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Activities of people with moderate to severe learning difficulties: living with purpose or just killing time
- Authors:
- JAHODA Andrew, CATTERMOLE Martin
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Society, 10(2), June 1995, pp.203-219.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Intensive observational methods were used to examine the daily flow of activity of people with moderate to severe learning difficulties living in long-stay hospital, and people living in community based hostels. This covered the participants' full working day and included weekend observations. The qualitative finding demonstrated how the participants played an active part in determining their own lifestyles. A number of more active hospital participants dealt with unstimulating functional regime by attempting to create a social niche for themselves. A number of less active participants coped with the hospital environment by withdrawing into themselves and engaging in stereotypical behaviour to make the passing of time. While the hostels provided a more homely and supportive environment, the participants tended to occupy a peripheral status as the least able people in the hostels and day centres. Consequently, they often had to seek staff support for activity or turned inwards. The quantitative findings followed a similar pattern of results to previous research in this area.