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Direct support professionals and reversed integration of people with intellectual disabilities: impact of attitudes, perceived social norms, and meta-evaluations
- Authors:
- VENEMA Eleonora, OTTEN Sabine, VALSKAMP Carla
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 13(1), 2016, pp.41-49.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Direct support professionals (DSPs) play an important role in the process of integration of people with intellectual disabilities. Nevertheless, little is currently known about what determines the level of effort exerted by DSPs to enable the social integration of their clients. The aim of this study was to investigate three different psychological determinants (attitudes, social norms, and meta-evaluations) of the behavioural intentions of DSPs to facilitate the social integration of their clients. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 DSPs working in a setting of 'reversed integration,' as well as 25 family members and 25 neighbours. The DSPs’ perceived social norms and meta-evaluations of neighbours and family members were compared with their actual social norms and evaluations. The authors found that half of the DSPs interviewed were positive about integration, whereas the other half were negative or neutral. Concerning social norms, the DSPs expect neighbours to have neutral attitudes toward the integration of people with intellectual disabilities, while in reality the neighbours are very positive. More than half of the DSPs were uncertain about the family members’ opinions about integration. Asking the family members themselves, there was some variation in their attitudes toward integration. Regarding the meta-evaluation, DSPs had a realistic idea about how their work would be evaluated by family members and neighbours; both groups were positive. It is evident that this group of DSPs had an overly negative idea of neighbours' opinions about integration and contact with people with intellectual disabilities. Creating awareness of a supportive social norm in the neighbourhood could help and encourage DSPs to strive for social contact between their clients and neighbours. (Edited publisher abstract)
Safety first! The topic of safety in reversed integration of people with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- VENEMA Eleonora, VLASKAMP Carla, OTTEN Sabine
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 14(2), 2017, pp.146-153.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Physical integration is believed to be a precondition for social integration. One might expect that in so-called reversed integration, where people without intellectual disabilities (ID) actively choose to live next to people with ID, conditions for physical integration are more optimal, and social integration is enhanced. If this hypothesized benefit of reversed integration settings indeed holds, however, is yet unknown. Specific aims: The aim of the present study is to examine barriers for social integration of people with intellectual disabilities (ID). In this context, the present article focuses on the role of safety and safety concerns. Method: A semi structured interview was conducted with 28 direct support professionals (DSPs), 25 family members, and 25 neighbours, aimed at their attitude toward social integration in a reversed integration neighbourhood. Several topics were dealt with, like the neighbourhood and contact between people with ID and neighbours. There were no explicit questions about safety in the interview. Findings: The topic of safety was spontaneously mentioned 90 times by 26 DSPs, 15 times by 9 neighbours, and 36 times by 18 family members. Three main themes were found in the total group of statements touching upon the issue of safety: environmental aspects, client characteristics, and working conditions. The most often mentioned sub-themes were the openness of the neighbourhood and the traffic. Discussion: In reversed integration, safety is still a highly relevant topic and of great concern for the DSPs and the family members. DSPs are more concerned with controlling risks and keeping everybody safe than looking at the opportunities the new environment offers, like enhancing social integration. (Edited publisher abstract)