title: Effectiveness of IMPACT:Ability to Improve Safety and Self-Advocacy Skills in Students With Disabilities-Follow-Up Study.
abstract: Research shows that individuals with disabilities are more likely to experience abuse than their peers without disabilities. Yet, few evidenced-based abuse prevention interventions exist. This study examines whether positive outcomes identified previously in an evaluation of IMPACT:Ability were maintained 1 year later.
  
  
  
  A survey measuring safety and self-advocacy knowledge, confidence, and behaviors among special education high-school students was administered 12 months post-training. Paired samples t-tests were used to compare baseline to follow up and postsurvey to follow up and repeated measures analyses were conducted to test the effect of time across the 3 time points (baseline, post, and 1-year follow up) (N = 47).
  
  
  
  Follow-up study participants had a range of disabilities, just over half were boys, and most were either black or Latino/Hispanic. Difference between scores at baseline and follow-up for all the measures of interest represented gains from baseline. Statistically significant post-training improvements in participants' safety and self-advocacy knowledge and confidence were maintained 1-year later.
  
  
  
  These results provide additional support for the case that IMPACT:Ability is a promising safety and self-advocacy training program for diverse groups of students with disabilities.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Health; Harvard Medical School, 350 Main St., Malden, MA 02148.
authors.forename: Eileen M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Dryden
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Health, 350 Main St., Malden, MA 02148.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Desmarais
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Health; Harvard Medical School, 350 Main St., Malden, MA 02148.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arsenault
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012449:Safety; D012574:Schools; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: high school students; special needs youth; students with disabilities