Eating behaviour and food choices in children with Down’s syndrome, autistic spectrum disorder or cri du chat syndrome and comparison groups of siblings

High sugar foods and beverages consumed frequently are associated with increased dental caries and periodontal disease. Based on parental survey responses, the diets of children with Down’s syndrome, autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and cri du chat syndrome and comparison groups of siblings were considered from an oral health perspective. In each group children who were frequent consumers of one high sugar food or beverage were likely to be high consumers of others, whilst other children were low consumers of high sugar foods and beverages. Children in middle and late childhood tended to consume more cariogenic foods and beverages than preschool children. For most children frequency of meal and snack consumption would allow little opportunity for remineralization of teeth.

Family intervention and acquisition of adaptive behaviour among intellectually disabled children

A trial was designed to evaluate the role of enhanced parental attitude towards management of intellectual disability in the acquisition of adaptive behaviour. Fifty-seven children with intellectual disability and their parents were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of either multimodal adaptive behaviour training plus interactive group psycho-education (intervention group); or multimodal adaptive behaviour training plus didactic lectures (control group). Blinded raters were involved. Completers’ and intention-to-treat analyses were conducted. In the intention-to-treat sample, 22 of 29 children in the intervention group compared with four of 28 children in the control group showed a significant improvement in the acquisition of adaptive behaviour. The minimum additive efficacy provided by the enhanced parental attitude was 80 percent. Meaningful clinical benefits on various measures were found for the intervention group after training. Parental attitude intervention should be included in adaptive behaviour training for children with intellectual disability, as enhanced parental attitude has short-term positive effects.

Effects of functional versus non-functional explanations for challenging behaviours on treatment acceptability

The study evaluated the effects of type of information naive participants received about challenging behaviour on ratings of acceptability of two multi-element treatment plans. Three groups of 20 undergraduate students with no experience of intellectual disability watched an identical 5 minute acted video of an individual with an intellectual disability engage in aggressive behaviour. Voiceover on the video differed: one group was exposed to information derived from a functional assessment, one to causal information that reflected personality and emotional factors, and the third to no causal information. Participants then rated two multielement treatment plans: one based upon functional assessment, and the other upon general non-aversive interventions. Results indicate that all groups were more accepting of the functional plan. However, individuals exposed to information derived from functional assessment were less accepting of non-functional treatment plans. Results have implications for staff cultures and the explanations for challenging behaviours that these cultures endorse.

The expectations and experiences of Filipino nurses working in an intellectual disability service in the Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland has experienced difficulty in recruiting nurses to both acute and long-term care settings, including intellectual disability. Many health care providers have looked outside Ireland for nurses to provide services guaranteed under national health strategies. This article describes a small-scale study undertaken in a large service provider following the employment of a large number of Filipino nurses. The aim was to explore the expectations and experiences of a sample of 10 Filipino nurses working in Ireland for at least 3 months. A qualitative approach using a phenomenological philosophy was adopted. Data were collected using focus group discussion followed by seven individual interviews, and analysed using a framework described by Moustakas. Five themes emerged: infrastructure; expectation versus experience; understanding of intellectual disability; education; and the role of the family. The study highlights the Filipino nurses’ expressed need for more accurate and relevant information during recruitment in the Philippines.