Why reinvent the wheel? A behaviour analyst's reflections on pedagogy for inclusion for students with intellectual and developmental disability

The number of children identified as having intellectual or developmental disability is rising worldwide and their education has been found wanting. It has been said that “they simply need better teaching.” At the same time, there is an increasing evidence base that pedagogy that is based on the discipline of behaviour analysis offers the best prospect for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. On the basis of this evidence, it is proposed that behaviour analysis should be applied more broadly to improve teaching for all children with intellectual or developmental disability.

THE ULTRASTRUCTURE AND IMMUNOGOLD LABELING OF PANCREATIC POLYPEPTIDE-IMMUNOREACTIVE CELLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EGG-FORMING APPARATUS OF A MONOGENEAN PARASITE, DICLIDOPHORA-MERLANGI

An electron microscopical examination has been made of the fine structure and disposition of pancreatic polypeptide immunoreactive cells associated with the egg-forming apparatus in Diclidophora merlangi. The cell bodies are positioned in the parenchyma surrounding the ootype and taper to axon-like processes that extend to the ootype wall. The terminal regions of these processes branch and anastomose and, in places, the swollen endings or varicosities form synaptic appositions with the muscle fibres in the ootype wall. The cells are characterized by an extensive GER-Golgi system that is involved in the assembly and packaging of dense-cored vesicles. The vesicles accumulate in the axons and terminal varicosities, and their contents were found to be immunoreactive with antisera raised to the C-terminal hexapeptide amide of pancreatic polypeptide. It is concluded that the cells are neurosecretory in appearance and that, functionally, their secretions may serve to regulate ootype motility and thereby help co-ordinate egg production in the worm.

Special Needs Education, eLearning and the Reflective ePortfolio: Implications for Developing and Assessing Competence in Pre-Service Education.

This paper reports on the use of an eportfolio for assessing aspects of a Post-Graduate pre-service teacher education programme specifically in the context of special needs education in Northern Ireland. Participants were challenged to develop their individual eportfolios by selecting and presenting evidence for assessment drawn from diverse sources. The rationale for using eportfolios for assessment purposes was to offer students the opportunity to demonstrate competencies by documenting and reflecting upon academic and pedagogical learning during a one year Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) programme.

Perception of patterns of musical beat distribution in phonological developmental dyslexia:significant longitudinal relations with word reading and reading comprehension

In a recent study, we reported that the accurate perception of beat structure in music ('perception of musical meter') accounted for over 40% of the variance in single word reading in children with and without dyslexia (Huss et al., 2011). Performance in the musical task was most strongly associated with the auditory processing of rise time, even though beat structure was varied by manipulating the duration of the musical notes.

Kinetics of semicarbazide and nitrofurazone in chicken eggs and egg powders

The accumulation, depletion and partitioning of semicarbazide (SEM) and its parent compound nitrofurazone (NFZ) in eggs were studied using hens fed NFZ at therapeutic and sub-therapeutic levels. Dietary NFZ correlated strongly with NFZ and total SEM in eggs, while 28% of observed SEM was present in the form of parent NFZ. Depletion half-life in eggs was 2.4 days for SEM and 1.1 days for NFZ. NFZ accumulated preferentially in yolk (57-63%) as opposed to albumen, while 71-80% of SEM was found in yolk. In whole egg, 29% of SEM was present as tissue-bound residues compared with 80% in breast muscle. Whilst NFZ and SEM were partly degraded by pasteurization and spray drying, sufficient NFZ remained to suggest it might be detectable in egg powders when SEM is observed at low µg kg -1 concentrations. NFZ was detectable in whole eggs during ingestion of only 0.1% of the therapeutic NFZ dose, making detection of intact NFZ in eggs a feasible means to prove conclusively the administration of this banned compound.

Impact of Neonatal Intensive Care on Late Preterm Infants: Developmental Outcomes at 3 Years

BACKGROUND: Late preterm infants (LPIs) (34-36 weeks' gestation) account for up to 75% of preterm births and constitute a significant proportion of all neonatal admissions. This study assessed the impact of neonatal intensive or high-dependency care (IC) on developmental outcomes of LPIs at 3 years of age. METHODS: This cohort study included 225 children born late preterm in Northern Ireland during 2006. Children born late preterm who received IC were compared with children born late preterm who did not receive IC. Cognitive, motor, and language skills were assessed by using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition. Growth was assessed by using anthropometric measures of height and weight. RESULTS: LPIs who received IC were more often less mature (34 weeks' gestation), with lower birth weight (<= 2500 g) and Apgar scores (<7 at 5 minutes) compared with the control group. They were more often born by cesarean delivery and more likely to have received resuscitation at birth. At 3 years of age, children born late preterm who received IC demonstrated similar cognitive, motor, and language skills compared with children in the control group. Measurements of growth also did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Despite having increased maternal, perinatal, and neonatal risk factors, there were no significant differences in early childhood development between LPIs who received IC and those who did not. LPIs do not receive routine follow-up after IC and this study provides useful and reassuring data for parents and clinicians on the longer-term outcome of this infant group.

Neuro developmental status at 1 year predicts neuropsychiatric outcome at 14-15 years of age in very preterm infants

Background: Neurodevelopmental and behavioural problems have been repeatedly reported in very preterm. survivors, often showing themselves later in childhood as poor school performance. Early identification of problems would mean that appropriate remedial therapy can be implemented. We have previously shown that neurodevelopmental status at 1 year was predictive of outcome at 8 years in a cohort of preterm. infants. The aim of this paper was to see if neurodevelopmental outcome in adolescence could be predicted by assessment by 1 year in the same cohort of pretem infants. Study design: Prospective cohort study. Subjects: 150 adolescents, born before 33 weeks gestation. Outcome measures: Neurological examination, developmental quotient, vision and hearing by 1 year. At 14-15 years, neurological examination, school performance questionnaire, Schonnell test of reading age, a premorbid adjustment score, Rutter behavioural score and for those born from 1981, cognitive tests (WISC-R). Results: A highly significant relationship existed between neurological status by 1 year and the need for extra educational provision, overall neurodevelopmental status, cognitive function in those that had their IQs measured and premorbid adjustment score of prepsychotic symptoms in adolescence. However, status at 1 year was not predictive of adolescent reading age or behavioural score. Conclusions: Neurodevelopmental assessment at 1 year ispredictive of school performance and outcome in the adolescent period. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.