Catherine Wade

Modeling Contextual Influences on Parents With Intellectual Disability and Their Children

Many parents with intellectual disability experience living conditions associated with risk for children and parents. This study used structural equation modeling to test a theoretical model of the relationships among parent, child, family, and contextual variables in 120 Australian families where a parent had an intellectual disability. Findings revealed that parenting practices had a direct effect on childrens well being, that social support was associated with childrens well being through the mediator of parenting practices, and that access to social support had a direct influence on parenting practices. Implications of the findings for research, intervention, and policy are explored, with the goal of promoting optimal well being for children who are raised by parents with intellectual disability.

Parenting with disabilities Experiences from implementing a parenting support programme in Sweden

This article reports on the initial stages of implementing an Australian-based education programme for parents with intellectual disabilities (IDs) in Sweden. The clinical utility of the programme, Parenting Young Children (PYC), in the new country context is explored through Swedish professionals’ experiences in learning and using it. Study participants found PYC well suited for use in their working environment. Most of them reported the programme to have strengthened their work with parents. The programme was seen as benefiting both the study participants in their work with parents with IDs and these parents themselves, and its structure and content were found to be helpful in several ways. The checklists forming part of PYC were considered useful, but their purpose was sometimes misunderstood. The reported study helps to identify what is needed to improve the translation of the programme into the new country context, to promote appropriate and more effective use of programme materials.

Prevalence of parents with intellectual disability in Australia

ABSTRACT Background Parenting by people with intellectual disability is attracting increasing attention, and policymakers and service providers require empirical evidence to develop sound policy and service responses. The purpose of the study was to identify prevalence and demographic data on parents with ID in Australia compared with parents with other disabilities and the population of parents without disability. Method The Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, 2009, was identified as the most suitable survey, and design-weighted analysis was performed. Results An estimated 0.41% of Australian parents had intellectual disability, equating to 17,000 parents with ID. Parents with ID were more likely to have only 1 child and to reside outside a capital city compared with parents without disability. Conclusions These findings provide benchmark data for monitoring, over time, the prevalence of parents with ID and point to policy and service responses for parents with only 1 child and for those in outer urban, regional, and rural areas of Australia.

Optical fibres in biomedical applications: Effect of a biological medium on static fatigue

Optical fibres are finding expanding applications in medicine. This work presents time-to-failure measurements of optical fibres under static stress in a simulated bodily fluid; intended for use in the development of medical fibre optic devices.