Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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Life skills for young adults with learning disabilities
- Author:
- DEREKA Maria
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 9(3), July 2004, pp.14-20.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Looks at the influence of normalisation on teachers' practice in Greek adult training centres and more specifically at curricula for young adults with learning disabilities. Examines whether the curriculum emphasises social and life skills through activities outside the learning environment, and the difficulties teachers face teaching these skills. Data were gathered through questionnaires and interviews with 44 teachers. Results suggest teachers avoid teaching life and social skills relating to activities outside the centre. Students visit mainly local shops and far fewer theatres, cinemas and public buildings, and in most such visits remain passive attendants without learning much in the way of life skills. Obstacles to teaching such skills outside centres are mainly lack of assistants, lack of time and lack of parental co-operation. It is difficult for teachers to reduce classroom teaching time and give students the opportunity to apply knowledge outside.
Progress in intellectual disabilities services in Greece: diagnostic, educational and vocational services
- Authors:
- TSIANTIS J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 10(2), June 2006, pp.99-104.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
This editorial describes the extent and progress of services for people with learning disabilities in Greece and focuses specifically on the areas of diagnostic services, education and employment, and making recommendations for prioritizing service developments for people with intellectual disabilities in order to promote equal treatment, social inclusion and quality of life of these people.
Young children's attitudes toward peers with intellectual disabilities: effect of the type of school
- Authors:
- GEORGIADI Maria, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 25(6), November 2012, pp.531-541.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream schools is now common practice in a variety of countries. Peer acceptance constitutes an important determinant of successful inclusion. The aim of this study was to explore typically developing children's attitudes towards peers with intellectual disabilities, with reference to the type of school they attended. The participants were 256 typically developing children aged 9–10. Approximately half (135) were in inclusive settings. The participants completed the Gash questionnaire on attitudes towards inclusion. They also drew a child with intellectual disabilities and commented on their drawings. The findings showed that typically developing children expressed overall neutral attitudes towards peers with intellectual disabilities. The type of school differentiated their attitudes, with children from inclusive settings being more positive towards peers with intellectual disabilities and choosing less negative adjectives to describe them than children from non-inclusive settings. Girls and students who expressed more positive social, emotional and overall attitudes towards students with intellectual disabilities chose more positive adjectives to describe a child with intellectual disabilities. It was also found that children from inclusive settings drew children with intellectual disabilities as more similar to a child with Down syndrome in comparison with children from non-inclusive settings.
Speed of naming in children with Williams and Down syndromes
- Authors:
- YPSILANTI Antonia, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 31(2), June 2006, pp.87-94.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Williams syndrome (WS) and Down syndrome (DS) are two neurodevelopmental genetically based disorders which exhibit mental retardation with a unique cognitive profile. Naming in individuals with WS and DS has been investigated in several studies, with results indicating that the performance of children with WS and DS is at a similar level and below mental age expectations on naming tasks. Speed of naming pictures, colours, numbers, letters and words was assessed in 8 individuals with WS, 10 individuals with DS, and 18 mental age controls. All stimuli were presented on a computer monitor and reaction times for naming were recorded. Our results indicated that speed of naming in children with DS and WS is not statistically different to that of mental age controls. However, error analysis in naming words and pictures revealed qualitative differences between the three groups. These results challenge the tenet of increased naming speed in children with WS compared to mental age controls. The findings are discussed in the light of current evidence concerning the linguistic abilities of children with neurodevelopmental disorders and those with typical development.
Prevalence and correlates of depression in late life: a population based study from a rural Greek town
- Authors:
- PAPADOPOULOS F. C., et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 20(4), April 2005, pp.350-357.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Depression in late life is common and has serious consequences on function, medical co-morbidity, quality of life, and use of medical services. The aim was to estimate the age- and gender-specific prevalence of depression among people over 60 years of age, and to examine correlates of depression, in particular the relationship between depression and cognitive impairment. From a total of 965 inhabitants, aged over 60 years, in Velestino, a rural town in central Greece, 608 were accessible and constituted the target population. During a five-month period in 2000, a trained health visitor interviewed all study participants. The interview covered socio-demographic characteristics, medical history, and administration of the 15-question Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and the Mini Mental Scale Examination instrument (MMSE). The prevalence of mild or more severe depression (GDS7) was 27%, while the prevalence of moderate to severe depression (GDS11) was 12%. Increasing age, female gender, lower education, and being currently unmarried were associated with higher risk of depression in univariate regression models, but these associations disappeared after controlling for cognitive function, except for the association with marital status. Cognitive impairment was strongly associated with increased risk for depression. The co-morbid presence of digestive, neurological and heart conditions was also associated with increased risk for depression, while cancer was not. In a rural Greek area, the prevalence of depression in late life is high. Depression was more common among unmarried individuals, those with significant cognitive impairment, and in association with specific medical conditions.
Consumer behaviour analysis and non-adoption of behavioural interventions: implications for managerial action
- Author:
- NTINAS Konstantinos M.
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 24(3), 2019, pp.101-107.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: Direct care staff may be resistant to the use of behavioural interventions. Whilst some research suggests that resistance to the cost of behavioural interventions is one factor of influence, there is lack of research exploring why staff are influenced by the cost. The purpose of this paper is to explore this issue. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, the phenomenon of resistance is analysed with the help of behavioural economics and of the behavioural perspective model (BPM). Findings: The resistance to the cost of behavioural interventions is correlated with the low quality of the working environment and ways in which staff might attend to factors which protect their own well-being. Practical implications: Services might need to focus on the ways in which behavioural interventions protect staff’s well-being. Originality/value: This paper explores the use of the BPM and of behavioural economics as conceptual tools for the analysis of the factors leading to non-adoption of behavioural interventions. (Edited publisher abstract)
Expectations of Greek parents about employment opportunities for their child with learning disabilities: implications for social workers
- Authors:
- ARONI Despoina, HEGARTY John, PHILALITHIS Anastas
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work Practice, 27(4), 2013, pp.357-373.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
A survey was carried out in Heraklion, Crete, to determine the expectations on employment of all parents who had a child with learning disabilities (LDs) between the age of 14 and 45 years, living with them and having participated in some educational or vocational programme for at least 1 year. From the 310 families, which fulfilled the criteria for admission in the current study, 176 families participated. The research method chosen was a structured interview. The results demonstrated that parents expected their LD child not to work or to work in a sheltered workshop whereas, ideally, most parents wanted some form of competitive employment for their children. The findings suggest that social workers and other professionals should inform parents more positively about the potential abilities of their children and emphasise the importance of a job for all parties involved. (Publisher abstract)
Comparing local and national service systems in social care Europe: framework and findings from the STEPS anti-discrimination learning disability project
- Authors:
- CAMBRIDGE Paul, ERNST Anne
- Journal article citation:
- European Journal of Social Work, 9(3), September 2006, pp.279-303.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This paper outlines the methodology and findings of a cross-national comparison of social care services for people with learning disabilities in Europe, developed from the EU funded STEPS anti-discrimination project. The comparative framework developed for the project is profiled and summary findings are organised into thematic dimensions. Wide variations in service organisation were evident, providing particular challenges for those involved in cross-national research or social work practice. Key variation was evident between local and national systems, the varying impact of generic and specialist community care and the degree of individualisation in services, with various structural, funding and policy barriers to integrated social work and ongoing de-institutionalisation evident. Development priorities for inclusive and anti-discriminatory practice included individual funding and planning, self-advocacy and user involvement in quality management.