"Maladaptive" Behaviours in the Young Child with Intellectual Disabilities: A reconsideration

In recent years, we have come to appreciate the close parallels in the development of children with and without intellectual disabilities. Nonetheless, there are a set of behaviours found with so much greater frequency among children with intellectual disabilities that they are commonly considered characteristics of the condition. These include repetitive behaviours, also described as perseverative and passive behaviours or disengagement from activity. The repetition and passivity are manifest during spontaneous play and cognitive activities. Thought to be maladaptive impediments to developmental progress, they are generally targets of educational intervention. In this article we raise the possibility that repetition and passivity, though clearly present in young children with intellectual disabilities, may be misconstrued as always being an impediment to progress. Indeed, these behaviours may at times be appropriate and adaptive responses to coping in a world that moves quickly with a mind that moves slowly.     

上海市"阳光之家"智障人士生活质量调查

目的:调查上海市成年智障人士进入阳光之家后生活质量的变化.方法:采用Cummins(1997)编制的<生活质量综合量表-智力/认知障碍第5版>(ComQol-I5量表),结合访谈,从物质、健康、成就、人际关系、安全感、社区参与、情感等方面对阳光之家的40名全日制智障人士的生活质量进行了调查,然后将此样本的结果与澳大利亚居家生活的成年智障人士样本(对照组)进行比较.结果:阳光之家智障人士在ComQol-I5的七个方面的客观评价和满意度评价得分均高于理论均分;除了社区参与以外,其它六个方面的重要性和"重要性×满意度"加权评价得分高于理论均分;除了社区参与,阳光之家的成年智障人士在生活质量的许多方面得分显著高于居家生活的成年智障人士.结论:阳光之家对智障人士生活质量改善有积极作用,但有必要进一步促进智障人士参与社区生活.     

Investigating the Transition of Young Children With Intellectual Disabilities to Mainstream Classes: an Australian perspective

An investigation of the transition of 33 children with intellectual disabilities to mainstream kindergarten classes was conducted by surveying parents, receiving teachers, and receiving principals. All 33 children had received a model university-based inclusive preschool program in the year before kindergarten. Structured interviews with the parents, teachers, and principals at the beginning of Term 2 of the school year and with the parents and teachers at the end of the school year provided information about issues relating to the transition and the initial and subsequent integration of the children. The findings from this study were valuable in relation to the ongoing evaluation of the model preschool program, but also provide useful information to early intervention services and mainstream schools wanting to improve the success of their transition programs.     

智力残疾人职业高中课程体系建设的实践研究

本研究在生活质量理念、支持性教育理念的指导下,以就业安置为目标,构建培智学校职业教育校本课程体系.通过近四年的校本研究,初步构建了智力残疾人职业高中课程体系,并对智力残疾人的专业训练、支持性就业等问题进行了重点研究,取得了较好的效果.     

Family Predictors of Maternal and paternal Involvement in Programs for Young Children with Disabilities

The study of family variables has become increasingly critical in understanding outcomes typically considered program driven. Research linking family variables to parental involvement in early intervention programs for young children with disabilities is generally lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine the combined influence and predictive ability of family characteristics on maternal and paternal involvement in early intervention programs. Service providers rated mothers' and fathers' involvement in early intervention programs Mother and fathers completed a battery of self-report questionnaires related to a variety of constructs, such as family functioning, marital adjustment, social supports, stress, coping, and parental involvement. Structural equating modeling was used to test the predictive ability of family variables. Two different models were developed for mothers and fathers. Results indicated significant outcomes for both group, largely supporting the proposed model. The coping variable emerged as a significant predictor of maternal and paternal involvement as well as a mediator variable between family functioning and parental involvement.     

Measuring the Early Adulthood Outcomes of Young Adults with Disabilities: Developing Constructs using NLTS2 Data

Secondary data analysis was used to develop and examine disability-related differences in outcome constructs from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2. Findings suggest that outcome constructs could be created that represented key elements of quality of life domains including social relationships, financial independence, financial supports, employment, emotional well-being, postsecondary education, independent living, health status, access to services, and advocating for needs. The constructs could be measured equivalently across disability groups, but young adults with high incidence disabilities, generally, experienced more positive outcomes than those with more severe disabilities, despite the finding that those with more severe disabilities have greater access to services and financial supports. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.     

The Development of Research Skills in Young Adults with Intellectual Disability in Participatory Research

There is limited information about specific research constructs developed by adults with intellectual disability in undertaking research despite increasing involvement in research with rather than on these individuals. Participatory research was used with three young adults with intellectual disability to collaboratively develop a training programme and investigate the skills used and developed when undertaking the research project. Three research domains—Knowledge, Conceptual understandings and Skills, were identified, within which 18 subsets were categorised. Development in all domains and subsets occurred for all young adults, with variations in gains across subsets and participants. These young adults attained research knowledge, understanding and skills that enabled them to become collaborative researchers within this project.     

A Longitudinal Comparison of the Social Behavior of Young Children with Disabilities During Exchanges with Adults and Familiar Playmates

This study was designed to describe the changes in the social exchanges of young children with disabilities with their mothers and with a familiar playmate over a 16-month period. Thirty children were observed for 15-minute sessions with each partner for four data points. Data were analyzed using a modification of a coding system developed by Vandell and Wilson (1979) to determine changes in the frequency, complexity, and content of the social exchanges. Results indicated that children engaged in more exchanges over time, and that these exchanges became more completely social. In addition, children showed more vocal behavior and more object-related acts over the 16-month period of the study.     

A Longitudinal Comparison of the Social Behavior of Young Children with Disabilities During Exchanges with Adults and Familiar Playmates

This study was designed to describe the changes in the social exchanges of young children with disabilities with their mothers and with a familiar playmate over a 16-month period. Thirty children were observed for 15-minute sessions with each partner for four data points. Data were analyzed using a modification of a coding system developed by Vandell and Wilson (1979) to determine changes in the frequency, complexity, and content of the social exchanges. Results indicated that children engaged in more exchanges over time, and that these exchanges became more completely social. In addition, children showed more vocal behavior and more object-related acts over the 16-month period of the study.     

Supporting the Siblings of Young Children with Disabilities

In this article, Lynda Warren Dodd, who is senior educational psychologist for early years and the Portage Service supervisor in Stockport LEA, discusses the development of a support group for the brothers and sisters of young children with a wide range of disabilities. The group has been running, as an annual event, for eight years and offers a mix of socialising, games and group work. Through the group, the Portage Service aims to address some of the isues that emerge for families when there is a child with a disability. In order to evaluate the support offered to siblings, as well as to the child with special needs and their parents or carers, members of the Portage team gathered views from children and adults. Several key themes emerged from the comments made by children. All the participants enjoyed attending the sibling group. The children had varying degrees of understanding about their brothers' and sisters' disabilities. Some reported positive attitudes while others described the negative feelings they experienced in relation to their siblings' special needs. The parents also tended to value the sibling group and most of them asked for the provision to be extended. Lynda Dodd sets her account of this evaluation in the context of a constructive review of the literature on the sibling experience. She closes her article with a valuable summary of the implications of her work for future policy and practice in this important and often neglected area.     

社区低龄成年人的职业认同与生涯发展研究

社区低龄成年人的职业认同叙述,涉及职业理想和定位、职业动机、求职策略等。基于有关社区低龄成年人的职业认同表征和解读,他们的生涯发展策略包括:政府应关注体面就业,维护劳动者权益;社区低龄成年人是自身生涯发展的主体;社区低龄成年人生涯指导者需要关注青少年参与主题,开展建构主义生涯指导。     

大龄智障学生职业教育康复的理念与实践

坚持对大龄智障学生进行职业教育康复,为其提供多种服务与支持,可以减轻障碍对他们造成的不利影响,使他们提高社会生存本领和就业机会,更好更快地融入社会,适应社会。本文阐述了北京市某培智学校某职教部在职业教育阶段对大龄智障学生进行职业教育康复的理念、实践及效果,希望能对同类学校或机构开展相应的工作有所启发。     

Using the Multiple Intelligences to Enhance Instruction for Young Children and Young Children with Disabilities

The theory of the multiple intelligences are discussed in relation to working with young children and young children with disabilities. A rationale for the use of the multiple intelligences is discussed as well as practical suggestions on how they can be incorporated into early childhood programs.     

多元智能理论对培智学校职业教育工作的启示

培智学校的职业教育是培养智力落后儿童生存能力的教育,目的在于使其掌握必要的从事某种职业或生产劳动所需要的知识与技能,以适应社会。创建和谐社会需要多元人才观。多元智能理论倡导学生的和谐发展,培智学校的职业教育,要尽可能创设适应智力落后儿童优势智能发展的条件,使每个学生都能成人与成才。     

Parallel Text: Making Research Accessible to People with Intellectual Disabilities

The full involvement of people with intellectual disabilities in research that relates to them is a central concern at present. An important aspect of involvement is making academic writing more accessible. While this can be achieved by including a simplified synopsis or by producing separate simplified documents, such attempts can still represent a “them” and “us” ethos. One alternative is to publish academic papers with a “parallel text” for people with intellectual disabilities. This not only provides a simplified version but also facilitates access to the main document. In this paper, we describe background research for developing the idea of parallel texts and discuss the technical considerations for others wishing to present academic work in a similar manner.     

Self-Esteem of Greek Mothers of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

The present study assessed the impact that children with intellectual disabilities have on their mothers' self-esteem. It also examined the differences in self-esteem between mothers of children with intellectual disabilities and mothers of non-disabled children. The study sample consisted of 50 mothers of children with intellectual disabilities living in Central Greece and a comparison group of 50 mothers of non-disabled children. Two instruments were used for the data collection: (a) a questionnaire for biographic information and (b) an adaptation of the Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory. Results indicated significantly lower self-esteem for the mothers of children with intellectual disabilities. Moreover, the best predictor of maternal self-esteem in the disabled group was the size of the family.     

A Comparison of the Expressive Language Opportunities Provided by Shared Book Reading and Facilitated Play for Young Children with Mild to Moderate Intellectual Disabilities

ABSTRACT In this study, which aimed to compare the expressive language opportunities provided by shared book reading and facilitated play, the language of 22 young children with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities and delayed language was examined. The children were videotaped while interacting with a facilitator during a session that included both book reading and play. Two different protocols were used to analyse the children's language in both conditions. The first protocol was used to document the number of intelligible, unintelligible and inaudible utterances and the second protocol was used to examine the intelligible utterances in relation to their complexity and function. The findings indicated that shared book reading elicited more language, more intelligible language and more complex language than the facilitated play condition. Results also suggested that shared book reading allowed for more conversational interaction between the children and the facilitators. The indications are that shared book reading may provide better opportunities than facilitated play for collecting a representative language sample from young children with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.