Jerry Ford

The Roles and Responsibilities of Teacher Aides Supporting Students with Special Needs in Secondary School Settings

This study examined the perceptions of teacher aides regarding their roles and responsibilities in supporting senior students with special needs in mainstream secondary school settings. Fourteen teacher aides were interviewed using a semi‐structured interview guide to determine their views regarding their roles and responsibilities, the challenges they faced, their relationships with parents, teachers and students, and their professional development needs. Findings from the study indicated that the participating teacher aides performed a variety of roles and that they often had a considerable degree of autonomy and responsibility in providing academic, social, and behavioural support to the students they served. Teacher aides reported that they were generally satisfied with their jobs and proud of their contributions and accomplishments. However their relationships with teaching staff were often challenging. Teacher aides also indicated that their roles and responsibilities were not clearly delineated, th...

Employment for People With Intellectual Disability in Australia and the United Kingdom

Australia and the United Kingdom have implemented similar policy and legislative initiatives designed to enhance the participation of people with intellectual disability in the workforce. However, the results of these initiatives have differed across these two countries because of historical and administrative differences in the management of government-funded employment services for people with a disability. Similarities across both countries include increased funding for employment services for people with a disability, strong policy statements on the inclusion of people with a disability in the workforce, a dearth of meaningful data on the employment of people with intellectual disability, continuing high unemployment rates for this population, and the lack of an outcomes-focused approach to evaluating whether employment services are meeting the needs of people with intellectual disability and their families.

Educational Supports for Students with Disabilities and Significant Behavioural Challenges: Teacher Perceptions

This study examined teacher perceptions of educational supports for students with disabilities and significant behavioural problems. Specifically, the study sought to (a) identify the types of behavioural problems displayed by students identified as exhibiting significantly challenging behaviour; (b) ascertain the types of supports and resources available to teachers to support students with challenging behaviours; and (c) elicit recommendations from teachers for how best to provide support for students with disabilities and significant behavioural challenges. Findings from the study indicated that the teachers were routinely being exposed to students who exhibited relatively high levels of significantly challenging behaviour. Teachers reported that they did not feel sufficiently prepared or supported to work successfully with such students and expressed the need for comprehensive, regular, and ongoing professional development activities that were aligned with their needs and those of their students. Desp...

Attitudes toward supported employment of parents and primary caregivers of individuals with severe intellectual disabilities

During the past decade, the delivery of vocational services for people with severe disabilities has shifted dramatically from work activities in segregated settings to real work in community settings. The services being utilised to achieve community-based employment are known as supported employment services. While a significant body of research has described the effects of the supported employment initiative on the lives of people with severe disabilities, little research is available that documents the perceptions and expectations of parents and/or primary caregivers to this approach to service delivery. In the present study, parents and primary caregivers of individuals with severe intellectual disabilities were interviewed to determine their attitudes toward supported employment in relation to their child/ward. Findings suggested that the respondents were generally satisfied and accepting of their childs/wards participation in supported employment. They felt that the supported employment programs of...

The Ru Rua family impact survey

Ru Rua Escourt House was a large, dormitory style nursing home that provided “whole of life” support services for approximately 100 people with severe and multiple disabilities. Between 1984 and 1990 a task force, approved by the State Minister of Health, was established to act as a steering committee for the planning and implementation of a process of deinstitutionalisation which would assist the residents of Ru Rua in moving into small group homes (i.e., 3 to 4 residents per home) in their local communities. This study provides the results of a post-hoc analysis of the impact these deinstitutionalisation efforts have had on the families of the residents. The family respondents expressed relatively low resistance to the idea of their relatives moving to the community, and most were generally satisfied with their involvement in the planning process. Similarly, most of the respondents felt that the deinstitutionalisation project had been well planned and that they had received adequate notice and informati...

Translating into Practice the Recommendations of a Safety Climate Theory-Based Evaluation of Services Provided by Disability Support Workers

Disability support workers (DSWs) psychosocial work safety was evaluated using a work safety climate measure that included two theoretical components: perceptions of management and co-worker safety behaviours and attitudes. Based on findings, recommendations were identified to improve DSW safety, with seven recommendations translated into practice. Intervention outcomes varied from organisation-wide to limited worksite implementation. An 18-month post-intervention safety climate evaluation with 129 DSWs and 20 interviews showed DSWs were significantly less concerned about psychosocial safety hazards, with no differences for physical safety hazards. DSWs viewed management safety attitudes and behaviours slightly more favourably. Repeated health and well-being measures showed fewer DSWs experiencing burnout, more DSWs with health scores at or above norms and fewer at risk of depression. Post-intervention findings suggest the work safety climate measure with manager and co-worker attitudes components can be used with management efforts to address workers’ safety concerns and positively impact safety perceptions and well-being.

Nature and extent of on-the-job training for employees with an intellectual disability: a pilot study

Problems have been identified in the provision of on-the-job training for people with disabilities. The aim of this study was to investigate staff knowledge and use of appropriate training strategi...