Tizard News and Events

This international annual conference held in Amsterdam this year, gets police and criminal justice researchers together to debate diverse topics, from child abuse to road traffic accidents. Prof Glynis Murphy  (Tizard Centre) was presenting in a session about intellectual disabilities on the OFFSCA-ID project, which is following up people with ID when they leave prison. Many receive little or no support from social services or health and are re-arrested very quickly.

For details of the OFFSCA-ID research currently being undertaken: http://www.kent.ac.uk/tizard/research/research_projects/OFFSCA_ID.html

We are delighted to announce that this year we have two students studying with us who have secured presitigous awards.

Moffat Louis has been awarded a Chevening Scholarship in 2014.  This is a much respected and admired award which enables overseas students to study in the United Kingdom.  Talented and young professionals are identified with the ultimate goal of building a network of overseas contacts. Moffat is studying for an MSc in Analysis and Intervention in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at the Tizard Centre.

Rebecca Monteleone has come to study at the Tizard having been awarded a Fulbright Award.  These are available to American postgraduates wishing to undertake a Master’s or higher research programme in social policy, history, or law at the University of Kent.  Becca has enrolled on our MA Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities course.

We are pleased to welcome them both to the Tizard Centre and to the University and wish them  a very successful year.

We are delighted to confirm that £146.00 was raised in cash donations for the Fragile X Society following the screening of “Mission to Lars”,  the story of a road trip of a lifetime with just one condition …. Tom’s.  The film shows two siblings attempt to fulfil their brother Tom’s dream of meeting rock God Lars Ulrich of Metallica, in a tale with is both funny and touching.

The event was well supported and as well as a great film the audience also enjoyed delicious cakes made by Rebecca Hardiman to raise further donations for the Society.

Becky  is currently studying for a PhD at the Tizard Centre which focusses on the relationship between biology and behaviour in Fragile X Syndrome. She is also a director of the Fragile X Society, the UK charity supporting families affected by Fragile X Syndrome.  If anyone wants to make a further donation this can be done by texting “FRAG11 £(amount)” to 70070).

Choosing services for adults with learning disabilities or autism

Choice has become an important slogan in social care: people should be able to choose a high quality service that best meets their need. In reality, we know very little about how services are identified and selected.

This research study explores the process of choosing services (for example residential care, supported living services, respite care etc.) for people with a learning disability or autism. We are especially interested in how the quality of services is considered in this process, and what type of information is found useful.

To do this we would like to talk to people who have experience in finding or choosing services for people with learning disabilities or autism, such as family carers or advocates and disabled people themselves.

If you or the person you support is interested in sharing their experiences with us or you would like to find out more about the study, please contact Beckie Whelton at the Tizard Centre (e-mail: R.Whelton@kent.ac.uk; phone: 01227 827771).

If you know anyone who might be interested in this research, please forward this information to them.

For an easy read verson:  qorueasyread

The Tizard Centre recently welcomed 5 experts from Japan who were visiting Prof Murphy, Dr Neil Sinclair and Aida Malovic. They were discussing the SOTSEC-ID programme which Glynis and Neil trained them to use in Japan last August. The programme is set to roll out in Japan over the next year or so. The group are also visiting Dr Peter Langdon in his Norfolk base to discuss his EQUIP programme.

The experts from Japan are seeking as much information as possible about treatment programmes for people with IDD since a court case in Japan where a man with autism was sentenced to 20 years in prison, on the grounds that there were no treatment programmes available to help reduce his risk. Following appeal he will be released earlier for treatment.

The group included:

1. Tokio Uchiyama, M.D., Ph.D, Professor, Faculty of Human Development and Culture, Fukushima University Graduate School &  Director, Yokohama Psycho-Developmental Clinic.
2. Mayumi Horie,Professor in Psychology, Shiraume Gakuen University & President, Protection and Advocacy-Japan
3. Jiro Masuya, M.D.Ph.D., Professor, Fukushima University, Fukushima Child Mental Health-care Centre
4. Yoshiko Hashimoto (Ms), Attorney, Kitasenju Public Law Office
5. Masako Suzuki (Ms), Interpreter

The Isabel Schwartz Scholarship:  The Tizard Centre are delighted to announce that they will once again be offering this scholarship to a student accepted on one of our Master’s programmes in intellectual disabilities, autism or applied behaviour analysis.  The scholarship will pay the equivalent of Home/EU student’s fees and possibly some additional expenses.  Preference will be given to candidates who have a professional qualification in social work and/or an established interest in the area of forensic issues/secure services.

To apply for this scholarship you will need to write 3 paragraphs covering the following points:

• what do you know about people with intellectual disabilities in the criminal justice system and the difficulties they face?
• your relevant experience/background, clinical or research based, with offenders with intellectual disabilities.
• why do you think you are the best candidate for this scholarship?

Please email your application to Vivi Triantafyllopoulou (p.triantafyllopoulou@kent.ac.uk) by the 26th September 2014.

Edward Newell Scholarship:  This year we will also be offering a second scholarship which is open to students on one of our master’s programmes in intellectual disabilities or autism.  The scholarship will help to pay for travel costs for any student choosing to complete a dissertation comparing the UK and France in relation to carers of people in autism.  To apply for this scholarship you should register your interest with Rachel Forrester-Jones (r.v.e.forrester-jones@kent.ac.uk) by 26th September 2014 with your ideas for the dissertation.

We are delighted to announce that Phil Robinson has joined the Tizard team in a new role as Distance Learning IT Support Officer.  Phil’s main area will be to provide training and technical support for academic and student use of moodle and to  advise and support academic staff to translate classroom based learning and teaching activities into ones accessible to distance and blended learning students using moodle or other technologies.  It is envisaged that the learning experience of all Tizard students will be improved by his expertise.

We also wish to welcome Magali Barnoux and Emily Blake who have recently started posts as Research Assistants working with Prof Glynis Murphy on the Offenders and Social Care – Intellectual Disabilities (OFFSCA-ID) project.

The Tizard Centre are supporting a screening of the critically acclaimed feature documentary ‘Mission to Lars’ as part of their seminar series, on Wednesday 24th September at 5.30pm at the Gulbenkian Theatre, University of Kent. The film follows two siblings as they attempt to fulfil their brother Tom’s dream of meeting rock God Lars Ulrich, of Metallica. Tom has Fragile X Syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability and autism. The road trip that ensues is full of challenges and inspiration. The event is being hosted as part of Fragile X awareness day 2014 and will include a short introduction to Fragile X prior to the film.

There is no charge for this but all donations to the Fragile X Society will be most welcome.

For more information: http://missiontolars.com/  www.fragilex.org.uk Textgiving for the fragile X Society= Text: “FRAG11 £(amount)” to 70070)

A number of Tizard staff and PhD students have successfully submitted abstracts and several will also be giving presentations of their research  at the IASSIDD Conference in Vienna this year.

These cover a range of research areas with presentations, abstracts and posters including:

• Domestic Violence and women with learning disabilities
• Development and outcomes of community-based services in Hungary
• Increasing the participation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in health and social care research – lessons from the literature
• Screening prisoners for Intellectual Disabilities in three English prisons
• Adapting the delivery of the thinking skills programme for prisoners with ID
• An Evaluation of Positive Behaviour Support Training
• Quality of communication support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in supported accommodation settings
• Manager and staff perspectives of skilled support
• Living in fear: the impact of disability hate crime as reported by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Young people with an intellectual disability and cleft lip/palate
• Characteristics of high-cost residential placements and implications for local community support.
• Preventing challenging behaviour of adults with complex needs in supported accommodation
• Staff and managers perceptions and experiences of skilled support
• Imagining Autism: evaluation of a drama based intervention for children with autism – the views of parents and teachers
• Impact of drama based intervention on the social, communicative and imaginative behaviour of children with autism.

The abstracts will be published in the JARID special conference issue, available through the University of Kent Library.

IASSIDD is the largest international organization engaged in the scientific study of intellectual  disabilities. Through this network, members have an opportunity of  linking with researchers throughout the world and to collaborate on  research projects. Membership of IASSIDD provides a strong special  interest research group network affording an opportunity for members to  undertake specific pieces of work in a defined area and participate in  regional and international congresses in their special interest.  For more information:  https://iassid.org/