Psychosocial development measures modification for adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

BACKGROUND: Although diagnosis and identification of IDD is improving, adolescents with IDD receive limited attention in research, particularly concerning their psychosocial development. Measures developed and normed with typically developing populations may not be appropriate for IDD populations and may result in biased assessment. AIM: This study aimed to develop and validate modified psychosocial development assessments for adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), addressing the absence of such assessments. METHOD: It involved two phases: modifying existing instruments and validating the revised versions. Four stakeholder groups participated: adolescents with IDD, parents, and scholars in adolescent developmental and disabilities. Validation included two groups: neurotypical adolescents completing both measures and IDD adolescents completing modified measures. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses identified the need to adjust or eliminate scales for better understanding by individuals with IDD. The modified instruments provided suitable measures for assessing psychosocial development in adolescents with IDD. DISCUSSION: All the scales allowed for accommodation toward comprehension for those with IDD except for identity formation. Further work is needed to understand the challenges associated with assessing identity formation in adolescents with IDD. The active involvement of and participation from adolescents with IDD and their parents in this research was paramount to understanding their comprehension and needs. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of tailored assessments for accurate measurement of IDD individuals' development, benefiting the assessment of all adolescents.

Evaluating Professional Behavior Analysts' Literature Searches.

The first section of the new Behavior Analyst Certification Board's Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (BACB, 2020) includes the expectation that behavior analysts will maintain competence by reading relevant literature. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate to what extent professional behavior analysts search for and access the behavior analytic literature. A survey invitation was sent through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and social media outlets at the end of 2020; 180 professionals responded. Roughly 80% of participants searched for research at least once per month. The top three online resources used were academic web search (72.7%), a university library subscription (65.6%), and the BACB research resource (65.6%). Forty-five percent of all participants indicated satisfaction with the research resources available to them. A series of independent samples t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to determine group differences. Participants with doctorates searched more frequently and reported higher satisfaction and confidence across all tested domains. Participants using a university library reported more frequent literature searches, a higher skill level in conducting searches, more confidence in their ability to conduct a meaningful literature search, more satisfaction with the research resources available to them, and were more likely to report that the identified research would inform their practice.

Hearing care and management priority among parents of children with Down syndrome: a grounded theory.

OBJECTIVE: This study qualitatively explored the factors that influence how parents of children who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing with Down syndrome prioritise hearing care and management and developed an associated theory to explain that priority. DESIGN: Grounded theory was used for the purposes of this qualitative study. Data were collected using in-depth interviews which were analysed using a three-tiered qualitative coding process. STUDY SAMPLE: Eighteen mothers of children who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing with Down syndrome participated in this study. RESULTS: The higher the extent of engaged professional support, perception of benefit for child, parent activation, and family engagement, the higher the priority for hearing care and management will likely be among parents of children who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing with Down syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding how parents of children who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing with Down syndrome decide to prioritise hearing care and management has implications for how hearing health providers and others provide care to parents to enhance priority for hearing-related needs.

Siblings of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Their knowledge and perspectives on guardianship and its alternatives.

BACKGROUND: Siblings of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often support their brothers and sisters through caregiving and guardianship. METHODS: In this qualitative study, the knowledge and views of 10 adult siblings were explored. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS: The tripartite impact of limited knowledge of guardianship and alternatives, the viewpoint of full guardianship as necessary and the desired/anticipated roles of siblings combined to create the Sibling Reciprocal Effect (SRE). The present authors define SRE as the phenomenon of siblings to recognize the applicability of complementary forms of guardianship for other adults with IDD, but fail to see the advantage of available decision-making alternatives with their own brothers/sisters. Instead, siblings defer to full guardianship as the preferred mechanism for decision making. Implications for practitioners include informing families of the full range of options for supporting persons with IDD in decision making. Future research suggestions include examining the elements of the SRE and siblings' knowledge regarding guardianship and the alternatives.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts' Supervisory Practices of Trainees: Survey Results and Recommendations.

The field of behavior analysis relies on supervised fieldwork to shape the repertoires of individuals aspiring to sit for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®) exam. Board Certified Behavior Analysts® (BCBAs®) who are providing supervision to those seeking certification must follow the supervision and ethics requirements as directed by the BACB. We conducted a survey of BCBAs currently providing supervision to gather information about current practices and barriers. The top areas of success and need are presented based on the responses of 284 participants who completed the entire survey, along with recommendations.