The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake in one of the co-author’s family name. The correct name should be María Victoria Martín-Cilleros instead of María Victoria ...Cilleros-Martín.
The universal right to education for people with disabilities has been highlighted by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In this ...paper, we mapped policies addressing the right to education and special education needs of autistic children in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland
A policy path analysis was carried out using a scoping review as an underlying framework for data gathering. Policy mapping was performed independently by both lead authors to increase reliability.
The values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities have been closely translated into the respective education systems of the countries under study, offering special education needs services and support in mainstream education with the aim of including as many children into mainstream education as possible. Even though the education systems are comparable, the approaches between the countries under study are slightly different. Denmark and Sweden have passed several policies specifically geared towards special education needs, while Finland incorporates this more in general education policy.
All countries under study have incorporated the values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in their respective education systems while emphasising the need to include as many children in the mainstream system as possible.
AimThis Finnish study compared language and reading abilities between schoolchildren born at a very low gestational age (VLGA) of <32 weeks and at term and analysed any associations between antenatal ...and neonatal risk factors and language skills in the VLGA group.MethodsWe prospectively followed 76 children born at a VLGA and 50 children born at term when they reached a mean age of 9.0 (8.1–10.0) years. They attended mainstream schools and had no severe neurosensory disabilities. Receptive language ability, rapid naming and word reading were evaluated using standardised tests.ResultsChildren in the VLGA group had lower scores for receptive language abilities (median 55.0 vs. 57.0, p = 0.01) and word reading (mean 4.4 vs. 5.1, p = 0.03) than the children in the term group. In the VLGA group, foetal growth restriction was associated with lower scores for rapid naming, early intraventricular haemorrhage was associated with poor word reading and respiratory distress syndrome was associated with poor rapid naming (p < 0.05).ConclusionSchoolchildren born at a VLGA had more difficulties with receptive language abilities and word reading than children born at term. Foetal growth restriction and early neonatal morbidities were associated with language difficulties.
Aim
Our aim was to study whether prematurity, associated with prenatal and neonatal risk factors, affects specific literacy skills among school children born at a very low gestational age (VLGA) of ...<32 weeks.
Methods
The study group comprised 76 prospectively followed VLGA children born between November 1998 and November 2002 at Oulu University Hospital, Finland, and 51 term controls. The median gestational age of the VLGA children was 29.0 (24.1‐31.9) weeks. All children were examined at a median age of 8.9 (8.0‐9.9) years in Oulu between November 2007 and November 2011. Reading fluency, comprehension and spelling skills were evaluated using standardised tests for Finnish‐speaking children.
Results
Very low gestational age children had significantly poorer test results in reading comprehension (median 6.9 vs 8.3, P = .014) and spelling (median 35.7 vs 38.0, P = .013) than term children. Furthermore, VLGA children more often performed below the 10th percentile normal values in spelling (P = .012) compared with term controls. Foetal growth restriction was associated with lower scoring in reading fluency (P = .023) and spelling (P = .004) among VLGA children.
Conclusion
Very low gestational age school children performed poorer in reading comprehension and spelling than term children. In addition, poor foetal growth in VLGA children was associated with literacy problems.
We investigated if outcomes differ between voice therapy groups systematically using carryover strategies (attempts to generalize new vocal skills outside the clinic) and voice therapy with no ...emphasis on any generalizing process (here referred to as traditional voice therapy).
A randomized controlled trial was conducted. Participants (53 female teachers with voice disorders) were randomly allocated into three groups: Carryover (a group receiving voice therapy using carryover strategies), Trad (a group receiving voice therapy with no emphasis on any generalizing process), Controls (a group on an eight-week non-therapy period). Prior to the trial a direct laryngoscopy was performed with a videolaryngostroboscopy system and/or nasofaryngofiberoscope with stroboscopy. Before and after therapy and at follow-up a voice evaluation protocol was implemented consisting of subjective assessments (Questionnaire on Voice Symptoms, and the Voice Activity and Participation Profile; VAPP), and objective measurements (voice sample recordings, acoustic analysis SPL, sound pressure level; f
, fundamental frequency; alpha-ratio, tilt of the sound spectrum slope).
No differences were found between the groups. Several significant changes occurred within the groups between initial phase vs. post-therapy and initial phase vs. follow-up. In the Carryover group text reading the alpha-ratio became lower (P = 0.011) and spontaneous speech f
increased (P = 0.024) after the therapy and a: SPL increased (P = 0.042) at follow-up. In the Trad group post-therapy a: alpha-ratio became lower (P = 0.012) and spontaneous speech f
decreased (P = 0.034). After therapy VAPP scores showed improvement in voice-related quality of life in both therapy groups (Carryover P = 0.003; Trad P = 0.01) but only in Carryover at follow-up (P = 0.000). Voice symptoms decreased in the Carryover group post-therapy (P = 0.001) and at follow-up (P = 0.000) and after Controls' eight-week non-therapy period (P = 0.003).
The results showed that carryover strategies give no additional advantages in voice therapy. However, the decreasing trend in the Carryover group's voice complaints at follow-up would suggest that carryover strategies may have long-lasting effects. The results also confirm that voice therapy is efficient in improving voice-related quality of life.
Aim
This Finnish study compared language and reading abilities between schoolchildren born at a very low gestational age (VLGA) of <32 weeks and at term and analysed any associations between ...antenatal and neonatal risk factors and language skills in the VLGA group.
Methods
We prospectively followed 76 children born at a VLGA and 50 children born at term when they reached a mean age of 9.0 (8.1–10.0) years. They attended mainstream schools and had no severe neurosensory disabilities. Receptive language ability, rapid naming and word reading were evaluated using standardised tests.
Results
Children in the VLGA group had lower scores for receptive language abilities (median 55.0 vs. 57.0, p = 0.01) and word reading (mean 4.4 vs. 5.1, p = 0.03) than the children in the term group. In the VLGA group, foetal growth restriction was associated with lower scores for rapid naming, early intraventricular haemorrhage was associated with poor word reading and respiratory distress syndrome was associated with poor rapid naming (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
Schoolchildren born at a VLGA had more difficulties with receptive language abilities and word reading than children born at term. Foetal growth restriction and early neonatal morbidities were associated with language difficulties.
Aim
The risk for neurocognitive difficulties is increased in children born with foetal growth restriction (FGR), but no data exist yet on their narrative skills. The narrative skills of 8‐ to ...10‐year‐old children born with FGR between 24 and 40 weeks were compared with those of children born with appropriate growth for gestational age (AGA).
Methods
A prospectively collected cohort of 36 children with FGR was recruited prenatally at a Finnish tertiary hospital from 1998‐2001, and 31 children with AGA served as controls. Narrative skills were assessed using a standardised test, and correlations between narrative, communication, reading and spelling skills were studied.
Results
Children born with FGR produced significantly less information and shorter utterances in their narratives than the AGA group. Children born preterm with FGR performed significantly more poorly in their narratives than the preterm AGA group. Poor narrative skills correlated with poor communication, reading and spelling skills.
Conclusion
Children born with FGR had poorer narrative skills compared with their AGA peers at the age of 8‐10 years, and narrative skills were linked to other language‐based skills, which underlines the importance of early detection and preventive measures to optimise the educational outcome of children born with FGR.
Aim
We evaluated the neurodevelopment and growth of five‐ to seven‐year‐old children who had participated in a randomised trial of early low‐dose hydrocortisone treatment to prevent bronchopulmonary ...dysplasia.
Methods
The 51 infants in the original study had birthweights of 501–1250 g and gestational ages of 23–30 weeks, required mechanical ventilation during the first 24 hours and received hydrocortisone or a placebo for 10 days. The majority (80%) of the 90% who survived to five‐ to seven years of age participated in this follow‐up study and their growth, neuromotor, cognitive and speech development were evaluated.
Results
Some neurodevelopment impairment was observed in 61% of the hydrocortisone group and 39% of the placebo group, ranging from minor neurological dysfunction to severe neurological conditions (p = 0.182). The mean full‐scale intelligence quotient (IQ) was 87.8 (15.3) in the hydrocortisone group and 95.7 (15.0) in the placebo group (p = 0.135), and the mean performance IQ was 88.3 (14.5) and 99.1 (14.0) (p = 0.034), respectively. A fifth (22%) of the hydrocortisone group required physiotherapy, but none of the placebo group did (p = 0.034). The age‐standardised growth was comparable between both groups.
Conclusion
Early hydrocortisone treatment may have undesired effects on neurodevelopment at preschool age, and further safety studies are required.
Long-term follow-up studies on children born with fetal growth restriction (FGR) have revealed a specific profile of neurocognitive difficulties, including problems with speech, language and literacy ...skills. We hypothesized that problems with communication skills, including language use and literacy skills of FGR children at primary school age are associated with prenatal circulatory changes.
Ultrasonographic assessment of fetoplacental hemodynamics was performed prenatally in 77 fetuses. After a follow-up period of 8–10 years, assessment of reading and spelling skills using standardized tests and the Children's Communication Questionnaire (CCC-2) was performed to measure different language skills in 37 FGR children and 31 appropriately grown (AGA) controls, matched for gestational age.
Increased blood flow resistance in the umbilical artery (UA PI >2 SD) during fetal life showed odds ratios of 3.5–19.1 for poor literacy and communication skills and need for speech and language therapy. Furthermore, FGR children with prenatal cerebral vasodilatation (cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) < −2 SD) had significantly poorer literacy and communication skills, at primary school age compared to the AGA controls. Abnormal CPR demonstrated odds ratios of 4.2–28.1 for poor literacy and communication skills and need for speech and language therapy.
Increased blood flow resistance in the umbilical artery and cerebral vasodilatation are associated with poor communication, language, and literacy skills at early school age in children born with FGR. These findings indicate the need for continuous follow-up of this group and timely targeted support to ensure optimal academic outcomes.
PDF
