Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder estimated to affect around 1% of children worldwide. Although advances in pharmacological and behavioural treatments appear promising, there is a paucity of research, especially in New Zealand, where little is known about parents' and caregivers' attitudes and experiences. The current study aimed…

This exploratory study assessed the relationships between autism spectrum disorder symptoms, caregiver stress and intervention helpfulness, using parent (n = 182) ratings. Advocacy and intervention-related tasks were rated more stressful than support tasks (e.g. toileting, mealtimes), indicating that advocacy is emerging as a major caregiver task…

In this paper we explore the experiences of mothers of young adults with Down syndrome as their daughters and sons transition from schooling to adult life. These transitions occurred in a society shaped by neo-liberal political reform that commenced in the mid-1980s. The hallmarks of education are now expressed in terms of national achievement…

Recent policy reports have raised concerns about quality education and care for under 2-year-olds attending home-based early childhood and care (HBEC) services, an issue that has received minimal research attention in Aotearoa New Zealand. This article explores what is meant by "quality" in HBEC for children under two using an ecological…

This study examined the perceived availability and helpfulness of supports used by caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in New Zealand, particularly for caregivers who are Maori, and who live rurally. Caregivers (N = 92) completed the Family Support Scale with comparisons analysed using t tests. Free text comments were invited and…

Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder resulting from chromosome 21 having three copies (trisomy 21). Cognitive functioning and anatomical features cause speech and language development delay (Kumin, 2003). Children with DS generally enjoy communication (Schoenbrodt, 2004), and respond well to interaction and social scripts. Music therapy has…

A significant number of children and adolescents engage in deliberate fire setting, beyond the scope of curiosity and experimentation. Interventions developed to respond to the needs of such fire setters generally involve educational and/or psychosocial approaches. Research evaluating the effectiveness of these interventions is dominated by…

Draws on examples from a study of teachers' co-construction of definitions of curriculum in one New Zealand child care center to examine the influence of teachers' awareness of various early childhood education traditions/models and teachers' ideas about aspects of the center-based experience considered to be part of the curriculum. Concludes with…

A study examined experiences of infants and toddlers in New Zealand child care centers to determine if those experiences provided opportunities for learning in the context of shared attention. Results provided evidence of staff sensitivity and responsiveness, close child/caregiver relationships, the importance of language and shared meaning, and…

This study examined the experiences of students in the six New Zealand colleges of education who undertook a 3-year course of training to work in early childhood centers. The study aimed to find out students' expected employment following their training among child care, kindergarten, or other early childhood services, monitor any changes in the…