Six members of the Tizard team travelled to the Seattle Club Conference, for young researchers in learning disabilities, in Kendal in December, with Prof Glynis Murphy giving the key note speech “Intellectual Disabilities and the Criminal Justice System: Recent Research and Remaining Questions”.
Paraskevi Triantafyllopoulou, Research Assistant, presented her recent research “Carers’ views of sleep disorders in adults with intellectual disabilities”. The prevalence of sleep problems in people with intellectual disabilities (ID) is much higher than in the general population. Most of the studies investigating sleep in ID tend to focus on children rather than adults. The aim of the current study is to identify the most common sleep problems that carers believe adults with ID tend to experience; to investigate whether a degree of ID affects sleep problems and finally to look at whether the carers’ views of the individuals’ challenging behaviours correlate with sleep problems.
Dr Jill Bradshaw, newly appointed Lecturer, gave a poster presentation “Staff attributions of challenging behaviour and perceptions of communication in adults with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour”. Communication partners have a major role in making interpretations of communicative acts. This research was designed to provide opportunities for these partners (staff supporting service users) to discuss their views, experiences and interpretations of communication and challenging behaviour in order to explore the role these play in their interactions and responses.
Likewise Aida Malovic, Research Assistant at the Tizard also gave a poster presentation. Aida’s poster is based on “The people with Asperger Sydrome and anxiety disorders (PAsSA) trial”. There is a body of literature demonstrating that children, adolescents and adults with Asperger Syndrome and high functioning autism have significant problems with anxiety. These problems may significantly impair their quality of life. There is evidence to suggest that cognitive behaviour therapy is an effective treatment for anxiety. The study is looking to determine whether or not psychological treatments for anxiety can be adapted and used to successfully treat the anxiety experienced by people with Asperger syndrome.
http://www.kent.ac.uk/tizard/research/Current_recent_research.html
http://www.seattleclub.org.uk/