Bullying is a common aggressive behanviour and a hidden issue in special schools. Maladaptive family backgrounds breed bullies and victims. The characteristics and myths of bullying are discussed. A multi-level approach of school intervention is suggested. Local research on this area is desperately required. Copyright by Special Education Society of Hong Kong Limited. All Rights Reserved.

This study examined the relation between Theory of Mind (ToM) and reading comprehension in 42 7- to 9-year-old Hong Kong Chinese children with autism and 55 typically developing peers (TD) who were comparable in age, nonverbal intelligence, and working memory. Relative to their TD peers, children with autism exhibited difficulties with reading comprehension and advanced ToM tasks, but not word reading and basic ToM tasks. After controlling for nonverbal intelligence, working memory, word reading, and vocabulary knowledge, ToM partially mediated the relation between group status (autistic or not) and reading comprehension. This mediation was significant for non-literal comprehension skills (i.e., those involving inference, evaluation, and mentalization) but not for literal comprehension skills (i.e., those involving simple recall and recognition of textually explicit information). These findings indicate that ToM partially explains the differences in non-literal reading comprehension between children with autism and their TD peers. Copyright © Routledge.

The role of emotions in student engagement has been examined in many studies. However, little is known about how emotional intelligence (EI) is related to engagement and other key learning outcomes in higher education. To fill this gap, this study examined how EI is associated with student engagement and how EI and engagement jointly predict key learning outcomes in higher education, including the students’ GPA, generic outcomes, and satisfaction with the university experience. The study adopted a prospective longitudinal design involving 560 first-year students from 10 faculties of a university in Hong Kong. The data were collected at two-time points, namely before the start and after the end of the students’ first year in the university. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the measurement and hypothesized models. Results indicated that EI positively predicted all dimensions of student engagement and promoted key learning outcomes (including GPA, generic learning outcomes, and students’ satisfaction with the university) via the different dimensions of student engagement. The model also explained 16%, 44%, and 38% of the students’ GPA, generic learning outcomes, and satisfaction with their university experience, respectively. This study provides empirical evidence on the positive effect of EI on the students’ optimal functioning in the higher education context. Implications of the findings are discussed. Copyright © 2020 Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Lisboa and Springer Nature B.V.

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) reported higher stress than those of typically developing children. The role of child problem behaviors in the relationship between autism spectrum symptoms and parenting stress is little known. A total of 731 parents of 177 children with ASD and 554 typically developing children in primary schools (6–11 years old) completed an ASD screening survey containing measures of parenting stress and child problem behaviors. While autism spectrum symptoms were positively associated with parenting stress, the relationship was mediated by child problem behaviors. Results suggest neither the severity of autism spectrum symptoms nor knowledge of ASD diagnosis was a primary source of parenting stress. A hypothesized path model was tested using structural equation modeling. Copyright © 2018 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

本研究以行動研究探討正向行為支持的模式對自閉症譜系學生之影響,研究對象為一位被確診為自閉症譜系的小三學生,研究者發現學生表達情緒的方法,對課堂及其本身都造成困擾。研究者利用正向行為管理策略製訂個別行為奬勵計劃,並於本年度試行。研究者透過觀察、訪談等方式來蒐集資料,並在研究過程中調整計劃的細節。研究發現:(1)正向行為管理策略有助強化學生的正面行為;(2)學生能遵守課堂規則,自我形象亦提升了;(3)研究者重新肯定「奬勵計劃」對處理具行為及情緒問題學生的功用。綜合本研究之結果,提出反思與建議,以供教師及日後相關研究參考。This action research was conducted to discuss the effectiveness of positive behavior support on a student with ASD. The subject of the research is a P.3 student with ASD. According to the observation of the student’s behaviors and how the student expressed his negative emotions, student showed a lack of intention to learn and was failed to express his emotions properly. A positive behavior support plan was set and was taken place in 2016-17. Data was collected through the record of behaviors, meetings of reflections and interviews. The research findings are as followed: (1) Positive behavior support strategies can strengthen the student’s positive behavior. (2) After detailed discussion and explanation, the student behaved well in most of the time. (3) Researcher’s reception to the token scheme was turned about, the effectiveness of token scheme was reaffirmed. Based on the result of the study, some suggestions and reflections were made for teachers and future studies.
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隨著特殊教育類別及介入方法的多年發展,有關特殊教育需要的文獻恆河星數,教師很容易迷失在眾多文獻推介的策略,而忽略了在課堂內外,營造正向教學環境的重要性,包括與學生建立有效溝通及良好師生關係。這些返璞歸真建立有效課堂教學的基本要素,在嚴重行為及情緒問題出現時,更能考驗教師及專業團隊的專業操守。核心要素包括:有效溝通、良好師生關係及結構化的課堂規劃,這三個要素在中度智障學校及自閉症譜系障礙學童教學上尤為重要,本文概述香港一所中度智障特殊學校的校本自閉輔導教學計劃,於2014至2016年間開展了「CRS」的教學計劃,「CRS」即代表 : C- 有 效 溝 通 (Communication) 、 R-良好師生關係(Relationship)及S-結構化的課堂規劃(Structure)。計劃主要是針對這三項息息相關的教學原則,利用行政措施及對位的教學策略,進行了對「CRS」的深化探討,並以此作為優化教學的策略,成為學校自閉輔導教學的核心價值。The abundance of researches on intervention methods in special education makes appropriate selection of teaching strategies confirming and sometimes caused the core elements of teaching being ignored. Teachers can get lost easily amongst the universe of research material and methods while forgetting the core education value for creating a positive classroom climate to support students’ learning. These positive support measures include the use of effective communication in building up good teacher-student relationship. These back to the basics of classroom teaching are mastery and effective ways for guiding and testifying good teaching practices especially in the presence of severe behavior and emotional problems. A project named CRS comprising the three core elements of teaching: C - effective communication, R - good student-teacher relationship and S - well-structured classroom activities, was implemented between 2014 and 2016 in a Hong Kong special school for moderate intellectually disabled students. These basic elements are especially vital for the teaching of students with intellectual disability and autistic spectrum disorders. Teaching elements deliberately linked with CRS were set up as administrative guidelines and teaching strategies developed for guiding professional practices to ensure that all school-based autistic teaching programme will be under the scrutiny of these elements. It was found that lessons and activities being planned are more structured and strategically conducted when being applied under the CRS framework.
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近年,接受本港融合教育的中小學自閉症譜系障礙學生的數目不斷急速增加。因此,老師們的專業培訓需要提供支援自閉症譜系障礙學生的教學及調適策略。本文建議按學業成績水平(優秀、中等及落後)及性格特質(衝動型、合作型及敏感型)將高功能自閉症譜系障礙融合學生的表現歸納為九種行為類型,相信透過這個行為類型的新概念可以讓老師們更具體地認識自閉症行為的獨特性及能提升教學效能。本文也倡議用「優勢模式」發掘自閉症譜系障礙融合學生的潛質和天份,期望老師們可以推動每位自閉症融合學生在人生的舞台上綻發光芒。Over the years, high and rapid growing numbers of primary and secondary students with autism spectrum disorder are studying in inclusive classrooms. To respond to this trend, teacher professional development programs need to include the curriculum content of effective learning-teaching and accommodations to support learner diversity. The present paper attempts to discuss the autism subtypes, using academic performance (above average, average, below average) and personality attribute (impulsive, cooperative, sensitive) as the two main parameters. It is expected that this new concept of autism subtypes can support teachers to have good understanding of autism behavior as well as to enhance efficacy for inclusive practice. The application of strength-based approach is also advocated here to encourage teachers to support students on the spectrum to explore their talents. The implication of this approach is that all individual on the spectrum can live in a very fruitful life.
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In Hong Kong, as in all other countries around the world, children with autism remain perhaps the most challenging individuals to teach and manage in schools and at home. The search continues for effective methods to use when teaching these children and when seeking to improve their communication, self-management and social skills. This paper provides a brief overview of autism spectrum disorders and the difficulties encountered by children with such disorders. The writers review some the approaches available for use with autistic children and report views from a sample of local special education teachers (n=54) concerning the extent to which some of these approaches are used in the special schools of Hong Kong. The teachers' views on positive and negative features of each approach were also investigated.
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