Childhood Disability-Related Abuse: A Retrospective Proof-of-Concept Study.

Although the phenomenon of disability-related abuse has been well-documented in adults with disabilities, the occurrence of disability-related abuse in childhood has not been studied. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish proof of concept for childhood disability-related abuse. American adults (n = 485) retrospectively report on physical, sexual, and disability-related abuse that they experienced before the age of 18. The sample consisted of 382 participants with no disability, 55 participants with an adult-onset disability, and 48 participants with a childhood-onset disability. Disability-related abuse was conceptualized as involving either (a) the denial of assistive technology or (b) the denial of care, permission, or assistance with an activity of self-care. Childhood denial of assistive technology was rare in all groups (1.3%-2.1%), but denial of care, assistance, or permission was significantly higher in the childhood-onset disability group (20.8%) than either the adult-onset (7.3%) or no-disability (6.5%) groups. The three groups did not significantly differ in the rates of reported childhood physical or sexual abuse. This study provides preliminary proof-of-concept evidence for childhood disability-related abuse, particularly denial of care.

"It's Awful When We Get It Wrong": An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors' Perspectives on Suicide.

Despite the high prevalence of suicide among people with disabilities, little research has explored suicide in the context of the vocational rehabilitation (VR) system. We analyzed the responses of 27 VR counselors who responded to an open-ended qualitative prompt regarding their experiences with suicide training and competency. Key themes included a desire for more training on suicide and the experience of seeking and receiving suicide training and experience outside of VR. Responses also underscored the heavy emotional impact of working with suicidal clients, especially when one feels unprepared to do so. These results suggest that it is important to provide VR counselors with resources and training for addressing suicide in their client populations.

"I Honestly Would Not Have Known What to Do": An Exploratory Study of Perspectives on Client Suicide Among Vocational Rehabilitation Support Staff.

Despite the high prevalence of suicide both overall and among people with disabilities in particular, little research has explored suicide in the context of the vocational rehabilitation (VR) system or in counseling support staff in general. We analyzed the responses of 14 VR support staff who responded to an open-ended qualitative prompt regarding their experiences with suicide training and competency. Key themes included a perceived lack of and desire for more training regarding suicide, seeking and receiving suicide training outside of VR, and a perceived lack of resources for working with suicidal clients. Responses also underscored the heavy emotional impact of working with these clients, especially when one feels unprepared to do so. These results suggest that it is important to provide VR support staff with resources and training for addressing suicide in their client populations.

Counseling in Audiology: Au.D. Students' Perspectives and Experiences.

Counseling in audiology is an important aspect of service delivery. How audiologists interact with patients and foster counseling relationships to help patients and families understand and live with hearing loss can impact outcomes of audiological interventions. Currently, variability exists in how graduate training programs are teaching counseling skills, and the extent to which counseling skills development is supported in clinical experiences is unclear. This article seeks to explore the perspectives related to the importance of counseling and counseling training experiences received through clinical instruction of Au.D. students beginning their final year of study, to identify where counseling training might be limited, and to examine how counseling skills might be better supported. Findings revealed that students generally appreciate the importance of counseling in audiology. Data suggest that how students are supported in developing counseling skills appears to be variable and unstructured.