Wellbeing of Family Carers of Adults With Intellectual Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UK: Longitudinal Study.

Background: Longitudinal studies of family carers of people with intellectual disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic have been very rare. This study investigated trajectories of family-carer wellbeing and the impact of the caring role on carers' health over four time points measured during the COVID-19 pandemic and after all public health restrictions had been lifted (between December 2020 and late 2022) across the United Kingdom.

Methods: Family carers of adults with intellectual disabilities participated through a co-designed, online survey at four time points across the pandemic (2020-2022).

Programme Recipient and Facilitator Experiences of Positive Family Connections for Families of Children With Intellectual Disabilities and/or Who Are Autistic.

Background: Family members of children with developmental disabilities on average report poorer family functioning and mental health. Positive Family Connections is a co-produced, positively-oriented, family-systems support programme for families of children with developmental disabilities aged 8-13. We investigated experiences of Positive Family Connections, and the processes involved in change.

Teaching Early Reading Skills to Adults With Intellectual Disabilities Using a Support Worker/Family Carer Mediated Online Reading Programme: A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial.

Background: There is a paucity of research into interventions that help people with intellectual disabilities learn to read. This feasibility study examines whether an online reading programme, Headsprout, with additional support strategies and supervision (the intervention), can be delivered by support workers/family carers and the feasibility of conducting a later large-scale effectiveness trial.

Methods: The study used a 2-arm randomised controlled trial (RCT) design with an embedded process evaluation using a mixed methods approach.

Emotional literacy programme in special schools for children with a learning disability in England: the ZF-SEND feasibility RCT.

Background: Children with a learning disability experience a range of inequalities and adverse life events that put them at greater risk of mental health problems. The construct of emotional literacy has been shown to be a moderating factor of how life stress affects mental health. Teaching emotional literacy in schools may therefore be an effective way to promote positive mental health.

What Would Have Helped People With Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities in the UK During COVID-19?

People with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities can be excluded from research and relatively little is known about the experiences of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities and their carers during COVID-19. This paper aims to further explore the impact on this group via information provided by paid and family carers. It focuses on key areas such as access to social and health services in addition to questions about health and well-being.

Behavioural interventions to treat anxiety in adults with autism and moderate to severe intellectual disabilities: the BEAMS-ID feasibility study.

Background: Interventions for anxiety need to be adapted to meet the needs of autistic people with moderate to severe learning disabilities and successfully modelled before evidence about efficacy can be generated from clinical trials.

Objectives: The objectives were to: (1) adapt a behavioural intervention for anxiety, develop an intervention fidelity checklist and logic model, and appraise candidate outcome measures, together with carers, autistic people, and clinicians, (2) characterise treatment-as-usual, (3) model the adapted intervention to determine the acceptability and feasibility for all stakeholders, judge the appropriateness of outcome measures, examine the feasibility and acceptability of consent and associated processes and (4) describe factors that facilitate or challenge intervention delivery.

Design: This study had two phases.

(Not) Going Out and Barriers to Leaving the House for People With Intellectual Disabilities Through the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UK.

Background: People with intellectual disabilities commonly experience multiple barriers to 'going out'.

Aims: This paper explores what barriers prevented people from going out, and if the extent and nature of going out changed over time for people with intellectual disabilities as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed.

Methods: Data are drawn from a wider study that explored, at four time points, the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities through the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Statistical analysis plan for the SOLUTIONS randomised controlled trial with internal pilot: Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) in 10-17-year-olds presenting at policy custody.

Background: Within England, children and young people entering police custody are referred to Liaison and Diversion (L&D) teams. These teams liaise with healthcare and other support services aiming to divert children and young people away from the criminal justice system. Although targeted psychological interventions are not typically offered to children and young people by L&D teams, evidence suggests that Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) leads to a reduction in internalising and externalising behaviour problems.

The influence of therapy quality on outcomes from behavioural activation and guided self-help treatments for depression in adults with intellectual disabilities.

Objectives: We report the effect of quality of therapy delivery on outcomes in a randomized, controlled trial of behavioural activation (BA) and guided self-help (GSH) for depression in adults with intellectual disabilities.

Methods: A study specific measure of quality was used in a linear mixed effect model to determine the effects therapy and therapy quality on therapy outcome.

Results: There was a significant interaction between quality and treatment type, with lower quality therapy associated with better outcome for GSH but poorer outcome for BA, with little difference in outcomes at higher levels of therapy quality.

Behavioural interventions to treat anxiety in adults with autism and moderate to severe intellectual disabilities: The BEAMS-ID feasibility study.

Background: The aim of this feasibility study was to adapt and model a behavioural intervention for anxiety with autistic adults with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities.

Method: Twenty-eight autistic adults with moderate or severe intellectual disabilities, 37 carers, and 40 therapists took part in this single-group non-randomised feasibility study designed to test intervention feasibility and acceptability, outcome measures, and research processes.

Results: The intervention was judged as feasible and acceptable by autistic adults with intellectual disabilities, carers, and therapists.

Positive family connections for families of children with a developmental disability: Cluster randomized controlled trial.

Positive Family Connections is a coproduced, positively oriented, family-systems program for families of children with a developmental disability aged 8-13 years. The study was a feasibility cluster randomized-controlled trial which was registered prospectively (International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number 14809884). Families (clusters) were randomized 1:1 to take part in Positive Family Connections immediately or to a waitlist condition and were followed up 4 months and 9 months after randomization.

Child behavior problems and parental psychological distress in Chinese families of children with autism: The putative moderating role of parental social support and cultural values.

The wellbeing of parents of children with autism residing in mainland China remains understudied. We aimed to examine whether and how parental perceived social support, individualism, and collectivism acted together to moderate the relationships between child behavior problems and parental psychological distress in Chinese parents of children with autism. With convenience and snowball sampling, data on 268 primary caregiver parents of children with autism were collected from an online cross-sectional survey.

Solutions Trial: Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) in 10-17-year-olds presenting at police custody: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Within England, children and young people (CYP) who come into police custody are referred to Liaison and Diversion (L&D) teams. L&D teams have responsibility for liaising with healthcare and other support services while working to divert CYP away from the criminal justice system but have traditionally not provided targeted psychological interventions to CYP. Considering evidence that Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) leads to a reduction in internalising and externalising behaviour problems in CYP, the aim of this randomised controlled trial (RCT) was to determine whether there is a difference between services as usual (SAU) plus SFBT offered by trained therapists working within a L&D team, and SAU alone, in reducing offending behaviours in 10-17-year-olds presenting at police custody.

Exploring critical intervention features and trial processes in the evaluation of sensory integration therapy for autistic children.

Background: We evaluated the clinical and cost-effectiveness of manualised sensory integration therapy (SIT) for autistic children with sensory processing difficulties in a two-arm randomised controlled trial. Trial processes and contextual factors which may have affected intervention outcomes were explored within a nested process evaluation. This paper details the process evaluation methods and results.

Adapting psychological interventions for people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities: A behavioural activation exemplar.

Background: People with severe to profound intellectual disabilities experience similar or higher levels of depression than those with more mild intellectual disabilities. Yet, there is an absence of evidence about how to adapt existing psychological therapies for this population.

Method: A behavioural activation intervention (BeatIt) for people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities was adapted for people with severe to profound intellectual disabilities and depression.

Behavioural activation for depressive symptoms in adults with severe to profound intellectual disabilities: Modelling and initial feasibility study.

Background: Almost no research has been published reporting on evaluations of the effectiveness of psychological interventions for people with severe to profound intellectual disabilities and depression. This paper describes the development and initial feasibility testing of an adapted Behavioural Activation therapy (BeatIt2) for this population.

Method: Phase 1 of the study examined participant recruitment and willingness to be randomised in the context of a planned Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT).

Interventions addressing challenging behaviours in Arab children and adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism: A systematic review.

Background: Arabs with intellectual disabilities and/or autism may exhibit challenging behaviour that affects them and their caregivers. Early, appropriate intervention may reduce these effects. This review synthesised and critically appraised challenging behaviour intervention research for this population.

Digital adaptation of the Standing up for Myself intervention in young people and adults with intellectual disabilities: the STORM feasibility study.

Background: Stigma contributes to the negative social conditions persons with intellectual disabilities are exposed to, and it needs tackling at multiple levels. Standing Up for Myself is a psychosocial group intervention designed to enable individuals with intellectual disabilities to discuss stigmatising encounters in a safe and supportive setting and to increase their self-efficacy in managing and resisting stigma.

Objectives: To adapt Standing Up for Myself to make it suitable as a digital intervention; to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of Digital Standing Up for Myself and online administration of outcome measures in a pilot; to describe usual practice in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic to inform future evaluation.

Sibling Relationship and Behavioral Adjustment in Families of Disabled Children: Cross-Lagged Associations.

Cross-lagged panel designs were used to examine longitudinal and potential (bi)directional relationships between primary caregiver reported sibling relationship quality and the behaviors of children with intellectual disability (n = 297) and their closest in age siblings. The behavioral and emotional problems of the child with intellectual disability positively predicted sibling conflict over time. When accounting for control variables, this relationship was no longer present.