As if living like others: An idealisation of life in group homes for people with intellectual disability

Abstract

Background: People with Intellectual Disability (ID) in Sweden should be enabled to live like others. This life like others is realised in group homes that have little in common with the typical home. Method: A reading of Appiah's As if is used to discuss how people with ID are supported in Sweden. Current national data are presented within the framework of idealisation, the use of (useful) untruths to navigate a complex context. Results: Small group homes should allow people with ID to communicate their preferences and exert real influence over how support is provided. Instead, times of budget austerity require the efficient use of resources in ever larger settings, where normalisation of deviance is prevalent. Conclusions: Although the stated aim is that people with ID live like others, the idealisation is rather that they live as if they live like others. This is generally not discussed, possibly due to dedifferentiation.

Forms of resistance in people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities

“…Eric's rationale suggests that institutional schedules take precedence over the preference of the individual. Svanelöv (2019) suggests that institutional ideas of what is good for a person with disabilities are often imposed upon them in services, while Altermark (2017) points out that staff members tend to teach capabilities they think are necessary so that the person with intellectual disabilities can live as ‘normal’ a life as possible (Björne, 2020; Hellzen, Haugenes & Östby, 2018). However, this can leave little room for the person using the service to make decisions about how they spend their time.…”

Å skape gode hverdagsliv

“…Retten til «å leve og bo som andre» har lenge vaert et politisk ideal (NOU 2016: 17). Björne (2020) viser til personer med utviklingshemming som har bofellesskap som boform og verken har valgt de man bor med eller de som yter tjenester der. Hun argumenterer med utgangspunkt i Appiah ( , i Björne, 2020) at for personer med utviklingshemming blir det å leve og bo som andre i beste fall en antakelse og idealisering av livet i disse bofellesskapene.…”

“…Hun argumenterer med utgangspunkt i Appiah ( , i Björne, 2020) at for personer med utviklingshemming blir det å leve og bo som andre i beste fall en antakelse og idealisering av livet i disse bofellesskapene. Hun etterlyser studier av hvordan man ved bruk av ulike metoder kan støtte personer med utviklingshemming (Björne, 2020). Til tross for at voksne personer med utviklingshemming først og fremst er borgere som alle andre, er de som gruppe mer utsatt for ekskludering og marginalisering enn befolkningen ellers (NOU 2016: 17).…”

Can SENCOs do their job in a bubble? The impact of Covid-19 on the ways in which we conceptualise provision for learners with special educational needs

“…A middle-ground, so to speak, between those fully conversant with relevant scholarship and those more comfortable with policy-led definitions can be found in the literature that 'foregrounds micro-and mundane moments in order to make sense of powerful discourses, practices and relations' (Thomas & Sakellariou, 2018, p. 4). There are numerous international accounts of the lived experiences of those with a label of SEN/D (see Björne, 2020;Deacon et al, 2020;Nind & Strnadova, 2020) that offer accessible explanations beyond those given by the State. Simply put, critiques of practices that shape our identities can enable SENCOs to understand the complex social processes that shape their perceptions of the world.…”