R Burton-Smith

Self-Advocates have the last say on friendship

This study reports the friendship experiences and aspirations of adults with intellectual disabilities. The findings of a larger study were reviewed by an expert group of self‐advocates with intellectual disability. The expert group confirmed some of the interpretation of the original data and expanded on issues. Friendship is established as an issue of concern among adults with intellectual disability. Consequently, policy‐makers and service providers need to be intentional about providing support for friendships. Participants asserted a positive self‐identity of being a person with intellectual disability and how this could be a basis for friendship. Also, people with intellectual disability demonstrated how they should be considered experts in their own life experience and how they can be effectively included in the formulation, implementation, analysis and review of research. †In memory of our dear friend Allison J. Dewing‐Moore, died 3 November 2005.

Service and support needs of Australian carers supporting a family member with disability at home.

Abstract Background As part of an international, multicentre project, the service and support needs of Australian family carers were investigated. Method A sample of 1,390, 448 family carers completed a self-report survey, including an adaptation of the Family Needs Survey (FNS) and several open-ended questions. A mixed method design was used, employing quantitative and qualitative analyses. Results On the FNS the most frequently endorsed items were those relating to the need for information about services and, in particular, future, out-of-home accommodation. Similarly, the need for respite services was endorsed by over 80% of respondents. Comments indicated that access to and the quality of respite, day support, and therapy programs were a priority. Conclusions Participants expressed the need for greater access to information. Access to appropriate respite options, together with quality day support and therapy services, remain a priority for family carers.

Remaining Open to Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed‐Method Designs: An Unscientific Compromise, or Good Research Practice?

Abstract The tension between quantitative and qualitative research paradigms are discussed together with the important contribution of mixed‐method designs, particularly as they are applied in the field of disability studies. Practical issues inherent in research designs involving participants with intellectual disability are explored, including sample building, participant consent, data collection and data analysis. It is concluded, scientific debate needs to move beyond the dialectic of quantitative vs qualitative research to recognise the merit of a variety of different approaches. The question is not which design is inherently superior, but which design, or combination of designs, best addresses the research question.