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Failure to detect deaf-blindness in a population of people with intellectual disability
- Authors:
- FELLINGER J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 53(10), October 2009, pp.874-881.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
It is suggested that deaf-blindness is often missed despite the importance of early intervention to ensure appropriate management. This survey was designed to discover the extent to which it is undiagnosed in people with intellectual disability (ID). Data was obtained for 224 residents of an institute in Upper Austria. Otoacoustic emissions were used to screen for hearing impairment; those who did not pass were assessed by behavioural audiometry. Visual acuity was assessed with one of the following; EH-Optotypes, LH-Optotypes, Teller Acuity Cards, Cardiff Acuity Cards or the Stycar Ball Vision Test. Prior to the study hearing impairment had been diagnosed in 12.5% of the 224 subjects, and visual impairment in 17%. At the end these figures rose to 46% and 38.4% respectively. Deaf-blindness was diagnosed in 3.6% of the subjects before, and in 21.4% after, the study. Most (87.5%) of the deaf-blind individuals had profound ID. Four categories of deaf-blindness are proposed, according to the severity of sensory impairment in each modality. The authors suggest that the non-invasive tests used in this study are appropriate for the special care needed when screening individuals with ID. They recommend early and periodic screening for visual and hearing impairment in these individuals.
The availability of normative data for the Developmental Behaviour Checklist for Adults
- Authors:
- MOHR Caroline, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 37(1), March 2012, pp.61-64.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The Developmental Behaviour Checklist (DBC) is a teacher and carer-completed screening checklist of emotional and behavioural disturbance which is available in several forms which cater for all age levels of people with intellectual disability and developmental disorders. An important component of checklist development is the provision of standardised normative data that can be used by clinicians, researchers, and service providers. The purpose of this article is to alert readers to the availability of new normative data for the adult version of the DBC (DBC-A). This data was obtained from the use of the DBC-A in a large-scale Australian study of emotional and behavioural disturbance. The population sample for this study comprised 1,538 adults aged 18 to 85 years of which 35.0% had mild intellectual disability, 29.5% had moderate intellectual disability, and 35.6% had severe intellectual disability. Normative data for the DBC-A is available for 3 age groups and 3 levels of intellectual disability. A condensed version of DBC-A normative data is presented in the article, and more detailed information can be obtained from the authors.
Health screening and developmental disabilities
- Authors:
- IACONO Teresa, SUTHERLAND Georgina
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 3(3), September 2006, pp.155-163.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Adults with developmental disabilities often experience health disparities when compared with the general population. The aim of this Australian study was to describe health screening activities involving a large group of adults and explore how factors, such as living arrangement, type and severity of disability, and age, influence reported rates of participation. The study involved administering surveys to adults with disabilities and their immediate support persons (parents, carers, and professional support workers) and asking whether adults had visited a general practitioner (GP) and what was their participation in preventive services during the previous 12-month period. Participation in preventive screening services ranged between 3% (screening for sexually transmitted infection) and 58% (screening for elevated blood pressure), and rates for certain services appeared low, particularly in comparison with equivalent screenings in the general population. Results showed a relationship between participation rates and living situation, type of disability, and age, but not severity of disability. The results suggest that higher rates of participation in preventative health activities among those enrolled in formal services may reflect a greater obligation or concern among paid workers and possibly a lack of awareness of health issues by families, and also that screening disparities may be attributed to GPs who may be applying guidelines from the general population but who are not aware of disability-specific issues when examining adults with disabilities.
Detecting and treating depression in people with mild intellectual disability: the views of key stakeholders
- Authors:
- McGILLIVRAY Jane A., McCABE Marita C.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 38(1), March 2010, pp.68-76.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
There is a pressing need for the development of programmes for the early identification and treatment of depression in individuals with mild intellectual disability. The aim of this study was to ascertain the perspective of 64 key stakeholders (people with intellectual disability, healthcare professionals, family/carers and support workers) regarding the risk factors and characteristics of depression, the support and service needs of individuals with intellectual disability/depression and those who care for them. Findings enhance our understanding of depression and its risk factors in people with mild intellectual disability and endorse the need for the development of screening and intervention programmes suitable for delivery by staff in agencies providing services to people with mild intellectual disability.
Development of the Nutrition and Swallowing Checklist, a screening tool for nutrition risk and swallowing risk in people with intellectual disability
- Author:
- STEWART Lyn
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 28(2), June 2003, pp.171-187.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Nutritional problems in this population group are generally under-recognised by carers and professionals alike. Dysphagia and its consequences, including nutritional consequences, are also poorly recognised. In 1997 the New SouthWales Department of Community Services decided to develop a systematic approach to improving recognition, assessment, and management of nutrition problems and of dysphagia in its clients with intellectual disability. One of the strategies of the project was to develop a screening tool to improve awareness by care staff of nutrition risks and swallowing risks in the clients for whom they care. The Nutrition and Swallowing Checklist encourages carer involvement in identifying these risks and an interdisciplinary approach to the assessment and management of nutrition and dysphagia. This paper reports on the need for the screening tool and the development process up to the point of introduction into services.