| 1. |
- Alfredsson Ågren, Kristin, PhD Student, lecturer, 1971-, et al.
(författare)
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Internet activities and social and community participation among young people with learning disabilities
- 2023
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Ingår i: British Journal of Learning Disabilities. - : Wiley. - 1354-4187 .- 1468-3156. ; 51:2, s. 125-134
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: A digital lag has been reported on access to the internet and performing internet activities for young people with learning disabilities in everyday life.Aim: The aim of this study is to explore environmental opportunities and challenges when performing internet activities and how internet use influences social and community participation for young people with learning disabilities from the perspectives of the target group.Methods: An inductive design was applied, with focused observations and follow-up interviews of 15 internet-using young persons with learning disabilities in their everyday settings. The data was analysed interpretatively using open coding.Findings: The environment offered both opportunities and challenges in terms of the design of digital devices and digital support. Support from peers was often preferred. All participants performed internet activities related to social participation although not all used social media. Searching for information was performed, however, finding the information or understanding it was challenging and led to restricted participation in the community.Conclusion: More examples of internet use positively influencing social participation were found, contrary to community participation. It is indicated that concrete learning situations when using the internet for social participation were more adapted to the participants and promoted this type of participation, contrary to situations of internet use influencing community participation.
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| 2. |
- Chadwick, Darren, et al.
(författare)
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Digital inclusion and people with learning disabilities
- 2023
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Ingår i: British Journal of Learning Disabilities. - 1354-4187 .- 1468-3156. ; 51:2, s. 119-124
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Accessible Summaries for the whole journal:The digital inclusion of people with learning disabilitiesis an important topic because more of our lives arespent using technology and being online.Articles in this special issue talk about the digitalinclusion of people with learning disabilities. We look attheir experiences and the experiences of other peoplein their lives.The articles talk about how people with learningdisabilities use technology and the things that helpand stop people from using the internet andtechnology.The articles also talk about how using technologyhelped a lot of people during the coronavirus dis-ease 2019 pandemic.The articles talk about how people with learningdisabilities need choices, opportunities, support andtraining to make digital inclusion happen so they canuse technology like everybody else.
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| 3. |
- Engwall, Kristina, 1969-
(författare)
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Online activities for individuals with intellectual disabilities at a day centre in the wake of COVID-19
- 2023
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Ingår i: British Journal of Learning Disabilities. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1354-4187 .- 1468-3156. ; 51:2, s. 229-237
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The lockdown of a day centre for individuals with intellectual disabilities led to digital activities instead of traditional physical presence.Method: This study is based on 17 interviews with staff of a day centre, directors of day centres and support persons.Findings: The purpose of the digital activities was to overcome physical distance and to create “social connectedness” with service users at a day centre. Emphasis was placed on recognisability to meet the needs of the service users. When the lockdown was lifted, service users were included in the production of digital artefacts. There were also obstacles to digitalisation: some service users had no access to Internet or tablets at home, some lawyers forbid the use of common digital programmes and service users were denied being visible on social media, support persons lacked digital competence and were reluctant to digital activities.Conclusions: The experiences of digital activities including coproduction of films made individuals with intellectual disabilities active and visible on social media. This might facilitate the possibilities for future digital inclusion in society. The support from staff at the sheltered accommodations was vital and when it succeeded it promoted a more holistic approach to the service users' everyday lives.
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| 4. |
- Eriksson, Camilla, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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Ideals, governance and competencies : The complexity of implementing digitalisation in disability organisations
- 2024
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Ingår i: British Journal of Learning Disabilities. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1354-4187 .- 1468-3156. ; 52:1, s. 76-86
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Living in the digital era, young adults with intellectual disabilities use diverse digital products, the Internet, and social media in their daily lives. However, they may need support in digital undertakings as in other aspects of life. In a disability service context, staff are primary support providers but are restricted and guided by organisational goals and strategies. Previous research has shown that staff have dual roles as support providers and executors of organisational ambitions. This study analyses the motivations and prerequisites, as well as the obstacles to the implementation of digitalisation at a strategic level of disability services.Method: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with public officials and municipal politicians responsible for providing disability services. A thematic analysis was performed using a constructionist perspective.Findings: Three themes were identified: Intertwined ideals of digital infrastructures in disability contexts, culture of vertical governance, and developing competencies. These themes can be seen as pillars of the digitalisation of digital services at the organisation's strategic level. In addition to shedding light on specific issues, these themes reveal underlying issues relating to conceptions of support practices and organisational culture.Conclusion: Digitalisation is motivated by a desire to preserve the organisation's legitimacy and be a relevant service provider. Digital infrastructure is required for digitalisation but is lacking because of intertwined legal and moral issues. Digitalisation also appears to be hindered by organisational structures and organisational culture, whose impact greatly outweighs that of digital issues.
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| 5. |
- Gustavsson, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Educated for welfare services-The hidden curriculum of upper secondary school for students with intellectual disabilities
- 2021
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Ingår i: British Journal of Learning Disabilities. - : Wiley. - 1354-4187 .- 1468-3156. ; 49:4, s. 424-432
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: In many countries, the goal of secondary education for students with intellectual disabilities is to transition to the labour market. However, research and reviews consistently show that employment rates are very low for graduates with intellectual disabilities. The aim of this article is to scrutinise the preparation for school-to-work transition in Norwegian upper secondary education and employment services to elicit what really goes on.Methods: This article is an in-depth interpretation of two earlier published, empirical Norwegian studies of upper secondary education for students with intellectual disabilities and their school-to-work transitions.Findings: Analysis of the characteristics of Norwegian upper secondary education identified a trajectory away from the labour market—reinforced by the social security and support systems.Conclusion: Drawing on Argyris & Schön’s (Organisational learning: A theory of action perspective, Addison Wesley, Reading, MA, 1978) classic work on “espoused theory and theory-in-use,” the analysis identified a hidden curriculum based on a perception of “realistic” ambitions which pave the way for a graduate life consisting, mostly, of welfare services.
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| 6. |
- Johnels, Linn, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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The effect of MultiSensory Music Drama on the interactive engagement of students with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities
- 2024
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Ingår i: British Journal of Learning Disabilities. - 1354-4187 .- 1468-3156. ; 52:1, s. 150-165
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Interactive engagement, specifically attention and initiation, are considered important skills for facilitating development and learning in students with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. Prior research has suggested that music therapy and multisensory storytelling are two promising interventions for supporting interactive engagement in this population. However, there are no known/published studies that have investigated the effect of combining relevant elements from musical interaction and multisensory storytelling for this group of students. This study aims to determine the effect of a novel educational approach—MultiSensory Music Drama (MSMD)—on the interactive engagement of students with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.Methods: A single-case experimental design, specifically an ABAB design across three participants, was used to describe the effect of MSMD on interactive engagement when compared with a control activity. School staff members' perceptions of student interactive engagement and social validity were obtained.Findings: Coded video observations showed significantly higher levels of interactive engagement during MSMD for all three participants when compared to the control activity. Furthermore, the ratings on the interactive engagement from school staff members improved for two of the three participants. Finally, school staff members scored the social validity and perceived educational usefulness of the MSMD as very high.Conclusions: The findings provide initial evidence that MSMD may be effective in supporting the interactive engagement of some students with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.
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| 7. |
- Roberts, Helen, et al.
(författare)
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Moving on: Transitions out of care for young people with learning disabilities in England and Sweden
- 2018
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Ingår i: British Journal of Learning Disabilities. - : Wiley Online Library. - 1354-4187 .- 1468-3156. ; 46:1, s. 54-63
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Young people with learning disabilities are frequently underrepresented in research accounts. This study describes the experiences of young people moving from the care system. We scoped the English and Swedish literature for first-hand accounts and interviewed four young people with learning disabilities leaving the English care system. We combined findings from both sources. “Grey” and campaigning literature are more likely than academic studies to include the voices of service users, but even then, the voices tend to be those of professional or family carers. Both the literature and interviews demonstrate young peoples’ awareness and understanding of the social as well as financial benefits of work. Good foster care could be precarious, and young people in unhappy placements lacked direction. Exploitation around a young person's housing and finances could be problems. There was evidence of “threshold” difficulties in accessing services. Despite an NHS commitment to listening to users in the UK, and similar aspirations in Sweden, our search of the literature identified few studies reporting care leavers' with learning disabilities own words. Our data add to the voices of a group frequently silent or silenced. We found evidence of resilience and hope as well as difficulties and frustrations. The accounts in the literature and our interviews provide data on what it can be like to try to operate “the system.” The people we spoke with and those whose accounts we found in the literature were thoughtful and engaging. They provide an important source of knowledge for policy and practice.
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| 8. |
- Samuelsson, Jenny, 1980, et al.
(författare)
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My point of view: Students with intellectual and communicative disabilities express their views on speech and reading using Talking Mats
- 2024
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Ingår i: British Journal of Learning Disabilities. - : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc.. - 1354-4187 .- 1468-3156. ; 52:1, s. 23-35
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: It can be challenging for people with intellectual disabilities to convey their thoughts and opinions because of cognitive, speech and language impairments. Consequently, facilitating their ability to communicate using augmentative and alternative communication methods is essential. The picture-based framework Talking Mats has been applied in many studies and has been shown to be successful in facilitating communication and soliciting views from individuals with intellectual disabilities and communication difficulties. The aim of this study was to describe the views of students with intellectual disabilities and communication difficulties on speech and reading activities and to examine whether valence scores (from negative to positive) on these views were associated with performance on tests of their corresponding abilities. Methods: This is a cross-sectional quantitative survey study. A group of 111 students with intellectual disabilities and communication difficulties aged 7–21 wereinterviewed about their speech and reading activities using the visual framework Talking Mats. Their answers were scored on a three-grade like-dislike continuum and were correlated with their results on adapted tests of the corresponding abilities. Findings: The students expressed their views on speech and reading activities. The scored views on speech were positively associated with speech production, and the scored views on reading activities were positively related to reading ability. This suggests that their opinions as expressed through Talking Mats were consistent and reliable. Conclusions: Most students with intellectual disabilities and communicative difficulties can reliably express their own opinions of their abilities when they are provided with a clear visual structure and pictorial support, such as Talking Mats. In this study, this was seen for students with a mild intellectual disability from age seven and onwards and for students with a more severe intellectual disability from 12 years of age and onwards.
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