Vesela Milankov

Background: Families of children with intellectual disabilities often experience increased caregiving demands that may contribute to elevated parenting stress. Family routines represent an important aspect of everyday family organization and may support adaptation by providing structure, predictability, and continuity. However, the role of family routines in relation to parenting stress among families of children with intellectual disabilities remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine parenting stress, the frequency and perceived importance of family routines in families of children with and without intellectual disabilities, and the associations between family routines and parenting stress. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among parents of children with intellectual disabilities and parents of typically developing children. Family routines were assessed using the Family Time and Routines Index (FTRI), and parenting stress was assessed using the Parental Stress Scale (PSS). Group differences were examined using appropriate nonparametric and categorical-data tests, while associations between parenting stress and family routines were examined using Spearman rank-order correlations separately by study group. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted in the pooled sample to examine the incremental contribution of family routines to parenting stress beyond study group and selected sociodemographic and family characteristics. Group routine interaction terms were additionally tested to examine whether these associations differed between the TD and ID groups. Results: Parents of children with intellectual disabilities reported significantly higher levels of parenting stress compared with parents of typically developing children. Significant differences were observed in the frequency of family routines, with parents of typically developing children reporting more frequent routines across assessed domains. Higher frequency of family routines was significantly associated with lower levels of parenting stress in both groups. In the pooled regression analysis, family routine frequency and perceived importance together explained an additional 6.6% of the variance in parenting stress beyond study group and selected sociodemographic and family characteristics. In the final model, greater family routine frequency was independently associated with lower parenting stress, whereas perceived importance did not make a significant independent contribution. No significant group × routine interactions were observed. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the regular organization of family routines represents an important aspect of family functioning associated with parental well-being. Supporting families in establishing and maintaining adaptive routines may represent a valuable component of family-centered interventions for reducing parenting stress and strengthening everyday family functioning, particularly among families of children with intellectual disabilities. Longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to further clarify the role of family routines in supporting family adaptation.

Rare diseases are often complex and difficult to diagnose, resulting in significant delays in obtaining a definitive diagnosis. These delays can place emotional and psychological strain on parents, who must navigate an uncertain medical journey. This study aimed to explore both cognitive and emotional experiences of parents, from the moment they first notice symptoms in their child to the point of receiving a formal diagnosis. We conducted semi‐structured interviews with five parents of children diagnosed with Tyrosine Hydroxylase Deficiency. The interviews were analyzed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. Three main themes were identified regarding parents' cognitive experiences: (1) Something didn't feel right: early signs and parental uncertainty, (2) Seeking information: parents' experiences through a complex diagnostic journey, and (3) Between compassion and distance: communication with professionals. Likewise, three key themes were identified in relation to parents' emotional experiences: (1) Emotional whirlwind: the dynamics of sadness, fear, and hope, (2) Navigating emotional turbulence: parental coping mechanisms , and (3) Emotional dynamics of heterosexual partner relationships. The findings highlight the complex and multifaceted nature of parental experiences during the diagnostic journey. This study emphasizes the importance of not only addressing the needs of children with a rare disorder but also recognizing and supporting the emotional and cognitive challenges faced by their parents. Given the preliminary nature of this research and its geographic focus on Serbia, the findings are exploratory and may not generalize to other populations.

Background: Parenting stress is typically elevated in families of children with intellectual disability, yet less is known about how everyday family routines may buffer this stress in early childhood across different developmental groups. This study examined parenting stress and family routines in families of children with and without intellectual disability. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 125 parents of children aged 0–9 years (n = 75 typi-cally developing; n = 50 with intellectual disability) completed the Family Time and Rou-tines Index and the Parental Stress Scale, along with a sociodemographic questionnaire. Group differences in parenting stress and routine-related indices were examined using in-dependent samples t-tests, and associations between parenting stress and the perceived importance of weekday/leisure and disciplinary routines were analyzed with Pearson cor-relation coefficients. Results: Parents of children with intellectual disability reported significantly higher par-enting stress than parents of typically developing children and less prevalent family disci-plinary routines. Across the total sample, lower levels of parenting stress were moderately associated with greater perceived importance of weekday and leisure routines and paren-tal disciplinary routines. Conclusions: Family routines, particularly weekday, leisure, and disciplinary routines, represent a promising target for personalized, family-centered support in early childhood. Tailoring interventions to families’ routine profiles and stress levels may help strengthen family resilience and everyday functioning in families raising children with and without intellectual disability. Keywords: parenting stress; family routines; intellectual disability; early childhood; fami-ly-centered interventions; parental self-efficacy

Parents’ priorities significantly influence decisions regarding their children’s support, reflecting parental attitudes, knowledge, and experiences. This research aimed to identify parents’ priorities when choosing professional support for their children, examine the link between these priorities and children’s current abilities, and examine which developmental domains children receive professional support and whether these domains align with parental priorities. The sample consisted of 82 parents of children aged three to six years, divided into two groups: 41 parents of children with developmental disabilities and 41 parents of children without. All participants completed a Treatment Priorities Questionnaire (TP). The results showed that parents of children with developmental disabilities prioritize Communication skills, Social relationships, and Pre-Academic skills. In contrast, parents of children without developmental disabilities focus on Self-Care and Pre-Academic skills. These priorities often relate to the child’s areas in need of improvement. While children with developmental disabilities receive appropriate support, those without often do not receive support in the areas their parents prioritize. This highlights the need for parents to also recognize and build on their child’s strengths, creating a more balanced approach to their development.

Poremećaj iz spektra autizma (PSA) karakterišu poteškoće u socijalnoj komunikaciji i interakciji, kao i prisustvo specifičnih ponašanja. Inkluzivno obrazovanje dece sa PSA donosi značajne prednosti ali i izazove za ovu decu. Stavovi vršnjaka i njihove ponašajne namere imaju presudnu ulogu u uspešnosti inkluzije, a pol, uzrast, mesto stanovanja i prethodno iskustvo predstavljaju važne faktore njihovog formiranja. Istraživanje predstavlja studiju preseka i obuhvatalo je 150 učenika oba pola, tipičnog razvoja, mlađeg osnovnoškolskog uzrasta, s ciljem da se ispitaju njihovi stavovi i ponašajne namere prema vršnjacima sa PSA i utvrde faktori koji su povezani s ispitivanim varijablama. Za potrebe istraživanja korišćeni su Upitnik o zajedničkim aktivnostima (The Shared Activities Questionnaire – SAQ) i opšti upitnik za prikupljanje sociodemografskih podataka. Rezultati pokazuju da pol, uzrast i sredina utiču na stavove i ponašajne namere dece tipičnog razvoja, mlađeg osnovnoškolskog uzrasta prema učenicima sa PSA. Utvrđeno je da devojčice imaju pozitivnije namere od dečaka; mlađi učenici iskazuju pozitivnije stavove nego stariji; učenici iz seoskih sredina imaju pozitivnije namere, a oni iz gradskih pozitivnije stavove; dok prethodno iskustvo s osobama sa PSA nije povezano prihvatanjem, što naglašava potrebu za sistematskim edukativnim programima. Rezultati pokazuju da su stavovi i ponašajne namere dece tipične populacije prema vršnjacima sa PSA povezani s više faktora, kao što su uzrast, pol, mesto stanovanja i prethodno iskustvo. Prihvatanje učenika sa PSA jeste proces koji je pod uticajem kompleksne interakcije individualnih i socijalnih uticaja. Edukativne intervencije usmerene na decu, nastavnike i školsku zajednicu mogu podstaći toleranciju i razvoj pozitivnih vršnjačkih odnosa.

Da bi stekla veštinu čitanja, deca moraju ovladati sposobnostima kao što su dekodiranje, razvijenost rečnika, semantička i sintaksička obrada, kao i zaključivanje. Glavni cilj našeg istraživanja bio je utvrđivanje odnosa između fonološkog i leksičko-semantičkog nivoa jezičke strukture i čitanja. Dodatno, cilj NAM je bio da utvrdimo odnos verbalnog pamćenja, verbalne radne memorije i čitanja. Uzorak je činilo 80 dece školskog uzrasta. U istraživanju su primenjeni sledeći instrumenti: Trodimenzionalni test čitanja, FONT test, Klase reči, Bostonski test imenovanja, Test za procenu brzog automatskog imenovanja, Test za procenu verbalnog pamćenja i Test za procenu verbalne radne memorije. Rezultati istraživanja su pokazali da brzo automatsko imenovanje i verbalno pamćenje imaju najznačajniju ulogu u brzini čitanja i razumevanju pročitanog, nešto manji značaj imaju fonološka svesnost i semantičke sposobnosti, dok preostale varijable (verbalna radna memorija i obim rečnika) imaju znatno manju ulogu u definisanju ovog kanoničkog faktora. S obzirom na činjenicu da razvijenost govornog jezika predstavlja temelj u razvoju čitalačke pismenosti, naše istraživanje je imalo za cilj da doprinese novim uvidima, ne samo na temu razumevanja povezanosti različitih aspekata čitanja i jezičkih sposobnosti, već i isticanjem praktičnih implikacija koje su usmerene na unapređenje čitalačkih i pravopisnih veština, kao i unapređenje nastavnog procesa.

Speech-language therapists are specialists who focus on the prevention, detection, assessment, diagnosis, therapy, counseling, and scientific research of communication and swallowing disorders in individuals of all ages. While the speech therapy profession is legally recognized in the Republic of Serbia, its regulatory framework and institutional support are still insufficiently developed, and professionals in the field encounter a range of challenges. The main objective of this research is to examine public awareness of the field of speech therapy. The sample consisted of 207 respondents of various ages. For the purposes of this research, an online questionnaire was created and distributed via informal groups and social media. The majority of respondents indicated that they received most of their information about speech therapy from friends, and they also gathered information from personal experience. In addition, most respondents believed that children with articulation disorders are the most common users of speech therapy services, while a small number of respondents thought that children with fluency disorders require treatment. Most respondents believed that a child should be taken to a speech therapist if they have not spoken by 18 months of age, and it was proven that there is no statistically significant difference between the awareness of employees in institutions with and without a speech therapist, nor between respondents of different educational levels.

This study aimed to investigate the predictors of preschool children's communication skills. The sample consisted of 84 children aged eighteen months to four years. Half of the sample consisted of children who were included in an institution for preschool education, while the other 50% of the children from the sample were not included in these institutions. Parents were surveyed using a questionnaire called the Language Use Inventory (O'Nell, 2009). Our results showed that the multiple linear regression models have an acceptable fit to the data and have a statistically significant proportion of the variance (R² = 0.83, p < 0.001). It was found that, of all the assumed variables, the length of involvement in PU, the number of gestures, words and sentences used by the child are good predictors that significantly explain children's communication abilities.

Reading consists of processing written data which are transmitted by text and thus reading is seen as a complex language skill. A prerequisite for the development of reading skills is developing phonological awareness and forming verbal representations. Success in solving tasks of phonological awareness is a predictor of reading abilities. For those reasons, this research attempts to determine the connection and mutual influence between these abilities. The research is designed as a cross-sectional study and it was conducted at Primary School "Dušan Radović" in Novi Sad from February to March 2020. The research sample consisted of 31 students (19 boys and 12 girls) whose average age was 8 years and 8 month. The included assessment instruments were the Three-dimensional Reading Test - "Samo jedan snežni dan" and the "FONT" test used for assessing phonological awareness. The findings of this research confirm the correlation between phonological awareness and reading errors in second-grade students. On the basis of this research, it can be concluded that there is a significant correlation between phonological awareness and reading ability and that their mutual influence is reciprocal, i.e. the development of one ability is a prerequisite for the development of the second one.