ract Various standardised assessment tools have been used to evaluate children with disabilities. However, assessment tools that provide information on the movement and function of children with specific learning disabilities (SLD) are still limited. This article provides a narrative review of the characteristics of five movement and/or function assessment tools. The strengths and limitations of the tools will be highlighted. Empirical studies on the assessment tools used are reviewed based on three criteria: (i) standardised tools; (ii) assessment of movement and/or function; (iii) applicability to children with SLD ranging from 4–17 years of age and widely used in practice. The following instruments have been included as they have been found to fulfil the criteria: (i) the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency-2 (BOT-2); (ii) the movement assessment battery for children-2 (MABC-2); (iii) the pediatric balance scale (PBS); (iv) the Vineland adaptive behaviour scale-II (VABS-II) and (v) the pediatric evaluation of disability inventory-computerised adaptive test (PEDI-CAT). The article presents the characteristics, strengths and limitations of five standardised assessment tools that are currently in use, which measure the movement and/or function of children with SLD. This article concludes with a discussion of recommendations for the best approaches to evaluating the movement and functional abilities of children with SLD.

Diabetes is often associated with dysfunction in activities of daily living (ADL), especially among older adults.Hospitalisation of older adults is often followed by decline in functional status affecting their quality of life and well-beingafter discharge. The objective of this study was to determine the functional independence in carrying out basic activitiesof daily living, its relationship with quality of life, and the factors influencing the quality of life in hospitalised olderadults with diabetes. This cross sectional study was carried out on 104 diabetic patients (mean age: 67.5 ± 9.2 years) whowere receiving in-patient treatment. Face-to-face interviews were carried out to determine functional independence usingModified Barthel Index (MBI) as well as quality of life using the World Health Organization’s Quality of Life instrument(WHOQOL-BREF). Results showed that only 37.5% (n = 39) respondents were catergorised as being fully-independent.Among the domains in MBI, using the stairs recorded the lowest score followed by mobility. The physical domain in qualityof life also recorded the lowest score compared to other domains of quality of life. There were significant (p < 0.05),positive correlations between the overall MBI scores and all domains of quality of life; physical (rs = 0.70), psychology(rs = 0.50), social (rs = 0.33) and environmental (rs = 0.25). Hierachical multiple regression analysis showed MBI scoreshad significant influence on all domains of quality of life, with the largest influence on the physical domain i.e. 36% [F(1,92) = 82.14, p < 0.01, R2 = .36]. As a conclusion, hospitalisation reduces the functional independence in carrying outbasic activities of daily living as well as the physical aspect of quality life in older adults with diabetes. Therefore, it isimportant to provide rehabilitation in activities of daily living while the elderly diabetics while undergoing in-patienttreatment in order to maintain quality of life after discharge.

Tahfiz education has been well accepted by Muslims in Malaysia. Memorizing the Quran through rote learning can assistin improving the brain ability to process, store information and build memory. In addition, dietary intakes were reportedto contribute in the process of memorizing the Quran and to increase the levels of intelligence (IQ) among huffaz students.This cross-sectional study was conducted to measure and to determine the correlation between IQ and dietary intakeas well as between IQ and the level of trace elements among students in selected tahfiz schools and non-tahfiz school inSelangor. Questionnaires were used to obtain demographic data. Dietary intake was assessed via 3 days dietary record.Levels of trace elements in the nail samples were analyzed by using ICP-MS. Test for intelligence using WASI-II wasconducted to measure the students’ IQ. The results showed that there was a moderate positive correlation between IQ andcarbohydrate (r = 0.425, p < 0.001, a weak positive correlation between IQ and energy (r = 0.260, p < 0.05), vitaminB6 (r = 0.189, p < 0.05), vitamin B12 (r = 0.207, p < 0.05) and vitamin C (r = 0.211, p < 0.05). The levels of traceelements in nail samples showed no correlation with IQ, whereas there were moderate positive correlations between IQand dietary zinc (r = 0.375, p < 0.001) as well as between IQ and dietary iron (r = 0.303, p < 0.001). There was also amoderate positive correlation between IQ and the level of memorization (r = 0.375, p < 0.001). The results of stepwisemultiple linear regression showed that al-Quran memorization influence the level of IQ by 20 %. As a conclusion, dietaryintake of certain nutrients including energy, vitamins and selected trace elements can potentially improve memorizationactivities and also IQ.

One of the most popular interventions provided by occupational therapists for pediatric clients is Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI). Strict fidelity measures consisting of procedural and structural elements must be adhered to when using it. These fidelity measures distinguish Ayres Sensory Integration® from other sensory-based interventions. This study involved the development of a survey instrument and outlined the challenges that Malaysian occupational therapists face when using Ayres sensory integration® (ASI). The questionnaire development involved the processes of assessing its validity and reliability. A total of 161 occupational therapists working in various healthcare settings responded to the survey by answering a self-administered questionnaire. The results identified eight themes or issues: (1) Inadequate Training, (2) Resource Issues, (3) Physical Constraints, (4) Time Constraints, (5) Limited Information/ Support Provided By Family, (6) Limited Support From Management, (7) Limited Information/Support Provided By Suppliers, and (8) Issues in Implementing Evidence-Based Practice. Identifying the challenges of implementing ASI is an important aspect of improving occupational therapy assessments and interventions, which would establish the effectiveness of the interventions provided.

Introduction: A popular intervention for paediatric clients, Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI) must adhere to sensory integration (SI) fidelity. This study describes fidelity adherence in ASI intervention by occupational therapy practitioners in Malaysia. Methods: A questionnaire on ASI fidelity was developed before being tested for its validity by seven experts and for its internal consistency and test-retest reliability by 30 occupational therapists. The questionnaire was then used nationally to collect data on ASI practitioners. Data were collected from 161 occupational therapists working in various settings. Results: The mean of the sub-scales I-CVI was excellent, ranging between 0.97 and 1.00. The total S-CVI/Ave of the form was also reported as excellent, at 0.98, with subscales S-CVI ranging between 0.75 and 1.00. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.80 for the questionnaire’s internal consistency and the ICC for test-retest reliability ranged from 0.80 to 0.95. The survey received 161 responses, indicating that most respondents perceived themselves as having ‘moderate competence’ and showing ‘high interest’ in ASI implementation. Most fidelity aspects were addressed in their practices. Majority of the respondents adhered to the process elements. It was indicated that three aspects of physical space under the structural elements could not be provided by most occupational therapists in the study. Conclusion: To implement evidence-based practice, adherence to fidelity when providing ASI is important to ascertain its effectiveness. Improvements to ensure optimal space, ASI certification, and more related training are the first steps that can be taken by the related agencies to ensure effective ASI intervention could be delivered.

A pre-driving assessment usually involves standardised and non-standardised tests to examine the skills for safe driving of people with disabilities. However, it is still unknown to what extent the pre-driving assessments are being practised among occupational therapists in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the association of challenges, attitudes, and skills of occupational therapists towards practising driving rehabilitation and explore the most used predriving assessment. A cross-sectional study had been conducted from July to September 2020. The convenient sampling method was used to recruit experienced occupational therapists in driving rehabilitation. A total of 53 therapists had completed an online survey. According to the results, the bivariate correlation between skills and challenges was positive and strong (rѕ = 0.680, p < 0.05). A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that workplace variables had a significant effect on the combined dependent variables of challenges, attitudes, and skills, F(3,49) = 4.521 p = 0.007, partial Ƞ² = 0.217. This study found that the most used standardised assessment was the range of motion (n = 39, 73.6 %) and the right and left discrimination (n = 40, 75.5 %). The findings of this study identified that occupational therapists challenges and attitudes are significantly associated with the skills to practice driving rehabilitation. Malaysian occupational therapists working in the government sector reported better skills than those working in the private sector. Furthermore, numerous types of pre-driving assessments were used and vary from setting to setting. This study hopes to benefit occupational therapists and related rehabilitation practitioners towards a holistic understanding of Malaysia's driving rehabilitation practices.

Proficient hand dexterity (HD) may help students with learning disabilities (LDs) perform various hand tasks efficiently. Video modelling (VM) is a strategy that uses a model to improve desired skills. However, the limited study focuses on VM to improve HD among students with LDs. Therefore, this study explores VM implementation in the learning and teaching process to improve the HD of students with LDs. Five Special Education (SE) teachers who taught the Hand Manipulative Component lessons in two different states were purposefully selected and invited to participate in this study. A one-toone interview was conducted with individual SE teachers. The interview sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and the data was analysed through thematic analysis. Rigorous approaches were performed to ensure the findings' trustworthiness, such as triangulation, member checking, and an audit trail. Four key themes emerged: conventional learning and teaching methods, challenges faced by students with LDs in improving HD, and the advantages of implementing VM in learning and teaching to improve HD and develop a video module. This study suggests SE teachers can implement VM in their learning and teaching processes to improve the HD performance of students with LDs. This current study concludes that VM can be a supportive strategy in the teaching process to improve HD performance among students with LDs.

Work can guarantee financial stability and quality of life, foster identity and self-confidence and ensure social wellbeing. Thus, it is vital to understand the motivation and intention to work. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) has been used extensively in theory and research in a wide range of human behaviours. However, research on the efficacy of the TPB in the vocational realm remains limited. This study aims to review the applications of the TPB in work-related intention. Relevant studies were systematically searched using standardised keywords across two databases. Three hundred and sixty-six research articles (n=366) were identified, however, only seven articles (n=7) were eligible to be evaluated in this study using the Assessment for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS) tool. All studies confirmed the efficacy of the TPB in explaining work intentions. The explained variance in intention varied from 10% (post-retirement work intention) to 59% (to work with older adults). However, the underlying core constructs of TPB namely attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control (PBC) do not always altogether consistently predict the intention to work. Besides, few review studies have reported variables that are not included in TPB, such as moral obligation, identity, and tenure, which contributed to a significant amount of variance in intention. Overall, the findings of this review indicated that TPB is helpful in understanding work intention. However, further investigation is needed to estimate the extended variables’ performance in explaining intentions and to cover a broader aspect of work intentions.

Occupational therapists have a significant role in driving rehabilitation by helping clients with disabilities to return to driving. To date, the services for driving rehabilitation are still limited in Malaysia. Furthermore, the current practice of driving rehabilitation in Malaysia is still underreported. Therefore, this study aims to assess occupational therapists’ challenges, attitudes, and skills towards driving rehabilitation, the sociodemographic differences, and associations between the developed constructs. A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to September 2020. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit 177 occupational therapists with at least one year of working experience in Malaysia. The questionnaire consists of three constructs: the challenges, attitudes, and skills related to driving rehabilitation. The content validity of the questionnaire was good (S-CVI/Ave= 0.992; S-CVI/UA= 0.950; modified kappa= 0.812 to 1.000). Based on the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), three items had been deleted due to low communalities. The Cronbach’s alpha for all constructs was acceptable (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.7). Experience in practicing driving rehabilitation, workplace settings, and educational level had significant differences in at least one of the constructs. Age and years graduated had a significant positive correlation with skills. This questionnaire proved to be a tool with good content validity and reliability to assess occupational therapists’ challenges, attitudes, and skills related to driving rehabilitation. In the future, qualitative studies are recommended to better understand the occupational therapists towards driving rehabilitation, especially from their personal experience.

Limitations in motor performances among children with specific learning disabilities (SLD) can lead to impaired functional skills. Thus, this study aimed to determine the level of motor performances and functional mobility, and the influence of motor performances on the functional mobility in children with SLD.