Ylva Benderix

Parents’ experience of having a child with autism and learning disabilities living in a group home: A case study

Some children with autism and learning disabilities also have aberrant behaviours that are difficult to regulate and stressful for both the child and family members. This case study concerns experiences of 10 parents from five families before and 2 years after entrusting their 10- to 11-year-old child with autism to a group home. Hermeneutic phenomenological analysis of narrative interviews with the parents before the child’s moving showed them experiencing grief and sorrow, total exhaustion because of inability to regulate their child’s behaviours, social isolation, and negative effects on the child’s siblings, but experiencing themselves as more sympathetic than previously towards other people with problems. Two years later they experienced relief for the family due to the group home arrangement and the child’s improvement, but with an ethical dilemma which made them feel guilty, despite increased hope for the future. Some also felt unhappy with the staff situation at the group home.

Funktionell familjeterapi i barnpsykiatrisk praxis

Hansson, K. et al.: Functional Family Therapy in child psychiatric practice. Nordisk Psykologi, 56, 4, 304–320. This article describes the results from a cooperative model project treating delinquents and their families with Functional Family Therapy (FFT). The treatment has taken place within a frame of cooperation between social welfare, child psychiatry and a drugtreatment unit. The results from the treatment group are compaired with treatment as usual. The FFT-group showed increased familyfunction and fewer psychiatric symtoms after treatment. Both patents and youths showed higer optimism and valued the treatment high. The results are smilar to earler university based research with the same metod.

Staff Members' Views of the Work Climate in Sheltered Homes for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The mean scores of the Creative Climate Questionnaire for 152 staff members working in 58 sheltered homes for individuals with autism were rated closer to creative than to stagnant organizations. There was a significant difference between two types of settings. In sheltered homes, the persons with autism had their daily activity outside the home. Here staff members had higher scores in all creative dimensions compared to homes with daily activities. Staff in sheltered homes, where the residents leave the premises for their daily work or activities, perceived the work climate as significantly more creative and satisfying.