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Staff perceptions of challenging behaviour and other "challenging problems" in their work with people with learning disabilities are likely to have a significant influence on how they respond to clients and to interventions by Clinical Psychologists. However, accounts of staff perceptions have failed to produce a coherent theory grounded in the experience of staff themselves. The aim of the present study was to develop a theory of how staff describe and explain challenging problems. Grounded theory methodology was used. Ten Support Workers and eight Home Managers in residential learning disability services described their understanding of a challenging problem in relation to a client during senustructured interviews. Client behaviour was the most commonly cited problem. Results suggested that staff face dilemmas concerning whether to see behaviour as communication or a behaviour problem, how to balance firm responding with kindness, and how to deal with their unpleasant feelings evoked by the work. A theoretical account of the results suggested that staffs' emotional distance from or closeness to a client determines how they resolve the dilemmas. The theoretical account should be subjected to further testing. It implies that staff need to be aware of their emotions and personal motivations in their work if they are to resolve the work dilemmas in the best interests of clients. Clinical Psychologists may be well placed to facilitate personal development programmes for staff to foster this awareness.

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This discourse deals with the establishment of a third facility for the Little Eden Society for the Care of Persons with Mental Handicap in Prinshof, Pretoria. The Little Eden Society cares for persons with profound intellectual disability who require intense care and stimulation. A description of intellectual disability and mental illness, as well as the history of the treatment and social attitudes towards people afflicted by them, has been undertaken. This is reviewed together with the evolution of the architecture of various facilities for the care and treatment of intellectually disabled and mentally ill people. A number of precedent studies were undertaken of contemporary architecture, relevant to various aspects of the new facility. Finally, the client’s existing facilities and needs were examined and understood in the context of the new facility. With these studies as grounding, the design of the new facility could be undertaken. The resulting design seeks to embody the Little Eden Society’s ethos of complete care, addressing the needs of the mind, body and soul; seeking to stimulate and develop each person to their own individual potential. / Dissertation (MArch (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Architecture / unrestricted

This dissertation focuses on the importance of specialist pedagogical centers in educating mentally handicapped children. In the theoretical part the importance of specialist pedagogical centers in educating mentally handicapped children is arranged through the listing and description of their activities. At the same time this part also describes current possibilities for educating mentally handicapped children in the Czech Republic and explains the basic terminology related to this issue. The empiric part of the dissertation (the empiric survey) follows the importance of specialist pedagogical centers from the point of view of parents with mentally handicapped children in respect to how they perceive the impact of the intervention of the specialist pedagogical center in Ústí nad Labem on selected categories in educating mentally handicapped children. The view of the importance of specialist pedagogical centers in educating mentally handicapped children is completed at the end of this dissertation by cases interpretation of three clients of the specialist pedagogical center in Ústí nad Labem, which presents practical activities of specialist pedagogical centers in different phases of cooperation with mentally handicapped children and their families.

This diploma thesis approaches the development of an idea that mentally challenged pupils form about their future employment and introduces aspects that are involved in such process. This is applied to all ages of students with mild mental disability who attend the Primary Special School in Chabařovice. Another goal is to cover the level and the rate of success of pre-vocational training at this school. The thesis is divided into two parts. The theoretical part deals with the explanation of the term mental retardation, etiology and classification of mental disability, education of students with mild mental disabilities, their training and application of these young people with such handicap on the labor market. The empirical research focuses on the development of ideas of these children about their future professional career and highlights the aspects that affect the development during their school years.

The diploma thesis deals with selected aspects of education of individuals with special educational needs - pupils with mental disabilities. The theoretical part of the thesis provides an insight into the life of individuals with mental disabilities, describes problems of the target group from the viewpoint of special pedagogy and from the school's viewpoint. Practical part of the diploma thesis provides an insight into a selected school, to show the positives and the problems through the participants in education - pupils with mental disabilities, teachers and parents. The aim of the research is to characterize problems and situations, and to describe the pitfalls of pupils' education in the selected practical school. In order to achieve the goal, it is necessary to collect information about the education proces in the chosen school, to show the pupils' lives and their problems. Then we can make recommendations on improving pupils' support, including the school environment. The diploma thesis is also intended to support students interested in the education in the school - parents and pupils. In the diploma thesis, the methodology of mixed design was used. KEYWORDS Education, pupil, mental handicap, practical school, pupil attitudes