Background: Individuals with Down syndrome are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 because they are recognised as significantly immunocompromised. Yet their voices regarding their lived experiences of pandemic lockdowns have not been sought or heard. Aim: This study aims to describe the lived experiences of people with Down syndrome during the…

Surf therapy programs have been successfully utilised with vulnerable populations worldwide. This study is the first to examine the effects of a surf therapy program on the psychosocial functioning of young men at high risk of adverse life outcomes in Aotearoa New Zealand. A single-group pre-test post-test research design, with repeated measures…

The Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), PEDS: Developmental Milestones (PEDS: DM) and PEDS tools (i.e., the PEDS and PEDS:DM combined for use) are parent-reported screening tools frequently used to identify young children requiring early intervention. An ideal screening tool for all contexts would be brief, inexpensive with…

In the last few decades, the word 'safety' has become silently but increasingly pervasive in educational policies and debates, gaining a new momentum with the pandemic. Our intention in this article is to problematise what is done in schools in the name of safety by delving into the safety policy discourses of a New Zealand school and the…

Everyone feels lonely some of the time. However, chronic loneliness can impair learning, affect physical and mental health, and is even linked to early death. Loneliness is thus not only a personal matter; it is a public health concern. Schools provide spaces and opportunities for friendships. By bringing together students from different…

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised huge concerns for the mental health of an entire generation of children. But the pandemic may represent only the tip of a mental health iceberg -- an iceberg we have ignored for far too long. For the first time, "The State of the World's Children" examines the mental health of children and adolescents.…