This study examined the effectiveness of data-driven grade-wide positive behavior support (GWPBS) in addition to the first tier of school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) for first graders. To make decisions about support, the study used data on the number of student instructional records (SIRs) based on the Office Discipline Referral in the United States. The GWPBS consisted of first-tier support for all first year students and second-tier support for some students. The second tier support was targeted at students with a high number of SIRs. To examine the effectiveness of the GWPBS, we also administered a questionnaire on student adjustment and maladjustment. The result of the GWPBS indicated that the number of SIRs in the first grade decreased. Specifically, the study observed a sufficient decrease in target behaviors, which were not sufficiently reduced by SWPBS alone. The questionnaire results indicated improvement in maladaptive indicators among first graders (GWPBS), which was not observed in other grades. The results implied that the GWPBS was effective for reducing inappropriate behaviors and improving the associated subjective maladjustment among students in the first grade.

【Research Impact】

This study examined the effectiveness of grade-wide positive behavior support (GWPBS), including data-based decision making, a standard practice in school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) in the United States. This is the first practical study on data-based GWPBS, and the results are important for the future dissemination and development of SWPBS in Japan.

Poor parenting leads to psychosocial maladjustment in children. It is crucial to promote good parenting practices. Expanding support for maltreatment prevention is important. Some programs have proven effective in improving parenting, but few studies have examined their effectiveness when implemented by child-care professionals without specialized psychological skills, including nursery school teachers or public health nurses. We investigated the effectiveness of a parenting program, called the Parent Program, implemented by nursery school teachers or public health nurses engaged in child-care support. The participants were 12 mothers (aged 35.92±3.55) in two communities. The effectiveness of the program was demonstrated in all measured variables. Mental health showed a large effect size (η2p＝0.31), positive parenting behaviors showed a moderate effect size (g＝0.55), and negative parenting behaviors (g＝0.49) and child's maladjustment (g＝0.45) showed moderate to low effect sizes. These findings support previous studies where professionals with specialized psychological skills implemented this program, suggesting that it is effective for improving parenting even when implemented by non-specialized workers engaged in childcare support.

【Research Impact】

This study demonstrated that the Parent Program, implemented by public health nurses or nursery school teachers who did not possess advanced skills in clinical psychology or special needs education was as effective as the program implemented by professionals with such expertise. These findings suggest that effective support for parenting can be achieved through the Parent Program, even in communities where childcare workers without advanced professional skills are involved.

Young children with hearing impairment are typically at high risk of reduced access to rich communicative interaction during infancy. This study describes the social interaction between a child (A) and a teacher (first author) in the special education section of a kindergarten school across a period of eight months. This study aims to investigate the factors that elicit social interaction. The result indicates that the most frequent responses from A were imitative prompts and receptions in the early stage of activities. In the latter half, the study observes an improvement in the relationship between A and the teacher through intersubjective involvement. Nonverbal signs were used to signal responses and promote understanding of the intent of conversation, leading to an increase in responses to questions and other utterances from A. This result indicates the development of mutual negotiation. A possibility exists that these results can encourage social interaction that corresponds to the development level of the child through adults who become specific familiar others.

【Research Impact】

This study examines the relationship development support for infants with hearing impairment, which enriches interaction and elicits responses, and early language support using sign language and residual hearing. Studies that examine effective methods for interacting with infants with hearing impairment and that focus on the content of a signer's speech and nonverbal signs are scarce. The current study highlights the importance of the involvement of teachers in relationship development support and demonstrates the influence of intersubjective involvement on the developmental process of interaction.

This study examines the progress and changes in a trial practice of a child–parent support program for adolescent autistic girls (Amanatsu Charm). Four online individual sessions were conducted with an eight-year-old autistic girl and her mother. This practice aims to promote awareness of the physiological condition of the body and understanding of interpersonal relationships and communication. We analyzed drawings about the current internal state of the body and conducted a feeling check before and after each session as well as the contents of her comments during the sessions. Through the practice, the participant experienced difficulty in accurately understanding and expressing interoception. The categorization of her comments indicated the characteristics of her coping mechanism with the situation. Therefore, we examined the extent to which the features of the program met the practice's objectives and their use in future practices.

【Research Impact】

Adolescent autistic girls frequently experience specific difficulties in interpersonal relationships and aspects related to their body. This practical study examined the trial practice of approaching an adolescent autistic girl to promote awareness of the internal body and to help her acquire daily self-care skills. Furthermore, we presented suggestions for future practice based on the features of this program.

In this study, we focused on the pentagon copying task of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) as a psychological evaluation for the diagnosis of dementia. We present a case of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) in which the patient drew extremely small figures as the disease progresses. In addition, 21 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 22 patients with DLB underwent the qualitative scoring MMSE pentagon test (QSPT) made by Caffarra et al. (2013) in which the area of the copied figure was measured. Compared with the AD group, the DLB group made significantly more basic gestalt errors, such as the number of corners and how they overlapped, and their copied figures tended to be significantly smaller. This suggested that errors in the basic gestalt may be related to visual attention and visual cognition, and the tendency to draw smaller replica figures small be related to micrographia, which often occurs in Parkinson's syndrome.

【Research Impact】

This study focused on the interpretation of dementia screening test results for the assessment of dementia, which is the most common task for psychologists working with patients in the developmental stage of old age. We compared the characteristics of DLB and AD associated with graphic reproduction, which is an important index for diagnosing dementia, and obtained useful information for diagnosing dementia.

We used joint action routines for a child (mental age＝3 years) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at a special needs school to investigate developmental transitioning from understanding intentions to shared intentionality. We defined shared intentionality as involving cooperative activities, role reversal simulations, and active engagement in ternary relations. We employed joint action routines to improve cooperative activities and active engagement in ternary relations and conducted pre- and postintervention early social cognitive assessments. The participating child accomplished cooperative activities such as sharing goals and plans with peers and laying a tablecloth. Such actions were generalized in discrete situations. Active engagement in ternary relations increased during the end-of-the-day assessment based on declarative expressions and utterances that indicated initiative in social interactions, which was generalized. During the postintervention assessment, the participant successfully simulated a role reversal task that our intervention did not target, providing references to the faces of the testers. We thus determined the relevant factors involved in the transition from understanding intentions to shared intentionality in children with ASD.

【Research Impact】

This study is the first to implement joint action routines in a special needs education school rather than through laboratory instruction to investigate the development of shared intentionality in children with ASD. In addition to daily-life assessment, the resulting development was multidimensionally evaluated using structured pre- and postintervention assessments. The developmental process was thus identified, and the significance of joint action routines in daily life context was determined.

This study determined the effectiveness of problem-solving scripts and comic script conversations in supporting an elementary-school student with autism spectrum disorder in the formulation and verbal communication of solutions in interpersonal conflict situations based on the feelings of others. A problem-solving script was enacted by two actors (an aggressor and a victim) to depict common conflicts in school life. The study participant recognized the feelings of the actor and suggested solutions verbally. The actors then enacted the suggested solution. Results revealed an increase in solution formulation with reference to the feelings of the aggressor and in the types of solutions offered, such as receptive and reciprocal, which consider the feelings of others. Further, the study noted a decrease in one-directional recommendation, which overlooks the feelings of others. In the generalization test, which featured conflict during play, the participant offered receptive and reciprocal solutions. When discomforted by his friend's words at school, the participant provided a reciprocal solution. The study further considered the factors that contributed to the achievement of this objective.

【Research Impact】

Using scripts and comic strip conversations, we provided support to a student with autism spectrum disorder in developing coping strategies during interpersonal conflict. The result indicated an increase in the number and types of solutions suggested by the participant that consider the feelings of others. This support method can be used without advanced specialized knowledge and skills; thus, it in various support sites such as education institutions.

This study adopted a mixed-methods approach to examine the effects of maternal baseline anxiety symptoms on the efficacy of family cognitive behavioral therapy (FCBT) and the resulting qualitative changes in the participants. Mothers of children with developmental disabilities aged 6–12 years participated in an FCBT program for their children's anxiety symptoms. The participants were dichotomized into high (n＝5) and low (n＝19) anxiety groups and between-group differences were examined. Quantitative data analysis revealed no significant differences in the efficacy of the intervention between the groups. However, qualitative analysis showed differences regarding awareness and behavioral changes during the intervention. Quantitative and qualitative data were integrated to show changes in participants' environment, maternal mental and physical state, their relationship with their children, and their children's status after the intervention. Finally, interventions for anxiety symptoms in children with developmental disabilities were discussed considering the degree of maternal anxiety.

【Research Impact】

By including an intervention for maternal anxiety symptoms during the FCBT program, mothers with high baseline anxiety symptoms could engage in the program, resulting in increased efficacy for both groups. The results of this study suggest that intervention for anxiety symptoms in children with developmental disabilities should be tailored to the degree of maternal anxiety symptoms.

The aim of this study was to use a developmental cascade framework to examine the interrelationship between the externalizing and internalizing problems and prosocial behaviors of children from late infancy (age 3) to late childhood (age 10). A cross-lagged panel model was used to analyze the behavioral assessments of children made by 210 mothers. Their children were aged 3–10 years. Externalizing problems at all times negatively affected prosocial behavior, even when controlled for maternal depression. An externalizing problem at the age of 7 years positively affected an internalizing problem at 8 years. Prosocial behavior at the age of 9 years negatively affected an externalizing problem at 10 years. These results support the developmental cascade and show the importance of intervention in externalizing problems from infancy to childhood regardless of age.

【Research Impact】

This study is possibly the first in Japan to examine the interrelationship of children's behavior over time based on an 8-year longitudinal study within the framework of a developmental cascade. Results suggest that externalizing problems decrease prosocial behavior and children's behavioral problems may be related from early to late childhood.

This study defined indirect prosocial behaviors as covert prosocial behavior and investigated how such behaviors are understood by children. In particular, we used a questionnaire to examine developmental differences in evaluations of overt and covert social behaviors occurring in the same situation. Preliminary research provided four stories for this purpose. Our participants were fourth- and sixth-grade elementary school students, who were surveyed to determine whether a presented behavior was prosocial. The results showed no differences across age in the evaluation of overt behavior compared to covert behavior, and overt behavior was rated as more prosocial than covert behavior. The findings indicate that throughout childhood, children judged overt behavior to be more prosocial. Furthermore, the interaction between grade and behavior type was significant, with sixth-grade students having higher prosocial evaluations for covert behavior than fourth-grade students. This result showed developmental differences in the ability to recognize the prosocial intentions of those who engaged in covert behavior.

This study examined longitudinal associations of the amount of time spent on watching TV/DVDs and using smartphones from ages 0 to 3 years with sleeping and waking times and emotional and behavioral problems scale scores at the age of 4 years. We analyzed the data collected from 1,678 mothers (mean age＝37.11 years) at five different time intervals. We performed a nonparametric test to determine differences among the scores obtained at different time intervals, used the growth mixture model to elucidate the trajectories of changes in screen time, and analyzed the partial correlation by controlling some demographic variables. Overall, prolonged time of using smartphones was associated with negative SDQ scores and delayed sleep and waking time. This study reported the association between sleep indices and time of using smartphones in children aged 0–1 years for the first time. This study provided important insights into the effects of using digital media on infants in Japan.

【Research Impact】

This study has significant practical and policy implications because it uses longitudinal data to demonstrate the effects of the duration of digital media use of each age group from 0 to 3 years on children's developmental outcomes. In the context of the shift toward children of younger ages using digital media, this study provides useful implications for the duration of digital media use among Japanese infants and toddlers.

This study elucidates the feelings of mothers raising daughters while sensing their developmental traits, without clear diagnosis, by focusing on their relationship. We conducted semi-structured interviews with mothers who perceived that their first-grade daughters exhibited developmental traits. Based on their narratives, we found that the mothers find that raising daughters with these traits is easy; however, adapting to the behaviors of their daughters is “a hassle.” As their understanding of these developmental traits progressed, mothers viewed their daughters from a different perspective. When viewed from the same-gender perspective, the difficulties and troublesome relationships they experienced became a filter, such that the mothers treated their daughters as “girls with traits” and “traits plus girls” and provided preemptive support to enable their daughters to learn social skills for complex friendships in the future. Mothers who objectively considered their daughters to be the same as themselves could detect changes in their relationships, whereby the daughters emerged as full individuals in three dimensions. In this manner, the mothers and daughters became mutually supportive.

【Research Impact】

So far, mothers' feelings toward their daughters with developmental traits and the changes in mothers' self-understanding have not been adequately examined. Mothers' perceptions of their daughters' difficulties, which change from discouragement to providing security along with social support, and the transformation of their relationship with their daughters–resulting from understanding their daughters' traits–need clarification. This study recommends social support for mothers raising daughters with developmental traits.