Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR
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J Intellect Disabil Res · Jan 2007
An evaluation of Beck's cognitive theory of depression in adults with intellectual disability.
The theories supporting cognitive treatment for depression among individuals with intellectual disability (ID) have not been formally tested with this population. The current study evaluated Beck's cognitive theory of depression to determine its appropriateness for adults with ID. ⋯ The findings indicate that the cognitive triad can be measured among individuals with mild or moderate ID and is related to depression and depressed mood. However, the role of the cognitive triad in the development of depression is still unknown. The findings provide some support for Beck's cognitive theory of depression among individuals with ID and provide suggestions for further testing the theory. Implications for the treatment of depression among individuals with ID are discussed.
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J Intellect Disabil Res · Dec 2006
Child, parent and family factors as predictors of adjustment for siblings of children with a disability.
Siblings adjust to having a brother or sister with a disability in diverse ways. This study investigated a range of child, parent and family factors as predictors of sibling adjustment outcomes. ⋯ The results revealed that the family level of risk and resilience factors were better predictors of sibling adjustment than siblings' own experiences of stress and coping resources, highlighting the importance of familial and parental contributions to the sibling adjustment process. The implications of these results for the design of interventions and supports for siblings are discussed.
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Although coping with autism has been examined in a number of papers, virtually no research exists on how families cope over time. This paper reports the results of a longitudinal study of parents coping with autism over a period of approximately a decade. ⋯ Coping strategies changed from the time of the initial study, as fewer parents coped through reliance on service providers, family support, social withdrawal and individualism and relatively more parents coped through their religious faith and other emotion-focused strategies. The results tentatively support previous research on coping that indicates that aging is linked to the use of more emotion-focused coping strategies.
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J Intellect Disabil Res · May 2006
A cross-sectional multivariate analysis of children's attitudes towards disabilities.
Past research has shown that children can be biased against peers with disabilities, but the association of attitudes with gender, age and disability preferences, as well as interactions between these variables, are unclear. The objectives of this study were to examine these issues in a cross-sectional, split-plot study to clarify: (1) if elementary school children's attitudes towards peers with disabilities are related to age, gender and type of disability; (2) if interactions between these variables exist; and (3) if convergent validity could be achieved across three theoretically linked dependent variables. ⋯ Children's attitudes appear to be associated with several factors, including age and the presence or absence of disability. Gender differences in attitudes may be because of gender-based response biases rather than disability biases. Because of the multifaceted nature of childhood attitudes, cross-sectional designs with several dependent and independent variables provide an opportunity to examine consistency of results across measures and potential interactions between factors that may not be uncovered when variables are examined in isolation.
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J Intellect Disabil Res · May 2006
The transition to school: adaptation in young children with and without intellectual disability.
Previous research has highlighted the importance of the transition to school for young children and their families. A child's successful adaptation to school is likely influenced by a number of factors, including academic, social, emotional, behavioural and cognitive competencies. Children with intellectual disability (ID) may be at heightened risk for early school difficulties, in part due to their deficits in cognitive and adaptive behaviours. ⋯ Children with ID had less positive early school experiences, as indicated by multiple indices of adaptation to school. Fostering early social skills may be an important target for increasing the positive adaptation to school for young children, especially those with ID.