Given the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in health research (Heiat et al. in "Arch Int Med" 162(15):1-17, 2002; Kelly et al. in "J Nat Med Assoc" 97:777-783, 2005; United States Department of Health and Human Services. "Monitoring adherence to the NIH policy on the inclusion of women and minorities as subjects in…

The emergence of both disability studies and the new social studies of childhood has seen a new approach in the study of disability in childhood. The focus has shifted from an exploration of impairment to one that prioritises the social with disabled children themselves placed at the centre of the research. This article concentrates on disability…

Childhood studies have argued for the social construction of childhood, respecting children and childhood in the present, and recognising children's agency and rights. Such perspectives have parallels to, and challenges for, disability studies. This article considers such parallels and challenges, leading to a (re)consideration of research claims…

Disabled children are among the most marginalised in our society. Their influence has been negligible on policies and service practices that directly affect their lives. Empirical research using innovative methodologies can at least enable their voices to be heard. Based on the contributions of leading researchers and practitioners to a seminar…

Researchers investigated the self-concept profiles of twice-exceptional students in relationship to their cognitive ability and participation in educational services. All subjects (N = 64) had high ability (IQ score at or above the 90th percentile) and were diagnosed with either an autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 53) or specific learning…

The author's daughter has an autism spectrum disorder, as well as numerous other medical conditions. Like all parents of kids with special needs, she has spent enormous amounts of time and energy on hospital stays, therapies, and advocacy. She has also taken some time to participate in research. First and foremost, she wants to be aware of the…

Aim: To investigate the relationships among the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), and Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Method: Using questionnaires describing each scale, mothers reported GMFCS, MACS, and CFCS levels in 222…

We examined the effects of a negative reinforcement-based treatment on the self-feeding of 1 child with food selectivity by type and texture. Self-feeding increased when the child could choose to either self-feed 1 bite of a target food or be fed 1 bite of the target food and 5 bites of another food. Possible mechanisms that underlie the…

Aim: Although approximately 40% of children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) meet diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the impact of ADHD on the executive functioning of children with NF1 is not understood. We investigated whether spatial working memory and response inhibition are impaired in children with…

In recent years, the number of children receiving cochlear implants who have significant disabilities in addition to their deafness has increased substantially. However, in comparison with the extensive literature on speech, language, and communication outcomes following pediatric implantation in children without complex needs, the available…

Evaluated with 10 hyperkinetic Ss (9- to 13-years-old) was whether hyperkinetic children have more extrasensory perception (ESP) than normal children and learn ESP skills more rapidly than other children. Ss were administered the Operational Assessment Tool ESP teaching instrument. Results did not support the hypothesis that hyperkinetic children…

Social reciprocity deficits are a core feature of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This review summarizes the state of research in group-based social skills training programs for school-age children and adolescents with ASD. All published studies of group social skills interventions between 1985 and 2006 were reviewed, as well as dissertations…

Using a standardized articulation test, comparisons were made between the articulation of 31 autistic children (mean age 11 years) and (1) a group of 31 predominantly subnormal language matched controls; (2) 11 developmental receptive dysphasic controls. (Author/SBH)

C. Shedd's hypothesis that hyperactive children would attain highest IQs on a picture vocabulary test, followed by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), and a drawing test, was confirmed in a study involving 62 overactive children (8-13 years old). (CL)

In an attempt to resolve the question as to whether children with autistic traits have an organic nervous system lesion, auditory nerve and brainstem evoked responses were recorded in a group of 15 children (4 to 12 years old) with autistic traits. (Author)