“Connectedness” between people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour and support staff: Perceptions of psychologists and support staff (original) (raw)
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Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability
Background Client-centred models of care emphasise the importance of collaborative working between staff and clients with an intellectual disability (ID). How people with an ID perceive the nature of their engagement with staff is relatively unknown. This study investigated the perceptions of staff and people with an ID about the goals for their meetings and what aspects of the meetings they viewed as important. Method Interviews were carried out with 9 client-staff dyads. Prior to their meeting, staff and clients were asked about their expectations. Afterwards, both parties were asked about what they believed happened during the interaction. The participants' answers were subjected to a thematic analysis. Results People with an ID appreciated the opportunity to tell their story and valued reliable, practical support and advice. A trusting relationship was important to both clients and staff. Only staff viewed promoting clients' autonomy as important. Conclusion Staff and people with an ID appear to differ in their expectations and perceptions regarding regular support meetings.
2014
This report is funded with assistance from a funding grant offered under the National Disability Research and Development Agenda, jointly implemented by disability representatives from Commonwealth, State and Territory governments. However, the information and views contained in this research are not intended as a statement of Australian Government or any jurisdictional policy and do not necessarily, or at all, reflect the views held by the Australian Government or jurisdictional government departments. We acknowledge Scope which released Dr Johnson from her normal duties to be employed on the project and their support which was instrumental in the conduct and completion of the study. We would also like to thank and acknowledge staff who participated in the study from the services involved, and who supported the application for funding and conduct of the study.
International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 2018
Purpose: Examining everyday challenges in the interactions between people with intellectual disabilities and their staff, as seen from the user's perspective, is an important perspective in health care research. Involving people with intellectual disabilities as so-called co-researchers is a relatively unexplored research strategy. In this paper, co-researchers participated in all the steps of the research process, from planning to reporting, in addition to the written reporting of the findings. The aim of this study was to explore how people with intellectual disabilities experienced a filmed vignette of an everyday situation. Method: Based on audio-recorded and transcribed individual and focus-group interviews with people with intellectual disabilities, performed by co-researchers with intellectual disabilities together with researchers, qualitative content analysis was used. Results: The analysis reveals three themes: "being emotionally touched", "being aware of the other", and "being unclear". Conclusions: The results are discussed in light of normalization and participation in society with independence and one's own decision-making. Regarding the care of people with intellectual disabilities, the main finding is the need to focus not only on greater involvement of this population in their own daily lives, but also to teach self-determination skills. Another finding is the importance of involving people with intellectual impairment as co-researchers.
Therapy has been critiqued for personalizing the political (Kitzinger, 1993). The social-relational model (Thomas, 1999) is one theoretical resource for understanding the practices of therapy through a political lens. The social model(s) have vewed therapy with suspicion. This paper highlights – using composite case examples and the authors primary therapeutic modality, systemic therapy – some systemic practices with adults with Intellectual Disability (ID) that enact a position that it is suggested have some coherence with and, may reciprocally, inform the social-relational model. The practice examples illustrate a support system at risk of disabling those it is mandated to support, the possibility of therapeutically ‘successful’ practices (including systemic practices) and disablement going hand in hand; as well as the psycho-emotional1 (Thomas, 2006) consequences of the relational positions created by the service system. The paper concludes by suggesting that systemic conversations traversing culture, time and place can be a springboard to unearthing and challenging disabling ideas and practices.
Clinical Psychology & People with Learning …, 2009
Therapy has been critiqued for personalising the political (Kitzinger, 1993). The social-relational model (Thomas, 1999) is one theoretical resource for understanding the practices of therapy through a political lens. The social modeles) have viewed therapy with suspicion. This paper highlights-using composite case examples and the authors primary therapeutic modality, systemic therapy-some systemic practices with adults with Intellectual Disability (ID) that enact a position that it is suggested have some coherence with and, may reciprocally, inform the social-relational model. The practice examples illustrate a support system at risk of disabling those it is mandated to support, the possibility of therapeutically 'successful' practices (including systemic practices) and disablement going hand in hand; as well as the psycho-emotional 1 (Thomas, 2006) consequences of the relational positions created by the service system. The paper concludes by suggesting that systemic conversations traversing culture, time and place can be a springboard to unearthing and challenging disabling ideas and practices. The use of the tenn psycho-emotional draws attention to the position that 'psychology' has often been an instrument of disablement.
Working with people with intellectual disabilities
Clinical Psychology, 2015
This chapter looks at why, and how, a clinical psychologist might work with a person with intellectual disabilities. It provides a definition of what intellectual disability is and how it is assessed. The epidemiology and aetiology of intellectual disabilities will also be described. The chapter will explain that clinical psychologists do not see people because they have intellectual disabilities, but as a consequence of the additional challenges faced by people in this group. Having an intellectual disability may bring additional physical and life challenges that most people would find difficult to manage. However, having intellectual disabilities also means that your intellectual capacity is more limited meaning that dealing with these issues can be even more difficult, leaving you vulnerable to experiencing a greater risk of psychological and behavioural problems. Clinical psychologists are well equipped to help individuals with intellectual disabilities in this situation and may work directly with them, their carers or with wider organizational care and support services. The chapter will describe the types of interventions used and their evidence base, and provide a case example of how such a problem may be assessed, formulated and an intervention developed. Historically, people with intellectual disabilities have been a group that have been excluded and stigmatized and it has been difficult for them collectively to challenge this position. Today, the picture is more positive with people with intellectual disabilities having more opportunity to voice their concerns and exert their right to access appropriate services, however as will be explored at the end of the chapter there remains a fine balance between the expression of individual choice and protection by others, which remains one of the most critical issues facing working in this area today. James's story My name is James and I am 24 years old. I live with Simon, Colin and Stanley in a house. It is ok, but the others are noisy and shout sometimes. Care staff help us do things like shopping and cleaning the house. I go to the day centre and do things on the computer. I like walking and playing computer games. Mum comes to see me on a Saturday. I have a brother called Harry. Sometimes I get angry and shout. Mum tells me off. Jan Burns chapter-working with people with Intellectual Disabilities 2 Learning Outcomes When you have completed this chapter you should be able to: 1 Know what intellectual disabilities are, what might be some of the causes and other issues which co-occur. 2 Have an understanding of the sorts of challenges people with intellectual disabilities may face both dealing with their own impairments, but also dealing with the views of society. 3 Be able to position the experience of people with intellectual disabilities within wider psychological theories. 4 Have an understanding of the key psychological approaches in this area, how other treatment approaches might be adapted, and the evidence base for this. 5 Through a case example understand how assessment, formulation, intervention and evaluation are used. 6 Be able to understand how different approaches, at different levels from the individual to the support network, might be integrated to be effective and sustainable.
2016
This multi-perspectival Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study explored how people in the ‘networks of concern’ talked about how they tried to make sense of the challenging behaviours of four children with severe learning disabilities. The study also aimed to explore what affected relationships between people. The study focussed on 4 children through interviewing their mothers, their teachers and the Camhs Learning Disability team members who were working with them. Two fathers also joined part of the interviews. All interviews were conducted separately using a semi-structured approach. IPA allowed both a consideration of the participant’s lived experiences and ‘objects of concern’ and a deconstruction of the multiple contexts of people’s lives, with a particular focus on disability. The analysis rendered five themes: the importance of love and affection, the difficulties, and the differences of living with a challenging child, the importance of being able to make sense ...