Attachment In Intellectual And Developmental Disability

Attachment in Intellectual and Developmental Disability “Skillfully introduced and edited by Helen Fletcher and her colleagues, this long-needed collection of excellent chapters on attachment and disability reveals the vast wellspring of resilience that persons with disability possess – or can be helped to achieve. Readers will discover how best to support a family member, client or friend with a ‘disability’. A definitive resource for multiple disciplines, this book is surely required reading for all those working in the health professions aimed at addressing the needs of those with severe physical, mental or emotional impairments.” Professor Howard Steele, New School for Social Research “This informative, comprehensive text is unique, and is destined to become an invaluable national and international resource on attachment issues in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Given the breadth and depth of this book, practitioners can use it both as a guide in practice and as a resource for research purposes. Both the editors and contributors are to be congratulated for introducing attachment theory to a wider audience, who will all, I am sure, appreciate the centrality and importance of this theoretical framework to their everyday practice.” Professor Bob Gates, University of West London This title in The Wiley Series in Clinical Psychology is the first to explore the role of attachment theory in understanding and helping children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). There is a growing evidence base of interventions for IDD underpinned by attachment theory, including direct intervention and the application of attachment theory to understand the interactions and relationships that occur between individuals with IDD and those who support them. Attachment in Intellectual and Developmental Disability brings together leading clinicians and researchers to present and integrate cutting-edge models and approaches that have previously been accessible only to specialists. They discuss the role of attachment theory in clinical practice when working across the lifespan of people with IDD, the theoretical basis of attachment difficulties, and how these difficulties are presented. They also discuss practical approaches to assessment and intervention, using clear case studies to illustrate the applications of attachment theory to clinical work.

Attachment in Intellectual and Developmental Disability: A Clinician’s Guide to Practice and Research is the first book to explore the clinical difficulties associated with attachment relationships in people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Draws together knowledge from disparate sources in a definitive new resource for clinicians working in this area A growing body of evidence-based approaches in this area are underpinned by attachment theory, including direct intervention and the use of attachment theory to understand interactions and relationships Presents and integrates cutting-edge models and approaches that have previously been available only to specialists Written by mainstream practitioners who are active in clinical work and research; focused on real-world applications, with illustrative case examples throughout

This book gathers together recent international research in intellectual disability (ID), examining the diverse modes of existence that characterise living with intellectual disabilities in the 21st century. Ranging from people with no speech and little mobility who need 24-hour care, to people who marry or hold down jobs, this book moves beyond the typical person with ID imagined by public policy: healthy, with mild ID and a supportive family, and living in a welcoming community. The book is divided into three sections. The first, ‘A richer picture of people and relationships’, expands our understanding of different people and lifestyles associated with ID. The second section, ‘Where current policies fall short’, finds that Supported Living provides just as 'mediocre' a form of care as group homes, and concludes that services for people with challenging behaviour are unrelated to need. The contributors’ research identifies no effective employment support strategies, as well as technological and legal changes that prevent organisations from employing people with ID. With nearly a quarter of this population in poor health, the contributors reflect on whether ‘social model’ approaches should be allowed to trump medical considerations. The third section, ‘New thinking about well-being’, reveals that being old, poor, and living alone increases health risk, and that medication administration is significantly more complex for people with ID. Moving beyond 20th century certainties surrounding intellectual disability, this book will be of interest to those studying contemporary issues facing those living with ID, as well as those studying public health policy more widely. The chapters in this book were originally published in issues of the Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability.

Help adults with intellectual disabilities improve their mental health and quality of life Introduces a new emotional development, evidence-based model Details phases and milestones of development for people with ID Explains challenging behaviour and mental health problems according to the model Detailed guidance on how to apply the approach in practice Full of case examples More about the book Using a developmental perspective, the authors offer a new, integrated model for supporting people with intellectual disability (ID). This concept builds upon recent advances in attachment-informed approaches, by drawing upon a broader understanding of the social, emotional, and cognitive competencies of people with ID, which is grounded in developmental neuroscience and psychology. The book explores in detail how challenging behaviour and mental health difficulties in people with ID arise when their basic emotional needs are not being met by those in the environment. Using individually tailored interventions, which complement existing models of care, practitioners can help to facilitate maturational processes and reduce behaviour that is challenging to others. As a result, the "fit" of a person within his or her individual environment can be improved. Case examples throughout the book illuminate how this approach works by targeting interventions towards the person's stage of emotional development. This book will be of interest to a wide range of professionals working with people with ID, including: clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, learning disability nurses, speech and language therapists, and teachers in special education settings, as well as parents and caregivers.

This book came about from the authors' experience working together in clinical learning disabilities services, and their work to move the focus away from the management of challenging behaviour and towards a trauma-informed, attachment-based approach to caring. It will introduce some of the key theories that have informed our understanding of the emotional development of people with intellectual disabilities and the importance of receiving love from an attachment figure from a young age, followed by case studies that focus on the lives of particular individuals - sometimes presented as individual therapy sessions and sometimes an overview of progress across many sessions. Whilst it describes work done by a psychology team in community health services, it is relevant to all health and social care professionals who help people with intellectual disabilities, as well as useful for advocates, service commissioners, families and healthcare generalists.

Understanding Intellectual Disability: A Guide for Professionals and Parents supports professionals and parents in understanding critical concepts, correct assessment procedures, delicate and science-infused communication practices and treatment methods concerning children with intellectual disabilities. From a professional perspective, this book relies on developmental neuropsychology and psychiatry to describe relevant measures and qualitative observations when making a diagnosis and explores the importance of involving parents in the reconstruction of a child’s developmental history. From a parent’s perspective, the book shows how enriched environments can empower children’s learning processes, and how working with patients, families, and organizations providing care and treatment services can be effectively integrated with attachment theory. Throughout seven chapters, the book offers an exploration of diagnostic procedures, new insights on the concept of intelligence and the role of communication and secure attachment in the mind’s construction. With expertise from noteworthy scholars in the field, the reader is given an overview of in-depth assessment and intervention practices illustrated by several case studies and examples, as well as a lifespan perspective from a Human Rights Model of disability. Understanding Intellectual Disability is an accessible guide offering an up-to-date vision of intellectual disability and is essential for psychologists, health care professionals, special educators, students in clinical psychology, and parents. Things are connected through invisible bonds: you cannot pluck a flower without unsettling a star. Galileo Galilei

Help adults with intellectual disabilities improve their mental health and quality of life Introduces a new emotional development, evidence-based model Details phases and milestones of development for people with ID Explains challenging behaviour and mental health problems according to the model Detailed guidance on how to apply the approach in practice Full of case examples More about the book Using a developmental perspective, the authors offer a new, integrated model for supporting people with intellectual disability (ID). This concept builds upon recent advances in attachment-informed approaches, by drawing upon a broader understanding of the social, emotional, and cognitive competencies of people with ID, which is grounded in developmental neuroscience and psychology. The book explores in detail how challenging behaviour and mental health difficulties in people with ID arise when their basic emotional needs are not being met by those in the environment. Using individually tailored interventions, which complement existing models of care, practitioners can help to facilitate maturational processes and reduce behaviour that is challenging to others. As a result, the "fit" of a person within his or her individual environment can be improved. Case examples throughout the book illuminate how this approach works by targeting interventions towards the person's stage of emotional development. This book will be of interest to a wide range of professionals working with people with ID, including: clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, learning disability nurses, speech and language therapists, and teachers in special education settings, as well as parents and caregivers.

Children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at high risk of co-morbid emotional, behavioural, and psychiatric problems that may further reduce their functional abilities. For the clinicians who support them and their families, meeting the needs of children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental health problems is challenging. In this book, clinicians who work with young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental health problems will find a comprehensive framework for how their complex needs might best be addressed. Relevant biological, developmental, family, educational, social, and cultural factors are integrated. The evolution of developmental sequence is seen as vital to understanding the mental health problems of young people with disabilities. This view informs multi-dimensional assessment of behaviour, and addresses conceptual confusion in defining behaviour problems, developmental disorders, mental disorders, and serious mental illnesses. Evidence-based interventions to promote skill development and mental health in young people with disabilities are described. A model for how interdisciplinary and multi-agency collaboration and co-ordination might be facilitated is outlined. Parents’ perspectives are also presented. Fundamentally, though, this is a book by clinicians, for clinicians. All clinicians and other professionals who work to improve mental health outcomes and quality of life more generally for young people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities - paediatricians, child psychiatrists, psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, social workers, behaviour clinicians, counsellors, teachers, agency managers, among others – will find the book invaluable.