Transition staff discuss sex education and support for young men and women with intellectual and developmental disability

Background Young people with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) get information, education, and support about social and sexual relationships from different sources. Staff are often involved in providing this education and support. We explored if and how this support is offered to young people transitioning to adulthood.Methods Focus groups were conducted with 17 staff from 3 transition services to illicit information about their experiences providing this education and support.Findings A key theme was that staff are “reluctant counsellors.” Although staff provided social and sexual education, they reported being underprepared and relied primarily on their own values as guidance. They did this in full recognition that transition services filled a social gap for participants, blurring the lines between education and social support.Conclusion Further research is needed to inform sexuality and relationship policy and practice during transition to adulthood, as this is a key learning and developmental time for young adults with IDD.

Diabetes in people with an intellectual disability : a systematic review of prevalence, incidence and impact.

To establish the prevalence and incidence of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in people with an intellectual and developmental disability and determine their impact on health and well-being and to appraise the evidence available to inform good practice in diabetes management for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Offering fragile X syndrome carrier screening: a prospective mixed-methods observational study comparing carrier screening of pregnant and non-pregnant women in the general population

Article focus
▪ This article is a protocol of a study that involves offering fragile X syndrome carrier screening to pregnant and non-pregnant women in the general population. We are undertaking a programme evaluation approach using mixed methods to collect data about informed decisionmaking and predictors of test uptake, with a focus on psychosocial measures. We are also undertaking an economic appraisal.

Masculinity theory in applied research with men and boys with intellectual disability

Researchers in intellectual disability have had limited theoretical engagement with mainstream theories of masculinity. In this article, the authors consider what mainstream theories of masculinity may offer to applied research on, and hence to therapeutic interventions with, men and boys with intellectual disability. An example from one research project that explored male sexual health illustrates how using masculinity theory provided greater insight into gendered data. Finally, we discuss the following five topics to illustrate how researchers might use theories of masculinity: (a) fathering, (b) male physical expression, (c) sexual expression, (d) men's health, and (e) underweight and obesity. Theories of masculinity offer an additional framework to analyze and conceptualize gendered data; we challenge researchers to engage with this body of work.

An effective program design to support older workers with intellectual disability to participate individually in community groups

The foreshadowed increase of older people with intellectual disability has become a reality in many developed countries. As these adults age, improved quality of life can be achieved through applications of conjoint policy aims of inclusion and participation. A transition-to-retirement (TTR) program developed for employees of a large multisite disability employment service in Sydney, Australia, used these aims to effect successful partial retirement. The authors describe the program logic of the TTR, detailing its conceptual components as the first step to enabling it to be tested and replicated in other settings. The TTR program has three components: promoting the concept of retirement, laying the groundwork for inclusion of would-be retirees with intellectual disability in the community, and constructing the reality. The third component comprised five stages: planning, locating a group, mapping new routine, recruiting and training mentors, and monitoring and ongoing support. The project's participants were 24 older employees, who replaced 1 day a week of work with membership of a community group and were supported by mentors who facilitated involvement of the participants in their group. Data collected provided information on the implementation of the program, the time and costs expended, and challenges encountered. Key to the model was a coordinator, skilled in generic case management and specific disability interventions (such as active support), who collaborated with others to manage the program. The authors note that by detailing the program logic underpinning the TTR program, they have exposed the hidden work of supporting meaningful inclusion of people with intellectual disability in community groups and added to the limited stock of evidence-informed programs in this area. © 2014 International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sport in the lives of young people with intellectual disabilities: negotiating disability, identity and belonging

Whilst there is now a growing body of sociological research on the role of sport in the social, gender and identity rehabilitation of people with physical impairments, research on the role of sport in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities primarily focuses on improving fitness, health and social interactions. Yet sport is not only a form of physical exercise, competition or leisure—it is also a powerful social institution within which social structures and power relations are reproduced and, less frequently, challenged. This paper provides insights into the role of sport and physical activity in the lives of four young Australians with intellectual disabilities or cognitive limitations from their own perspectives. Data from life history interviews elicits rich and in-depth insights, revealing that the meanings these young people give to their sporting experiences include—but also go beyond—concerns with fitness, health and social interactions. Though by no means representative of the role of sport for all young people with intellectual disabilities, it is evident that these four young people use sport to negotiate complex emotional worlds around disability, identity, and belonging—much like their physically impaired counterparts.

Dual disability : the inherent difficulties in service provision and client management

Dual disability is a particularly important area of study, as the co-occurence of intellectual and psychiatric disability presents signficant challenges to professionals within the health and disability services. Four case studies are presented.

Gendered service delivery : a masculine and feminine perspective on staff gender

Despite acknowledgement that paid caregivers have a significant impact on the lives of people with intellectual disability, the subjective experience of staff gender is rarely considered in research. Qualitative data from a study on the sexual health needs of men and boys with intellectual disability is presented. We designed this study to determine what impact staff gender has on the sexual health needs of men and boys with intellectual disability. Findings suggest that although staff traverse the same geographies of care, they do it in uniquely gendered ways. Staff gender is an important consideration when dealing with sexual health matters and can enhance the type and quality of relationships between people with intellectual disability.

Childhood mental and developmental disorders

Childhood mental and developmental disordersencompass neurodevelopmental, emotional, and behavioraldisorders that have broad and serious adverseimpacts on psychological and social well-being. Childrenwith these disorders require significant additional supportfrom families and educational systems; the disordersfrequently persist into adulthood (Nevo and Manassis2009; Polanczyk and Rohde 2007; Shaw and others 2012).These children are more likely to experience a compromiseddevelopmental trajectory, with increased need formedical and disability services, as well as increased riskof contact with law enforcement agencies (Fergusson,Horwood, and Lynskey 1993).