Assistive technology assessment and planning for children with multiple disabilities in educational settings

A number of critical elements have been identified in assistive technology assessment and planning to optimise its integration into the educational environments of children and hence address their functional goals. These elements are as follows: adopting a collaborative think-tank team approach to which all educational team members contribute equally and where technology experts are consulted once the need for specific technical support or training is identified; involving the family by establishing mutual expectations and using effective communication strategies; and conducting in-depth assessment that identifies clear goals, includes task analysis within daily environments, examines the child-device interaction closely and investigates the resources available to implement assistive technology use. With this backdrop, this paper reviews existing assessments and proposes that the Lifespace Access Profile (LAP) (Williams et al 1993) and Lifespace Access Profile (Upper Extension) (LAPUE) (Williams et al 1994) satisfy many of the criteria for effective assessment and planning advocated in the literature

Rehabilitation priorities for individuals with Prader-Willi Syndrome

Item does not contain fulltextPurpose - To identify rehabilitation priorities that parents have for their children, including their adult-aged children, with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) and to determine the relation between these priorities and the child's levels of adaptive behaviour functioning. Methods - Parents involved in organisations related to PWS were invited to complete an online survey. The survey listed 54 skills/behaviours (e.g. toileting, expresses wants and needs and tantrums) representing 10 adaptive functioning domains (e. g. self-care, communication and problem behaviour). Parents rated their child's current level of ability/performance with respect to each skill/behaviour and indicated the extent to which training/treatment was a priority. Results - Fifty-eight surveys were completed during the 4-month data collection period. Parents identified nine high-priority skills/behaviours from five different adaptive functioning domains. For most domains, parent priorities showed a significant linear relation to the children's adaptive behaviour deficits, in that priorities reflected areas where the child had the greatest deficits and the most problematic behaviours. Conclusion - Rehabilitation professionals should focus on the eating issues that arise in PWS and identify the adaptive functioning deficits of these individuals because such deficits are high-priority areas for parents

parenting support

Of all the potentially modifiable environmental risk and protective factors that can meaningfully influence children’s development, none is more important than the quality of parenting children receive. The influence of parenting on children’s development is pervasive, affecting aspects as diverse as the child’s cognition, language, emotion regulation, social skills, peer relationships, and physical and mental health. This chapter explores the challenges faced by families raising a child with an intellectual disability to provide the context and a rationale for the provision of parenting support to parents and carers of children with an intellectual disability. A brief history of parent support in the disability field is provided before a range of contemporary evidence-based parenting support programs are reviewed. There is considerable evidence supporting the efficacy and effectiveness of parenting interventions based on social learning theory principles; however, these interventions reach too few families. An argument for an all of population approach to parenting support for families with a child who has a disability is presented. A model for what a population approach might look like is described, along with evidence to show that such an approach is both feasible and effective. Challenges in implementing population approach and future directions for the field are provided