Background: The global rise in chronic health conditions highlights the importance of self-management in empowering people to actively participate in their healthcare. People with intellectual disabilities are disproportionately affected by these conditions and face barriers in accessing self-management interventions. Method: This scoping review…

Background: The principal destinations for school leavers with intellectual disabilities from special schools in Ireland are further education (FE) through providers such as the National Learning Network or training and employment (TE) within adult day services and rehabilitation centres. In 2015, a number of inherent barriers to participation in…

Background: Research suggests that, in spite of legislation, the process of transition from school is problematic for most young people with disabilities. Best practices in transition emphasise the importance of providing personalised transition supports. This study, which took place in Ireland, aimed to explore the application of social role…

Background: Respite care has traditionally been conceptualised as a short residential break which allows families a break from caring responsibilities. In recent years, alternative respite services have been developed which promote greater social integration and normalisation for people with intellectual and other disabilities. Specific aim: The…

Background: Respite supports are highly valued by persons with disabilities and their families/carers. In Ireland, there has been regular commentary in relation to a lack of respite services, with users and other stakeholders reporting limited access, inequity of provision, and long waiting lists for support. Materials and Methods: Much of the…

This is a small-scale qualitative participatory research study conducted in two large primary schools in Ireland with classes for autistic students. The paper reports how a menu of immersive technology learning experiences was thoughtfully designed and employed with autistic children who were communicating through their behavior an aversion to the…

For children and young people with disabilities accumulating the recommended minimum of 60 min per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is difficult to obtain. Much of this has been attributed to a lack of programmes and untrained staff who cannot effectively modify or adapt activities for people with disabilities. Given these…

Introduction: Families have a significant role in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors. However, it is not clear how actively families are involved when people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors are living in out-of-home care. This scoping review explored the frequency and type of…

A parallel system of inclusive and special education persists in Ireland despite attempts to move towards integrated provision for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) along a flexible continuum of support. Even in mainstream schools, duality exists and discrete delivery of special education continues to create 'siloed'…

Objective: Prior research has noted Olympic and Paralympic athletes are often unaware and unprepared for upcoming career transitions, resulting in experiences of psychological distress. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of digital video as a delivery method for psychoeducation about an upcoming career transition. Design: Post-survey…

Background: This article reports on an evaluation of four family support programmes in Ireland for families of people with a physical or an intellectual disability or autism. The focus of the evaluation, which took place within a year of the programmes' completion, was on establishing whether the programmes had an impact on families' capacity to…

A study was conducted to explore the impact of professional development related to the individual education plan (IEP) process on teachers' understanding and practices in the Republic of Ireland (RoI). This paper reports on part of that research, focusing on teachers' collaborative practices in the IEP process. In the RoI, teachers working as…

The current research evaluates the effectiveness of a behavioral skills training (BST) package used to increase appropriate conversation interactions for six adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Deficits in the area of social skills can become a significant feature for individuals with disabilities and in particular for those with ASD. A…

Background: Aquatics is an under-researched but possibly appropriate form of activity for people with severe to profound intellectual disabilities (SPIDs). Aim: The current pilot study investigates the suitability of an aquatics programme for service users with SPIDs. Method: Four service users with SPID completed an 8-12-session aquatics…

In response to the exponential growth in the prevalence of autism in Ireland and 95% of all children availing of the universal free pre-school scheme, AsIAm delivered a continuing professional development (CPD) programme, to 311 adult learners. The paper reports on a multi-method evaluation of the impact of the programme on early childhood…