Suchergebnisse

Background  The use of physical restraints has generated immense controversy in the delivery of services to individuals with intellectual disabilities. The current zeitgeist is that effective positive approaches obviate the need for using physical restraints. In a multiple baseline design, we sought to assess how training staff members in mindfulness affected their use of physical restraints for aggressive and destructive behaviours of individuals with intellectual disabilities.Methods  Twenty‐three members of staff working in four group homes participated in a 12‐week mindfulness‐training programme. Objective data were collected on the number of incidents, staff observations of incidents, staff verbal redirections, restraints used, Stat medications administered, staff injuries and peer injuries. Data were collected during baseline, mindfulness training and mindfulness practice phases.Results  As mindfulness training progressed, the use of restraints decreased, with almost no use being recorded by the end of the study. Any use of physical restraints was correlated with new admissions and on‐call staff who had not received training in mindfulness. Stat medications administered also decreased and staff and peer injuries were close to zero levels during the latter stages of mindfulness practice.Conclusions  Data from this initial study suggest that staff training in mindfulness is potentially beneficial to both staff and the individuals with intellectual disabilities, particularly in reducing the use of physical restraints and Stat medication for aggressive and destructive behaviours.

This study evaluated a smartphone-based program to promote independent leisure and communication engagement in five participants with visual impairment and mild intellectual disability. A smartphone with Android 5.1 Operating System and S-Voice application, Internet connection, contacts unit, and media player was used. The smartphone was fitted with MP3 files of leisure events and the names and telephone numbers of selected communication partners. The participants were taught to use the smartphone (open the files and reach the partners) through specific verbal utterances. The results showed that all participants learned to use the smartphone. Their independent engagement times (leisure plus communication combined) increased from baseline values of zero to means of between about 75% and 85% of the session lengths. These results indicate that a smartphone-based program may support independent leisure and communication engagement in people with visual impairment and intellectual disability who possess verbal skills.

This study assessed the viability of using microswitch clusters (combinations of microswitches) plus contingent stimulation to promote adaptive responding and to reduce aberrant behavior in two children with multiple disabilities. The results revealed that both children increased their adaptive responses, learned to perform these responses free from aberrant behavior, and maintained this level of performance three months later.