Community-Based Action Research: Enhancing Participation and Well-Being for Families of Children and Young Adults With Sensory Processing Needs

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (4_Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 7211515225p1
Author(s):  
Andrea Tyszka ◽  
Fern Silverman
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Children And Young Adults

“Different but connected”: Participatory action research using Photovoice to explore well-being in autistic young adults

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 1246-1259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Yu Hin Lam ◽  
Emily Holden ◽  
Megan Fitzpatrick ◽  
Linda Raffaele Mendez ◽  
Karen Berkman
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
School Transition ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Transition Program ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Autistic Community

Past research has largely focused on the negative aspects of well-being of autistic young adults during the post-school transition. Research that meaningfully includes autistic individuals and captures their perspectives of positive well-being is essential for stakeholders to better understand how to provide services that respond to the needs and wants of the autistic community. In the current study, 14 autistic young adults in a post-school transition program participated in a Photovoice project and used photos to express their ideas about well-being. A participatory action research approach was used to support participants’ active engagement in the research processes and to encourage meaningful expression of their first-person perspectives. Results revealed an account of well-being reflecting expressions of individuality and growth, the significance of having close relationships, and a sense of connection with the community. This study has implications for research and practice that promotes well-being among the autistic community using approaches that are ethically informed and inclusive of autistic voices. Lay abstract Past research has mainly focused on autistic people’s deficits and poor outcomes compared to other groups of people. Little is known about their positive life experiences, and how to support them to achieve a higher quality of life. It is important to include autistic individuals in research so that they can influence how their voices are represented in a meaningful way and how the research results will be useful to them. In this study, a university researcher collaborated with 14 autistic young adults in a post-school transition program to design and run the research, collect and analyze the data, and use the results to create a presentation to the community. Specifically, the participants took photos in daily life and discussed their ideas about what a good life means to them. Results showed that these young adults described themselves as uniquely and different, but they were eager to learn and adapt. They also valued their relationships with their families, friends, and animals around them, as well as the community at large. This research shows that autistic individuals have important perspectives to share and knowledge to contribute when they are given the opportunities to participate in different aspects of research. The findings will be useful in developing services and influencing policies that promote well-being among autistic adults.

Teaching Children and Young Adults with Mental Retardation in School Programs: Current Research

1997 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha E. Snell
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Mental Retardation ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Research Integrity ◽  
Safety Skills ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Choice Making ◽  
School Programs ◽  
Children And Young Adults ◽  
Instructional Research

This paper reviews the recent behavioural research on instruction of children and young adults with mental retardation in schools settings and community-based school programs. Instructional research in 12 skill areas (motor, self-care, communication, social skills, choice making, school behaviours, health and safety skills, home management, leisure skills, community use, vocational skills, and academics) meeting specified criteria on population (age and disability), location of instruction, functionality of skill, and research integrity was identified in 11 journals from 1990 through 1996. The pool of identified research is discussed by skill category and by intervention method, with critical comments made regarding strengths and weaknesses. Conclusions are drawn for practitioners and future researchers.

Strategies to Promote the Inclusion of Young Adults With Developmental Disabilities in Community-Based Health Studies

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 958-971 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luz Maria Vazquez ◽  
Nazilla Khanlou ◽  
Deborah Davidson ◽  
Fatma Aidarus
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Developmental Disabilities ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Advisory Committees ◽  
Community Based Research ◽  
Underlying Principle ◽  
Health Studies ◽  
Children And Young Adults ◽  
Adults With Developmental Disabilities

We discuss strategies to promote the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities (DDs) in qualitative community-based research studies. Strategies were applied in three projects conducted between 2012 and 2017 that addressed issues of socioeconomic challenges, discrimination, and exclusion of children and young adults with developmental disabilities (YADD). Strategies included partnership with community organizations; inclusion of YADD, family caregivers (FCs), and service providers in advisory committees (ACs); and strategies to accommodate YADD. As part of our contribution, we discuss issues of invisibility and exclusion of individuals with DDs who have “low” functioning capacities. There is a need to review studies sampling inclusion criteria as they may constitute a barrier for participation. Preference for sampling “high” functioning individuals may reinforce exclusion in research, and replicate broader patterns of socioeconomic exclusion of individuals with disabilities. Our discussion of inclusive research is informed by critical disability studies and the underlying principle “nothing about us without us.”

scholarly journals Urban Regeneration Process: The Case of a Residential Complex in a Suburb of Rome, Italy

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 6122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Battisti ◽  
Asia Barnocchi ◽  
Silvia Iorio
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Local Network ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Definition Of

With the aim of promoting biological, social and psychological well-being, a multi-institutional and multidisciplinary action-research process was developed for the regeneration of a large residential complex in Rome, Italy. A methodology with a community-based approach was adopted in a context where spatial segregation is intertwined with health and social inequalities. Methods: Through qualitative-quantitative analysis involving the active participation of the local population and institutions in every stage, an integrated survey model was developed in order to create proper communication between the needs of the population and sustainable solutions. Results: the implemented process allowed for clear planning of actions and interventions that could be economically sustainable through the structuring and development of a local network. Conclusions: the process involving the participation of the population in the analysis of their own problems and difficulties, as well as in the development of possible interventions and actions to be proposed, appears to be the only adequate approach that allows for the definition of mutual objectives based on the real needs of the end users.

scholarly journals Using Youth Participatory Action Research as a Health Intervention in Community Settings

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 573-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Lindquist-Grantz ◽  
Michelle Abraczinskas
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Youth Participatory Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Community Based

Youth participatory action research (YPAR) emphasizes positive youth development by engaging young people as co-researchers and change agents on complex issues to produce solutions that are relevant to youth. YPAR has primarily been used in classroom and youth organization settings, which means there are very few examples of its usage in other community-based settings or as a health intervention approach. Additionally, there is a need for further study of YPAR implementation processes and the effect on youth development and well-being outcomes. In this article, we highlight the innovative use of YPAR as a community-based health intervention through two case studies in which the adolescent health issues of physical activity and suicide were addressed. We describe the design of each YPAR health intervention and the studies that were conducted to link participatory research processes to youth development and health outcomes. Using the lessons learned from these YPAR interventions, we propose best practices for the design, implementation, and evaluation of YPAR as a health intervention strategy in a community setting.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document