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AbstractBackgroundUnderstanding the cognitive processes of individuals with intellectual disabilities in financially abusive situations is critical to develop effective prevention strategies.AimsThis study investigated how persons with intellectual disabilities define and analyse financially abusive situations, and how they would feel and act in situations that they consider abusive.Materials and MethodsTwelve participants with intellectual disabilities participated in a semi‐structured interview where they were asked to reflect on three vignettes illustrating financial abuse. We analysed the interviews using thematic analysis.FindingsThe findings revealed that individuals with intellectual disabilities considered the type of relationship between the victims and the perpetrators, the behavioural patterns of the perpetrators, and their own experiences when interpreting the situation. Furthermore, they discussed their emotional and behavioural reactions to the vignettes.ConclusionThis study has important implications in supporting the autonomy and decision‐making rights of persons with intellectual disabilities regarding their finances and developing effective preventions against financial abuse among this population.

AbstractBackgroundQualitative research using published court records to examine contextual factors that contribute to child protection decisions in cases involving parents with intellectual disabilities is limited, particularly during the COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodThe present study conducted qualitative content analysis on 10 published Ontario court cases to study child protection decision‐making between 2019 and 2021.ResultsThe findings corroborated previous literature with nine out of 10 cases resulting in loss of child custody. Four major themes emerged from content analysis: (1) Impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on cases; (2) Systemic barriers to accessibility; (3) Attitudes and bias toward parents with intellectual disabilities; and (4) Ultimate reliance on intellectual disability status for final custody decision.ConclusionsConducting content analysis on published court cases is useful in learning about accessibility barriers for parents with intellectual disabilities and may help in understanding the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the child protection system.

BackgroundThe purpose of this thematic synthesis was to review qualitative studies on perspectives of persons with intellectual disabilities regarding friendships and intimate relationships.Materials and methodsA literature search was conducted, including studies published between 2004 and 2014, involving participants 14 years of age or older, who had intellectual disabilities, and participated in focus groups or interviews.ResultsEighteen studies were included. Three master themes were identified: (i) How do I know someone is my friend? (ii) How do I know someone is my boyfriend or girlfriend? and (iii) What helps and hinders relationships?ConclusionsUnderstanding how people with intellectual disabilities describe relationships, and being aware of factors that support and impede relationships, will aid stakeholders in developing training, policies, programmes and services. Knowledge translation of research that focuses on strategies aimed at supporting relationships is crucial to affect change in applied settings and improve quality of life for persons with intellectual disabilities.

AbstractSocial inclusion is an explicit goal of legislation, policies, and supports for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in many countries. However, evidence outlining the dimensions of social inclusion is still limited. How we understand social inclusion defines how it is measured. This study aims to better understand the concept and indicators of social inclusion. Retrospective analyses were conducted on 1,341 adults with intellectual disabilities residing in institutional and community‐based settings who were assessed with the "interRAI Intellectual Disability" instrument. Objective and subjective items in the instrument related to five domains of social inclusion (i.e., relationships, leisure, productive activities, accommodations, and informal support). The results highlighted the heterogeneity within domains, and by the nature of the indicator. Overall, percentages varied between 3.0% and 96.4% depending on which indicator was used; variability also existed in rates achieved using objective and subjective indicators. Acceptable‐to‐good levels of internal consistency were reported for three of the five domains; low correlations were found to exist between some, but not all, domains. The results of this study demonstrate that without an understanding of what social inclusion means for both general and vulnerable populations, it is not clear what is being measured, or how it should be measured. A clear definition of inclusion and its measurement is needed for decision‐makers and service providers to define the nature of their responsibilities, set actions, and assess their effectiveness in achieving inclusion.

AbstractChoice in the job seeking process may lead to increased satisfaction with the chosen job, and improve attention, performance, and motivation. Consequently, providing opportunities to express choices and interests while planning vocational activities is a key factor in achieving employment outcomes. Despite their commitment to promoting choice‐making, service providers encounter important barriers to understanding the vocational interests of persons with intellectual disabilities who may have difficulty expressing their choices verbally. Methods of recording choices expressed through nonverbal means of communication are therefore needed. Such a method was designed and field‐tested. Interviews were conducted with participating job coaches to assess its practical value and provide recommendations pertinent to its implementation and dissemination. This step is crucial to the knowledge‐to‐action process since it tailors research findings to make them meaningful to daily practice. The authors present results relevant to improving choice‐making opportunities in the job seeking and planning process of persons with intellectual disabilities. The results demonstrate the need for training to enable support staff to embed choice‐making opportunities in the daily life of persons with intellectual disabilities.

AbstractBackgroundThis study explored the way families support self‐determination in young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) during life transitions.MethodQualitative case studies were conducted with two Canadian families who participated in semi‐structured interviews and ethnographic observations every quarter for one year. Analyses were informed by family systems theory and self‐determination theory.FindingsFamilies considered the needs and preferences of the young adults with IDD, suggesting individualized approaches for balancing independence and protection. Families set short‐term and long‐term goals for increased independence, scaffolded the learning of new skills and collaborated on important choices. Collaboration occurred to the extent that all family members perceived agency in planning and implementing transitions.ConclusionsFamilies supported the young adults with IDD in their psychological needs for competence, relatedness and autonomy, which allowed them to experience self‐determination. Findings have implications for supporting self‐determination and transition planning in the family system.

BackgroundPerson‐directed planning (PDP) is an approach to planning supports that aims to redistribute power from the service system to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and natural supports, improve relationships and build community. To do this, the right people with the right attitudes engaging in the right actions are needed. This paper examines how key elements in PDP contribute to successes in planning.Materials/MethodsResearchers worked with three planning teams from different community service agencies using participatory action research techniques (i.e. free list and pile sort, Socratic wheel, whys/hows exercise).ResultsMost key elements of PDP were relevant to each team. Perceptions of which had most contributed to planning successes differed.ConclusionsThe various elements of PDP are used by and useful to planning teams, although some may be more relevant to some successes than others because of specific goals, or the person's strengths and needs.

BackgroundEmployment provides an important avenue to social inclusion for most adults. A range of productivity options exist for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who wish to work, each offering unique challenges relative to inclusion.MethodsThis qualitative study examined the productivity experiences of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ontario, Canada. A purposive sample of 74 individuals with productivity experiences spanning the spectrum of no employment to community‐based jobs was selected from a pool of volunteers recruited through a mailed survey. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with individuals and family members. Interview transcripts were subjected to a team‐based analysis using grounded theory methods.ResultsVarying needs and interests exist in regard to work. Participants revealed a multitude of factors contributing to inclusion and exclusion through productivity.ConclusionsProductivity, whether paid or unpaid, can be an avenue to social inclusion. The experience of inclusion, particularly of belonging, depends on a successfully negotiated congruence between worker attributes and the social features and demands of the work environment.

AbstractBackgroundThere is a lack of information about cross‐sector service use by children with developmental disabilities despite their need for services from multiple sectors.MethodsResponses to service use questions from a parent‐completed survey on school‐aged children who attended clinics specific for those with developmental disabilities at a Canadian children's hospital were examined.ResultsSchool meetings were the most common of three professional meeting types attended in the last 12 months (64.9%) for the sample of 205 children. Recreational services were the most common of five service types received in the same time period (79.0%). Using ordinal logistic regression models, a higher number of behavioural difficulties was the only variable consistently related to indices of more meeting types (school, physician, other) attended and more service types received (recreation, respite, etc.).ConclusionsThe service relationship with behavioural problems, and not socio‐demographic variables, is consistent with a needs‐based oriented delivery system.

Background  To aid decision making regarding the allocation of limited resources, information is needed on the perceived unmet needs of parents of school‐aged children with an autism spectrum disorder.Materials and Methods  A cross‐sectional survey was conducted of 101 Canadian families of school‐aged children with an autism spectrum disorder.Results  Commonly reported unmet needs were for social activities for the child (78.2%), information about services (77.2%) and continuous service provision (74.3%).Conclusions  This study provides insight into needs which have not been met by the service system. Information about the unmet needs of children with an autism spectrum disorder and their families may help policy makers and service providers to develop resources and services that are responsive to their client group.

AbstractIndividuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience high rates of social and health disadvantage. Planning effective services that meet the needs of this vulnerable population requires good population‐based data that are collected on a routine, ongoing basis. However, in most jurisdictions, none of the commonly available data (e.g., health or disability benefits administrative data) completely captures the IDD population. To more accurately identify persons with IDD in a population, one solution is to link data across multiple sources. To do this, the authors report on an effort to create a linked database to identify a cohort of adults, aged 18–64, with IDD in Ontario and use these data to examine how the linkage can help study health and healthcare access. The linked dataset was created using four health and one disability income support databases. Standardized differences were used to compare sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the IDD cohorts identified through the health, disability income support, and linked datasets. Indirect estimation was used to evaluate which IDD subgroups might be over‐ or underestimated if only a single source of data was available. The linked database identified a cohort of 66,484 adults with IDD (0.78% prevalence). The health and disability income support data each uniquely identified approximately a third of the cohort. Health data were more likely to identify younger adults (18–24 years), those with psychiatric illnesses, and hospitalized individuals. The disability income support data were more likely to identify adults aged 35–54 and those living in lower income neighborhoods. By linking multiple databases, the authors were able to identify a much larger cohort of individuals with IDD than if they had used a single data source. It also enabled the creation of a more accurate sociodemographic and clinical profile of this population as each source captured different segments of it.