Cognitive Interventions for Academic Difficulties (part 3)

April 25, 2016 by

Cognitive interventions for academic difficulties (part three of a three part series)

This week is the final instalment of my series on cognitive interventions for academic problems. As an educational psychologist working in Hong Kong with a lot of children that have developmental difficulties such as dyslexia, ADHD and autism spectrum disorders it’s important to keep up with research on various interventions as many of these children have academic difficulties. Below is a discussion of the implications of the research that has been reviewed in part one and two.

Implications

Over 200 studies synthesized in seven meta-analyses found a negligible to small effect for cognitive assessments and interventions on reading and mathematics performance improvements. There were a few clear implications of these data. First, working memory interventions do nothing to improve reading or mathematics skills. Although books and conference sessions profess that they do, there is not convincing evidence to support using working memory interventions for reading or mathematics. A second clear implication is that IQ and other measures of cognitive functioning might correlate well with reading and mathematics achievement, but they correlate poorly with student response to intervention. In other words, IQ tells us how much a student knows within the range of developmentally typical   intelligence (i.e., child does not have cognitive disability),but IQ tells us very little about how well a student will respond to intervention. Practitioners should not use IQ to triage student need or to determine which interventions are appropriate for individual students. What is the harm in using cognitive measures to inform intervention? The data from these 200 studies suggest that examining cognitive processing data does not improve intervention effectiveness and doing so could dis- tract attention from more effective interventions. Unfortunately, educators often have a fascination with that which is new, so much so that “brand- new mediocrity is thought more of than accustomed excellence” (p. xi, Ellis, 2001). School psychologists may turn from effective interventions such as explicit instruction (d = 0.84;Kavale&Forness,2000),teaching reading comprehension strategies (d = 1.13; Kavale&Forness,2000),and repeated reading (d = 0.83 for fluency and d = 0.67 for comprehension; The rrien,2004) in favor of interventions that have strong intuitive appeal but little to no research evidence.  School psychologists should help school personnel stay focused on that which we know works.

References

 

Burns, M. K., Petersen-Brown, S., Haegele, K., Rodriguez, M., Schmitt, B., … VanDerHeyden, A. M. (in press). Meta-analysis of academic interventions derived from neuropsychological data: Further evidence for a skill-by-treatment interaction. School Psychology Quarterly.
Kearns, D. M., & Fuchs, D. (2013). Does cognitively focused instruction improve the academic performance of low-achieving students? Exceptional Children, 79, 263–290.
Melby-Lervag, M., & Hulme, C. (2013). Is working memory training effective? A meta-analytic review. Developmental Psychology, 49,270–291.
Scholin, S., & Burns, M. K. (2012). Relationship between pre-intervention data and post-intervention reading fluency and growth: A meta-analysis of assessment data for individual students. Psychology in the Schools, 49, 385–398.

Schwaighofer, M., Fischer, F., & Buhner, M. (2015). Does working memory training transfer? A meta-analysis including training conditions as moderators. Educational Psychologist, 50, 138–166.

Stuebing, K. K., Barth, A. E., Mofese, P. J., Weiss, B., & Fletcher, J. M. (2009). IQ is not strongly related to response to reading instruction: A meta-analytic interpretation.
Exceptional Children, 76, 31–51.

Stuebing, K. K., Barth, A. E., Trahan, L. T., Radhika R. R., Miciak, J., & Fletcher, J. M. (2015). Are child cognitive characteristics strong predictors of responses to intervention? A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 85, 395–429.

 

Filed Under: Dyslexia, Hong Kong

Helping Children with Reading Comprehension Difficulties (Dyslexia)

January 11, 2016 by

BOOK REVIEW: DEVELOPING READING COMPREHENSION P.J.Clarke, E. Truelove, C. Hulme & M.J. Snowing

 

Difficulties with development of reading comprehension are a hallmark of dyslexia. As an educational psychologist working in Hong Kong parents and colleagues often ask for updated information sources for helping children with dyslexia. This recommended book is written by a team of well respected researchers in the field of reading difficulties. It provides a valuable compilation of research and practice in an area currently of concern to many parents and education professionals. As such the strength of the book lies in its well-explained marriage of theory and practice based on solid research field.

 

The authors go on to detail three overlapping intervention approaches (The oral Language program, The Text Level program and the combined program) to improve reading comprehension and an evaluation of their effectiveness. An additional bonus is the wealth of detail provided on the research methodology used to investigate the outcomes of the programs. This enables the reader not only to understand the research methods but also provides valuable information and examples for others who might wish to carry out research of this nature in a ‘real school’ situation. The book reports the highly encouraging findings that reading comprehension can be improved, by any one of the three highly structured intervention approaches detailed in the book. However, it seems to be beyond the scope of the book to clearly recommend one of these approaches although the authors do point out that the benefits of the Oral Language program were the more notable and durable. This draws welcome attention to the importance of developing oral language in schools and this point is clearly made in the final chapter on the theoretical and practical implications. Towards the end, the authors point out that approaches as described might require to be tailored to a particular context, although of course it could not be guaranteed that similar positive results would ensure given modifications.  In any event it is not in the scope of this book to provide detailed daily plans for an intervention delivered over a 20- week period.

 

This book makes a very valuable contribution to the field of reading comprehension intervention and will be greatly appreciated by parents, educators and speech and language therapists working with school age children.

Filed Under: Dyslexia, Hong Kong, Language/Communication Disorders

BOOK REVIEW: The Dyslexia Debate

December 7, 2015 by

Dyslexia is a general term for disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but that do not affect general intelligence. It has been the subject of scientific for more than 100 years but its nature and treatments remain debated for educational psychologists all over the world, including Hong Kong. To understand dyslexia, I recommend reading The Dyslexia Debate, 2014 J.G. Elliott & E.L Grigorenko.  

 

Elliott and Grigorenko take on the task of reviewing the field and conclude that ‘the term (dyslexia) has surely outgrown its conceptual and diagnostic usefulness’. Writing the foreword, Vellutino, one of the pioneers of dyslexia research, concurs and prefers to use terms like ‘poor’ or ‘struggling’ readers. The argument that the authors present is that there are no clear cut criteria for dyslexia, there is no cognitive, genetic or neutral evidence that sets those with dyslexia apart form ‘poor readers’, and there is nothing special about the treatments that follow ‘diagnosis’. On the other hand, the authors are clear that there are many children who struggle significantly with learning to read and write and require educational support to prevent a downward spiral of low achievement and poor self esteem. So why not embrace the concept of dyslexia as validated by empirical research, and retain a term that opens the door to intervention for many children and young people?

 

The book continues with the authors presenting their arguments on dyslexia, such as researchers do not agree about the features of dyslexia. However, this begs the question of which researchers and what is the quality of the research they refer to? Unfortunately, too many published studies are not cast within an appropriate developmental perspective, include participants who do not fulfill rigorous criteria for reading disability, which do not report the reliability of their measures. The arguments put forward different perspectives of dyslexia which enables readers to gain an in depth knowledge of the subject.

 

So how can the dyslexia debate be advanced? First we must start by acknowledging where we want to be. Professionals need to be arguing for clarity surrounding the criteria for what dyslexia is and what it is not. Scientists also need to be talking to policy makers about evidence- based approaches to the teaching of literacy, and the characteristics of those who are at high risk of reading difficulties. This will help all children who struggle to respond to quality teaching of reading to be identified and appropriate arrangements made to enable them to succeed.

Filed Under: Communicating with Children, Counselling/Therapy Approaches, Dyslexia, Hong Kong

Assessing language skills in young children

November 30, 2015 by

Language and communication skills are essential to children’s ability to engage in social relationships and access learning experiences. Children with autism/asperger’s syndrome as well as Dyslexia may have difficulties with language development. Hence, it is a skill that is often an important part of assessments by Educational Psychologists in Hong Kong in order to determine the developmental progress of a child.

 

In a recent article in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. It is found that current screening measures do not meet psychometric pre-requisites (psychometrics = design, administration, and interpretation of quantitative tests for the measurement of psychological variables such as intelligence, aptitude, and personality traits)  to identify language problems. A range of articles is reviewed to identify issues which practitioners and researchers should consider when assessing language skills. There are significant challenges in the interpretation of language assessments, where socioeconomic status, language status and dialect, hearing impairment and test characteristics impact results. The range of articles shows that psychometrically sound assessments of language are an essential component of developing effective and efficient interventions. Regular monitoring of language is preferable, as one- off screening has limited power to predict later performance because children’s developmental paths vary. Hence, a combination of language performance measures is a better indicator of language problems and disorders than single measures of component skills.

 

To conclude, the language system is complex, it composed of a number of subcomponents and the language paths of preschool children vary substantially. As such, the development of reliable and valid assessments is challenging, but they are of central importance for studying typical and atypical development. Research studies continue to enhance our understanding of the language development process and aid our identification of children who experience persistent language disorders and the factors that are associated with these. The assessment of narrative skills and dynamic assessment were highlighted as new developments. The current review has aimed to provide the necessary information to make informed decisions about assessing the language competencies of preschool children.

Filed Under: ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, Communicating with Children, Counselling/Therapy Approaches, Dyslexia, Hong Kong

Emotion Regulation in Autism Spectrum Disorders

October 7, 2015 by

Difficulty regulating emotions has not always been defined as a significant feature of autism spectrum disorders, but there is growing evidence that emotional problems play a prominent role in this disorder. Hong Kong is no different as many children who are referred have difficulties with controlling their mood and emotions. This is also the case for children that have related disorders such as ADHD.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Child psychology and psychiatry a wide range of emotional regulation strategies were examined in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders and were compared to typically developing peers in 3 emotional domains (anger, anxiety, and amusement). Parent interviews and child daily diaries were used to examine emotional experience in the use and efficacy of 10 emotional regulation strategies. Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders had significantly different emotional regulation profiles compared to typically developing children in all 3 emotional domains, characterized by less frequent use of adaptive methods (problem solving, cognitive reappraisal) and more frequent use of maladaptive strategies to control their emotions (repetitive behaviors).

This study adds to the already growing body of literature documenting that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (as well as ADHD) have maladaptive emotional regulation profiles. The above study is consistent with with my clinical experience working with both children that have autism spectrum disorders as well as ADHD in Hong Kong. In most cases when high functioning individuals on the autism spectrum (Asperger’s syndrome) are referred when they are adolescents or young adults, one of the common concerns is how to deal with high levels of anxiety that are having a negative effect on their functioning.

Hopefully the above research will offer some insight that will improve individual interventions that promote wider understanding and contribute to the evelopment of more adaptive strategies to help individuals with ASD manage their mood and emotions.

Filed Under: ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, Autism, Hong Kong

5 Important Things to Remember When Talking to Children About Terrorism and War

June 1, 2013 by

Hong Kong is a relatively safe place and one of the advantages of living here is the low level of violent crime and almost non-existent presence of terrorism. However, as an Educational Psychologist, I sometimes receive questions from parents sometimes regarding how they should speak to their children about war and terrorism in the news. Here are five important things to remember:

Keep Lines of Communication Open
Let your children know that this is a topic that they can talk about. Keep it open-ended so that you can assess what is on their mind. This will help you clarify any confusion or comfort any worries.

Provide Reassurance
Explain that one of your roles as a parent is to keep your child safe. Talk about what you do as well as the role of the police and military in helping protect us. Keep a normal routine and avoid over exposure to media that may be covering a particular terror incident or war.

Avoid Racial or Ethnic Stereotyping
Try to avoid any specific references to religious, ethnic or racial groups as being responsible for acts of terror or war. It may be more appropriate to talk about “bad or harmful actions” as this may help children understand that people are making choices about their behaviour and it is not necessarily due to their racial, ethnic or religious background.

Provide a Good Example
Talk to your children about what you think and how you cope with your feelings about terrorism or armed conflict. Providing an appropriate example of maturity and caring will help children as they respond and think about events. Acknowledge their concerns and encourage caring for others.

Seek Help if Your Child’s Anxiety Level Seems “Over the Top”
In some cases children that have more serious difficulties with generalised anxiety will become over-focused on natural disasters, or acts of terror or war. If a child seems to be worrying too much and is seeking frequent reassurance, having disturbed sleep, difficulty separating or is irritable, it may be time to seek consultation with a mental health professional.

Filed Under: Communicating with Children, Hong Kong

Announcement of Psychology Service in Cantonese (and Three Important Things I’ve Learned Working in a Multi-Cultural Environment)

May 20, 2013 by

We at the Child and Family Centre are pleased to announce that we now offer educational psychology services in Cantonese to the Hong Kong community. A range of services similar to those offered in English, such as psychological/educational assessments, consultation for parents and teachers as well as counselling are available. Ms. Mandy Chan, an Educational Psychologist with 10 years of experience, will be offering the services in Cantonese. Ms. Chan has spent her career working in Hong Kong primary and secondary schools that offer instruction in both Cantonese and English. Ms. Chan is also a doctoral candidate at the University of Hong Kong. Additional information regarding the service is available by clicking on the Chinese listing in the navigation bar above.

As the centre is expanding to Cantonese language service, I felt that it would be appropriate to share some comments on my experience working in a multicultural environment such as Hong Kong over the past 15 years. At last count, I have worked with children and families from 80 different countries, with a wide variety of ethnic and language backgrounds.

1) Common Problems: Honestly what strikes me the most are the similarities between people and their difficulties. A problem is a problem is a problem. All of the common diagnoses that I’ve come across in practising psychology are the same no matter where you come from or what language you speak. When I work with young Psychologists or Counsellors to whom I provide supervision, my best advice on working in a multicultural environment is keep an open mind. Know a little bit about the values of the particular group you are working with and try not to hold any preconceived notions about their values or ideas. Everybody loves and cares about their children and wants what is best for them.

2) Level of Denial: However, the level of denial in parents when a child has a serious developmental difficulty such as an Autism Spectrum disorder is harder to get around in Asian families. Typically they are not as familiar with diagnostic criteria and labels, and there is always the looming social stigma of having to go to a mental health professional to seek help for their child.

3) Looking past language as a barrier to assessment: If you’ve had a lot of experience working with children and families from various language and cultural backgrounds you can still make a proper diagnosis of a developmental difficulty. When I attend conferences in western countries I am often asked if I am able to test children in their native language. Most of the parents and children that come to me can speak fluent if not passable English. If you ask the right questions and make the proper observations and you know what to look for, you can figure out what the child’s difficulties are. Standardised testing that gives you numbers is always helpful, but it’s no substitute for a good interview that asks the right questions, experience and good sound clinical judgement.

Filed Under: Autism, Hong Kong