The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic sensitivity of tasks employing feature and conjunction visual searches in stroke patients with unilateral spatial neglect (USN). Seventy-two stroke patients (right/left hemispheric damage with/without USN) and 39 healthy controls participated in the study. Hit rate and reaction time measures of feature and conjunction searches were tested using a newly developed computerised programme for the assessment of visual spatial attention (VISSTA). In addition, subjects received a set of diagnostic paper-and-pencil tests, and were also assessed for the impact of neglect on activities of daily living. Results indicated that the computerised test clearly differentiated between stroke patients and healthy controls, and between the different patient groups. USN patients showed significant contralesional disadvantage in both feature and conjunction visual search tasks. It is proposed that computerised assessment of visual search capacity is a useful and sensitive adjunct to standard paper-and-pencil tests of USN, with the advantage of testing responses based on attention shifts under a time constraint. The learning effects that limit the usefulness of paper-and-pencil tests in longitudinal studies are less likely to affect a computerised test, making it more suitable for monitoring treatment-induced or natural recovery by way of repeated testing.

Factor analysis identified four categories within the questionnaire's items: student-teacher relations, school and classroom physical environment, positive feelings toward school, and negative feelings toward school. Internal consistency indicated a high correlation among the items in each of the factors. In addition, third-grade students reported significantly higher perception of school quality of life (QOL) than their older peers. CONCLUSION. The QoLS may assist clinicians and educators in evaluating students' school Q0L from a multidimensional perspective, including the school's physical environment, which has received little attention.

Long-term disabilities are common among stroke survivors and are associated with reduced quality of life (QoL). Research on occupation-based intervention for chronic stroke survivors is sparse. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of neurofunctional treatment (NFT), an occupation-based client-centred treatment approach, for attaining individualised goals in chronic stroke survivors. A pilot randomised control study with a crossover design was employed. The participants were randomly allocated to treatment or control groups, with the intervention replicated for the control group after three months. Twenty three community dwelling stroke survivors, at least one year post-stroke attending a community day centre participated in this study. The 12-week intervention included NFT with individualised occupational goal setting. The treatment methods included task-specific training, environmental or task adaptation, assistive devices, motivation recruitment, and advocacy. Significant differences between the groups were found on occupational performance measures, but not on QoL. These findings were replicated after crossover for the control group. The results support the efficacy of NFT for attaining occupational goals in individuals in the chronic stage after stroke, yet further research is needed to validate these findings in additional treatment settings and over time.

This study aimed to assess whether the perception of quality of life (QOL) and subjective well-being (SWB) of young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is affected by participation in a comprehensive program. Participants included 25 young adults with ASD who participated in the “Roim Rachok Program” (RRP), where they were trained to become aerial photography interpreters. Following the training period, they served in a designated army unit where they practiced their newly acquired profession. The participants filled out two questionnaires, (a) Quality of Life (QOL-Q) and (b) Personal Well-being Index (PWI), at three points of the intervention: (a) before the course, (b) at the end of the course, and (c) six months after integrating in the designated army unit. Wilcoxon signed ranks tests were used to assess the differences between the reported QOL and SWB at the three points of time. The results suggest that there were no significant differences at the end of the course, compared to its beginning. However, there were significantly improved perception of QOL and SWB during the period between the end of the course and six months after starting work. The results of this study highlight the importance of tailored vocational programs that are adapted to the unique needs and strengths of individuals with ASD.

OBJECTIVE. We studied the psychometric properties of the dynamic version of the Lowenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (DLOTCA) and examined the most frequent level of mediation used for planning for intervention.METHOD. Participants included 83 clients hospitalized after first stroke (mean age 5 57.7, standard deviation 5 8.33) and 45 healthy control participants. All were assessed with the DLOTCA after providing informed consent. RESULTS.Interrater reliability showed high correlations between all pairs of raters. Internal consistency reliability showed moderate to high as (.602-.813) for all domains except Visual Perception. We found significant differences between the groups of participants before mediation; both benefited from mediation, showing moderate to high effect sizes. Stroke clients needed higher levels of mediation.CONCLUSION. The DLOTCA is effective in providing insight into whether participants need mediation and the level and type of assistance they require. The DLOTCA provides guidance for planning intervention for people with cognitive disabilities.