Wendi Beamish

Transitions from school for young adults with intellectual disability: Parental perspectives on “life as an adjustment”

Abstract Background Few studies have investigated transition programs and outcomes for young adults with disabilities as viewed from the parent perspective. The current Australian study provided a voice for parents to report on the experiences of and outcomes for young adults following their recent transition from school into post-school life. Method A mailed survey gathered statewide data from parents (N = 218) whose family member had completed schooling at a secondary or special school. The majority of those participating were parents of adults with intellectual disability and high support needs. Results Findings detail school preparation for employment, community activities, and daily living; parent and student involvement in transition goal-setting; and post-school outcomes for young adults and their families. Conclusions Parental reflections on family adjustment and life satisfaction for the young adult since leaving school highlight the lack of post-school options and the impact of these circumstances on the whole family.

iPad-presented social stories for young children with autism

Abstract Objective: This study investigated the effectiveness of iPad-presented social stories in increasing the on-task behaviour of three young children with autism. Method: A single-subject with multiple baseline across participants design was employed with three 4-year-old children to assess intervention effectiveness during structured table top activities. Observational data were digitally recorded, scored, graphed, and interpreted using 10-second interval measures over 5-min periods across baseline, intervention, and withdrawal phases. Results: The combination of the social story together with the iPad proved to be an effective intervention for one of the three child participants. These findings confirm that the intervention may be effective with some children, but not others. Conclusion: Overall, this study builds on existing research that supports social stories as a promising practice. Further research into the use of iPad-presented social stories, particularly for children of varying ages, abilities, and learning styles is recommended.

Benchmarking Teacher Practice in Queensland Transition Programs for Youth With Intellectual Disability and Autism

Extensive work has been done in North America to examine practices recommended to facilitate postschool transitions for youth with disabilities. Few studies in Australia, however, have investigated these practices. This study drew on the Taxonomy for Transition Programming developed by Kohler to benchmark practice at government and nongovernment schools throughout Queensland, Australia. A statewide survey was used to gather data from teachers and other influential staff (N = 104). Participants were asked to (a) indicate their level of agreement that each practice was a program quality indicator and (b) report on the current use of that practice in school programs. Transition practices in the areas of Family–School Relationships, Student Development, and student-focused planning were strongly endorsed and frequently implemented. Lower levels of endorsement and implementation, however, were signaled in the areas of Interagency Collaboration and Program Structure. Recommendations for reform at the school, systems, and interagency levels are provided.

A pilot study of the effects of an Australian centre-based early intervention program for children with autism

The current study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of an Australian centre-based early intervention program for children with autism. Outcomes for 10 children with autistic disorder aged between 32 and 65 months of age participating in the AEIOU early intervention program were investigated. Measures of educational, cognitive, and adaptive skills as well as autism symptoms were administered. Significant gains in educational skills in the areas of cognitive verbal/preverbal, fine motor and visual-motor imitation, motor domain score, and social reciprocity, were obtained as were decreases in autism symptoms. Limited evidence of gains was obtained for measures of cognitive or adaptive behaviour skills. This study provides promising preliminary evidence in support of the AEIOU program in terms of symptom reduction and increases in educational skills. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

Practitioners and Parents Have Their Say About Best Practice: Early intervention in Queensland

This paper reports initial findings of a research project in Queensland, Australia that did not adopt recommended practices from listings established in other countries for early childhood intervention services. Instead, a contextual and participatory process served to determine a relevant listing of program quality indicators for a large, early intervention service conducted by the state Department of Education (Stage 1). Thirty-one indicators of program quality were identified for this particular service. To validate these indicators and to gather additional information about their implementation, a statewide survey was conducted (Stage 2). For each of the 31 indicators, parents and staff from within this service were asked to (a) indicate their level of acceptance, (b) report on current use, and (c) comment on barriers to implementation. Results provide strong support for the indicator listing and reveal high level of indicator acceptance accompanied by a lower level of indicator implementation. Lack o...

Recognising the “forgotten man”: Fathers’ experiences in caring for a young child with autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACT Background Despite decades of research on family adaptation in relation to caring for a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the wellbeing of fathers remains poorly understood. Method The present study sought to investigate experiences of fathers of young children with ASD aged between 2½ and 6 years attending an ASD-specific early intervention centre. Eighteen fathers initially completed a mailed questionnaire and 8 of these fathers were then interviewed by telephone. The questionnaire included standardised measures assessing constructs of the double ABCX model of family adaptation. The interview used open-ended questions to understand the experiences of fathers’ involvement in caring, sources of support, and coping strategies. Results Fathers experienced elevated levels of parental stress and elevated depressive symptoms. Interviews deepened understanding of fathers’ personal experiences of each component of the double ABCX model. Conclusions Findings from this study provide further insight into the fathering role and demonstrate the utility of the double ABCX model as a framework for exploring their experiences. The need for further research to explore practical implications to better support fathers is discussed.

Teacher Control over Interagency Collaboration: A Roadblock for Effective Transitioning of Youth with Disabilities.

Poor post-school outcomes for youth with disabilities have consistently been reported internationally. Interagency collaboration between school systems and post-school services is critical and key to improving post-school life for these youth. An initial Queensland study that benchmarked the teacher practice of 104 transition teachers and associated personnel indicated that interagency collaboration practices had the lowest levels of implementation. These results were the motivation behind a second study which investigated the hypothesis that lack of teacher control over interagency collaboration practice formed a roadblock for effective transitioning of youth with disabilities. Results generally confirmed the hypothesis and provide further understanding about the multi-faceted nature of interagency collaboration and the stakeholders involved in this process. Three interconnected actions are proposed to bypass identified roadblocks. If these actions are put in place, schools should improve their connections with post-school services, teachers should enhance their practice, and students should achieve improved post-school outcomes.

The communication “Roundabout”: Intimate relationships of adults with Asperger’s syndrome

Abstract Reciprocal communication between couples is central to sustaining strong intimate relationships. Given that Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) affects communication and social reciprocity, adults with this disorder are vulnerable to experiencing difficulties in relating to their “neurotypical” (NT) partner. As reported in a previous paper, prompt dependency was found to be a compensatory mechanism for some of the communication difficulties within AS-NT relationships. This paper draws on the same data-set to describe the impact of prompt dependency on AS-NT relationships. The research reported here is also used to derive a theoretical model that illustrates how a cycle of prompt dependency results in a communication “roundabout” for partners. Implications for practice and further research are discussed.