Introduction This study examined the effectiveness of occupational performance coaching, which was delivered through telerehabilitation, in improving children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) occupational performance, behavior problems, and prosocial behavior in addition to parental self-efficacy and quality of life. Method Forty-three children were matched and randomized to occupational performance coaching or waitlist groups. Occupational performance, parental self-efficacy, behavioral problems, and prosocial behaviors were assessed using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Child adjustment and parent efficacy scale-developmental disability (CAPES-DD), the Short-Form Health Survey, and goal attainment scale. Results The intervention group showed greater improvement on occupational performance, specified goals, and behavioral problems. No progress was seen on the CAPES-DD prosocial behavior subscale. In addition, parental quality of life improvement was not maintained after the follow-up phase. Conclusion Occupation performance coaching, which was delivered through telerehabilitation, was effective on children with ASD occupational performance and parental self-efficacy, but it was not effective on the prosocial behaviors of these children.

One of the characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is atypical sensory processing and perceptual integration. Here, we used an object naming task to test the significance of deletion of vertices versus extended contours (edges) in naming fragmented line drawings of natural objects in typically developing and ASD children. The basic components of a fragmented image in perceptual closure need to be integrated to make a coherent visual perception. When vertices were missing and only edges were visible, typically developing and ASD subjects performed similarly. But typically developing children performed significantly better than ASD children when only vertex information was visible. These results indicate impairment of binding vertices but not edges to form a holistic representation of an object in children with ASD.

Background:Handwriting difficulties are one of the most common reasons for referral to school-based occupational therapy. Assessing handwriting performance using standardized tools is necessary for scientific research and clinical assessment. Objectives:The objective of this study was to develop and validate the Persian handwriting assessment tool to evaluate legibility and speed in near-point copying and dictation domains in primary school-aged children.Methods: This methodological study was conducted in Tehran, Iran during 2015 -2016. Measurement items were selected by reviewing the past literature and considering the opinions of an expert panel. The scale development, the analysis of content validity, and item analysis were performed in phase one using the data from 131 students in grades two and three. Exploratory factor analysis and discriminant validity were analyzed in phase two using the data from 208 subjects. Sampling was conducted using the random cluster method. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on a randomly split sample of half of the data. Results:The content validity ratio of most of the criteria was greater than 0.57. Item analysis confirmed the writing assignments in the copying and dictation domains. Principal component analysis revealed that measurements in the copying and dictation domains loaded into three components separately, which accounted for 71.96% of the variance in the copying domain and 70.46% of the variance in the dictation domain. Confirmatory factor analysis also confirmed the accuracy of the three-dimensional structure designated through exploratory factor analysis. Discriminant validity showed that handwriting speed and legibility increased with maturation. Conclusions:The Persian handwriting assessment tool as a comprehensive and quickly scored tool that can help therapists identify primary school students with handwriting problems so that appropriate interventions for these students can be implemented.

Introduction: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood psychiatric disorders which is characterized by poor attention and subsequently lower learning capacities comparing with normal children. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of neurofeedback and perceptual-motor exercises as two common non-pharmacological treatments on visual attention. Method: 40 combined medicated ADHD children (aged 5-12 years) were allocated randomly in two groups: neurofeedback training and perceptual-motor exercises. Visual attention and motor proficiency were assessed before and after the treatment by Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and Bruininks-Oseretsky Test (BOT), respectively. Results: according to repeated measures ANOVA, both groups showed significant improvement in three attention-related areas of CPT including reaction time, omission and commission errors (p<0.001), while the difference between two groups was not significant (p>0.05). However, in perceptual-motor exercises group, motor proficiency improved significantly (p<0.01). Conclusion: neurofeedback training intervention, as well as perceptual-motor exercises, are effective in improving ADHD symptoms and given the similar effect of both interventions and their lack of side-effects, perceptual-motor exercises appear to be the more appropriate option for reducing symptoms of ADHD, due to its additional effect on motor proficiency, rich content of purposeful activities and social interactions.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the original Sensory Profile 2 questionnaires to Persian and access the psychometric properties of the adapted questionnaires. Method The translation and cultural adaptation of the original questionnaires were carried out under the published guidelines. Furthermore, we employed the multiple methods to establish the validity and reliability of the Sensory Profile 2 questionnaires. We calculated the content validity, internal consistency, and test–retest, along with the standard error of measurement. The study included 1272 children, between 0 and 14 years old, without any disabilities. They were selected from child developmental centers and elementary and middle schools of Tehran, the capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Results The item-level content validity index and the scale-level were satisfactory for all the items, quadrant, section, and factor of the Sensory Profile 2. The values of alpha for all questionnaires were ranged from 0.67 to 0.91. Furthermore, the test–retest reliability values for all questionnaires ranged from 0.72 to 0.95. Conclusions The Sensory Profile 2-Persian version can considered as a valid and reliable tool for utilization in Persian-speaking children between 0 and 14 years old.

Objectives: Although social deficits are the main features of autism, children in autism spectrum disorder often too display difficulties with posture, coordination and motor planning. As such, poor motor skills are believed to be associated with greater difficulties in social communication. Some recent studies show that music can improve the sensory processing and motor functions by affecting brain connectivity. The present study aims to examine the effect of movement activities in synchronization with music on motor proficiency of 7 to 14 years old children with low functioning autism. Materials & Methods:A double-blind randomized controlled trial design was used in this study. Twenty two subjects participated in the study and assigned into experimental and control groups randomly. The interventions consisted of movement activities with music for experimental group and without music for control group. Motor proficiency of subjects such as balance performance, bilateral coordination and upper limb coordination were assessed by trained independent evaluator before the treatment and also after 12 th and 24 th therapeutic sessions using 3 subtests of Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP). The effect of interventions in two groups were compared by repeated measures ANOVA. Results:The results indicated that both interventions improved motor performance in the participants but the effects of interventions on balance performance (P<0.001), bilateral coordination (P<0.05) and upper limb coordination (P<0.001) were significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion:Movement therapy is beneficial for children with autism, but movement activities in synchronization with music can accelerate improvements in motor proficiency of these children. A B S T R A C T Article info:Received: 08 Jan. 2017

Background: School function assessment (SFA) is a criterion-referenced assessment that uses functional tasks to determine the level of participation and performance of students. The purpose of this study is to assess the face and the content validity of the Persian version of SFA for normal Iranian 6 -12-year-old children. Methods: This study has a methodological and psychometric design. We used a standard protocol, international quality of life assessment (IQOLA), for translating the SFA test. This protocol includes translation to Persian and backward-translation to English as well; both of these translation qualities are estimated. In order to ensure content validity, 20 occupational therapists, who are experts in the field of pediatrics, completed the content validity index (CVI) and the content validity ratio (CVR) forms through 11 sessions using the IQOLA scale. Twenty elementary school teachers completed these forms as well. Results:The results of face validity showed that all the terms were clear and simple, and all the terms except one were higher than 1.5 in the impact score. The content validity results showed that five item's score was lower than the acceptable score (< 0.7). Finally, in the expert panel, all the CVI and the CVR items achieved an acceptable score. In this panel, the experts negotiated about the clarity, the simplicity, and the necessity of all the items. Therefore, the Persian version of SFA can evaluate the school function of Iranian children. Conclusions:The Persian version of the SFA achieved a good match in terms of cultural and face validity. Agreements above 80% in the results of face validity confirm that the Persian version of SFA is clear, simple, and understandable for its target population. The content validity results indicate different cultural perceptions for certain items. To determine and construct the validity and the reliability of the Persian version of SFA, other studies are required.

Background and Objectives: Performing recreational and leisure activities are an important part of children's school function, including children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study was to examine the association between motor proficiency, performing recreational, and leisure activities in school for the children with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 52 students with autism spectrum disorder aged 7-12 years old were selected by available sampling method and the students with co morbidity were excluded from the study. Data were collected using a school function assessment (SFA) and the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency-Second Edition (BOTMP-2). Results: The results of Pearson correlation coefficient showed that there was a significant positive linear relationship with moderate strength between performing recreational and leisure activities and components of motor proficiency, including gross motor skills (P = 0.001, r = 0.41), upper limb coordination (P=0.000, r=0.44), and fine motor skills (P = 0.00, r = 0.58). Also, the results of multiple linear regression model indicated that only the fine motor skills as one of the components of motor proficiency had the ability to predict performing recreational and leisure activities(β = 0.5, P = 0.002). Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that there was a relationship between performing recreational, leisure activities, and motor proficiency and the highest correlation was observed with fine motor skills, upper limb coordination, and gross motor skills, respectively. Also, fine motor skills had a moderate predictive ability. Thus, in order to improve student's function in their school, perceptual motor interventions would be an important part of their treatment program.