Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has negative impacts on affected preadolescent children; however, little is known about parents' experiences of parenting a preadolescent child with OCD, and limited provision exists to help parents to support their children. This study aimed to explore parents' experiences of parenting a preadolescent child…

Early intervention (EI) provision is critical for families who have children with developmental disabilities (DD), but existing evidence suggests accessing EI is not always straightforward. The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive description of access to various EI supports (e.g., professionals, services, interventions) for…

UK government responses to COVID-19 have intensified experiences of uncertainty for people with learning disabilities. The pandemic has eroded the support people receive, previously weakened by austerity measures. In research, COVID-19 related uncertainty has led to some reworking of methods and intensive contingency planning. This was to fulfil…

The Department for Education (DfE) commissioned IFF Research to undertake a survey and qualitative follow-up of HE providers to understand the range of institutional policies and practices they use to support student mental health and wellbeing. Questions in this study centred around the extent to which providers have adopted mental health and…

Families of autistic children from underserved populations participate in support services at lower rates than other families. To better understand possible reasons for this inequity, we reviewed qualitative studies examining parent-reported barriers and facilitators to accessing and participating in support services. A systematic search…

Knowledge of how parenthood is experienced by autistic women is currently poor. Nine autistic mothers to children aged 5-15 years completed semi-structured interviews, analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. All mothers considered at least one of their children to also be autistic. Four superordinate themes emerged: 1.…

Objectives: This paper seeks to explore from an historical perspective the way in which political climates impinge upon the public and professional perception of what constitutes appropriate provision for people with an intellectual disability. Methods: A systematic review of literature relating to policy and provision for people with an…

Background: Despite general increased recognition of the importance of fathers, their role in the lives of children with autism remains underresearched. Methods: This study aimed to investigate the nature and extent of father involvement through an online survey of fathers of children with a diagnosis of autism in the UK. Results: Of the 306…

Background: For many adults with an intellectual disability (ID), mealtimes carry significant health risks. While research and allied clinical guidance has focused mainly on dysphagia, adults with a range of physical and behavioural difficulties require mealtime support to ensure safety and adequate nutrition. The extent of need for and nature of…

Despite successive waves of school reform, the English education system, like many others, continues to be characterized by marked inequalities of outcome. These seem to be related to factors in students' family, community and wider societal contexts that schools traditionally have been powerless to tackle. This paper argues, however, that schools…

This paper is based on findings from ethnographic research which explored the impact of the Connexions initiative on the lives of young people. The fieldwork took place in three drop-in centres for young people, all of which were delivery sites for Connexions. Utilising the theoretical concepts of identity and self-esteem, it grounded this…

Background: Evaluative studies have shown that special units for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) who have challenging behaviour have advantages and disadvantages. There has been no survey of their number or characteristics for nearly 20 years. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to all National Health Service trusts that had ID inpatient…

This article explores the ways in which the neo-liberal impetus toward the privatization of state schooling signalled in the Education Reform Act 1988 (ERA) has become embedded in the English school system. Four main points are made. First, that ERA itself was of huge strategic rather than substantive importance as far as privatization is…

Describes work done to support the introduction of microcomputers into primary and secondary schools in Surrey. Use of the existing Media Resources Center is discussed, including services provided to support microcomputer use--equipment testing, quality instructional software acquisition, and original software production. (MBR)

This paper presents the views of a sample of parents from two early years settings in England, about their relationships with the centres, and the services available to both themselves and their children. In making their initial choice, and in promoting the centres to others, the importance of informal social contacts is stressed. Parents suggest…