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Background: Staff member's views and attitudes can have a significant impact on people with an intellectual disability. This study explores staff attitudes and experiences of people with an intellectual disability's expression of relationships and sexuality across service providers in Ireland., Methods: Staff (n = 86) from service providers (n = 5) completed the Attitudes to Sexuality Questionnaire-Individuals with an Intellectual Disability (ASQ-ID) and open-ended questions., Results: Multidirectional significant differences were noted on staff attitudes to sexuality based on demographic factors, that is, age, education, as well as non-demographics, for example, attendance at training, and active practising of religion. Qualitatively, three themes emerged: "Unsupported and Frustration"; "Taboo Subject Matter" and "Vulnerability and Access to Education". Staff reported a lack of service supports, dominant conservative cultures and people with an intellectual disability's vulnerability., Conclusion: This study highlights the need for improved service practices and enhanced provisions for staff and the people with an intellectual disability that they support., (© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Aquatics is an under-researched but possibly appropriate form of activity for people with severe to profound intellectual disabilities (SPIDs)., Aim: The current pilot study investigates the suitability of an aquatics programme for service users with SPIDs., Method: Four service users with SPID completed an 8-12-session aquatics programme. Front-line staff ( N = 6) were interviewed after the programme to explore its suitability. A thematic analysis of the interviews was utilized., Results: The thematic analysis unearthed main themes of effects, facilitators, barriers, strengths and needs., Conclusion: Aquatics can be an appropriate and beneficial form of physical activity for people with SPIDs, but there are many barriers to participation. Tailored programmes are required. Further investigation of the experiences of people with SPIDs in relation to physical activity is recommended.

Background: Staff member's views and attitudes can have a significant impact on people with an intellectual disability. This study explores staff attitudes and experiences of people with an intellectual disability's expression of relationships and sexuality across service providers in Ireland. Methods: Staff (n = 86) from service providers (n = 5) completed the Attitudes to Sexuality Questionnaire-Individuals with an Intellectual Disability (ASQ-ID) and open-ended questions. Results: Multidirectional significant differences were noted on staff attitudes to sexuality based on demographic factors, that is, age, education, as well as non-demographics, for example, attendance at training, and active practising of religion. Qualitatively, three themes emerged: "Unsupported and Frustration"; "Taboo Subject Matter" and "Vulnerability and Access to Education". Staff reported a lack of service supports, dominant conservative cultures and people with an intellectual disability's vulnerability. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for improved service practices and enhanced provisions for staff and the people with an intellectual disability that they support.

To help maintain the right of children with an intellectual disability to grow up in their family home, this study explored Romanian mothers' experiences of overcoming the many challenges to the provision of care to assure a high quality of life for their child. Studied were mothers' experiences upon being told by a professional that their child had a disability and of their experiences of caring for their children at home in the context of Romanian disability legislation and contact with local Disability Commissions. The data, obtained via an exploratory qualitative study, were based upon eight interviews with mothers of children with disabilities carried out with the assistance of a bilingual interpreter. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Two themes of 'uncertainty' and 'disempowering bureaucracy' were parsed from mothers' various experiences. Due to various sociocultural barriers and unclear communication, mothers experienced uncertainty surrounding the diagnosis of their child's condition. In light of this uncertainty and the ambivalent attitudes of professionals, mothers experienced disempowering bureaucracy while striving to meet the annual requirements of their local Disability Commission. The study revealed gaps in the disclosure process of an intellectual disability that lead to uncertainty among the mothers toward professionals. The disempowering bureaucracy connected to the local Disability Commission impeded mothers access to community support and contributed toward a lack of understanding of the needs of their child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors conducted a study to address gaps in the literature regarding parents' experiences of the transition of their child from special education to postschool mainstream services. Specifically, this study sought to explore the nature, factors, and psychological impact of their child's transition to post-school services. To achieve these aims, a qualitative, grounded theory approach was employed in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with a small sample of parents of children with mild intellectual disability living in the southern region of Ireland. The results indicated that the transition process was generally experienced as stressful, uncertain, and problematic, particularly in terms of the bureaucratic aspects. The experiential shift from school to vocational training and employment emerged as the most salient in parents' perceptions. Parents also identified a range of factors that served as barriers and supports of the transition process, in which the role of the parent emerged as a key facilitative factor. The findings suggest that considerable gaps remain between policy and service provision in Ireland regarding transition planning and postschool services for young adults with intellectual disabilities and their families, often posing barriers to successful transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]