This study aimed to understand the motor competence (MC) level of Czech school-age children determined using the product-oriented Bruininks--Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (second edition) and to analyze the gender and age differences. The MC level in n = 637 children aged 6.0--11.0 years (46.6% girls) was evaluated using total motor…

Play, in particular sex-typical play, is important for affective, cognitive, and social development. There is limited research on sex-typical play in autistic children. The few prior studies on this topic relied heavily on reports or involvement of caregivers/parents, did not assess cognitive abilities, and examined a limited number of sex-typical…

The mental health and well-being of children and adolescents are critical public health concerns globally. This cross-sectional study analysed nationally representative data from the combined 2016-2022 National Survey of Children's Health (n = 239,534) to produce estimates of parent-reported diagnoses of children's anxiety, depression and…

This study examined whether autistic people with siblings score higher on measures of empathy than those without siblings. Cohorts of autistic children (n = 939; mean age = 7.35 years (SD = 2.15)) and autistic adults (n = 736; mean age = 37 years (SD = 12.39)) from the Cambridge Autism Research Database (CARD) were each divided into two groups:…

Purpose: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the ability to adjust grip strength by comparing the characteristics of force generation and relaxation from childhood to adulthood. Method: This study included 225 participants aged 6, 11, 17, and 19-23 years (adults) who performed isometric hand-grip force as follows: maximum, half…

There are contentious and persistent gender differences reported in some measures of spatial skills, particularly mental rotation and, to a lesser extent, perspective-taking, which may have an impact on mathematics success. Furthermore, pathways between spatial skills and mathematics may be mediated by other cognitive factors, such as fluid…

Background: Media exposure to mass violence incidents (MVI) is related to distress in the general public not directly exposed to these tragedies. However, limited attention has focused beyond this relationship. Objective: This cross-sectional study explores the influence of media exposure to MVI on parenting behaviors among parents of children…

Prospective memory (PM) refers to the ability to remember and complete planned tasks in the future, which relies on working memory (WM) for encoding and maintaining the intention. Implementation intention is a useful strategy for improving PM function in adults. Yet the effect of implementation intentions in children, and whether factors such as…

Purpose: An official autism diagnosis is required to access timely intervention and is associated with better long-term wellbeing and mental health. Certain demographic characteristics, such as being female or a racially or ethnically minoritized youth, have been associated with significant diagnostic lag. However, it remains unclear how assigned…

Purpose: Speech-language pathologists often use praise during intervention to encourage children and manage behaviors. Praise is often believed to promote improved performance. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that praise leads to improved performance, especially during language intervention provided during therapy sessions. Given the widespread use…

This quantitative correlational study investigates caregivers' attitudes toward sexual behavior and sex education for children with Down syndrome, drawing upon the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior. Data was collected from a convenience sample of 112 caregivers. The analysis revealed significant positive associations between…

The worldwide increase in childhood overweight and obesity underscores the need to study variables like fundamental movement skill (FMS) levels from early childhood. This study investigated the bidirectional longitudinal relationship between body mass index (BMI) and process-oriented FMSs, including locomotor skills and object control skills in…

Purpose: Atypical vowel production contributes to reduced speech intelligibility in children and adults with Down syndrome (DS). This study compares the acoustic data of the corner vowels /i/, /u/, /ae/, and /[open back unrounded vowel]/ from speakers with DS against typically developing/developed (TD) speakers. Method: Measurements of the…

Utilizing a survey conducted in 2016 by the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development, this study explores the effects of parenthood on the likelihood of the scientist's first application for the Young Investigator Grant Program administered by the National Science Foundation of China. The analysis indicates that having a child…

Background: Diadochokinetic (DDK) rate tasks are extensively used in the evaluation of speech disorders; however, it is unclear how the different types of speech stimuli affect DDK rate performance. Aims: To investigate the effect of age, gender and type of stimuli (non-words versus real words) on the DDK rates in individuals across the lifespan…