No abstract

Pre-school children with special needs face a complex transition to school, requiring additional administrative, social and educational support. In this study, parents of 40 children with special needs reported on the transition to school experience of their 4-6-year-old child. They completed a measure of impact of the child's disability on their family and an assessment of the quality of services experienced. Individual, semi-structured interviews contextualized these evaluations. Twenty children (pre-transition) were in preschool; 20 had already started school (post). Post-transition parents reported less average disability impact on family, generally lower perception of quality of care than pre-transition ones, and long waiting periods for school-based support. Most parents, however, reported satisfactory linkages between prior-to-school services and school. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that, despite the current climate of support for early child development, barriers for satisfactory transition to school still exist, and are largely due to low effectiveness of existing policies.

BackgroundLone-mother led families are at increased risk of psychosocial disadvantage, social isolation and mental health morbidity. Community-based programs are more accessible for families seeking assistance. We examine the experiences of eight lone mothers participating in a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a community-based education/support group program using mixed methods.MethodsA purposeful sample of eight mothers participating in the intervention arm of an RCT of community-based support/education groups was selected for the qualitative study. Individual interviews asked mothers about themselves and their relationships with their children before and after the group. Interviews were taped, transcribed and content analysis was used to code and interpret the data. Quantitative data collected in the RCT were used to describe these mothers.ResultsMothers participating in the RCT and qualitative study experienced multiple difficulties, including financial and mood problems. These mothers reported that before participating in the group, they had shared experiences of social isolation, stigma, a sense of failure, poor relationships with their children and difficulties with financial management. After the group, mothers identified improved self-esteem, support from other mothers, improved parenting skills and improved communication with their children as outcomes of group participation.ConclusionsThe qualitative data revealed mothers' perceptions of specific areas that improved by participating in the group. The utility of complementary information provided by qualitative and quantitative methods in understanding program impact, as well as the need for broader assistance is noted.

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) remain the group most affected by HIV in Canada. Travelling for sex and attendance at specific venues for sex have been linked to elevated HIV risk among GBMSM, but most research on these mobilities and sexual health has focused on GBMSM living in large cities. The purpose of this study was to explore HIV-related sexual risk among GBMSM from mid-sized cities and rural regions who attend gay-specific venues and/or travel for sex. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by a convenience sample of individuals (n = 526) self-identifying as LGBTQ who lived, worked, or studied in Waterloo Region, a mixed urban-rural region in the southwestern part of Ontario, Canada. Analyses for the current study were restricted to those identifying as GBMSM (n = 269). Multinomial logistic regression models were created to explore travelling outside of the Region for sex, as well as recent attendance at gay-specific venues, and their associations with a contextual measure of HIV-related sexual transmission risk. Individuals reporting high HIV risk were significantly more likely to travel outside of Waterloo Region for sex than individuals reporting no HIV risk (OR = 3.08; 95% CI: 1.20, 7.93). The association between travel and risk was strengthened after controlling for education, marital status, sexual orientation, gender modality, and social support (OR = 5.07; 95% CI: 1.73, 14.87). GBMSM who reside outside of large cities may travel farther, enter unfamiliar scenes, or be less privy to information disseminated through current health promotion initiatives for GBMSM in large cities. Due to the dynamic geographic status of GBMSM travelling for sex and attendance at venues, HIV prevention initiatives that target these individuals may benefit from additional conceptualization of health promotion delivery in terms of social and sexual networks, rather than simply by place of residence.