A call for the design of programs focused on the development of self-awareness skills permeates the field of research and practice on postsecondary students with learning disabilities (LD). Important components of self-awareness are students' advanced understanding of learning, LD, and the social context (peers, instructors, classmates) of college learning. This study explores students with LD's conceptual understanding of learning and LD by situating it within developmental theoretical frameworks delineating the form and content of adult reasoning. Twelve female and five male college-students with LD participated in two-hour interviews. Students' thinking about others was explored by asking participants to reason about the behaviors, intentions, feelings and traits of the characters in two scenarios depicting typical dilemmas faced by students with LD. Students' conceptual understanding of learning and LD was elicited by means of open-ended questions followed by prompts. Students' responses were scored for level of cognitive complexity and coded for conceptual content. Overall, the students reasoned abstractly about learning and LD at a level of complexity expected from college-age population. They demonstrated well-developed understanding of others' expectations and motivations especially as they relate to the themes of self-identification, seeking accommodations, and understanding of LD. Students' conceptions of learning and LD presented qualitatively different variations on main themes. These variations paralleled the increase in complexity and were associated with experience(number of years of education). The overarching understanding of learning as acquiring knowledge transitioned from understanding learning as an external, given task to learning as an internal, personal-development process. The common understanding of LD as a difference transitioned from a difference related to an external label and an imposed constraint, to meaning of "difference" as a special ability, an asset, and a source of identity. These results indicate a possible progression in the evolution of the concepts of learning and LD throughout the college career of students with LD. The approach to this conceptual content and its description can inform and serve as starting points in the development of programs that foster the conceptual understanding of learning, LD, and the social-context of the educational enterprise, as a way of building these students' self-awareness skills.

Dewey provides a rich context in which to develop an understanding of education as growth. By developing an understanding of education as growth, educational research can be incorporated into that context so that a more comprehensive model of education may be considered. Education as growth suggests that education is about progress rather than end states. The knowledge and skills of inquiry must be understood as part of an interconnected whole that includes the physical, social, and intellectual growth of the individual and the community. The role of inquiry in the development of concepts and habits that foster the intellectual and cultural growth of the individual and community are discussed. The work of researchers on math learning disabilities is presented and examined in light of Dewey’s concepts of growth and inquiry so that the educational needs of students with math learning disabilities might be included in a model of education. The quality of the educational experiences of students with math learning disabilities has significant implications for the growth and development of all students, parents, teachers, researchers, and the community. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2009-04-16 19:58:52.504

A call for the design of programs focused on the development of self-awareness skills permeates the field of research and practice on postsecondary students with learning disabilities (LD). Important components of self-awareness are students' advanced understanding of learning, LD, and the social context (peers, instructors, classmates) of college learning. This study explores students with LD's conceptual understanding of learning and LD by situating it within developmental theoretical frameworks delineating the form and content of adult reasoning. Twelve female and five male college-students with LD participated in two-hour interviews. Students' thinking about others was explored by asking participants to reason about the behaviors, intentions, feelings and traits of the characters in two scenarios depicting typical dilemmas faced by students with LD. Students' conceptual understanding of learning and LD was elicited by means of open-ended questions followed by prompts. Students' responses were scored for level of cognitive complexity and coded for conceptual content. Overall, the students reasoned abstractly about learning and LD at a level of complexity expected from college-age population. They demonstrated well-developed understanding of others' expectations and motivations especially as they relate to the themes of self-identification, seeking accommodations, and understanding of LD. Students' conceptions of learning and LD presented qualitatively different variations on main themes. These variations paralleled the increase in complexity and were associated with experience(number of years of education). The overarching understanding of learning as acquiring knowledge transitioned from understanding learning as an external, given task to learning as an internal, personal-development process. The common understanding of LD as a difference transitioned from a difference related to an external label and an imposed constraint, to meaning of "difference" as a special ability, an asset, and a source of identity. These results indicate a possible progression in the evolution of the concepts of learning and LD throughout the college career of students with LD. The approach to this conceptual content and its description can inform and serve as starting points in the development of programs that foster the conceptual understanding of learning, LD, and the social-context of the educational enterprise, as a way of building these students' self-awareness skills. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Over the last 25 years geographers, amongst other social scientists, have become increasingly interested in the lived experience of childhood (Cloke and Jones, 2005). One area of interest has been children’s environmental access, with a focus on independent access, mobility and play (Thomson and Philo, 2004). The dominant narrative of this work has been focused on the decreasing quantity and quality of children’s natural environment experiences (Valentine and McKendrick, 1997), positioned primarily as a result of changing approaches to risk perception and management, in both families and schools (Malone, 2007). This thesis explores children’s own perspectives, specifically looking at the lived experiences of learning disabled children, a group largely absent from geographical research (bar Goodfellow, 2012; and Holt, 2010). A mixed qualitative methods approach is used, borrowing from participatory geography techniques and using a range of media including video diaries. The thesis finds that learning disabled young people experience stigma in their interactions with outdoor spaces that are characterised by being highly structured and supervised. As a result learning disabled young people struggle to develop skills and interests in accessing outdoor spaces, and do not utilise outdoor green spaces as sites of peaceful solitude or landscapes of socialising. This research contributes to children’s geographies through the interpretation of new empirical data and the development of methodological approaches for including learning disabled young people in research.

Introduction: Previously diversion from the criminal justice system for people with LD and forensic needs had meant hospitalisation, but more recently a model of community-based rehabilitation has become possible via new mental health legislation. Community-based orders aim to rehabilitate clients via compulsory, intensive staff support. Although this model is beneficial in theory, empirical evidence suggests there may be a number of issues in practice. The current study aimed to capture the subjective experience of a group of individuals with LD and forensic needs currently on community-based orders. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants subject to a community-based order which obliged them to accept intensive staff support. All participants were male. Ages, index behaviour, and time spent on order varied. The data was transcribed and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results: The main themes which emerged from the data were A taste of freedom, Not being in control, Getting control back, Loneliness, and Feeling like a service user. Overall the results indicated a general ambivalence towards support. Discussion: Participant accounts suggest that the current community rehabilitation model has some shortcomings which need to be addressed. The system as it stands appears to promote high levels of external control, failing to empower clients to self-manage. Suggestions are made for improvements to the current model relating to: achieving clarity over the role of support staff and pathways out of the system; increasing opportunities for service users to voice concerns; empowering staff teams via extensive training and supervision; and directly addressing internalised stigma to promote integration.

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No description available.

Informed consent for pharmacogenomic testing in people with a learning disability Background Advances in genomic healthcare will enable medication to be tailored to each individual’s needs, based on subtle genetic variations. This will result in individuals being asked to consent to genetic testing for this purpose. The recent political agenda for social change has emphasised the right of people with learning disabilities to have more autonomy and make their own decisions. There have also been significant changes in the way healthcare practitioners relate to their patients, with a shift away from paternalism towards shared decision-making. Research Aim The aims of the study were (1) to explore the information needs of people with mild to moderate learning disabilities with respect to pharmacogenomic tests and (2) to identify ways of facilitating informed consent. Methods An integrative literature review was conducted to identify research on informed consent to healthcare interventions in people with learning disabilities (Phase 1). Subsequent phases (Phases 2-4) of the study were conducted using an ethnographic approach. Phase 2 involved observation of six participants with learning disabilities undergoing a routine blood test consultation in general practice. This was followed by Phase 3, in which semi-structured interviews with 14 participants with learning disabilities were conducted. In Phase 4, three different methods were used: focus groups with carers (four paid carers, five family carers), an on-line bulletin board for healthcare professionals (five participants) and interviews with six key informants from the field of learning disability. Findings The data showed consent procedures were often inadequate and there was inconsistent knowledge of mental capacity law amongst health professionals. Provision of information to patients prior to a blood test was variable, but interviews with people with learning disabilities revealed the fact that this information may not be wanted by them. People with learning disabilities viewed pharmacogenomic tests as similar to other blood tests and would want access to them. The attitudes of paid carers and family carers differed in terms of decision-making opportunities for people with learning disabilities. Conclusions Healthcare practitioners, carers and people with learning disability need to be familiar with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act to facilitate valid consent in the healthcare context. Healthcare practitioners also need to be made aware of developments in pharmacogenomics if it is to become part of routine health care. Finally, this study demonstrated the value of qualitative research in exploring the knowledge and attitudes of people with learning disability.

Background Knee pain and related disability are important public health problems worldwide. In a systematic review, the prevalence of knee pain varied between 2.4% to 49.2% worldwide and disabilities were greater in those with knee pain compared to those without. The prevalence of knee pain may be higher in mountainous regions. The research student is from Nepal. He has a clinical interest in musculoskeletal disorders and had found at the time of the thesis that there had been no study undertaken across Nepal. Such a study would inform Nepalese health policy. Objectives To estimate the prevalence of knee pain and knee related disability, overall and in different ecological zones, of one region of Nepal. Methods A cross-sectional multistage cluster survey was undertaken using a questionnaire in Nepali delivered face to face to adults aged over 18 years in seven sites across the three ecological zones (plain, hilly and mountainous) of the Western Development Region of Nepal. Crude weighted and age standardised period and point prevalence rates of knee pain were estimated. The prevalence of disability was compared between those who had knee pain and those who did not have knee pain. Binary logistic regression was used to investigate potential independent risk factors for the prevalence of knee pain and knee pain related disability. Results In total 694 participants were recruited; 52.6% were women, the mean age was 41 years and 14.1% lived in the mountainous zone. The period prevalence of knee pain was 22.3% (95% CI 19.2% - 25.5%) and of chronic knee pain was 12.1% (95% CI 9.5 – 14.7%). The point prevalence was 7.6% (95% CI 5.7%-9.6%). Knee pain was higher in the mountainous zone compared to the plain zone. Overall 25.6% of the 694 participants had disability, as measured by the WHO DAS 2.0, and this was significantly higher in those with knee pain compared to those without (81.2% vs. 9.5%). Disability was highest among those with knee pain in the mountainous zone, with all having disability. Despite this only 54.8% of those with knee pain sought advice for their condition, those in the mountainous zone were less likely to seek advice, access hospital treatment or take oral medications. Conclusion Knee pain is highly prevalent in Nepal. Just under half who suffer do not access services for pain management, even though knee pain is associated with high levels of disability. Rates of knee pain are highest in the mountainous areas where access to services is lowest. This demonstration of unmet need, particularly in the poorest and most remote areas of the country, is of importance to policymakers who should focus on raising awareness and improving access to services.

Students with learning disabilities (LDs) represent 9% of students attending college, and college administrators must comply with a large number of federal requirements outlining the provision of educational services for students with LDs, including offering support groups. Nurse-facilitated support groups, held within the university setting, could provide effective social support, increasing likelihood of college success among students with LDs. The purpose of this project was to develop a plan for implementing nurse-facilitated support groups for students with LDs within the student health services (SHS) department at a university designed to improve their coping skills on personal, social, and academic levels. Guided by the Logic Model, a plan for implementing nurse-facilitated support groups within the SHS department was developed and presented to university stakeholders. Components of the plan included a support group structure, curriculum, evaluation tools, steps for piloting the program, and a proposed timeline for implementing the program. The stakeholders acknowledged the potential benefits of initiating a program of nurse-facilitated support groups for students with LDs to assist in attaining their academic goals. However, additional analysis of the program and refining and other disabilities to assist in attaining their academic goals; however, additional analysis of the program and refining the proposed student self-evaluation tool were needed before implementing the program. Nurses in a SHS department staff are effective support group facilitators for students with LDs. This study holds the potential for positive social change by enhancing personal, social, and academic coping skills with nurse-facilitated support groups who may help students with LDs reduce their risk of experiencing burnout and enhance the likelihood of academic success.