نشریه توانمندسازی کودکان استثنایی
سال نهم شماره 4 (زمستان 1397)

This study was done in order to investigate the effectiveness of learning strategies training on mathematical self-concept in blind girl students. The method of this study was Quasi-Experimental with pre-test & post-test design and control group. The study population consisted of blind girl students who were educating in 10th grade of Narjes School of Tehran and Setayesh School of Mashhad in the year of 2017. The sample group of this research included 30 blind girl students who were selected by of available sampling method. In this study, learning strategies training was done in 12 45-minutes sessions three times a week and Marsh’s Math Self-Concept Questionnaire was answered by students as pre-test and post-test. To analyze the data, analysis of covariance method (ANCOVA) was used. The results show that there was a significant difference between experiment and control group after the intervention in math self-concept and also the result show that 64% of math self-concept increase was caused by this learning program. According to these findings, we can say that learning strategies training increases math self-concept. Since these strategies can be trained, we suggest that teachers teach them to their students.

The present study was conducted aiming to determine the effectiveness of teaching social-emotional competence on social skills and psychological capitals in the students with Oppositional defiant disorder. This research was a quasi-experimental study with pretest, posttest, control group and two-month follow-up period design. The statistical population included adolescent with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) studying at first grade of high schools in the City of Ahvaz in academic year 2017-18. The samples included 30 adolescents with ODD who were selected using purposeful sampling method and randomly placed into experiment and control groups (each group of 15). The experiment group received social-emotional competence teaching during nine months while the control groups didn’t receive any intervention. Gersham and Eliot’s Social Skills Questionnaire (1999), Lotanz and Olio’s Psychological Capital (2007) and Gado and Sprafkin’s, Children and Adolescents Mental Health Questionnaire (1994) were used. Repeated measurement ANOVA test was applied in order to statically analyze the data.  The results showed that teaching social-emotional competence has significantly influenced social skills and psychological capitals of the students with ODD (p<0.001). Furthermore, the results showed that this therapy was able to significantly maintain its effect in time (p<0.001). According to the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that teaching social-emotional competence using social and emotional techniques can influence social skills and psychological capitals of the students with ODD. Therefore, teaching social-emotional competence can be applied as an efficient therapy in order to improve social skills and psychological capitals of the students with ODD.

The aim of this study was to compare eye movements of students with and without dyslexia in visual perception tasks. Method used in the present research  was causal-comparative and the study population consisted of all male and female students of primary schools in the City of Tehran, with and without dyslexia, studying in regular schools (Kherad and Parsa), as well as in the learning disabilities centers (Goharmehr and Taravat) in 96-97 academic year. The sample consisted of 25 dyslexic and 27 normal students who were selected via convenient sampling. The data was gathered using an eye tracking device called SMI-RED. The stimuli were 21 pictures based on TVPS-3 which were presented via the eye tracking devise. Data was analyzed using Mixed ANOVA. Findings showed that generally there is not significant difference between eye movements of students with and without dyslexia at visual perception tasks. However, by entering the moderator variable of the levels of task difficulty, there were significant differences between two groups in fixation duration and saccade duration. It can be argued that the problems of dyslexic individuals is probably not due to difficulties in visual processing level, but it seems that they have difficulties in the higher levels of psychological processing. When the tasks become more difficult, the attention and processing activities make some differences in eye movements which dyslexic students don’t benefited from those strategies. It is probably possible to change the monotony of the eye movements of dyslexic children by enhancing their visual perception.

One of the most important problems of students with hearing impairment is communication and social skills. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of assertiveness skill training on social skills and self-esteem of students with hearing impairment. The research was a semi-experimental study with pre-test-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population consisted of female students with hearing impairment studying in high schools of Rasht city during 2016-2017 academic year. A sample of 30 subjects was selected by available sampling method and randomly assigned to two experiment (15 subjects) and control (15 subjects) groups. To collect data, Gersham Eliot's Social Skills Scale (1999) and Cooper Smith's Self-Esteem (1967) were used and for the experiment group, assertiveness skill training was held in 10 sessions of 90 minutes. The results of multivariate analysis of covariance showed that assertiveness skill training can increase the level of social skills and self-esteem of students with hearing impairment (P=0.001). Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that group assertiveness training by knowledge-raising, role playing, and observational learning can be used as an effective interventional method to improve social skills and self-esteem among students with hearing impairment.

The aim of this study was to compare eye movements of students with and without dyslexia in visual perception tasks. Method used in the present research  was causal-comparative and the study population consisted of all male and female students of primary schools in the City of Tehran, with and without dyslexia, studying in regular schools (Kherad and Parsa), as well as in the learning disabilities centers (Goharmehr and Taravat) in 96-97 academic year. The sample consisted of 25 dyslexic and 27 normal students who were selected via convenient sampling. The data was gathered using an eye tracking device called SMI-RED. The stimuli were 21 pictures based on TVPS-3 which were presented via the eye tracking devise. Data was analyzed using Mixed ANOVA. Findings showed that generally there is not significant difference between eye movements of students with and without dyslexia at visual perception tasks. However, by entering the moderator variable of the levels of task difficulty, there were significant differences between two groups in fixation duration and saccade duration. It can be argued that the problems of dyslexic individuals is probably not due to difficulties in visual processing level, but it seems that they have difficulties in the higher levels of psychological processing. When the tasks become more difficult, the attention and processing activities make some differences in eye movements which dyslexic students don’t benefited from those strategies. It is probably possible to change the monotony of the eye movements of dyslexic children by enhancing their visual perception.

The aim of this study was designing and validation of Remediation Curriculum Model for students with specific learning disorders in first year of elementary schools. The present research was a practical study with a descriptive-analytic method and a foundational approach. The statistical population of the study consisted of all the teachers and experts of Maragheh (515 member) from among whom the sample size was selected using Morgan's random table consisting of 212 teachers and 40 curriculum specialists. In order to answer the research questions, at first the research literature was studies and the model was designed. Then, the research questionnaire was made and its content validity was investigated by 5 experts’ assessments, and its reliability which was calculated using Cronbach's Alpha was reported 85%, and the model designed was validated by teachers and experts. The research data were analyzed by using Chi-square test. The findings showed that all the considered elements (purpose, content, teaching methods, learning and evaluation methods) for the restorative curriculum are valid and there is no significant difference between the views of these two groups in terms of validity. According to the findings of the research, it is concluded that with regard to validated elements of remediation curriculum in this research, this model can be used in the curriculum of students with specific learning disorders in first grade of elementary schools.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a serious disorder which damages adolescents’ other psychological and cognitive processes too. The present study was conducted aiming at investigating the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy on executive function and cognitive fusion in the adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The research method was quasi-experimental with pretest, posttest design and a control group and two-month follow-up stage. The statistical population of the present study included adolescents with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in Isfahan City in academic year 2017-18. 30 adolescents with OCD were selected via purposive non-random sampling method and were randomly placed into experiment and control groups. The experiment group received 10 seventy-five-minute sessions of mindfulness interventions during three months. The applied questionnaires included Moudzli’s OCD Questionnaire (1980), Executive Functions Questionnaire (1980) and Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (2010). The data from the study were analyzed through repeated measurement ANOVA. The results showed that mindfulness therapy has significantly influenced executive functions and cognitive fusion of the adolescents with OCD (p<0/001). According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that mindfulness therapy can be used as an effective treatment for improving executive functions and reducing cognitive fusion in adolescents with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

The aim of this study was to investigate of the effectiveness of positive parenting program training on interaction of mother with slow paced child in Tehran. Study procedure was semi-experimental with pretest-posttest design and control group. 40 mothers of students with slow paced children who were selected using simple random sampling method from exceptional schools of Tehran participated in the study. Participants were divided into two groups (experiment and control group), each of which was consisted of 20 individuals. Experiment group received positive parenting program training in 10 sessions each lasting for 60 minutes, while control group did not. The tool used in present research was Parent-Child Relationship Scale (1994). The data analyses by MANCOVA showed that experiment and control groups had significant difference at least in one of the subscales of Parent-Child Relationship Scale. The final results of MANCOVA showed that positive parenting program had significant and positive effect on interaction of mother and slow paced child (P<0/001).Since parenting skills training can lead to enhancement of interaction of mother and slow paced child, applying positive parenting program training has been associated with useful and effective outcomes in the field of interaction of the mother with slow paced child.

This research was done to investigate the effectiveness of parent-child interaction therapy on stress of mothers who have slow paced children with behavioral problems and reducing children’s behavioral problems. This research was quasi-experimental study with pre-test, post-test and follow-up design with control group. Statistical population included all 7-9 years old girl students who had intellectual disorder with behavior problems in the exceptional schools of Gorgan in 2018. From this population, a sample including 24 students with their mothers were chosen by purposive sampling method and placed in experiment and control groups randomly. Tools used for research included Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA), Berry & Jones Parental Protection (stress) Scale (PPS). At first, a pre-test was held for both experiment and control groups and then experiment group received parent-child interaction therapy during 15 sessions each 90 minutes. Collected data was reviewed using repeated measure analysis of variance.  Results suggested that parent-child interaction therapy has significant effect on reducing the stress of mothers with slow paced children who have behavioral problems and reducing children’s behavioral problems. Results from follow-up step showed reducing stress of mothers and reducing children’s behavioral problems. Improving the communication skills and increasing the interaction between mother and child can reduce the stress of mothers and children’s behavioral problems

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of computer games on cognitive flexibility of students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The present research was a semi-experimental study with pre-test, post-test design and control group. The participants were 24 students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder from counseling center in Ahvaz city in 2018 academic year who were selected by convenient sampling method. Subjects were divided into experiment and control groups randomly, each group consisting of 12 students. The experiment group participated in 15 sessions of parent management training (three times a week; each session lasted 60 minutes), while the control group did not. The instrument used was Dennis & VanderWal Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (2010). Univariate analysis of covariance was used by SPSS (version 24) for analyzing the data. The results showed that computer games training had a significant effect on the cognitive flexibility of students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Computer games training can increase cognitive flexibility of students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Therefore, planning for providing this program has been useful and effective and can be used for the improvement of cognitive flexibility.