The increase in research into psychopathology in people with intellectual disability has recently spread to include depression. Several reports have appeared on the assessment of depression in the client group and there is a pressing need for research into treatment of depression in people with intellectual disability. The present paper reviews cognitive behaviour therapy for depression and reports on its adaptation for people with intellectual disability. Two case studies of individuals with mild intellectual disability illustrate the clinical applications. All the elements of cognitive behaviour therapy for depression were maintained and simplified. Both subjects were able to monitor their feelings of depression and subject 2 monitored the frequency of suicidal thoughts. Improvements were seen in both cases on the Zung Depression Inventory and daily monitoring of depressive feelings.

This article is an initial investigation into the effects of Snoezelen on concentration and responsiveness in people who have profound and multiple handicaps. Eight subjects with profound learning disabilities took part. Ratings of concentration were recorded at each session using a simple task. The subjects were also assessed at every fifth session for responsiveness to the Snoezelen environment. The results suggest that all the subjects except one, who failed to score, responded In some way with improvements in scores. The improvements in concentration were significant for two subjects, moderate for four and minimal for one. The changes in concentration were not always related to the responsiveness/enjoyment in the Snoezelen environment. However, the two subjects who, in general, showed significant improvements in concentration were also rated as being the most responsive to the Snoezelen environment.

This paper is an investigation into the efficacy of four therapeutic treatment procedures increasingly used with people with profound learning disabilities: snoezelen, hand massage/aromatherapy, relaxation, and active therapy (a bouncy castle). In particular, the effects of these procedures on concentration and responsiveness were examined. Eight subjects with profound learning disabilities took part in the study and each subject received each of the treatments. To assess the effects of the treatments, simple concentration tasks were administered and the subjects' responsiveness to each treatment was rated by independent observers. The results suggest that both snoezelen and relaxation had a positive effect on concentration and seemed to be the most enjoyable therapies for clients, whereas hand massage/aromatherapy and active therapy had no or even negative effects on concentration and appeared less enjoyable.

A number of alternative therapies have recently been employed with people who have intellectual disabilities (IDs). The present study examines the effects of four frequently used therapies on the communication of people with profound ID. Communication was assessed using five measures of positive communication and five measures of negative communication. The therapies assessed were Snoezelen, active therapy, relaxation and aromatherapy/hand massage. There were eight participants in the present study and each received all four of the therapeutic procedures in a counterbalanced design. Treatment procedures were videotaped at sessions 5, 10, 15 and 20, and later scored for defined measures of communication. Both Snoezelen and relaxation increased the level of positive communication and had some effect on decreasing negative communication. However, active therapy and aromatherapy/hand massage had little or no effect on communication. The lack of a no‐treatment control is noted, especially in the light of trends seen at baseline. Considering the lack of generalization of therapeutic effects, the present results should be treated with caution.

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