A scoping review investigating the perspectives of people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities on experiences of cyberbullying victimisation and its subtypes.

This scoping review examines cyberbullying victimisation in people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities, focusing on specific types of cyberbullying behaviours, such as flaming, harassment, and stalking. A five-stage review of empirical research was conducted using 15 electronic databases, covering publications from October 1969 to January 2024. Twelve studies were selected, reporting cyberbullying victimisation rates ranging from 5% to 64%. Harassment was the most common behaviour experienced. However, flaming, cyber-stalking, griefing, and shaming have not been thoroughly investigated. The impact and coping strategies, including support mechanisms, also lack research. Further investigation is needed to understand the various types of cyberbullying experienced by people with intellectual disabilities and to develop coping and resilience strategies. Recommendations for future research and practice are provided.

A systematic review of research on staff training as an intervention to develop communication in children and adults with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

INTRODUCTION: This paper aims to identify to what extent staff training interventions are successful in enhancing the development of communication skills in people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. METHODS: A systematic review was undertaken, conforming to PRISMA guidelines. English language, peer reviewed, empirical studies of staff training interventions to enhance the communication of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities were included. Databases Scopus, Web of Science, Proquest, Linguistics and Language Behaviour Abstracts (LLBA) and Medline were searched in July 2015 and updated in December 2022. Quality appraisal was conducted on 13 studies using Crowe's Critical Appraisal Tool (CCAT). RESULTS: Few good quality evaluations of interventions were found. Challenges to research rigour included the diversity of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities, small sample sizes, intervention intensity and the management of fidelity. CONCLUSIONS: Manualised and bespoke interventions showed promise in improving staff communication and responsiveness.

The perspectives of people with intellectual disabilities on their experience of voting in UK general elections.

BACKGROUND: People with intellectual disabilities' voting rate within the United Kingdom remains significantly below the population average despite government enacted voting promotion measures. No published academic literature directly involves people with intellectual disabilities when considering their UK general election experiences - this study aims to address this omission. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with people with intellectual disabilities (N = 20) about their election experiences during the 2017 (n = 18) and 2019 (n = 8) general elections. Six participants were interviewed around both elections. Data was analysed with template analysis. RESULTS: Eight themes were produced - election information, political knowledge, political opinions, voting choice process, polling station experience, voting outcome, capacity and support. Theme interactions impacted on election experiences. CONCLUSIONS: While acknowledging diverse experiences, voting outcomes and experiences were particularly impacted by factor interactions concerning election information and/or polling station accessibility, capacity and support. Voting promotion interventions and future research should consider these areas.

An Online Life Like Any Other: Identity, Self-Determination, and Social Networking Among Adults with Intellectual Disabilities.

Research focusing on online identity and the personal experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) is currently limited. Eleven adults with ID were interviewed regarding personal experiences of being online and using social media. Data were analyzed qualitatively using thematic network analysis. Two global themes, online relatedness and sharing and online agency and support, highlighted the positive potential of social media in enabling the development and maintenance of social bonds, valued social roles, and feelings of enjoyment, competence, autonomy, and self-worth. Participants reported sharing various expressed online identities that did not focus on or hide impairment, challenging notions of dependency, with participants both providing support and being supported online.

Family voices: life for family carers of people with intellectual disabilities in Ireland.

BACKGROUND: Families in Ireland remain the main providers of support for people with Intellectual disabilities, and the aim of this study was to map their life experiences whilst involving their family members as co-researchers. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This qualitative, participatory study involved 10 focus groups attended by 70 parents and siblings of people with intellectual disabilities. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Caring for a family member with intellectual disabilities was found to be a dynamic and adaptive process. The well-being of the family and the challenges they face throughout their lives was the central theme identified. This was affected by: the availability of appropriate supports for families and having to advocate for them, communication and relationships with services and professionals, the availability of information and attitudes towards disability and governmental support. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies are suggested as to how services can better support family carers in Ireland in their role. These include families being provided with flexible and timely support for families at critical times; being offered services, support, entitlements and information without having to fight for them; knowing that their family member with intellectual disabilities is well cared for, listened to and provided with opportunities to develop and be part of the community; and carers being shown respect, listened to and involved in decisions.

Following up fighting fit: the long-term impact of health practitioner input on obesity and BMI amongst adults with intellectual disabilities.

This article presents findings on the long-term impact of health practitioner input to reduce obesity amongst adults with intellectual disabilities. Body mass index (BMI) was measured for an input group (N = 33) and a comparison group (N = 40) 6 years after the input group first received input. Data on BMI were collected at baseline, 6 months, 1 year and 6 years. Mean BMI for the input group reduced steadily over 6 years. Mean BMI in the non-input group rose initially, stabilized and then decreased (although remaining higher than at baseline). The input group demonstrated improvements in obesity levels and lost more weight than the non-input group. However, the differences between groups did not reach statistical significance. This and the improvements in BMI within the non-input group may be due to the relatively small sample size, effect size and the impact of other local initiatives.

Fighting fit? An evaluation of health practitioner input to improve healthy living and reduce obesity for adults with learning disabilities.

People with learning disabilities are at high risk of obesity and consequent health risks. This study aimed to (1) describe levels of obesity for adults supported by learning disability services, and to (2) evaluate the effectiveness of health practitioner input with individuals with learning disabilities. Body mass index (BMI) was measured at 6 month intervals and change in BMI over time was compared between a non-input group and a group receiving practitioner input to improve healthy living. Initially 35 percent of the non-input sample was classified as clinically obese. Mean BMI increased over time for the non-input group at first, but decreased for the group that received practitioner input. The differences in weight change between the two groups reached statistical significance with a greater weight reduction in the input group. Implications for service provision are discussed.

Adherence to eating and drinking guidelines for adults with intellectual disabilities and dysphagia.

The extent to which 40 individuals with intellectual disabilities and dysphagia and their caregivers adhered to speech and language pathology dysphagia guidelines was evaluated. These individuals were observed having a meal across four settings. In addition to monitoring overall adherence, guidelines were split into separate sections corresponding to consistency modification of food and drinks, physical positioning, use of equipment and utensils, and support and prompting recommendations. Adherence to speech and language pathology recommendations was generally high, particularly regarding consistency modification that can help reduce the risks of aspiration and asphyxiation. Significant differences in adherence were found across settings, across type of guidelines, and between people who were fed by caregivers and those who fed themselves.

Carer knowledge of dysphagia management strategies.

Dysphagia can have many negative health consequences for people with learning disabilities, including dehydration, aspiration and asphyxiation. Few studies have investigated dysphagia management among adults with learning disabilities. This study aims to contribute to the existing knowledge by investigating carer knowledge of speech and language therapists' (SLTs) recommendations regarding dysphagia management, and by comparing carer knowledge with their behavioural adherence to SLT recommendations. An exploratory study was undertaken investigating carer knowledge of dysphagia management strategies, along with a within-participants' study comparing carer knowledge and adherence. Structured interviews were conducted with carers supporting adults with learning disabilities and dysphagia to explore and ascertain their knowledge of dysphagia management. These data were then compared with observational data gathered in naturalistic contexts, assessing the behavioural adherence of these same carers. Recommendations pertaining to altering consistency and using specialized equipment and utensils were recalled significantly more readily than those concerning support and prompting for the dysphagic persons. Moreover, carers adhered to management strategies to a significantly greater degree than they could recall the details of the written guidelines containing the dysphagia management strategies. The findings suggest that tangible and routinely used management strategies, e.g. food and drink consistency, and use of specialized utensils, are easier for carers to adhere to and remember than support-based strategies such as verbal prompting and pacing. The discrepancy between compliance and knowledge can be explained by calling upon cognitive theories of memory and skill acquisition. This has implications for the selection of relevant outcomes of dysphagia training of direct care staff. Knowledge does not necessarily predict actual behavioural adherence and, though desirable, does not appear to be an adequate outcome indicator if the goal is behavioural adherence. Practice implications for SLTs training carers in dysphagia management strategies include combating fossilization of incorrect knowledge; encouraging carers to refamiliarize themselves with management strategies and their rationales periodically following initial training; and providing more specific contingency information for support and prompting in the guideline documentation.