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Cognitive, Behavioral and Educational Outcomes in Children Aged 5-11 Years With Spina Bifida in Northern Ireland
Yogesh Gopal Parajuli1, Marlene Sinclair1
1School of Nursing, Ulster University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
Insights
Children with spina bifida show potential challenges in working memory and specific academic areas like English, Math, and History. Further research is needed to confirm these findings for intervention development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Improved survival rates in children with spina bifida have been observed.
- Some children with spina bifida may experience deficits in cognitive, behavioral, and educational development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of spina bifida on cognitive, behavioral, and educational outcomes in children aged 5-11 years.
- To identify specific areas of need for potential interventions.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study design was employed.
- Data were collected from parents/guardians and teachers.
- Standardized questionnaires included the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, second edition (BRIEF2), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Teacher Academic Attainment Scale (TAAS).
Main Results:
- Children with spina bifida demonstrated similar performance to peers without spina bifida on most BRIEF2 subscales, except for Working Memory.
- Parental assessments showed no significant differences on SDQ scales.
- Teacher assessments indicated higher rates of conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and peer problems in children with spina bifida.
- Academic performance was comparable across subjects, with exceptions in English, Mathematics, and History.
Conclusions:
- A small sample suggests a potential need for interventions targeting working memory and academic skills (English, Mathematics, History) in children with spina bifida.
- Larger, longitudinal studies are recommended to validate these preliminary findings.
Introduction:
While improved medical and surgical care for children with pina bifida has improved their survival, some may have lower cognitive, behavioral and educational performance. The paper assesses the effect of spina bifida on cognitive, behavioral, and educational outcomes in 5-11 year olds.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study design was used where data were collected from parents/guardians and teachers using Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, second edition (BRIEF2), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Teacher Academic Attainment Scale (TAAS).
Results:
Nineteen parental and 13 teacher responses were received for children with spina bifida, and 8 parental and seven teacher responses for children without Spina Bifida. Overall, the majority of the sample were female. Children in both groups performed at a similar level across subscales of BRIEF2 with the exception of Working Memory. No group differences were found in SDQ scales as assessed by parents; teacher assessment of conduct problems. Hyperactivity/inattention and peer problems were higher for children with spina bifida. Anticipated matched analysis was not possible due to unequal number of participants between the groups. Children with spina bifida performed similarly as peers without spina bifida in all subjects across the curriculum with the exception of English, Mathematics, and History.
Discussion:
Based on this small sample, a potential need for evidence-based interventions to assist children with spina bifida in the cognitive area of working memory and also in English, Mathematics and History is postulated. Larger longitudinal studies are required to confirm these findings.
