This study presents the feasibility and pilot evaluation of the Reflective Fostering Programme (RFP), a recently developed, group-based program to support foster carers, based on the concept of 'reflective parenting'. This innovative development follows calls by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and other organisations to help improve outcomes for children in care by providing better support to their carers. This study aimed to establish whether it is possible to implement the RFP, and to gather preliminary data on the acceptability and effectiveness of the programme. Twenty-eight foster carers took part in the study. Results indicate that training and delivery of the RFP were feasible; the programme was felt to be and relevant and meaningful to both foster carers and social care professionals delivering it. Preliminary pre-post evaluation showed a statistically significant improvement in foster carers' stress, their achievement of self-defined goals and child's emotion lability and overall strengths and difficulties. There were no statistically significant changes in carers' reflective functioning, although some foster carers reported on changes in reflective capacity during focus groups. Preliminary findings about the feasibility of training and delivery of the RFP, as well as the acceptability and effectiveness of the programme, are encouraging, but further impact evaluation is needed.

Background Studies in Down syndrome (DS) and Williams syndrome (WS) have suggested that mathematical abilities are impaired. However, it is unclear which domain‐general or domain‐specific abilities impact on mathematical development in these developmental disorders. Method The current study examined the foundations of mathematical development across participants with WS (n = 24) and DS (n = 26) compared to typically developing (TD) children (n = 26) in relation to domain‐general (i.e., general intelligence and visuospatial abilities) and domain‐specific abilities (non‐symbolic and symbolic number abilities). Results Developmental trajectories showed that mathematical abilities were delayed in line with overall mental age in DS and WS. Whilst visuospatial abilities predicted performance for DS and TD participants, this was not the case for the WS group, instead Approximate Number Sense abilities predicted mathematical development. Conclusions These findings suggest that those with DS and WS may benefit from different mathematical intervention programmes.

It has been reported that approximate number sense (ANS) task performance is impaired in individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) and Down syndrome (DS). Research with infants has suggested this impairment is caused by sticky fixation in WS and sustained attention deficits for those with DS. This study examined looking patterns of older children and adults with WS (n = 24) and DS (n = 23) during an ANS task compared to typically developing controls matched for chronological age and those matched for mental age. Results showed that, although there were no group differences, looking patterns changed with chronological age for both the WS and DS groups. Looking behaviour related to ANS performance only in the WS group. Implications for interventions are discussed.

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