| 1. |
- Arvola, Mattias, 1975-, et al.
(author)
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Autonomous Vehicles for Children with Mild Intellectual Disability : Perplexity, Curiosity, Surprise, and Confusion
- 2023
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In: Proceedings of the European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics 2023. - New York, NY, USA : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). - 9798400708756 ; , s. 1-8
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Self-driving buses will be part of the public transportation system of the future, and they must therefore be accessible to all. The study reported in this paper examines the user experiences of 16 children with mild intellectual disability riding a self-driving bus. The qualitative analysis, performed by iterative affinity diagramming, of interviews, observations, and a co-design session with five of the children, suggests that familiar situations were characterized by contemplation and curiosity, while unfamiliar ones were characterized by surprise or confusion. The temporal structure of past, present, and future situations in the field of attention played a significant role in the children’s experiences. This leads to design considerations for an explainable interior of self-driving buses.
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| 2. |
- Blomberg, Rina, 1974-
(author)
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Auditory Distraction in ADHD : From Behaviour to the Brain
- 2022
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- ADHD is a heterogenous disorder encompassing neurodevelopmental deficits in cognitive control. Auditory distraction is a common clinically reported symptom in ADHD, yet empirical research investigating the manifestation of auditory distraction in the disorder is remarkably scarce. Findings from cognitive hearing science highlight the crucial role cognitive control plays in an individual’s ability to gate, attenuate and/or compensate for auditory distraction. However the field is yet to extensively test hypotheses in normal hearing populations with neurodevelopmental deficits in cognitive control such as ADHD. This thesis contributes to narrowing the gap within these two fields of research by studying auditory distraction in this clinical population to a greater extent than previous reports in the literature.Using a combination of both behavioural and neuroimaging methods, the research presented here was able to show that adults and adolescents with ADHD are inherently more susceptible to auditory distraction than their non-ADHD counterparts. At the behavioural level, impaired task performance due to auditory distraction was more likely to manifest in ADHD participants when the working memory system was under high processing load. At the neural level, functional aberrancy in auditory attention was evident at early stages of sensory processing in a variety of tasks, implicating both exogenous and endogenous control systems in ADHD. Furthermore, the distribution of ADHD-symptom severity across participants was shown to correlate with increases in both cortical activity to auditory distractors and intrinsic functional connectivity between auditory and exogenous attention networks.In line with evidence from cognitive hearing science, the general findings of this thesis demonstrate that cognitive control plays an important role in the ability to perceive sound under suboptimal listening conditions and hamper distraction. In addition, findings challenge theories of ADHD that question the extent in which sensory-related attentional control is impaired. More empirical research on the auditory modality in ADHD is therefore encouraged in order to revise models, improve diagnostic tools, and develop evidence-based interventions targeting study/work environments.
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| 3. |
- Forsblad, Mattias, 1985-, et al.
(author)
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How Children with Mild Intellectual Disability Experience Self-driving Buses : In Support of Agency
- 2023
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In: Transaction on Transport Sciences. - : Palacky University Olomouc. - 1802-971X .- 1802-9876. ; 14:2, s. 21-31
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many people with intellectual disability experience their needs and desires not being fully considered. Responding to this problem, the purpose of this study is to investigate how children with mild intellectual disability experience self-driving buses. On each bus, a person called "safety driver" monitors the ride and takes control if a problematic situation arises. The purpose is also to investigate what roles support persons and safety drivers play. In addition, the research aims to propose improvements in how the design of these self-driving buses can better motivate children with intellectual disability to use them in support of their agency. To address this, we arranged and studied seven rides on self-driving buses, for 16 children diagnosed to have mild intellectual disability, and their support persons. Interviews with the children were held after the rides, and both the rides and interviews were video recorded.The analysis was in part inductive but also employed a theory based on motivation: self-determination theory. For several children, the bus worked as a vehicle for a social sightseeing tour of the local environment, and the current design did not hinder such an experience. Overall, many of the children had a positive experience, but there is room for improvement regarding the design of the buses. Some children expressed curiosity and a few frustrations with how the bus behaved in traffic. For instance, it was difficult for the children to understand why the bus braked for things that were hard for them to perceive. From observation, it appears that the accompanying support person and safety driver played an important role in making children safe and shaping the social environment on the bus. The support persons were also essential for some children to ride the bus at all. The safety driver provided the children with information about how the bus worked. Both the safety driver and the support person had a positive impact on the children's experience.
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| 4. |
- Ahrenberg, Lars, 1948-, et al.
(author)
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Studying Disability Related Terms with Swe-Clarin Resources
- 2019
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In Swedish, as in other languages, the words used to refer to disabilities and people with disabilities are manifold. Recommendations as to which terms to use have been changed several times over the last hundred years. In this exploratory paper we have used textual resources provided by Swe-Clarin to study such changes quantitatively. We demonstrate that old and new recommendations co-exist for long periods of time, and that usage sometimes converges.
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| 5. |
- Andreassen, Maria, 1966-
(author)
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Digital support for people with cognitive impairment : An intervention to increase the occupational performance in everyday life
- 2021
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Introduction: Senior people with cognitive impairment may experience an inability to manage everyday life due to difficulties related to time management, and planning and structuring everyday life. These difficulties can affect people negatively, for example not remembering to carry out future planned activities. Interventions that compensate for lost cognitive ability often include using assistive technology for cognition (ATC). By investigating the feasibility and potential effects of an intervention with the interactive digital calendar with active reminders, RemindMe, knowledge can be generated about aspects of learning to use and using digital support. Further, knowledge can also be generated about occupations in everyday life that people need to receive reminders for, both during the rehabilitation period and two years after the rehabilitation period. This knowledge can support building evidence-based interventions in rehabilitation for people with cognitive impairment using digital technology. Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to study an interactive digital calendar with mobile phone reminders (RemindMe) for people with cognitive impairment, as support to increase the occupational performance in everyday life. Methods: This thesis includes four studies, using both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Study I was a focus group interview, exploring twenty senior people aged between 66 and 85 and their experiences of learning to use and using RemindMe in everyday life. The seniors had used RemindMe for six weeks and had received weekly support calls from a research assistant during the study period. After six weeks, the participants took part in focus group interviews. Four focus group interviews were conducted, analysed with content analyses. The use of RemindMe and feasibility aspects were also investigated in study II with a mixed-methods design. Eight patients with cognitive impairment, aged between 26–68, and seven occupational therapists participated. The occupational therapists were experienced in occupational therapy and were working at three different outpatient rehabilitation clinics in southeast Sweden. They had a median of 20 years of experience (range of 2–25 years). The patients received an introduction to using RemindMe, as well as weekly support calls from occupational therapists or a research assistant for eight weeks. Quantitative data was collected using the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology 2.0 (QUEST 2.0). The frequency of and the actual use of RemindMe was generated by RemindMe. Qualitative data was collected via face-to-face interviews with occupational therapists, via field notes from the weekly support conversations, and during the assessments with patients with cognitive impairment. Analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics and directive deductive content analyses. Study III investigated the intervention with RemindMe, addressing plausible outcome measures by investigating changes in outcomes, impact on occupational performance, independence, health-related quality of life, and the psychosocial impact of support used for people with cognitive impairment. The design was a pilot randomized controlled trial with fifteen patients, with cognitive impairment, aged between 26–79, randomized to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group consisted of eight patients and the control group of seven patients. The outcome measures were assessed using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), the EuroQol 5-Dimension Visual Analog Scale (EQ-5D-VAS), and the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS). Study III was registered at ClinicalTrails.gov, identifier: NCT04470219. Study IV explored seven patients, aged between 51–71, experiences of strategies and support used to establish a new everyday life and their experience of support for time management and planning and structuring everyday life due to cognitive impairment. The study was a qualitative, semi-structured, face-to-face interview. The interviews were analysed with inductive content analysis. Results: The results of this thesis address learning to use and using assistive technology for cognition (ATC) in everyday life and outcomes from using RemindMe. The participants were accustomed to using calendars. However, there were differences in terms of whether they preferred to use “low tech” calendars (such as paper calendars), or “high tech” calendars (for example, digital calendars with reminders), or whether a combination of “low and high tech” was preferred (Studies I and IV). Other support strategies were also described, for example, the conscious use of objects as reminders in the home environment or everyday life routines (Study IV). Participants were positive towards the use of digital technology, especially mobile phones/smartphones that they easily can carry with them (Studies I and IV). Participants also described the advantage of using digital technology with active reminders and audio prompts, signalling, and telling them when to do something. This was described as the reminder “talks to me” (Study I). The actual use of RemindMe showed that reminders were for example used for taking medication, do exercises, or meeting family or friends (Study II). Occupational therapists in Study II described that their patients benefited from using reminders and that patients have to be active in their everyday life and perceive a need for reminders. The outcomes from measurements of occupational performance (COPM) indicate that patients in the intervention group increased their occupational performance and their satisfaction with their performance compared with the control group. The intervention group also increased their independence (FIM) in the communication and social and intellectual abilities subscales (Study III). Conclusions: The results indicate the importance of choosing a reminder that is suited to the patient’s needs, and this reminder can be either “low tech” or “high tech”. The important thing is that the reminder matches the patient’s needs. The result also indicates that for people with cognitive impairment to make full use of the reminder in everyday life, support with learning to use and using the device for a longer period is needed. Participants (Studies II, III, and IV) described scheduling and receiving active reminders as important for achieving a feeling of comfort and security. Another technique was to find habits and routines or objects to support time management and planning and structuring everyday life. Having a sense of comfort and security involved being in control of everyday life. It can be understood as people talking about being fully involved in their life situations, and in that sense as experiencing participation. However, this was s not investigated in the present studies. Two years after the rehabilitation period, digital or paper calendars were used to establish a new everyday life. Active reminders were trusted and resulted in a feeling of comfort and security as well as a sense of control and independence in everyday life.
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| 6. |
- Bremin, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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Methods for human evaluation of machine translation
- 2010
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In: Proceedings of the Swedish Language Technology Conference (SLTC2010). ; , s. 47-48
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Evaluation of machine translation (MT) is a difficult task, both for humans, and using automatic metrics. The main difficulty lies in the fact that there is not one single correct translation, but many alternative good translation options.MT systems are often evaluated using automatic metrics, which commonly rely on comparing a translation to only a single human reference translation. An alternative is different types of human evaluations, commonly ranking be-tween systems or estimations of adequacy and fluency on some scale, or error analyses.We have explored four different evaluation methods on output from three different statistical MT systems. The main focus is on different types of human evaluation. We compare two conventional evaluation methods, human error analysis and automatic metrics, to two lesser used evaluation methods based on reading comprehension and eye-tracking. These two methods of evaluations are performed without the subjects seeing the source sentence. There have been few previous attempts of using reading comprehension and eye-tracking for MT evaluation.One example of a reading comprehension study is Fuji (1999) who conducted an experiment to compare English-to-Japanese MT to several versions of manual corrections of the system output. He found significant differences be-tween texts with large differences on reading comprehension questions. Doherty and O’Brien (2009) is the only study we are aware of using eye-tracking for MT evaluation. They found that the average gaze time and fixation counts were significantly lower for sentences judged as excellent in an earlier evaluation, than for bad sentences.Like previous research we find that both reading comprehension and eye-tracking can be useful for MT evaluation.The results of these methods are consistent with the other methods for comparison between systems with a big quality difference. For systems with similar quality, however, the different evaluation methods often does not show any significant differences.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Carney, Daniel P. J., et al.
(author)
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Using developmental trajectories to examine verbal and visuospatial short-term memory development in children and adolescents with Williams and Down syndromes
- 2013
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In: Research in Developmental Disabilities. - : Elsevier. - 0891-4222 .- 1873-3379. ; 34:10, s. 3421-3432
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Williams (WS) and Down (DS) syndromes have been associated with specifically compromised short-term memory (STM) subsystems. Individuals with WS have shown impairments in visuospatial STM, while individuals with DS have often shown problems with the recall of verbal material. However, studies have not usually compared the development of STM skills in these domains, in these populations. The present study employed a cross-sectional developmental trajectories approach, plotting verbal and visuospatial STM performance against more general cognitive and chronological development, to investigate how the domain-specific skills of individuals with WS and DS may change as development progresses, as well as whether the difference between STM skill domains increases, in either group, as development progresses. Typically developing children, of broadly similar cognitive ability to the clinical groups, were also included. Planned between- and within-group comparisons were carried out. Individuals with WS and DS both showed the domain-specific STM weaknesses in overall performance that were expected based on the respective cognitive profiles. However, skills in both groups developed, according to general cognitive development, at similar rates to those of the TD group. In addition, no significant developmental divergence between STM domains was observed in either clinical group according to mental age or chronological age, although the general pattern of findings indicated that the influence of the latter variable across STM domains, particularly in WS, might merit further investigation.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Danielsson, Henrik, 1974-
(author)
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Facing the Illusion Piece by Piece : Face Recognition for Persons with Learning Disability
- 2006
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Avhandlingens övergripande syfte var att undersöka ansiktsigenkänning för personer med och utan utvecklingsstörning. Tre specifika forskningsfrågor undersöktes:1. Hur ser interaktionen ut mellan familjaritet med ansikten och familjaritet med miljöer när det gäller bildigenkänning för personer med utvecklingsstörning?2. Kan någon av de 2 teoretiska ansatserna till förklaring av falska minnen (sammanblandning av olika minnen), bindingsansatsen och dubbelprocessansatsen, förklara prestationen för både personer med och utan utvecklingsstörning?3. Hur förhåller sig arbetsminnesförmåga till prestation i studier av falska minnen?Resultaten i de 4 artiklarna som ingår i avhandlingen gav svar på frågorna:1. Interaktionen mellan familjaritet med personer och miljöer kan förklaras med förhållandet mellan personen och miljön, som antingen kan vara frånvarande, närvarande eller osannolikt. Dessa semantiska relationer bestämmer prestationen och en ”lat” semantisk strategi föreslogs.2. Beroende på uppgiftens svårighetsgrad framkom olika interaktionsmönster mellan grupp och typ av igenkänningsbild, och då särskilt olika antal sammanblandade bilder. Dessa mönster kunde inte förklaras av någon av de 2 teoretisk ansatserna. Därför föreslås ett nytt sätt att tolka resultaten som inkluderar arbetsminne.3. Hög arbetsminneskapacitet gav 2 effekter: för det första, igenkänning av fler ansiktsdelar, och för det andra, igenkänning av fler ansiktskonfigurationer. Vid höga arbetsminneskrav så används den första effekten mer på bekostnad av den andra.Det visade sig också att prestationen för personer med utvecklingsstörning på uppgifter med låga arbetsminneskrav liknade prestationen för åldermatchade kontrollpersoner utan utvecklingsstörning på uppgifter med höga arbetsminneskrav. Detta indikerar att utvecklingsstörning kan ”simuleras” genom högre arbetsminneskrav, åtminstone på denna typ av igenkänningsuppgifter. Resultatens implikationer för vittnespsykologi och användandet av fotografier som kognitivt stöd diskuteras.
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| 13. |
- Danielsson, Henrik, 1974-, et al.
(author)
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Handikappvetenskap
- 2009
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Other publication (pop. science, debate, etc.)
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Danielsson, Henrik, 1974-, et al.
(author)
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Pictures as language
- 2001
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In: International Conference on Language and Visualisation,2001.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)
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| 16. |
- Danielsson, Henrik, Professor, 1974-
(author)
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Randomiserade kontrollerade studier av interventionsprogram för elever med tidiga läs- och matematiksvårigheter
- 2023
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In: Resultatdialog 2023. - : Vetenskapsrådet. - 9789189845107 ; , s. 15-18
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Forskningens syfte var att utveckla och utvärdera två interventioner för elever med tidiga lässvårigheter eller tidiga mattesvårigheter. Resultaten visade att bägge interventionerna hade en medelstor till stor effekt på förbättring för interventionsgrupperna direkt efter interventionerna. Ett år efter interventionerna hade de flesta av de positiva effekterna minskat till ungefär hälften.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Danielsson, Henrik, 1974-, et al.
(author)
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The more you remember the more you decide : Collaborative memory in adolescents with intellectual disability and their assistants
- 2011
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In: Research in Developmental Disabilities. - : Elsevier. - 0891-4222 .- 1873-3379. ; 32:2, s. 470-476
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of the present study was to investigate collaborative memory in adolescents withintellectual disabilities when collaborating with an assistant, and also the extent to whichdecisiveness is related to individual memory performance.Nineteen students with intellectual disabilities (mean age = 18.5, SD = 0.9) eachcollaborated with a teaching assistant (mean age 40.3, SD = 12.1) familiar from everydaywork in school. Pictures were presented individually. Recognition was performed in twoparts, first individually and thereafter collaboratively. The design involved 2 settings, onenatural (with equal encoding time) and another with equal individual memoryperformance (assistants had shorter encoding time than the students). Results showedcollaborative inhibition in this previously uninvestigated collaboration setting withadolescents with intellectual disabilities and their assistants. The assistants bothperformed higher and decided more than the students with intellectual disabilities inthe natural setting, but not in the equated performance setting. Inhibition was larger in theequated setting. The assistants’ decisiveness was moderately correlated with individualmemory performance. Implications for everyday life are discussed.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Danielsson, Henrik, Professor, 1974-, et al.
(author)
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Vi hör med öronen och lyssnar med hjärnan
- 2021
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In: Leva som andra. - : Studentlitteratur AB. - 9789144121437 ; , s. 161-172
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
- Elbe, Pia
(author)
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Exploring the Hidden Dimensions of Distraction in Adults with Atypical Attention
- 2023
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Inattention and proclivity for distraction are symptoms of adult ADHD that hamper productivity in study and work environments. The topic of this dissertation is mechanisms of distraction and facilitation of attention in ADHD. This thesis includes three studies. The following overarching questions are addressed in each study respectively: (1) Is computerized cognitive training (CCT) an intervention which improves overall cognitive outcomes in adults with ADHD, (2) Are there differences depending on ADHD symptom severity and distraction in auditory or vibro-tactile sensory modalities, and (3) Is background white noise a shield from distraction for those with ADHD during a short-term memory task?Study I is a systematic review and meta-analysis of CCT interventions for adults with ADHD, following a pre- post-test design for randomized controlled trials. Nine intervention studies are included in the systematic review, with the resulting meta-analysis for overall cognitive outcomes showing a very small benefit of the CCT intervention. Study I also included sub-analyses of three outcome categories according to the Cattell-Horn-Carol framework of cognition: cognitive speed, executive functions, and short-term memory. None of these individual meta-analyses resulted in significant improvements. Participants took part in a cross-modal visual oddball task with auditory and vibro-tactile distractors in Study II. Forty-five participants were divided into two groups for the analysis: one group with low ADHD symptoms and one group with high ADHD symptoms. Findings did not show a relationship between ADHD symptom status and distraction in either auditory or vibro-tactile modality, despite both groups showing the expected slowed reactions on deviant trials. A sensitivity analysis showed that the high symptom group exhibited 0.5 % more missed trials compared to the low symptom group, possibly due to mind wandering in this non-forced-choice task.For Study III, serial recall data was collected from sixty-six individuals with ADHD and sixty-six healthy control participants, who were tested with white background noise and no background noise conditions. The results showed that participants with ADHD were more likely to get distracted by auditory omission deviants in continuous background white noise, whereas healthy controls were more likely to get distracted by auditory addition deviants in the condition without background noise. Also, the individuals with ADHD on average did not exhibit a typical primacy effect across serial recall items. Overall, the results of the three studies in this dissertation point to some areas for improvement for adults with ADHD where targeted behavioral interventions might be useful in the future.
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| 23. |
- Falkmer, Marita, et al.
(author)
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Visual acuity in adults with Asperger's syndrome : No evidence for "eagle-eyed" vision
- 2011
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In: Biological Psychiatry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-3223 .- 1873-2402. ; 70:812, s. 812-816
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are defined by criteria comprising impairments in social interaction and communication. Altered visual perception is one possible and often discussed cause of difficulties in social interaction and social communication. Recently, Ashwin et al. suggested that enhanced ability in local visual processing in ASC was due to superior visual acuity, but that study has been the subject of methodological criticism, placing the findings in doubt.Methods: The present study investigated visual acuity thresholds in 24 adults with Asperger’s syndrome and compared their results with 25 control subjects with the 2 Meter 2000 Series Revised ETDRS Chart.Results: The distribution of visual acuities within the two groups was highly similar, and none of the participants had superior visual acuity.Conclusions: Superior visual acuity in individuals with Asperger’s syndrome could not be established, suggesting that differences in visual perception in ASC are not explained by this factor. A continued search for explanations of superior ability in local visual processing in persons with ASC is therefore warranted.
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| 24. |
- Gustafsson, Berit M., 1966-, et al.
(author)
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Hyperactivity precedes conduct problems in preschool children : a longitudinal study.
- 2018
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In: BJPsych Open. - : Cambridges Institutes Press. - 2056-4724. ; 4:4, s. 186-191
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Externalising problems are among the most common symptoms of mental health problems in preschool children.Aims: To investigate the development of externalising problems in preschool children over time, and the way in which conduct problems are linked to hyperactivity problems.Method: In this longitudinal study, 195 preschool children were included. Latent growth modelling of conduct problems was carried out, with gender and hyperactivity at year 1 as time-invariant predictors.Results: Hyperactivity was a significant predictor for the intercept and slope of conduct problems. Children with more hyperactivity at year 1 had more conduct problems and a slower reduction in conduct problems. Gender was a significant predictor for the slope of conduct problems.Conclusions: Children with more initial hyperactivity have less of a reduction in conduct problems over time. It is important to consider the role of hyperactivity in studies of the development of conduct problems.Declaration of interest: None.
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| 25. |
- Henry, Lucy A., et al.
(author)
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Hebb repetition learning in adolescents with intellectual disabilities
- 2022
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In: Research in Developmental Disabilities. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0891-4222 .- 1873-3379. ; 125
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundHebb repetition learning is a form of long-term serial order learning that can occur when sequences of items in an immediate serial recall task are repeated. Repetition improves performance because of the gradual integration of serial order information from short-term memory into a more stable long-term memory trace.AimsThe current study assessed whether adolescents with non-specific intellectual disabilities showed Hebb repetition effects, and if their magnitude was equivalent to those of children with typical development, matched for mental age.MethodsTwo immediate serial recall Hebb repetition learning tasks using verbal and visuospatial materials were presented to 47 adolescents with intellectual disabilities (11–15 years) and 47 individually mental age-matched children with typical development (4–10 years).ResultsBoth groups showed Hebb repetition learning effects of similar magnitude, albeit with some reservations. Evidence for Hebb repetition learning was found for both verbal and visuospatial materials; for our measure of Hebb learning the effects were larger for verbal than visuospatial materials.ConclusionsThe findings suggested that adolescents with intellectual disabilities may show implicit long-term serial-order learning broadly commensurate with mental age level. The benefits of using repetition in educational contexts for adolescents with intellectual disabilities are considered.
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| 26. |
- Homman, Lina, et al.
(author)
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A structural equation mediation model captures the predictions amongst the parameters of the ease of language understanding model
- 2023
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In: Frontiers in Psychology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-1078. ; 14
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess the validity of the Ease of Language Understanding (ELU) model through a statistical assessment of the relationships among its main parameters: processing speed, phonology, working memory (WM), and dB Speech Noise Ratio (SNR) for a given Speech Recognition Threshold (SRT) in a sample of hearing aid users from the n200 database.Methods: Hearing aid users were assessed on several hearing and cognitive tests. Latent Structural Equation Models (SEMs) were applied to investigate the relationship between the main parameters of the ELU model while controlling for age and PTA. Several competing models were assessed.Results: Analyses indicated that a mediating SEM was the best fit for the data. The results showed that (i) phonology independently predicted speech recognition threshold in both easy and adverse listening conditions and (ii) WM was not predictive of dB SNR for a given SRT in the easier listening conditions (iii) processing speed was predictive of dB SNR for a given SRT mediated via WM in the more adverse conditions.Conclusion: The results were in line with the predictions of the ELU model: (i) phonology contributed to dB SNR for a given SRT in all listening conditions, (ii) WM is only invoked when listening conditions are adverse, (iii) better WM capacity aids the understanding of what has been said in adverse listening conditions, and finally (iv) the results highlight the importance and optimization of processing speed in conditions when listening conditions are adverse and WM is activated.
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
- Ivarsson, Magnus, et al.
(author)
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Structural validity and internal consistency of the Strengths and Stressors in Parenting (SSF) Questionnaire in parents of children with developmental disabilities
- 2023
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0036-5564 .- 1467-9450. ; 64:4, s. 486-494
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The current study investigated the structural validity and internal consistency of the Strengths and Stressors (SSF) questionnaire. The SSF is used in Swedish habilitation services to measure the positive and negative consequences that the fostering of a child with a developmental disability can have on family functioning in six domains: parent's feelings and attitudes, social life, family finances, relationship to the other parent, siblings, and professional support. The proposed six-factor model was tested with confirmatory factor analysis with data collected from 291 parents of children with developmental disabilities. The six-factor model had an acceptable fit according to most fit indices, but two items were non-significant. Overall, the internal consistency was acceptable or good. The SSF, with the proposed six-factor solution, can be a useful tool when assessing parental perspectives on the impacts of having a child with a developmental disability in clinical settings and research.
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| 29. |
- Levén, Anna, 1976-, et al.
(author)
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Prospective memory and intellectual disability
- 2017
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Previous studies have shown prospective memory errors in persons with intellectual disability (adults, Levén et al., 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, adolescents, Meilan et al., 2009). As prospective memory failures are one of the most common memory errors (Crovitz and Daniel, 1984), this may explain part of the difficulties in handling demands in everyday life for persons with intellectual disability. Prospective memory refers to memory focused on realising intentions in the future. The ongoing task is performed as the intention is stored in long-term memory. Despite research in different clinical groups (brain injuries, Mioni et al., 2013; Aging, Kvavilashvili et al, 2013; schizophrenia, Raskin et al, 2013; ADHD, Brandimonte et al., 2011, Kliegel, 2013, etc.) this aspect of memory has received little attention in relation to intellectual disability (adults, Levén et al., 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, adolescents, Meilan et al., 2009).Meilan et al. (2009) got results supporting the multi-process view on prospective memory (McDaniel & Einstein, 1990). The multiprocess view on PM (Einstein & McDaniel, 1990) predicts that the prospective part will be noticed more automatic in specific circumstances, specifically, if the PM cue is either; (a) strongly associated with the planned action, (b) associated with the ongoing task, (c) salient, or (d) has relevant features that come into focus of attention as a result of processing associated with the ongoing task (M. A. McDaniel & Einstein, 2000; M. A. McDaniel, Guynn, Einstein, & Breneiser, 2004).Intellectual disability and prospective memory.Research on prospective memory has increased dramatically in recent years, although persons with intellectual disability have not been thoroughly investigated. Recent studies have studied prospective memory in persons with traumatic brain injury. Persons with intellectual disability may have suffered a brain injury in childhood, but there are also genetic and foremost unknown (about 50%) reasons for intellectual disability.Keeping appointments (Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test) have been found to be a difficult subtest for persons with intellectual disability (Martin et al., 2000; Meilan et al., 2009). The child version of the test has been used in adult persons with Down's syndrome (Aldrich et al., 1991; Wilson 1995). Performance was low also on the borrowed item subtest of the River Mead Behavioural Memory Test. In this task the experimenter borrows an item and the participant is to ask for it later on in the experiment. Prospective memory performance is strongly related to retrospective memory performance in persons with intellectual disability similar as in children. This has been attributed to a general weakness in memory processes such as episodic memory, and/or attention (Levén et al, 2008).Method.Population. The participants in the present study were a subsample drawn from the prospective Betula cohort study testing wave 2. There were 2840 people between 35 and 90 years of age. People with genetic syndromes (e.g. Down syndrome) were excluded in Betula, which gave a mixed or non-specific intellectual disabilities sample. In the Betula database, a group with intellectual disability (IQ < 70, n=58) was defined, using a verbal and a nonverbal IQ test, together with a control group matched on age, sex, level of education and years of education (n=116). Note that these groups were old (mean age = 73 years) compared to most other studies on ID.Tasks: At the beginning of all of the memory tests each day, the test leader asked the subject to remind him/her that they should sign a paper at the end of the day after all the tests were finished. Subjects were not told that this was a memory test. Together with this task on prospective memory, several tasks of episodic memory (recall, recognition), semantic memory (knowledge, fluency) and short-term memory was used.The task was scored as follows:4, recall no cue: Subjects remembered this without any aid3, after cue: Test leader: Was there not something else we should do?2, after reminding: Test leader: Were you not supposed to remind me of something?1, failed completely: Failed to remember despite of cues givenResults.See Table 1 for frequencies for the different prospective memory answers. The controls perform better than persons with intellectual disability on the prospective memory task, F(1,173) = 10.8, p<.001. However, almost all participants with ID managed to perform the task with reminders.Table 1. Frequencies for the prospective memory answers in percent in the two groups.Prospective memory answerIDControls1, failed completely14 %8 %2, recall after reminding53 %25 %3, recall after cue14 %37 %4, recall without cue19 %30 % In the control group, prospective memory correlated significantly with episodic memory (.19), semantic memory (.32) and short-term memory (.22), whereas in the intellectual disability group none of the correlations were significant (episodic memory .16, semantic memory .08, and short-term memory .18). The memory measures were also more intercorrelated in the control group compared to the intellectual disability group. This is contrary to previous results (Levén et al., 2008, 2011, 2013) where the ID group had higher intercorrelations.Discussion.Low prospective memory performance was found in the intellectual disability group as in previous studies. Prospective memory correlated with other memory functions only in the control group. One possibility is that prospective memory loads on executive functions, or vigilance not measured in this study.Persons with intellectual disability have not been able to perform verbal prospective memory tasks at all in previous studies. In this study, on the contrary, persons with intellectual disability performed a verbal prospective memory task. About half of the participants with intellectual disability remembered the prospective memory task if the experimenter asked what they should remind them of. That is, they managed the task with a cue that reduced the load on long-term memory. Previous studies have used a less explicit cue which did not improve performance significantly in the intellectual disability group.Selected ReferencesBrandimonte, M. A., Filippello, P., Coluccia, E., Altgassen, M., & Kliegel, M. (2011). To do or not to do? Prospective memory versus response inhibition in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Memory, 19(1), 56-66. doi:10.1080/09658211.2010.535657Einstein, G. O., & McDaniel, M. A. (1990). Normal aging and prospective memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition, (4), 717-726.Levén, A., Lyxell, B., Andersson, J., Danielsson, H., & Rönnberg, J. (2011). The relationship between prospective memory, working memory and self-rated memory performance in individuals with intellectual disability. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research. 1-17. Levén, A., Lyxell, B., Andersson, J., Danielsson, H. & Rönnberg, J. (2008). Prospective memory, working memory, retrospective memory and self-rated memory performance in persons with intellectual disability. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research. , 10(3), 147-165.Levén, A., Lyxell, B., Andersson, J. & Danielsson, H. (2013). Pictures as cues or as support to verbal cues at encoding and execution of prospective memories in individuals with intellectual disability. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research.Meilán, J. G., Pérez, E., Arana, J. M., & Carro, J. (2009). Neuropsychological and cognitive factors in event-based prospective memory performance in adolescents and young people with an intellectual disability. British Journal Of Developmental Disabilities, 55(108,Pt1), 61-75. doi:10.1179/096979509799103179Mioni, G., Rendell, P. G., Henry, J. D., Cantagallo, A., & Stablum, F. (2013). An investigation of prospective memory functions in people with traumatic brain injury using Virtual Week. Journal Of Clinical And Experimental Neuropsychology, 35(6), 617-630. doi:10.1080/13803395.2013.804036Wilson, B. A. and Ivani-Chalian, R. (1995), Performance of adults with Down's syndrome on the Children's Version of the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test: A brief report. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 34: 85–88. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1995.tb01440.x
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| 30. |
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| 31. |
- Lidestam, Björn, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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Mobile phone video as an aid to speech understanding for persons with hearing impairment
- 2006
-
In: Technology and Disability. - 1055-4181. ; 18:3, s. 99-105
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study investigated if a mobile video telephone may facilitate distance communication for persons with impaired hearing, and how users' speech recognition performance is associated with difficulty ratings. Ten persons with impaired hearing participated. A mobile video telephone was used to record sentences and visual-contextual cues. Sentences were presented visually, auditorily, and audiovisually, and both with and without visual-contextual cues. The results showed that audiovisual presentation modality and visual-contextual cues together significantly enhanced speech recognition, and that both audiovisual presentation modality and visual-contextual cues by themselves gave tendencies toward significance. Also, speech recognition and difficulty ratings were significantly correlated over all conditions. It was concluded that mobile video telephones may today already enhance speech recognition for individuals with impaired hearing, but for substantial effects, audiovisual synchronization needs to be improved. © 2006 IOS Press. All rights reserved.
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| 32. |
- Lindström-Sandahl, Hanna, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
A randomized controlled study of a second grade numeracy intervention with Swedish students at‐risk of mathematics difficulties
- 2024
-
In: British Journal of Educational Psychology. - : Wiley. - 0007-0998 .- 2044-8279.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Early numeracy interventions including basicarithmetic are crucial for young students at risk for earlymathematics difficulties (MDs), yet few studies have evalu-ated numeracy interventions in second grade with a rand-omized controlled design.Aim: This pre- and post-test randomized controlled studyevaluated the effects of an intensive 9-week numeracy andarithmetic programme for second-grade students at risk forearly MDs. The focus of the programme was students’ foun-dational understanding of numbers and mathematical con-cepts and procedural fluency with arithmetic tasks.Sample: A total of 753 first-grade students from 21 schoolsin Sweden were screened for low achievement in numberknowledge and arithmetic.Methods: Students considered at risk for MDs (≤25 per-centile on two consecutive first-grade mathematics screen-ings) were individually randomized to an intervention group(n = 32) or control group (n = 30) at the beginning of secondgrade (7–8 years old). Trained teachers administered theone-to-one, explicit programme to intervention group stu-dents in elementary school settings. The intervention groupreceived numeracy instruction emphasizing foundationalmathematics concepts and procedures. Controls receivedteaching as usual with potential special education supportprovided by their schools.Results: The intervention group demonstrated significantlygreater improvements in conceptual knowledge, arithmeticcalculations and problem-solving compared to the controlgroup, with medium size effects observed.
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| 33. |
- Lindström-Sandahl, Hanna, 1979-
(author)
-
Early Elementary School Interventions in Reading and Mathematics
- 2024
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Supplemental special education support in reading and mathematics is essential for some children who struggle to learn basic reading or mathematics skills in their first years of schooling. Previous research shows that supplemental phonics and early numeracy and arithmetic instruction help students at risk for reading or mathematics difficulties. Few intervention studies have been conducted in the Swedish elementary school context evaluating the effectiveness of early reading and mathematics instruction, limiting evidence-based practices guiding special education in Sweden. This thesis aimed to develop and test the impact of two intensive instructional programs on word reading and reading comprehension skills and number knowledge, arithmetic and problem solving. Transfer-effects of training across the reading and mathematics domains and the long-term impact of the programs were also investigated. The study enrolled 753 first grade students who were screened for low performance (≤25th percentile) in decoding, spelling, number knowledge and arithmetic. To evaluate how the impact of the interventions differ from regular school instruction, students were randomized to intervention and control groups and pre-tested with extended assessment of reading and mathematics skills (n=32 vs. 30 in mathematics, n=34 vs. 34 in reading). Both interventions were implemented at the start of second grade. The intervention programs spanned 36 lessons of supplemental explicit, one-to-one instruction with a special education teacher. Control group students received support planned by their schools. The results were evaluated at post-test and followed-up after 1 year. Both programs indicated significant intervention effects at post-test compared with controls with the reading intervention showing medium impact on decoding and reading comprehension and a strong effect on word recognition. The mathematics intervention program displayed significant moderate impact on number knowledge, arithmetic and basic problem solving. For both interventions, these effects declined at follow-up one year later. In addition, no transfer across reading and mathematics interventions were found. A main conclusion drawn from these randomized controlled studies is that students’ performance in basic reading and mathematics can be substantially accelerated by a time-limited and intense effort, adding to the evidence-base of explicit phonics and early numeracy and arithmetic intervention as recommended practices also in a Swedish school context. As many previous studies have shown, intervention gains tend to fade over time. The longevity of intensive intervention impacts should be considered in post-intervention efforts to support learning. Alignment between supplemental programs and general classroom instruction is suggested.
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| 34. |
- Lindström-Sandahl, Hanna, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Effects of a phonics intervention in a randomized controlled study in Swedish second-grade students at risk of reading difficulties
- 2023
-
In: Dyslexia. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1076-9242 .- 1099-0909. ; 29:4, s. 290-311
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Teaching phoneme awareness to children at risk for early reading difficulties has been recognized as successful in several studies. In this randomized controlled trial (RCT)-study, we add to this research by optimizing core procedural as well as teaching components in a phonics-directed intervention and extend the RCT reading intervention research into a semi-transparent language context. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a novel Swedish intensive phonics program. This randomized controlled pre-test and post-test intervention study targeted second-grade students with early reading difficulties. Students were identified by a repeated screening procedure and allocated to intervention (n = 34) and control (n = 34) conditions. A 9-week intensive phonics-based program was administrated one-to-one, by special education teachers in Swedish mainstream elementary schools. Results show an improvement in the intervention group, compared with the controls on all outcome measures. Findings indicate that the supplementary phonics program, delivered with high intensity, can significantly increase word reading skills and reading comprehension in second-grade students with early reading difficulties.
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
- Marsja, Erik, Dr, 1981-, et al.
(author)
-
Interplay between working memory and speech recognition declines over time
- 2024
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Background: Age-related changes in auditory and cognitive functions are well-documented, with increased hearing thresholds (e.g., Wiley et al., 2008) and reduced working memory capacity (WMC; e.g., Wingfield et al., 1988) among older adults. Moreover, aging has been linked to poorer speech recognition in noise (e.g., Marsja et al., 2022), highlighting the multifaceted impact of age on auditory and cognitive domains. Our study examined the dynamic relationship between auditory and cognitive changes over time to shed light on the direction of influence between the two. To this aim, we employed change score modeling.Methods: We analyzed data from 111 normally hearing individuals from the n200 study (https://2024.speech-in-noise.eu/proxy.php?id=81). At Time 1 (T1), their mean age was 61.2 years (SD = 8.00), and at Time 2 (T2), their mean age was 67.0 years (SD = 8.06). We used Latent Change Score modeling to explore the changes in WMC and speech recognition in noise. To measure speech recognition in noise, we used signal-to-noise ratios from the Hearing in Noise Test during speech-shaped noise. The reading span test was used as a measure for WMC.Results and Conclusion: Preliminary results showed a decline in WMC, signified by the negative relationship between Reading Span at T1 and changes in Reading Span at T2. This negative relationship indicates that individuals with higher initial WMC experienced subsequent declines in their cognitive abilities. Furthermore, our analysis revealed a negative relationship between changes in speech recognition in noise at T2 and Reading Span at T1. This relationship suggests that individuals with higher initial WMC experienced less decline in their speech recognition in noise over time. Further research with additional time points may be needed to fully elucidate the complex relationship between cognitive and auditory changes over time.
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| 37. |
- Marsja, Erik, Dr, 1981-, et al.
(author)
-
Is Having Hearing Loss Fundamentally Different? : Multigroup Structural Equation Modeling of the Effect of Cognitive Functioning on Speech Identificatio
- 2022
-
In: Ear and Hearing. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 0196-0202 .- 1538-4667. ; 43:5, s. 1437-1446
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: Previous research suggests that there is a robust relationship between cognitive functioning and speech-in-noise performance for older adults with age-related hearing loss. For normal-hearing adults, on the other hand, the research is not entirely clear. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the relationship between cognitive functioning, aging, and speech-in-noise, in a group of older normal-hearing persons and older persons with hearing loss who wear hearing aids.Design: We analyzed data from 199 older normal-hearing individuals (mean age = 61.2) and 200 older individuals with hearing loss (mean age = 60.9) using multigroup structural equation modeling. Four cognitively related tasks were used to create a cognitive functioning construct: the reading span task, a visuospatial working memory task, the semantic word-pairs task, and Raven’s progressive matrices. Speech-in-noise, on the other hand, was measured using Hagerman sentences. The Hagerman sentences were presented via an experimental hearing aid to both normal hearing and hearing-impaired groups. Furthermore, the sentences were presented with one of the two background noise conditions: the Hagerman original speech-shaped noise or four-talker babble. Each noise condition was also presented with three different hearing processing settings: linear processing, fast compression, and noise reduction.Results: Cognitive functioning was significantly related to speech-in-noise identification. Moreover, aging had a significant effect on both speech-in-noise and cognitive functioning. With regression weights constrained to be equal for the two groups, the final model had the best fit to the data. Importantly, the results showed that the relationship between cognitive functioning and speech-in-noise was not different for the two groups. Furthermore, the same pattern was evident for aging: the effects of aging on cognitive functioning and aging on speech-in-noise were not different between groups.Conclusion: Our findings revealed similar cognitive functioning and aging effects on speech-in-noise performance in older normal-hearing and aided hearing-impaired listeners. In conclusion, the findings support the Ease of Language Understanding model as cognitive processes play a critical role in speech-in-noise independent from the hearing status of elderly individuals.
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| 38. |
- Messer, David, et al.
(author)
-
The structure of executive functioning in 11 to 14 year olds with and without special educational needs
- 2022
-
In: British Journal of Developmental Psychology. - : Wiley. - 0261-510X .- 2044-835X. ; 40:3, s. 453-470
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The structure and development of executive functioning (EF) have been intensively studied in typically developing populations, with little attention given to those with Special Educational Needs (SEN). This study addresses this by comparing the EF structure of 132 adolescents (11-14 years-old) with SEN and 138 adolescents not requiring additional support (Non-SEN peers). Participants completed verbal and non-verbal assessments of key components of EF: inhibition, working memory and switching. Confirmatory Factor Analysis on each group tested one-, two- and three-factor models of EF. In both groups, there was statistical support for the fit of one- and two-factor models with no model being clearly better than the others; there was little support for three-factor models. Parsimony suggests that the one-factor model best represents the structure of EF. In light of our results, the implications for the nature of EF in early adolescence in both SEN and Non-SEN groups are discussed.
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
- Nilsson, Karin, et al.
(author)
-
Decoding Abilities in Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities : The Contribution of Cognition, Language, and Home Literacy
- 2021
-
In: Journal of Cognition. - London : Ubiquity Press. - 2514-4820. ; 4:1, s. 1-16
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Decoding abilities in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) are substantially lower than for typical readers. The underlying mechanisms of their poor reading remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the concurrent predictors of decoding ability in 136 adolescents with non-specific ID, and to evaluate the results in relation to previous findings on typical readers. The study included a broad range of cognitive and language measures as predictors of decoding ability. A LASSO regression analysis identified phonological awareness and rapid automatized naming (RAN) as the most important predictors. The predictors explained 57.73% of the variance in decoding abilities. These variables are similar to the ones found in earlier research on typically developing children, hence supporting our hypothesis of a delayed rather than a different reading profile. These results lend some support to the use of interventions and reading instructions, originally developed for typically developing children, for children and adolescents with non-specific ID.
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| 41. |
- Nilsson, Karin, 1987-, et al.
(author)
-
Investigating Reading Comprehension in Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities : Evaluating the Simple View of Reading
- 2021
-
In: Journal of Cognition. - : Ubiquity Press Ltd.. - 2514-4820. ; 4:1, s. 1-20
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Reading comprehension difficulties are common in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), but the influences of underlying abilities related to reading comprehension in this group have rarely been investigated. One aim of this study was to investigate the Simple View of Reading as a theoretical framework to describe cognitive and linguistic abilities predicting individual differences in reading comprehension in adolescents with non-specific ID. A second aim was to investigate whether predictors of listening comprehension and reading comprehension suggest that individuals with ID have a delayed pattern of development (copying early grade variance in reading comprehension) or a different pattern of development involving a new or an unusual pattern of cognitive and linguistic predictors. A sample of 136 adolescents with non-specific ID was assessed on reading comprehension, decoding, linguistic, and cognitive measures. The hypotheses were evaluated using structural equation models. The results showed that the Simple View of Reading was not applicable in explaining reading comprehension in this group, however, the concurrent predictors of comprehension (vocabulary and phonological executive-loaded working memory) followed a delayed profile.
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| 42. |
- Nilsson, Karin, et al.
(author)
-
Structural Differences of the Semantic Network in Adolescents with Intellectual Disability
- 2021
-
In: Big data and cognitive computing. - : MDPI. - 2504-2289. ; 5:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The semantic network structure is a core aspect of the mental lexicon and is, therefore, a key to understanding language development processes. This study investigated the structure of the semantic network of adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) and children with typical development (TD) using network analysis. The semantic networks of the participants (nID = 66; nTD = 49) were estimated from the semantic verbal fluency task with the pathfinder method. The groups were matched on the number of produced words. The average shortest path length (ASPL), the clustering coefficient (CC), and the network’s modularity (Q) of the two groups were compared. A significantly smaller ASPL and Q and a significantly higher CC were found for the adolescents with ID in comparison with the children with TD. Reasons for this might be differences in the language environment and differences in cognitive skills. The quality and quantity of the language input might differ for adolescents with ID due to differences in school curricula and because persons with ID tend to engage in different out-of-school activities compared to TD peers. Future studies should investigate the influence of different language environments on the language development of persons with ID
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| 43. |
- Nilsson, Karin, et al.
(author)
-
Structural differences of the semantic network in adolescents with intellectual disability
- 2021
-
In: Big Data and Cognitive Computing. - : MDPI AG. - 2504-2289. ; 5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The semantic network structure is a core aspect of the mental lexicon and is, therefore, a key to understanding language development processes. This study investigated the structure of the semantic network of adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) and children with typical development (TD) using network analysis. The semantic networks of the participants (nID = 66; nTD = 49) were estimated from the semantic verbal fluency task with the pathfinder method. The groups were matched on the number of produced words. The average shortest path length (ASPL), the clustering coefficient (CC), and the network’s modularity (Q) of the two groups were compared. A significantly smaller ASPL and Q and a significantly higher CC were found for the adolescents with ID in comparison with the children with TD. Reasons for this might be differences in the language environment and differences in cognitive skills. The quality and quantity of the language input might differ for adolescents with ID due to differences in school curricula and because persons with ID tend to engage in different out-of-school activities compared to TD peers. Future studies should investigate the influence of different language environments on the language development of persons with ID.
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| 44. |
- Nilsson, Karin, 1987-
(author)
-
Words Don’t Come Easy : Decoding and Reading Comprehension Difficulties in Adolescents with Intellectual Disability
- 2022
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) have difficulties with decoding and reading comprehension. However, studies focussing on why these difficulties occur are very sparse, and the existing literature has found conflicting results. This thesis investigated the development of reading abilities and the concurrent cognitive, linguistic, and environmental predictors of decoding and reading comprehension in Swedish adolescents with ID of unknown aetiology. In addition, this thesis evaluated the applicability of one of the most commonly used theoretical frameworks of reading comprehension: the Simple View of Reading (SVR). The results showed that the development of reading abilities in adolescents with ID is in line with the model of developmental delay. This means that the development of reading abilities is not qualitatively different from typical reading development, but the rate is slower. Further, it means that the pattern of concurrent predictors is similar to the pattern found in a younger typically developing population. In Swedish adolescents with ID decoding is predicted by phonological awareness and rapid automatized naming (RAN), and reading comprehension is predicted by decoding, vocabulary, and phonological executive-loaded working memory (ELWM). This thesis also found that the developmental trajectory of decoding plateaus at a mental age of 8:9 years, while it is expected in typically developing children that decoding ability continues to increase until early adolescence. The explanation for this early plateau could be either cognitive or educational, but most likely a combination of both. Lastly, the results from this thesis also suggest that the SVR is not sufficient for explaining reading comprehension in adolescents with ID. Instead, a combination of the SVR and the Lexical Quality Hypothesis (LQH) is suggested as a successful way of explaining the variance in reading comprehension. Taken together, the results from this thesis implies that reading instruction and interventions originally developed for typically developing children is likely to be effective for individuals with ID.
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| 45. |
- Nordvall, Mathias, 1982-, et al.
(author)
-
Vibed : A prototyping tool for haptic game interfaces
- 2016
-
In: iConference 2016 Proceedings. - : iSchools. - 0988490021 - 9780988490024
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Haptics in the form of vibrations in game interfaces have the potential to strengthen visual and audio components, and also improve accessibility for certain populations like people with deafblindness. However, building vibrotactile game interfaces is difficult and time consuming. Our research problem was how to make a prototyping tool that facilitated prototyping of vibrotactile game interfaces for phones and gamepads. The results include a description of the prototyping tool we built, which is called VibEd. It allows designers to draw vibrotactile patterns, referred to as vibes, that can easily be tested on phones and gamepads, and exported to code that can be used in game development. It is concluded, based on user tests, that a haptic game interface prototyping tool such as VibEd, can facilitate haptic game interface design and development, and by that contribute to game accessibility for persons with deafblindness.
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| 46. |
- Palmqvist, Lisa, 1987-, et al.
(author)
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Parents act as intermediary users for their children when using assistive technology for cognition in everyday planning : Results from a parental survey
- 2020
-
In: Assistive technology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1040-0435 .- 1949-3614. ; 32:4, s. 194-202
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Assistive Technology for Cognition (ATC) is employed by children with and without disabilities. However, how the ATC is used in everyday life has not been studied. The current study investigated ATC-usage in everyday planning in three groups: 1) children qualifying for Swedish habilitation centers (ID/ASD), 2) children with disability not qualifying for habilitation service (ADHD), and 3) children with typical development (TD). A parental survey was conducted (n = 192) and answers were analyzed with statistical tests and inductive thematic text analysis. Results showed that all groups used ATC, most in the Habilitation group and least in the TD group. According to parents, ATC supported cognitive functions in all groups, but it became evident that the parents were responsible for planning by setting up the ATC, whilst the children merely executed the plans. This was linked to several limitations, for example the design was not appropriately adapted for these groups. The implications for the practitioners are 1) evaluate the users? cognitive abilities and choose an ATC suitable for that individual rather focusing on the diagnosis, and 2) follow up usage to see if it is the parent or the child that are using the ATC.
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| 47. |
- Palmqvist, Lisa, 1987-
(author)
-
Time to Plan : How to support everyday planning in adolescents with intellectual disability
- 2020
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Children and adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) have difficulties in executive functioning and when coping with everyday planning tasks. However, the literature cannot explain whether individuals with ID perform according to their developmental level or not. The studies in this thesis investigated if life experience could be a contributing factor to the diversity seen in the literature. Planning performance can be improved by either using external or internal support. Assistive technology for cognition (ATC) is an example of external support. This thesis investigated how the ATC is being used in an everyday planning situation which has not been investigated before. Furthermore, this thesis explored whether the internal supports of cognitive abilities and life experience correlate with planning ability in adolescents with ID, and if planning ability can be trained using a cognitive training program for everyday planning. Results showed that ATC supported cognitive functions, but that the children did not formulate the plans themselves. Furthermore, the results support the difference model of ID since planning correlated with different cognitive measures and life experience in adolescents with ID compared to children with a typical development. Adolescents with ID got better at the planning tasks in the training program, however, no transfer effects to untrained planning tasks were found. To conclude, the planning was supported by external and internal support. However, ATC needs to be designed and prescribed in a way that increases independence. Practitioners should actively support in training planning and should be cautious when introducing cognitive interventions if the transfer gap is too large.
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| 48. |
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| 49. |
- Pestoff, Rebecka, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Rapid Implementation of Telegenetic Counseling in the COVID-19 and Swedish Healthcare Context : A Feasibility Study
- 2022
-
In: Frontiers in Health Services. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2813-0146. ; 2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study reports the process and preliminary findings of rapid implementation oftelegenetic counseling in the context of Swedish healthcare and COVID-19 pandemic,from both a patient and a provider perspective. Fourty-nine patients and 6 healthcareprofessionals were included in this feasibility study of telegenetic counseling in aregional Department of Clinical Genetics in Sweden. Telegenetic counseling is heredefined as providing genetic counseling to patients by video (n =30) or telephone (n= 19) appointments. Four specific feasibility aspects were considered: acceptability,demand, implementation, and preliminary efficacy. Several measures were used includingthe Genetic Counseling Outcome Scale 24 (collected pre- and post-counseling); theTelehealth Usability Questionnaire; a short study specific evaluation and Visiba Careevaluations, all collected post-counseling. The measures were analyzed with descriptivestatistics and the preliminary results show a high level of acceptance and demand, fromboth patients and providers. Results also indicate successful initial implementation in theregional Department of Clinical Genetics and preliminary efficacy, as shown by significantclinically important improvement in patients’ empowerment levels.
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| 50. |
- Ritoša, Andrea, et al.
(author)
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Profiles of State and Trait Engagement of Preschool Children
- 2024
-
In: Early Education and Development. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1040-9289 .- 1556-6935.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Research Findings: This study examined the engagement of 494 preschool children in Sweden (M = 53.44 months, SD = 10.64) using both teacher questionnaires to measure global engagement (trait) and observations to measure momentary engagement (state). Using a person-oriented approach with cluster analysis, we identified five distinct profiles of global and momentary engagement, with four of them showing discrepancies between global and observed engagement levels. We found that age, hyperactivity, and second language learner (SLL) status were related to a specific engagement profile. Specifically, children high in hyperactivity tended to be in clusters with higher momentary engagement than global engagement, whereas second language learners were overrepresented in clusters with lower momentary engagement. Practice or Policy: The findings suggest that global and observed measures of engagement capture different aspects of children's engagement and should not be used interchangeably. Children with low engagement ratings on both measures of engagement are more likely to have an extreme score on the global engagement measure, indicating that difficulties they experience will be more noticeable in their global engagement. On the other hand, displays of high levels of momentary engagement could signal children's inherent potential, prompting tailored encouragement and support within Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings and promoting their overall engagement levels.
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