Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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A comparison of WAIS-R and WAIS-III in the lower IQ range: implications for learning disability diagnosis
- Authors:
- FITZGERALD Suzanne, GRAY Nicola S., SNOWDEN Robert J.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 20(4), July 2007, pp.323-330.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Whether the Flynn effect (the increase in the populations’ IQ over time) affects the IQ scores of people with learning disability or borderline learning disability remains unclear. The issue is important as the Flynn effect should alter the number of people eligible for health service resources. A comparison of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III) in individuals with learning disability or borderline learning disability was conducted. All participants completed the WAIS-R and the WAIS-III. Discrepancy scores were calculated for the Full Scale IQ score and the Verbal and Performance subscale scores. WAIS-III Full Scale scores were significantly lower by over 4 IQ points. Verbal and Performance Scale IQ scores were also significantly lower than the corresponding WAIS-R scores. The shift from WAIS-R to WAIS-III means that 66% more people meet criterion A for the diagnosis of learning disability and hence this has major resource implications for health service providers.
Confident championing: a grounded theory of parental adjustment following a child’s diagnosis of developmental disability
- Authors:
- O'CONNOR Anne B., CARPENTER Barry, COUGHLAN Barry
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 49(2), 2021, pp.247-258.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This paper describes a study exploring the parental response to the diagnosis of their child's developmental disability. A classic grounded theory methodology was used to analyse data comprising 19 interviews and 11 memoirs written by parents. The theory explains how parents adjust to champion their child, who has been identified as having a developmental challenge. At the heart of becoming a champion is a psychological process in which parents refine their perspectives on disability awareness, their aspirations and parenting capacity as they develop their championing skills. Refining perspectives and championing are influenced by two factors: the nature of the child's challenges and service factors. The theory of Confident Championing offers a multivariant model that explains the dynamic nature of the adjustment process, capturing both the stress and the fulfilment and sense of purpose that parents experience. (Edited publisher abstract)
I-CAN: the classification and prediction of support needs
- Authors:
- ARNOLD Samuel R.C., RICHES Vivienne Catherine, STANCLIFFE Roger J.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 27(2), 2014, pp.97-111.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Since 1992, the diagnosis and classification of intellectual disability has been dependent upon three constructs: intelligence, adaptive behaviour and support needs (Luckasson et al. 1992. Mental Retardation: Definition, Classification and Systems of Support. American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Washington, DC). While the methods and instruments to measure intelligence and adaptive behaviour are well established and generally accepted, the measurement and classification of support needs is still in its infancy. This article explores the measurement and classification of support needs. Method: A study is presented comparing scores on the ICF (WHO, 2001) based I-CAN v4.2 support needs assessment and planning tool with expert clinical judgment using a proposed classification of support needs. A logical classification algorithm was developed and validated on a separate sample. Results: Good internal consistency (range 0.73–0.91, N = 186) and criterion validity (κ = 0.94, n = 49) were found. Conclusions: Further advances in our understanding and measurement of support needs could change the way disability is assessed, described and classified. (Edited publisher abstract)
Language, labels and diagnosis: an idiot's guide to learning disability
- Author:
- McCLIMENS Alex
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 11(3), September 2007, pp.257-266.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
The phrase `learning disability' is just one in a long succession of descriptors applied to those people in our society who are categorized by a matrix of psycho-medical assessments, marginalized by compromised intellectual function, characterized by increased health needs and excluded from the mainstream on the basis of reduced social opportunity. But what exactly is `learning disability'? Is there an empirical basis to the label, or is it just another example of bureaucratic language objectifying individuals in a process of medicalization? Historical examples will be used to illustrate the origins of the taxonomy that has subsequently formed the basis of the labelling process. The more recent words of individuals labelled with learning disability too will be introduced to offer some grounding to the debate. Any apparent problem belongs to language more than science. Narrative approaches to understanding are suggested as a useful alternative to traditional scientific inquiry.
Prevalence of dementia in intellectual disability using different diagnostic criteria
- Authors:
- STRYDOM A., et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 191(8), August 2007, pp.150-157.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Diagnosis of dementia is complex in adults with intellectual disability owing to their pre-existing deficits and different presentation. The aim was to describe the clinical features and prevalence of dementia and its subtypes, and to compare the concurrent validity of dementia criteria in older adults with intellectual disability. The Becoming Older with Learning Disability (BOLD) memory study is a two-stage epidemiological survey of adults with intellectual disability without Down syndrome aged 60 years and older, with comprehensive assessment of people who screen positive. Dementia was diagnosed according to ICD–10, DSM–IV and DC–LD criteria. The DSM–IV dementia criteria were more inclusive. Diagnosis using ICD–10 excluded people with even moderate dementia. Clinical subtypes of dementia can be recognised in adults with intellectual disability. Alzheimer’s dementia was the most common, with a prevalence of 8.6% (95% CI 5.2–13.0), almost three times greater than expected. Dementia is common in older adults with intellectual disability, but prevalence differs according to the diagnostic criteria used. This has implications for clinical practice.
Internal consistency and factor structure of personality disorders in a forensic intellectual disability sample
- Authors:
- LINDSAY William R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 32(2), June 2007, pp.134-142.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The publication of the DSM-III (American Psychiatric Association (APA), 1980) prompted a significant increase in interest and research on personality disorder (PD), and the concept has subsequently been incorporated into mental health legislation in the developed world. Despite this, such research on people with intellectual disability (ID) has been sporadic, with widely varying results. The present study addresses a number of criticisms directed at previous research. DSM-IV (APA, 2000) diagnoses of PD were made on 164 participants with ID on the basis of four independent sources of classification. Reliability data for each PD was acceptable and alpha was .74 or above, with the exception of schizotypal PD (.63). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted, with the former revealing a 4-factor solution accounting for 58.9% of the variance, and a 2-factor solution accounting for 37.2% of the variance emerging for the latter. The factors were orthogonal, and the first factor was named "avoidant/rumination/inhibited" and the second factor "acting out". The authors review these findings in relation to previous research on PD and alternative frameworks for the understanding of personality. It is hypothesised consistencies between these findings and previous work on personality and ID. A number of drawbacks to the research are discussed, including a caution on the pejorative nature of a diagnosis of PD in an already devalued population.
A family perspective of the value of a diagnosis for intellectual disability: experiences from a genetic research study
- Authors:
- STATHAM Helen, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39(1), March 2011, pp.46-56.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This paper centres on families where more than one male in a family has a learning disability, and examines possible genetic links. Currently, most professionals working in the field of intellectual disability are unconcerned with why someone has the impairment. Genetic aspects may be viewed as, at best irrelevant, but more often, potentially negative. However, where the intellectual disability may be inherited, there are implications for family members and the individual. The paper presents findings from a study of the experiences of families with many boys or men with intellectual disability who were participating in genetic research aimed at finding new causes of intellectual disability. One hundred and twenty members of 37 families were interviewed, and a framework analysis was employed to investigate the data. Overall, the family members were positive about participating in the genetic research, wanting an explanation for what was going on in their family and enabling other family members to have choices about reproduction. However, the authors concluded that the genetic research was unlikely to benefit individuals with learning disabilities.
Parents’ descriptions and experiences of young children recently diagnosed with intellectual disability
- Authors:
- BOSTROM P.K., BROBERG M., HWANG P.
- Journal article citation:
- Child: Care, Health and Development, 36(1), January 2010, pp.93-100.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Previous research has established that the intellectual disability of a child affects parents in both positive and negative ways. The aim of this study was to explore the variation of parents' descriptions and experiences of their child that was recently identified to have an intellectual disability. The study applied interpretative phenomenological analysis and analysis of narrative style looking at content and form of parental narratives. Data was collected from nine fathers and eight mothers through semi-structured interviews within 6 months following diagnosis. Analysis revealed three factors indicating the parents' level of processing: (1) emotional expressions regarding the child, varying between limited (distanced or idealised) and balanced/affectionate; (2) experience of the disability, varying between preoccupation and acceptance; and (3) time orientation, varying in terms of flexibility and temporal focus. Although parents of children with ID describe negative emotions in relation to the child and the disability, most of these parents also describe positive emotions that seemed to balance the negative experiences. Parents may require professional help in dealing with the difficulties related to uncertainties regarding the child’s diagnosis or prognosis.
Relationship between diagnostic criteria, depressive equivalents and diagnosis of depression among older adults with intellectual disability
- Authors:
- LANGLOIS L., MARTIN L.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 52(11), November 2008, pp.896-904.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study uses the interRAI ID assessment instrument to investigate the relationship between standard diagnostic criteria for depression, depressive equivalents and a diagnosis of depression among older and younger adults with ID in community and institutional settings in Ontario, Canada. Items in the interRAI ID assessment instrument that were representative of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition (DSM-IV) criteria and depressive equivalents were examined among persons with ID in institutional (census-level data) and in community-based (sample) residential settings. Bivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and a diagnosis of depression. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms among those who did not have a diagnosis of depression. The results indicate that DSM-IV diagnostic criteria and depressive equivalents were significantly related to a diagnosis of depression among older and younger adults with ID, and that both types of symptoms were exhibited by a non-trivial proportion of individuals without a diagnosis of depression. The depression rating scale embedded in the interRAI ID is helpful in identifying older adults at risk of depression. Contrary to other studies, few significant differences were found in depressive symptoms by age.
Breaking bad news of cancer to people with learning disabilities
- Author:
- McENHILL Linda S.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 36(3), September 2008, pp.157-164.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Since the 1970s, medical staff have routinely disclosed the diagnosis of cancer to their patients. However, this has often been carried out unskilfully causing distress to the patient and impairing their ability to comply with treatment. In response, the government has invested in 'Advanced Communication Skills training' for oncology staff. Despite the subsequent advances made in communicating with the general public, this article will show that a small-scale audit of people with learning disabilities demonstrated that often doctors do not communicate directly with people with learning disabilities about serious illness. It will also suggest that, the current 'breaking bad news' models do not meet the communication needs of people with learning disabilities. This article explores the findings of the audit and its implications for practice and ends by sign posting to useful resources for communicating the bad news of a life-threatening illness to people with learning disabilities.