Quality of life (QOL) is one of the most researched topics in the field of disability in the last 30 years. However, there are few studies that examined the QOL in relation to the type of disability and self-reported health status. The goal of the present study was to examine the QOL in people with disabilities in relation to the type of disability and self-reported health status. The sample for this study consisted of 286 people with disabilities who were interviewed using the Personal Outcomes Scale as a measure of QOL. The results of this study revealed statistically significant differences in the self-reported QOL between people with different types of disabilities. The results also revealed a moderating effect that self-reported health status had on QOL across disability categories. There were no interaction effects of self-reported health status and disability category on the QOL. Generally, people with intellectual disability reported lower QOL than people in other disability categories. Self-reported health status had a significant impact on the QOL across the disability groups. Non-governmental organizations can, through their policies and practices, enhance the person-referenced QOL outcomes.

INTRODUCTION Bacterial meningitis is a severe disease with high morbidity. Many medical conditions are known to be associated with meningitis including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The goal of the present study was to examine the frequency of ADHD in children who had had bacterial meningitis. An additional goal was to assess the odds ratio for ADHD in children who had had meningitis and children who had not had it. METHODS The sample comprised 60 children who had had meningitis in the first year of their lives and 60 control children who had not had the disease. ADHD was assessed through the structural clinical interviews with parents according to the criteria set in DSM-IV. RESULTS The total frequency of ADHD in children who had had meningitis was 62%, as compared to 5% in children who had not had the disease. The odds ratio for developing ADHD was 30.5 (95% CI = 8.5 to 109) in favor of children in the meningitis group. CONCLUSION Meningitis is a significant risk factor for developing ADHD later in childhood. Children who had meningitis need to be monitored for timely detecting and treating ADHD symptoms.

Normal 0 false false false BS-LATN-BA X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} Early intervention (EI) is widely recognized system of providing supports to children aged 0-5 years of age. Current evidence suggests that EI is the most efficacious method for reducing and potentially eliminating the symptoms of developmental disabilities. It is also widely used with children at risk or with children who already have some developmental delay. Unfortunately, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) does not have a well-developed system of EI. The goal of this paper is to describe the current trends in the field of EI in BIH and to describe one model of EI provision that is implemented in Zenica-Doboj Canton. There is a strong interest in creating the efficient system of early intervention in BIH. The different ideas about EI are coming from different stakeholders in the field, from Nongovernmental Organizations, UNICEF, local ministries of health, social welfare and education to the educational institutions providing services and supports to children with disabilities and their families. BIH needs to expand the system of EI and to improve the educational and rehabilitation opportunities for children with developmental disabilities. Centers, as the one described in this paper, need to be established across BIH.

Abstract Quality of life (QOL) of people with intellectual disability is increasingly becoming the target for intervention and a measure of success of different support programs. Knowing the predictors of QOL might make the support programs more effective. In the present study, QOL of 152 persons with intellectual disability was assessed through the personal outcomes scale (POS)-self report. Total score on the POS was used as a dependent variable and age, sex, level of intellectual disability, employment status and marriage status were assessed as the potential predictors of QOL. The statistically significant predictors of QOL were level of intellectual disability and employment status. These predictors explained 19% of variance in POS scores. The results of this study indicate that the strategies aimed at increasing the QOL of people with disability must focus on finding and expanding the employment opportunities for people with intellectual disability. The role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can be very significant in this regard. The article concludes with a discussion of how predictors of QOL outcomes reported by other investigators could be incorporated into the policies and practices of NGOs to enhance person-referenced QOL outcomes.

Aim: The goal of this study was to examine the general satisfaction of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with treatment opportunities for their children in Bosnia and Herzegovina. An additional goal was to assess the level of mothers’ satisfaction with their own involvement in the creation and implementation of Individual Education Plans. Methods: The sample consisted of 98 mothers of children with ASD. Mothers answered to questions related to their perceived satisfaction with treatment options. Results: The results of this study indicated that mothers are generally satisfied with educational opportunities for their children (61.2%). However, their satisfaction with involvement in the creation and implementation of Individual Education Programs was much lower (35.7%). Most comments of the mothers were that the treatment options should be more widely available and that the educational programs could be improved. Conclusions: Parents of children with ASD should have more information on the treatment options available for their children. More educational opportunities need to be offered to children with ASD in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Emotion recognition is very important for successful social interactions. This study compared adolescents with intellectual disability and adolescents with hearing impairment on a facial emotion recognition task. The sample for this study comprised 78 adolescents (46.2% females, 53.8% males; M age = 16.4, SD = 1.0) divided into three groups (N = 26) of adolescents with intellectual disability, adolescents with hearing impairment, and adolescents without disabilities. Emotion recognition abilities were measured using a computerized Emotion Recognition Test. Adolescents with intellectual disability achieved lower scores on Emotion Recognition Test in comparison with adolescents with hearing impairment and adolescents without disabilities. There were no significant differences on Emotion Recognition Test between adolescents with hearing impairment and adolescents without disabilities. Given the importance of emotion recognition in everyday functioning, it is of crucial importance to have emotional training programs as part of the school curriculum.

Background . Self-regulation is an important executive function responsible for the control of emotions, behaviors and inner processes. It is related to the academic success of the children as well as to their cognitive and social development. Children with intellectual disability are reported to have significant deficits in self-regulation skills. Objective. The goal of this study was to examine self-regulation skills in children with mild intellectual disability. The addi­tional goals were to examine self-regulation in relation to the child’s gender and to examine the relationship between age and self-regulation. Method . The sample for this study com­prised 42 children with mild intellectual disability, aged 7 to 15. There were 22 boys and 20 girls. Self- regulation was assessed with the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Results . The results indicated that 10 children or 23.8% had clinically significant deficit in self-regulation skills. Self-regulation skills in this sample were significantly lower as com pared to the normative sample. Boys had better self-regulation skills than the girls in this sample. Self-regulation skills were impro­ving with age for this sample of participants. Conclusion . Given the fact that these skills can be improved, it is suggested that educa­tional institutions should give more attention to the development of executive functions at school age. Educational institu­tions should consider incorporating the training of executive functions into their curriculums.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is very frequent in children with intellectual disability. The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence of ADHD in children with intellectual disability in Bosnia and Herzegovina with regard to their sex, etiology and level of intellectual disability. The method for data collection was the examination of the children's medical records. The sample consisted of 167 children attending two special education facilities in Sarajevo. Overall occurrence of the disorder was found to be 20.4%, a finding which is in accordance with existing studies. The results in this study revealed different male to female ratio (1.5:1) of the disorder as compared to existing studies. A difference in the prevalence of ADHD was found in relation to the level of intellectual disability. There are many children with dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and ADHD. It is necessary that multidisciplinary team is involved in the creation of behavioral and educational programs for these children.

Executive functions (EF) play a key role in child’s cognitive, behavioral and emotional development. There are many instruments and tests created to measure different aspects of EF in children. One of the most widely used measures for assessing EF is the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). The goal of the present study was to assess the factor structure of the 8 domains of EF in children with intellectual disability. Special education teachers of 90 children with intellectual disability aged 7-15 years (54 boys, 36 girls) filled the Bosnian translation of BRIEFteacher version. BRIEF is valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of executive functions. It is composed of the 8 EF domains: Inhibit, Shift, Emotional Control, Initiate, Working Memory, Plan/Organize, Organization of Materials and Monitor. The results of this study confirmed the original two factor structure of the BRIEF for children with intellectual disability. Total percentage of explained variance for two factors was 83.6%. The data obtained in this study almost perfectly followed the original factor structure of the BRIEF. BRIEF seems to have stable factor structure across the samples. Thus, it can be validly used in many clinical populations. Given the format of the BRIEF, it can be used in identifying weaknesses and creating programs for enhancing EF in children.

Attention defi cit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is very frequent in children with intellectual disability. The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence of ADHD in children with intellectual disability in Bosnia and Herzegovina with regard to their sex, etiology and level of intellectual disability. The method for data collection was the examination of the children’s medical records. The sample consisted of 167 children attending two special education facilities in Sarajevo. Overall occurrence of the disorder was found to be 20.4%, a fi nding which is in accordance with existing studies. The results in this study revealed different male to female ratio (1.5:1) of the disorder as compared to existing studies. A difference in the prevalence of ADHD was found in relation to the level of intellectual disability. There are many children with dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and ADHD. It is necessary that multidisciplinary team is involved in the creation of behavioral and educational programs for these children.

BACKGROUND Executive function is very important in the children's overall development. The goal of this study was to assess the executive function in children with intellectual disability (ID) through the use of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) teacher version. An additional goal was to examine the differences in executive function in relation to child's sex, level and aetiology of ID. METHOD The sample consisted of 90 children with ID attending two special education schools in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. There were 42 children with mild ID and 48 children with moderate ID. Of those, 54 were boys and 36 were girls. Children were classified into three etiological categories: 30 children with Down syndrome, 30 children with other genetic cause or organic brain injury and 30 children with unknown aetiology of ID. Special education teachers, who knew the children for at least 6 months filled the BRIEF. RESULTS Children with ID had a significant deficit in executive function as measured by the BRIEF. There were no statistically significant differences in executive function in relation to the child's sex. Level of ID had a significant effect on executive function. In relation to the aetiology of ID, the only significant difference was on the Shift scale of the BRIEF. CONCLUSIONS Knowing what executive function is most impaired in children with ID will help professionals design better intervention strategies. More attention needs to be given to the assessment of executive function and its subsequent intervention in the school settings.

Fine motor skills are very important for children’s overall functioning. Their development is necessary for many everyday activities such as dressing, feeding, holding objects, etc. Moreover, fine motor skills are also correlated to the childrens’ academic success at school. Recent research suggests a close relationship between motor skills and intelligence. Given the relative paucity of literature on fine motor skills in different etiological groups of children with intellectual disability (ID), we examined these skills in children with Down syndrome. The sample for this study comprised 90 children with ID, aged 7-15, who were divided in three etiological groups: 1. Down syndrome, 2. Organic/other genetic cause of ID and 3. Unknown etiology of ID. Fine motor skills were assessed by the Purdue Pegboard Test. The results of this study indicate that children with Down syndrome did not differ statistically significantly from the other two etiological groups. On the other hand, children with unknown etiology of ID performed statistically better than children with organic/other genetic cause of ID. An additional goal was to examine fine motor skills in children with Down syndrome in relation to the child’s sex. There were no statistically significant differences in fine motor skills between girls and boys with Down syndrome. It is important to provide children with Down syndrome, and all other children with ID, with early (re)habilitation programs for the improvement of their fine motor skills. Special educators and rehabilitators should play a crucial role in the assessment and in creating programs for the development of these skills.

The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between visual-motor integration and executive functions, and in particular, the extent to which executive functions can predict visual-motor integration skills in children with intellectual disability. The sample consisted of 90 children (54 boys, 36 girls; M age = 11.3 yr., SD = 2.7, range 7–15) with intellectual disabilities of various etiologies. The measure of executive functions were 8 subscales of the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) consisting of Inhibition, Shifting, Emotional Control, Initiating, Working memory, Planning, Organization of material, and Monitoring. Visual-motor integration was measured with the Acadia test of visual-motor integration (VMI). Regression analysis revealed that BRIEF subscales explained 38% of the variance in VMI scores. Of all the BRIEF subscales, only two were statistically significant predictors of visual-motor integration: Working memory and Monitoring. Possible implications of this finding are further elaborated.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to assess the prevalence of speech and language disorders (SLD) in children with intellectual disability. Method: The sample comprised 167 children of both sexes, with mild and moderate intellectual disability of varied etiologies. Data on their language disorders were taken from the educational records in the school files. Results: It was demonstrated that the total prevalence of SLD in this sample was high (71.3%). While there were no statistical differences in the prevalence of SLD in relation to the sex of the child, there were significant differences in relation to the level and etiology of intellectual disability. Conclusion: Given the high prevalence of SLD, it is necessary to provide speech and language therapy to all children with intellectual disability who attend regular schools and special education centres. Speech therapy should begin as soon as they are admitted to preschool and school institutions. doi 10.5463/DCID.v24i1.214

Fine motor skills are prerequisite for many everyday activities and they are a good predictor of a child's later academic outcome. The goal of the present study was to assess the effects of age on the development of fine motor coordination and visual-motor integration in preschool children. The sample for this study consisted of 276 preschool children from Canton Sara­jevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. We assessed children's motor skills with Beery Visual Motor Integration Test and Lafayette Pegboard Test. Data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA, followed by planned com­parisons between the age groups. We also performed a regression analysis to assess the influence of age and motor coordination on visual-motor integration. The results showed that age has a great effect on the development of fine motor skills. Furthermore, the results indicated that there are possible sensitive periods at preschool age in which the development of fine motor skills is accelerated. Early intervention specialists should make a thorough evaluations of fine motor skills in preschool children and make motor (re)habilitation programs for children at risk of fine motor delays.