Background: Annual health checks in primary care include hearing assessment, though current guidance recommends subjective assessment only. Previous studies suggest this is inadequate and recommend objective alternatives such as hearing screening. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of hearing screening and examine the last recorded annual…

Background: People with intellectual disabilities are a particularly vulnerable group, at an increased risk of mortality from COVID-19 and of poor mental health. Psychologists providing mental health support to people with intellectual disabilities report poorer mental wellbeing and higher occupational stress. Moreover, they raise concerns about…

This study examines the disproportionality in special education, regarding African American students being overrepresented, specifically under the disability category of Emotional Disturbance (ED) within the state of Pennsylvania. Demographic information was collected with the use of secondary data provided by the Pennsylvania Department of…

This paper introduces a newly implemented arts-based space for reflection and identity development for students with disabilities (SWDs) in a disability services office in the American Southeast. This project aimed to help students make sense of their disability through creating a three-panel art project and an accompanying written description.…

Individuals living with intellectual disability can have multiple co-occurring medical conditions including associated genetic diagnoses. The number of genetic etiologies associated with ID is growing, with some quite new and rare, and others more common and associated with what is often considered a syndrome. In the context of genetic etiologies…

Inclusive education is a contentious concept with opposing opinions on what constitutes inclusion. This paper examines the concept of inclusive education, focusing on the distinction between inclusion and full inclusion, with a view to contributing to the ongoing discussion about the future direction of the Irish educational system. As a result of…

Background: Arts therapies take different forms, including music, dance and drama therapies. Access to meaningful activities is limited for people with an intellectual disability. Music, dance and drama therapies could be relevant strategies to improve well-being of people with an intellectual disability. To encourage the inclusion of these…

Background: With an international policy trend to close residential institutions, adults with intellectual disabilities are more likely to live in ordinary localities. However, this does not always equate with engagement, leading to forming new relationships and having a sense of connection to place. Social inclusion in neighbourhoods involves a…

Communication infuses all dimensions and stages of life, influencing one's self-determination and quality of life. A number of empirical studies have demonstrated that people with severe disabilities continue to develop communication and language skills well into their adult years and make measurable gains when provided with appropriate…

Background: Level of electronic assistive technology use by people with intellectual disabilities is lower than for other disability groups. Methods: In this mixed-methods exploratory study during the pandemic, staff (online survey) and executive administration (focus group) from a regional supported employment service provider in the Midwest US…

Participation in research can provide direct and indirect benefit to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), their caregivers, families, and society at large. Unfortunately, individuals with high support needs, including those with intellectual disability, cognitive disability or minimal verbal ability, are often systematically excluded…

People with intellectual disabilities show significantly lower levels of physical activity than the general population in respect to all consequences for health. A positive effect of physical activity on health preservation has been proven, but interventions for physical activity in everyday life seem to be rare for people with intellectual…

I here explore how an ethics of rhythm can shed light on what promotes and inhibits recognition between people across our vulnerable lives, and the need for a renewal of the philosophy of pedagogy. I argue that philosophy itself has contributed to a certain oblivion regarding how we follow and create rhythmic societies, the need for a more…

Traditionally, most autism assessment instruments are based on medical models and designed to identify social communication deficits and behavioral abnormality in an individual. However, as more autistic narratives reveal the insider views of autists, some scholars and autistic activists support the neurodiversity model and assert the acceptance…

The purpose of this study was to extend Feuerstein et al.'s (2006, 2010, 2015) theories of structural cognitive modifiability and mediated learning experience to the homeschool context by constructing a grounded theory that explains how families create mediated learning experiences for learners with special educational needs and disabilities in a…