Saturday, October 14, 2017

My articles published in JSER now in #ScienceOpen

Dear colleagues,
Before I step down from position JSER editor-in-chief I made an agreement with great publisher #ScienceOpen. All articles since 1997 are indexed on this platform now. I want to share with you all my 30 articles published for JSER in last 20 years. You can click on the link before and you can share, download and cite them.
Cheers,
Former JSER editor-in-chief

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Last JSER issue 3-4, vol. 18, 2017

Dear readers,

I want to inform you that last issue 3-4, vol. 18, 2017 of JSER has been published electronically at September 30th and you can find it here. With this post I want to inform international audience that I am resigning from my position as editor-in-chief of Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation. I do that due to various reasons which I can not explain here. It was my pleasure to work this job almost 14 years (first four years as deputy editor). It was my pleasure to work this job. Thank you very much for reading our journal. I want to mention some numbers with my editorship: 28 issues printed, JSER online 8 years and posted open access all volumes and issues since 1997 (41 issues). More than 4200 pages produced, 18 international board members, 15 people went through editorial office, 385 internationally recognized reviewers, around 450 published articles, etc. It has been indexed in more 90 data bases and linked in 80 world university libraries. I want to thank to all people who contributed into it.
I wish to new editor-in-chief successful work and to continued with new challenges.

Former editor-in-chief

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Bibliography about autism published in JSER in the period 1997-2017

Dear readers,

Please find references regarding autism in last twenty years.
  1. Gilic L. Homework accuracy to increase the academic repertoire of young children with autism. J Spec Educ Rehab 2016; 17(1-2):66-84. doi: 10.19057/jser.2016.5.
  2. Nolcheva M, Trajkovski V. Exploratory study: stress, coping and support among parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. J Spec Educ Rehab 2015; 16(3-4):84-100. doi: 10.1515/JSER-2015-0013.
  3. Louis PT, Kumar N. Does father involvement influence the affect, language acquisition, social engagement and behavior in young autistic children? An early intervention study. J Spec Educ Rehab 2015; 16(1-2): 105-124. doi: 10.1515/JSER-2015-0007.
  4. Hott LB, Alsresheed MF, Henry RH. Peer Tutoring Interventions for Student with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a Meta – Synthesis. J Spec Educ Rehab 2014; 15(1-2):109-121. doi: 10.2478/JSER-2014-0007.
  5. Gulati S, Chakrabarty B. Diagnostic and Treatment Options in Autistic Spectrum Didorders – an Overview. J Spec Educ Rehab 2014; 15(1-2):43-58. doi: 10.2478/JSER-2014-0003.
  6. Williams LE, Casanova FM. Hyperlexia and dyslexia in autism: hitting a moving target. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2012; 13(3-4): 39–54.
  7. Vasileva N. Diagnosis and therapy of motor disturbances in children with autism. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2012; 13(3-4): 55–68.
  8. Head NC, Hill AD, Flores M. Case study on the implementation of a video story-based intervention with self-modeling treatment package to reduce stereotypical spitting behavior in a young girl with autism. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2012; 13(3-4): 85–98.
  9. Stankova T, Trajkovski V. Attitudes and opinions of employers, employees and parents about the employment of people with autism in the Republic of Macedonia. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2010; 11(3-4): 16–30.
  10. Memisevic H, Hodzic S. The effects of equine-assisted therapy in improving the psycho-social functioning of children with autism. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2010; 11(3-4): 57–67.
  11. Mladenovska B, Trajkovski V. Opinions and attitudes of parents and students for sexual development, sexual behavior and gender identity of persons with autism in the Republic of Macedonia. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2010; 11(1-2): 7–24.
  12. Preece D. Social care support services in England for children and adults with autism spectrum disorders and their families. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2008; 9(3-4): 63–72.
  13. Singh KV. Serum analysis of amyloid beta-protein 1-40 in healthy subjects, autistic children and Alzheimer’s patients.  Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2008; 9(1-2): 93–99.
  14. Casanova FM, Mott M. The Neuropathology of Autism: A Selective Review. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2006; 7(3-4): 21–35.
  15. Casanova FM, Farag A, El-Baz A, Mott M, Hassan H, Fahmi R, Switela EA. Abnormalities of the gyral window in autism: a macroscopic correlate to a putative minicolumnopathy. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2006; 7(1-2): 85–101.
  16. Trajkovski V, Vasilevska K, Ajdinski Lj, Spiroski M. Epidemiological characteristics of autism in Republic of Macedonia. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2005; 6(3-4): 25–39.
  17. Kopachev D. Neuropsychological development dynamic approach in children with autism.  Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2005; 6(1-2): 5–16.
  18. Spiroski M. Immunologycal approach to the diagnosis of autism. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2005; 6(1-2): 17–26.
  19. Ajdinski Lj. Condition, organization and directions in solving the problem of people with autism in the Republic of Macedonia.  Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2005; 6(1-2): 43–52.
  20. Petrova V, Petrov R. Treatment of children with autism within the group of children with mental retardation.  Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2005; 6(1-2): 61–68.
  21. Lazarovska V, Dimitrovska Z. A presentation of a case of a child suffering from autism. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2005; 6(1-2): 69–74.
  22. Trajkovski EV. Innovations in therapy of autism. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2004; 5(3-4): 43–56.
  23. Singh KV. Rehabilitation of autism with immune modulation therapy. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2004; 5(3-4): 161–178.
  24. Trajkovski V. Etiology of autism. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2004; 5(1-2): 61–74.
  25. Kopachev D, Trajkovski V. Autism and tuberous sclerosis. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2000; 4(3-4): 84–89.
  26. Selakovikj M. Yeasts as a possible etiological factor of autism. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2000; 4(3-4): 96–99.
  27. Simikj JN, Golubovikj S. Evalution of the communicative behavior as a base for diagnosis and treatment planning of communicational impairments with children with autism. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2000; 4(3-4): 118–123.
  28. Trajkovski V. Autism on the internet. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2000; 4(3-4): 124–131.
  29. Trajkovski V, Spiroski M. Imunodiagnostic and immunotherapy of autism. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 2000; 4(1-2): 17–21.
  30. Ajdinski Lj. Children with autism and how to organize their treatment in Republic of Macedonia. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 1999; 3(3-4): 57–66.
  31. Lukic D. Autistic children protection scheme. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 1998; 2(2-3): 135–144.
  32. Lakoski A. Genetic aspects of autism. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation 1997; 1(2): 49–55. 
Former JSER editor-in-chief

Monday, September 11, 2017

Соопштение до стручната и научната јавност

Почитувани колешки и колеги, драги пријатели
Сакам да ве информирам дека се повлекувам од позицијата главен и одговорен уредник на списанието Дефектолошка теорија и практика или во светот уште попознато како Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation. Причините се поливалентни и не би ги образложувал тука. Подолго време размислував да го сторам ова, но големата љубов кон издавачката дејност ме спречуваше во тоа. Мислам дека 9 години главен уредник и 4 години пред тоа како заменик уредник во ваква нестимулативна средина полна со интриги, опструкции и лицемерие се повеќе од сизифовска работа. Имаше многу убави денови, посебно моментот кога ќе излезе нов број од печат. По раѓањето на моите три ќерки, излегувањето на книга/списание од печат е неверојатно чувство посебно ќе ме разберат оние лица кои работат во изадаваштвото. Сепак, ве информирам дека најпрофесионално ќе го завршам овој број 3-4, вол.18 за 2017 година и до неговото излегување од печат ќе останам на оваа позиција. Потоа на тој/таа што ќе ме наследи му посакувам многу работа и нерви за да го унапреди квалитетот на списанието. Затоа, извинете ме ако уште некое време се потпишувам како главен и одговорен уредник.
Им благодарам на сите оние кои беа мои соработници во издавачката канцеларија и редакцискиот одбор во сите овие години. од практични причини не би ги наведувал нивните имиња.
Жалам ако некого разочарав со оваа моја постапка :)
Главен и одговорен уредник на ДТП/JSER (уште малку)

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear colleagues,
I want to share with you two new citations of JSER articles. Here they are:

Middle School Administrator and Teacher Attitudes towards Students with Mild to Moderate Disabilities in the Inclusive Classroom
WJ Kimble II - 2017
Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine middle school administrator and teacher
attitudes towards inclusion in one local education agency (LEA) in North Carolina.
Administrators and teachers from three middle schools were surveyed to determine factors

[PDF] EFFECTS OF CLASSWIDE PEER TUTORING ON WORD ATTACK SKILLS AMONG STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES
MSBA Rahman, SM Al–Zoubi - European Journal of Special Education Research, 2017
Abstract This study investigated the effects of classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) on word attack
skills among students with learning disabilities (LD). The participants included 5 students
with LD in the control group and 4 students with LD in the CWPT experimental group; all of...

JSER editor-in-chief

Sunday, July 30, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation

Dear colleagues,

I want to share newest citation of JSER article:
Noori, Z.S., & Farvardin M. T., (2016). The effect of Using Audio visual aids versus pictures of foreign language vocabulary learning of individuals with mild intellectual disability. Journal of special education and rehabilitation, 17(1–2), 16 –35. DOI: 10.19057/jser.2016.1
into this article:
[PDF] Teachers' Perceptions Regarding the Effectiveness of Audio Visual Aids at Secondary School Level
N Kakar, S Naureen
Abstract–The study was aimed to assess the Female teachers' perceptions regarding the
effectiveness and usage of Audio Visual (AV) aids at secondary school level in district
Quetta. A sample of 75 respondents from conveniently selected five girls' schools was taken...

JSER editor-in-chief

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Autism and Equine-Assisted Interventions: A Systematic Mapping Review

Dear readers,

There is another one citation of this JSER article:
Memishevikj, H., & Hodzhikj, S. (2010). The effects of equine-assisted therapy in improving psychological functioning in children with autism. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation, 11(3–4), 57–67.

into impact factor (3.321) Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Autism and Equine-Assisted Interventions: A Systematic Mapping Review
BCMD Peters, W Wood - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2017
Abstract This systematic mapping review mapped current knowledge of equine-assisted
interventions for people with autism to help guide future practice and research. Thirty-three
studies including children and adolescents with autism, 3 of which confirmed diagnoses,...

Congratulations to Bosnian authors who are cited 27 times on Google Scholar.

JSER editor-in-chief

Friday, July 21, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear colleagues,

I want to announce new citation in prestigious International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN: 1660-4601) with impact factor 2.101.
This JSER article:
Memishevikj, H.; Hodzhikj, S. The effects of equine-assisted therapy in improving the psychosocial functioning of children with autism. J. Spec. Educ. Rehabil. 2010, 11, 57–67. [Google Scholar]

was cited here:

[HTML] The Impact of a Horse Riding Intervention on the Social Functioning of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
A Harris, JM Williams - International Journal of Environmental Research and …, 2017
This paper reports a case-control study of a horse riding intervention for children with autism
spectrum disorder (ASD). A sample of 26 children, aged 6 to 9 years, were assigned to
either the intervention (n= 12) or control group conditions (n= 14). Pre-and post-tests were...

JSER editor-in-chief

Monday, July 17, 2017

New citations to JSER articles repost 01.04.2017

Dear readers,

With great pleasure I want to share new citation of JSER article in prestigious journal Autism Reserach with impact factor 3.048.

This JSER article:
Stankova, T., & Trajkovski, V. (2010). Attitudes and opinions of employers, employees and parents about the employment of people with autism in the Republic of Macedonia. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation, 11, 16–29.

was cited into:
David B. Nicholas, Sandra Hodgetts, Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, Leann E. Smith, Paul Shattuck, Jeremy R. Parr, Olivia Conlon, Tamara Germani, Wendy Mitchell, Lori Sacrey, and Margot E. Stothers. Research Needs and Priorities for Transition and Employment in Autism: Considerations Reflected in a “Special Interest Group” at the International Meeting for Autism Research. Autism Research 10: 15–24, 2017.

JSER editor-in-chief

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation

Dear readers,
Here are two more citations. One of them in prestigious journal Autism Reserach.

This JSER article:
Dizdarevic, A., Mujezinovic, A., & Memisevic, H. (2017). Comparison of teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education in Bosnia and Herzegovina and European Union. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation, 18(1-2), 92-108.

Is cited here:
[PDF] Quality of Educational Support for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Bosnia and Herzegovina-Perception of Parents and Professionals
E MUJKANOVIC, E MUJKANOVIC, A PASALIC…
Abstract Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) attend regular education schools and
special education schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Regardless of the setting, it is
important to provide early, high quality, programs to children with ASD. High quality...

This JSER article:
Mladenovska, B., & Trajkovski, V. (2010). Opinions and attitudes of parents and students for sexual development, sexual behavior and gender identity of persons with autism in the Republic of Macedonia. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation, 11, 7–24.

 is cited here:
Socio‐sexual functioning in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta‐analyses of existing literature
GIP Hancock, MA Stokes, GB Mesibov - Autism Research, 2017
Abstract Socio-sexual functioning encompasses an individual's interests, behaviors, and
knowledge with respect to sexual, romantic, and social aspects of life. An individual's
understanding of these domains is developed through a range of informal and formal...

JSER editor-in-chief

Saturday, June 10, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear colleagues,
Here are two more citations of JSER articles. Thanks to all authors who cited JSER articles. Journal of Child and Family Studies has impact factor 1.802 for 2015.

THE EFFECTS OF AGE AND GENDER ON FINGER TAPPING SPEED IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN.
H Memisevic, I Mahmutovic, A Pasalic, II Biscevic - Acta Neuropsychologica, 2017
Abstract Background: The assessment of children's motor control is very important in
detecting potential motor deficits. The Finger Tapping Test (FTT) is a widely used test in
various clinical and non-clinical populations. FTT is a neuropsychological test designed to

Loneliness and Social Support in Adolescent Boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a Special Education Setting
M Elmose, M Lasgaard - Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2017
Abstract Social difficulties have been suggested to exacerbate the risk of loneliness. The
social difficulties in social relations often reported for adolescents with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be a risk for increased loneliness in adolescents with...

Cheers,
JSER editor-in-chief

Saturday, May 20, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear colleagues,
I want to inform you about new citation of JSER articles. It is a selefcitation in impact factor Journal of Child and Family Studies with IF 1.802.

Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Brazilian Ages & Stages Questionnaires-Social-Emotional: Use in Public Child Daycare Centers in Brazil

CY Chen, H Xie, A Filgueiras, J Squires, L Anunciação… - Journal of Child and Family …, 2017

Abstract A mental health evaluation project was conducted in the City of Rio de Janeiro for
the entire population of young children who received services in public child daycare
centers and preschools. The Brazilian Portuguese version of the Ages & Stages.

Cheers
JSER editor-in-chief

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear readers,
Please find three new citations of JSER articles.

[PDF] Animal-Assisted Therapy on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
A Méndez Moreno - 2017
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a common, incurable neurodevelopmental disorder
impairing the individual's capacity of social communication and interaction. There is not any
pharmacological treatment available for this disorder affecting about 1% of children

[PDF] Use of parents and caregivers as accurate assessors of young children's development
J Squires - Revista chilena de pediatria, 2017
Effective early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) and services for
children with disabilities and at risk for disabilities are highly dependent upon early
identification of potential delays and appropriate referral for young children with and at risk

[PDF] Revisão sistemática sobre avaliação psicológica nas pesquisas em equoterapia
R de Souza Zamo, CM Trentini - Revista Psicologia-Teoria e Prática, 2017
Resumo: O presente artigo teve como objetivo investigar as pesquisas empíricas em
equoterapia publicadas entre 2004 e 2014. Buscamos verificar características das
amostras, construtos psicológicos avaliados, instrumentos de avaliação utilizados e

JSER editor-in-chief

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear readers,

Please find new citation of JSER article into this article:
SC Fung - Global Journal of Health Science, 2017
Abstract Canine-assisted play therapy (CAPT) is an emerging psychosocial intervention for 
children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present case studies used quantitative 
observation of experimenter-designated behavioral outcomes to examine the effectiveness

This JSER article was cited: Memishevikj, H., & Hodzhikj, S. (2010). The effects of equine-assisted therapy in improving the psychosocial functioning of children with autism. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation, 11, 57–67. 

JSER editor-in-chief

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

PERCEPTION OF AMPLITUDE ONSET SIGNALS IN CHINESE CHILDREN WITH READING DIFFICULTIES AND SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS

Chun-Han CHIANG
I-Chen CHEN
Hsiao-Lan WANG

Department of Special Education, National Taiwan
Normal University, Taiwan

Recived: 13.10.2016
Accepted: 21.11.2016
Original article

Citation:Chiang CH, Chen IC, Wang HL. Perception of amplitude onset signals in Chinese children with reading difficulties and specific language impairments. J Spec Educ Rehab 2017; 18(1-2):109-125.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19057/jser.2017.22

Abstract
This study explored the fundamental auditory processing of sound amplitude in Chinese children with both reading and language difficulties. Fifteen children with Chinese reading difficulties (RD), fifteen children with Chinese reading difficulties and specific language impairments (RD-SLI), and sixteen age-matched controls (CA) were recruited from local primary schools in Taiwan. The three groups were compared specifically on phonological awareness and auditory amplitude onset discrimination. Our preliminary results confirmed that age-matched controls performed significantly better on all of the phonological and auditory measurements, compared to both groups of children with RD. Children with RD-SLI performed significantly worse than children with RD in Chinese character recognition. Also Chinese children with RD-SLI were found to be poorer in phonological performance and to be more insensitive to complex sound amplitude onset, compared with Chinese children with RD.
We concluded that poor auditory discrimination of sound amplitude onset might be fundamental to characterize Chinese children with reading difficulties and language impairments.

Keywords: Reading Difficulties (RD), Specific Language Impairments (SLI), Phonological Processing, Auditory Amplitude Perception, Chinese character recognition, Chinese Mandarin

Full Text Article

COMPARISON OF TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA AND EUROPEAN UNION

Alma DIZDAREVIC1
Amila MUJEZINOVIC1
Haris MEMISEVIC2

1University of Tuzla, Faculty of Education and
Rehabilitation, Department of Special Education and
Rehabilitation, Bosnia and Herzegovina

2University of Sarajevo, Faculty of educational
sciencies, Department of educational and
rehabilitation, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Recived: 30.11.2016
Accepted: 12.01.2017
Original article

Citation: Dizdarevic A, Mujezinovic A, Memishevic H. Comparison of teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education in Bosnia and Herzegovina and European Union. J Spec Educ Rehab 2017; 18(1-2):92-108.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19057/jser.2017.21

Abstract
The goal of this study is to compare the attitudes of teachers from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) and teachers from five European Union (EU) countries (Austria, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia and Germany) towards the inclusive education of students with special educational needs. The sample for this study is comprised of 110 teachers from Bosnia and Herzegovina and 110 teachers from EU. The attitudes were examined by using a questionnaire that was adapted from the Index for inclusion. The final interview protocol consisted 20 questions, which had an excellent internal consistency, Cronbach’s alpha of 0.98. A Chi square test was performed to test the differences in attitudes. The results of this study indicated highly positive attitudes towards inclusive education of EU teachers and positive attitudes of BIH teachers. EU teachers had more favourable attitudes than teachers in BIH on 18 of 20 questionnaire items.
These findings were discussed in the light of previous BIH and international researches. The paper ends with a discussion for the challenges and possibilities for improvement of the inclusive education in BIH.

Keywords: Inclusive Education, Special Educational Needs, Attitudes, Teachers
Full Text Article

Friday, March 17, 2017

GUIDED EMPLOYMENT – RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

Erna ZHGUR

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education,
Ljubljana, Slovenia

Recived: 20.11.2016
Accepted: 31.01.2017
Original article

Citation: Zhgur E. Guided employment – rights and opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. J Spec Educ Rehab 2017; 18(1-2):74-91.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19057/jser.2017.20

Abstract

Introduction: People with intellectual disabilities (ID) are often excluded from the labour market and face many obstacles on their way to employment.
Aim: The main aim is giving the persons with ID a possibility to participate in occasional employment, providing them suitable work skills, sustainable knowledge and competencies, as well as suitable skills for more active life.
Materials and methods: We analysed 90 evaluation questionnaires (filled out by students, mentors, parents and craftsmen), during a 3-year project (September 2013 - October 2015). The Spearman Correlation Coefficient and Chi-square test were used for statistical data analysis.
Results: We determined the level of satisfaction expressed by parents, mentors and students, related to guided employment (χ2 = 1,07; p > 0,05; χ2 = 0,04; p > 0,05;χ2 = 0,04; p > 0,05). Workshops were balanced with theoretical and practical content (χ2 = 16,58; p < 0,05).
Mentors, parents, students and craftsmen expressed similar opinions in regards to the success of individual workshops (it depended on the type of workshop); mentors (χ2 = 16,76; p < 0,05); parents (ϱ = 0,99, p < 0,05); students (ϱ = 0,55; p > 0,05), craftsmen (ϱ = 0,79; p < 0,05). Craftsmen were willing to accept students with ID even without adapting the working conditions or state incentives (χ2 = 3,34; p > 0,05).
Conclusion: Implementation of selected workshops, related to guided employment showed that employment of people with ID is possible under professional guidance of mentors.

Keywords: guided employment, students with intellectual disabilities, workshops

Full Text Article

Thursday, March 16, 2017

PRAGMATIC ABILITIES OF PUPILS WITH MILD INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

Mateja SHILC1
Majda SHMIDT2
Stane KOSHIR3

1Elementary school Gustava Shiliha, Maribor,
Slovenia
2Faculty of Education UM, Maribor, Slovenia
3Faculty of Education UL, Maribor, Slovenia

Recived: 16.01.2017
Accepted: 19.02.2017
Original article

Citation: Shilc M, Shmidt M, Koshir S. Pragmatic abilities of pupils with mild intellectual disabilities. J Spec Educ Rehab 2017; 18(1-2):55-73.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19057/jser.2017.19

Abstract
The research analyses characteristics of pragmatic abilities of storytelling of pupils with mild intellectual disabilities (MID), in the light of vocabulary characteristics, grammar structure and substantive structure of a story, considering their age and gender. The sample consists of 60 pupils with MID, aged 7 to 9, who attend special school. Child’s pragmatic abilities are assessed with The Storytelling Test. The research results reveal considerable progress of the older group in vocabulary, whereas the progress in grammatical and substantive structure was less substantial. When comparing achievements of pupils with MID according to the vocabulary, grammatical and substantive story structure, no gender differences are determined. A comparison of pragmatic abilities of younger and older groups of pupils with MID with the norms for peers with typical development shows minor deviation of the younger group.
The research results reveal characteristics of pragmatic abilities of pupils with MID and can provide insights to speech therapists, teachers, special education teachers and counsellors when considering profiles of individuals that are taken as a basis for designing intervention programs. By implementing such program, we would encourage development of pragmatic abilities of pupils, thus affecting their academic achievements, communication competency and social skills.

Keywords: pragmatic abilities, mild intellectual disabilities, language, speech

Full Text Article

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

RAPID NAMING IN CHILDREN WITH SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT AND IN CHILDREN WITH TYPICAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Neda MILOSHEVIĆ1
Mile VUKOVIĆ2

1Center for speech pathology “Logomedica”,
Belgrade, Serbia
2University of Belgrade - Faculty of Special
Education and Rehabilitation, Belgrade, Serbia

Recived: 11.11.2016
Accepted: 04.01.2017
Original article

Citation: Milošević N, Vuković M. Rapid naming in children with specific language impairment and in children with typical language development. J Spec Educ Rehab 2017; 18(1-2):42-54.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19057/jser.2017.18

Abstract
Aimed at the detailed insight into the phonological ability of Serbian-speaking children of preschool age, with and without language impairment, the ability of rapid naming was examined.
Method: Operationalization of the set goal was carried out by using the Test for evaluating reading and writing pre-skills. In describing and analyzing the obtained data, methods of descriptive and inferential statistics were used.
The sample included 120 subjects of both gender, 40 children diagnosed with specific language impairment (SLI), age from 5,11 to 7 years, and 80 children with typical language development (TLD), age between 5,11 and 7 years, with no statistically significant differences in relation to age and gender of the participants.
Results: Summing up the overall results and achievements of children with SLI and children with TLD, we concluded that there are statistically significant differences in the rapid naming between children with specific language impairment and children with typical language development.
Conclusions: As it is a global trend to work on preventing disorders and obstructions, and phonological skills in this age are a timely indicator of the development of reading and writing skills, the examined children with SLI are at risk for the occurrence of obstructions and disorders in the area of reading and writing abilities.

Keywords: rapid naming, phonological skills, specific language impairment, typical language development

Full Text Article

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

AN EVALUATION OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF HEARING IMPAIRED CHILDREN ATTENDING SPECIAL SCHOOLS IN THE SERBIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM

Radomir Branislav ARSIĆ 1
Srboljub Vlastimir DJORDJEVIĆ 2

1University of Pristina-Kosovska Mitrovica, Theacher
Training Faculty in Prizren-Leposavic, Serbia
2University of Nis, Theacher Training Faculty in Vranje,
Serbia

Recived: 25.11.2016
Accepted: 27.01.2017
Original article

Citation: Arsic BR, Djordjevic VS. An evaluation of the quality of life of hearing impaired children attending special schools in the Serbian education system. J Spec Educ Rehab 2017; 18(1-2):26-41.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19057/jser.2017.17

Abstract

Quality of life is vague and difficult to define, since individual goals, in addition to economic, cultural, religious and educational factors, also have a dominant influence.
This study is aimed to determine the differences in the responses received on the quality of life of deaf and hard-of-hearing children and to show which of the two social protections, family or boarding school, provides better conditions for the assessment of the quality of life of these children.
The methods used in data processing included descriptive statistics and statistical analysis (Cronbach α, t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient). All statistical analyses were performed in the statistical program SSPS 19. The sample consisted of 61 students in special schools for deaf children who were examined using a paediatric questionnaire about quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory TM – PedsQL, version 4.0).
The results: With children who were housed in dormitories of special schools for deaf children, during their education we obtained less pronounced results ranging from 0,70 on the sub-scale of psycho-social health to 0,81 on the social scale.
Conclusion: The obtained results indicate that children with hearing impairment who are housed in the dormitories of schools for the deaf during their education have a favourable opinion of the quality of their lives, irrespective of the fact that they live in a dormitory compared to children who live with their families.

Keywords: quality of life, deaf children, family, boarding school, welfare
Full Text Article

Monday, March 13, 2017

PREVALENCE AND CAUSES OF BLINDNESS AMONG MACEDONIAN ADULT POPULATION

Daniela DIMITROVA - RADOJICHIKJ

University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius”, Faculty of
Philosophy, Institute of Special Education and
Rehabilitation, Skopje, Macedonia

Recived: 02.01.2017
Accepted: 14.02.2017
Original artical

Citation: Dimitrova-Radojichikj D. Prevalence and causes of blindness among Macedonian adult population. J Spec Educ Rehab 2017; 18(1-2):17-25.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19057/jser.2017.16

Abstract

Goal: To determine prevalence and causes of blindness among adults (≥ 26 years age) in five municipalities in the Republic of Macedonia.
Methods: The ophthalmology statements of registered people with blindness who are beneficiaries of social welfare in 2015 were reviewed.
Results: A total of 475 records were included in the research. The mean age of the persons was 64.1 (range 26-87), both male and female. Blindness was found to be significantly associated with increasing age (p<0.001). There was gender difference in the prevalence of blindness (p=0.0310).The rate of blindness was estimated to be 0.24% (95% CI:0.22-0.26). The most common causes were cataract (23.2%), then glaucoma (21.7%) and diabetic retinopathy (12.8%). Many of the causes of blindness were potentially avoidable, with cataract and glaucoma as leading etiology.
Conclusion: The results of this study point to the initiation of coordinated activities to prevent blindness caused from cataract, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy.

Keywords: prevalence, age, gender, causes of blindness

Full Text Article

20 YEARS JOURNAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION - A PERIOD OF CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT

Vladimir TRAJKOVSKI1
Doncho DONEV2

1Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation
Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation,
Faculty of Philosophy,
University Ss. Cyril and Methodius
Skopje, Macedonia
2Institute for social medicine, Faculty of Medicine,
University „Ss. Cyril and Methodius“,
Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

Recived: 04.02.2017
Accepted: 13.02.2017
Editorial

Citation: Trajkovski V, Donev D. 20 years Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation - a period of continuous development. J Spec Educ Rehab 2017; 18(1-2):5-16.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19057/jser.2017.15

Abstract

Introduction and goal: The first edition of the “Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation” was released for the first time in 1997, and over the past 20 years, 37 issues have been published. In the Journal different kinds of articles are published from several scientific disciplines such as special education and rehabilitation, medicine, pedagogy, psychology, social politics, law and others. The goal of this editorial is to review the 20 years’ existence of the “Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation” and to point out the future activities for the promotion of the quality of published articles and the integrity and visibility of the journal.
Methods: Review and analysis of the documentation of the journal as well as the evidence of submitted, rejected and accepted manuscripts, the structure of published articles by according to their uniqueness, and other specific moments in the development of the journal from its founding in 1997 – and especially the achievements in the period from 2008 to 2016.
Results: Over the past nine years we have noticed a growth in the number of authors and co-authors from the published articles by 358, from 28 different countries. The rate of acceptance of new articles has reduced from the original 93% in the first years of the foundation of the journal to 33% in the last three years. The majority of published articles come from authors from Macedonia which we can find in 31 articles or 27.7% from the overall published articles. The majority of authors have published original manuscripts (n= 87 or 53%), and then we have 12% articles of revision and 11.5% scientific articles. With regard to the different sections of the journal, the most published are news and information that are not subject to review (28%) while from the articles that are reviewed the most represented section is from special education and rehabilitation with a total of 16.5% from the overall number of published articles.
Conclusion: The “Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation” is a journal that undertakes review on its articles and has an open access policy, which marks a continuous progress in quality and visibility with an appointed goal to serve as a solid medium to enhance scientific research and to promote professional achievements in the field of special education and rehabilitation and the similar fields in biomedicine in the Republic of Macedonia and abroad.

Keywords: Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation, 20 years, reviewed journal, open access, publishing ethics and integrity

Full Text Article

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear readers,

JSER has new citation in Revista chilena de pediatría.
Our editorial board member Prof Jane Squires selfcited her article published recently into JSER.

[HTML] Utilidad de padres y cuidadores como evaluadores certeros del desarrollo en niños menores
J Squires - Revista chilena de pediatría, 2017
La efectividad de la intervención/educación temprana y de los servicios especiales para niños
en riesgo de, o ya con discapacidad, depende fundamentalmente de la identificación precoz
y una derivación oportuna. Para lograr una identificación precoz es fundamental contar con...

JSER editor-in-chief

Saturday, February 25, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear readers,

Please find two more citations of JSER articles:

[PDF] En fågel från syrenbersån-A Bird in the Arbor of Lilacs
P Boketun - 2017
Page 1. Malmö högskola Lärande och samhälle Skolutveckling och ledarskap Examensarbete
15 högskolepoäng, avancerad nivå En fågel från syrenbersån En observationsstudie om
kommunikation och läsförståelse hos elever med Downs syndrom A Bird in the Arbor of Lilacs

[PDF] Inclusion in Jamaican Primary Schools: Teachers' Self-Efficacy, Attitudes, and Concerns
J Samms
Abstract Inclusive education has become an international phenomenon; however, many
developing countries struggle with its implementation. At last assessment of the Jamaican
educational system in 2004, findings revealed exclusionary practices which are in contrast

JSER editor-in-chief

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear readers,

I want to mention new citation of JSER article.
[PDF] Parent-Child Psychotherapeutic Interventions with Vulnerable Clients: Are They Within the Scope of Social Work Practitioners in Barbados?
J Sealy - Caribbean Journal of Social Work, 2017
The predominant field of social work practice in Barbados is childcare and child protection
(Ring & Carmichael, 2015), however few psychotherapeutic programmes and interventions
are developed and implemented by social work practitioners. Sociological and structural...

They cited this article:
Jovanova, N. C., & Radojichikj, D. D. (2013). Parents Of Children With Developmental Disabilities: Stress And Support. The Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation, 14(1), 7-19. 

JSER editor-in-chief

Monday, February 13, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear readers,
JSER has new citation in popular journal.

To Study the Association of the Size and Site of Tympanic Membrane Perforation with the Degree of Hearing Loss
S Gupta, R Harshvardhan, S Samdani - Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & …, 2017
... JLUMHS 13(01):33–36 12. Ristovska L, Jachova Z, Filipovski R, Atanasovska R (2016) Correlation
between tympanic membrane perforation and hear- ing. J Special Edu Rehabil 17(1–2):36–49.
doi: 10.19057/jser.2016.2 Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 123 Page 6. 13. ...

JSER editor-in-chief

Saturday, February 4, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear colleagues,
I want to share one more citation of JSER articles in world's journals. JSER article:

Rashikj, O. (2009) ‘Sexual development, education and sexual abuse of persons with disabilities in the republic of Macedonia.’ Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation, 10 (3–4), pp. 35–138.
has been cited into:
CT Ang, LW Lee - Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 2017
Abstract Delivery of sexuality education to secondary school students in Malaysia started 
since 1989. However, this area of education was neglected for secondary students with 
learning disabilities. Therefore, in order to explore their needs for sexuality education,..
JSER editor-in-chief

Saturday, January 14, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear readers,
Here is one more citation of colleagues from Serbia Rajovic and Jovanovic.
Rajovic, V., & Jovanovic, O. (2013). The barriers to inclusive education: Mapping 10 years of Serbian teachersí attitudes toward inclusive education. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation, 14(3), 78-97.
This article is cited here:

[PDF] Teachers' Perceptions of the Relationship between Inclusive Education and Distributed Leadership in two Primary Schools in Slovakia and New South Wales ( …
J Miškolci, D Armstrong, I Spandagou - Journal of Teacher Education for …, 2016
Abstract The academic literature on the practice of inclusive education presents diverse and
at times contradictory perspectives in how it is connected to practices of distributed
leadership. Depending on the approach, on the one hand, inclusive educational practice...

JSER editor-in-chief

Thursday, January 12, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear colleagues,

We found one more citation of JSER article. Colleagues from Bosnia and Herzegovina have cited this article:

Memisevic, H., & Hadzic, S. (2013). Development Of Fine Motor Coordination And Visual-Motor Integration In Preschool Children. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation, 14(1-2), 45-53.

into this one:

Early intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina-a description of a model implemented in Zenica-Doboj Canton
D Babić-Čolaković, A Pasalic, H Memisevic - 2016
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


JSER editor-in-chief

Thursday, January 5, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear readers,
Here is one more new citation of our Polish author Dr. Joanna Kossewska into Croatian journal Logopedija, 6, 2, 2016, 46-52.

Kossewska, J. (2008). Personal identity in deaf adolescents. Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation. 1-2.67-75.

[PDF] Pregled relevantnih odrednica kulturnog identiteta gluhih
R Möhr Nemčić - Logopedija, 2016
Sažetak Razvoj identiteta gluhih posljednjih je desetljeća u središtu pozornosti brojnih
istraživanja. Tim je istraživanjima ustanovljeno da na razvoj identiteta utječu brojne različite
odrednice-slušni status roditelja, jezik i način komunikacije, stupanj oštećenja sluha i...

JSER editor-in-chief

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile

Dear readers,

I hope you had great holidays. There are new citations in 2017 of JSER articles. Thease are good news for the beginning of the new year 2017. Those two journal are impact factor journals.

Scholar Alert: New citations to articles in Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation's profile
L Cerniglia, F Zoratto, S Cimino, G Laviola, M Ammaniti… - … & Biobehavioral Reviews, 2016
Abstract Despite it has not been formally included in DSM-5 as a disorder,'Internet addiction 
(IA)'has become a worldwide issue. It can be broadly defined as a non-chemical, behavioral 
addiction, which involves human-machine interaction. We pinpoint it as an “instrumental” 

R Faragher, M Van Ommen - Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 2016
Abstract Various international reports over several decades present a less-than-favorable 
educational experience for students with disabilities. The continued failure of policy to 
address the factors that influence a quality education is contrary to the goals of the United..

JSER editor-in-chief