Employability Social Skills Interventions in Transition-Age Youth with Intellectual Disabilities: A Literature Review

Employability skills are necessary for youth with Intellectual Disabilities (IDs) to successfully navigate their transition from educational settings to autonomous adult life. Most importantly, research evidence has shown that individuals with IDs appear to perform adequately on job tasks, yet they frequently face inadequacies in the social aspects of work life. Although much of the existing employability research has focused on social skills training related to employability for individuals with other disabilities, people with IDs are underrepresented in the literature. Thus, this review aimed to provide insight into the existing social skills interventions that promote employability in transition-age youth with IDs. Results indicated that although there is a limited number of studies regarding intervention programs on improving social skills related to employment for individuals with IDs, the majority of them positively impacted target behaviors, thus highlighting the need for further empirical research.

Relationship between Collaboration in Work Support and Knowledge and Skills in Providing Support for Individuals with Disabilities

Background: There has been growing hope for initiatives supporting the transition of persons with disabilities from employment-related welfare services to employees in companies. This is against the backdrop of a significant increase in employment among persons with disabilities in Japan. Objective: To improve the quality of this transition, this study examined the relationship between the collaboration of the Work Support Centers for Continuous Employment Type B (WSC-B) with vocational rehabilitation organizations (VROs) and knowledge and skills related to employment support. Methods: A survey including all 122 WSC-B in L-Prefecture was conducted by postal mail. The respondents were asked to rate items on the following six levels concerning collaboration with VROs and understanding of VROs. We used the Japanese version of the Self-Assessment for Students or Counselors (SASC-J) to assess knowledge and skills related to work support. Results: The t-test conducted on knowledge and skills status between WSC-B with a high degree of cooperation with VROs and those with low degrees confirmed significant differences among the various subsystems in VROs. Conclusion: Based on our results, we suggest that maximizing the use of collaboration in work support will enhance the support provided by WSC-B and promote transition support for people with disabilities.

Transformation of the Value-Semantic Sphere of Pathological Players in the Conditions of Rehabilitation

The spread of gambling addiction is one of the serious problems of modern society. A person involved in gambling creates preconditions for inevitable failure. Effective rehabilitation involves the reconstruction of the personality and aims to return the addict to a healthy and socially valuable life. The value-semantic sphere serves as one of the factors of psychological adaptation and the purpose of psychological correction of game addicts. The present research aimed to study the peculiarities of the transformation of the value-semantic sphere of pathological players in the context of a rehabilitation program. The research involved 42 pathological players undergoing a rehabilitation program for 6 months. We used methods: "Diagnosis of Interpersonal Relationships" by Leary; "Personality Time Perspective Questionnaire" by Zimbardo; "Meaning-Life Orientations" Leontiev; Stolin's Self-Ratio Questionnaire; "Morphological test of life values" by Sopov and Karpushina and personal data questionnaire. As a result of the study, the connection between the participation in the rehabilitation program and the change of the relationship profile of the pathological players to a more independent one was found. Changes in the time perspective of positive future, an increase of meaningfulness of life, an increase of the level of self-esteem, and a decrease of self-blame were revealed. The change of value from material provision to self-development and acceptance of oneself in the context of rehabilitation was revealed. As a result of the research, it was established that in rehabilitation conditions, the transformation of the value-semantic sphere of pathological players towards more adaptive is possible.

Perceptions of Students with Disabilities on Reasonable Accommodation at a Tertiary Education: A Case of a Rural University in Limpopo Province, South Africa

The advent of democracy in South Africa has put initiatives to redress social injustice suffered by women and people with disabilities. Enrollment of students with disabilities at universities increases yearly, influencing an increase in buying of assistive technologies to enable a teaching and learning environment. This paper explores the perceptions of students with disabilities on the role of reasonable accommodation in terms of accessibility and facilitation of teaching and learning at the university based on the human rights approach. A pre-corvid 19 pandemic survey used a convergent parallel mixed-method design to evaluate perceptions of reasonable accommodation on the campus. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected roughly simultaneously and integrated into the interpretation of the overall results. A focus group comprised of the representatives of students with disabilities was interviewed. The surveyed population comprised all students with disabilities between the ages of 18 to 25 registered with the Disability Support Unit (DSU) of the University of Venda. The questionnaires collected reasonable accommodation perceptions and satisfaction rates from students about organizational support and training. The distributed questionnaires produced a 90% response rate. The findings highlighted that students with disabilities encountered barriers of inaccessibility to classrooms and residents. Adequate learning material is a barrier for students with visual disabilities. Institutional budget and item costs render buying assistive technologies and building new infrastructures for students with disabilities a constraint. Policy and practice in the institution remain a limitation to interfacing education and disability smoothly.

Evaluate and Intervene in Sensory Processing Disorders by Occupational Therapists in Early Intervention Teams of the North of Portugal

Background: The National Early Childhood Intervention System of Portugal is an organized set of services under the responsibility of the Ministries of Health, Labor, and Social Security and Education aimed to support children between 0 and 6 years old and their families, and its mission is to ensure Early Childhood Intervention. At present, there is no research to support the extent of the use of sensory interventions in early intervention teams of Portugal. Aims: This study aims to analyze and understand the role of occupational therapists who support children with Sensory Processing Dysfunction and their families in local Early Intervention Teams. Methods: A qualitative and descriptive research was developed using semi-structured interviews. The interviews were conducted with ten occupational therapists who have worked in Early Intervention Teams in the North of Portugal for at least one year. Results: Modulation and Praxis were the categories of Sensory Processing Dysfunction most identified. Families consider that Sensory Processing Dysfunctions interfere with children's performance in activities of daily living and playing. Early childhood educators report that Sensory Processing Dysfunctions influence the child's participation in food, playing, and in more structured and directed activities. To transfer skills, occupational therapists organize training for professionals, families, and early childhood educators. Conclusion: The importance of collaborative work between professionals and the child's family is evident, and the support they provide in the natural environment and daily routines.

Socio-Psychological Criteria of the Formation of Gender Stereotypes of Appearance

The article considers the socio-psychological criteria for the formation of gender stereotypes of appearance. The priority of the study is implementing a system of criteria for gender stereotypes of appearance, taking into account the system of socio-psychological factors and gender-oriented forms of prevention of overcoming sexism and discrimination on the grounds of personality attractiveness. It is substantiated that social evaluation through physical criteria creates several psychological problems because the "physical self" is an essential component of the "self-concept" and one of the criteria of self-esteem. It is proved that the properties of gender stereotypes coincide with the social ones. They are the bearer of emotional and evaluative characteristics, taking into account the group of values associated with the ambivalence of ideas about another. A methodical approach to the assessment of gender stereotypes of appearance and personality is proposed, which allows determining the criteria of human well-being, taking into account discrimination factors, intrapersonal parameters of affective-negative perception of one's appearance and self-concept, as well as the aesthetic perception of identity. An assessment of socio-psychological factors of gender stereotypes of appearance, which is based on the methodological provisions of psychoanalysis and humanism, cognitive paradigm, dispositional theory, cross-cultural approach, and some sociological studies, is carried out. As an experiment on empirical verification of the stereotypes of appearance, their gender differences, and socio-psychological factors, a set of methods of psychological diagnosis is used, which allow determining indicators of stereotypes of appearance, self-esteem, and attitude to beauty; socio-psychological criteria for the formation of gender stereotypes of appearance. A methodology for assessing the criteria for improving the attitude of respondents to their own appearance by determining the level of self-esteem, satisfaction with appearance, awareness of gender differences in appearance, and the desire to improve their own appearance in case of discrimination has been developed and implemented.

Disability and Children as Begging Guides: For how Long Shall Children be Used as Begging Guides by Visually Impaired Persons in Africa?

This study examines the effect of using children as begging guides by people with sensory disabilities in Africa. It argues that in some African countries, visually impaired persons, especially parents and relatives, have devised the strategy of abusing their children or someone very close to them as begging guides for financial gain. While this strategy has remained a recurrent problem with severe social, economic, political, and legal implications, scientific research on addressing these implications is scarce. Given this, the article examines the rationale for using children as begging guides, its effects on the children and visually impaired parents, and mitigation strategies against abuse of children as begging guides in Africa. The qualitative research design based on key informant interviews (KIIs) complemented social exclusion and childhood theoretical underpinnings of the study. Results from (KIIs) showed that poverty, religion, cultural beliefs, financial profiteering, poor governance, breakdown in policy implementation against begging are among the rationale why children are abused and used as begging guides. The results also showed that these children experience low academic performance in school, harassment, psychological trauma, health complications from laborious trekking. At the same time, their visually impaired parents suffer from regrets and guilt of not being able to provide good parental care to their children. It concludes that good rehabilitation, vocational programmes, and prompt government supports for people with sensory disabilities would lessen the abuse and use of children as begging guides in Africa.

Environmental Friendliness of a Person’s Musical Space as a Factor of Personality Disharmony Prevention

The article discusses correlations between a person’s musical space and the degree of personality harmony. The sound environment of a person always influences personality formation and his/her behaviour. By studying a person's musical preferences, a degree of harmony of his/her personality development can be understood. The article's purpose is to determine the correlation of musical preferences with the existence of personality disharmony and types of his/her relationships with others, as well as to determine the specifics of the impact of music on personality features of people with special needs. The authors started from the assumption that, depending on his/her personality traits, a person prefers certain patterns of musical discourse. The empirical study aimed to study relations of such personality features that testify the personality disharmony and are manifested in non-viable relationships with others. The personality manifestations in communications and educational activities were also analyzed. It was determined that music therapy plays an important role in the formation of their personalities for people with special needs. The correlation of personality traits with the perception of music has shown that persons with the external locus of control choose musical discourses that, as for their psychological content, reflect uncertainty, amorphy of world perception or its simplicity, primitiveness; on the contrary, persons with the internal locus of control choose energetic, purposeful music. Persons with the disharmonious type of relationships choose music whose psychological and emotional content reflects the next personality traits: possible aggressive behaviour; a life course that does not demand serious decisions, irresponsibility, and reluctance to resolve complex situations.

Self- and Other-Focused Emotional Intelligence, Situational Emotional Understanding, and Experience of Loss

The links between emotional intelligence and loss are under-researched, even though a lot of studies have investigated the psychological outcomes of traumatic experiences. Many people suffered multiple losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a loss of job, money, support services, or loved ones. The loss of a loved one might result in severe psychological trauma, and research suggests that early-life trauma relates to numerous forms of emotion dysregulation, including stress-reactivity. The consequences of loss for people with special needs deserve special attention since it often means not only the loss of a loved one but also the usual way of life. Thus, it is essential to analyze various aspects of loss experience, including the impact on emotional regulation, to reduce the harmful consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this research was to examine emotional intelligence in groups of those who have a recent experience of loss and those who have not and to establish the impact of the experience of loss on the human psyche and mental health. We have analyzed the results of a simple random sample of gymnasium students (n=362). We hypothesized that the recent loss of a loved one diminishes the ability to understand self and other focused emotions as well as situational emotions. The survey has revealed that respondents who experienced the loss of a loved one understood better how individuals felt in the presented situations than those who did not have such experience. The premise that people who have experienced the loss of a loved one have a lower understanding of emotions than their peers who did not have such an experience has not been confirmed.

Fundamentals and Main Provisions of the Functional-Procedural Concept of Mental Deprivation

Science still does not have a single scientifically sound concept of mental deprivation, which would explain its psychological essence, this mental phenomenon cannot be adequately assessed, or measures to prevent or eliminate negative mental phenomena it provoked cannot be developed. The article aims to reveal the basic principles and substantiate the main provisions of the functional-procedural concept of mental deprivation. Psycho-energetic and energy-psycho-functional approaches were used, as well as methods of analysis, synthesis, abstraction, specification, comparison, generalisation, and grouping of knowledge about the human psyche. The functional-procedural concept of mental deprivation of humans covers an interconnected system of provisions. According to them, mental deprivation is a course of more or less powerful destructive processes in the functioning of his psyche. Such processes arose from the destruction of mental parameters in various areas due to long-term unfulfilling necessary for normal functioning and development. The development of a functional-procedural concept of mental deprivation of a human will make it possible, first, to adequately define its essence and content in the scientific dimension as a phenomenon of the psyche; secondly, to assess its impact on the functioning of the whole psyche; third, to disclose the impact on development or its delay, actions, behaviour, and activities of an individual; fourth, to develop psychotherapeutic measures to prevent the occurrence of mental deprivation and eliminate its negative consequences.