Brief Report: Classifying Rates of Students with Autism and Intellectual Disability in North Carolina: Roles of Race and Economic Disadvantage.

We examined special education classifications among students aged 3-21 in North Carolina public schools, highlighting autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). Results revealed variability by county in ASD and ID prevalence, and in county-level ratios of ID vs. ASD classifications. Sociodemographic characteristics predicted proportion of ASD or ID within a county; correlations showed an association between race and ID, but not ASD. County's median household income predicted proportion of students classified as ASD and ID (opposite directions), controlling for number of students and gender. Variability was unlikely related to biological incidence, and more likely related to district/school practices, or differences in resources. Disparities warrant further examination to ensure that North Carolina's youth with disabilities access necessary, appropriate resources.

Developing applications of the ICF in education systems: addressing issues of knowledge creation, management and transfer.

PURPOSE: Since its endorsement, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) has been applied in many policy contexts, including education. While so far the focus has been on showing ways in which it can be used to describe functioning and disability, this article seeks to focus on its value to represent knowledge. METHODS: Two applications of the ICF and ICF-CY in the context of the Swiss education system highlight ways in which the classification can be used to assist multidisciplinary teams in acquiring and mapping existing knowledge, in creating new knowledge and in applying it for specific purposes. RESULTS: The conceptual analysis illustrates that "disability in education" is a hybrid conceptual world that needs to bridge disability-related information with information relevant for learning and education. The ICF can be used to adequately map such knowledge in complex social settings. CONCLUSION: More attention needs to be paid to the ICF as an information system to help negotiate between different views on reality and different areas of expertise. The selection of content and ways of representing it need to be considered in the light of the specific purposes during collaborative knowledge creation processes.

Risk factors associated with caries experience in children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine caries experience and associated risk factors in children and adolescents with intellectual disability (ID). METHODS: A total of 86 participants aged 3-13 years (33 with ID and 53 healthy) were included in the study. Participants received an oral examination and their caregivers completed a questionnaire. Caregivers were required to determine the "level of function" of their children with regards to performing self care daily activities (brushing teeth, feeding and self dressing, walking and performing toilet activities). Four levels of function were determined; (A) being completely independent, (D) completely dependent, (B) and (C) partially dependent on caregivers. RESULTS: In healthy participants the mean dft score was 8.83 +/- 4.99 whereas in those with ID the mean dft score was 6.81 +/- 6.11. The mean DFT score in healthy participants was 2.32 +/- 2.98 while the mean DFT in those with ID was 0.92 +/- 1.57. Both dft and DFT scores were significantly different between participants with ID and healthy ones (p = 0. 042, p = 0.044 respectively). Caries status was not associated with gender, age or caregivers' education in the study sample. Significant associations were found between caries experience in participants with ID and their type of school (p = 0.01), nature of diet (p = 0.001) and "level of function" (p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: The type of school, nature of diet and "level of function" may be considered as influential risk factors associated with caries experience in children and adolescents with ID.

Participation and environmental aspects in education and the ICF and the ICF-CY: findings from a systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: This paper presents findings from a systematic review of the literature related to participation and the ICF/ICF-CY in educational research. OBJECTIVES: To analyse how and investigate the application of participation in educational research. Specifically, how participation is related to the environmental dimensions availability, accessibility, affordability, accommodability and acceptability. METHODS: A systematic literature review using database keyword searches and refinement protocols using inclusion and exclusion criteria at abstract, full-text and extraction. RESULTS: Four hundred and twenty-one initial works were found. Twenty-three met the inclusion criteria. Availability and accommodations are the most investigated dimensions. Operationalization of participation is not always consistent with definitions used. CONCLUSION: Research is developing a holistic approach to investigating participation as, although all papers reference at least one environmental dimension, only four of the 11 empirical works reviewed present a fully balanced approach when theorizing and operationalizing participation; hopefully this balanced approach will continue and influence educational policy and school practice.

A systematic literature review of the situation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health-Children and Youth version in education: a useful tool or a flight of fancy?

This article presents the outcome of a systematic literature review exploring the applicability of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and its Children and Youth version (ICF-CY) at various levels and in processes within the education systems in different countries. A systematic database search using selected search terms has been used. The selection of studies was then refined further using four protocols: inclusion and exclusion protocols at abstract and full text and extraction levels along with a quality protocol. Studies exploring the direct relationship between education and the ICF/ICF-CY were sought.As expected, the results show a strong presence of studies from English-speaking countries, namely from Europe and North America. The articles were mainly published in noneducational journals. The most used ICF/ICF-CY components are activity and participation, participation, and environmental factors. From the analysis of the papers included, the results show that the ICF/ICF-CY is currently used as a research tool, theoretical framework, and tool for implementing educational processes. The ICF/ICF-CY can provide a useful language to the education field where there is currently a lot of disparity in theoretical, praxis, and research issues. Although the systematic literature review does not report a high incidence of the use of the ICF/ICF-CY in education, the results show that the ICF/ICF-CY model and classification have potential to be applied in education systems.

Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Children and Youth version in education systems: a new approach to eligibility.

In developed countries, establishing eligibility for persons with disabilities is a requirement for accessing specialized services or benefits. The underlying conceptualizations of disability are often problematic because they concentrate on deficits but try to promote social participation and focus on dependence while trying to strengthen independence. In addition, such conceptualizations are unable to respond to the rights-based approach of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Version for Children and Youth provides a model and classification that allows relating disease- or impairment-specific information to participation in the life domains relevant for a specific policy area. Establishing eligibility in education systems needs to be compatible with the principles of inclusive education, participation, and social justice. In addition, the overall goals of education and individualized goals for a specific child with disabilities need to be taken into account. Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Version for Children and Youth as a model and classification, the different factors influencing eligibility-related decisions (impairments, activity/participation, environment, personal factors) can be made transparent to provide the basis for a decision-making process to which parents and the child actively contribute.

A inclusao da crianca com deficiencia na escola comum: reflexoes sobre o papel da terapia ocupacional / The inclusion of handicapped children in regular schools: reflection about the role of the occupational therapy

Este artigo e uma reflexao sobre a problematica da inclusao da crianca deficiente na escola comum e o papel da Terapia ocupacional. Relata a experiencia de inclusao de criancas deficientes usuarias do ambulatorio do ...

Enfermedades discapacitantes de la infancia: enfoque integral de rehabilitación / Handicapped illnesses of chilhood: integral focus of rehabilitation

El Ministerio de Salud de Nicarua dentro de la política Nacional de Salud, (1997- 2001), enmarcado en el proceso de reformas y modernización del Sector salud, continúa consolidando la Organización y Funcionamiento del mismo, a trasvés del rediseño de los sistemas de planificación e información, Organización y control de la Gestión y el reforzamiento al proceso de normalización sanitaria en todos los subsectores del país. La misión del sector salud, es alcanzar el máximo nivel posible de bienestar físico y mental de los individuos, la familia y la comunidad, haciendo el sistema más accesible a la población, más equitativo y más eficiente. La Dirección General de Servicios de Salud, es la instancia encargada de brindar atención a las personas con discapacidad a través del Programa nacional de rehabilitación, el cual ofrece el presente texto que brinda un Enfoque Integral de Rehabilitación, abarcando todas las sintomatologías del niño o niña con discapcidad (síndromes de paralisis, deformidades, distrofias musculares, miopatías congénitas y lesiones entre otras) el que contribuirá a elevar la calidad de la atención de los mismos

The effects of biological and social risk factors on special education placement: birth weight and maternal education as an example.

The effects of birth weight (BW) and maternal education (ME) on special education placement at age 10 were studied. Epidemiologic methods quantified risk to the individual and to the population using an electronically linked, county-wide database of birth and school records. A dose-response relationship was found between BW and ME. High ME may serve as a buffer for children with a biological risk for developmental delays. A clinically important finding was that children born with very low BW to mothers with low ME were at a high level of individual risk for receiving special education services. However, such children accounted for a small number of the overall cases. The largest percentage of children receiving special education services had the single risk factor of low ME. From a public policy standpoint, children born to mothers with low levels of education are an important group to target for early intervention.