Data from Norway were analyzed to evaluate early behavioral intervention for children with intellectual disabilities. The intervention group (n = 11) received approximately 10 hours per week of behavioral intervention; the eclectic comparison group (n = 14) received treatment as usual. After 1 year, changes in intelligence and adaptive behavior scores were statistically significant in favor of the behavioral intervention group (effect sizes of 1.13 for Intelligence quotient (IQ) change and .95 for change in adaptive behavior composite). Approximately 64% of the children in the behavioral intervention group met objective criteria for reliable change in IQ, whereas 14% in the eclectic comparison group did so. These results suggest that children with intellectual disability may profit from behavioral intervention typically provided for children with autism.
Research evaluations of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)‐based interventions for children with autism demonstrate positive outcomes. However, little research has focused on the translation of these evidence‐based interventions into service delivery models within existing education systems. In the present article, we provide a description of the comprehensive ABA‐based educational model used within TreeHouse School, London, UK. In addition, we analyse progress data over 12 months for a group of learners attending the school. Fifty‐three students with autism were tested and then re‐tested with the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS‐R). For 23 of these students a repeated Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) assessment was also available. Repeated measures t‐tests revealed statistically significant improvements over time on all ABLLS domains and for all VABS scores. These data provide preliminary evidence that an ABA‐based educational model can be integrated into the UK system and produce positive outcomes for children.
This paper presents a unique view of the perceived value of parental engagement with children’s learning within Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Wales, the first such investigation of its kind. This paper arises from a research project sponsored by Welsh Government and undertaken by teams from Swansea and Bangor Universities. The paper reports the views of ITE providers, student teachers, mentors, parents and external stakeholders, regarding their experiences during the pandemic lockdown. The research found that while parental engagement was valued by all stakeholders, there was a lack of consistency about how this was defined and enacted. The paper proposes a disjuncture between espoused theory and theory in action, in relation to parental engagement in children’s learning, and ends with recommendations for policy, practice and further research.
Background
Many individuals with intellectual disability (ID) have not learnt basic reading skills by the time that they reach adulthood, potentially limiting their access to critical information. READ-IT is an online reading programme developed from the Headsprout® Early Reading (HER®) intervention and supplemented by support strategies tailored for adults with ID. HER® has been successfully used to teach adults with ID to read in a forensic setting by trained staff. The aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of delivering READ-IT to adults with ID by family carers/support workers and will assess whether it would be feasible to conduct a later definitive randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the effectiveness of the programme. The study will aim to contribute to the evidence base on improving outcomes for adults with ID and their caregivers.
Methods
This study is a feasibility RCT, with embedded process evaluation. Forty-eight adults with ID will be recruited and allocated to intervention: control on a 1:1 basis. Intervention families will be offered the READ-IT programme immediately, continuing to receive usual practice and control participants will be offered the opportunity to receive READ-IT at the end of the trial follow-up period and will continue to receive usual practice. Data will be collected at baseline and 6 months post-randomisation.
Discussion
The results of this study will inform a potential future definitive trial, to evaluate the effectiveness of READ-IT to improve reading skills. Such a trial would have significant scientific impact internationally in the intellectual disability field.
Trial registration
ISRCTN11409097
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