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Background: Local governments play an important role in supporting people with intellectual disability to feel included in their local communities and local‐level inclusion is an increasing priority for councils and local authorities in many countries. However, people with intellectual disability themselves have had little involvement in setting the priorities for initiatives and activities in their local communities. In the project, we wanted to know what kinds of initiatives were being implemented and what people with intellectual disability felt was important about these activities in their local communities. In this paper, we explore how the involvement of people with intellectual disability has shaped the outcomes of the review and implications for research and practice. Methods: We completed a review of local‐level inclusion‐building initiatives. We translated the results into accessible formats and our inclusive research team used these to involve six people with intellectual disability in New South Wales, Australia, in exploring their priorities around kinds of activities, quality and depth of inclusion in their local communities. Findings: The data showed that people wanted to share their deep, rich insights and questions about the things that drive inclusion and exclusion—not only their views about the effectiveness of particular kinds of activities. Conclusions: Implications for future policy and practice are that consultation should not be framed narrowly, but invite people with intellectual disability into conversation about change‐making at community and societal levels, as well as seeking their views on specific initiatives and activities. This opens up new opportunities to respond to the priorities of people with intellectual disability in local community‐building. Accessible summary: Our project was about the different kinds of activities that people with intellectual disability can do in their local communities.We talked with people with intellectual disability about these activities, to find out what they liked and did not like. We asked people what was most important about activities in their community.People wanted to talk more about what helped them to feel safe and welcome, not just the activity itself.Having safe places, having your rights, meeting people and making friends, and having accessible information, were all very important to people.This study is important to local planners and people in communities. They can think about how they are planning to make things safe and welcoming before they start planning an activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary: A supported internship is a work placement for people with disabilities that includes spending some time at work and some time at school or college. It usually lasts for a year and people get extra support in the work placement.We wanted to find out how supported internships for people with learning disabilities helped them to feel like they belong in workplaces and society.We found that the supported internships we studied did help people with learning disabilities to feel like they belong. The interns developed self‐confidence, they were able to talk to people more easily, and they learned that they were good at things. This was because the people they worked with saw them as individuals who were able to do helpful things. It was also because of the feedback they got at work and how they worked in different departments.We think there should be more supported internships because they help people with learning disabilities to take the next step in life more confidently. Researchers need to find out more about how supported internships can help people to be socially included. Background: Obtaining employment for young people with learning disabilities remains challenging, and people may not be able to experience work that offers them the opportunity for broader and deeper social inclusion. Supported internships (SIs) offer a possible solution to this problem, providing a bespoke, structured study programme designed for students with disabilities. Methods: This paper explores, through an ecological systems approach, the experiences of three graduates, six interns, two job coaches and three colleagues, from a long running SI in a large private‐sector organisation that delivers utilities in the midlands in the UK. The organisation has many different departments and interns work in several of these, including the mailroom, reprographics, catering, health and safety, reception, and customer services. The researchers conducted small focus groups and interviews with the participants described above. Findings: Thematic analysis identified three core phenomena of relevance to understanding the relationship between the SI programme and interns' experience of deepened and broadened social inclusion. The first theme illustrated positive changes to interns' and graduates' self‐concept (e.g. self‐determination) and participation, the second captured accounts of reciprocity in relationships, and the third contained insights into the SI practices that were relevant to improved social inclusion. Conclusions: The SI did lead to the broadening and deepening of social inclusion for interns and graduates. The person‐centred ethos of the SI, personalised approaches to workplace adaption and feedback policies were practices that began to emerge as implicated in this impact. Positive developments to self‐concept emerged as important in building interns' and graduates' capacities for participation. The study also demonstrated that an ecological systems approach is useful as a basis for conceptualising and investigating changes to the amount and quality of social inclusion, as experienced by people with learning disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary • Intensive Interaction is a way of communicating sociably with people who have severe or profound learning disabilities and/or autism. • The writer of this paper thinks that some people may have different ideas why they do Intensive Interaction with people who have severe or profound learning disabilities and/or autism. • Some people use Intensive Interaction to communicate with and respond to people who have severe or profound learning disabilities and/or autism, in whichever way works best. • Other people use Intensive Interaction to help people who have severe or profound learning disabilities and/or autism to learn more ways to communicate and get on with other people around them. • The writer of this paper thinks that there should be more research into what people think about Intensive Interaction. Intensive Interaction is an empirically researched approach to developing fundamental communication and sociability for people with severe and profound learning disabilities and/or autism. However, it is the author’s contention that certain aspects of Intensive Interaction are not universally conceptualised in a uniform manner, and that there are two general process models that are used to describe the approach by an increasing number of multi-disciplinary practitioners and advocates. Firstly, there is a ‘Social Inclusion Process Model’ of Intensive Interaction, with practitioners using the approach with the primary aim of inclusively responding to the communication of a person with learning disability, however it is expressed. Secondly, there is a ‘Developmental Process Model’, with practitioners having identifiably educative or developmental goals, rather than the approach being viewed simply as a means of contemporaneous social inclusion. In an attempt to clarify this position, this paper makes the case for a ‘Dual Aspect Process Model’ of Intensive Interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the use of a new project, ‘from the inside looking out’ (FILO) (N. Richardson Unpublished data), to develop communication, interaction and emotional literacy skills with people with profound and multiple learning disabilities. The authors utilized tools derived from Intensive Interaction Therapy [D. Hewett & M. Nind (1994) Access to communication. London, David Fulton Publishers; D. Hewett & M. Nind (1998) Interaction in action: reflections on the use of Intensive Interaction. London, David Fulton Publishers] and applied these within a FILO paradigm to run an 8-week group with five participants where the aim was to build relationships and enhance awareness of emotional variables. The results were measured using both quantitative and qualitative analysis and it was found that a number of discreet observable behaviours related to interactive ability were positively changed across all participants. Important processes within the group are analysed and recommendations for expanding this approach in the future are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although it has been suggested that about 2.5% of the population as a whole should be regarded as having a mild-to-moderate learning disability, only about 0.25% of the population is registered as having a learning disability. This paper considers why this disparity exists. It is suggested that although 2.5% of the population may be a good estimate for people with IQs less than 70, a better estimate of the proportion of the population who reach a dual criteria of having both a low IQ and social/skill defects is about 1%. It is pointed out that even if true prevalence rate of learning disability is nearer to 1% rather than 2.5%, services still only know of a small proportion of people who could be considered to have a learning disability, and there are probably a large number of people with unidentified learning disabilities. It is also noted that the term ‘learning disability’ can be very confusing as it is not clear if it refers to people who have IQs below 70, people with both intellectual and adaptive disabilities or people who have been given a learning disability label. The implications of this for services and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have indicated that people with learning disabilities have few friends. Making friends requires both opportunities and skills. This paper focuses on the development of skills in order to facilitate friendship; an area that has received limited attention in the literature. Traditional social skills approaches are considered briefly, before moving on to discuss peer-mediated approaches. Peer-mediated approaches appear promising, with positive changes in the social behaviour of children with disabilities reported. It appears few studies have directly investigated maintenance, and evidence of generalization is limited. Factors that may improve generalization and maintenance are discussed. Finally, consideration is given to whether peer-mediated approaches actually facilitate friendship, rather than simply increasing interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports on the development and piloting of the Social Inclusion Interview Schedule (SIIS). This uses pictures to explore social networks and feelings of social inclusion. The background, conceptual framework and development of the interview schedule are discussed and interim findings are highlighted. The challenge of not just identifying the constituents of a social network but also attributing some measure of intensity to the relationships and activities identified will be considered. The study site is Bradford in the UK and the study population are young people with learning disabilities and their carers. There is a specific focus on people from the South Asian community resident in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the findings from interviews exploring the perceptions of people with learning difficulties in relation to work and employment support. We look at what people told us about their experiences in seeking employment, getting a job, being in work and about the support they received. We also make inferences from the data about the nature and extent of social inclusion associated with being in work. The varying experiences of our sample illustrate the scope of the task in hand to achieve the vision of social inclusion expressed in Valuing People. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Before COVID‐19, people with intellectual disabilities were digitally excluded, facing difficulties accessing and using technology. The pandemic outbreak closed down many in‐person services and supports for this population. Methods: This study examined changes in technology use to support the healthcare and social connections of older adults with intellectual disability in Ireland (n = 682) during COVID‐19. Decision tree analyses explored factors associated with using technology for health and social connection; and to explore relationships between technology use and subjective outcomes of stress/anxiety and of positives during this period. Findings: Technology use for healthcare and social connection increased during COVID‐19, but not enough to make up for the loss of in‐person care/connection. Residence type was associated with increased use of technology for healthcare utilisation, with the highest rates among community group home residents and the lowest among those in independent/family settings. Increased technology use to speak with both family and friends was associated with prior digital skills and digital access. Increased technology use was significantly associated with both positive and negative experiences during the pandemic. Conclusions: The COVID‐19 pandemic offered an opportunity for increased digital connection for older adults with intellectual disabilities, but not all benefitted. Those with prior skills, available supports, and the greatest need to connect were more likely to enhance their use of technology. The complexity of the COVID‐19 period, including the general impact on mental health and well‐being, means that the role technology played in supporting quality of life and mitigating stress/anxiety needs further and longer‐term investigation. Accessible summary: Older adults with an intellectual disability in Ireland used technology more during the COVID‐19 pandemic—to use health services, and to speak to family and friends.Having digital skills before COVID‐19 helped people to increase their use of technology.Technology helped many people to stay connected, but did not fully make up for the loss of in‐person services and contact.Participants who used technology more during COVID‐19 were more likely to report some positive things during COVID‐19.Participants who used technology more were also more likely to feel stress or anxiety during COVID‐19.This shows that COVID‐19 was difficult for many people. But the study also shows that most people also found some good things during this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During the Covid‐19 pandemic, there has been a worldwide increase in the use of digital technology. Many people with learning disabilities have learned new digital skills, taken part in online activities, and kept in touch with family and friends using video calls. However, the experiences of digital participation or nonparticipation for the people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) is less understood. Method: Between December 2020 and August 2021, family carers or paid support workers of adults with PMLD completed an online survey around the experiences of the person they care for during the Covid‐19 pandemic, including questions on Internet use. We draw on the findings of this UK‐wide study to explore the digital participation of the people with PMLD during the pandemic. Findings: Around half of the people with PMLD had Internet access at home. Around half of the participants interacted with others on video calls like Facetime or Zoom and most commonly used the Internet for being with family and friends online and streaming TV and films. In the event of another lockdown, 27.5% of the people supporting someone with PMLD said they would like support with technology to make seeing friends and family easier. For some the people, digital participation during the pandemic was not beneficial enough to want to continue when restrictions eased. For others, the new online experiences had the potential to be developed in their postpandemic lives. Conclusion: Around half of the people surveyed participated in digital activities during Covid‐19. Future attention is needed to afford more people opportunities, and respond to access barriers experienced for the people with PMLD and those that support them. Accessible summary: During the Covid‐19 pandemic, a lot of people with learning disabilities used the Internet more than they had done before. Before this research, we did not know very much about how people with profound and multiple learning disabilities might be able to use the Internet.Family carers or paid support workers of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities filled in an online survey about their experiences during the Covid‐19 pandemic. This included how people with profound and multiple learning disabilities used the Internet.The researchers found that around half of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities in the study had Internet access at home. People with profound and multiple learning disabilities mostly used the Internet for being with friends and family online and for streaming TV and films. Around half of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities used video calls (like FaceTime or Zoom).If there is another pandemic, and people cannot go out, more help with technology is needed so that people with profound and multiple learning disabilities can see their family and friends online. This is very important for people who do not live with family.Some people thought digital participation was useful during the pandemic, but they preferred to see people in‐person. For others, being online was a new way of being with other people that they wanted to carry on using or make better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary: Self‐determination means that people decide for themselves about their future. Self‐determination is very important in people's transition to adulthood and independent living.Six young adults talked with peers and facilitators about their transition to living in an independent‐living flat in Mexico.We wanted to learn what it was like for these young adults to transition to independent living.The young adults shared that: (a) It is their decision whether to move to an independent‐living flat; (b) They feel that living independently is challenging; (c) Learning new things at independent‐living contexts makes them feel good about themselves as young adults.Talking with young people about their independent‐living experiences is important for planning transitions according to their own strengths and interests.Talking to others can help people decide where and with whom to live. Background: Young people with intellectual disability experience important transitions as they move towards independent adult living. Transition is supported by self‐determination, comprising volition (making conscious choices) and agency (acting with intention). Dialogic interactions that legitimise students' voices potentially promote self‐determination. Consequently, this project aimed to involve young people actively in talking together about their futures. Methods: The research project took place in a university‐based transition programme in Mexico: Building Bridges. Six Mexican young adults with intellectual disability participated. The research project focused on their experiences of self‐determination in personal, social, and educational contexts. Data collection incorporated discussion sessions and participant observations. In discussions, students shared their experiences of transition to Building Bridges, and an independent‐living flat. A thematic analysis was conducted. Findings: The students' transition to Building Bridges was difficult, but they believed that they were learning and growing with support. Regarding their transition to the independent‐living context, the students perceive that whether to move or not is their decision, that independent living is challenging, and that the things they are learning make them feel good about themselves. Conclusions: Listening to students' views prompts consideration of how transition programmes could enhance their self‐determination. For instance, by reflecting and negotiating rules with them; or giving them options, such as sleeping at the flat one day per week initially. Self‐determination is exercised within the context of relationships. Creating spaces for dialogues that allows educators and/or researchers to learn and reflect with students might be a way to know and legitimise students' experiences, and plan transitions based on their strengths and interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary Both good and bad things can happen when people use the Internet, and people with learning disabilities are not using the Internet as much as other people., Worry about the bad things that can happen online might be one reason people with learning disabilities are not supported to access the Internet as much as other people., We wanted to find out what people without learning disabilities believe about these good and bad things for people with learning disabilities., We wanted to find this out because the way people without disabilities think about the good and bad things online might affect how people with learning disabilities are treated., We found out that people without learning disabilities think that both the good and bad things are more likely to happen to people with learning disabilities when they use the Internet., Abstract Background: Information and communication technologies, with the Internet at the forefront, have the potential to enhance the knowledge, service, employment, development and social interactional opportunities available to people with intellectual disabilities. Despite this, people with intellectual disabilities are not accessing the Internet to the same degree as people without intellectual disabilities. Issues of safety, risk and protection online for people with intellectual disabilities have yet to be adequately investigated, and these currently serve as reasons given for hindering people from gaining online access. Materials and Method: This survey aimed to gauge the views people without intellectual disabilities have of risks and benefits of using the Internet for themselves and for people with intellectual disabilities and to compare self-ratings of risk and benefits to ratings for people with intellectual disabilities. Results: The survey findings indicate that, with only a small number of exceptions, both the risks and benefits of being online were believed to be greater for people with intellectual disabilities compared with those without intellectual disabilities. Greater use of the Internet was associated with increased perception of benefits to being online for both people with intellectual disabilities and for participants. Conclusions: Perceptions of increased benefits suggest more needs to be performed to improve online access whilst a perception of increased risk may help to explain the reduced inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in the online world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary • Many mothers with learning difficulties want help with meeting people and making friends, and ‘getting out and about’ in their community. • We worked with mothers with learning difficulties and family support workers to create a programme, the ASLP, to help mothers achieve their goals to get out and about in the community. • This programme involves mothers meeting, talking and learning together over a 12-week period. Mothers also receive one to one support to work on their individual goals. • We tested the programme with 32 mothers and most mothers achieved their goals and now feel better about themselves and more confident about being in the community. • This programme is now available for other service workers to use to support mothers with learning difficulties in their communities. Mothers with learning difficulties are often isolated within their local communities. They also report low levels of social support. Social disconnection is associated with high levels of stress and poorer mental health, and in turn, adverse parenting and child outcomes. In the study reported here, a multi-site, intervention group only, repeated measures research design was employed to determine the efficacy of a group-based, adult-learning programme designed to strengthen the social relationships and improve the psychological wellbeing of mothers with learning difficulties. Thirty-two mothers with learning difficulties completed the programme across six sites in Australia. The effects of the programme on perceived social support and psychological wellbeing were substantially greater than established benchmarks for parent-training and family support programmes. These promising findings warrant further investigation, ideally employing a randomised-controlled trial design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]