Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Infrastructure of Participant Direction for Medicaid‐Funded In‐Home Autism Services for Children in Massachusetts
Abstract Although the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) among young children has grown, it has been noted that affected low‐income children and children from ethnic and racial minority families are less likely to be diagnosed with ASD and to receive services. To help address such disparities, the Autism Division of the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services instituted an Autism Waiver Program funded jointly by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the U.S. federal government. The program was designed to help low‐income children with autism under age nine from diverse cultural backgrounds gain a...
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - March 3, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: Walter Leutz, Marji E. Warfield, Maria Timberlake, Giuseppina Chiri Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

People With Intellectual Disability and Social–Political Life Participation: A Commitment to Inclusive Policies in Less Developed Countries
Abstract Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) are more likely to experience numerous poor health and social outcomes. Interestingly, in the last few decades, efforts to enhance condition of people with disability were focused on the social model of disability rather than the medical model of disability. However, the case was different for less developed countries (LDCs). Cultural differences could undermine efforts to promote social inclusion of people with ID in less developed societies. The authors consider the conceptualization of ID from the perspective of developed and LDCs and consider how marginalization ca...
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - March 3, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: Amir Hossein Memari, Sina Hafizi Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Families' Experiences of Seeking Out‐of‐Home Accommodation for Their Adult Child With an Intellectual Disability
Abstract Research exploring the experiences of families during the process of seeking out‐of‐home accommodation for an adult son or daughter with intellectual disability is scarce. A study was undertaken to examine this process. Nine families currently seeking out‐of‐home accommodation for their adult son or daughter were interviewed and interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Two main themes were identified: (1) reasons for seeking housing and (2) experiences of seeking housing. Parents' aging and increased health problems along with the offspring's wish for greater independence were the main reasons...
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - March 3, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: Jillian M. Grey, Gemma M. Griffith, Vasiliki Totsika, Richard P. Hastings Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

International Employment Statistics for People With Intellectual Disability—The Case for Common Metrics
Abstract The World Report on Disability identifies employment as an important element of social participation. The Report also points to the need for research that crosses national boundaries to identify and address central areas of concern. However, such efforts are hampered with respect to intellectual disability (ID) by inconsistencies in the population definitions used, the definition of employment or employability, and metrics of employment participation. The authors explore the varied ways in which employment participation rates for people with ID are determined and reported in jurisdictions around the world, and...
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - March 1, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: Rosemary Lysaght, Jan Šiška, Oliver Koenig Tags: Special Issue: World Disability Report Source Type: research

Education of Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Slovenia
Abstract In the Republic of Slovenia, the concept of inclusion was formally codified with the adoption of the Placement of Children with Special Needs Act (2000, 2007), which calls for inclusive education of students with special needs in settings as close to their homes as possible. Despite numerous innovations, Slovenian legislation still maintains a dual education system. Some students with special needs are educated separately from age peers in special schools/institutions (specialization), while others attend regular schools along with age peers (inclusion). This dichotomy results from thinking that many child...
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - March 1, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: Majda Schmidt, Ivan Brown Tags: Special Issue: World Disability Report Source Type: research

Republic of Ghana's Policy on Inclusive Education and Definitions of Disability
Abstract The World Report on Disability addresses the education of students with disabilities and recommends that institutional transformation is needed to facilitate inclusive education. The success of inclusive education depends largely on a country's commitment to adopting appropriate legislation, developing policies, and providing adequate funding for implementation. The Republic of Ghana's policies include children with “nonsevere special education needs” in mainstream schools. The authors examine the definition of disability employed in Ghana's policies to assess whether students with intellectual and develop...
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - March 1, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: De‐Lawrence Lamptey, Michelle Villeneuve, Patricia Minnes, Mary Ann McColl Tags: Special Issue: World Disability Report Source Type: research

A Proposed Framework for an Integrated Process of Improving Quality of Life
Abstract The need for quality of life, both as a concept and as a measure, to be applied to policy and practice has been noted in the disability literature for several years. In 2012, Schalock and Verdugo introduced a conceptual model to help service organizations evaluate if congruence exists among their systems, policies, and practices and, if misalignments exist, to make changes through policy and systems change. Their model focuses on two levels, system‐level processes and organization‐level practices, at three consecutive stages of use: inputs, throughputs, and outputs. In this article, the authors extend the work...
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - March 1, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: Alice Schippers, Nina Zuna, Ivan Brown Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Implementing a Paradigm Shift
Abstract Implementation of the United Nations' (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), together with the new UN commitment to ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities in the post‐2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), should now be considered an overarching priority by organizations and individuals committed to improving the quality of life of people with disabilities. The CRPD is not merely the latest in a long line of UN declarations, but a potential catalyst for a radical reappraisal of policy and practice among governments and organizations of persons with disabilities (disabled...
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - March 1, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: Peter Mittler Tags: Special Issue: World Disability Report Source Type: research

The World Report on Disability, Challenges to Application and Translation to Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
(Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities)
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - March 1, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: Libby Gordon Cohen, Roy I. Brown, Keith R. McVilly Tags: Guest Editorial Source Type: research

Assessment of an Expert Committee as a Referral Process Within Health and Social Services
This study sought to propose a structured assessment and referral method within the network of public services. Specifically, it evaluated the correspondence between the currently received level of care and an expert committee's determination. Furthermore, it examined client‐related variables that were associated with the level of services. An expert committee evaluated the level of specialization of services required by 30 persons with intellectual disability. The committee's determination was based on participants' files and presentations by their primary case worker. It was found that 10 out of the 30 participants wer...
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - February 1, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: Audrée Tremblay, Diane Morin Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Aging Together: Sibling Carers of Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Abstract Family care provision is the norm for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), even as they and their support networks grow older. As families age together, the role of primary carer frequently transitions from the parent to a sibling, as aging parents die or become too frail to provide continued support. The purpose of this paper is to explore the transition in care from the perspective of a sibling who has replaced parents as the primary carer for an individual aging with I/DD. Data are drawn from semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews with a sample of adults over age 40, living in the U...
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - January 23, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: Caitlin E. Coyle, John Kramer, Jan E. Mutchler Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Social and Healthcare Professionals' Experiences of Giving Support to Families Where the Mother Has an Intellectual Disability: Focus on Children
Abstract Families where the mother has an intellectual disability need support to counteract possible detrimental life circumstances for the children involved. The aim of this study was to describe social and healthcare professionals' experiences of providing support for families with maternal intellectual disability and specifically focused on if and how they believed the support practices benefited the children. Seven focus group interviews were performed with 29 professional informants. The transcripts were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Three themes were identified: “support practices,” “pedagogical ...
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - January 23, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: Ingrid Weiber, Per‐Anders Tengland, Johan Berglund, Mona Eklund Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Psychoeducational Program for Parents of Adolescents With Intellectual Disabilities
Abstract A psychoeducational program was developed in response to the needs expressed most frequently in a province‐wide survey conducted in Quebec, Canada, of more than 560 parents of people with intellectual disabilities. Parents of adolescents expressed the greatest needs for support. A program was therefore created specifically for this group and tested with 25 parents of adolescents. This program was then compared with another type of intervention often used with parents: a self‐help support group. The results indicated overall satisfaction with both types of interventions, such that offering both options to paren...
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - January 23, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: Isabelle Picard, Diane Morin, Laurence De Mondehare Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Payment and Delivery of Case Management for Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Abstract In the United States, Medicaid is the primary source of funding for many services on which individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities depend. Case management, one such service, links individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to community‐based speech and language therapy, adaptive technology, medical care, and other support services. Case management can facilitate navigation in a complex system of care. State and federal concerns about the rising cost of Medicaid and case management have led to changes in payment methodologies. This analysis of one state's case management exp...
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - January 23, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: Melissa A. Walker Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Key Word Signing Usage in Residential and Day Care Programs for Adults With Intellectual Disability
This study aimed to give an account of the prevalence of KWS and the sign knowledge of adults with ID and their support staff in Flemish residential programs (RPs) and day care programs (DCPs). Communication specialists in all RPs and DCPs for adults with ID in Flanders, the Dutch‐speaking part of Belgium, were contacted by phone and were asked whether they used KWS, and if so, whether they were willing to fill out a questionnaire about the KWS use of support staff and clients. Findings show that of 347 RPs and DCPs in Flanders, 85% met the inclusion criteria. Half (51.2%) of these programs used KWS. Of these 152 program...
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - January 23, 2015 Category: Disability Authors: Kristien Meuris, Bea Maes, Inge Zink Tags: Original Article Source Type: research