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Background and aim:One of the common learning disability is dysgraphia that interferes academic progressive and/or activity of daily living in children.The aim of this study was comparative assessment of hand sensory - motor skills in 9 -11 ages
Materials and Methods: 20 dysgraphia and 40 normal children were selected for comparison. Participants were evaluated by Smmes-Weinstein Monofilaments (SWMs), The Minnesota Manual Hand Dexterity Test (MMDT), Power Grip Test with Dynamometer (GS), Pinch Strength with Pinch Guage (thumb to middle-thumb to index test) and Minnesota Hand Writing Test (MHT).They were divided into A (dysgraphia) and B (normal)Groups. In this research, dominant hand was right. All Data were analyzed by T-Test and Chi – square Tests with SPSS version13.
Results:The study showed that sensory-motor skills hand writing in dysgraphia children were significantly lower than normal children. There was a significant relationship between tactile threshold and dysgraphia. (P<0.05).In children with dysgraphia, the tactile threshold was high. Hand dexterity was significantly poorer in A group than B group. (P<0.05). Grip strength and Pinch strength were significantly poorer in A group than B group. (P<0.05 for G.S and P<0.05 for P.S). There was a significant relationship between handwriting skill and dysgraphia. (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Findings of this study, could be created in the mind of experts and therapists that perhaps with determination of suitable sensory-motor evaluations of precise Prpcedure to prevent and treat children who have dysgraphia problem,

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Back ground and aim: The development of body parts identification is parallel with the development of sensory motor. The proper evaluation of developmental is done in western countries, but they are not designed for different races, therefore we decide to survey about body part identification in Tehran.
Materials and Methods: This study performed on 90 children (46 girls and 44 boys) of 1-4years old in east of Tehran with cross sectional design. The first demographic questionnaire was completed by chief nursery and then the second section of questionnaire which was consisted of self body and doll body parts identification, filled in order to determine the number of parts pointed for obtaining of total grade survey on the children and dolls bodies.
Results: The findings showed that there were significant difference between three group of age (P<0.0001). There was no significant differences between two gender groups (boys and girls) in scores mean of self and doll bodies identification in all age groups (P>0.05). In final there was no significant difference between body identification on self body and doll body (P=0.12).
Conclusion: Children who are unable to point to body parts may be at risk for delays in language, cognition, and body scheme development and should be screened or evaluated further.

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Background and Aim: Difficulties in sidedness of autistic students and their defected language and communication function can be in relationship with their educational state. This research was designed to investigate the possible relationship among sidedness, communicative function and educational state in autistic students. 

Materials and Methods: This is a described-analytic research and a kind of cross sectional and comparative one. For these purpose 40 autistic students with age average 10 years old and 8 months (SD=±2.5) were chosen. Communicative function questionnaire were completed by all subjects‘parents. We used observation check list to examine handedness, footedness, and dominant eye and ear. Using of T-test, covariance analysis data were analyzed.

Results :Data analysis indicated that there is not significant statistically difference  between communicative function and educational state(p<0.05),but participants with weak educational state less tend to definite sidedness preference-in hand and foot not in eye and ear (p>0.05).

Conclusion: These findings reveal that stability of sidedness, which obtains with interventions rehabilitation in autistic students, can perform important role in high language skills and appropriate educational state for them.

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Background and Aim: Rehabilitation interventions have significant role in reducing the disabilities of Down syndrome. Due to great role of balance in the function of individuals particularly in Activity of Daily Living and the effect of strength on balance, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Progressive Resistive Exercise on functional balance in children with Down syndrome.
Material and Methods: Fifteen girls children aged between 8 and 12 years, with Down syndrome participated in this study by available sampling method. The subjects participated three times per week in a six-week progressive strengthening program. During intervention, 3 of them excluded. Balance were measured by Berg Balance Scale and right/left hip abductor and flexor, knee extensor and flexor muscles isometric strengths were measured by Nickolas hand-held dynamometer. Paired-sampled T-Test was used for data analysis.
Results: The results of this study showed that the mean of functional balance and muscles isometric strengths were significantly increased after intervention (P<0.001).
Conclusion: It seems that the results of this study confirm the effect of progressive resistance training on progressing functional balance, and 8-12 years old children with Down syndrome can benefit from these exercises.

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Background and Aim : Birth of a premature infant can instigate emotional crisis for the parents and encounter them with a variety of needs. The aim of this study was to specify the educational needs of parents of premature infants admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

  

Materials and Methods: The study was performed by qualitative research approach. Twelve participants including 9 parents of infants in NICU, 2 nurses and 1 pediatrist were selected by purposive sampling method. Data were gathered by semi-structured interview in akbarabadi, aliasghar, firoozgar hospitals. Data were analyzed content analysis approach.

  

Results: Two themes emerged from data analysis which expressed educational needs of parents of premature infants admitted in NICU. These themes were: need for knowledge and information about prematurity, and need for acquiring skills for caring premature infants.

  

Conclusion: Most parents have not sufficient knowledge and information about premature infants and resolving these needs can help them to achieve a better sense of control over the situation. Understanding of these needs can help care team to provide better services for parents premature infants.

  

Keywords: Educational needs, Parents, Premature infants, Qualitative research

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Background and Aim: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a novel technique for inhibition or excitation of brain cortical area. Dichotic listening test is a simple instrument to determine dominant ear and brain hemisphere for processing of verbal stimuli. This study aimed to determine changes in right ear advantage(REA), after applying inhibitory rTMS protocol on left Broca area.

 

Materials and Methods: In this descriptive - cross-sectional study, we compared the performances of 14 right handed normal adult Persian speakers with normal auditory and no history of psychiatric or neurological disorders. TMS was applied at 1 Hz with 90% motor threshold, for 10 minutes (600 pulses) on left Broca's area. The right ear advantage index was assessed pre and post rTMS using dichotic listening test.

  

Results: Finding of the present study showed no significant difference on right ear advantage index pre and post rTMS using paired t-test.

 

Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that the use of inhibitory rTMS protocol on the left Broca area , has no effect for shifting in the right ear advantage. For interpretation of the results, it could be stated that it may be the protocol was used in this study isn't sufficient enough to inhibit left hemisphere for linguistic processing. Another reason could be the lack of sufficient sensitivity of Dichotic Listening test to show changes in hemisphere function after TMS. However, to provide clearer description, using functional brain imaging techniques and TMS together could be helpful.

 

Key words: Trancranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Lateralization, REA, Linguistic processing, Dichotic listening