DISABILITY

Disability

Table of Content

Introduction3

Method6

Design6

Sample7

The intervention8

Outcome measures10

Health measures10

Safety measures12

Standardized assessments12

Data analysis14

Results15

Conclusion18

Recommendations19

References21

Disability

Introduction

Families headed by parents with intellectual disability (mental retardation) are among the most vulnerable in the community. Successive studies internationally report rates of child removal in the range of 40-60% (e.g., [Accardo & Whitman, 1990 and Booth & Booth, 1995]; [McConnell et al., 2000]; [Mirfin-Veitch et al., 1999]; [Pixa-Kettner, 1998]). Poverty and social isolation are among the adversities that threaten the health, safety and well-being of these parents and their children ( [Dowdney & Skuse, 1993]; [Tymchuk et al., 2001]). Parents with intellectual disability must also contend with multiple service agencies that have few structures in place to provide effective cross-service responses and, when working in isolation, are poorly equipped to meet the parents ' special learning needs ( [Llewellyn et al., 1997]; [McConnell et al., 1997]; [Tymchuk, 1999]).

Internationally researchers have reported major difficulties for health, welfare and education systems in meeting the special learning needs of parents with intellectual disability (e.g., [Tymchuk et al., 1999]). Many service providers report they lack the necessary skills, training and confidence to work effectively with these parents ( [Llewellyn et al., 1998]; [Llewellyn et al., 1999]; [McConnell et al., 1997]). This shortfall in system and practitioner expertise is exacerbated by the pessimism that prevails about the ability of these parents to learn and overcome parenting deficiencies. This pessimism, particularly evident in the care jurisdiction where there is an imperative to predict future parenting capacity (for a review see [McConnell & Llewellyn, 2000]), endures despite two decades of research demonstrating that parents with intellectual disability can and do learn, apply new knowledge and maintain new skills ( [Budd & Greenspan, 1985, Feldman, 1994, Tymchuk, 1990 and Tymchuk & Feldman, 1991]).

[Feldman, 1994] identified several essential elements in his review of effective parenting programs for parents with intellectual disability. These elements include that wherever possible teaching and learning needs to take place in situ so that the parent can learn and practice the skills in the situation where these will be used. The instructional techniques must ensure as concrete and practical as possible delivery of material in a systematic sequence. The education process must also incorporate modelling along with the more usual forms of demonstration and verbal instruction. Parents need many opportunities to observe others, to practice the required skills and receive feedback on their performance along with frequent and regular positive reinforcement to maintain interest, motivation and learning. For many parents periodic maintenance-training sessions may be required particularly if circumstances change or a different application of already mastered skills is required ([Berger et al., 1994]; [Dowdney & Skuse, 1993, Feldman, 1994, McGaw, 2000 and Tymchuk & Feldman, 1991]).

For parents with younger children, in situ generally demands that instruction takes place in the family home. Home-based interventions for vulnerable families have demonstrated good outcomes on measures such as enhancing child development and modifying parental behaviour across several continents, for example, the work of Olds and others in North America ([Kendrick et ...