findings showed statistically significant difference between left-Sidedness, right-Sidedness, ambidexterity groups in their average numbers ofcommunicative function also between ambidexterity and definite Sidedness preference groups (p>0.05). Left-Sidedness group acquires most average numbers of communicative function, but in both, ambidexterity group acquires less (p>0.05). Thereis no significant difference between the same and different handedness, footedness, eyedness and earedness groups in their communicative function.

This finding reveals that stability of sidedness performs important role in having high language and communication skills. The results could be approval of cerebral lateralization abnormality and importance of interventions rehabilitationin autistic students which can help terapists and parents.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the value system of exceptional schools teachers.

This study is survey research. For this purpose, the sample was included 160 persons who were selected with proportional classification method across the Bushehr exceptional schools teachers in the academic year: 2010 – 2011. For data gathering, the Schwartz, Melech, Burgess, Harris and Owens portrait valuequestionnaire was used and its validity and reliability was calculated and verified. For dataanalysis, repeated measures analysis of variance, paired sample t-test, one – way ANOVA, and independent sample t- test were used.

The results showed that the value system of Bushehr exceptional schools teachers were including ranked dimensions: universalism, security, conformity, self-direction, benevolence, tradition, achievement, stimulation, hedonism and power. Furthermore, there are more tendency to the individual values rather than collective values; conservation values rather than the openness to change values and self - enhancement values rather than the self - transcendence values in the value system of exceptional schools teachers in significant way.

So it can be said that value system of exceptional schools teachers, have largely match with the ranking of values between various societies, groups and cultures.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of combination of constraint induced movement therapy and bimanual intensive therapy on fine motor skills of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

In this RCT study, 25 children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy aged 60-120 months participated they were assigned randomly into intervention and control groups. The children in control group received current occupational therapy intervention and children in intervention group were received a combination of constraint induced movement therapy and bimanual intensive therapy in addition to current occupational therapy. Each session was started with restraint on non-involved upper extremity and practicing with the involved upper extremity for three hours and followed by bimanual intensive therapy for another three hours. This process lasted for 10 out of 12 consecutive days. Fine motor skills and muscle tone were assessed by Bruininks-Oseretsky test and modified Ashworth scale, respectively.

Fine motor skills of these children in intervention group improved significantly (P<0/05), however the level of spasticity was not significantly different between these two groups (P>0/05).

The findings suggest that combination of constraint induced movement therapy and bimanual intensive therapy could improve fine motor skills in the hemiplegic cerebral palsy children.