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Although many barriers remain to the employment of people with disabilities, public transportation can play a key role for integration and retention of people with disabilities in employment. However, research is needed to better understand how public transportation influences access to work for people with disabilities. This study aims to identify public transportation-related barriers and facilitators to the employment of people living with disabilities. A scoping review approach was adopted, with a keyword search through six databases. Studies' characteristics, transportation barriers, and facilitators to employment of people with disabilities were extracted from the selected articles. The results were presented descriptively and narratively. In total, 74 studies were included. Barriers and facilitators were grouped under four themes: (1) public transportation, (2) employment, (3) personal factors, and (4) social network. This review highlights the key role of public transportation in accessing and maintaining employment for people with disabilities. It also reveals gaps in the literature and a need to investigate the issue through the lens of employers, public transportation services, and social environmental facilitators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children with a developmental disability often engage in challenging behaviour, which may require that parents implement behavioural assessments and interventions. The purpose of our pilot study was to examine the effects of an interactive web training (IWT) to teach behavioural function identification and intervention selection to parents. Method: Twenty-six parents of children with a developmental disability responded to function identification and intervention selection tasks on clinical vignettes before and following IWT. We also measured social validity and the duration of training. Results: Our results show that parents were more accurate in the identification of behavioural function and selected more adequate interventions following IWT. On average, parents spent less than 2.5 h to complete IWT and rated it positively. Conclusions: The IWT appears to be a viable tool to teach parents about function-based intervention, but additional research is needed to examine whether it translates to changes in parental practices and child behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability among men. This syndrome is frequently underdiagnosed in adults. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a French translation of the screening checklist Fragiele-X screeningslijst. Method: The validation sample for the translated checklist included 22 pairs of men between the ages of 18 and 52, matched by age and degree of intellectual impairment. Results: The translated checklist achieved coefficients of 0.92 for internal consistency, 0.90 for test-retest reliability and 0.65 for inter-rater reliability. These psychometric properties are commensurate with those of the original checklist. Conclusion: Therefore, the translated checklist developed in this study can be considered a valid screening instrument for the detection of FXS in men with intellectual disabilities. Abbreviations: FXS: fragile X syndrome; FMR1: fragile X mental retardation 1 (gene) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decades, interactions between health professionals have mostly been discussed in the context of interprofessional teamwork where professionals work closely together and share a team identity. Comparatively, little work has been done to explore interactions that occur between professionals in contexts where traditionally formal structures have been less supporting the implementation of interprofessional teamwork, such as in the private healthcare sector. The objective of this study was to identify private sector physiotherapists’ perceptions of interprofessional and intraprofessional work regarding interventions for adults with low back pain. This was a cross-sectional survey of 327 randomly-selected physiotherapists. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. A majority of physiotherapists reported positive effects of interprofessional work for their clients, themselves and their workplaces. Proximity of physiotherapists with other professionals, clinical workloads, and client’s financial situation were perceived as important factors influencing the implementation of interprofessional work. Low back pain is a highly prevalent and disabling condition. The results of this study indicate that integrating interprofessional work in the management of low back pain in the private sector is warranted. Furthermore, the implementation of interprofessional work is viewed by practicing physiotherapists as dependent upon certain client-, professional- and organizational-level factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To face the increasing prevalence of diabetes in Switzerland, a cantonal programme has been implemented. One of its goals is to promote collaborative approaches among healthcare professionals (HCPs). The objectives of the current study were to examine HCPs’ perceptions about the collaboration they experience in diabetes care and to determine whether perceptions differed among professional groups. A mixed-methods study was conducted. First, a total of 332 HCPs comprising diabetes specialists and non-specialists participated by completing a questionnaire on interprofessional collaboration. Focus groups were then led in order to deepen the understanding and complement the interpretation of quantitative results. Quantitative results showed a perception of a moderate level of collaboration. Mean scores for specialists were systematically worse than those of non-specialists and more prominently in the “level of conflict dimension,” which means that specialists generally perceived a lower level of collaboration and a higher level of possible conflict associated with it. Qualitative results highlighted the vagueness in role definition and emphasised a form of reluctance by general physicians to collaborate with specialists, as the physicians felt that they were losing their responsibilities. The findings suggest that it is not the need to collaborate that encourages HCPs involved in collaborative schemes to desire or to know how to successfully initiate, promote, or conduct interprofessional collaboration. This study highlights the important perceptions about collaboration that could be taken into account when planning future collaborative programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Over the past few decades, considerable research has focused on the risk and protective factors associated with aggressive behavior among adults with intellectual disability (ID). The primary objective of this study was to examine the factors underlying the association between victimization history (sexual or physical) and risk for aggressive behavior among adults with ID. To do so, 215 adults with mild or moderate ID living in the community and receiving services from specialized ID agencies were recruited. Through interviews, primary case managers completed measures assessing aggressive behavior and potential mental health problems. Victimization history was assessed through a review of participants' charts and interviews with the primary case manager. Consistent with previous research, we found a significant association between victimization history and aggressive behavior. Mental health problems mediated this association. More specifically, results showed that symptoms of psychosis and personality disorders, but not symptoms of depression, mediated the association between victimization history and outward aggressive behavior. The discussion addresses cognitive and emotional factors that might contribute to the association between victimization history, mental health problems and aggressive behavior among adults with ID. Clinical implications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that attitudes of typically developing children towards intellectual disability (ID) play an important role in the social integration and acceptance of children with IDs. To date, however, few studies have investigated children's attitudes towards ID. The primary objective of this study was to examine the cognitive, affective, and behavioural components of children's attitudes towards ID. Thirtynine (14 boys, 25 girls) fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school students participated in the study. Seven focus groups were created in five different schools. Results suggested that inaccurate beliefs and negative emotions regarding ID may contribute to social and school integration problems experienced by children with IDs. The findings of the present study could be useful for the development of education and awareness programs that promote the development of more positive attitudes towards ID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Changing Directions, Changing Lives, the Mental Health Strategy for Canada, prioritizes the development of coordinated continuums of care in mental health that will bridge the gap in services for Inuit populations. Objective. In order to target ways of improving the services provided in these contexts to individuals in Nunavik with depression or anxiety disorders, this research examines delays and disruptions in the continuum of care and clinical, individual and organizational characteristics possibly associated with their occurrences. Design. A total of 155 episodes of care involving a common mental disorder (CMD), incident or recurring, were documented using the clinical records of 79 frontline health and social services (FHSSs) users, aged 14 years and older, living in a community in Nunavik. Each episode of care was divided into 7 stages: (a) detection; (b) assessment; (c) intervention; (d) planning the first follow-up visit; (e) implementation of the first follow-up visit; (f) planning a second follow-up visit; (g) implementation of the second follow-up visit. Sequential analysis of these stages established delays for each one and helped identify when breaks occurred in the continuum of care. Logistic and linear regression analysis determined whether clinical, individual or organizational characteristics influenced the breaks and delays. Results. More than half (62%) the episodes of care were interrupted before the second follow-up. These breaks mostly occurred when planning and completing the first follow-up visit. Episodes of care were more likely to end early when they involved anxiety disorders or symptoms, limited FHSS teams and individuals over 21 years of age. The median delay for the first follow-up visit (30 days) exceeded guideline recommendations significantly (1-2 weeks). Conclusion. Clinical primary care approaches for CMDs in Nunavik are currently more reactive than preventive. This suggests that recovery services for those affected are suboptimal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory study examined relationships between support needs assessed with the French version of the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS; Thompson et al., 2004) and challenging behaviors as assessed with the Scales of Independent Behavior--Revised (Bruininks, Woodcock, Weatherman, & Hill, 1996). The Sample included 191 persons between 16 and 75 year old, with either a mild or moderate intellectual disability. Using correlation and inferential analysis, it was found overall that high frequency in challenging behaviors was related to a need for greater support intensity, particularly social support, and maintenance of emotional well-being. The findings highlighted the importance of establishing specific support measures that target social skills, receptive and expressive communication, and the management of stress and anger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]