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Parental perceptions of the use of coercive measures on children with developmental disabilities
- Authors:
- SALOVIITA Timo, PRITTIMAA Raija, KONTU Elina
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 29(1), 2016, pp.11-20.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Children with developmental disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviour are potentially subject to the use of coercive interventions. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of the use of coercive measures by authorities, according to parents’ reports. Materials and Methods: A postal survey was distributed, as a total population study, to 946 Finnish parents of children with developmental disabilities, between the ages of 5 and 15, and who were entitled to the highest disability allowance. Results: Of the respondents, 54 (22%) answered ‘yes’ when asked whether their child had been subjected to coercive procedures by authorities. The parents had seldom approved the use of coercive means and often believed that such means had negative effects on their child. Conclusions: To protect the children's rights, the use of coercive measures should be regulated more strictly, and positive intervention strategies should be taught to teachers and nurses. (Publisher abstract)
Teaching methods and curriculum models used in Finland in the education of students diagnosed with having severe/profound intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- KONTU Elina K., PIRTTIMAA Raija A.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 38(3), September 2010, pp.175-179.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
It was only in 1997 that children diagnosed as having severe/profound intellectual disabilities were allowed to attend and study in Finnish comprehensive schools. Teaching is mainly organised in segregated special education groups. The nationwide intensive developmental work for creating a curriculum for this group of students began in the 1980s. The aim of this study was to discover what types of curriculum models and which teaching methods are currently in use. Questionnaires were sent to all Finnish special education teachers working with children diagnosed as having severe/profound intellectual disabilities in Finnish comprehensive schools. Completed questionnaires were returned by 93 teachers in 66 schools. These teachers reported that they had a total of 419 students between the ages of 6 and 16. The findings of this survey indicated that the most widely used principle for planning teaching directed at this group of students is based on normal psychological development of a young child. Of all teaching methods used, the most popular ones were categorised as sensory and environmental enrichment and stimulation. Another large group of teaching methods was discovered to be based on behaviour analysis.