People with an intellectual disability experience the same range of emotional and mental needs as the general population. However, in comparison to the wealth of general counselling research, there is a relative lack of research involving clients with an intellectual disability. In particular, there is a scarcity of research exploring the clients’ subjective experiences of counselling. This thesis therefore seeks to gain a better understanding of this under-explored area of counselling practice by inquiring of the two parties most intimately acquainted with the counselling process – clients and counsellors. Complementing the views of clients and counsellors, the views of support workers and key informants are also described. Using a qualitative case study methodology, six clients with an intellectual disability were interviewed about their subjective experiences of counselling. Interviews were also conducted with their counsellors and with nominated support people. These interviews took place over a period of several months. In addition, single interviews were conducted with four key informants in order to gain an understanding of the local health and disability support services. This thesis explores the participants’ understandings of disability and counselling, discusses similarities and differences to general counselling and describes the outcomes of the six clients in this study. This thesis highlights four systemic problems that complicate the delivery of effective counselling services: (a) poverty, (b) health inequalities, (c) difficulties in the disability support workforce, and (d) social stigma. The thesis also draws attention to the need for specialised education for both counsellors and the disability support workforce. Researchers are invited to pursue further research. Practising counsellors are invited to engage in a rewarding, albeit complicated, area of professional practice.

In this study, data and information publicly available on the Internet were analysed to examine the self-reported experiences of people with COPD. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a chronic progressive disease that may exist with and worsen many other conditions of ageing. The theoretical basis for analysis draws on the social model of disability that stresses the disabling aspects of the environment, as opposed to the individual’s medical condition. This allows the voices and stories of people living life with COPD to be the focus of this research. In this study, I found that people with COPD who post their stories to the Internet display a wide range of emotions and experiences of living with COPD. The people with COPD discuss, amongst other things, how COPD has affected their home life and activities of daily living, their work and finances, their spouse or carer, and especially appreciate the friendships and support found at pulmonary rehabilitation and through belonging to a support group. These people appear to be very open and authentic in their writings, wishing to reach out to others with the condition to offer hope, support and advice, in adapting to changing circumstances as the condition progresses. People expressed gratitude at being part of a community of fellow people with COPD. This collection of stories shows that, despite having a disabling condition, people with COPD can demonstrate resilience and resourcefulness to successfully adjust the landscape of their lives, and the realities of living with a disability, to maintain a good quality of life for as long as possible.

This study primarily addressed two questions. The first question asked if individuals with learning disabilities in reading differ from individuals with other types of learning disabilities and from individuals with no clinical diagnosis on processing speed measured cognitively. The second question asked if subgroups within the two experimental groups with learning disabilities could be identified that conform to the Double Deficit Hypothesis (DDH) (Wolf & Bowers, 2000).Subjects were extracted from an existing data base that consisted of over 2000 individuals in the Mid-Western United States who had been referred for neuropsychological assessment, and were chosen for this study if they had been diagnosed with a learning disability or had received no clinical diagnosis. A total sample of 307 was available for the study, including 211 males and 96 females. The subjects were assigned to one of three groups by the researcher. One group consisted of individuals diagnosed with learning disabilities in reading, a second group consisted of individuals with learning disabilities in areas other than reading, and the third groups consisted of individuals who had received no clinical diagnosis. Scores on the WoodcockJohnson Tests of Cognitive Ability- Revised, and the Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement- Revised were used for analysis.The investigation into the first question found that the three groups differed significantly on a cognitive measure of processing speed. The literature search had found that an achievement measure of processing speed discriminated between the three types of individuals. The current findings imply that processing speed problems may be linked to cognitive abilities as well as academic abilities. The results for the second question were not as clear. However, a cluster analysis of both the group with learning disabilities in reading and the group with learning disabilities in areas other than reading found processing speed to be an important factor in describing these individuals' difficulties. For the first group, Wolf and Bowers (2000) Double Deficit Hypothesis was supported for processing speed, but not for phonological processing. For the other group, the DDH was supported for processing speed and phonological processing, but not for the double deficit. / Department of Educational Psychology

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of group thermal biofeedback training and relaxation as a means of changing locus of control. Additionally, the stability of the locus of control change, over time, was examined. Lastly, the proportion of achievement motivation which can be explained by locus of control was determined.Forty-nine ninth grade students were randomly assigned to biofeedback training, relaxation, or control. The nine treatment sessions were of 20 minutes duration and the students in the biofeedback group used mercury thermometers. Autogenic phrases were read as they attempted to increase their skin surface temperature. The relaxation group received the identical autogenic phrases as the biofeedback group, while the control group observed films during the treatment session.After the completion of the treatment, subjects were administered the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children and the Junior Index of Motivation (JIM) Scale.Hypothesis #1, which stated that the biofeedback group would change its locus of control toward internality, was rejected (P .7736). Hypothesis #2, which stated that the mean locus of control score for the biofeedback group would be significantly more internal than either the relaxation or control group, was similarly rejected (p .6353 and p .7736, respectively). Since the biofeedback group did not become more internal. Hypothesis #3, which was concerned with the stability of a shift in locus of control, was not tested. The multiple regression analysis resulted in an R of .4296 (p .0037). This suggests that a significant proportion of achievement motivation can be explained by locus of control. Males tended to score more internal than females, regardless of treatment, but not to a significant degree (p .0520). The biofeedback group had significantly increased their skin temperature as a result of the biofeedback ( p .001). It was concluded that while group thermal biofeedback training was effective in teaching the subjects to voluntarily control their skin surface temperature, it was not effective in altering their locus of control. Recommendations were made regarding using smaller group size or individual training, and pre-testing for initial locus of control levels to identify those with more external locus of control.

In this study, data and information publicly available on the Internet were analysed to examine the self-reported experiences of people with COPD. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a chronic progressive disease that may exist with and worsen many other conditions of ageing. The theoretical basis for analysis draws on the social model of disability that stresses the disabling aspects of the environment, as opposed to the individual’s medical condition. This allows the voices and stories of people living life with COPD to be the focus of this research. In this study, I found that people with COPD who post their stories to the Internet display a wide range of emotions and experiences of living with COPD. The people with COPD discuss, amongst other things, how COPD has affected their home life and activities of daily living, their work and finances, their spouse or carer, and especially appreciate the friendships and support found at pulmonary rehabilitation and through belonging to a support group. These people appear to be very open and authentic in their writings, wishing to reach out to others with the condition to offer hope, support and advice, in adapting to changing circumstances as the condition progresses. People expressed gratitude at being part of a community of fellow people with COPD. This collection of stories shows that, despite having a disabling condition, people with COPD can demonstrate resilience and resourcefulness to successfully adjust the landscape of their lives, and the realities of living with a disability, to maintain a good quality of life for as long as possible.

This grounded theory study explored Canadian nursing educators' perspectives of nursing students with disabilities. Seventeen faculty members from four western Canadian nursing education programs participated in semi-structured interviews. Data consisted of interview transcripts, demographic forms and field notes. Data analysis was conducted as described by Strauss and Corbin (1998). Transcribed interviews were examined using a fluid and dynamic process of examination of interviews, open coding, axial coding and selective coding. the theory of producing competent graduates emered from the data, with the central category being supporting students on the path to competent graduate. Producing competent graduates was described as a linear process, commencing when the students enter the program and culminating when they successfully complete their education. Participants believed studens with disabilities could become competent graduates. The educators' perspectives of these learnes was best captured by the term "wary challenge". Participants' perspectives of nursing students with disabilities were influenced by the context of nursing education programs, attributes of the nursing educator, perceived attributes of the environment and perceived student attributes. These attributes influenced how the educators worked with disabled students seeking to become competent graduates. Most learners were seen as proceeding along the path to competent graduate at a steady pace. Some students. both those with and those without disabilities, were identified as sometimes being at academic risk. Educators offered myriad supports, including developing reasonable accommodation for clinical courses. Most students returned to the path to competent graduate, while a few continued to experience difficulties. These situations compelled the nursing educators to engage in deep, deliberate consideration as they sought to balance the students' rights with the imperative of patient safety. The unique aspect of decision making when working with students with disabilities was "where do we draw the line". Recommendations for nursing education include improving faculty knowledge regarding disabilities and instituting clearer guidelines for developing and communicating accommodation in the clinical setting. Recommendations for future research include developing a better understanding of nursing educators' perspectives of disabilities and what influences those views.

Sudan has been at war for decades. As such, many research areas in Sudan have not been investigated. Disability is one of these areas. Although the little literature available indicates that Sudanese have negative attitudes towards disabled people, there is still lack of rich literature on how persons with disabilities are perceived in Sudan. The objective of this exploratory research is to start the process of understanding how people with disabilities in Sudan are perceived by engaging persons with disabilities in identifying barriers hindering them from participating in society and measures they think should be taken in order to overcome the identified barriers. Using a qualitative research design, four adults living with physical disabilities were interviewed. The data obtained was analyzed using a Key Theme Analysis Method. The findings from this study suggest that people with disabilities face many barriers that prevent them from participating in their society. These barriers include: negative stereotypes, unemployment, low economic status, sense of hopelessness, corruption and race and religious factors. I hope findings of this research paper adds to the existing body of literature and reminds disability activists and their allies worldwide the importance of collective efforts to fight against exclusion of disabled people in their respective societies.

No description available.

No description available.

Although the policies and practices of special education are openly constructed around a premise of mobility and opportunity, students from low income backgrounds (‘at risk’ youth) are twice as likely to be labeled “special.” Moreover, of all the special educational categories, learning disabilities (a diagnosis deeply contested) account for the largest group of special educational students who are ‘at risk’ learners. This project is hinged on addressing how those students who are apparent beneficiaries of special educational policies and programs (evidenced by post-secondary enrolment) make meaning of their prior and current educational experiences in relation to special educational policies, services and programs. The author begins by theorizing that such disabilities may medicalize social problems while still preserving a veneer of equality. However, since not all labels have universal meanings when applied to specific social agents, they may both hinder and help some in gaining access to post secondary education. With the support of a group of four enrolled post secondary students located in the Canadian urban west-coast, who identify as learning disabled and the recipients of related interventions, this thesis provides a complex reading of the everyday that draws upon how the students’ specific cultural and material locations inform their understanding of education, ability, disability, meritocracy and normalcy. Collecting data through semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted during the Spring and Fall of 2007, the students actively engage and challenge the author’s original theoretical and methodological assumptions. Anticipating critiques of special education, the author is surprised by the students’ support of such programs. Expecting responses to interview questions to be based on a reading of meritocracy as normalcy and disability as deficit, these students weave understandings of meritocracy and normalcy to articulate their abilities without rejecting their disability labels. In terms of policy where the emphasis is placed on disability as deficit, the findings imply that policy-makers neglect the energy and labour students invest in emphasizing their abilities. For educators, this reveals an important pedagogy of inclusion by inverting assumptions that special educational students are ‘at risk’ of educational failure without unfolding the complex ways in which they actively demonstrate their abilities.