The purpose of this study is to investigate six teachers' experience in the use of tablets in teaching for students with severe intellectual disability. With this purpose the following questions were asked; in which teaching situations do teachers for students with severe intellectual disability use tablets, for what purposes do teachers state that the tablet is used in teaching students with severe intellectual disability and what are the advantages and disadvantages for students with severe intellectual disability with using the tablet in education? To find this out the method of qualitative interviews was applied. The thesis is based on the research area "curriculum theory", here translated "theory of teaching". The study is based on Dillons model of what constructs a curriculum/teaching situations. Six teachers working with students with severe intellectual disability were interviewed. All the teachers had the experience of using the tablet in education. All the teachers felt that the tablet was a very motivating and multifunctional tool for teaching. It concluded that the tablet was used both as a tool for communication and an alternative/complement to the more traditional teaching materials that already exist within the foundation for students with severe intellectual disability.

To date people with severe and profound intellectual disability have been excluded from participatory research projects. This is often due to complex ethical issues and to concerns about how they would make themselves heard or understood. Razack (1993) suggests that the moral obligation to hear such contributions lies with the listener. This study constitutes an investigation of how such listening occurs with contributors who are labeled as having a severe or profound intellectual disability. Human service practitioners who work closely with, and who constantly find themselves listening to and interpreting for, people with severe and profound intellectual disability were recruited for the study. Five focus groups were conducted with these workers. The study revealed that personal values often underpin the various strategies practitioners employed when listening to people with severe disability. Elements like believing the person has something to say; having the time and perseverance to listen; sharing some common interests/rapport with the person and; being able to minimise the many barriers — physical environment, people, self-attitude — that are instrumental in blocking a listener’s capacity. A model for listening to individuals with severe intellectual disability for the proposes of hearing their story is proposed and implications for further research, policy and practice, and education and training are presented.

The purpose of this study was to provide training to peer tutors in order to teach students with severe intellectual disability to initiate communication to obtain preferred objects. A multiple probe (days) across students was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the peer implementing a naturalistic time delay to teach the communication skill. Two of the four students were able to initiate communications with the peer tutors to use objects they preferred. One student showed increasing in responding prior to the implementation of the intervention. The results showed that the peers were able to maintain the instructional procedures to teach the skill.

Introduction: Caregivers of a child with severe intellectual disability (CWSID) often embody the sole provider of care for their CWSID. Due to the severity of the difficulties their CWSID may experience, these caregivers pose a variety of challenges when caring for their children. The demands placed on the caregiver could lead to high levels of caregiver burden which can influence the quality of child-caregiver relationship. This study evaluated the relationship between caring for a CWSID and the level of burden by using the Burden Scale for Family Caregivers. Additionally, the investigation aimed to identify potential risk factors faced by South African caregivers of CWSID that could possibly increase levels of caregiver burden. Lastly, the study proposed intervention practices that took into account both the potential risk factors identified, as well as the level of caregiver burden experienced to aid childcare. Method: Data were utilised from 218 South African caregivers of CWSID from all over the country. The study applied a quantitative approach and made use of a survey available online and paper based. The questionnaire comprised of two parts. Section A was a demographic questionnaire aimed at identifying possible risk factors to increase levels of burden and Section B covered the Burden Scale for Family Caregivers. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. Results: The majority of caregivers (67%) identified family as their main or only form of support structure. The study did not find any obvious risk factors that could indicate a relation between the level of burden and the different demographic factors. It was found that caregivers of CWSID experience moderate to severe levels of caregiver burden due to caring for their CWSID. Conclusion: As caregivers of CWSID experience severe levels of caregiver burden, the results of the present study indicate that caregivers experience this burden in various areas of living influencing their quality of life. It is recommended that a caseworker be assigned to each CWSID to decrease caregiver burden. Due to the fact that any possible contributing risk factors could not be successfully identified, further research is recommended. / Dissertation (MA (Speech-Language Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2021. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / MA (Speech-Language Pathology) / Restricted

The following research project was a comparative study of teachers in Support Units and teachers in Special Schools. They were teachers currently involved with the implementation of the 1989 NSW Department of Education Mandatory Curriculum Change for the education of students with severe intellectual disability. The purpose of the research was to present a comparative study on teachers' responses, in both educational settings, examining their understanding of the curriculum change, the concerns of individuals and the levels of curriculum usage in relation to the factors affecting implementation. The application of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model of Change (Hall and Loucks, 1987), enabled the study to focus on the various forms of the innovation, including the innovation configuration, stages of concern, and the levels of use from the two given perspectives, teachers in Support Units and teachers in Special Schools, in relation to the major factors affecting implementation. The study findings highlighted that in both educational settings, change is accomplished by individuals and is a highly personal experience, demanding adequate support by facilitators of the change through appropriate actions, in order to assist effective and successful implementation of the change.

Magister Curationis - MCur / The study explores the experiences of nurses who care for severe/profound intellectual disabled patients at Level 3 Psychiatric Hospital in Cape Town. People with severe intellectual disabilities require constant care and supervision which can only be provided in specialised units. In the Western Cape, one such facility is a special section for the intellectually disabled at a level three hospital. Intellectual disability is a serious lifelong disability that places a heavy burden on affected individuals. Caring for these patients may affect the individuals who work within the intellectual disability services. This study explores the experiences of nurses who care for these patients. A Phenomenological research design was chosen as the researcher identified it as the most appropriate method to describe the lived experiences of the nurses. Purposive sampling was used to select 10 participants. However, data saturation was reached after interviewing eight participants. Data was collected through in-depth unstructured interviews. The audio-taped responses were transcribed verbatim and phenomenological data analysis done. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Higher Degrees Committee of the University of the Western Cape. Permission to do the research at the level three hospitals was sought from the Associated Psychiatric Hospital Committee. Consent to participate in the study was obtained from the participants, and ethical principles were adhered to. Participants were informed of the right to withdraw at any stage of the study and intervention offered when required. Trustworthiness of the research process was ensured. Findings: from this study the nurses who care for severe/profound intellectual disabled patients reported that they were not adequately prepared to care for these patients. It has also been reported that caring for the severely/profound disabled comes with some consequences, where emotional (negative and positive), physical and professional consequences were mentioned. The shortage of resources was found to be one of the challenges the nurses experienced. The nurses felt unappreciated for the work they did and less supported by their employer.