Klaipėdos universitetas

As researchers have different opinions about the most important factors in the formation of the reading process, including the effects of animal-assisted activities on reading, a study was conducted, of which the purpose was to compare the effects of different types of reading skills improvement activities on the reading motivation and word decoding skills of second-grade students. The following research tasks were formulated: 1) to develop methods adapted to Additional Reading and Reading with an Animal groups; 2) to compare the results of word decoding abilities and the reading motivation of three groups (I experimental, II experimental, and III control), obtained before and after the intervention; 3) to compare changes in the results of the I experimental, II experimental and III control groups obtained after the experiment. A real experiment was chosen as the research method, consisting of two experimental groups (group I participants read texts for the researcher, group II read texts for dog-assisting interventions), and the control group (with whom no additional activities were performed). The results of the study showed that when comparing the results of each group before and after the intervention, word decoding skills, internal and external motivation, and negative attitudes, in terms of reading, did not change significantly. When comparing the changes in the results of all three groups obtained after reading activities, it was observed that the participants in the experimental group II had a greater positive change in the decoding ability of non-meaningful words, while the participants in the experimental group I were distinguished by a greater negative change in the decoding ability of non-meaningful words than the rest of the participants in the study. The participants in the experimental group II, after reading activities, were distinguished by a significant increase in respect of external motivation: social (reading-related) behaviour, and the participants in the control group were distinguished by a significantly weakened social (reading-related) behaviour compared to the rest of the participants in the study. The participants in all three groups were distinguished by a positive change in the decoding ability of meaningful words after the intervention, but this difference was not significant. Although in this study reading for dog activities do not show significant changes in the motivation or negative attitudes towards reading, they had a positive effect on reading motivation.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that affects progress. Children with ASD often experience motor skill impairments. The ‘Animal Fun’ programme aims to develop motor, cognitive and social skills in children aged three to six. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the ‘Animal Fun’ programme on physical and functional changes in a seven-year-old child with autism spectrum disorder. During the study, there were three assessments. Test I was conducted before the intervention, test II was performed after five weeks, and test III was carried out after ten weeks of ‘Animal Fun’ intervention. The study assessed static and dynamic balance, the strength of the grip, core and lower limb muscles, and psychomotor reaction speed. It was found that the ‘Animal Fun’ programme improved results in static and dynamic balance, and abdominal and lower limb muscle strength.

Although there is a growing body of evidence showing the potential of animal-assisted (AAT) therapy use with various populations, there is still a limited amount of such studies in Lithuania. This article continues the construction of the scientific discourse of animal-assisted therapy in Lithuania. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficiency of animal-assisted therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders. The study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of animal-assisted therapy not only from the therapist’s viewpoint but also from the parents’ perspective. Specific objectives included: 1) to evaluate parents’ perception of their children’s performance and satisfaction level in the areas selected by parents of self-care, productivity and leisure before and after animal-assisted therapy sessions; 2) to measure the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy sessions in language/communication, sociability, sensory/cognitive awareness, and health/behaviour perceived by the parents; 3) to evaluate and compare parents’ perceived behavioural-emotional difficulties before and after animal-assisted therapy sessions; and 4) to monitor and compare behavioural changes in children during and after animal-assisted therapy sessions .The sample consisted of nine children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. The results from two measurement methods provide support for the efficacy of animal-assisted therapy. The average scores of performance and satisfaction in targeted problem areas are higher in both groups of participants after animal-assisted therapy sessions as indicated by the parents. The parents of all participants indicated lower scores in speech/language, sociability, sensory/cognitive awareness and healthy/physical behaviour, which indicate fewer problems in these areas. Parents evaluate children’s aggressive behaviour and externalising problems as significantly lower after animal-assisted therapy sessions. The scores of emotional problem scales are slightly higher after therapy, but the difference is not statistically significant. Parents tend to notice changes in behavioural problems more than emotional. The behavioural changes monitored by therapists varied in each session. The monitoring of behavioural changes in each session cannot indicate stable qualitative growth or decline as the results are sensitive to the inner states of children. Change of behaviour scores in each session showed that animal-assisted therapy sessions were beneficial to older as well as to younger participants.

Data suggests an increasing trend in the detection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in our country and abroad. Families raising children with this multifaceted, lifelong disorder face significant challenges in communication breakdown and maintaining social relationships, which make it difficult for ASD individuals and their families to successfully function and thrive in society. This article presents mothers’ experiences and sources of stress. A qualitative research approach was adopted to show the subjects’ experiences. Data was collected using focus groups, with open-ended, non-restrictive responses to questions according to the researcher’s intended areas of assessment. The results show a number of generalised semantic spaces related to the child’s own appearance and behaviour, fear of the future and the internalisation of negative attitudes, as well as to the challenges of social services and infrastructure and mothers’ professional activities.

The World Health Organization acknowledges that the health of people in the European region has improved significantly, but not everywhere and not equally for all. It has set a strategic goal to improve the health of all, and reduce health inequalities. In meeting this goal, Lithuania purposefully strives to reduce inequalities in the health condition of individuals attributed to different social groups, and differences in accessibility to health care. The primary focus is on people with disabilities. In compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Lithuania seeks to provide people with disabilities with health-care services and programmes of the same availability, quality and level which are provided or applied to other individuals, free of charge or at a reasonable price. However, research has revealed a great deal of problems in fulfilling this obligation. The present article focuses on physicians’ experience, and aims to understand, from a physician’s perspective, the financial opportunities and barriers that they encounter in rendering health-care services to people with disabilities. A survey involving 107 physicians was carried out in 2019 and 2020. The research results showed that Lithuania is making progress in increasing funding to the health-care system in a targeted way covering a wide range of its domains. Therefore, physicians have plenty of opportunities to refer patients with disabilities to other professionals for consultation without any financial constraints, to prescribe reimbursable medication, to carry out laboratory and radiological tests, to give instructions to caregivers on patient care, and to hospitalise a patient or transfer him/her to another hospital. The situation is somewhat worse with prescribing the most appropriate reimbursable measures and reimbursable rehabilitation treatment, and the worst situation has emerged in the sphere of reimbursable psychological and social assistance, because these services are usually granted a minimum level of funding. The trends established verify that there is a strong need to develop a more effective public health policy in Lithuania, to reform the health-care system, and to invest in improving its quality, so that the country can take more measures to ensure the health of the population and the inclusive equality of people with disabilities in the health-care system.

Scientific journal Tiltai / Bridges / Brücken published by Klaipėda University (established in 1991) is devoted to the issues of social sciences, and seeking academic dialogue, also to other human and society functioning-related humanities and biomedical sciences, with expand and interpret different social phenomena and current issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. The publications attempts at analysing and solving actual problems of economy, management, demography, social geography, geopolitics, political sciences, history, education, religious, regional planning and land use, other social problems. Science has no borders. Therefore scientific cooperation is one of the most important elements in the progress of world’s community. Scientists from different countries of the world are kindly invited to write for and contribute to the journal.

The scientific article analyses the subjectively perceived quality of life of adult patients with mental and behavioural disorders, and its relationship to the certification of day care institutions according to the EQUASS quality implementation system and the links with health services provided to adults with disabilities. The aim of the research is to investigate the correlations between the subjectively perceived quality of life of patients with mental and behavioural disorders and the health services provided. The article presents a research study involving 13 respondents (seven men and six women) with mental and behavioural disorders. Qualitative research with the in-depth interview method was applied. The respondents ranged in age from 20 to 48 years (the mean age was 32), all of them had attended the day care centre for from one to 20 years (the average attendance was 7.5 years). The research data were processed using narrative analysis. The research results revealed that adults with mental and behavioural disorders perceive the health system integratively. The essential triangulation that influences the assessment of their subjectively good quality of life was identified: the characteristics of the person himself/herself, the efficiency of services provided, and the professionalism of the employee. It was also found that for respondents receiving inpatient services for ten years or more, the subjectively perceived quality of life is related to social participation in the community. It was also identified that adults with mental disabilities still face stigmatisation; therefore, it is necessary to legally ensure the context of their social participation and valorisation. The research revealed that medical and social services for patients with mental and behavioural disorders require closeness: a person after in-patient treatment and receiving additional psychosocial rehabilitation services focuses on the valorisation of his/her role in society and social participation.

Increasing poverty, the intensive use of natural resources, the spread of diseases, air pollution, the loss of biodiversity, and other global