Abstract:
Background: Effective teaching is crucial in medical education, where instructor’s performance and personality attributes significantly impact student learning.
Objective: The objective of the study was to identify the perception of students of Khyber Medical University (KMU) regarding teachers' most and least effective attributes.
Methodology: A cross-sectional survey of 288 undergraduate students was conducted in constituent institutes of KMU, Peshawar. Undergraduate students of any gender from the 2nd year to the final year were allowed in this survey after taking their written informed consent. One-way ANOVA and Tukey test were used to identify the differences among institutes.
Results: Performance attributes (M=4.39 ± 0.48) were more important than personality attributes (M=4.29 ± 0.53) to the students. The top 3 performance items were: Expert on the subject, facilitation of students’ learning and desire to promote students’ learning. The top 3 personality items were: Helpful, punctual and good communication skills. Uniform marking and not being strict/showing leniency were the least valued.
Conclusion: Performance attributes were found to be more important than personality. However, there were some highly endorsed personality attributes, which show that students want their learning needs to be met and desire some personality attributes which make a teacher effective.
Keywords: Perception, Clinical Competence, Students, Faculty, Teaching, Personality
Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities, Therapeutics. Psychotherapy
Background: Research shows that persons with disabilities can derive significant benefits from participating in religious communities and activities. However, they often face significant physical and attitudinal barriers to participation. The use of digital platforms for religious gatherings has increased since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and may hold potential to promote accessible religious participation.
Objectives: This study explored the benefits and challenges of an online Bible study group for persons with disabilities hosted within a Christian Pentecostal congregation in Cape Town, South Africa.
Method: A phenomenological study design was adopted, and data were gathered from four participants using semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was employed.
Results: Although some components of the online environment were found to be beneficial for participants’ spiritual well-being, other components were shown to be challenging, such as technological barriers, a lack of direct physical interaction and feelings of isolation. The digital space provided only partial inclusion and does not represent a full solution to exclusionary religious spaces.
Conclusion: Church leadership must engage more rigorously with strategies of disability inclusion, which may include digital components.
Contribution: This research contributes to the fields of disability studies, religious inclusion and digital engagement. Recommendations include the use of adaptable technologies, leadership training in disability inclusion within a religious space and developing more engaging platforms to foster inclusion within these religious spaces.
Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities, Communities. Classes. Races
Narjes Shakibamehr, Masoume Pourmohamadreza-Tajrishi, Narges Adibsereshki
et al.
Objectives: This study examined the relationship between family dynamics, maternal child-rearing practices, and externalizing difficulties in children with motor disabilities, focusing on maternal mental health challenges. It aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Oregon model of parenting management (OMPM) in improving maternal mental health and reducing externalizing difficulties in children.
Methods: A quasi-experimental design with a pre-test/post-test format and control group was employed. Thirty boys aged 8-11 years with motor disabilities and their mothers were conveniently recruited from Qazvin City, Iran. Mothers were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (who received ten 90-minute OMPM sessions) or a control group (who continued their regular activities). Data were collected using the mental health inventory and the Achenbach child behavior checklist, both pre- and post-intervention, with follow-ups conducted two months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS software, version 25.
Results: Significant improvements were found in maternal mental health, characterized by enhanced well-being and reduced mental distress in the experimental group (P<0.01), which persisted at follow-up. The Eta squared (η2) values showed that participation in OMPM accounted for 86% of the variance in maternal well-being and 27% of the variance in mental distress. Significant differences in children’s externalizing difficulties were also noted, particularly in total difficulties, aggression, and rule-breaking behaviors (P<0.001), with the intervention explaining 86%, 77%, and 72% of the variance in these behaviors, respectively.
Discussion: The OMPM program effectively enhances maternal well-being and reduces externalizing difficulties in children with motor disabilities. These findings highlight the potential of similar intervention programs to assist mothers, potentially mitigating behavioral challenges in their children. Limitations include the small sample size and reliance on self-reported measures, suggesting caution in generalizing the results. These limitations suggest the need for further longitudinal studies to explore the long-term impact of such parenting interventions on maternal and child outcomes.
Medicine, Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities
Background Vocational rehabilitation is a systematic process aimed at enabling persons with disabilities by providing essential skills and resources to obtain and sustain meaningful work. Objective This research seeks to provide a concise overview of the vocational rehabilitation system in Bangladesh and evaluate the existing vocational rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities. Method This scoping review documented the existing vocational rehabilitation services for people with disabilities in Bangladesh from various electronic databases and policy reports. Results Many groups, including government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international organizations provide vocational rehabilitation programs for individuals with impairments. These programs aim to empower individuals with disabilities by equipping them with vital skills and information for workforce participation and autonomous life. Nevertheless, numerous organizations offering these services remain deficient in suitable facilities. Conclusion Bangladesh is facing multiple challenges in delivering vocational rehabilitation programs for persons with disabilities. The traditional health care delivery system excludes rehabilitation and neglects health policy and vocational rehabilitation. To improve vocational rehabilitation service delivery, the nation should integrate and elevate vocational rehabilitation within the healthcare system.
This study examined the demographic and vocational rehabilitation (VR) service correlates of employment outcomes (achievement of competitive employment, hourly wage, and weekly hours) among individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, using the U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration Case Services Report (RSA-911) database for fiscal year 2020. Data from 9,536 individuals were analyzed. Hierarchical logistic regression and hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed that multiple demographic and VR service variables were significantly associated with achievement of competitive employment, hourly wage, and weekly work hours at exit. Particularly, having a vocational training license/certificate, employment at Individualized Plan for Employment, and having an associate or bachelor’s degree were the strongest demographic correlates of more positive employment outcomes; while short-term job supports, maintenance, and other services were the strongest VR service correlates of more positive employment outcomes. Implications of the findings were discussed to promote VR service outcomes for people with SUD in the postpandemic era.
Ali Yalfani, Parvane Bazipoor, Mohammadtaghi Karimi
Objectives: This study investigates the chest wall motions and estimates respiratory volumes in a patient with scoliosis compared to a healthy person using the optoelectronic plethysmography method in a sitting position.
Methods: In this research, a scoliosis patient and a healthy individual comprised two subjects. Each person’s upper, middle, and lower chest movement in a seated position was measured using optoelectronic plethysmography.
Results: The changes in respiratory volumes of the middle and lower parts of the chest in patients with scoliosis are more than those of a healthy person during quiet breathing. Moreover, the changes in the upper, middle, and lower parts of the chest in the healthy person are also more than those of the subject with scoliosis during deep breathing.
Discussion: Optoelectronic plethysmography is a noninvasive method to evaluate chest wall movements, respiratory system function, and volumes with fewer limitations than other methods of evaluating respiratory function.
Medicine, Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities
Background: People with intellectual disabilities increasingly live in smaller community settings rather than institutional settings. Home- and community-based services (HCBS) are a type of long-term care in which services and supports are provided in people’s homes and communities. HCBS are essential for people with disabilities to remain in the community.
Method: The 2015-2016 National Core Indicators survey data, along with other datasets, were used to determine how factors impacted service utilization and additional services needed for adults with intellectual and development disabilities (I/DD) in the US. Three groups of factors were used: individual, interpersonal, and public policy factors.
Results: Variables within each of the three groups of factors affected access to HCBS. Of significant note within individual factors, older adults received more services and had fewer additional services needed. Black respondents received fewer services and had more additional services needed. A higher problem behaviors score and use of mobility aids were associated with greater utilization and more additional services needed. Better health was associated with significantly fewer additional services needed. Within interpersonal factors, results indicated that people who lived in group homes received more services than people living in their own or family homes. Additionally, individuals with community jobs received more services. A notable public policy finding indicated people who lived in a state with a Balancing Incentive Program (BIP) got more services but also had additional services needed.
Conclusion: This study examined factors not studied previously and indicates that future research should look at different factors to better understand their impacts on access to HCBS for people with I/DD.
Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities, Special aspects of education
Las personas con discapacidad intelectual y del desarrollo (DID) apoyadas por entidades tutelares constituyen un grupo singular dentro de la población con DID. De ahí que la Asociación Española de Fundaciones Tutelares (AEFT) se haya propuesto conocer su experiencia durante la pandemia de la COVID-19, especialmente durante el confinamiento. Se ha llevado a cabo un estudio observacional, transversal, descriptivo y analítico mediante la aplicación de un cuestionario ad hoc en el que han participado 380 personas apoyadas por entidades asociadas a la AEFT. Los resultados indican que el 9 %
tuvo un diagnóstico positivo por prueba PCR, el 24 % estuvo completamente aislado, un 16 % experimentó alteraciones de conducta y un 12 % de salud mental. Asimismo, se constató la clara desventaja de quienes viven en centros residenciales con puntuaciones globales dos puntos por debajo de quienes viven de manera independiente. Analizado por factores, en una comparación de personas que viven en residencias frente a aquellos que viven independientemente, se encontraron diferencias significativas. Estas tuvieron un impacto negativo en lo relativo a la información, la comunicación y contacto y, sobre todo, en la vida en comunidad para aquellas personas viviendo en centros residenciales. El estudio muestra, sin embargo, un efecto positivo en salud a favor de las residencias. Con todo, se concluye que es necesario seguir promoviendo la autonomía de las personas y la transición hacia un modelo habitacional más inclusivo que procure el pleno disfrute del artículo 19 de la Convención.
Psychology, Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities
Background: This article presents on the outcomes of a study that focused on an analysis of inclusive education (IE) policies in South Africa, Ghana and Uganda. Persons with disabilities live within communities and are raised by the values that apply within their communal context. Policymaking is intricately linked to policy implementation, and the inclusion of local knowledge strengthens policy influence, impacting on implementation processes.
Objectives: This research study explored the definition and foci of inclusion, whether local knowledge is included and how it is represented within the national inclusive education policy in South Africa, Ghana and Uganda. This study reports on the outcomes of the second objective on inclusion of local knowledge.
Method: A qualitative, critical, interpretative and constructivist approach was utilised for the study. Data were gathered through a desktop review and in-depth, individual interviews.
Results: There is inclusion of some local knowledge within the national policies; however, this is minimal and insufficient. Participants argue that even when it is included, it is often embedded or implied, that local knowledge should be made more prominent within inclusive education policies as local knowledge is a community resource that supports policy implementation.
Conclusion: The inclusion of local community knowledge and ways of knowing within inclusive education policies is viewed as a critical and an integral aspect of policymaking. It will help to address the challenges of stigma and negative attitudes, promoting a continuity of knowledge that supports local values and well-being of children with disabilities and their communities.
Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities, Communities. Classes. Races
Fateme Mohammadi, Fatemeh Cheraghi, Salman khazaei
et al.
Objectives: The disability to recognize facial emotions is one of the behavioral problems in autistic children. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of education on the promotion of face recognition.
Methods: This single-blind clinical trial study was conducted on children with autism. The participants were allocated with random sampling to the two groups. Autistic children in the intervention group were educated in 10 sessions with 40 facial emotions images, each session lasted 20 min. Autistic children in the control group underwent routine teaching. The assistant researcher completed the Benton questionnaire for each child before and after the study. The obtained data were analyzed with SPSS software, version 22.
Results: This study showed that education on facial emotions has good effects on the recognition of facial expressions by children with autism. In addition, a significant difference is identified between the two study groups in identifying facial emotions (P<0.001).
Discussion: Education to children with autism improved facial emotion identification. Therefore, according to the increase in children with autism all over the world such as in Iran, it seems that caregivers and health managers should review and use our study results for providing a supportive environment to promote recognition emotional states of the face and ultimately to improve the child’s treatment.
Medicine, Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities
Elizabeth Frentzel, Zoe Geyman, Jeremy Rasmussen
et al.
BACKGROUND: Students with disabilities often experience numerous challenges in terms of finding employment. Given the important role of vocational rehabilitation counselors in supporting employment activities for these students, a need exists for identifying effective strategies that increase employment outcomes for this population. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this scoping review is to examine and describe successful research- based interventions on pre-employment transition services for students with disabilities that can be used by vocational rehabilitation counselors. METHODS: The search strategy examined literature from 1998 through 2017 focused on vocational rehabilitation counselors, students with disabilities, and elements related to pre-employment transition services. Articles included American, European, and Australian literature published in English. RESULTS: This review identified a number of research-based interventions that support employment outcomes for students with disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: The research-based interventions identified in this scoping review can help vocational rehabilitation counselors consider effective strategies for increasing employment outcomes for students with disabilities.
The world is facing remarkable change in science and technology from the end decades of the last century to the first two decades of the current century. Rehabilitation sciences professions have also faced the same technological change as other professions of medical and allied health sciences, where manual assistive devices, diagnostic tools, treatment techniques, and modalities were replaced by digital and computer-based modern technology. Technological advancements give more mobility to persons with brain and spinal cord injuries, provide more accuracy in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders, and enhance treatments outcomes through improvements in signs, symptoms, and quality of life.
Robotic devices like orthosis and exoskeletons are used for improving locomotion in the geriatric population and to restore mobility in the lower limbs affected by brain and spinal cord-related injuries. Robotic devices include treadmill.......
Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities, Therapeutics. Psychotherapy
Objective: to compare the effectiveness of visual action therapy (VAT) and auditory compression training (ACT) for language functions in patients with Wernicke Aphasia. Methodology: A Pilot Randomized Clinical trial was conducted. Patients with age range of 30- 60 years with neurological impairments and aphasia were included in the study. The participants n=12 were recruited through purposive sampling technique and randomly divided in to two groups through lottery method. One group received visual action therapy while other group received auditory comprehensive training. Each participant in both groups received three sessions per week in their homes for a time period of 10 weeks. The data were collected through Western Aphasic Battery (WAB). Results: The Mean of age of study participant in VAT and ACT as 51.83±7.83 and 60.3±2.05 respectively. In this study significant improvement has been observed after 10 weeks of intervention in visual action therapy group (p<0.05). Conclusion: It is concluded from the results that VAT significantly improved the western aphasic battery scoring and comprehension skills in patient with Wernicke’s aphasia.
Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities
Arash Mirabzadeh, Gita Sadighi, Ahmadali Akbari Kamrani
et al.
Objectives: Patients with schizophrenia receive psychiatric medications for many years, and their comorbid profile in old age remains unclear. Moreover, their pattern of non-psychiatric medicine use is of importance. Rehabilitation is crucial in patients with schizophrenia because it improves their strengths and life skills to live independently. These issues are essential in terms of polypharmacy among them, and its associated adverse effects.
Methods: The present cross-sectional study investigated 131 patients with schizophrenia referring to Razi Hospital who were selected by a convenience sampling method. The subjects’ medical records were evaluated in terms of comorbid disorders and non-psychiatric medicine use patterns. Their demographic data were also collected by a separate questionnaire.
Results: The frequency of schizophrenia disorder was higher in males aged ≥65 years. The comorbidity frequency of non-psychiatric disorders was significantly higher in the elderly, compared to non-elderly patients. The most prevalent comorbid disorders in the elderly were musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and metabolic disorders; and in the non-elderly neurological, hematological, and digestive diseases. The prevalence of non-psychiatric medicine intake was significantly higher in the elderly. The prevalence of non-psychiatric medicine use in the elderly (e.g. aspirin, heart disease medications, hypertension medications, etc.) and non-elderly patients (e.g. anemia medications, antibiotics, anticonvulsants, etc.) was not similar.
Discussion: In schizophrenic patients, the old age period is associated with more comorbid disorders, compared to their healthy counterparts. Such comorbid profile is similar to other patients; e.g. the most prevalent comorbidities were musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and metabolic disorders. Polypharmacy is a medical problem in the elderly, with numerous adverse effects. The adjunct consumption of psychiatric medications with the non-psychiatric ones highlights the vital phenomena of drug interactions and associated adverse effects of polypharmacy.
Medicine, Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities
Marzieh Shirazikhah, Arash Mirabzadeh, Homeira Sajjadi
et al.
Objectives: The primary focus in the rehabilitation services program is the universal coverage of these services, in other words, to provide better access to these services in any place and situation. The present study aimed to develop and validate a physical rehabilitation accessibility assessment questionnaire as a standardized instrument that can be adaptable to people with physical disabilities.
Methods: An exploratory sequential mixed methods design was used to develop and validate this questionnaire. Appropriate content was prepared through the literature review, related studies analysis, and focus group discussions with a qualitative approach. Then, the face, content, and construct validity and reliability of the questionnaire were evaluated.
Results: The physical rehabilitation accessibility questionnaire with 17 items was formulated, and its psychometric properties were evaluated through testing in a study sample of 200 people with disabilities who filled up the questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that 81% of the variance of the accessibility to physical rehabilitation services was determined by four factors of affordability, transport, social support, and information access. Indices of PCFI=0.772, PNFI=0.717, NFI=0.877, CFI=0.952, CMIN/DF=1.867, RMSEA=0.066, and AGFI=0.871 confirmed the fitness of the final model. The convergent and divergent validity and reliability of the questionnaire were also confirmed.
Discussion: The questionnaire has an appropriate psychometric property that makes it useful for assessing the accessibility of physical rehabilitation services for people with physical disabilities. This questionnaire can be used in subsequent studies to measure the accessibility of rehabilitation services.
Medicine, Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities
The participation opportunities of children with disabilities are rarely discussed. More often, social participation is linked to vocational and professional rehabilitation and therefore, mostly focused on the participation of adults with disabilities in the world of employment. By contrast, this book deals with the participation of children with disabilities and specifically, with personal assistance as an individual support service. In recent years, it has entered the social discussion in the context of school inclusion. However, the need for personal assistance on the part of children with disabilities goes beyond the school context. For this reason, the book initially explains what personal assistance is and which needs on the part of children with disabilities may exist in which areas of life. The work systematises whether and how these needs may be covered by regulations of the German legal system (e.g. by means of the law on rehabilitation and integration of people with disabilities, social law or school law) and which legal and/or actual limits children may encounter as assistants. The fundamental changes for the law on rehabilitation and integration and the assistance service are discussed and evaluated.
Juan Antonio CORTÉS FUENTES, Beatriz CORREYERO RUIZ
La radio es el medio de comunicación que mayor visibilidad puede dar a los colectivos en situación de exclusión social, y es también una herramienta que motiva la participación y contribuye al desarrollo integral de muchas personas, entre ellas, las que presentan alguna discapacidad intelectual o del desarrollo. En este trabajo se ha llevado a cabo una revisión y actualización de la base de datos de talleres de radio para personas con DI actualmente activos en España, a fecha de 2017, a través de los dos principales colectivos que representan a estas personas: la Confederación Española de Organizaciones a favor de las Personas con Discapacidad Intelectual (FEAPS) –hoy Plena inclusión–, plataforma que integra más de 800 asociaciones en todo el país, e incorporando la oferta de los talleres de la Confederación Española de Federaciones y Asociaciones de Atención a las personas con Parálisis Cerebral y Afines (Confederación ASPACE), que agrupa a unas 80 entidades en 17 comunidades autónomas. El resultado ofrece una foto fija de la estructura, funcionamiento y características de 53 proyectos radiofónicos en los que participan cerca de 500 personas con discapacidad intelectual.
Psychology, Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities