As the obesity rate in America continues to rise, the levels of physical activity have persistently declined at a rapid pace across all age groups. This trend is demonstrated most significantly in individuals diagnosed with intellectual disabilities (ID). Due to the high obesity rate in individuals with ID, it is crucial to find an effective intervention to increase physical activity. The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of token reinforcement and monetary reinforcement for increasing physical activity among adults with ID, to assess preference for token or monetary reinforcement, and to evaluate the effects of choice of reinforcement procedure on physical activity. An ABAB design with an alternating treatments design was used to compare the two conditions (token reinforcement and monetary reinforcement). In the second intervention phase, the participants chose between the two reinforcement conditions. Results showed that both reinforcement conditions increased physical activity.

Many learners with intellectual disabilities in mainstream schools are awaiting possible placements in special schools. In some instances, when placement becomes unsuccessful learners remain in mainstream schools which becomes the schools’ responsibility to find ways to support them in a manner that maximises their learning potential and provides direction regarding career development. This study explored parents, teachers and principals’ perceptions about intellectual disability and its influence on career development. The Critical Disability Theory guided this study as it was aimed at discovering the factors which influence the implementation of career development in schools. A qualitative approach was followed to collect data from 25 participants consisting of 2 principals, 14 teachers and 9 parents. Data was collected in the form of interviews, focus group discussions, and demographic questionnaires. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings indicated that stakeholders had limited knowledge about career development services. Parents concluded that schools could put more effort into supporting learners with intellectual disabilities, and that teachers could put more effort to academically support learners. Stakeholders were optimistic that learners with intellectual disabilities would be able to participate in the labour market, provided that they are taught work related skills at an early age. It was recommended that stakeholders make efforts to obtain knowledge about the career development services available and provide information to learners in that regard; make career development services accessible, and to teach learners with disabilities practical work skills enabling them to participate in the labour force post-school. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

Children with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder are in danger of developing serious mental health issues after the death of a beloved person. They are considered as not being able to grieve and understand the concept of death, which leads to exclusion from grieving processes and rituals. This increases the risk of negative grief outcomes. Deficits in understanding, communication and interpersonal relationships make them especially vulnerable after the loss. Grief support from the social environment or professional grief interventions can have a positive impact on the grieving process and outcome. This systematic literature review aimed to identify grief support for this target group, including social and professional support. Additionally, grief reactions of children with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder were examined to identify how the need for support can be recognized. Seven databases were used for the search process and six studies met the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. It was found that the grief reaction of children with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder was similar to normal developing children, although some group-specific variations were recognized. The content of provided grief support included education and discussions about death and emotions, participation in death rituals and preparation for it, as well as family support. Books and stories were found to be successful tools for explaining emotions and coping strategies. Due to the limited data available no solid information can be given about the possibility of continuous and effective grief support for this target group. A research gap was identified regarding the grief experience of children with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder and available grief support for this target group.

In conducting this study, the ultimate goal was to determine whether parents and other caregivers of individuals with disabilities are experiencing higher levels of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms as compared to the general population. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), intellectual disabilities and other disabilities are more likely to engage in aggressive behaviors such as hitting, kicking, biting, screaming, and self-injurious behavior. Research has also shown that parents of children with special needs have higher levels of stress, and special education teachers are leaving the field due to burnout. In addition to comparing PTSD levels of these caregivers with the general population, results of parents in this sample size were compared with the results of other caregivers. Using the PTSD Checklist – Civilian version (PCL-C), a self-report questionnaire, PTSD total scores, the three subscale scores which included re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyperarousal were analyzed. In total PCL-C scores and the subscale scores, the respondents’ results were statistically significant, with a mean score of 46.7 as compared to 29 with the general population. In addition, results demonstrated that parents and other caregivers that worked with an individual with a disability who engaged in aggressive behavior had a higher mean score than those who didn’t among this population. When divided into two groups, parents had a higher mean than the other caregivers. Future research can be done on PTSD treatments for this specific population without having to remove them from their environments in order to help reduce burnout and attrition among caregivers of individuals with disabilities.

Bakgrund: Individer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning upplever ofta att hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal undviker att vända sig direkt till individen i kommunikationen som i stället sker mellan hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal och anhörig/vårdare. Kommunikationsbarriärer har visat sig vara den huvudsakliga barriären i omvårdnaden av individer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning. Hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal påtalar i sin tur bristen på kompetens inom kommunikation och upplever svårigheter, oro samt frustration i mötet med individer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning.Syfte: Att belysa hur hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal kan hantera kommunikationsbarriärer i omvårdnad av individer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning.Metod: Litteraturöversikt baserad på 15 vetenskapliga artiklar publicerade mellan 2010–2020. Sökningarna gjordes i databasen Cinahl.Resultat: Tre huvudteman identifierades: Vårdmötet, Samverkan i team och Assisterande teknik. Resultatet visar att olika strategier, som att involvera en sambandssjuksköterska, anpassa miljö och arbetssätt, utveckla kommunikationsverktyg och assisterande teknik, ökar möjligheten för hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal att hantera kommunikationsbarriärer. För att kommunikationen skall bli framgångsrik och där integritet och självbestämmande möjliggörs för individer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning bör kommunikationen i första hand riktas till individen själv.Slutsats: Individer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning löper högre risk för psykisk och fysisk ohälsa, dessutom har det visat sig vara svårt att identifiera ohälsa på grund av kommunikationsbarriärer. Hälso- och sjukvårdpersonal beskriver en önskan om kompetensutveckling inom kommunikation med individer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning. Resultatet i litteraturöversikten visar att olika strategier, som att involvera en sambandssjuksköterska, anpassa miljö och arbetssätt, utveckla kommunikationsverktyg och assisterande teknik, ökar möjligheten för hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal att hantera kommunikationsbarriärer. / Background: Individuals with intellectual disability often experience healthcare workers and hospital staff avoid talking directly to them, instead they talk to each other or the individual’s carer. Communication barriers has shown to be the main barrier in care of individuals with intellectual disability. Healthcare workers and hospital staff criticize the lack of competence in communication and experience difficulties, concern, and frustration when meeting individuals with intellectual disabilities.Aim: To illustrate how healthcare workers and hospital staff can manage communication barriers in the care of individuals with intellectual disability.Method: Literature review based on 15 science articles published 2010-2020. The searches were done in the database Cinahl.Results: Three main themes were identified, Encounter, Collaboration in team and Assistive Technology. The result shows that different strategies, like involving a liaison nurse, adapting the environment and work procedure, developing communication tools and assistive technology, increases the possibility that healthcare workers and hospital staff can manage communication barriers. For the communication to be successful and integrity and self determination to be enabled for individuals with intellectual disability the communication must be aimed directly to the individual itself.Conclusions: Individuals with intellectual disability has a higher risk for physical and mental ill health, and it has proved to be hard to identify the ill health due to communication barriers. Healthcare workers and hospital staff describes a wish for education regarding communication with individuals with intellectual disability. The result of this literature review shows different strategies, like involving a liaison nurse, adapt environment and work procedures, develop communication tools and assistive technology, increases the possibility for healthcare workers and hospital staff to handle the communication barriers.

Background Youth with intellectual disabilities usually experience poorer post-school outcomes than youth with any other disabilities and youth in the general population (McConkey, Dowling, Hassan & Menke, 2013). Youth with intellectual disabilities are often marginalized and discriminated against regarding skills development and work opportunities as society seems to place high value on an individual's intellect (International Labour Organisation, 2015). However, international experience shows that youth with intellectual disabilities can become valuable employees with adequate training (Scheef, 2016). Participation in sports has shown to have a positive correlation with quality of life, satisfaction with life, community reintegration, and mood as well as employment opportunities for persons with disabilities (Diaz, Miller, Krauz & Fredericson, 2019). Hence it became useful to explore skills development and vocational training opportunities in sports that could facilitate youth with intellectual disabilities to access work skills training and work opportunities in urban Zimbabwe. Aim The overall aim of the study was to explore how participation in activities related to sports organisations and events enables youth with intellectual disabilities to access livelihood opportunities to become economically active. Objectives The objectives of the study were: 1. To identify any possible skills development and vocational training opportunities for youth with intellectual disabilities in sports events and organisations in Zimbabwe. 2. To describe the personal factors of youth with intellectual disabilities that enable them to access skills development and vocational training. 3. To identify environmental factors that enable youth with intellectual disabilities to access self-employment, supported employment or formal employment. 4. To determine the role of family, caregivers, and guardians in shaping the livelihood options of youth with intellectual disabilities. 5. To determine the role of skills trainers in developing the pre-vocational skills and vocational training in general for youth with intellectual disabilities. 6. To determine the role of sports coaches and managers in shaping the life skills' development of youth with intellectual disabilities who partake in sports. Methodology The research was a qualitative study in the form of critical ethnography. Critical ethnography speaks on behalf of minority groups such as the point of view of youth with intellectual disabilities' by stating what is and how it can be changed (Duff, Rogers, and Ross, 2016). The design was a collective study as more than one study site was used. The research took place at two adult vocational training centres for youth with intellectual disabilities and at three sports events. Participants were recruited by purposive sampling. Six youths with intellectual disabilities, five parents, caregivers, or guardians of youth with intellectual disabilities, two sports managers or organisers, two sports coaches and two skills trainers of youths with intellectual disabilities participated in the study to make a total sample size of seventeen. Participation observations, semi-structured interviewing and reflective journaling were used as data collection methods. Findings Untapped work opportunities were identified for youth with intellectual disabilities who participated in sports; however, they remained as lost opportunities as they were not being fully utilized. The youths had potential enablers for employability, but they were not being given access to work opportunities. The youths were invisible to potential employers owing to the remote location of their vocational training centres. Female youths were being prejudiced regarding livelihoods' development owing to the remote nature of the training centres, which made it unsafe for them to travel there. There were limited resources for the livelihoods' development of the youth due to economic hardships the country was facing. The government's support for livelihoods' development of the youth was inadequate. Families, peers, and the community were segregating youth with intellectual disabilities, which had the effect of disempowering them and their parents regarding the youths' livelihoods' development. The parents had shared feelings of fear and anxiety over what would become of their youth once they finished school or if their parents died. There was a lack a collective action amongst the parents regarding the youths' livelihoods' development. The parents' support regarding their children's livelihoods' development was inadequate and their knowledge on how to enhance their youths' livelihoods development was insufficient. The parents were also not getting sufficient support from society to empower their youth. The youths with intellectual disabilities were often left out of economic activities at sports events and in the greater community. The sports coaches and skills trainers were not actively planning or advocating for the youths to participate in economic activities at sports events. Conclusion This study explored the livelihoods' developments that were possible for youths with intellectual disabilities through their participation in sports. It was necessary to find effective ways to develop youths with intellectual disabilities' opportunities to become economically active as engagement in work activities is a basic human right. This study established that the parents of the youths needed to take the initiative regarding the livelihoods' development of their children. The youths and their parents needed to take collective action and find their political voice to advocate for skills training and work opportunities to the training centres, the community, and potential employers as well as the government. The parents needed to take their negative perceptions, which were acting as indirect blocks and which were disempowering them, as motivators to enact positive change for their children's livelihoods' development. It was necessary for parents, skills trainers, and sports coaches to market the youths to potential employers. At the training centres, the administration, skills trainers, and sports coaches need to consider a curriculum change to include a work attachment for the youth in inclusive employment. Sports coaches and skills trainers need to teach life skills intentionally that are transferrable in work situations and provide the youth with opportunities to practice the skills learnt in work settings. The sports coaches and skills trainers needed further training on how to use sports participation as a medium to enhance the youths' livelihoods' development. Sports managers needed to incorporate youth with intellectual disabilities and their training schools in economic activities in sports organisations and at sports events. Female youths with intellectual disabilities needed to be encouraged to attend the vocational training centres by providing for their interests and providing them with safe transportation to attend the vocational training centres.

Many students with intellectual disabilities and autism struggle to have meaningful social interactions with their peers. Research shows that using video modeling can increase social skills in students with disabilities, but it has never been studied in comparison to or in combination with “IF….THEN…” behavior contracts. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of video prompts on elementary-aged students with disabilities to increase appropriate social interactions with their peers through filming the creation of an “IF….THEN…”contract. The participants are four elementary-aged students with intellectual disabilities and autism who have target social skills deficits. The targeted social skills were: greeting peers, initiating conversations, and asking peers to play. The use of “IF….THEN…” contracts, contracts plus structured review, and contracts plus video prompting was evaluated. Each participant had a baseline of zero and after treatment increased the frequency of social skills from one to three instances. Data collected showed both the interventions of “IF….THEN….” contracts plus structured review and contracts plus video prompting were similarly effective at increasing social skills. Treatment had lasting effects in three of the participants when it was completely phased out.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Introduction: The prevalence of those aged 3-25 with an intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD), has increased 17.1% from 1997 to 2008. This study focused on these I/DD: autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cerebral palsy, learning disabilities and spina bifida. Previous studies have found that individuals with an I/DD use health services and the emergency department (ED) more frequently, regardless of payer. Methods: This dissertation will describe and define the characteristics of ED use among children and young adults with an I/DD. A repeated, cross-section of annual data of a national sample distributed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Healthcare Utilization Project National Emergency Department Sample will be analyzed from 2009-2014. This approach will document the primary clinical reason for ED use, the appropriateness of the need for a visit, and demographic, geographic, and temporal correlates for medical, injury, and psychiatric care visits in the ED. The appropriateness of need will be assessed by the New York University (NYU) Emergency Department Diagnosis Classification method for medical care visits. A logistic regression model will be specified for each visit type. Results: The sample included 386,632 visits with an I/DD diagnosis. The NYU classification method found that 44.6% of all visits for ASD were classified as nonemergent yet the other three I/DD had a non-emergent visit rate ranging 25.9%-28.8%. The ASD sub-sample was 51.8% of all visits for psychiatric care and 50.5% of all visits for injury care. All independent variables tested: admission on weekend, ED trauma level, age, sex, payer source, patient zip code income quarterlies, and patient rurality, were found to be statistically different for each model. Conclusion: The findings indicate the need for development of interventions that are specific to reducing non-emergent ED utilization for children and young adults with a diagnosis of ASD and interventions developed for reduction of emergent ED care for the other I/DD’s. In addition, unique interventions are needed to reduce the utilization of the ED for psychiatric care specifically for the ASD population and utilization of the ED for injury care for all I/DD diagnoses. / 2021-05-08

Alla ska ha rätt rörelse och att få vara delaktig i en lagidrott. Inom lagidrotten lär sig individer att ta ansvar, samarbeta och flera andra sociala färdigheter som sedan kan komma till nytta i det vardagliga livet. Idrotten har alltid betytt mycket och den glädjen som lagidrott ger ska delas med andra.   Syftet var att undersöka betydelsen av lagidrott för att kunna utveckla social kompetens hos personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning. Undersökningen är baserad på en kvalitativ forskningsmetod. Det genomfördes totalt sex semistrukturerade intervjuer, fyra personer som arbetar med målgruppen samt två parafotbollspelare.  Resultatet visade att personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning och de som arbetar med målgruppen upplever att de har utvecklat social kompetens efter att de började med lagidrott. För att vara ledare inom parafotbollen visade resultatet att det är viktigt att tänka på att vara tydlig och pedagogisk i sitt sätt att coacha personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning.   I diskussionen kopplas resultatet ihop med teori och tidigare forskning. Studien visar likt tidigare forskning att målgruppen kan utveckla flera nödvändiga sociala kompetenser inom lagidrotten för att klara av vardagen lättare. Tillsammans kan kunskapen spridas vidare att lagidrott utvecklar social kompetens hos personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning / Everyone should have the right to movement and to participate in team sports associations. Within team sports, individuals learn responsibility, teamwork, and several other social skills that can be useful in everyday life. Sports have always been significant, and the joy that team sports bring should be shared with others.  The purpose was to examine the importance of team sports in developing social competence among individuals with intellectual disabilities. The study is based on a qualitative research method. A total of six semi-structured interviews were conducted, involving four individuals working with the target group and two para-football players.  The results showed that individuals with intellectual disabilities and those working with the target group experienced an improvement in social competence after engaging in team sports. Regarding leadership within para-football, the results indicated the importance of being clear and pedagogical in coaching individuals with intellectual disabilities.  The discussion relates the results to theory and previous research. The study, similar to earlier research, demonstrates that the target group can develop various necessary social competences through team sports to better cope with everyday life. Together, this knowledge can be further disseminated to highlight how team sports develop social competence in individuals with intellectual disabilities

Prior research examining persons with intellectual disabilities who have committed criminal offenses has focused primarily on correctional populations, or those who reside in secure forensic settings in the United Kingdom and Australia. This study describes 235 persons with intellectual, developmental, and cognitive disabilities who reside in a secure forensic psychiatric hospital in the Midwestern United States. Participants were further divided into groups of persons with pervasive developmental disorders (n = 35), fetal alcohol syndrome (n = 18), traumatic brain injuries (n = 52), or IQ scores falling within the range of moderate (n = 20) or mild (n = 55) mental retardation or borderline intellectual functioning (n = 55). These participants presented with significant histories of childhood maltreatment and adversity, serious psychiatric impairment, criminal histories marked by multiple arrests and serious violent behavior, and frequent histories of institutionalization and out-of-home placement. Their adaptive functioning within the community was characterized by limited histories of normative intimate relationships; sporadic, unskilled employment; and difficulties with maintaining residential and psychiatric stability. Important commonalities and future research needs are discussed. Important differences and similarities between groups are discussed and compared with other available literature.