"[I] don't wanna just be like a cog in the machine": Narratives of autism and skilled employment.

Autistic people are less likely to be employed than the general population. Autistic people with skilled training (e.g.

Evaluating the self-determination model for older youth in foster care: Establishing efficacy and exploring moderation of response to intervention.

Limited rigorous research has been conducted to evaluate the impact of interventions designed to promote the successful transitions of young people exiting foster care. The current study builds on previous experimental evaluations of the Model (MLM) for self-determination enhancement, which demonstrated effectiveness in improving educational and transition-to-adulthood outcomes for youth in foster care with disabilities, including those with mental health challenges. The model features one-on-one youth-directed coaching and near-peer mentoring to increase self-determination and goal achievement.

The relation of abuse to physical and psychological health in adults with developmental disabilities.

Background: People with developmental disabilities are at disproportionately high risk of abuse. Although considerable evidence exists on the health-related consequences of abuse in the general population, little is known about those consequences in people with developmental disabilities.

Objective: To examine the relation of abuse with psychological and physical health outcomes in adults with developmental disabilities.

Perspectives of Youth in Foster Care on Essential Ingredients for Promoting Self-determination and Successful Transition to Adult Life: My Life Model.

Research clearly documents the serious challenges and poor outcomes experienced by many young people exiting foster care, as well as compounded disparities for the high percentage of youth in care who are identified with disabilities and/or mental health challenges. However, very little research has been conducted to specify or validate effective models for improving the transition trajectories of youth exiting care. Evidence suggests the My Life self-determination enhancement model offers a promising approach for supporting youths' self-determined and positive transition to adulthood.

Community-Based Participatory Research to Adapt Health Measures for Use by People With Developmental Disabilities.

Background: People with developmental disabilities (DD) are often not included as participants in research owing to a variety of ethical and practical challenges. One major challenge is that traditional measurement instruments may not be accessible to people with DD. Participatory research approaches promise to increase the participation of marginalized communities in research, but few partnerships have successfully used such approaches to conduct quantitative studies people with DD.

An Exploratory Study of a Computer-Assisted Abuse Awareness and Safety Planning Program for Men With Disabilities: The Men's Safer and Stronger Program.

Interpersonal violence (IPV) is a serious and often unrecognized problem for men with disabilities (MWD). However, abuse awareness programs and outcome measures have not been systematically evaluated in MWD. This article reports findings from an exploratory study (n = 31) of the Safer and Stronger Program for Men with Disabilities (Men's SSP), an audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) abuse awareness program.

Better futures: a randomized field test of a model for supporting young people in foster care with mental health challenges to participate in higher education.

The purpose of the study was to conduct a preliminary efficacy evaluation of the Better Futures model, which is focused on improving the postsecondary preparation and participation of youth in foster care with mental health challenges. Sixty-seven youth were randomized to either a control group that received typical services or an intervention group, which involved participation in a Summer Institute, individual peer coaching, and mentoring workshops. Findings indicate significant gains for the intervention group on measures of postsecondary participation, postsecondary and transition preparation, hope, self-determination, and mental health empowerment, as compared to the control group.

Development of an audio-computer assisted self-interview to investigate violence and health in the lives of adults with developmental disabilities.

Background: Audio computer-assisted self-interviews (ACASIs) have safely and effectively obtained sensitive research data from the general public and have been recommended for use with people with disabilities. However, few studies have used ACASIs with people with disabilities and ACASIs have not been used to investigate the relationship between disability, interpersonal violence (IPV), and physical and psychological health among people with developmental disabilities (PWDD).

Objective: We developed an accessible ACASI specifically designed to allow PWDD to answer questions independently, while privately and securely collecting anonymous data related to their disability, IPV experiences, and physical and psychological health.

Assessing Restrictiveness: A Closer Look at the Foster Care Placements and Perceptions of Youth With and Without Disabilities Aging Out of Care.

The aim of the study was to examine the experience of restrictiveness among transition-aged youth with disabilities in foster care. Utilizing a sample of 207 youth, placement types were explored for differences in disability status, race and sex. Further, youth perceptions of restriction around communication, movement around one's home, and access to the community were examined for youth receiving special education services (SPED), youth receiving developmental disability services (DD), and youth without disabilities.

Reaching everyone: Promoting the inclusion of youth with disabilities in evaluating foster care outcomes.

Efforts to evaluate foster care outcomes must avoid systematic exclusion of particular groups. Although often unrecognized as such, youth with disabilities are highly overrepresented in the U.S.

Gender, health ambiguity, and depression among survivors of first stroke: a pilot study.

Objective: To investigate the association between health ambiguity and depressive symptoms among stroke survivors and whether survivor gender moderates this association.

Design: Cross-sectional survey study.

Setting: General community.

Prevalence of interpersonal violence against community-living adults with disabilities: a literature review.

Objective: To review the empirical literature on the prevalence of interpersonal violence (IPV) against people with disabilities.

Method: The authors searched for, obtained, and reviewed 6,000 abstracts published between January, 2000 and August, 2010 via searches in PsycINFO and PubMed. Subsequently, 177 potentially applicable full-text articles were independently assessed for inclusion; 22 articles describing 21 individual studies were included in this review.

Expanding poststroke depression research: movement toward a dyadic perspective.

Research on depression following stroke has traditionally been oriented toward understanding the experiences of individual survivors or their spousal caregivers outside of the context of their committed relationship. Moving toward a dyadic orientation to the problem of poststroke depression, in which the stroke survivor-spouse dyad is viewed as the primary unit of analysis, will open the door to new lines of inquiry and may eventually lead to more effective treatments for survivors and their spouses. The first half of this article discusses the rationale for moving poststroke depression research toward a more dyadic perspective and highlights current efforts in this area.

Facilitators and barriers to disclosing abuse among women with disabilities.

An anonymous audio computer-assisted self-interview (A-CASI) designed to increase awareness of abuse was completed by 305 women with diverse disabilities. Data were also collected about lifetime and past year abuse; perpetrator risk characteristics; facilitators and barriers to disclosing abuse; abuse disclosure to a health provider, case manager, or police officer; and whether a health provider had ever discussed abuse or personal safety. A total of 276 (90%) women reported abuse, 208 (68%) reported abuse within the past year.

Poststroke depression: social workers' role in addressing an underrecognized psychological problem for couples who have experienced stroke.

Depression is the most common psychological challenge faced by many individuals and families following stroke. Fortunately, poststroke depression is treatable, and even preventable, if social work and other rehabilitation practitioners understand the most common risk factors and become familiar with measures for assessing for depression among patients with medical comorbidities such as stroke.The purpose of this article is to raise awareness among readers about the strong potential for depression following stroke and to provide an overview of common assessment measures.

Efficacy of a computerized abuse and safety assessment intervention for women with disabilities: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a computerized disability-specific abuse assessment intervention on abuse awareness, safety self-efficacy, and safety promoting behaviors of women with diverse disabilities.

Research Design: A randomized control group design was used, with the intervention group completing the assessment intervention both at Time 1 (T1) and 3 months later at Time 2 (T2) and control participants completing it for the first time at T2. Analyses compared intervention and control groups at T2 and evaluated change over time in intervention group participants.

Development of measures of abuse among women with disabilities and the characteristics of their perpetrators.

Three hundred and five women with diverse disabilities completed an anonymous audio computer-assisted self-interview designed to increase women's awareness of abuse. Data were also collected regarding abuse experienced in the past year and the risk characteristics of their perpetrators. Overall, 68% reported some type of abuse.

Interpersonal violence and women with disabilities: analysis of safety promoting behaviors.

Very little information exists related to the interpersonal violence safety promoting behaviors of women with disabilities. Information about women's use of safety promoting behaviors was gathered from 305 disabled and deaf women who completed an anonymous Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview. Exploratory factor analyses revealed factors related to seeking abuse-related safety information, building abuse-related safety promoting skills, using relationship support, planning for emergencies, taking legal action, and managing safety in personal assistance relationships.

Development of an accessible Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (A-CASI) to screen for abuse and provide safety strategies for women with disabilities.

To increase safety and minimize the risk of interpersonal violence, it is critical that women with disabilities and Deaf women have an opportunity to identify whether or not abuse is happening in their lives. Awareness and knowledge of what constitutes abusive behaviors is an essential first step in addressing interpersonal violence. This article includes a description of the development and evaluation of the Safer and Stronger Program (SSP), an audio computer-assisted self-interview program, which was created for women with disabilities and Deaf women for the purposes of increasing awareness of abuse, encouraging safety-planning behaviors, and providing information about community resources.

Are we ignoring youths with disabilities in foster care? An examination of their school performance.

This study examined the extent to which the academic achievement of adolescents receiving both foster care and special education services differs from the performance of youths involved in only foster care, special education, or general education. Extant school data were collected on 327 students, ages 13 through 21, who attended school in a large urban school district in Oregon. The study also collected information about students' general foster care experiences, such as length of time in care and type and number of placements.

Understanding the role of health care providers during the transition of adolescents with disabilities and special health care needs.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of health care providers in the transition from pediatric to adult health care for adolescents with disabilities and special health care needs (SHCN) from both the families' and providers' perspectives.

Methods: A total of 753 parents of adolescents with SHCN (e.g.