Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T14:08:58.921Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Promoting Self-Determination for Better Health and Wellbeing for Adolescents who have an Intellectual Disability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2013

Suzanne Carrington ,
Nicholas Lennox ,
Michael O'Callaghan ,
Lyn McPherson  and
Gitta Selva
Suzanne Carrington*
Affiliation:
Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Nicholas Lennox
Affiliation:
The University of Queensland, Australia
Michael O'Callaghan
Affiliation:
The University of Queensland, Australia Mater Misericordiae Hospitals, Australia
Lyn McPherson
Affiliation:
The University of Queensland, Australia
Gitta Selva
Affiliation:
Queensland University of Technology, Australia
*
Correspondence: Professor Suzanne Carrington, Head of School, School of Curriculum and Professional Learning, Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove, Qld 4059, Australia. E-mail: sx.carrington@qut.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The focus of this paper is on an Australian research project that evaluated the effectiveness of a resource called the Ask Health Diary, which is used in the school curriculum to promote self-determination for better health and wellbeing for adolescents who have an intellectual disability. Education and health researchers used questionnaires and interviews to gather data from adolescents attending special schools and special education units located in secondary schools in south-east Queensland, their teachers and their parents/carers. This paper reports on two research questions: First, ‘How did the teachers use the Ask Health Diary to promote self-determination in health?’, and second, ‘How did teachers, parents/carers and students perceive the benefits and value of the Ask Health Diary?’ The findings indicate that the Ask Health Diary provides a sound curriculum framework for teachers, adolescents and parents/carers to work together to promote self-determination and better health outcomes for young people who have an intellectual disability.

Keywords

healthintellectual disabilityself-determinationwellbeing
Type
Original Articles
Information
Australasian Journal of Special Education , Volume 38 , Issue 2 , December 2014 , pp. 93 - 114
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ackland, M.J., & Wade, R.W. (1995). Health status of Victorian special school children. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 31, 423–427. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1754.1995.tb00851.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Algozzine, B., Browder, D., Karvonen, M., Test, D.W., & Wood, W.M. (2001). Effects of interventions to promote self-determination for individuals with disabilities. Review of Educational Research, 71, 219–277. doi:10.3102/00346543071002219CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bambara, L.M., Browder, D.M., & Koger, F. (2006). Home and community. In Snell, M.E. & Brown, F. (Eds.), Instruction of students with severe disabilities (6th ed., pp. 526–568). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.Google Scholar
Baxter, H., Lowe, K., Houston, H., Jones, G., Felce, D., & Kerr, M. (2006). Previously unidentified morbidity in patients with intellectual disability. British Journal of General Practice, 56, 93–98.Google ScholarPubMed
Bazeley, P. (1999). The Bricoleur with a computer: Piecing together qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative Health Research, 9, 279–287. doi:10.1177/104973299129121749CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beange, H., McElduff, A., & Baker, W. (1995). Medical disorders of adults with mental retardation: A population study. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 99, 595–604.Google ScholarPubMed
Bittles, A.H., Petterson, B.A., Sullivan, S.G., Hussain, R., Glasson, E.J., & Montgomery, P. D. (2002). The influence of intellectual disability on life expectancy. The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 57, M470–472. doi:10.1093/gerona/57.7.M470CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carrington, S., & Lennox, N. (2008). Advancing the curriculum for young people who have an intellectual disability. Advocacy in health: A pilot study. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 32, 177–186. doi:10.1080/10300110802047228CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, S.-A., Morrison, J., Melville, C., Finlayson, J., Allan, L., Martin, G., & Robinson, N. (2006). Improving the health of people with intellectual disabilities: Outcomes of a health screening programme after 1 year. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 50, 667–677. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2006.00824.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crotty, M. (1998). The foundations of social research: Meaning and perspective in the research process. St Leonards, Australia: Allen & Unwin.Google Scholar
Giangreco, M.F. (2006). Foundational concepts and practices for educating students with severe disabilities. In Snell, M.E. & Brown, F. (Eds.), Instruction of students with severe disabilities (6th ed., pp. 1–27). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.Google Scholar
Graneheim, U.H., & Lundman, B. (2004). Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: Concepts, procedures and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse Education Today, 24, 105–112. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2003.10.001CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haelewyck, M.-C., Bara, M., & Lachapelle, Y. (2005). Facilitating self-determination in adolescents with intellectual disabilities: A curriculum. Evaluation Review, 29, 490–502. doi:10.1177/0193841X05279182CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karvonen, M., Test, D.W., Wood, W.M., Browder, D., & Algozzine, B. (2004). Putting self-determination into practice. Exceptional Children, 71, 23–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krahn, G.L., Hammond, L., & Turner, A. (2006). A cascade of disparities: Health and health care access for people with intellectual disabilities. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 12, 70–82. doi:10.1002/mrdd.20098CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lennox, N., Bain, C., Rey-Conde, T., Purdie, D., Bush, R., & Pandeya, N. (2007). Effects of a comprehensive health assessment programme for Australian adults with intellectual disability: A cluster randomized trial. International Journal of Epidemiology, 36, 139–146. doi:10.1093/ije/dyl254CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lennox, N.G., Beange, H., & Edwards, N.S. (2000). The health needs of people with intellectual disability. The Medical Journal of Australia, 173, 328–330.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lennox, N.G., Diggens, J.N., & Ugoni, A.M. (1997). The general practice care of people with intellectual disability: Barriers and solutions. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 41, 380–390. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.1997.tb00725.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lennox, N.G., Diggens, J., & Ugoni, A. (2000). Health care for people with an intellectual disability: General practitioners’ attitudes, and provision of care. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 25, 127–133. doi:10.1080/13269780050033544CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lennox, N., Taylor, M., Rey-Conde, T., Bain, C., Boyle, F.M., & Purdie, D.M. (2004). ask for it: Development of a health advocacy intervention for adults with intellectual disability and their general practitioners. Health Promotion International, 19, 167–175. doi:10.1093/heapro/dah204CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lincoln, Y.S., & Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marshall, C., & Rossman, G.B. (1999). Designing qualitative research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Millar, L., Chorlton, M.C., & Lennox, N. (2004). People with intellectual disability: Barriers to the provision of good primary care. Australian Family Physician, 33, 657–658.Google Scholar
Ouellette-Kuntz, H. (2005). Understanding health disparities and inequities faced by individuals with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 18, 113–121. doi:10.1111/j.1468-3148.2005.00240.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peck, S. (2004). Communication made easier: Facilitating transitions for students with multiple disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 36 (5), 60–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
QSR International. (2008). NVivo (Version 8) [Computer software]. Melbourne, Australia: QSR International Pty. Ltd.Google Scholar
Reynolds, F., Stanistreet, D., & Elton, P. (2008). Women with learning disabilities and access to cervical screening: Retrospective cohort study using case control methods. BMC Public Health, 8, 30. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-8-30CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Richards, L., & Morse, J.M. (2007). Readme first for a user's guide to qualitative methods (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Shogren, K.A., Wehmeyer, M.L., Buchanan, C.L., & Lopez, S.J. (2006). The application of positive psychology and self-determination to research in intellectual disability: A content analysis of 30 years of literature. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 31, 338–345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Straetmans, J.M.J.A.A., van Schrojenstein Lantman-de Valk, H.M.J., Schellevis, F.G., & Dinant, G.-J. (2007). Health problems of people with intellectual disabilities: The impact for general practice. British Journal of General Practice, 57, 64–66.Google ScholarPubMed
Test, D.W., Browder, D.M, Karvonen, M., Wood, W., & Algozzine, B. (2002). Writing lesson plans for promoting self-determination. Teaching Exceptional Children, 35 (1), 8–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Test, D.W., Fowler, C.H., Richter, S.M., White, J., Mazzotti, V., Walker, A.R., Kohler, P., & Kortering, L. (2009). Evidence-based practices in secondary transition. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 32, 115–128. doi:10.1177/0885728809336859CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ward, M.J. (2005). An historical perspective of self-determination in special education: Accomplishments and challenges. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 30, 108–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ward, M.J., & Kohler, P.A. (1996). Teaching self-determination: Content and process. In Powers, L.E., Singer, G.H.S., & Sowers, J.-A. (Eds.), On the road to autonomy: Promoting self-competence in children and youth with disabilities (pp. 275–290). Baltimore, MD: Brookes.Google Scholar
Wehmeyer, M.L. (2002). Promoting the self-determination of students with severe disabilities. (ERIC Digest No. E633). Retrieved from http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-4/severe-disabilities.htmlGoogle Scholar
Wehmeyer, M.L. (2005). Self-determination and individuals with severe disabilities: Re-examining meanings and misinterpretations. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 30 (3), 113–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wehmeyer, M.L., Field, S., Doren, B., Jones, B., & Mason, C. (2004). Self-determination and student involvement in standards-based reform. Exceptional Children, 70, 413–425.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wehmeyer, M., & Schwartz, M. (1997). Self-determination and positive adult outcomes: A follow-up study of youth with mental retardation or learning disabilities. Exceptional Children, 63, 245–255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wullink, M., Veldhuijzen, W., van Schrojenstein Lantman-de Valk, H.M.J., Metsemakers, J.F.M., & Dinant, G.-J. (2009). Doctor-patient communication with people with intellectual disability: A qualitative study. BMC Family Practice, 10, 82. doi:10.1186/1471-2296-10-82CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ziviani, J., Lennox, N., Allison, H., Lyons, M., & Del Mar, C. (2004). Meeting in the middle: Improving communication in primary health care consultations with people with an intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 29, 211–225. doi:10.1080/13668250412331285163CrossRefGoogle Scholar