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Beyond abuse: health care for people with disabilities.

Abuse has become a focus of concern in today's society. Historically, signs and symptoms of abuse in people with developmental disabilities have not been effectively recognized, assessed, or treated. Preconceived ideas, institutionalization, lack of creative communication and technologies, and limited self-determination influence the incidence of abuse. These factors impair health care providers' ability to assess, intervene, and treat these people. Development of a supportive culture, education, professional attitudes, and prevention are the tools health care providers may use in partnership with people receiving their services to effectively respond to circumstances of abuse.

Adult↗

Early Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are an often-disabling continuum of disorders affecting two to four in 1000 children. These disorders have a core set of defining features including impaired verbal and nonverbal communication, impaired social interaction, and restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior. The cause of autism is unclear. The disorder can be defined only by related behaviors. Although there has been considerable improvement in standardized screening techniques for ASD in the past 10 years, screening and diagnostic practices in medicine and education lag far behind clinical research. Various studies have found the average age of diagnosis to be between 3 and 6 years, with significant differences as a function of ethnicity and socio-economic status. Preliminary research suggests that in some populations, missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis of ASD are common. This may be caused partly by inadequate screening practices. It also may reflect that presentation of symptoms varies from patient to patient. Lack of resources for appropriate referral, diagnosis, and treatment may play an important role. This article discusses recent progress in ASD screening, what is known of current screening and diagnostic practices, and future directions for research and practice improvement. The best practice model for the screening and early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities should include routine developmental surveillance as part of well-child pediatric care. General developmental screening should be followed by autism-specific screening for those children who fail the initial developmental screen, or whose parents report suspect behaviors.

Journal Article↗

Retrospective study of quetiapine in children and adolescents with pervasive developmental disorders.

A retrospective study was conducted in a clinic specialized in treating individuals with developmental disabilities to examine the effectiveness and tolerability of quetiapine in children and adolescents with pervasive developmental disorders. Ten consecutive outpatients (age = 12.0 +/- 5.1 years) treated with quetiapine (dose = 477 +/- 212 mg, duration = 22.0 +/- 10.1 weeks) were identified and six were judged to be responders based on impressions from chart review and Conners Parent Scale (CPS). Improvements were observed in the conduct, inattention, and hyperactivity subscales of the CPS. Adverse events were mild with sedation being the most common, and no patient required treatment termination. Quetiapine may be beneficial in children and adolescents with pervasive developmental disorders, however open-label and double-blind, placebo-controlled studies are warranted.

Adolescent↗

Diverse diagnostic and behavioural patterns amongst people with a dual diagnosis.

People who have both an intellectual disability and a mental illness diagnosis are gaining more attention in the mental health and developmental disabilities service systems. This interest is partly because of the challenging behaviours and the complexities of the problems in this population. The present study analyses the diagnoses, behaviour problems and demographic characteristics of a group of people with a dual diagnosis to determine if specific patterns are evident which distinguish this set of subjects. A group of 940 people who were part of a class action lawsuit in North Carolina, USA, were investigated. A factor analysis was conducted to determine whether or not distinct patterns or factors were evident. This analysis revealed six distinct patterns primarily based on the behaviour problems of this group and secondarily based on their diagnoses. These six factors are referred to as: (1) aggressive/disturbing behaviour; (2) withdrawal/asocial behaviour; (3) inappropriate behaviours; (4) sociopathic characteristics; (5) suicidal or runaway crises; and (6) pica disorder. The findings suggest that mental illness is a prominent characteristic of some of the six factors but not of others. Furthermore, an intellectual disability diagnosis and the particular level of intellectual disability are reflected very differently amongst all of these factors.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Treatment of functional chronic stooped posture using a training device and behavior therapy. A case report.

Functional posture problems and related gait problems are often difficult to manage clinically because of the difficulty of providing immediate feedback to clients during walking or standing and because of secondary personal gains provided the client for having the "disability." This article describes an inexpensive posture training device and treatment of a client with developmental disabilities and a long history of posture problems and secondary gait pattern abnormalities. Thirty-six short training sessions, coupled with a supportive daily living situation, produced marked improvements in the client's posture and gait.

Adult↗

Project BRIDGE--people with disabilities participate in their health care decisions.

Project BRIDGE is a complex of activities through which individuals affected by major mental illness, developmental disability, or the effects of aging become engaged in their health care decision making. This article explains the development of BRIDGE through the profound stories of Julia Warren, Theresa Draper, and Jim Overstreet.

Advance Care Planning↗

Reasonable efforts for children with disabilities: the parents' perspective.

This article reports the results of a content analysis of focus group interviews of parents of children with developmental disabilities, emotional disorders, and technology-supported needs. Perspectives regarding special needs, crisis situations, and parent-professional relationships are discussed. Implications for policy and practice include targeting specific services, monitoring values of programs and staff, and minimizing system-induced crisis.

Adolescent↗

Psychiatric symptoms associated with dementia in older people with learning disability.

BACKGROUND: This paper describes a study of non-cognitive features of dementia in a population of 105 people over 50 years of age, with learning disability. METHOD: The study involved psychiatric assessment using the Psychiatric Assessment Schedule for Adults with a Developmental Disability (PAS-ADD), a semi-structured psychiatric interview developed specifically for people who have learning disability. Dementia was diagnosed using a combination of informant interviewing and observation of cognitive change over a three year period. RESULTS: Sample members with definite dementia had higher levels of sleep difficulty, hypersomnia, irritability, inefficient thought, loss of interest and anhedonia. Discriminant function analysis showed that non-cognitive features could help discriminate between definite and probable cases. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the previously reported observation for the general population that cognitive and non-cognitive features are only weakly related. The study suggests that psychiatric symptom information may be useful in screening for dementia in people with learning disability.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Mental health of aging women with children who are chronically disabled: examination of a two-factor model.

Data were collected from 838 women over age 50 who have either a child with a developmental disability or a child with schizophrenia. Lawton et al.'s (1991) parallel channel hypothesis, which suggests that positive and negative aspects of mental health have differential predictors, was tested. Results indicate that positive caregiving appraisals were predicted by quality of the mother-child relationship, while negative caregiving appraisals were predicted by the amount of help mother provided to her child, mother's health, child's behaviors, and positive appraisals. Positive well-being was predicted by mother's health, positive appraisals, and negative appraisals, while negative well-being was predicted by mother's health, child's behaviors, and negative appraisals. Hence, the data support the usefulness of the hypothesized model.

Adolescent↗

Integrated sibling-parent group intervention to improve sibling knowledge and adjustment to chronic illness and disability.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate an integrated group intervention for siblings and parents designed to increase sibling understanding of and adjustment to chronic illness and developmental disability (CI/DD). METHODS: Fifty-four well siblings (ages 8-13 years) and their parents were recruited through hospital-based and community agencies serving children with CI/DD. Measures of sibling knowledge, sibling adjustment to the disorder, sibling connectedness, and sibling global behavioral functioning were collected before and after the intervention. A subsample of 20 families completed a 3-month follow-up to assess maintenance of results. RESULTS: Sibling knowledge of the child's disorder and sibling connectedness increased, while sibling reports of negative adjustment to the disorder and parent reports of sibling global behavioral functioning decreased significantly from pre- to posttreatment for both boys and girls, regardless of the type of diagnostic condition. Improvements in sibling knowledge, connectedness, and behavioral problems maintained at 3-month follow-up. Parent satisfaction with the program was high. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the future conduct of more controlled evaluation of the integrated sibling and parent group intervention model to improve sibling knowledge of and adjustment to CI/DD.

Adolescent↗

Grandparents as a source of support for parents of children with disabilities: a brief report.

Measures of emotional adjustment and perceived emotional and instrumental support by grandparents were administered to parents of young children with developmental disabilities. A significant positive correlation between paternal adjustment and grandparent support was found. Grandparents' most frequent forms of assistance were babysitting and buying clothing. These results were discussed relative to the importance of grandparents as a source of support to families with a child who has a disability.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Disability, spiritual beliefs and the church: the experiences of adults with disabilities and family members.

AIMS: This paper reports the findings of a qualitative interpretive study that explored how people with disabilities and family members use their spiritual beliefs to establish meaning for disability, and to respond to the challenges of lived experience with disability. The participants' perceptions of the evangelical Christian church's influence on their spiritual experiences related to disability suggest recommendations for improved integration by the church. Applications are drawn for helping professionals and religious leaders who provide holistic care. BACKGROUND/RATIONALE: Although there is a well-established literature on coping in families with disabled children, little is known about how people use spiritual beliefs to establish meaning for and respond to life with disability. Even less is known about how people with a particular set of shared spiritual beliefs make meaning for lived experience with disability. DESIGN/METHODS: The author interviewed 30 persons, comprising two major groups: 13 parents of children with mixed developmental disabilities and nine adults with physical disabilities. Predominantly white, the participants lived in a south-western metropolitan area in the United States of America (USA) in 1998. FINDINGS: Trial or difficulty contributed to spiritual challenge, the breaking of self, reliance on God, and strengthened faith in God. The participants chose to live with thankfulness and joy despite difficulties common to experience with disability. The participants' spiritual beliefs stabilized their lives, providing meaning for the experience of disability, assistance with coping and other benefits. The participants' recommendations include increased assistance by the church in promoting theological understanding of disability, and religious support using a continuing model of caring. CONCLUSIONS: Although the study design limits the generalizability of the findings, applications can be drawn for helping professionals and religious leaders who provide holistic care

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Athletes with disabilities.

Sports participation by persons with disabilities has increased dramatically over the past fifty years. Athletes with spinal injury, amputees, and those with developmental disabilities are at risk for certain injuries because of their specific injury impairments. There are also general medical problems that can arise in association with these physical conditions. Providing sporting event coverage and appropriate treatment for the disabled athlete requires knowledge of these impairment-specific injuries and risks. Physiatrists can provide essential leadership and and support to disabled sports programs.

Athletic Injuries↗

Prader-Willi syndrome: consensus diagnostic criteria.

The diagnosis of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is based on clinical findings that change with age. Hypotonia is prominent in infancy. Obesity, mild mental retardation or learning disability, and behavior problems, especially in association with food and eating, result in a debilitating physical and developmental disability in adolescence and adulthood. No consistent biological marker is yet available for PWS in spite of recent research activity in cytogenetics and molecular genetics. Diagnostic criteria for PWS were developed by consensus of seven clinicians experienced with the syndrome in consultation with national and international experts. Two scoring systems are provided: one for children aged 0 to 36 months and another one for children aged 3 years to adults. These criteria will aid in recognition of the syndrome in hypotonic infants and in obese, mildly retarded, behaviorally disturbed adolescents and adults. They will also ensure uniform diagnosis for future clinical and laboratory research in PWS.

Adolescent↗

Fragile X syndrome (review).

Fragile X syndrome is the most common form of inherited mental retardation currently known, associated with a wide range of developmental disabilities in both males and females, caused by a large expansion of a (CGG)n repeat in the first exon of the FMR1 gene. Fragile X syndrome occurs in all racial and ethnic groups, and it is a condition of major epidemiological importance among mentally handicapped males. Therefore, this disease must be considered in the differential diagnosis of any child with developmental delay, mental retardation or learning disability. The fragile X syndrome is due to the shutdown of the FMR1 gene transcription, and the pathogenesis of this syndrome is a consequence of absence of the protein product of the FMR1 gene (FMRP). Since the great majority of fragile X patients have the same type of mutation in a specific location of the gene, molecular analysis is extremely accurate for diagnosis of the disease, and important for genetic counseling of family members. Others genetic disorders are also caused by expanded trinucleotide repeats.

Female↗

Aging among persons with intellectual disability in Israel in relation to type of residence, age, and etiology.

This study was conducted to compare aging phenomena of persons with intellectual and developmental disability (ID) aged 40 years and older living in community residence (N = 65) with those living with their families (N = 43) in Jerusalem, Israel. All 108 persons and care givers were interviewed to ascertain health problems, sensory impairment, activity of daily living (ADL), cognitive skills, and leisure activities. Health problem had already developed by age 40 years. The most frequent were visual (33%), hearing impairments (20%) and dental problems (30%). The community residence group displayed more medical problems, whereas individuals living at home had more dental problems. Health problems in persons with Down syndrome were significantly higher. ADL functioning for all participants was high, but persons with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy had more dependence. A decline in functioning in both residential groups was observed concerning leisure time, but scores for social life leisure activities were better for the community residential group. The data provided in this study can serve as information to develop geriatric services for persons with ID and provide a basis for comparison with peers in the general population in Israel. Dental service to persons with ID living at home should be improved.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Creative technological aids for the learning-disabled child: an interdisciplinary project.

An interdisciplinary team of engineering students and occupational therapists have developed prototype electromechanical toys to enhance adaptive learning performance of developmentally disabled children. This paper describes the Creative Technological Aids (CTA) project undertaken under the joint auspices of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Kennedy Memorial Hospital occupational therapy department. Four prototype CTA devices were evaluated in clinical and community settings and preliminary results show that these devices are highly motivational in teaching eye-hand coordination and perceptual-motor skills.

Cerebral Palsy↗

Adult interaction style effects on the language sampling and transcription process with children who have development disabilities.

A determination was made of whether an empirically derived interaction style improves the usefulness of the language sampling and transcription in 17 children with developmental disabilities in Brown's (1973) Stages I and II. Whether the interaction style affected the diversity and complexity of the language the children produced during the samples was also examined. All subjects experienced two 20-minute interaction sessions that differed according to whether topic-continuing wh-questions were used. Results indicated that, regardless of order of exposure to the styles, children talked more often and produced proportionally more transcribable utterances. In addition, they produced a larger sample of productive vocabulary in the style using topic-continuing wh-questions. There were no style effects on vocabulary diversity or length of utterance. The importance of using interaction styles that maximize the information available from language samples of young children with disabilities was discussed.

Adult↗