Tiltai

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 article deals with the problems of the qualimetry of giftedness caused by the lack of a conventional definition of the term giftedness and its quantitative criteria. The method of calculation of child giftedness’ level and the quantitative measure of its expression is offered. On the basis of the proposed technique, the difference between comprehensive and special giftedness is demonstrated. Proposals for realization of some trends of research in giftedness are provided with the aim of their comparison with the studies of various authors.

The spectrum of the links between the quality of life and health has been expanding due to the phenomenon of health acquiring features of a social phenomenon and growing complexity. The research evidenced that health was considered to be one of the most important, and often the most important, dimension of the quality of life. To more comprehensively identify the health-related factors that affected the quality of life in general, the concept of the health-related quality of life has been developed. In our research 1763 children filled KIDSCREEN52 surveys which evidence tendency as follows: even though two thirds of the children did not indicate they had health disorders, only one third of them assessed their health as excellent and very good. This demonstrates that, in the children’s assessment of health, both the absence of a disease or disability and also psychological and social factors are important.

The study analyzes the healthy nutrition education in younger school-age children. The focus is on healthy eating habits education at primary school level, emphasizing the importance of healthy eating habits and its education at primary school. The research studies conducted over recent years revealed that children nutrition nowadays is incomplete, insufficient or intemperate. It enforces to analyze the assumptions of healthy eating habits education in children and to investigate the effective methods of education. The qualitative empirical study was accomplished, and primary school teachers were interviewed. The study revealed the opinion of teachers about children eating habits, parents care of children nutrition, healthy eating habits education at primary school, and the possibilities of improvements in educational process.

The aim of the research is to evaluate the change in the psychomotor reactions of six and seven-year-old children when applying physical therapy. The research involved children at the age of six and seven years. It aimed at evaluating both the change in the speed of the psychomotor reactions of these children’s free upper limbs to light while applying physical therapy, and the change in the speed of the psychomotor reactions of free upper limbs to sound while applying physical therapy. The research sample consisted of 270 children. Methods. The research data was collected by employing a method of testing using a reactiometer. The surveyed were divided into two research groups, which underwent different programmes in physical therapy exercises twice a week for the duration of six weeks. Group 1 underwent a physical therapy exercise programme comprising introductory, main and final parts (warm-up exercises, exercises developing coordination, and relaxation exercises); Group 2 also underwent a physical therapy programme comprising introductory, main and final parts (warm-up exercises, exercises developing the coordination, and exercises developing the psychomotor reactions to light and sound as well as relaxation exercises). The research data (testing) was collected before starting applying the physical therapy programme, and six weeks later. Results. The research results revealed that the results between the groups differed. The average reaction time was shorter in Group 2, which means that the tasks were completed faster. In Group 1, the shortest reaction time was 283 ms, and the longest was 650 ms. In Group 2, the shortest reaction time was 284 ms, and the longest was 456 ms. Conclusions. When applying physical therapy jointly with purposive exercises that develop the speed of psychomotor reactions, results can be achieved over the shortest period of time substantiated in scientific papers, i.e. six weeks.