DNA structure has been leveraged in a variety of facets that allow scientists to perform a range of assays, including ones for identification of species, establishing evolutionary relationships between taxa, or even identifying individuals. Here, we present a DNA barcoding method as practical, hands-on approach that connects several experimental…

Research on the use of digital games suggests they can enhance students' learning; however, teachers often play an important role in mediating gameplay and a game's educational goals. The purpose of the study was to investigate implementation approaches of nine biology teachers using an immersive digital game in their science classes, focusing on…

Background: The prevalence of anxiety disorders is high in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS), an under-recognized multisystem condition. Prominent features include an array of somatic, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric disorders. This case study reports for the first time on the application of individual cognitive behavioral therapy in…

Background: In intellectual disability, the cognitive delay is observed during developmental age, whereas in dementia, cognitive decline occurs during post-developmental period. So far, the risk of dementia in people with intellectual disability, excluding those with Down syndrome, is poorly known. Method: We screened dementia signs in a study…

The study aimed to identify the mediating role of emotional intelligence and social competences in the relationship between gender and broad autism phenotype (BAP) as well as between age and BAP. It comprised 85 parents of children with ASD. They completed the questionnaires of Autism-Spectrum Quotient, social competences, and emotional…

Recent genetic discoveries offer a new lens through which to study cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social processes that are foundational to children's development. In this article, we review the latest advances in genomics--genome-wide association studies and the polygenic scores that have come out of them--and discuss how these techniques…

There is increasing literature showing that the presentation of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) could be different according to the sex of the patient. Through the analysis of the Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised interview results of a study group consisting of 56 preschool children diagnosed with ASD potential differences in the presentation of…

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a lifelong chronic medical condition diagnosed through screening at birth. Complications of SCD can significantly burden affected children as they learn to manage their health needs. This study sought to investigate the perceived obstacles that may hinder children with SCD from receiving the necessary support and…

Family systems research has identified two key processes (spillover and compensatory), linking interparental relationship quality to the parent-child relationship. However, previous research has focused on the parent as the sole initiator and had not often considered the role of the child in these processes. The present study adds to the…

Aims: To assess the effectiveness of iPad use on the attention span of a child with Smith Magenis Syndrome (n = 1), compared to attention span while working on the same tasks manually. Methods: An AB design with a baseline and an intervention phase was used. Three manual tasks were chosen for the baseline, which matched the participant's…

Peer learning is an active learning technique that has been used for students to internalize difficult concepts. We have developed a method of peer learning, a consensus-based education approach, which allows for discussion and class consensus in large lecture classes. We tracked student success on concepts that employed the consensus-based…

Genetics is a core topic in the biology curriculum of many countries. Learning genetics is difficult for multiple reasons, including the need to reason about complex mechanisms--and to link mechanisms--that occur at different time and space scales. Previous research in genetics education explores students' understandings of inheritance patterns or…

The block design task (BDT) is a visuospatial measure that individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) perform poorly on. However, it is unclear what underlies their impaired performance. This study investigated whether poorer performance is a result of visuospatial difficulties, executive function (EF) difficulties, atypical looking strategies, or a…

Bioinformatics is the use of computers in biology, particularly to analyse DNA and protein sequences and associated data. Bioinformatics has become crucial to most areas of life sciences research. However, bioinformatics education has not kept up with the pace of these advances. To help address this problem, we have designed an open-access…

Programmes which offer integrated services were analysed to identify model international and domestic programmes serving adults with neurodevelopmental disorders. Programmes were assessed according to 11 need domains identified in a previous study: supervision, transportation, housing, communication, finances/employment opportunities, activities…