The aim of this research was to develop a simple screening checklist to help carers and professionals know when to make a referral for a dementia assessment. A checklist was completed for all new referrals to a dementia service for people with intellectual disabilities. The obtained scores were compared to the diagnostic outcome of a comprehensive…

Two-thirds of the people registered on the Irish National Intellectual Disability Database (NIDD) reside at home with family members frequently supporting them (Kelly et al., "National Intellectual Disability Database Committee Annual Report 2006," Health Research, 2007). Use of respite care services by parents with a child/adult with an…

Previous researchers who compared how people with, and without, an intellectual disability respond to music focused on musical aptitude, but not on arousal. This paper presents the background, methodology, and results of a study that selected fifteen different pieces of music, and compared the arousal response of adults with (n = 48), and without…

Many professionals working with individuals with intellectual disability are unconcerned with why someone has the impairment. Genetic aspects may be viewed as, at best irrelevant, but more often, potentially negative. However, where the intellectual disability may be inherited, there are implications for family members and the individual. The data…

Estimates suggest that up to one quarter of people who have a severe learning disability engage in self injurious behaviour (SIB). SIB poses serious risks, both to the person's physical health and their quality of life. Behavioural approaches have made a contribution to supporting people who engage in SIB, although the last review of these…

This article evaluates an assertive outreach team which aimed to help support people with a learning disability who displayed challenging behaviour in their own environment. The service was evaluated using Maxwell's Multi-dimensional Quality Evaluation Model (Maxwell 1984), which recognises that different stakeholders in a service are likely to…

This research project used semi-structured in-depth interviews to ask women with learning disabilities about the experience of being prescribed contraception. It also asked general practitioners about their prescribing practices through a postal survey. A service user group was involved at different stages of the project. Most of the women…

Prevalence rates vary considerably regarding the mental health of people with learning disabilities. This variation is a consequence of the assessment methods used to identify such clinical conditions and also different populations studied. The aim of this study was to screen for mental health problems in adults with mild-to-moderate learning…

It is seen as increasingly important for people with learning disabilities to be supported to live independently and manage their own self care, productivity and leisure activities. This qualitative study explored the experiences of nine adults with mild learning disabilities who lived alone with minimal support. Their narratives were analysed…

There has been a steady increase over the last 20 years in the number of parents with learning disabilities who are referred to social workers and community health practitioners. It is a common experience for parents with learning disabilities to have their child removed from the home and placed permanently in care, and although they are often…

This study explores the perceptions of support workers working with adults with learning/intellectual disabilities, training and support needs. Data was collected by focus group (n = 3) and semi-structured interviews (n = 5). Participants saw their key role as maximising quality of life, identified "Trial and error" as the main mode of skill…

In recent years there has been a shift to recognise the needs of siblings and a growth in sibling support largely for under 16s. However, siblings will often require support into adulthood as they undertake additional responsibilities from parents in the care or advocacy of their brother or sister. Therefore this project aimed to investigate what…

This paper is a narrative analysis of the accounts of six older people with Down's syndrome who spent part of their childhood in institutional environments. The study aimed to find out how the participants talked about themselves. Different types of narrative analysis were used, including those of Murray ("Qualitative psychology: a practical guide…

A phenomenological methodology was used to explore the lived experiences of belonging to a self-advocacy group for people with intellectual disabilities. Thirteen persons with intellectual disabilities who attend three self-advocacy day centre based groups in a city in the west of Ireland were the sample identified for the study. Changes affected…

The following article outlines the methodological approach used to include people with learning disabilities as active participants in an oral history produced in Australia. The history sought to document life inside Kew Cottages, Australia's oldest and largest specialised institution for people with learning disabilities. This work furthers…