Background: Coffin-Siris Syndrome (CSS) is a rare genetic disorder caused by de novo mutations in the BAF-complex, resulting in severe developmental delays. Despite insights from case studies, the...Show moreBackground: Coffin-Siris Syndrome (CSS) is a rare genetic disorder caused by de novo mutations in the BAF-complex, resulting in severe developmental delays. Despite insights from case studies, the relationship between developmental characteristics of CSS-affected children and parental caregiving burden remains underexplored. Method: This study mainly aimed to investigate to what extent language proficiency and adaptive functioning predict the parental caregiving burden for CSS-affected children, whilst accounting for the chronological age of the children. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires to assess language proficiency (PPVT, CELF-4-NL, CELF-Preschool-2-NL), adaptive functioning (ABAS-3-NL) and parental caregiving burden (OBVL). The sample included 26 CSS-affected children aged 4-18 years (M = 10.30 years, SD = 4.23 years), recruited from the LUMC expert clinic and patient associations in the Netherlands and Belgium. Results: Language comprehension did not correlate significantly with parental caregiving burden. The correlation remained non-significant after controlling for chronological age. Similar patterns were observed between language comprehension and adaptive functioning and between adaptive functioning and caregiving burden. Chronological age significantly correlated positively with language comprehension (r = 0.43, p = 0.04), and a trend was observed for a negative correlation between age and adaptive functioning (r = -0.39, p = 0.08). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that neither language comprehension nor adaptive functioning significantly predicted parental caregiving burden (R² = 0.13; F(2,15) = 1.130; p = .349). even after controlling for chronological age (R² = 0.148; F(3,15) = 1.199, p = .315). Conclusion: Despite exploring language proficiency, adaptive functioning, and chronological age in CSS-affected children, no significant predictors were identified for parental caregiving burden. Further research is needed to deepen our understanding of the developmental trajectories and caregiving dynamics within CSS-affected families.Show less
Sensitive parenting is important for promoting the parent-child relationship and children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development. Parental factors related to sensitive parenting are...Show moreSensitive parenting is important for promoting the parent-child relationship and children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development. Parental factors related to sensitive parenting are depression and parental self-efficacy. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between depression and sensitive parenting, and whether parental self-efficacy mediates this association. Participants were 17 Dutch mothers and 4 Dutch fathers of children aged 3-5 years. Parents played 5-10 minutes with their child during two measurement moments, while the researcher was present through a Microsoft Teams connection. A video of the playing was recorded. In between the two measurement moments, parents completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression-questionnaire (CES-D) and the Me as a Parent-questionnaire (MaaP). Afterwards, the video recordings were encoded according to the Ainsworth sensitivity scale. Only the relation between depression and sensitivity was significant, where depression was positively related to sensitivity. There was no indication found for a mediational role of parental self-efficacy in the relation between depression and sensitivity. Explanatory theories, limitations and practical implications were discussed. Future research will have to show which other factors can explain these unexpected findings.Show less
This study examines primary school teachers' knowledge of mathematic teaching and learning trajectories, and didactic models, focusing on the teaching and learning trajectories of 'multi-digit...Show moreThis study examines primary school teachers' knowledge of mathematic teaching and learning trajectories, and didactic models, focusing on the teaching and learning trajectories of 'multi-digit addition and subtraction' and 'time'. The study aims to identify knowledge gaps to ensure teachers have adequate knowledge to meet their students' diverse mathematical needs. Factors like the grade level teachers teach, teaching experience, and instructional methods are also considered. The study uses a questionnaire to assess teachers' understanding, including a sequencing task for arranging arithmetic tasks and identifying didactic model phases. Results show teachers better understand the teaching and learning trajectories for 'multi-digit addition and subtraction' than for 'time' (n = 33). Grade level does not affect the knowledge of teaching and learning trajectories, but less experienced teachers sometimes show more insight. The teaching method used also relates to knowledge levels. Teachers excel at classifying assignments by one didactic model but struggle with another. Regarding knowledge acquisition, it appears that teachers gain more understanding of teaching and learning trajectories, and didactic models after completing their teacher education rather than during it.Show less
Due to the high prevalence of eating issues for young children, it is important to understand how parental factors can influence these issues. This study investigates the link between temperament...Show moreDue to the high prevalence of eating issues for young children, it is important to understand how parental factors can influence these issues. This study investigates the link between temperament and picky eating for three-year-old children, and the role of maternal parenting styles like restrictive eating and pressure to eat. The research aims to explore the mediating role of these parenting styles in the relationship between shy or anxious temperament and picky eating in young children. Participants were recruited from the 'Baby’s First Bites' study, which tracked mothers and their firstborn children until the child turned 36 months old. In this study 84 mothers completed the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ) to assess temperament, the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) to assess picky eating, and the Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire (IFSQ) to assess feeding styles. To examine the research hypotheses, a correlation matrix was used to determine whether high levels of shy or anxious temperament correlate with elevated levels of picky eating. Additionally, to evaluate direct and indirect relationships, a mediation analysis was conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS model 4. For the correlation and the mediation, a significance level of alpha = .05 was maintained for all hypotheses. Results showed no significant associations between shy or anxious temperament and picky eating. Furthermore, maternal restrictive eating and pressure to eat do not mediate these relationships. These findings contrast with prior research, potentially due to differences in terminology, measurement tools, age of the children, and sample characteristics. Future studies should investigate the longitudinal interplay among temperament, parenting styles, and picky eating, using robust and varied measurement tools while accounting for demographic factors like location and ethnicity to minimize biases.Show less
Children with sex chromosome trisomy (SCT) are at increased risk for psychopathology, particularly within the social domain. This study investigates whether children with SCT exhibit elevated...Show moreChildren with sex chromosome trisomy (SCT) are at increased risk for psychopathology, particularly within the social domain. This study investigates whether children with SCT exhibit elevated autism traits compared to typically developing children, given the difficulties in social interaction and communication that are typical of autism spectrum disorders. The sample comprised 67 children with SCT (27 girls with XXX, 29 boys with XXY, 11 boys with XYY) and 70 typically developing children, aged 2.5 to 7.5 years. Autism traits were assessed using the Social Responsiveness Scale, Second edition (SRS-2). Statistical analyses revealed that children with SCT demonstrate more severe deficits in social responsiveness than typically developing children, scoring primarily in the subclinical range. Children with SCT scored significantly higher on all assessed autism aspects, with social awareness being the least affected compared to the control group. No differences were found across different karyotypes, suggesting a consistent elevation of autism traits across SCT genetic variants. Age had no effect on the severity of autism traits, implying stability across development. These insights enhance understanding of the specific needs and challenges of children with SCT in their social development, which is crucial for the development of effective support and intervention programs. Additionally, these findings underscore the importance of early detection and intervention for children with SCT, with autism traits serving as potential early indicators of SCT presence.Show less
The reading skills of children in the Netherlands have been significantly declining since 2015. Reading skills are fundamental for successful participation in society. The reading enjoyment of...Show moreThe reading skills of children in the Netherlands have been significantly declining since 2015. Reading skills are fundamental for successful participation in society. The reading enjoyment of children is also declining and reading enjoyment is associated with reading skills. Research has shown that struggling readers need individualized intensive multicomponent reading interventions to improve their reading skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two online reading interventions on reading skills and reading enjoyment of struggling readers in grades 4 and 5. The first reading intervention, the ‘Universele Interventie voor Lezen’ (UIL), is individualized and intensive and uses direct and explicit instruction. The second reading intervention, the ‘Meelees Interventie’ (MLI), is individualized, but less intensive and makes less use of direct and explicit instruction. Both interventions cover multiple components of reading. The interventions were compared to a wait-list control group (CG) in which children received the UIL at the end of the study. Reading skills were divided in word reading, reading fluency and reading comprehension and were measured using CBM word reading, CBM reading aloud, and CBM maze-selection. Reading enjoyment was measured using the Reading and Me Survey. Results revealed that struggling readers in the intervention conditions (UIL and MLI) made significantly greater pre-posttest gains in word reading than did struggling readers in the control group. No significant effects were found for reading fluency, reading comprehension or reading enjoyment. The results suggest that providing extra, intensive individualized multicomponent reading interventions to struggling 4th- and 5th-grade readers over a period of 4 weeks with 8 sessions may increase their word reading skills, but not their reading fluency skills, their reading comprehension skills or their reading enjoyment. In addition, the results suggest that interventions with more and less direct and explicit instruction were equally effective.Show less
Deze bachelorscriptie onderzoekt descriptieve representatie op gemeenteniveau in Nederland. Dit onderzoek kijkt als een van de eerste onderzoeken naar descriptieve representatie als afhankelijke...Show moreDeze bachelorscriptie onderzoekt descriptieve representatie op gemeenteniveau in Nederland. Dit onderzoek kijkt als een van de eerste onderzoeken naar descriptieve representatie als afhankelijke variabele. Hiermee wordt een wetenschappelijke bijdrage geleverd door te onderzoeken welke factoren een invloed hebben op de mate van descriptieve representatie. In dit onderzoek worden regressieanalyses gebruikt om te onderzoeken of er een correlatie bestaat tussen descriptieve representatie van vrouwen, mensen met een migratieachtergrond en leeftijd als afhankelijke variabelen. Daarnaast gaat het in dit onderzoek om het aandeel hoogopgeleiden, gemiddeld inkomen per persoon en de mate van religieuze aanhang in een gemeente als onafhankelijke variabele. Er wordt geconcludeerd dat opleidingsniveau een positief verband kent met descriptieve representatie. Gemiddeld inkomen kent een negatief verband bij descriptieve representatie van vrouwen en voor mensen van de leeftijd van 18 tot en met 35 jaar. De mate van religieuze aanhang heeft een negatief effect op de descriptieve representatie van vrouwen. Voor migratieachtergrond en leeftijd zijn er in dit onderzoek geen statistisch significante verbanden gevonden.Show less
Dit onderzoek richt zich op uitdagingen en ondersteuningsbehoeften op het gebied van psychosociaal functioneren en zelfredzaamheid van jonge vrouwen vanaf achttien jaar die ongepland zwanger zijn...Show moreDit onderzoek richt zich op uitdagingen en ondersteuningsbehoeften op het gebied van psychosociaal functioneren en zelfredzaamheid van jonge vrouwen vanaf achttien jaar die ongepland zwanger zijn geraakt en een eigen woonplek hebben. De studie is uitgevoerd middels semi-gestructureerde interviews en is kwalitatief van aard. Er is voor een kwalitatieve benadering gekozen omdat op deze manier diepere kennis vergaard kan worden. Daarnaast is gekozen voor een selecte steekproef, waarbij alleen de cliënten van Siriz zijn geworven op vrijwillige basis. De uiteindelijke steekproef bestond uit twee personen. De data zijn geanalyseerd door middel van een inhoudsanalyse om te kunnen achterhalen wat de uitdagingen en behoeften van de ongeplande zwangere vrouwen zijn. Tevens is een literatuuronderzoek uitgevoerd. Uit de literatuur blijkt dat ongeplande zwangerschappen gepaard kunnen gaan met fysieke problemen en een negatievere kijk op hun zwangerschap en bevalling dan vrouwen met een geplande zwangerschap (Karaçam et al., 2011). Echter was er beperkte beschikbare literatuur. De gevonden informatie sluit hierdoor niet volledig aan op de onderzoeksvraag. Het empirisch onderzoek toonde aan dat de deelnemers vooral uitdagingen ervaren op het gebied van gebrekkig contact met eigen opvoeders, financiën, sociale vaardigheden en beide deelnemers hebben geen relatie meer met de biologische vader van hun kinderen. Daarnaast blijkt uit het onderzoek dat de behoeften verschilden per individu. De deelnemers gaven aan behoefte te hebben aan meer duidelijkheid en ondersteuning na de bevalling, aan meer lichaamsbeweging en om te stoppen met roken. Tevens gaven ze aan behoefte te hebben aan opvang of een oppas voor hun kind om werk of studie te kunnen combineren met de verzorging van het kind. Tot slot was er behoefte aan oude leefgewoonten. Om de vrouwen binnen Siriz optimaal te kunnen helpen, is het van belang dat er naar gestreefd wordt om elke ongepland zwangere vrouw de juiste hulp en ondersteuning te bieden bij haar specifieke situatie. Maatwerk is daarom een cruciaal aspect. De ondersteuning kan geboden worden middels voorlichting, trainingen of intensieve een-op-een begeleiding. Geadviseerd wordt dat Siriz zich gaat richten op het bieden van gerichte ondersteuning op de veelvoorkomende uitdagingen en behoeften die in dit onderzoek naar voren zijn gekomen. Dit kan ervoor zorgen dat de ongepland zwangere vrouwen zich beter kunnen redden in het dagelijks leven. Door het bieden van ondersteuning kan de zelfredzaamheid en het psychosociaal functioneren verbeterd worden.Show less
Background: Child welfare services face substantial challenges in managing out-of-home placements, with various risk factors influencing the duration and outcomes of these placements. Research has...Show moreBackground: Child welfare services face substantial challenges in managing out-of-home placements, with various risk factors influencing the duration and outcomes of these placements. Research has shown that both maternal and child characteristics can significantly impact the stability and length of these out-of-home placements, yet there is a lack of comprehensive studies examining these relationships within the Dutch context. Understanding these factors is crucial for developing effective interventions and support mechanisms. That is why this study aims to investigate the associations between the duration of out-of-home placements and maternal and child risk factors, as well as the role of help provided during the placement. Method: A case file analysis was conducted of 199 children (104 boys, 95 girls) within the Dutch child welfare system. The data was collected from randomly selected case files from various certified agencies across the Netherlands. The study employes both correlation and regression analysis to examine the relationship between the variables. Results: Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between maternal risk factors and the child’s age and a significant positive correlation with the duration of the placement and the amount of help provided during the placement. Child risk factors were positively correlated with the child’s age and negatively correlated with maternal risk factors. Regression analysis confirmed that maternal risk factors and help during the placement are significant predictors of the duration of out-of-home placements. Conclusions: This study underscores the importance of targeted interventions addressing maternal risk factors and providing psycho-education for mothers regarding their role in the duration of out-of-home placements. Additionally, it is crucial to ensure that access to support services is easy and straightforward for mothers, to encourage their engagement and participation in available interventions.Show less
Background: Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder where individuals fail to speak in specific situations despite being able to speak in others. Research indicates a significant association...Show moreBackground: Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder where individuals fail to speak in specific situations despite being able to speak in others. Research indicates a significant association between selective mutism and social anxiety. Moreover, specific parental behaviours, particularly overprotection, are linked to the development of social anxiety in children. In families with children diagnosed with selective mutism, various parenting styles are observed. Aim: This study analyses the possible relation between parental behaviour and social anxiety in four- and five-year-old children, both with and without the risk of developing selective mutism. Method: The current comparative study employs a cross-sectional design (n = 31), comprising fifteen children in the risk group and sixteen children in the comparison group. Two questionnaires completed by parents were used: the Social Anxiety Scale for Children Revised (SASC-R) to measure social anxiety in their children and the Comprehensive Early Childhood Parenting Questionnaire (CECPAQ) to assess parental behaviour. Results: The main findings indicate that children in the risk group exhibit higher levels of social anxiety and that their parents demonstrate less positive parenting behaviour compared to the control group. No relationship was found between positive parenting behaviour and social anxiety, with group status not being a significant moderator. However, a significant positive correlation was found between the level of structure provided by parents in the risk group and their children's social anxiety. Implications: Longitudinal research and parent-child observations are necessary to further verify and understand these findings. This study suggests that refining and improving interventions for selective mutism may involve increasing the focus on parental behaviour characteristics and parent-child interaction.Show less
Teacher shortage is a significant issue in the Netherlands affecting the entire country, but especially impacting schools in larger cities, where education is particularly important. As a result,...Show moreTeacher shortage is a significant issue in the Netherlands affecting the entire country, but especially impacting schools in larger cities, where education is particularly important. As a result, the children at those schools are more severely affected by the shortage and the shortage therefore acts as a catalyst for social inequality. Strategies to prevent teacher attrition and to promote teacher retention remain unclear. Therefore, in this thesis the motivating and demotivating factors for being a teacher in The Hague were examined. Through interviewing primary education teachers (n=5) and secondary education teachers (n=5) in The Hague, along with a literature study, was attempted to define those factors. The self-determination theory was used as a framework to describe the motivation of teachers. Results showed that fulfilling the basic psychological needs could motivate teachers in their work, while failure to satisfy the basic needs could demotivate teachers. Autonomy seemed crucial, including involvement in decision-making, feeling heard and professional development aligned with personal interests. Relatedness seemed to be fostered through positive student-teacher relationships and the sense of contributing to students' development. Competence seemed to be undermined by illegitimate tasks, yet a strong bond with students made teachers feel competent along with good results from students. The findings of this study can be used in educating school leaders in motivating their teachers. It is hoped that this thesis forms a starting point towards a better understanding of teachers' motivation.Show less