فصلنامه روان شناسی افراد استثنایی
پیاپی 51 (پاییز 1402)

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of the solution-focused kids' skill method on the life and communication skills of mentally retarded children. The statistical population of the research included all mentally retarded children aged 9-13 who were referred to Omid Exceptional School in the period of 1401-02, located in Sari city. The sample size of the study includes 30 children who were randomly selected from the statistical population using the available sampling method and were placed into two experimental (15 people) and control (15 people) groups. The experimental group was trained in eight 60-minute sessions, twice a week with the designed protocol. The instrument used is Wayland's compromising behavior scale. The results showed that in the effectiveness of this protocol, the control and experimental groups had significant differences (P>0.001) in the two components of communication skills and life skills, and covariance analysis and Welch's analysis of variance were used to achieve this difference. This indicates the effectiveness of the protocol designed for the solution-oriented child skill training method on the communication skills and life skills of mentally challenged children. It can be concluded that the child's skill training approach is effective in expanding the communication skills and lives of mentally disabled children.

The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation on the working memory components of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The statistical population of the research included all male students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Tehran. To select a sample from among all male students suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Tehran, 30 of them were in the age range of 7 to 12 years old (students in elementary school) according to the inclusion criteria using the purposeful sampling method. They were selected as samples and were randomly divided into two experimental and control groups. The research tools included Connor's behavioral questionnaire and the Wechsler IQ memory test for children. The cognitive rehabilitation program of Yar Captain Log computer was implemented for 10 sessions of 60 minutes and twice a week for the experimental group. The results of the covariance analysis showed that the computerized cognitive rehabilitation program has improved the active memory components of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (P<0.05) and can be used as a suitable method to improve the active memory of these students.

Children’s behavioral problems influence their families considerably. Thus, the present study evaluates the effectiveness of the spillover intervention on the emotional processing and self-concealment of the mothers of children with externalized behavioral problems in Isfahan. The study is quasi-experimental with pretest, posttest, and follow-up phases. Thirty mothers of children with externalized behavioral problems were selected by purposeful and convenience sampling and assigned into two experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent the spillover intervention in 8 90-minute sessions, and the control group received no treatment. The research instruments included Achenbach’s (2001) Child Behavior Checklist-Parent Form (for screening the sample group), Larsen and Chastain’s (1990) Self-Concealment Scale (SCS), and Baker’s (2010) Emotional Information Processing Questionnaire. The data were analyzed by univariate and multivariate ANCOVA tests run in the SPSS 26 software. The results revealed that spillover training positively and significantly impacted self-concealment (F = 12/902; P = 0/001) and emotional processing (F = 33/017; P = 0/001) at the significance level of 0/05 (α = 0/05). Besides, the results were constant in the follow-up phase (α = 0/05). According to the findings, spillover training has a significant effect on the self-concealment and emotional processing of mothers of children with externalized behavioral problems. Considering mothers are the main pillars in training their children, this outcome has some educational and psychological implications for the mothers of children with externalized behavioral problems.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of biomedical treatments on the symptoms and satisfaction of families with autism spectrum disorder. The present research method was a semi-experimental pre-test-post-test type with a control group. The statistical population of this research was the autistic children of the autism group in virtual space, from which thirty autistic children aged four to twelve with autism, fifteen in the experimental group and fifteen in the control group were randomly assigned. The Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) was used to collect research data. The program was conducted in three months by parents and the supervision of the researcher, and the research data was analyzed using the covariance analysis method. The results of covariance analysis showed that biomedical treatments in reducing the symptoms in the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) have caused families to be satisfied. It seems that with the continuation of this method and reaching higher stages of treatment, more changes can be made in reducing the symptoms of autism and following it, reducing the challenges of the families, leading to the families' satisfaction with the treatment.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of increasing patience group training on self-efficacy and attitude of mothers with exceptional children. This quasi-experimental study involved a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The population of the study included all mothers with exceptional children in Mashhad who were registered with the exceptional education department in Khorasan province. Voluntary participation and sample selection using random sampling were utilized. Thirty-two mothers of exceptional children were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (16 participants per group). The instruments used to measure the study variables were the patience, Domka self-efficacy, and parents' attitudes toward exceptional children questionnaires. A pre-test was conducted on both groups. The experimental group underwent ten sessions of patience training, while no training was provided to the control group. After the training sessions, both groups took the questionnaires again (post-test). Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multivariate analysis of covariance (MONCOVA). The results revealed that patience training led to enhanced self-efficacy, reduced hopelessness, improved attitude, increased failure tolerance, and lower levels of shame in mothers with exceptional children. As a result, it is recommended that counselors and psychologists focus on patience training in family education programs and groups of parents of exceptional children.

Due to the existence of some characteristics of students with intellectual disabilities (ID) and the non-applicability of some diagnostic criteria to the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in these people, the diagnosis of ADHD in students with ID may not be considered or its prevalence may be estimated much lower than the actual rate. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of symptoms of ADHD in students with ID and its relationship with mother’s compassion fatigue. The present research method was descriptive-analytical. The research sample consisted of 105 students with intellectual disabilities. To collect data, the child behavior checklist (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) and the compassion fatigue questionnaire (Abdollahzadeh Rafi et al., 2022) were used. The results showed that 58.1% of students with ID show signs of ADHD at the clinical level. Also, compassion fatigue had a positive relationship with the increase in the severity of symptoms of ADHD in students with ID (p<0.05). The high prevalence of ADHD symptoms in students with ID reminds us of the need to address this problem. Also, to reduce the symptoms of ADHD in students with ID, it is necessary to consider the compassion fatigue of their mothers.

The aim was to present a structural model of marital satisfaction based on the father's participation in parenting, problem-solving skills, and cognitive emotion regulation through the mediation of family resilience and emotional empathy in mothers with cerebral palsy children. The research was a descriptive survey and structural equation type. The statistical population of mothers with children with cerebral palsy in Rasht was 240 people (subjects) in 2022. The samples were selected by a targeted method and after matching based on age and gross motor function classification system and by Kargesi and Morgan 148 table. Data using questionnaires, ENRICH marital satisfaction, Alabama parenting test (parent form), family problem solving, emotion regulation, family resilience, emotional empathy (interpersonal reactivity index), collect and with software (SPSS V. 28) and (Lisrel V. 10), were analyzed. The results showed that there was a direct relationship between father's participation in parenting, problem solving skills, cognitive emotion regulation, family resilience and emotional empathy with marital satisfaction. There was an indirect relationship between the father's participation in parenting, problem-solving skills, and cognitive emotion regulation through the mediation of family resilience and emotional empathy with marital satisfaction. It is necessary to develop and strengthen the father's participation in parenting, problem-solving skills, cognitive regulation of emotions, family resilience, and emotional empathy with appropriate training, so as to increase the level of marital satisfaction in these couples.

Having a member with an autism spectrum disorder in the family creates a wide range of challenges and problems for the family members. The present study was conducted with the aim of discovering the thematic network of challenges and communication problems of families that have children with autism spectrum disorder. The research method was a qualitative approach with a thematic analysis method. The statistical population was families with autistic children (7 to 18 years old) in Isfahan city (240 families), eighteen families participated in the research. Participants were selected by purposeful sampling method. A depth semi-structured interview was used for collecting information. The results revealed 675 initial codes, 23 basic themes, five organizing themes, and one global theme. The extracted organizing themes were: social, personal, related to interaction with the child, lack of time and within the family issues. The global theme was also identified as the culture of avoiding autism. This research showed that pursuing an approach that encourages more acceptance of autism in the community can be the first step for improving the environment of destigmatization and reducing the culture of avoiding autistic individuals. In addition, cultural programs help raise awareness about autism and developmental disorders and also, could help to connect the families with early intervention resources