Opportunity and the promotion of activity among adults with severe intellectual disability living in community residences: the impact of training staff in active support.
Active support, a package of procedures which includes activity planning, support planning and training on providing effective assistance, was introduced in five community residences serving 19 adults with severe intellectual disability following a multiple baseline design. The residents were directly observed to ascertain the level of assistance they received from staff and their engagement in activity. The introduction of active support increased the levels of assistance residents received, their engagement in domestic activities and their total engagement in activity. The intervention did not affect the level of social engagement. Across individuals, increases in assistance and engagement in activity were significantly and positively correlated. Both were significantly inversely related to resident adaptive behaviour. At baseline, staff gave more attention and assistance to people who were behaviourally more able. After the introduction of active support, receipt of attention was unrelated to adaptive behaviour and the behaviourally less able received more assistance. The disparity in activity between the more and less able was reduced. Gains were maintained in the majority of houses.
Welsh Centre for Learning Disabilities Applied Research Unit, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.
E
E
Jones
J
J
Perry
K
K
Lowe
D
D
Felce
S
S
Toogood
F
F
Dunstan
D
D
Allen
J
J
Pagler
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003688:Deinstitutionalization; D005260:Female; D016352:Group Homes / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012114:Residential Treatment / Q000379:methods*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support; D006113:United Kingdom