Discrepancias entre padres y maestros de estudiantes con trastorno de espectro autista (TEA) en funcionamiento ejecutivo según el BRIEF / Discrepancies between parents and teachers of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in executive functioning according to the BRIEF

Uno de los puntos críticos en la evaluación del trastorno del espectro autista es la manifestación del comportamiento en varios contextos del desarrollo, por lo que la valoración por parte de diferentes informantes es un aspecto clave. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la existencia de discrepancias entre padres y maestros en la evaluación del funionamiento ejecutivo en una muestra de 43 niños con un trastorno del espectro autista de nivel de gravedad 2. Para ello se compararon las puntuaciones obtenidas en las subescalas del BRIEF entre padres y maestros, y se analizó la relación entre tales puntuaciones. Los resultados obtenidos indicaron, en primer lugar, diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre padres y maestros en todas las escalas, siendo los maestros quienes informaron de una mayor disfunción ejecutiva, y en segundo lugar, la ausencia de correlaciones estadísticamente significativas entre las puntuaciones otorgadas por ambos informantes en casi todas las escalas. Se puede concluir que existen diferencias en cuanto a la percepción que tienen padres y maestros con respecto a las funciones ejecutivas de los niños con TEA, lo que puede estar en consonancia con la relevancia o el papel que tienen estas funciones en el contexto en el que son evaluadas.(AU)

One of the critical issues in the assessment of autism spectrum disorder is the behavior exhibited in various developmental contexts, and so the assessment by different informants is important in understanding this disorder. The aim of this study was to analyze parent-teacher agree-ment on executive functioning assessment in a sample of 43 children with autism spectrum disorder with level 2 severity. For this purpose, scores given by parents and teachers on the BRIEF subscales were compared, and the relationship between these scores was analyzed. The results obtained indicated, first, statistically significant differences between parents and teachers on all the subscales, with teachers reporting greater executive dys-function in all cases. Second, there were no statistically significant correla-tions between the scores given by the two informants on almost all the subscales. Overall, these results point to the different perceptions of par-ents and teachers regarding the executive functioning of children with ASD, which may reflect the relevance or role of these functions in the con-text where they are assessed.(AU)

Repercusión en la autoeficacia docente de los términos "dislexia" y "dificultad específica del aprendizaje en lectura" / The effect of the terms "dyslexia" and "reading learning disability" on the teacher self-efficacy

Resumen Las etiquetas diagnósticas de dislexia y dificultades específicas de aprendizaje en lectura pueden considerarse, desde un punto de vista teórico, como prácticamente sinónimas. Sin embargo, la elección de un término u otro por parte del profesorado conlleva ciertas connotaciones que pueden ejercer una notable influencia en las percepciones de los docentes sobre estos estudiantes. El propósito del presente estudio fue determinar si las etiquetas de dislexia y dificultades específicas de aprendizaje en lectura influyen en el sentimiento de autoeficacia de un grupo de futuros docentes. Para ello se administró un cuestionario de 14 preguntas tipo Likert con 9 opciones a 242 estudiantes de los grados de Maestro/a en Educación Infantil y Maestro/a en Educación Primaria de la Universidad de Valencia que no tenían conocimientos previos sobre el tema que se trata en el cuestionario. Un grupo cumplimentó una versión del cuestionario en el que se preguntaba sobre la dislexia y otro grupo cumplimentó otra versión en la que la palabra "dislexia" se sustituía por el término "dificultades específicas de aprendizaje en lectura". Tras el análisis de los datos, se obtuvieron diferencias estadísticamente significativas, en las que el término "dislexia" parece ser percibido por los futuros docentes como una dificultad más compleja de afrontar, en comparación con el término "dificultades específicas del aprendizaje en lectura". Los resultados no señalaron la existencia de diferencias ni entre género ni entre especialidad (infantil/primaria). Esto indica que durante la formación inicial del profesorado se debería profundizar más en la comprensión de los términos "dislexia" y "dificultades de aprendizaje en lectura".

Abstract The diagnostic labels of "dyslexia" and "reading learning disability" can be considered from a theoretical point of view as practically synonymous, according to the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5; APA, 2013). However, the teachers' choice of one term or another carries certain connotations that could have a significant influence on their perceptions. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the labels of dyslexia and reading learning disability influence the feeling of self-efficacy of a group of pre-service teachers. Self-efficacy beliefs refer to the judgment that a person makes about their own ability to perform a certain action or task successfully. According to previous research, the study of teachers' self-efficacy beliefs is relevant because they are directly related to the academic performance of students. Moreover, these beliefs are also related to teachers' attitudes towards educational inclusion of students with specific needs of educational support, in which students with dyslexia or reading learning disability are included. In this study, a questionnaire of 14 Likert-type questions with 9 options was administered to 242 students of the Early Childhood and Primary Education Teachers degrees of the University of Valencia. These students had no previous knowledge on the subject that was treated in the questionnaire in the moment that they filled it out. The instrument was adapted from a questionnaire used in the study of Gibbs & Elliot (2015). These authors adapted it from the original one, Teachers' Sense of Efficacy for Literacy Instruction Scale (TSELI), designed by Tschannen-Moran & Johnson (2011). The questions were about the beliefs that pre-service teachers had about their own effectiveness and ability in teaching students with dyslexia or reading learning disability. There were also some questions regarding participants' demographic information. A group of pre-service teachers filled out a version of the questionnaire asking about dyslexia and another group filled out another version where the word "dyslexia" was replaced by the term "reading learning disability". After collecting the data, a statistical analysis was carried out with two purposes. One of them was to know if the use of two different diagnostic labels influences the pre-service teachers' self-efficacy beliefs. The other one was to find out if there were statistically significant differences regarding gender and the different specializations that the pre-service teachers were studying (early childhood education or primary education). After data analysis, statistically significant differences were obtained, finding that the term "dyslexia" seemed to be perceived by pre-service teachers as a more difficult problem to face compared to the term "reading learning disability". No differences were found between gender or specialty (early childhood/primary education). Therefore, the main finding of this study is that the use of certain diagnostic labels influences teachers' self-efficacy beliefs. More specifically, the interpretation of this result in this research is that pre-service teachers conceive the term "dyslexia" as a medical concept, what can be interpreted for students as a more difficult diagnostic to intervene and modify through education in comparison with the term "reading learning disability". This fact indicates that during initial teacher training, the understanding of the terms "dyslexia" and "reading learning disability" should be studied in greater depth. Additionally, this paper can contribute to show the importance of the decision made by professionals regarding the exact term they use when preparing the psychological reports of the students with special educational needs. These findings do not exactly agree with the results obtained in previous studies on this topic, and this is discussed in the discussion section. Moreover, we also indicate the limitations of the study and future lines of research.

Análisis del grado de conocimiento e interés de los profesionales sanitarios de nefrología sobre la planificación anticipada de la asistencia sanitaria / Analysis of the degree of knowledge and interest of nephrology healthcare professionals in advance care planning

Introduction:Los enfermos renales crónicos se ven obligados a tener que tomar decisiones continuamente. En este proce-so los profesionales sanitarios no suelen preguntarles cómo querrían planificar el final de sus días. En una sociedad donde la “no limitación al esfuerzo terapéutico” parece una cons-tante en nuestra práctica, el reflexionar sobre nuestros pro-pios límites podría ayudarnos en la atención a los pacientes.Objetivo: Conocer el grado de conocimiento e interés por la Planificación Anticipada de la Asistencia Sanitaria (PAAS) en profesionales que atienden a pacientes con Enfermedad Re-nal Crónica.Material y Método: Estudio observacional descriptivo trans-versal mediante cuestionario autoadministrado a sanitarios participantes voluntarios a nivel nacional. El cuestionario incluía 22 preguntas sobre conocimiento e interés sobre la planificación anticipada de la asistencia sanitaria.Resultados: Respondieron 422 profesionales: 53,3% médi-cos; 45,0% enfermeras y 1,4% técnicos en cuidados auxilia-res de enfermería. El 79,9% no conocen cuantos pacientes tienen registrado el Documento de Voluntades Anticipadas. El 63,5% han oído hablar de la Planificación Anticipada de la Asistencia Sanitaria. Un 28,7% conoce la diferencia en-tre la Planificación Anticipada de la Asistencia Sanitaria y el Documento de Voluntades Anticipadas. Un 96,2% afirma que tener esta información ayudaría a los pacientes a que estu-vieran mejor atendidos en sus últimos días. El 97,6% de los profesionales piensan que está en nuestra mano hacer algo más, a un 94,5% les gustaría recibir formación.Conclusión: Existe falta de conocimiento y un gran interés por los profesionales sanitarios sobre la Planificación Antici-pada de la Asistencia Sanitaria. (AU)

Introduction:Chronically ill kidney patients are forced to make decisions all throughout their lives. In this process, healthcare professionals often do not ask them how they would like to plan the end of their days. In today’s society “no limitation to therapeutic effort” seems to be a constant in clinical practice, so reflecting on one’s own limits could help in patient care.Objective: To determine the degree of knowledge and inte-rest in advance care planning among professionals caring for patients with chronic kidney disease.Material and Method: Cross-sectional descriptive observa-tional study using a nationwide self-administered question-naire to health care volunteers. The questionnaire included 22 questions on knowledge of and interest in advance care planning. Results:422 professionals replied: 53.3% physicians; 45.0% nurses and 1.4% auxiliary nursing care technicians. 79.9% did not know how many patients have registered an advance directives document. 63.5% had heard of advance care planning. 28.7% were aware of the difference between advance care planning and the advance directive. 96.2% affirmed that having this information would help patients to be better cared for in the last days of their life. 97.6% of the professionals thought that they could do more and 94.5% would like to receive training. Conclusion: There is a lack of knowledge and a significant inte-rest among healthcare professionals in advance care planning (AU)

Today Is My Day: Analysis of the Awareness Campaigns' Impact on Functional Diversity in the Press, on Google, and on Twitter.

(1) Every day, people with functional diversity face different kinds of difficulties that pose a barrier to their social inclusion. These difficulties often go unnoticed by most citizens. Social networks are a powerful tool to sensitize the population. With this objective, different organizations such as associations, federations, foundations, and other institutions have promoted campaigns through the celebration of world days for different types of functional diversity. This research aims to monitor and analyze the impact of these social campaigns in Spain, including Asperger's syndrome, rare diseases, Down syndrome, autism, hearing and visual impairment, cerebral palsy, dyslexia, ADHD, spina bifida, disability, and dyscalculia world days, between 2015 and 2020. (2) The impact of each campaign on the press, Google, and Twitter has been analyzed using: MyNews, Google Trends, and Trendinalia. (3) The results suggest a close relationship between the impact on the number of pieces of news generated in the press, the searches on Google, and the hashtags in high positions on Twitter. (4) The campaigns with the greatest levels of success are those whose diagnoses involve greater difficulties in adaptive behavior. These results can provide some practical implications for future campaigns.

Is It Possible to Educate, Intervene or "Cure" Autism Spectrum Disorder? A Content Analysis of YouTube Videos.

YouTube is one of the most well-known and widely accessed websites worldwide, thus having a powerful pedagogical potential. Nonetheless, the quality and the veracity of some YouTube videos are questionable. Doubts regarding the trustworthiness of factual content is a controversial factor that needs to be taken into account, especially when addressing public health issues. For this reason, the main objective of this work is to analyze the content of the most viewed videos in Spanish on YouTube related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To carry out this research, the terms "autism AND education", "autism AND intervention", and "autism AND cure" were used (in Spanish). The analysis of these searches results indicated that videos included in the "cure" category are shorter, and less valued by internet users, obtaining the lowest ratings on the "Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool" for audiovisual materials (PEMAT-A/V), in addition to present therapies that are in fact more harmful than videos in other categories. In general, videos containing recommendations for therapies that are harmful are the ones that have received most views, along with the videos that include alternative non-harmful therapies. Practical implications of these findings and recommendations for further research are discussed.

What Motivates Internet Users to Search for Asperger Syndrome and Autism on Google?

Social campaigns are carried out to promote autism spectrum disorder (ASD) awareness, normalization, and visibility. The internet helps to shape perceptions of Asperger syndrome and autism. In fact, these campaigns often coincide with the increase in searches for both diagnoses on Google. We have two study objectives: to use Google Trends to identify the annual time points from 2015 to 2019 with the highest Google search traffic in Spain for the terms "autism" and "Asperger", and to identify news and trending topics related to ASD that took place during the weeks with the highest number of Google searches for these terms. Google Trend, MyNews and Trendinalia were used to analyze the volume of searches and trending topics related to ASD. As a result, social marketing campaigns, social networks and the publication of news items act as powerful voices that can provide a realistic or sensationalist picture of the disorder. For this reason, we concluded that campaigns play an important role in the normalization of ASD, and that it is important for organizations concerned with the visibility and social inclusion of people with ASD to check the way ASD is portrayed through the internet, media, and social networks.

La evaluación multi-informante en el trastorno del espectro autista: Un estudio de revisión / Multi-informant evaluation in autism spectrum disorder: A review study

Para poder realizar el diagnóstico del trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) se requiere de la evaluación por parte de diferentes informantes. Sin embargo, en ocasiones, se producen ciertas discrepancias entre evaluadores. Con el objetivo de aportar luz a las posibles discrepancias entre informantes, este trabajo incluye una revisión actualizada de la literatura para examinar el grado de acuerdo entre diferentes informantes en lo que respecta a la sintomatología característica del TEA en niños y adolescentes (hasta los 17 años de edad). Se analizaron un total de 20 estudios, en los que los niveles de correlación entre las evaluaciones realizadas por diferentes informantes fueron moderados o bajos. Gran parte de los estudios incluidos en la presente revisión obtuvieron que un mayor grado de acuerdo entre informantes fue asociado con menor sintomatología, mayor CI y mejores resultados en habilidades cognitivas y adaptativas. Considerando estos resultados, es necesario continuar investigando en aspectos contextuales que pueden estar condicionando los resultados de las evaluaciones multi-informantes

In order to establish a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), assessment by different informants is required. Sometimes, however, there are certain discrepancies between evaluators. With the aim of shedding light on possible discrepancies between informants, this work includes an updated review of the literature to examine the degree of agreement between different informants regarding the characteristic symptomatology of ASD in children and adolescents (up to 17 years of age). A total of 20 studies were analyzed, in which the levels of correlation between the evaluations carried out by different informants were moderate or low. A large part of the studies included in this review obtained that a greater degree of agreement among informants was associated with lower symptoms, a higher IQ, and better results in cognitive and adaptive skills. Considering these results, it is necessary to continue investigating contextual aspects that may be conditioning the results of multi-informant evaluations

Estudio descriptivo del primer mes de situación de pandemia por COVID-19 en una unidad de diálisis hospitalaria / Descriptive study of the first month of situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in a hospital dialysis unit

Los pacientes en diálisis constituyen un grupo de riesgo de sufrir infección por SARS-CoV-2 y posiblemente de tener más complicaciones. Los profesionales sanitarios se han enfrentado a una pandemia sin precedentes y de la que había poca información. El objetivo de este estudio ha sido describir la experiencia del primer mes viviendo la pandemia generada por SARS-CoV-2 en una unidad hospitalaria de hemodiálisis de Madrid, tanto en relación a los pacientes como al personal sanitario. Así mismo, se pretende reflejar las actuaciones sanitarias durante dicho mes. El total de pacientes en la unidad fue de 90, realizándose la determinación PCR a todos, 37 (41,1%) dieron positivo a COVID-19, de estos 22 (59,4%) eran sintomáticos y 15 (40,5%) eran asintomáticos. De los pacientes positivos, 16 (43,2%) precisaron ingreso hospitalario y 6 (16,2%) fallecieron. Los pacientes fallecidos eran de mayor edad que los supervivientes. La muestra de profesionales sanitarios fue de 44, de los que 15 (34%) presentaron sintomatología. El servicio de Salud Laboral sólo determinó PCR a este grupo, obteniendo 4 profesionales (9%) PCR positivo, sin embargo tras considerar los criterios clínicos/radiológicos un total de 9 profesionales fueron diagnosticados como COVID-19 positivos, requiriendo 1 de ellos ingreso hospitalario. CONCLUSIONES: se detectó una elevada prevalencia de COVID-19 positivo en los pacientes de la unidad de diálisis, donde destaca el elevado número de pacientes asintomáticos detectados mediante cribado PCR al total de los pacientes. Algunos profesionales presentaron algún tipo de sintomatología correspondiente con clínica COVID-19, pero se detectaron pocos casos con PCR positiva

Dialysis patients are at risk group for SARS-CoV-2 infection and possibly have more complications. Healthcare professionals have faced an unprecedented pandemic, for which little information existed. The objective of this study was to describe the experience of a Madrid hospital haemodialysis unit during the first month of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, both in relation to patients and healthcare personnel. Likewise, it is intended to report the health actions. The total number of patients in the unit was 90. In all patients, the PCR test was performed. 37 (41.1%) tested positive for COVID-19, of these 22 (59.4%) were symptomatic and 15 (40.5%) were asymptomatic. Of the positive patients, 16 (43.2%) required hospital admission, 6 of whom died (16.2%). The deceased patients were older than the survivors. Health professionals were 44, of whom 15 (34%) had symptoms. The Occupational Health service only performed PCR on the symptomatic group, having 4 professionals (9%) positive PCR. However, after considering the clinical / radiological criteria, 9 professionals were diagnosed as COVID-19 positive, 1 of them requiring hospital admission. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of positive COVID-19 was detected in patients in the dialysis unit, highlighting the high number of asymptomatic patients detected by PCR screening. Some healthcare professionals presented some type of symptoms corresponding to the COVID-19 disease, however, few cases were detected with positive PCR

Representación del TEA en los medios de comunicación: análisis de un periódico generalista / Representation of ASD in mass media: analysis of a generalist newspaper

Los medios de comunicación influyen notablemente en sus consumidores, por lo que no son meros informadores, sino que también son creadores de opinión. Este hecho es relevante para el ámbito de la inclusión, en tanto que las necesidades específicas de apoyo educativo son también un tema tratado por los medios de comunicación. En el presente estudio se analizan los artículos que abordan la temática relacionada con el Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA) en el diario El País durante el año 2017. Los resultados del análisis de contenido de los artículos indican que el TEA fue un tema de interés en el año 2017. Los contenidos más recurrentes fueron las causas del TEA, frecuentemente desmintiendo su relación con la administración de vacunas, así como la visibilización del trastorno. En este sentido destaca que los aspectos que se dan a conocer del TEA son en su mayoría negativos. Asimismo, una de las carencias más significativas que se ha detectado respecto a la imagen que se proyecta del TEA es el hecho de que no se menciona de manera específica su heterogeneidad, una característica esencial del diagnóstico. En las conclusiones se discuten algunas implicaciones de los resultados para el ámbito de la inclusión

Mass media influence significantly their users, so they don't just inform them but they generate opinions too. This fact is relevant to the field of inclusion, while the special educational needs are also an issue addressed by the media. In this study the articles that deal with the topic related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the news¬paper El País during the year 2017 are analysed. The results of the content analysis of the articles point out that ASD was a topic of interest during 2017. The most recurring contents were the causes of ASD, often denying their relation with the administration of vaccines, as well as the visibility of the disorder. In this sense, the study points out that the aspects that are shown about ASD are mostly negative. Additionally, regarding the projected image of ASD, one of the most significant deficiencies that has been figured out is the fact that its heterogeneity is not specifically mentioned, and it's an essential feature of the diagnosis. The conclusions discuss some implications of the results for the scope of inclusión

Interventions for Improving Reading Comprehension in Children with ASD: A Systematic Review.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have comorbid learning difficulties in reading comprehension, an essential skill in accessing any area of the curriculum. The aim of this systematic review is to analyze the effectiveness of reading comprehension interventions in students with ASD. We conducted a search for scientific articles published from 2000 to 2019 using the keyword "autis*" in combination with the terms "reading comprehension" and "intervention" or "instruction" in Psyc Info and Scopus databases. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 25 studies were selected. The content analysis of these studies shows that when specific interventions are carried out, students with ASD are able to take advantage of the instruction they receive and compensate for difficulties. Understanding inferences and the main idea of the text are the most common reading comprehension topics, and direct instruction is the most widely-used intervention method in the reviewed studies. Nonetheless, it must be kept in mind that some of the reviews do not specify which sub-processes are addressed in the intervention. Future work should include this aspect, consider the importance of the interventions being implemented by teachers, and take specific aspects of ICT into account that can contribute to improving reading comprehension.

The impact of sensory processing on executive and cognitive functions in children with autism spectrum disorder in the school context.

BACKGROUND: Theoretical approaches propose a hierarchical organization of sensory and higher-order cognitive processes, in which sensory processing influence some cognitive and executive functions. AIMS: The main objective of this study was to analyze whether sensory processing dysfunctions can predict the cognitive and executive dysfunctions evaluated in a group of children with level 2 autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the school context. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Two groups of children participated: an ASD group (n = 40) and a group of children with typical development (the comparison group, n = 40). The children's sensory processing was evaluated based on their teachers' perceptions, and the children's executive and cognitive functions were evaluated using direct performance measures. RESULTS: In the ASD group, the sensory processing difficulties predicted executive and cognitive dysfunctions in the specific domains of inhibitory control, auditory sustained attention, and short-term verbal memory, after controlling the possible effect of ASD severity. Moreover, the ASD group showed higher levels of sensory, executive, and cognitive dysfunction than the comparison group. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Future research should investigate whether adequate sensory interventions in children with ASD in the school context can improve these specific executive and cognitive functions.

Corrigendum: Sensory Processing in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the Home and Classroom Contexts.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01772.].

Efectividad de las intervenciones basadas en metodología TEACCH en el trastorno del espectro autista: un estudio de revisión / The effectiveness of TEACCH intervention in autism spectrum disorder: a review study

Este trabajo incluye una revisión de la literatura para analizar la efectividad de la metodología TEACCH, así como el efecto de esta metodología en el nivel de estrés de los padres y los maestros de niños con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA). Considerando los criterios de inclusión, se analizaron un total de 14 estudios. Independientemente del contexto de intervención, todos los estudios revelaron mejoras en el desarrollo de los niños y una reducción en los síntomas autistas y comportamientos desadaptativos. En 11 de los 14 estudios se obtuvieron mejoras estadísticamente significativas. En cuanto al efecto en el nivel de estrés de los padres o maestros, de los 7 estudios que evaluaron el estrés, 5 de ellos obtuvieron una disminución significativa entre las mediciones pre y post. Teniendo en cuenta estos resultados, la metodología TEACCH puede ser eficaz no sólo para mejorar el desarrollo del niño, sino también para mejorar el nivel de bienestar de los adultos

This work includes a review of the literature to analyze the effectiveness of the TEACCH intervention, as well as the effect of this intervention on the level of parental and teachers' stress of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Considering the inclusion criteria, a total of 14 studies were analyzed. Regardless of the context of intervention, all the studies revealed developmental abilities improvements and a reduction in autistic symptoms and maladaptative behaviors. In 11 of the 14 studies, statistically significant improvements were obtained. As for the effect of the TEACCH intervention in the level of the parents or teachers stress, out of the 7 studies that evaluated stress, 5 of them obtained a significant decrease between pre and post measurements. Considering these results, TEACCH intervention could be effective not only improving the child's development, but also enhancing the adults' level of well-being

Sensory Processing in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the Home and Classroom Contexts.

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders often show impairments in sensory processing (SP) and higher functions. The main objective of this study was to compare SP, praxis and social participation (SOC) in four groups of children: ASD Group (n = 21), ADHD Group (n = 21), ASD+ADHD Group (n = 21), and Comparison Group (n = 27). Participants were the parents and teachers of these children who were 5-8 years old (M = 6.32). They completed the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) to evaluate the sensory profile, praxis and SOC of the children in both the home and classroom contexts. In the home context, the most affected was the ASD+ADHD group. The ADHD group obtained higher scores than the ASD group on the Body Awareness (BOD) subscale, indicating a higher level of dysfunction. The ASD group, however, did not obtain higher scores than the ADHD group on any subscale. In the classroom context, the most affected were the two ASD groups: the ASD+ADHD group obtained higher scores than the ADHD group on the Hearing (HEA) and Social Participation (SOC) subscales, and the ASD group obtained higher scores than the ADHD group on the SOC subscale. Regarding sensory modalities, difficulties in proprioception seem to be more characteristic to the ADHD condition. As for higher-level functioning, social difficulties seem to be more characteristic to the ASD condition. Differences between the two contexts were only found in the ASD group, which could be related to contextual hyperselectivity, an inherent autistic feature. Despite possible individual differences, specific intervention programs should be developed to improve the sensory challenges faced by children with different diagnoses.

Efectividad de la musicoterapia en el trastorno de espectro autista: estudio de revisión / The effectiveness of music therapy in autism spectrum disorder: a literature review

Este trabajo incluye una revisión de la literatura existente sobre intervenciones en musicoterapia en personas con Trastorno de Espectro Autista (TEA) con el objetivo de analizar el grado de efectividad de estas intervenciones. Para llevar a cabo esta revisión, se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica en las bases de datos pertinentes, y considerando los criterios de inclusión delimitados se incluyeron un total de 18 estudios, cuyos resultados han sido analizados. En 11 de las 18 intervenciones se obtienen mejoras estadísticamente significativas, mientras que en las 7 intervenciones restantes, o bien la mejoría no alcanza la significación estadística, o bien existe algún tipo de limitación en cuanto a la efectividad de la intervención en evaluaciones de seguimiento. Considerando estos resultados se concluye que la musicoterapia puede llegar a convertirse en una práctica prometedora para mejorar la comunicación e interacción social de las personas con TEA. Sin embargo, todavía es necesario un mayor volumen de investigación para aclarar qué tipo de intervenciones y en qué ámbitos del espectro autista en concreto son realmente eficaces estas intervenciones

This work includes a review of the literature on music therapy interventions with people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASO) in order to analyse the degree of effectiveness of these interventions. To conduct this review, a literature search of the relevant databases was performed and, with the inclusion criteria defined, a total of 18 studies were analysed. In 11 of the 18 interventions, statistically significant improvements were obtained, while in the remaining 7 interventions, the improvement did not reach statistical significance, or there was a limitation to the intervention effectiveness in follow-up evaluations. Considering these results, we conclude that music therapy may become a promising practice for improving the communication and social interaction of people with ASD. However, a greater volume of research is still needed to clarify the type of interventions and the areas of the autism spectrum disorder in which these interventions are actually effective

Sensory processing in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Relationship with non-verbal IQ, autism severity and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder symptomatology.

The main objective of this study was to analyze in a sample of children with ASD the relationship between sensory processing, social participation and praxis impairments and some of the child's characteristics, such as non-verbal IQ, severity of ASD symptoms and the number of ADHD symptoms (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity), both in the home and main-classroom environments. Participants were the parents and teachers of 41 children with ASD from 5 to 8 years old (M=6.09). They completed the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) to evaluate sensory processing, social participation and praxis; the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS-2) to evaluate autism severity; and a set of items (the DSM-IV-TR criteria) to evaluate the number of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms in the child. Non-verbal IQ - measured by the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices Test - did not show a relationship with any of the SPM variables. The SPM variables were significant predictors of autism severity and had similar weights in the two environments. In the case of ADHD symptoms, the SPM variables had a greater weight in the home than in the classroom environment, and they were significant predictors of both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity - especially inattention - only in the family context. The moderate association between inattention and auditory processing found in the main-classroom suggests the possible utility of certain measures aimed to simplify any classroom's acoustic environment.

A comparative study of sensory processing in children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder in the home and classroom environments.

Sensory processing and higher integrative functions impairments are highly prevalent in children with ASD. Context should be considered in analyzing the sensory profile and higher integrative functions. The main objective of this study is to compare sensory processing, social participation and praxis in a group of 79 children (65 males and 14 females) from 5 to 8 years of age (M=6.09) divided into two groups: ASD Group (n=41) and Comparison Group (n=38). The Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) was used to evaluate the sensory profile of the children: parents reported information about their children's characteristics in the home environment, and teachers reported information about the same characteristics in the classroom environment. The ASD Group obtained scores that indicate higher levels of dysfunction on all the assessed measures in both environments, with the greatest differences obtained on the social participation and praxis variables. The most affected sensory modalities in the ASD Group were hearing and touch. Only in the ASD Group were significant differences found between the information reported by parents and what was reported by teachers: specifically, the teachers reported greater dysfunction than the parents in social participation (p=.000), touch (p=.003) and praxis (p=.010). These results suggest that the context-specific qualities found in children with ASD point out the need to receive information from both parents and teachers during the sensory profile assessment process, and use context-specific assessments.

Comparación de la anticoagulación medida con el dispositivo Inratio®, en muestras obtenidasde la fístula arteriovenosa frente a muestras capilares / Comparison of anticoagulation measured using the Inratio® device in samples obtained fromthe arteriovenous fistula compared to capillary samples

Los controles a pacientes tratados con Sintrom® han evolucionado hacia métodos de determinación en sangre capilar por ser más fácil de extraer, menos cruento, más barato y tener resultados inmediatos. En cada sesión de hemodiálisis extraemos sangre de una fístula arteriovenosa lo que facilita una muestra para el control del tratamiento con Sintrom® disminuyendo el número de punciones venosas sin aumentar la carga de trabajo de enfermería. Objetivo Comparar los resultados de INR determinados con el método INRatio® en muestras sanguíneas capilares y arteriovenosa. Material y métodos Se estudiaron 7 pacientes anticoagulados con Sintrom ®, portadores de fístula arteriovenosa. Se compararon 3 muestras, una periférica, analizada en el laboratorio y otras 2 utilizando el método INRATIO® para análisis de INR en sangre capilar. Una de las muestras fue extraída según recomendaciones del fabricante, y otra extraída del acceso vascular según protocolo de la unidad. Resultados El INR medio determinado en la muestra capilar fue 2.5 ±1; Fístula arteriovenosa 2.1 ±0.4 y laboratorio 2.1 ±0.4. No existieron diferencias ni estadísticas ni clínicas significativas. Conclusión La utilización del método INRatio® de determinación de INR capilar con muestras del acceso vascular sería adecuado en hemodiálisis al ser igual de fiable que los métodos tradicionales. El uso del medidor INRATIO con muestra extraída de la fístula arteriovenosa presenta unos beneficios de facilidad de acceso a la muestra, sencillez en la determinación, inmediatez en los resultados, comodidad y un ahorro económico para el sistema sanitario(AU)

Monitoring of patients treated with Sintrom® has evolved towards capillary blood testing as it is easier to draw blood, less painful, cheaper and immediate results are available. In each haemodialysis session we draw blood from an arteriovenous fistula, which provides a sample for monitoring treatment with Sintrom®, reducing the number of venous punctures without increasing the nursing workload. Objective To compare the INR results determined using the INRatio® method in capillary and arteriorvenous blood samples. Material and methods Seven patients with an arteriovenous fi stula and on Sintrom® anticoagulation were studied. Three samples were compared: one peripheral, analysed in the laboratory, and the other two using the INRATIO ® method for INR analysis in capillary blood. One of the samples was drawn according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, and the other was drawn from the vascular access according to the unit’s protocol. Results The mean INR determined in the capillary sample was 2.5 ±1; arteriovenous fistula 2.1 ±0.4 and laboratory 2.1 ±0.4. There were no significant statistical or clinical differences. Conclusion The use of the INRatio® method for determining capillary INR with vascular access samples would be appropriate in haemodialysis as it is equally reliable as the traditional methods. The use of INRATIO measurement device with samples drawn from the arteriovenous fistula presents benefi ts of facility of access to the sample, simplicity in determining and immediacy in obtaining results, convenience and an economic saving for the healthcare system(AU)

[Experience of women who request voluntary abortion: relationship with their health care environment]. / Experiencia de mujeres que solicitan interrupción voluntaria del embarazo: relación con el entorno sanitario.

OBJECTIVE: To describe women's perception of health care after they decided to have a voluntary termination of pregnancy and their referral to the abortion clinic. DESIGN: Qualitative method, using semi-structured interviews carried out between April and June 2005. SETTING: Primary Health Care District of Seville, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Women living in the city of Seville and attending subsidized abortion clinics. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Thirty-six women of varying ages and educational level were interviewed. The interview studied the assessment and information given by health professionals, and accessibility and use of family planning services. The results were analysed and triangulated with other studies and experts in the field. MAIN RESULTS: Most of the women interviewed were satisfied with the health care provided. Occasionally they perceived a bureaucratic attitude from physicians, who transmitted their disapproval and lack of support for an abortion decision. There were important differences in the way they were referred to abortion clinics, and in the information given to the women. Older women opted for private care, because this accelerated procedures and protected their privacy. Most women did not use family planning services before the abortion decision, except for requesting contraception. CONCLUSIONS: The study found there is a need to reduce the variety of patterns of care for women requesting an abortion, to speed up the proceedings and to train family doctors in assessment and information delivered to women during the process.

Experiencia de mujeres que solicitan interrupción voluntaria del embarazo: relación con el entorno sanitario / Experience of women who request voluntary abortion: relationship with their healthcare environment

Objetivo. Describir cómo perciben las mujeres la asistencia sanitaria recibida tras la decisión de someterse a una interrupción voluntaria del embarazo (IVE) y su derivación a la clínica de aborto. Diseño. Diseño cualitativo mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas realizadas en 2005. Emplazamiento. Distrito Sanitario de Atención Primaria de Sevilla. Participantes. Mujeres residentes en la ciudad de Sevilla que acudieron a las clínicas de aborto concertadas. Mediciones principales. Se realizaron 36 entrevistas segmentadas por grupos de edad y nivel de estudios. Categorías de análisis: trato e información recibidos, accesibilidad y uso de las consultas de planificación familiar. Se realizó un análisis de contenido y triangulación de resultados con otros estudios y expertos en la materia. Resultados principales. La mayoría de las entrevistadas se muestran satisfechas con la asistencia recibida. En ocasiones refieren que la actitud del médico de familia es burocrática, y les ha transmitido su desacuerdo y falta de apoyo en su decisión de abortar. No se identificó un circuito único de derivación a las clínicas ni una homogeneidad en la información suministrada a las mujeres. Las de mayor edad optaron por la asistencia privada, refiriendo que acelera los trámites y preserva su intimidad. La mayoría de las mujeres no utilizó previamente las consultas de planificación familiar, excepto para solicitar métodos anticonceptivos. Conclusiones. Se constata la necesidad de disminuir la variabilidad en la asistencia a las mujeres que solicitan una IVE, agilizar los trámites y formar a los médicos de familia en el tratamiento y la información que la mujer demanda en el proceso de IVE

Objective. To describe women's perception of health care after they decided to have a voluntary termination of pregnancy and their referral to the abortion clinic. Design. Qualitative method, using semi-structured interviews carried out between April and June 2005. Setting. Primary Health Care District of Seville, Spain. Participants. Women living in the city of Seville and attending subsidised abortion clinics. Main measurements. Thirty-six women of varying ages and educational level were interviewed. The interview studied the assessment and information given by health professionals, and accessibility and use of family planning services. The results were analysed and triangulated with other studies and experts in the field. Main results. Most of the women interviewed were satisfied with the health care provided. Occasionally they perceived a bureaucratic attitude from physicians, who transmitted their disapproval and lack of support for an abortion decision. There were important differences in the way they were referred to abortion clinics, and in the information given to the women. Older women opted for private care, because this accelerated procedures and protected their privacy. Most women did not use family planning services before the abortion decision, except for requesting contraception. Conclusions. The study found there is a need to reduce the variety of patterns of care for women requesting an abortion, to speed up the proceedings and to train family doctors in assessment and information delivered to women during the process