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Background: The issue of the views of neighbours of community-based residential supports for people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour has not been examined till date. This study looks at the views of neighbours of two types of community-based residential supports: non-congregate settings where the minority of residents have challenging behaviour; and congregate settings where the majority of residents have challenging behaviour. Materials and methods: A self-completion questionnaire was used to collect information on contact between neighbours, residents and staff, and the views of neighbours. Information was also collected by semi-structured interview with service staff on the characteristics of settings. Results: Sixty-four questionnaires were returned. Contact between neighbours and service users was limited for both types of setting, with two-thirds of neighbours not knowing any service users by name, and a third having had no active contact with service users. Neighbours of non-congregate settings were more likely to think that community care was a "good policy" (76%) than neighbours of congregate settings (53%) and to believe that there were benefits to the neighbourhood from having the group home in the area (46% versus 29%) but these differences were not significant. Contact with people with intellectual disabilities was associated with more positive attitudes to community care and specific characteristics of the settings. Conclusions: Contact between neighbours and people with severe intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour is limited. However, the majority of neighbours are positive about community care and the problems reported by neighbours are predominantly minor. The results point to the key role that contact plays in fostering positive attitudes. Findings regarding differences between congregate and non-congregate settings are limited by the small number of responses from neighbours of congregate settings.

Background: The aim of the present study was to identify factors associated with the level of psychological distress reported by family carers of children with intellectual disability living in a large urban conurbation. Method: Information was collected by postal questionnaire (or interview for family carers who did not have English as their first language) from the family carers of 408 children with intellectual disability (31% of all children within the area administratively identified as having an intellectual disability). Results: Results indicated that 47% of primary carers scored above the threshold for psychological distress on the GHQ and that scoring above the threshold was strongly related to the emotional and behavioural needs of the index child and South-Asian ethnicity and moderately associated with the severity of the child's delay in communication. Conclusions: The rates of psychological distress (47% overall, 70% among South-Asian carers) were markedly higher than that found in previous studies of carers supporting a child with intellectual disabilities. It is suggested that these elevated rates of psychological distress may be mediated by socio-economic deprivation.

A longitudinal matched-groups design was used to examine the quality and costs of community-based residential supports to people with mental retardation and challenging behavior. Two forms of provision were investigated: noncongregate settings, where the minority of residents had challenging behavior, and congregate settings, where the majority of residents had challenging behavior. Data were collected for 25 people in each setting. We collected information through interviewing service personnel in each type of setting on the costs of service provision, the nature of support provided, and the quality of life of residents. We also conducted observations in each setting. Results suggest that noncongregate residential supports may be more cost effective than congregate residential supports.

Information was collected on 63 adults with mental retardation in supported living residences, 55 in small group homes, and 152 in large group homes. Compared to small group homes, those in supported living residences had greater choice, participated in more community-based activities, and were considered at greater risk of exploitation. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

A study of 86 adults with mental retardation living in village communities, 133 in residential campuses, and 281 in dispersed housing schemes found dispersed housing had higher costs and had greater quality of care than did residential campuses. Quality of life benefits were associated with dispersed housing and village communities. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

The costs, nature, and benefits of residential supports were examined for 20 adults with severe disabilities living in newly built residential campuses and 20 adults living in small community-based dispersed housing schemes. Participants living in dispersed housing schemes enjoyed significantly greater quality of care and quality of life. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Background: Physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for mortality. Adults with intellectual disability are extremely inactive, but less is known about physical activity levels in children and youth with intellectual disability. This paper examines the participation by adolescents and young adults with and without mild to moderate intellectual disability in sport/exercise. Methods: Secondary analysis was undertaken of Next Steps, an annual panel study that followed a cohort from early adolescence into adulthood. Participants with mild to moderate intellectual disability were identified through data linkage with educational records. Results: Sport/exercise participation rates were consistently lower for adolescents and young people with mild to moderate intellectual disability than for their peers without intellectual disability. Matching participants on between-group differences in exposure to extraneous risk factors did not impact on these between-group differences in participation in sport/exercise. Conclusion: The results support limited existing evidence regarding the low level of participation of children and young people with intellectual disability in sport/exercise compared with their peers. Future work on promoting sport/exercise and physical activity in children and young people with intellectual disability may play a role in helping to reduce the health inequalities experienced by people with intellectual disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2008.00265.x Byline: JAMES McHALE (*), ELISABETH FIVAZ-DEPEURSINGE ([dagger]), SUSAN DICKSTEIN ([double dagger]), JANET ROBERTSON (s.), MATTHEW DALEY ([paragraph]) Keywords: Coparenting; Infants; Triangular Relationships Abstract: Infants appear to be active participants in complex interactional sequences with their parents far earlier than previously theorized. In this report, we document the capacity of 3-month-old infants to share attention with two partners (mothers and fathers) simultaneously, and trace links between this capacity and early family group-level dynamics. During comprehensive evaluations of the family's emergent coparenting alliance completed in 113 homes, we charted infants' eye gaze patterns during two different mother-father-infant assessment paradigms. Triangular capacities (operationalized as the frequency of rapid multishift gaze transitions between parents during interactions) were stable across interaction context. Infants exhibiting more advanced triangular capacities belonged to families showing evidence of better coparental adjustment. Theoretical and practice implications of these findings are discussed. Abstract (French) RESUMEN Los ninos parecen ser partipantes activos en secuencias de interaccion complejas con sus padres desde mucho antes de lo que se habia teorizado hasta el momento. En este informe documentamos la capacidad de los ninos de 3 meses de compartir atencion con dos personas (padre y madre) simultaneamente, y establecemos relaciones entre esta capacidad y las dinamicas familiares tempranas a nivel de grupo. Durante las evaluaciones globales realizadas en 113 hogares sobre la alianza de coparentalidad emergente en la familia, examinamos con atencion los patrones de fijacion de la mirada del nino durante dos paradigmas de evaluacion madre-padre-nino distintos. Las capacidades triangulares (operacionalizadas como la frecuencia de transiciones rapidas de mirada con cambio multiple entre padre y madre durante las interacciones) fueron estables en el contexto de la interaccion. Los ninos que demostraron mayores capacidades triangulares pertenecian a familias que evidenciaban muestras de mejor ajuste coparental. Se discuten las implicaciones teoricas y practicas de estos resultados.Palabras clave: coparentalidad, ninos, relaciones triangulares Author Affiliation: (*)University of South Florida, St. Petersburg ([dagger])University of Lausenne, Switzerland ([double dagger])Bradley Hospital, Brown University (s.)Antioch University, New England ([paragraph])University of Florida Article note: Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to James McHale, USF-St. Petersburg, Department of Psychology, Family Study Center, Bldg. One, 140 17th Avenue, S., Suite 100, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. E-mail: jmchale@stpt.usf.edu

People with intellectual disabilities die at much younger ages than the general population, with this gap in life expectancy greater for females than males. This study aimed to seek the views of international experts concerning evidence relating to gender and the premature deaths of people with intellectual disabilities, their views on priorities for future research, and recommendations for future research and policy. Twenty international experts on the health and/or mortality of people with intellectual disabilities were invited to complete an online questionnaire. The questionnaire was based on summary statements from a literature review on gender and premature death among people with intellectual disabilities compared to the general population. Summary statements included general topics such as mortality and specific major causes of death (e.g., cancer). For each summary statement, respondents rated on 5‐point scales: their agreement with the statement; the importance of the topic; and the adequacy of the evidence. Participants then indicated their top three priorities for future research, and gave recommendations for future research and policy. Eighteen (90% response rate) respondents from nine countries participated. There was consensus among respondents regarding the greater inequality in intellectual disability vs. general population mortality rates for women compared to men. Evidence was considered inadequate for most topics. Evidence on cause‐specific death rates was the most frequently mentioned main research priority, followed by age trends in mortality compared to the general population. Recommendations ranged from the need to use consistent methodology and case definition in future research, to the need for governments to be called to account on the issue. Further evidence on gender and mortality is urgently needed; an international consensus on recommendations for future research pertaining to gender and the premature deaths of people with intellectual disabilities would greatly assist the development of evidence‐based policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]