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This paper presents quantitative and qualitative findings from an interdisciplinary research project exploring student teachers' positive perceptions of people on the autism spectrum. The set of findings reported in this paper asked 704 student teachers from one university in England (n = 191), Finland (n = 251) and Sweden (n = 262) to write down the first three words they thought of to identify the characteristics of people on the autism spectrum. Data was analysed using a multi-layered, deductive co-rated coding approach. Through this approach repeated words were extracted as were negative and undetermined words, leaving only positive words. Examination of the positive words identified found differences in the manner student teachers focus on the positive characteristics of people on the autism spectrum as this is an understudied area of research. Finnish student teachers more frequently used language to describe the positive characteristics of people on the autism spectrum that reflected their perception of learning being their primary professional role. However, English and Swedish student teachers used language that showed they perceived their role as encompassing the social and emotional development of their pupils, with little reflection about the positive characteristics of people on the autism spectrum as learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dysfunctional cognitive and reasoning biases which underpin psychotic symptoms are likely to present prior to the onset of a diagnosable disorder and should therefore be detectable along the psychosis continuum in individuals with schizotypal traits. Two reasoning biases, Bias Against Disconfirmatory Evidence (BADE) and Jumping to Conclusions (JTC), describe how information is selected and weighed under conditions of uncertainty during decision making. It is likely that states such as elevated stress exacerbates JTC and BADE in individuals with high schizotypal traits vulnerable to displaying these information gathering styles. Therefore, we evaluated whether stress and schizotypy interacted to predict these reasoning biases using separate samples from the US (JTC) and England (BADE). Generally speaking, schizotypal traits and stress were not independently associated with dysfunctional reasoning biases. However, across both studies, the interaction between schizotypy traits and stress significantly predicted reasoning biases such that increased stress was associated with increased reasoning biases, but only for individuals low in schizotypal traits. These patterns were observed for positive schizotypal traits (in both samples), for negative traits (in the England sample only), but not for disorganization traits. For both samples, our findings suggest that the presence of states such as stress is associated with, though not necessarily dysfunctional, reasoning biases in individuals with low schizotypy. These reasoning biases seemed, in some ways, relatively immutable to stress in individuals endorsing high levels of positive schizotypal traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to share findings from the evaluation of dementia adventure (DA) holidays provided in 2016 and drawing on these data, to share reflections on positive risk-taking, which are inherent in outdoor activities, and consider the implications for research and practice with people with dementia.Design/methodology/approach Data are drawn from the 2016 internal evaluation report, using mixed methods design, of DA holidays independently reviewed by Dr Ruth Bartlett at the University of Southampton.Findings DA holidays are leading to a range of social, emotional and physical well-being outcomes, as well as wider benefits for the community of people with dementia, their family and carers.Practical implications Drawing on what positive risk-taking means for individuals, families and organisations, top ten considerations for positive risk taking outdoor activities are presented.Originality/value The number of organisations providing adventure experiences and holidays for people with dementia in the UK remains very low with just a handful of organisations. The impact and evaluation of these holidays is just emerging and whilst compelling needs replication, with larger sample sizes supported by clinical and scientific expertise to deepen our understanding of the impact of positive risk-taking outdoor activities. Additionally, there is a need for thinking and acting differently summarised by the phrase “THINK OUTSIDE” in developing a wide range of nature based positive risk-taking activities with people with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary European youth justice practice, notably in England and Wales, fosters retrospective, risk-focused and reductionist views of children. Enforced, inequitable, prescriptive and adult-led youth justice relationships adulterise children and responsibilise them fully for their offending behaviour, disengaging them from constructive youth justice interventions. This article sets out and evidences an alternative model of youth justice: Children First, Offenders Second ( CFOS). The CFOS model offers a whole child, preventative and diversionary approach that normalises offending by children and promotes strengths and positive behaviour. The model is grounded in the principles of child-friendly, child-appropriate and legitimate practice as a means of engaging children with youth justice services and interventions. Evidence of how these key principles have been animated in local practice is provided and implications for engagement in the youth justice context are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]