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Background: Shared housing for adults with intellectual disabilities with staff support, is a common housing model internationally. We explored an overlooked aspect of group homes, namely the extent to which they enable a sense of 'feeling at home' for residents. Method: A diverse group of 19 housemates participated in a photovoice study. Participants took photos in their homes and discussed them in individual interviews and in groups. Data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Residents' experience of home was multi-dimensional. 'Feeling at home' related to home as a site of identity cultivation (personal home); physical comfort or 'misfitting' (physical home) and home as the locus of key relationships (social home). Conclusion: Achieving a sense of 'feeling at home' requires engagement in practices of home-making. Many of our participants required support from staff to engage in these practices. For some housemates their experience of home was conditional and precarious.

Background: Previous research identifies organisational culture as one of a number of factors associated with the quality of life outcomes of group home residents' with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This study aims to elaborate on the dimensions of group home culture in settings in England. Method: Participant observations and semi-structured interviews with staff were carried out in two group homes. Field-notes, interview notes and transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis by a researcher naïve to the project and the previous literature. Initial coding was re-examined after sensitisation to theorised models in previous literature to identify the most parsimonious fit. The two settings were rated and compared using a five-point Likert scale for each of the dimensions. Results: The findings describe group home culture across seven dimensions. There were mixed ratings across the different dimensions reflecting inconsistencies in culture that were reflected in staff practice. The challenge in assigning a global rating of culture in group homes, which includes interactions across multiple staff and multiple residents over time, was highlighted. Conclusion: The development of an observational measure of culture is highlighted as potentially helpful in understanding and responding to culture in services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Background: People with intellectual disabilities living in group homes often have complex health needs, are high health service users and need support from their service provider to access health services. In Australia, little is known about the types and amounts of these supports. Methods: A case study was conducted on a large Western Australian disability provider of group homes to 160 people with intellectual disability. Over an 18-month period, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, the study quantified health service use in hospital- and community-based settings, ways by which the person was supported to access health care and the impact on other people supported by the provider. Economic costs of supporting access to health services were estimated. Findings: Overall, the disability provider supported 160 people in accessing health services an average of 23 times each (n = 3617, median = 20, interquartile range = 10-33) over the 18 months. Support included staff attending with the person (96%), following up with guardian/decision-maker (50%), additional resourcing via overtime or staff backfills (6%) and transport (94%). The average cost of supporting one health visit was estimated at $78.51 AUD (2021). Impact on the person's household included loss of opportunity for housemates (30%), reduced supervision within the home (79%) and longer timeframes to complete care needs (32%). The impact of COVID-19 restrictions saw a reduction in allied and mental health service use that did not return to prepandemic levels following the cessation of restrictions. Primary care, specialist, outpatient, pathology and emergency service use was also lower in the postrestriction period compared to the prepandemic period. Conclusions: For people living in group homes, the disability provider plays an essential role in supporting health service access, primarily through the provision of support staff and transport. The change in health service utilisation following the COVID-19 restriction period indicates that altered health system priorities can potentially exacerbate access inequality for people with intellectual disability.

Staff in 24/7 group housing services for adults with intellectual disability are responsible for ensuring safe medication management processes and supporting the residents in their health-related issues. Ten interviewed nurses reported several challenges in the medication management process emerging at the staff level, the level of the group home, and the level of the social and healthcare system, and were often related to issues in communication and responsibility. They reported a variety of complex tasks in the medication management process, for which they need a multiple skill set. They also act as healthcare advocates for residents, but healthcare services do not always match residents' needs. Training for social and healthcare professionals, access to healthcare services and the collaboration of social and healthcare services should be improved to provide the people with intellectual disability the best possible pharmacotherapy and healthcare.

Sheltered work and leisure activities were locked down in at the Signo centre in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Signo centre is a Norwegian national centre for adults with multiple, complex needs, including severe sensory loss/impairments. Tension and uncertainty rapidly spread among relatives and workers. To explore the impacts of the pandemic on residents, 24 adults living in Signo Vivo answered a semi-structured interview together with their primary worker. Additionally, reports on staff injuries and PRN medication between April and Aug of 2020 were compared to the period before the lockdown. The reports from the interviews included fewer stressful events for the participants, more rest and sleep, more time spent in their own apartments, and more time with smaller groups of workers. The reports on staff injuries and PRN medication showed decreased occurrence.

Background: People with intellectual disabilities may experience frailty earlier than the general population. This scoping review aimed to investigate how frailty is defined, assessed, and managed in adults with an intellectual disability; factors associated with frailty; and the potential impact of COVID-19 on frailty identification and management. Method: Databases were searched from January 2016 to July 2023 for studies that investigated frailty in individuals with intellectual disabilities. Results: Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. Frailty prevalence varied between 9% and 84%. Greater severity of intellectual disability, presence of Down syndrome, older age, polypharmacy, and group home living were associated with frailty. Multiagency working, trusted relationships and provision of evidence-based information may all be beneficial in frailty management. Conclusion: Frailty is common for people with intellectual disabilities and is best identified with measures specifically designed for this population. Future research should evaluate interventions to manage frailty and improve lives.

Background: This study explores the perceptions of supported accommodation staff and their managers of the support needs of residents ageing with intellectual disabilities, and their experiences of adjusting services for this group in the context of individualised funding. Method: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 21 staff working in Australian supported accommodation services. Findings: Four themes emerged. The first captured the staff's limited understanding of ageing and the medicalisation of support needs. The second identified staff practices and adjustments to service provision to facilitate residents' healthy ageing. The third described staff commitment to facilitating ageing residents to age in place, and the fourth identified staff challenges and opportunities in supporting ageing residents in the context of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Conclusions: Findings may inform the development of practice guidelines and training for supported accommodation staff, protocols for intersections between disability, aged care and health sectors, and adequate policy responses to support older residents' healthy ageing.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, both the Gosford Training School for Boys in New South Wales and the Westbrook Farm Home for Boys in Queensland were well-established institutions. Both were state-run facilities that ostensibly existed to incarcerate, educate and reform boys convicted of criminal offences. Gosford and Westbrook had total responsibility for the boys under their care during their periods of incarceration. They were responsible not just for the formal education of the boys within them, but also for ensuring that those boys learned how to become good citizens and valuable members of their future communities. This article focuses on how institutional and government authorities communicated and displayed techniques of reformative learning. It examines how this learning was displayed to local communities, arguing that the work of demonstrating that the boys were learning to be good citizens was an important part of institutional governance.

The quality of meal-oriented support for people with intellectual disabilities is important for their health. The aim of the present study was to explore the experiences of meal-oriented support and diet counselling for adults with intellectual disabilities living in supported housing, from the perspective of housing staff and mothers. Five focus group interviews, including nine supporting staff members and nine mothers, were conducted. The interviews were analyzed using systematic text condensation. Five themes appeared; Extensive needs of the individual, Staff skills determine the food intake, Informal caregivers make up for shortage of support, Effective collaboration with a registered dietitian is needed and Responsibility of the organization state that professionalization of staff is needed. Lacking resources, such as time and nutritional knowledge, insufficient considerations of individual needs, and high staff turnover influence the meal-orientated services negatively. This study brings to the fore, staff working practices and the complexity of providing meal-oriented support for people with intellectual disabilities. Staff need skills to perform individually tailored support. This is best accomplished through effective collaboration between housing staff and relatives underpinned by knowledge from a registered dietitian. The working practices must be structured at the organizational level of the services.

Background: Shared Lives (adult placement) is a model of community-based support where an adult who needs support and/or accommodation moves into or regularly visits the home of an approved Shared Lives carer. It is an established but small-scale service used mainly by adults with learning disabilities. However, little research has been conducted about whether and in what ways this model can support people to live well. Method: This article presents findings from outcome measures focused on well-being for a sample of 39 people supported by Shared Lives in England. Fifteen semistructured interviews were also conducted by peer/coresearchers to supplement the quantitative data. Data collection took place between June 2017 and September 2018. Findings: Findings indicated that people using Shared Lives generally had good outcomes across all of the measures. All of those interviewed identified areas of their life where Shared Lives had made a positive difference, particularly with relationships and activities. Conclusions: Limitations to the research mean that more work is needed to fully understand the role Shared Lives plays in supporting people to live well and in comparison to other forms of community support.

Background: Deinstitutionalisation refers to the transition of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities from large institutions to smaller homes in the community. The purpose of this study was to explore how family members of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities perceived their loved ones' community transition process. Method: Eight family members of persons with severe or profound intellectual and developmental disabilities formerly residing at the complex care facility of St.Amant participated in semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically using an iterative inductive process and constant comparative method. Results: Three main themes emerged from the family members' accounts of their loved ones' community transitions process: 1) families' initial reactions, 2) strengths, and 3) challenges. Conclusions: Initial reactions of family members to learning about the community transitions process were varied. Family members' perspectives inform deinstitutionalisation efforts by highlighting facilitators such as adequate involvement, and barriers such as, unanticipated delays, to the community transitions process.

Background: People with intellectual disabilities are less physically active and suffer from ill-health more than the general population. Support staff play an important role in the person's life. This study aimed to explore the support staff's experiences regarding the feasibility of adapted web-based exercise for people with intellectual disabilities. Method: Participants with intellectual disabilities living in community-based settings were recruited for a web-based exercise study. Eight semi-structured interviews were carried out with their support staff before and after the intervention period. Results: The main theme, 'Support staff are crucial for feasibility' encompasses the importance of communication, structure, and motivation in improving physical activity for people with intellectual disabilities. Conclusion: The experiences of support staff, indicate that a web-based exercise program is feasible for the target group, and one way to overcome challenges for PA, where the role of the staff is crucial.

We designed and distributed a survey that assessed safety concerns experienced by direct service providers (DSPs) (N = 59) of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in community-based group homes at a single human services organization. Results indicated relatively few safety concerns among the respondents from a list of 25 survey statements. Possible influences on the findings are presented such as safety training of the DSPs, comprehensive safety guidelines in place at the group homes, and conditions occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. Current safety research in IDD supports the necessity of assessment to inform prevention and intervention strategies.

In this article we describe the retrospective perceptions of vulnerable young adults on the psychosocial support they had been exposed to when they were in school. Qualitative data were collected through individual interviews, collages and a focus group discussion with 5 young adults (2 females and 3 males aged from 20 to 23) who resided at a foster home in Johannesburg. Thematic data analysis identified distinct psychological and social experiences which impacted on their ability to function independently as adults. The psychological experiences highlighted their sense of vulnerability, a lack of identity, emotional pain, and the need for career and guidance counselling. Their social experiences were characterised by social isolation and a lack of social skills. Adopting Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, we discuss what psychosocial support should be provided at schools so that vulnerable children could have a better life.

The risk of delinquent to antisocial behaviors among youth (teenagers) seem to be more prevalent in group homes than other foster homes. The aim of this study was to examine the association between negative peer influence and youth antisocial behaviors in group homes. Participants were 875 youth aged 10 to 17 at baseline (2010-2011). Logistic regression modeled antisocial behavior and tested the hypothesis that negative peer influence will predict youth antisocial behaviors cross sectionally at baseline and longitudinally after 3-year follow up, and negative peer influence will be moderated by group home size. The Ontario Looking after Children database was used for analysis. Findings indicate that negative peer influence predicts youths' risk of antisocial behavior (at baseline). The risk increased almost five folds in 3 years. At baseline (OR = 1.65) and (OR = 4.90) after 3 years. Generally, findings suggest negative peer influence underscores youth antisocial behaviors in group homes.

Background: Deinstitutionalization research shows better services and outcomes relative to institutional life but has not compared formerly institutionalised and never-institutionalised service users. Methods: We used propensity score matching (PSM) to match formerly institutionalised and never-institutionalised participants on six personal characteristics. Data came from the 2018 to 2019 National Core Indicators In-Person Survey. We excluded current institution residents, and states with 25% + of missing data on former institutionalisation. Results: Overall, 15.5% of participants in the 29-state full sample had lived in an institution for 1 year or more. Findings from the PSM sample showed that former-institution residents were more likely to use congregate living arrangements and less likely to live with family. They experienced more loneliness, less support-related choice, and had a consistent pattern of disability service-focused social connections. Conclusions: Many former institution residents remain disadvantaged relative to matched peers. There is a need to identify factors to enhance services and outcomes following deinstitutionalization.

Objective: Youth who receive services in residential programs have high rates of traumatic exposure and associated symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Little information is available on specific social skills training that could be beneficial for youth in residential programs with PTSD. This study examined changes in behavioral incidents and psychopathology in youth receiving group home services based on training they received across three categories of social skills (i.e., self-advocacy, emotional regulation, problem-solving). Method: The sample included archival data on youth (N = 677) ages 10-18 years (M = 15.7 years, SD = 1.53). Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to examine the frequency of disruptive and self-injurious behaviors over 12 months as it relates to reported traumatic symptoms at admission and the presence of the three types of social skills objectives. Analysis of Covariance was conducted to test whether the social skill objectives differentially predicted changes in youth psychopathology from intake to discharge for youth with low and high trauma symptoms. Results: Youth with high trauma symptoms who received training on problem-solving skills had significantly greater decrease in emotional problems from intake to discharge compared to youth with high trauma symptoms who did not receive problem-solving training (d = -0.54). Conclusion: Problem-solving training could be further developed and tested to maximize the support youth with trauma symptoms receive in trauma-informed residential programs.

The tacit practical knowledge of psychologists and support staff to foster a real connection between support staff and people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour was explored. Therefore, six dyads comprising individuals with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour and their support staff were video recorded during joint engagement in an activity. To tap into the implicit knowledge of professionals about when staff have 'a real connection' with a person with an intellectual disability, 10 psychologists and 10 support staff were asked to pinpoint these moments in the pre-recorded video compilation. They also shared their interpretations about what they considered to be a real connection. The results displayed that participants designated real connections as occurring when they noticed concrete interactions taking place. Based on thematic analysis of the data, four themes were identified that encapsulated what professionals deemed to be a real connection. In conclusion: joint engagement in an activity appears to be a context that fosters opportunities for real connection. Furthermore, support staff should adopt a sensitive attitude and create a safe atmosphere, to establish real connections.

Faded bedtime has been evaluated as a behavioral intervention for delayed sleep-onset principally with children and youth who have intellectual and developmental disabilities in hospital and home settings. The present case report describes behavioral assessment and faded bedtime intervention in a 21-year old adult man with autism spectrum disorder at a community-based group home. The study also documented the effects of family home visits on the man's sleep when he returned to the group home. Compared to a pre-intervention (baseline) phase, faded bedtime was associated with increased intervals of recorded sleep and a decrease in sleep-onset latency over several months of implementation. We discuss clinical implications of the case and generality of findings across populations and settings.

Background: Organisational culture in group homes for people with intellectual disabilities has been identified as an influence on service delivery and staff behaviour. The aim was to examine patterns of culture across group homes in disability organisations. Method: The Group Home Culture Scale (GHCS) was used to measure staff perceptions of culture. Data were available from 260 staff who worked across 58 group homes managed by eight organisations. Using scatterplots and measures of dispersion, the scores on the seven GHCS subscales were examined for patterns of integrated (i.e., similarities) and differentiated (i.e., variability) culture within the organisations. Results: Patterns of differentiated culture were found in six organisations for one or more GHCS subscales. Patterns of integrated culture were found in three organisations for one subscale. In two organisations, patterns of both integrated and differentiated culture were found. Conclusions: The findings contribute to the conceptualisation of and research into organisational culture in group homes, with implications for changing and maintaining culture.

In 2020 the Centers for Disease Control provided the public with recommendations to slow the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a mask in the community. In the current study, experimenters coached group home staff via telehealth to implement synchronous schedules of reinforcement to increase mask wearing for 5 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Results showed the intervention effectively increased mask wearing for all participants for up to 30 min. Additionally, some participants for whom we assessed generalization of mask wearing demonstrated generalization to various community environments. Furthermore, procedural integrity data suggested staff could be coached via telehealth to implement the intervention, and staff surveys suggested the procedures and coaching were socially valid.

Background: The multi-disciplinarity of long-term care for people with intellectual disabilities makes organisations seek stability and predictability, complicating implementing innovations. Interventions to implement a method for reducing restrictive measures were analysed through the lens of Normalisation Process Theory to understand the social mechanisms at play. Methods: Process notes, collected during a trial in which a method to reduce restrictive measures was implemented, were analysed guided by implementation interventions defined by Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Review Group. These interventions were mapped to social mechanisms of Normalisation Process Theory. Results: Implementation interventions were widely used in which clients' perspectives were expressed (client-related-interventions), and consensus processes were held with care professionals. These interventions initiated NPT's social mechanisms' Coherence, Cognitive Participation and Collective Action. Conclusions: The emphasis on consensus and clients' perspectives when methodically reducing restrictive measures reflects some unique implementation challenges in long-term intellectual disability care.

This article is a critical interpretive study of residential group homes as school preparatory environments for children and youth in their care. Utilizing social pedagogic analytics, the paper analyzes the role of residential group homes in the education of the children and youth under their care. Evidence gathered in this study suggests that residential child and youth care staff does not play the expected in loco parentis roles as expected of all care givers by Canadian Family Law. Against the established view that there are healthy and conducive home environments that enhance school learning, group home environment is assessed. Building upon narratives from child care workers, observations of group homes and analysis of documents, the main conclusion derived from this study is that it is high time that child and youth care workers give equal attention to safety concerns for and educational progress of the children and youth in their care.

Background: Wider communication about death and dying for those with intellectual disabilities has been highlighted as being of key importance. Objective: To gain the perspective of paid carers based in residential homes about meaningfully supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities in the bereavement process. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with paid carers working across two residential homes. Results: Four themes were identified: (a) challenges in having conversations about death and dying; (b) meaningful involvement of residents in the bereavement process; (c) the relationship between paid carers and residents (including the impact of a resident's death on paid carers); and (d) the support needs of paid carers. Conclusions: The recommendations from previous research of meaningfully involving people with intellectual disabilities in the bereavement process have not filtered fully into practice. Paid carers still highlight the need for specialist support and advice to help them discuss and increase involvement in death and dying.

Previous studies suggest that family members of people with intellectual disabilities prefer them to move to supervised living arrangements such as group homes. In Ireland, personalised arrangements are emerging, but families have had little exposure to this option. In this qualitative study, we explored the perspectives of family members following their relative's move to personalised support options, mostly from group homes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2011 with a family member of 17 people who had previously moved, with follow-up interviews held with 12 of them up to 18 months later. Thematic analysis on interview transcripts was conducted by three researchers. The family members spoke favourably of the new arrangements. A core theme of enabled independence emerged with subthemes of greater self-reliance in personal care, increased confidence, more social inclusion and gains for relatives. Reservations focussed on the need for more support hours, managing risk and loneliness.

Many persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at risk for injury and physical harm due to unsafe environmental conditions. The present study addressed safety practices among care providers responsible for preventing access to hazardous materials among residential students living in two group homes. In a multiple baseline across settings design, the care providers were first exposed to visual cues intended to prompt access-prevention followed by visual cuing combined with graphic feedback. Care providers in one of the group homes demonstrated a high level of safety practices during baseline which continued throughout both intervention phases. In the second group home, a lower level of safety practices in baseline increased during the visual cuing intervention and remained stable with the addition of graphic feedback. The study demonstrates the contribution of behavioral assessment and intervention toward training and performance management of safety practices by residential care providers.

This study examines differences in domains of quality of life (satisfaction; choice and control; dignity, respect, and rights; inclusion; physical setting; family satisfaction) among people with intellectual disability and varying levels of support needs in a variety of residence types. The sample includes 2,639 people with intellectual disability living in Pennsylvania and supported by the state's intellectual disability/autism agency. Overall, results indicate enhanced quality of life outcomes for people living in lifesharing, their own home, and with a relative, in contrast to those living in group homes or private intermediate care facilities. Furthermore, results suggest the critical need for equitable opportunities for community-based inclusive residential options for people with all levels of support needs. This study highlights the importance of authentic community living and the need to continue efforts to promote community living options for people with intellectual disability to experience full social, educational, and emotional inclusion.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommended that direct support professionals (DSPs) take additional steps to protect people with disabilities during COVID-19 and receive training on the use of personal protective equipment and infection prevention. The Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing identified this as an unmet need and created an online asynchronous course for DSPs on infection prevention and use of personal protective equipment to reduce transmission of COVID-19 among individuals with disabilities and DSPs. Constructivism, experiential learning theory, and active learning theory guided content development. The course used games to break-up dense information into more manageable chunks as a means to increase learner engagement and motivation. The course was delivered on a dynamic Learning Management System to allow for a variety of content authoring tools to be utilized. After evaluation, the course was disseminated to DSPs. Future directions include a broader infection protection course for DSPs, without a direct focus on COVID-19.

This article describes an exploratory study of deaths of people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) that had occurred in group homes managed by an ID service provider in Australasia. Such settings are increasingly recognised as places for both living and dying. Little is known about the extent to which they encounter the death of a person with ID and with what outcomes. Data were obtained from service records and telephone interviews on 66 deaths occurring within a 2-year period. The findings suggest that death is an important but relatively rare event within ID services. This rate of death was influenced by the age structure of the population. Most of the deaths occurred within a hospital setting. Cause of death did not have much impact upon place of death. However, setting characteristics seemed to have some influence. As an exploratory study, lessons for future population-based research in this area are addressed.

This study examined the effects of a 9-week auditory intervention on the auditory skills of five children with hearing loss who experienced prolonged auditory deprivation before receiving hearing aids. A single-case multiple baseline design across participants was used to examine the effect of the intervention on the children's auditory skills using a weekly probe. The analyses showed a moderate to high intervention effect for three out of five participants. Children demonstrated gains in detection, discrimination, and identification, and Participant 5 also showed gains in sentence comprehension. Findings provide preliminary support for offering auditory intervention to children with hearing loss who are late identified and aided in the presence of residual hearing.

Background: Adults with intellectual disabilities living in residential houses have a high prevalence of obesity which is related to poor dietary habits. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess supporting staff`s thoughts and experiences on factors influencing their opportunities to promote a healthy diet in adults with intellectual disabilities. Methods: 13 supporting staff members were recruited from 11 different residential houses in a community. Concept Mapping methodology was used, including group interviews, sorting, rating statement and analysing the results. Results: Seven clusters most accurately captured the ideas of the supporting staff`. 'Attitudes', 'Facilitating a healthy diet', 'Practical cooking skills' and 'Applied dietary knowledge' were the four most important. Conclusions: Multiple factors influence the opportunities of supporting staff to promote a healthy diet. A holistic approach addressing all relevant factors is necessary when developing interventions to address this complex issue in persons with intellectual disabilities.

Participation is the goal of Swedish disability policy, but it is difficult to achieve for adults with profound intellectual (and multiple) disabilities (PI(M)D). Since these adults are dependent on others in every aspect of their lives, others control their ability to participate in everyday life decisions. This study used observations, analyzed with Shier's ladder of participation, to elucidate and describe participation in daily life for adults with PI(M)D living in a group home. The results showed that the adults often reached the first three levels of Shier's ladder, one adult reached the fourth level once, and no one reached the fifth level. Participation on a higher level, therefore, seems hard to reach for adults. Staff members' attitudes toward the adults' capability can also be a barrier to participation. Applying Shier's ladder of participation can provide valuable information that might lead to increased participation in daily life for adults with PI(M)D.

The course of 187 individuals ages 3-21 years with Autistic Disorder was traced through a period of 20 years (enrollment: 1995-1998, follow up: 2014-2019). Specific genetic and environmental causes were identified in only a minority. Intellectual disability coexisted in 84%. Few became independent with 99% living at home with relatives, in disability group homes or in residential facilities. Seven individuals (3.7%) attained postsecondary education, two receiving baccalaureate degrees, two receiving associate degrees, and three receiving certificates from college disability programs. It may be anticipated that the long term outcome for individuals currently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will be substantially better than for individuals with Autistic Disorder in this cohort.

As a consequence of long-lasting experiences of communicative and social deprivation and exclusion, adults who are deaf and have intellectual disabilities must be considered a high-risk group for the development of mental health problems. A therapeutic living community model with special emphasis on social communication development that has been implemented at three different sites in Austria is described. Through the development of the therapeutic living communities and subsequent observations, an approach is suggested to understand the mediating role of signed language and social communication skills in mental health outcomes for those with such mental health risk factors. The model requires further empirical verification.

Background: It is mandatory for staff in Swedish community services for people with intellectual disabilities to report incidents of error or malpractice. Aim The aim is to study if incident reports contribute to developing quality in services for people with intellectual disabilities who present with challenging behaviours. Method: 159 reports on incidents from group homes and daily activities services were accessed and analysed using narrative thematic analysis. Results: Most reports concerned altercations between service users. Analysis focused mainly on the immediate incident and attributes of service users. Amendments were not (obviously) aligned with causes, and neither sufficiently addressed structural shortcomings. Restrictive measures were described, but changes in practices were not mentioned. Reports including Self-injurious behaviour (SIB) were conspicuously absent. Conclusion: Reports are handled in a seemingly perfunctory manner, without any development. Quality development relying on staff reports and front-line managers' investigations requires support based on values rather than on the legal framework.

The aim of the article is to provide new insights into the lives of severely intellectually disabled children who are living in Norwegian small group homes. The research question is designed to address how these children, who have limited verbal language, initiate communication in order to participate in everyday life in an institutional setting. The main research method was participant observation within three residential units. Eleven children and young people participated alongside the caring staff. The author identifies and discusses four modes of communication, three of them initiated by the children in relation to the institutional residential context: communicative environment, collaborative conversations, communicative rituals, and bodily expressions laden with meaning. The analysis is framed in the context of a monologue-dialogue dichotomy. The findings indicate that in many ways the children appear to act beyond their anticipated limited cognitive capabilities through their communicative work. However, to achieve their communicative potential, the children are dependent on the staff's communicative behaviour and responses, as well as the institutional frames.

Background: Research has shown that there is variability in quality of life (QOL) outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities who live in group homes. The aim was to examine dimensions of group home culture as predictors of QOL outcomes. Method: The Group Home Culture Scale (GHCS) was used to measure staff perceptions of culture in 23 group homes. QOL data were available from 98 people with intellectual disabilities. Multilevel modelling was used to examine the associations between the GHCS subscales and four QOL-dependent variables. Results: Of the GHCS subscales, Effective Team Leadership and Alignment of Staff with Organizational Values significantly predicted residents' engagement in activities. Supporting Well-Being significantly predicted residents' community involvement. None of the GHCS subscales significantly predicted domestic participation and choice making. Conclusions: The findings suggest that strategies to improve Effective Team Leadership and Supporting Well-Being dimensions of culture may contribute to enhancing certain QOL outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate critical independent living skills for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who live in the community and common reasons individuals lose their residential placement. Participants included residential specialists from 26 states who worked at small group homes and supported apartments. A paper-based survey was mailed to 1000 randomly selected residential specialists using a proportional stratified sampling procedure; 280 completed surveys were used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics, chi square analyses, and a content analysis procedure were used to analyze the findings. The majority of residential specialists rated 13 skills as critical. Significant differences in perceptions of critical skills emerged based on type of residence (i.e., group home, supported apartment). The most common reasons reported for losing a residential placement were behavior concerns and medical issues.

Direct support professionals (DSPs) provide a broad range of supports in a variety of settings to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) that enables people to live, work, and participate in their communities. Despite the crucial importance in ensuring supports for community participation of people with IDD, high rates of annual turnover among DSPs in organizations that employ them have been documented for decades. This study utilizes National Core Indicators Staff Stability data from 2016 to examine the impact of organizational- and state- level factors related to DSP turnover, including annual DSP turnover and the percentage of DSPs who left their positions after less than 6 months. At the organizational level, a higher turnover rate in the last 12 months was significantly related to lower DSP wages and to not offering health insurance. At the state level, a higher turnover rate in the last 12 months was significantly related to a lower percentage of people living in individualized settings and lower per capita Medicaid spending. For early turnover at the organizational level, a higher percent of leavers within 6 months of tenure was significantly related to not offering paid time off and health insurance, higher vacancy rates, higher proportion of part-time DSPs, and lower overall staff sizes.

Background: Organizational culture in group homes for people with intellectual disabilities has been identified as influencing staff behaviour and residents' quality of life (QOL). Despite this influence, culture has been under-researched, with no published and validated instrument to measure its dimensions in group homes. The aim was to develop such a measure. Method: The Group Home Culture Scale (GHCS) was developed using a theory-driven approach. Items were generated from the research literature, which were reviewed by experts and tested in cognitive interviews. Data from 343 front-line staff were used for exploratory factor analysis. Results: The content and face validity of the GHCS were found to be acceptable. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the GHCS measured seven dimensions of group home culture. Cronbach's alpha for the dimensions ranged from 0.81 to 0.92. Conclusions: The GHCS has potential use in research to determine whether dimensions of group home culture predict the quality of staff support and residents' QOL.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognises the right to independent living. Given the lack of studies carried out in Spain, the aim of this research is to explore the barriers and supports that people with intellectual disability (ID) themselves believe affect their exercising of this right. To this end, an in-depth individual interview was designed and administered to 22 people with ID following various personal pathways. Thematic data analysis was conducted. According to the results, people with ID have highlighted the barriers and supports in different areas of their lives that affect their opportunities to exercise control over their lives, live and participate in ordinary and inclusive spaces within the community. In conclusion, this study helps to identify areas for improvement that are key to exercise the right to independent living.

A high proportion of adults with intellectual disability (ID) who live in supported accommodation (i.e. group homes) engage in challenging behaviours (CB). A lack of engagement in meaningful activity, social isolation, communication difficulties, and boredom can be triggers for challenging behaviour. There is a small body of literature on staff/resident interactions in the context of challenging behaviour but even less research has addressed resident-to-resident interactions. Specific Aims: This study aims to examine the types of interactions in which residents of shared accommodation settings engage, with whom; and explore staff's understanding of residents' needs, communication abilities, and relationships. Method: Observations of interactions with 12 residents who were identified as having challenging behaviours were conducted using momentary time sampling. Direct care staff who supported the residents were also interviewed. Findings: Residents were infrequently engaged in activity or interactions and where these did occur, they were primarily with staff rather than with co-residents. Discussion: Staff play an important role in supporting and facilitating people with ID and CB to expand their social interactions and engagement in meaningful activity, which can have a significant impact on the occurrences of challenging behaviour. The implications for practice in shared accommodation sites are discussed.

Background: People with Intellectual Disability (ID) in Sweden should be enabled to "live like others." This "life like others" is realised in group homes that have little in common with the typical home. Method: A reading of Appiah's "As if" is used to discuss how people with ID are supported in Sweden. Current national data are presented within the framework of idealisation, the use of (useful) untruths to navigate a complex context. Results: Small group homes should allow people with ID to communicate their preferences and exert real influence over how support is provided. Instead, times of budget austerity require the efficient use of resources in ever larger settings, where normalisation of deviance is prevalent. Conclusions: Although the stated aim is that people with ID "live like others," the idealisation is rather that they live "as if" they "live like others." This is generally not discussed, possibly due to de-differentiation.

Objectives: Caring for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be gratifying as well as stressful. Professional staff employed as caregivers often report compromised mental and physical wellbeing due to the stressful nature of working with clients who exhibit aggressive and destructive behaviors. Prolonged work-related stress results in diminished quality of life for the caregivers. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the comparative effects of three programs--mindfulness program, psychoeducational program, and inservice training-as-usual--on the quality of life of professional caregivers who provide services to adolescent and adult clients with ID and ASD. Methods: Professional caregivers (N = 216) were randomized into three experimental conditions, and trained in mindfulness, psychoeducation, and inservice training-as-usual. The effects of the training on the caregivers' quality of life were assessed in terms of perceived stress, compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue (i.e. burnout, secondary traumatic stress), and symptoms of depression at the end of 32 weeks of implementation. Results: Perceived stress, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress decreased significantly in the mindfulness condition, followed by psychoeducation, but not in the inservice training-as-usual condition. Compassion satisfaction increased significantly in the mindfulness condition, followed by psychoeducation, but not in the inservice training-as-usual condition. Symptoms of depression, which were rated in the borderline clinical range prior to intervention, decreased significantly to within normal levels in the mindfulness condition, decreased minimally in the psychoeducation condition, and showed no change in the training-as usual condition. Conclusions: A 3-day training in mindfulness meditations and associated contemplative practices provides a better basis for enhancing caregivers' quality of life than psychoeducation or inservice training-as-usual.