Kelly Burgoyne visiting the University of Oslo: read her bloggpost about the stay here!

We were so lucky to have Kelly Burgoyne visiting in August. Her visit were supported by The ESRC International Centre for Language and Communication Development (LuCiD).

Read about her visit and collaboration with the DSL+-team here: Language intervention for children with Down syndrome

Screenshot from http://www.lucid.ac.uk

Research visit from Vanderbilt Peabody College

Last week we had our wonderful collaborators Associate Professor Christopher Lemons and his PhD student Lauren Lejune visiting from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. The trip was funded by a joint project on a US Version of the DSL+. Here we are going to share a summery of an open seminar held at the Departement of Special Needs Education - UiO during their stay. 

Supporting the reading needs of students with intellectual disabilities via technology 

Chris Lemons and Lauren Lejune presented three ongoing studies using technology to support the learning needs of students with intellectual disability:

1. Project Spark aims to improve (a) professional development for paraprofessionals and (b) academic instruction for students with Down syndrome. The study is a Randomised  Controlled Trial were the participants receives a 1-on1 reading or math intervention. The paraprofessionals receives weekly training and support online. Here the researchers have found a way to follow up large numbers of participants spread over a large geographical area and developed a framework for supporting professional development that we are eager to learn more about. 
2. Digital versus paper based reading instruction for children with challenging behaviour:  This study is Lauren Lejunes Dissertation study. The study involves the implementation of reading instruction in two different modalities: digital and paper based. The research objective is to investigate if the degree of engagement and challenging behaviour differs between the two different modalities. 
3. The Down Syndrome LanguagePlus - Vanderbilt Edition is a pilot study investigating the vocabulary gains of four children with Down syndrome using a translated short version of the DSL+ vocabulary intervention. We are eager for the last participants to complete training so we can see the results of this collaborative project. Meanwhile, preliminary findings shows the feasibility of parents implementing the intervention in their homes with minimal support. 

Gluten-sensitivity and development in children with Down syndrome

Professor Egil Nygaard together with  Mikkel Glimsdal and Daniel Bryne from the Departement of Psychology talked about a new study in the planning stages on gluten-sensitivity and development in children with Down syndrome. The study is a follow up of the study; The relation between the psychological functioning of children with Down syndrome and their urine peptide levels and levels of serum antibodies to food proteins. In this study published in 2001 Nygaard and his colleagues found that there were a significant relation between antibodies to gluten and psychological functioning. In this new cross sectional study they are further investigating the connection between biological markers for gluten sensitivity (not celiac desease) and psychological functioning in 60 children with Down syndrome (5 - 11 years old). The main focus is on cognitive functioning and behavioural markers on anxiousness, sadness and anger.

Comment: Learning more about how health conditions such as gluten-sensitivity influence psychological functioning in children with Down syndrome is important because untreated conditions might be detrimental for learning and development. We wish Egil Nygaard and his team good luck with their research and look forward to learning the results! 

Narrative skills in first graders with Down syndrome

Professor Kari-Anne B. Næss presented preliminary findings from three different studies on narrative skills in first graders With Down syndrome, also including data from the Down Syndrome LanguagePlus-project. The aim of the study is to investigate the narrative skills in six year olds with Down syndrome and to analyse if the scores on a narrative test is a good indicators of linguistic skills in six year olds with Down syndrome. Since children With Down syndrome are at risk of weak narrative skills and narrative skills are important for both social and academic functioning it is important to reveal knowledge relevant for effective interventions. Preliminary findings from the analysis (N=52 at the moment will be ca 150 when finished) was presented and showed large variation in results between participants. The results showed that it is a myth that individuals with Down syndrome in general are unable to retell stories and talk about their opinions and understanding. Almost 27% of the children were able to retell some information using oral language.

The Effectiveness of Reading and Writing Interventions for Students with Intellectual Disabilities. A systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Phd-student Karine Bakken gave a poster presentation. The presentation recently received an award for best poster presentation at the Skriv! Les! conference in Stavanger, Norway. Gratulations Karine! You can see the whole presentation in the bottom of this blogpost.

We would like to thank you all for your great contributions this day! We would also like to give an extra warm thank you to our collaborators and friends from Vanderbilt for a lovely week both on and off campus - great memories were made!

Kari-Anne, Chris, Silje and Lauren celebrating the Norwegian National Holiday, 17th of May

Åpent seminar: Hvordan støtte og fremme utvikling hos barn med utviklingshemming?

Onsdag 15. mai 12.45 - 15.30 holdes det et åpent seminar om temaet: Hvordan støtte og fremme utvikling hos barn med utviklingshemming?


Illustrasjonsfoto: Colourbox

Christopher Lemons og Lauren Lejune fra Vanderbilt Peabody College holder innlegg der de forteller om tre studier de har gjennomført hvor de undersøker bruk av teknologi i tiltak for å fremme leseferdighet hos barn med utviklingshemming. I tillegg holder Kari-Anne B. Næss (Institutt for Spesialpedagogikk) innlegg om narrative ferdigheter hos barn med Down syndrom og Egil Nygaard (Psykologisk Institutt) forteller om en studie av glutensensitivitet hos barn med Down syndrom.


Du kan melde deg på her: Hvordan støtte og fremme utvikling hos barn med utviklingshemming?

Statusrapport fra masterstudentene: Rekruttering og Kartlegging

Live, Malin, Elise Mari og Anja

Det er månedsskifte, mandag og sol, og vi er i startfasen av et spennende forskningsprosjekt. Som masterstudenter ved institutt for spesialpedagogikk, har vi vært så heldige å få muligheten til å skrive våre masteroppgaver i tiknytning til DSL+. Det vil samarbeides i et team, men våre undersøkelser vil ha ulike tilnærminger og innfallsvinkler. Vi får god støtte og veiledning fra Silje Hokstad og Kari-Anne B. Næss underveis, og det setter vi stor pris på.

 

Prosjektmaterialet som skal sendes ut til barnehagene og skolene som blir med i studien, er ferdig sortert og pakket. Vi har fått innføring i ulike kartleggingsverktøy og prosessen med rekruttering av årets deltakere er i gang. Vi gleder oss til å utføre språkkartleggingen av fem- og seksåringene, og til oppstarten av intervensjonen.

- Live, Malin, Elise Mari & Anja -

Digitalt språktiltak for 6-åringer med utviklingshemming - vil dere være med på utprøving?

Shane Colvin/UiO

Vi starter nå opp en ny utprøving av DSL+-tiltaket og søker deltakere fra Oslo, Akershus, Buskerud, Østfold, Vestfold, Telemark og Troms! 

Denne gangen ønsker vi å inkludere barn med utviklingshemming uavhengig av årsak. Vi søker derfor skolestartere høsten 2018 eller høsten 2019 som vil være med på utprøvingen. Les mer om prosjektet og finn kontaktinformasjon her: Digitalt språktiltak for 6-åringer med utviklingshemming - vil dere være med på utprøving?

Funding from Uio: Life Science has resulted in plans for future research related to Down syndrome!

Silje and Kari-Anne received funding from UiO: Life Science to conduct a two-week Research stay at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. The purpose of the visit was to follow up on an ongoing Collaboration Project With Associate Professor Christopher Lemons and his research team, as well as making further plans for research involving children With intellectual disability.

Vanderbilt University Campus

Earlier this year, Christopher Lemons received an internal grant from Vanderbilt University to translate and pilot an American short version of the Down Syndrome LanguagePlus Intervention (DSL+). Since then we have been working together on the adaption of the American version. During Our stay, we have discussed linguistic challanges related to the translation of tasks, study design, measures and different other methodological aspects in order to esure high quality research. We met with SLP students working on the projectt and we participated in the first round of audio recordings for the app.


Furthermore, we started the preparations of a new review study related to interventions in children with intellectual disabilities. This review will be a collaboration Project between senior and junior researchers at Peabody and UiO. In addition, we have started the work on a research proposal related to a new intervention project that will be sent to the research counsil of Norway within April 10th.


Christopher Lemons organized a fantastic Down syndrome symposium. Altogether, there were 9 talks from researchers within the field, focusing on communication, speech, language, phonological awareness, reading, and teaching of children with Down syndrome. We are Grateful for all the researchers, both speakers and active discussion partners, for providing Insight into recent and ongoing studies as well as contributing with valuable input in methodological discussions.


We would also extend a great thanks to Lynn Fuchs, Douglas Fuchs and Christopher Lemons for inviting us to their expert panel discussion on career and research applications for the departments PhD students. Especially the discussion on "small research": how to conduct research without large external funding Sources appealed to us.


In addition to the above-mentioned activities we have had the pleasure to meet with several researchers for dicussions of important issues related to special needs education both in formal and informal events.


Finally, we would like to thank Christopher Lemons, his Family and his research team for preparing such a great stay in Nashville and for taking great care of us day and night. We look forward to future collaboration and seeing you again soon!

Chris, Kari-Anne & Silje at Cheekwood

Kari-Anne & Silje

DSL+-prosjektet skal samle data i Oslo-området for barn med utviklingshemming

 

DSL+ er en digital språkintervensjon som har til hovedmålsetting å fremme vokabularutvikling med fokus på både breddevokabular (antall ord barnet kan) og dybdevokabular (hvor godt barnet kan ord). DSL+-appen er prøvd ut med en gruppe barn med Down syndrom med positive erfaringer, og vi ønsker nå å prøve den ut med 1. klassinger med utviklingshemming.

 

Masterstudenter ved institutt for spesialpedagogikk har bitt invitert til å søke om deltakelse i prosjektet. Mange studenter søkte, og vi har i dag avgjort hvilke studenter som skal få tilbud om å skrive sin masteroppgave i tilknytning til prosjektet 2018/2019. Vi gratulerer Anja Gram Andersen, Live Rødsand Kvernmo, Malin Rakke og Elise Mari Solberg med tilbudet!

ØV Anja, ØH Live NV Elise Mari NH Malin

Dersom du har et barn med utviklingshemming som går i 1. klasse skoleåret 2018/2019, dere bor et sted mellom Buskerud, Vestfold, Oslo og Akershus og dere ønsker å delta i studien bes dere ta kontakt med prosjektleder Kari-Anne B. Næss på mailadresse k.a.b.nass@uv.uio.no