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This paper reports on the first two years of the operation of an Interdisciplinary Review Committee managing the use of psychotropic medication in a training centre for people with intellectual disabilities in Victoria. For 25 clients receiving psychotropic medication in the management of challenging behaviour, daily doses of neuroleptic medication were reduced by an average of 43.9%. Across all psychotropic drugs administered as chemical restraint, daily doses were reduced by an average of 51.2%. Polypharmacy prevalence was reduced from 52.0% to 24.0%. Three of the clients were totally removed from all psychotropic medication with no deleterious outcome. None of the 25 clients had a net medication increase.

It is proposed that many people with intellectual disabilities are facing an extensive range of stressors through current shifts in models of service delivery. They are increasingly being encouraged to adapt to new open employment opportunities and new independent living schemes. Increasingly they are being expected to show independence, initiative and flexibility- to welcome and even demand change. Changes of such magnitude have long been associated with stress. This study describes the development and standardization of a stress scale which can be used by people with mild intellectual disabilities. The items were derived by people with disabilities from events in their lives which stressed them and the scale enables users to quantify the frequency and intensity of daily hassles and major life stressors currently bothering them. With such data may come power and control over the timing and nature of changes in their lives.

The collection of systematic data in the area of sexuality among people with intellectual disabilities has largely been ignored. This paper is concerned with evaluating the data that are available on the sexual knowledge, experience, feelings or needs of these people. The area of sexuality has assumed increased importance with the current emphasis on the relocation of people with intellectual disabilities into the community. If this transition is to enhance the quality of life of these people, there is a need for them to be informed on sexual and relationship issues. The data suggest that in fact they have very limited sexual knowledge and experience. Further, most current sex education programs focus on isolated aspects of sexuality, and these are generally areas which are seen to present potential problems in people's lives. There is an urgent need to obtain accurate information on the sexuality of people with intellectual disabilities across a broad range of areas. From this base it will then be possible to develop sex education programs which will address the needs of this population. The implementation of these programs will increase the chances of sexuality becoming a positive aspect of life, rather than being perceived as a problem.

The Victorian Government's Intellectually Disabled Persons' Services Act (1986) makes a number of provisions for service delivery to people with intellectual disabilities. Among these are the option for each client to have a General Service Plan (GSP). This paper describes an evaluation of the content of two samples of GSPs; one sample (N = 195) was associated with the work of the Community Living Support Service program, and the other (N = 39) with the work of the Intellectual Disability Review Panel. The results show that there is room for improvement in the quality of GSPs. Recommendations are made regarding an appropriate content of GSPs in order for them to serve their intended function as a service plan for an individual client.

The terms challenging behaviour and behaviour disorder have been used increasingly by administrators in Australia to draw attention to the issues raised by people of low intelligence who present persistent behaviour problems. As yet, there are no widely accepted measures of severity of behaviour disorder. This study examined whether degrees of severity of behaviour disorder can be measured objectively using a checklist of observable behaviours, in a way that is meaningful to both administrators and therapists. The study examined relations between scores on a Behaviour Disorder Scale and eight other measures of severity of challenging behaviours that have been used by administrators and therapists. It is concluded that scores on the Behaviour Disorder Scale are reliable and can be used in a meaningful way to identify people with intellectual disabilities who exhibit behavioural disorders with different degrees of severity.

As scientists we often delude ourselves that the major changes in services for people with intellectual disabilities are a direct result of our energies. A study of history will reveal that by far the most significant forces to influence service delivery have been those related to social movements, cultural phenomena, political and economic forces. Currently in many countries, including both those that are highly industrialized and those that are still in the process of industrialization; social movements, embracing the principles of integration, normalization, and least restrictive environments, are resulting in deinstitutionalization and community living and working programs. Despite the richness of the research literature in areas such as identification, prevention, assessment, education and training in community living and working programs, the commitment to contemporary social policies seems to have left a vacuum between the promise and the reality. This dilemma will be briefly explored in the context of Australian policies and practices for people with an intellectual disability.

Plans for a national demographic and services study of people born between 1890 and 1939 and categorized as mentally retarded or intellectually handicapped are outlined. So far 1347 persons have been located. The investigation has confirmed the importance of local case finding and an increase in numbers of at least ten per cent is expected. Results from interviews with 91 people in the provinces of Otago and Southland are reported. These indicate a wide range of skills and life experiences in the group. Implications for service planning are noted. The ability of older people with intellectual disabilities to participate in services planning is discussed.

This paper proposes that policy development in relation to services for people with intellectual disabilities is influenced by a number of factors. It is argued that research and empirical enquiry have played only a minor role in policy development and the possible reasons for the limited influence of social scientists are discussed. However, research has played a part in the monitoring of policy, ie in the implementation phase, and data are provided to illustrate the contribution that scientific enquiry has made to ensure that policies are achieving their objectives. The paper concludes with recommendations on the way in which a coordinated research program could make a greater contribution to policy development and policy monitoring in the future.