Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Persons with Intellectual Disabilities”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 991 records · Page 55Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Health issues for adults with developmental disability.

The aim of this paper is to review recent literature on health issues for adults with developmental disability and reflect on how this research informs service provision, future research work, and social and health policy. Studies based on mortality data are most likely to aim at identifying individuals most at risk of premature death, and some researchers argue that health-oriented service systems appear ill-equipped to address the needs of the at risk groups. Morbidity studies highlight specific health concerns found in this population and commonly report high rates of untreated, yet treatable, conditions. The emerging literature on the behavioral determinants of health suggests risk of preventable morbidity and mortality because of the lack of health-promoting behaviors, particularly in relation to diet and physical activity. Of particular interest in this literature is the affect of living arrangements on health promoting activities. This paper concludes that future directions in health research for adults with developmental disability will be concerned with the complexity of the interactions between biology, pathology, and behavioral and environmental determinants. More use of self-reported health studies is suggested, as well as further exploration of effective strategies of health promotion and health promoting decision-making and self-determination among this population.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

[Visually handicapped children and young adults in specialized schools in the French North department in 1995].

BACKGROUND: In 1988, the prevalence of blindness in France was 0.17/1000 and that of amblyopia 0.48/1000. Medical advances in the last 30 years have modified the population of children with visual impairment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The populations in two specialized schools of the north (340 children and adolescents, 3-20-year-olds) were studied and compared with the literature. RESULTS: Cataracts (13%) and congenital nystagmus (11%) were the two most frequent causes. The children taken in charge had less severe diseases than in the past but needed all the same specialized education. However these schools provided more specialized help for children educated near home, in ordinary schools. The children who were educated in the two specialized schools had more severe diseases or more social problems in their families. CONCLUSION: The education and educative treatment of these children are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Alpha2 macroglobulin elevation without an acute phase response in depressed adults with Down's syndrome: implications.

Studies of immune function during depression in persons without intellectual disability (ID) have revealed elevated levels of alpha2 macroglobulin (alpha2M) and an acute phase protein (APP) response. Clinical observation suggests that people with Down's syndrome (DS) may have associated genetic abnormalities in their immune systems. The APP response and alpha2M changes in depressed versus non-depressed adults with DS was the subject of the present study. The serum pan-proteinase inhibitor alpha2M, and the AP proteins c-reactive protein (CRP), alpha1 antitrypsin (alpha1AT), ceruloplasmin (Cp), beta2 Macroglobulin (beta2M), transthyretin (Trans), serum amyloid protein (SAP), and albumin (Alb) were measured in 38 adults with DS, 19 of whom were diagnosed with and 19 without depression using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The DSM-IV criteria were used for diagnoses. Medical and neurological examinations excluded medical disorders associated with APP response. Only alpha2M and CRP were significantly different in the depressed versus non-depressed groups. The alpha2M was higher, a response similar to one observed in depressed people without ID, but the CRP was lower in the depressed group, especially in those subjects not on psychotropic medications, contrary to the expected APP response to depression. The results suggest that alpha2M elevation in depressed adults with DS is independent of the APP response. An alternative explanation for its elevation is proposed linking the core symptom of depression with the mammalian dormancy/hibernation process. Further studies are needed to confirm that alpha2M elevation is specific to depression and that it might provide a helpful marker for the diagnosis of depression in people with ID.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMed2002

A review of the assessment and treatment of anger and aggression in offenders with intellectual disability.

Rates of aggression amongst people with intellectual disability (ID) have been found to be high in studies conducted on several continents across a number of service settings. Aggression is the primary reason for people with ID to be admitted or re-admitted to institutional settings, and it is also the main reason for individuals in this client group to be prescribed behaviour-control drugs. Anger is a significant activator of aggression, but little is known about the emotional aspects of the lives of people with ID. There are many reasons for this, but a lack of reliable and validated assessment measures is chief among them. The present review found that very little work has been conducted to date concerning the development of robust tools for assessing anger and aggression in this population. A narrative review of interventions for reducing aggression and anger in people with ID showed that there is virtually no evidence to support the use of psychotropic medications. Research has shown that behavioural interventions can be effective; however, they are intrusive and have not been tested in naturalistic settings with higher-functioning clients and low-frequency aggression. More recently, cognitive-behavioural interventions have shown promise, but the mechanisms for effective change have yet to be delineated. Priority research questions relating to assessment, treatment and therapeutic skills in working with anger and aggression problems are offered by the present review.

Aggression↗
PubMed2000

Production-orientated education and training of the mentally disabled in sheltered employment (PIONIER).

PURPOSE: The development and realization of a production-orientated education and training system for mentally disabled people in sheltered employment in the course of the project PIONIER. It focuses on the metal and electronic branches of a workshop with a mentally disabled workforce in Alsdorf, Germany. METHODS: For the development of the modules an assessment tool called MELBA was used to determine the abilities of the disabled people and the requirements of the tasks. Methods for the collection of this information was: observation, questionnaires and documents. RESULTS: Three months after the introduction of educational measures the improvements of the capacity for learning and education of disabled persons was visible. In the same way the development of their self-reliance and social abilities was recorded. The metal working branch was capable of fulfilling every task with respect to quality issues and within set delivery times. The electro working branch was accomplished enough to create new workplaces and to get orders from the computer industry. CONCLUSIONS: By the use of a qualification system like PIONIER the tasks of the disabled employees have been enlarged and enriched. In order to cope with the increase competition sheltered workshops have to realize new ways of vocational training for mentally disabled employees.

Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilitie↗
PubMed2006

A functional assessment of handmouthing among persons with severe and profound intellectual disability.

BACKGROUND: The behavioural function of handmouthing has been assessed across various studies utilising analogue functional analyses. The aim of the current study was to expand upon research on this relatively understudied behaviour by examining the relationship between handmouthing and Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD), and the potential variables maintaining this challenging behaviour in 30 individuals with intellectual disability. METHOD: First, the relationship of GERD to handmouthing was examined. Second, the behavioural function of handmouthing was assessed with an indirect functional assessment, the Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF). RESULTS: We found that a diagnosis of GERD was present with greater frequency among individuals with handmouthing than among matched peers who did not engage in handmouthing. Non-social reinforcement was most frequently endorsed as a behavioural function of this challenging behaviour. DISCUSSION: Although individuals with handmouthing exhibited more GERD than those who did not handmouth, the findings suggest that handmouthing was most often maintained by non-social reinforcement. The importance of utilising functional assessment methodology for the assessment and treatment of handmouthing is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The quality of life of people with mental retardation: in search of an adequate approach.

There is a lack of instruments that measure the quality of life of people with mental retardation. These types of instruments could be used in order to give an indication of the quality of care they receive. At the moment we are developing an instrument that measures quality of life. Our first task is to find an adequate definition of 'quality of life'. In this article an attempt is made to define this term as it relates to people with mental retardation. Starting from literature in the field of disabilities, reflections in the social sciences and philosophical analysis, a combined approach is adopted, according to which quality of life consists of specific objective and subjective factors.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

The use of a low phenylalanine diet with amino acid supplement in the treatment of behavioural problems in a severely mentally retarded adult female with phenylketonuria.

If phenylketonuria is untreated in infancy, it causes irreversible brain damage. No dietary treatment can alter this brain damage. However, it has been shown that dietary treatment can reduce behaviour disturbances often associated with the condition. In this study, a subject's behaviour was monitored over 18 weeks while on a low phenylalanine diet. Results demonstrate a significant reduction in the level of her disturbed behaviour.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Conceptual principles of quality of life: an empirical exploration.

BACKGROUND: Quality of life is a popular measure of outcomes and its widespread use has led to recent calls for a better understanding of the construct, emphasizing the need to build a substantial body of knowledge around what determines perceptions of life quality. Three widely reported and used conceptual principles are examined in this study. METHODS: Self-ratings of life quality and three likely determinants at an individual level (stress), an interactional level (social support) and a community level (neighbourhood belonging) were used. The study involved two groups of young adults from an urban community, one identified as having an intellectual disability (ID). RESULTS Young adults with ID rated their satisfaction with health significantly higher and intimacy and community involvement lower than the comparison group. Social support emerged as the strongest predictor of life satisfaction across both groups. CONCLUSION: The conceptual principles of subjective quality of life provide a useful framework to discuss findings and to stimulate further research.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Factor structure of the Schalock and Keith Quality of Life Questionnaire (QOL-Q): validation on Mexican and Spanish samples.

BACKGROUND: The Quality of Life Questionnaire (QOL-Q) is used widely to evaluate the quality of life of persons with intellectual disability (ID). Its validity for use with Spanish-speaking cultures has been demonstrated for individuals with visual disabilities, but not for those with physical or intellectual disabilities. Such was the purpose of the present study. METHOD: Two samples were administered the QOL-Q under standardized procedures. The first sample was composed of 209 Mexican participants with physical disabilities; the second was composed of 424 Spanish participants with ID. The hypothesis tested was: the applicability (i.e. etic properties) of the measure across countries and respondents would be demonstrated if reliability data and if factor composition were similar to the original measure. Cronbach's alpha was used to test reliability and exploratory factor analyses were used to test validity (i.e. factor structure). RESULTS: Data indicated that the reliability and factor structure was similar to that reported in the questionnaire's standardization manual and consistent with that reported in a number of Anglo-Saxon countries. CONCLUSION: The present study offers additional support for the valid use of the QOL-Q with Spanish-speaking populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

The effects of social reinforcement on dominant and dependent mildly intellectually handicapped school-leavers.

The aim of this study was to replicate Exline & Messick's (1967) study of eye-contact interview behaviour with college students on a group of mildly intellectually handicapped students. Twenty subjects (mean CA 14.02 years, SD 0.45 years, mean IQ 72.0, SD 7.6) attending a metropolitan school for the mildly mentally handicapped were classified as dominant or dependent by teacher ratings and sociogram analysis. They were given large or small amounts of reinforcement for eye-contact when interviewed by their teacher. Although the study failed to replicate some of Exline & Messick's findings, results indicated a feedback rather than reward model in explaining the effects of social reinforcement on eye-contact in interviews. Implications for communication training for such intellectually handicapped students is discussed.

Adolescent↗