JARID
Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities
  • Posters 2: Ageing, challenging behavior, mental health, physical health, families, parenting
  • Posters 1: Biological, bio-behavioural, cognition, communication, social impairment, PIMD
  • The use of a Multisensory Environment for Assessment of Sensory Abilities and Preferences in Children with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities: A Pilot Study
    Background  To offer appropriate activities within the curriculum for children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) is a challenge. An important determinant of the adequacy of an activity is whether teachers have detailed and specific knowledge about the sensory abilities and contextual preferences of these children.Materials and method  In this pilot study, the multisensory environment (MSE) was used to gather this kind of detailed information. In total, 23 children with PIMD and three teachers participated. The teachers functionally assessed the sensory abilities and contextual preferences of the children before and after an intervention period during which the teachers carried out individual activities with the children in a MSE.Results and conclusions  The results indicate that using the MSE helps teachers in functional assessment and it enables them to use this information in the classroom situation.

  • Empowerment, rights and ethics
  • Posters 3: Policy, services, community living, empowerment, rights, ethics, education, employment, quality of life
  • Biological and bio-behavioural
  • Quality of life
  • Cognition, communication, social impairment
  • Profound intellectual and multiple disabilities
  • Plenary presentations
  • Policy, populations, community living and service systems
  • Education and employment
  • Physical health
  • Mental health, challenging behavior and/or offending
  • Families and parenting
  • Ageing and lifespan
  • A Two Time Point Study of Imitative Abilities in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
    Background  Researchers have used various paradigms to explore the universality and specificity of imitation deficits in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, some issues still need to be investigated, especially for children with ASDs under the age of 4.Method  Two studies were conducted to examine the imitative abilities of children with autism spectrum disorders. Study 1 examined immediate and deferred imitation abilities in 18 children with ASDs, 18 children with developmental delay (DD), and 19 typically developing children (mean ages of all groups were below 4 years). Four tasks were used to evaluate immediate imitation abilities: meaningful actions on objects, non-meaningful actions on objects, manual movements, and oral-facial movements. Eighteen months after study 1 was completed, study 2 examined advanced imitative abilities in 11 children with ASDs and 11 children with DD from study 1.Results  The results of study 1 indicated that, compared to the two control groups, children with ASDs experienced significant difficulty in imitating non-meaningful actions only. The findings of study 2 suggested that children with ASDs were still significantly impaired on the imitation of single non-meaningful actions compared to children with DD.Conclusions  The relationships between specific imitation deficits, executive functioning, and shared intentionality in children with ASDs are further discussed.

  • The Chronicity of Self-Injurious Behaviour: A Long-Term Follow-Up of a Total Population Study
    Background  Self-injurious behaviour (SIB) is a relatively common problem for people with intellectual disabilities and it is known to be associated with various risk markers, such as degree of disability, sensory impairments, and autism (McClintock et al. 2003). Less is known about its long-term course however.Method  The present study was conducted to examine the quality of life and changes in behaviour for a cohort of 49 people with intellectual disabilities and SIB who were all part of a previous total population study conducted in the south of England by Oliver, Murphy and Corbett (1987). Assessment tools used in the original study, and an additional quality of life measure, the Life Experience Checklist (Ager, 1990), were carried out with informants in the participant’s homes or places of day activity.Results  The results show that 84% of the sample continued to self-injure nearly 20 years on, with no significant mean changes in number of topographies or severity of SIB across the group. No one was living in hospital in this study (cf. many individuals in the first survey) but for those who had moved out of hospital, their SIB had not reduced. More people were receiving psychological treatment; more were also receiving anti-convulsant and anti-psychotic medications, though polypharmacy had reduced somewhat. The number of people accessing full-time day activities had decreased substantially, with 44% of people only accessing structured daily activities for 2½ days per week or less.Conclusions  The results of the study add to the growing evidence of extreme chronicity for SIB and the relative lack of impact of treatment for people in whom self-injury has become well-established. They imply that early intervention is essential if such behaviour is to be eliminated long term.

  • The Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Diet in Carers of People with an Intellectual Disability
    Background  The utility of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in predicting the intentions of care staff to encourage healthy eating behaviour in those they supported was examined.Method  A quantitative, within-participant, questionnaire based design was used with 112 carers to assess the performance of two TPB models. The first contained the variables: attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control. The second had additional variables of self efficacy and self identity.Results  Model 1 accounted for 31% of the variance with all three variables being significant predictors. Adding variables increased the overall predictive power of the model by 4%, but resulted in a reduction in the predictive power of the individual variables.Conclusion  The results suggests the TPB is a useful model for predicting carer intentions in relation to the diet of those they support, with their perceptions of the attitudes of others towards healthy eating being a key influential factor. Ways in which this may inform interventions to improve the overall health of people with intellectual disabilities are discussed.

  • Assessment of Prevalence of Persons with Down Syndrome: A Theory-based Demographic Model
    Background  The Netherlands are lacking reliable empirical data in relation to the development of birth and population prevalence of Down syndrome. For the UK and Ireland there are more historical empirical data available. A theory-based model is developed for predicting Down syndrome prevalence in the Netherlands from the 1950s onwards. It is likewise applied to Ireland and the UK for the purpose of validation. Furthermore, a prediction to 2050 is constructed.Materials and Methods  Maternal age births data in the general population, maternal age related risk of Down syndrome, data on selective terminations of Down syndrome pregnancies and mortality rates (from 35 studies from the 1930s until today) were obtained to create this model.Results  For the Netherlands, nowadays birth prevalence is estimated at 14 per 10 000 with around 275 total annual births. The impact of selective abortion is lower than in the UK. Present Dutch Down syndrome population prevalence is estimated, according to this theory-based model, at 7.7 per 10 000 and the grand total at 12 600 individuals. The prevalence of ‘older’ persons with Down syndrome (over 40 years of age) in the Netherlands will reach a peak in 2010, a doubling compared to 1990, implying an increased demand on medical care and counselling. Validity of this theory-based model was examined by comparison with relevant available empirical data from the three countries. The model shows a good fit with historical empirical research, notably four UK and two Irish population prevalence studies and eight birth prevalence studies.Conclusions  A theory-based model for Down syndrome prevalence provides supplementary data in situations with a lack of empirical material and can be used for understanding and predicting long-term developments.