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Background: People with intellectual disabilities have the right to live in the community. As social workers have an important role in decisions regarding residential settings, this study examined their recommendations regarding residential living arrangements of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Method: Using a factorial survey approach 174 social workers were presented with true-to-life vignettes and asked to provide their recommendations regarding housing in community apartments, hostels (large group homes) and meonot (large institutions). Results: Higher likelihood of recommending housing in a community apartment was associated with mild intellectual disability, lack of daily support needs, no sexual abuse history, and stated preference for a community apartment. Social workers' experience in working in a specific residential setting was associated with recommending it. Conclusions: Ongoing training on rights-based ethics and the importance of community inclusion should be provided to social workers. Further, community alternatives should be made available to all individuals with disabilities.

Background: Following the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (CRPD), various countries have recently amended their legal capacity laws with the aim of restricting the use of guardianship and increasing the use of other, less restrictive practices, mainly supported decision making. As social workers have a key role in carrying out these reforms, this study examines how Israeli social workers make legal capacity-related decisions. Method: Semi-structured interviews with 27 Israeli social workers. Results: Thematic analysis identified three factors driving social workers' recommendations regarding guardianship and supported decision-making: the person's diagnosis and functioning level, and the presence of a supportive family. A fourth factor, the person's preferences, played a complex and more limited role. Conclusions: Many changes have yet to be made to fully apply the support paradigm in Israel, since social workers still tend to base their recommendations on factors not fully aligned with the CRPD.

Purpose: Supported decision-making (SDM) is an emerging and innovative alternative to substitute decision-making practices. While relationships are pivotal in establishing proper and effective SDM, scant research has examined these relationships in-depth. This study explores how decision-making supporters perceive relationships embedded in SDM for adults with disabilities. Furthermore, it compares the points of view of family and volunteer supporters on these relationships. Materials and methods: Using a semi-structured interview guide, in-depth interviews were held with 16 family and 16 volunteer supporters of Israeli decision-makers with disabilities. Results: Both family and volunteer supporters addressed the centrality of the support relationship. However, they differed in their perspectives on the ways such relationships should be formed and on their boundaries. We distinguish between families' continuing relationships vs. volunteers' emerging relationships to emphasize the identified differences. Conclusions: The findings highlighted the importance of relationships to SDM processes, highlighting the need to examine in greater depth whether and how "typical" family relationships differ from SDM relationships. Based on these findings, we recommend training and guidance for both family and volunteer supporters in developing and strengthening these relationships. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Supported decision-making enhances quality of life as it helps persons with disabilities make and implement decisions. With proper supported decision-making, people with disabilities feel their wishes are recognized and respected. Focus on and awareness of relationship building is crucial and thus its various dimensions should explicitly be incorporated in any training program or policy for supported decision-makers Given adequate training, both family and volunteers can develop positive relationships in supported decision-making schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Greater psychopathology among individuals with intellectual disabilities, as well as distress among their parents, are negatively associated with personal growth among the latter. This study examines the role of parents' social support and their attitudes toward service use as mediators of the relationship between psychopathology among adolescents/young adults with intellectual disabilities and growth among their parents. Methods: Structured questionnaires which included measures of psychopathology of individuals with intellectual disabilities, parental distress, social support, attitudes toward service use and personal growth were completed by 195 parents of adolescents and young adults with intellectual disabilities or a dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and psychopathology. Results: Parent's perception of the adolescent/young adult's emotional state and social support were found to be associated with personal growth. Social support was found to mediate the relationships between the adolescent/young adult's psychopathology and parental distress and personal growth. Parents' attitudes toward use of services were not found to be related to growth. Conclusions: Social support plays a pivotal role in the lives of parents of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Professionals working with individuals with intellectual disabilities should seek to enhance social support for their parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article presents a conceptual synthesis of the international literature on inclusive education while expanding upon, and incorporating, the articles in this special issue. The authors present their 3P model (philosophy, policy and praxis) and relate each paper in this special issue to different aspects of their model. Design/methodology/approach: This article serves as an epilogue to this special issue of the "Journal of Educational Administration" as well as a discussion of historical and conceptual distinctions between mainstreaming and inclusion while examining global trends in understanding the move toward inclusive education. Findings: The authors examined the detrimental effects of ableism and a medical model of disability and their effects on the educational system. They conducted an analysis based on examining the philosophy, policy and practice of the inclusive movement, specifically by examining conceptual models and inclusive decisions, conceptual frameworks for describing inclusive policy and a focus of the application to educational administration. The authors examined the global movement from segregation/exclusion to integration and then to inclusionary praxis. Research limitations/implications: The authors maintain that the inclusion literature lacks a sound positivistic empirical base, and so they present throughout the article possible avenues for such research as well as future directions for comparative research. Practical implications: Understanding the philosophical underpinnings of the inclusive movement is central to developing viable inclusive educational settings. The authors distinguish between inclusive schools and local educational authorities where stakeholders have moved toward an inclusionary system (the minority) versus locales who are reluctant to move systems to actual change. Originality/value: This article takes a wider view of inclusionary practices, from one focusing on children with disabilities to one focusing on historical and traditional exclusionary practices. By widening the scope of the inclusion discussion, to one of exclusion, the authors present a viably wider lens to educational administration.

Background: Research on supported employment for individuals with intellectual disabilities has focused mainly on its effect on employees. Scant research has assessed the influence on employers and on the work setting. This study focused on a unique program to foster the employment of individuals with intellectual disabilities in the Israeli military and examined the effect of the program on the employers (military commanders) and on the military units. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 military commanders. Results: Four themes illustrate the influence of people with intellectual disabilities on the military units in which they work: (a) functioning of the military unit, (b) effect on other soldiers, (c) effect on commanders, and (d) effect on attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities. Conclusions: Results suggest that employing soldiers with intellectual disabilities has beneficial effects on both commanders and the military units, although some negative attitudes remain and merit interventions.

Introduction: Studies regarding the use of support services for persons with a dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and psychopathology are scarce; even fewer have focused on children and young adults. The aim of the present study, conducted in Israel, was to compare the use of support services and their perceived effectiveness by families of children and young adults with intellectual disability (ID) and with dual diagnosis. Methods: Data were collected from 195 family (parental) caregivers of individuals with ID or dual diagnosis, aged 10-30. Using a structured questionnaire, family caregivers reported on the use of support services and on their perceived effectiveness. Results: Findings showed that in addition to the obvious mental health services, caregivers of individuals with ID and dual diagnosis report using a range of services and resources. Caregivers of persons diagnosed only with ID perceived some of the mental health services as being more effective than did caregivers of individuals with dual diagnosis. Conclusion: We advocate for enhanced training for professionals working with individuals with dual diagnosis within all services. Furthermore, parents need to be supported in their search for services for their child and in dealing with complex situations. In addition, more research is needed to identify why individuals with dual diagnosis may not benefit from current mental health services and, in line with this, develop more effective services. Finally, we advocate for the establishment of a one-stop shop that can provide for the comprehensive needs of these individuals within one center.

To ensure full participation of people with disabilities in research, accessibility of the instruments employed is essential. This paper describes an exploratory research which included the adaptation of the AIR Self-Determination Scale and the Promotion of Autonomous Decision-Making Scale. The adaptation was designed to enable Hebrew-speaking young adults with physical disability, autism, psychosocial disability, complex learning disabilities, deafness or hearing impairment, or blindness or visual impairment, to complete a self-report questionnaire. It included extensive wording simplifications. In addition, original Likert scales were reduced, and symbols were added to improve accessibility. The forms were modified to a coloured format with more visible headings, including use of a screen reader and additional visual adaptations. The adaptation process included three phases: questionnaire adaptation, examination of face and content validity, and a reliability assessment of the final version. The process was informed by input from young adults with disabilities. We conclude that simplified language, symbols, and visual effects should be considered when adapting questionnaires for people with disabilities. In addition, consulting with individuals with disabilities as experts by experience, should be integral to the adaptation of instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many nations advocate for the full inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in all realms of life, these individuals are nevertheless still frequently excluded. One field of life that has rarely been considered central for inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities is military service. A unique programme was developed that provides an opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities to serve in the military in Israel. The centrality of the military within Israeli society, along with the aims and phases of the project are described, and brief evidence of the impact of the programme is provided.

Introduction: People with disabilities often identify professionals' stigmatic views as significant barriers to accessing mainstream services. This study aimed to examine differences in stigmatic attitudes held by social workers toward individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), mental illness (MI), or dual diagnosis (DD) of ID and MI. Methods: One hundred and fifty-eight social workers responded to three versions of a structured questionnaire. Participants were provided, in random order, with vignettes describing an individual with ID, MI, and DD, after which they completed the Attribution Questionnaire. Results: Results revealed a significant effect of disability type, so that individuals with MI were perceived to be more responsible for their condition than were individuals with ID or DD. Individuals with MI and DD were perceived as more dangerous than those with ID, and social workers endorsed more coercive and segregating behaviors toward individuals with MI and DD than toward those with ID. No differences were found in helping and avoidant behaviors in relation to disability type, and correlations between stigma constructs were found across all three disabilities. Conclusions: Findings are discussed in light of social workers' obligation to assist individuals to realize their rights to full social and civil inclusion. Given these obligations, they are expected to set aside their personal views and provide help to all their clients regardless of their diagnosis.

Background: Research in the field of family quality of life (FQOL) emphasises the importance of attainable support resources for families of children with developmental disability (DD). In this study we explored FQOL by examining some of its specific domains and expanded upon them. The 2 main aims were to examine differences in FQOL according to the degree of religiosity among Israeli Jewish families and to investigate the contribution of family, social, and governmental service support, as well as religion and spirituality to FQOL. Method: Parents from 170 Jewish families of children with DD aged 3 to 14 years completed a self-administered questionnaire, which included the Family Quality of Life Survey--2006 and instruments measuring family support, social support, support from governmental services, and support through religion and spirituality. Results: Religious families reported a higher FQOL in comparison with secular families. No differences were found, however, between religious and secular families regarding familial, social, and service supports. Familial support and religious and spiritual support were found to contribute to the FQOL of religious families, whereas social support contributed to the FQOL of secular families. Conclusion: These findings help clarify which supporting factors predict the FQOL for families living in Israel. Suitable support resources should be offered to families raising children with DD in order to enhance their FQOL.

Background: Research supports the importance of sports for people with intellectual disability (ID); however, the unique experience of the Special Olympics (SO) World Games has rarely been examined. The aim of this study was to examine how the SO World Games have affected athletes with ID, their parents and siblings, and the relations between their family members. Method: Twenty-three semistructured interviews were conducted with athletes, parents, and siblings within 9 families upon their return from the World Games held in Athens in 2011. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Four themes were found. The first theme dealt with the World Games' role in developing the athletes' self-identity. The second theme related to the World Games' positive impact on their family's quality of life. The third theme related to the World Games' positive impact on siblings, and the fourth theme related to the importance of participation in the World Games in improving community awareness and inclusion for the 3 groups: athletes, parents, and siblings. Conclusions: The results are discussed and practical implications are highlighted, including the need to increase knowledge and awareness of the SO.

Providing holistic care to individuals with the dual diagnosis (DD) of intellectual disability and mental illness is a challenging task that requires the work of various health care specialists. The aim of the current study was to examine the intentions of students from various fields to work with individuals with DD. A questionnaire was completed by 512 social work, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, special education, and nursing students in Israel to measure students' attitudes toward working with individuals with DD, as well as their perceptions of subjective norms, controllability, and self-efficacy. Structural equation modeling showed that the students' intentions to work with individuals with DD were predicted by their attitudes and perceptions of subjective norms. Controllability was found to negatively affect their behavioral intentions. Furthermore, social work and nursing students were found to have the lowest behavioral intentions. Given the lack of education in the field of DD and the prevailing stigmatic attitudes toward this population, university programs should focus on increasing knowledge, promoting positive contact, and reducing the fear attached to working with people with DD.

The theoretical construct of stigma has received much attention in psychiatric disability research, leading to the development of widely used measures. Such measures have had real world impact in that they allow for the assessment of stigma change efforts. The study of stigma has not received the same level of attention for persons with intellectual disabilities. In this manuscript we evaluate existing measures of intellectual disability stigma through a systematic review of the literature. Twenty-four scales were reviewed and evaluated. Findings indicate a paucity of stigma measures based on theoretical conceptualizations pointing to a need for further development of measures to pursue the study of public, self, and family stigma as related to intellectual disability. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)

Providing adequate care to individuals with intellectual disability (ID) requires the willingness of students in various health and social professions to care for this population upon completion of their studies. The aim of the current study was to examine the factors associated with the intentions of students from various fields to work with individuals with ID, using the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior. A structured self-administered questionnaire was completed by 512 social work, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, special education, and nursing students. The questionnaire measured students' attitudes toward individuals with ID and toward working with this population, as well as their perceptions of subjective norms, controllability, self-efficacy, prior acquaintance with individuals with ID, and subjective knowledge about ID. Structural equation modeling showed that the students' intentions to work with individuals with ID were predicted by their attitudes and perceptions of subjective norms. Field of study and subjective knowledge were also found to be predictive of behavioral intention. The TPB proved to be a useful framework for examining students' intentions to work with persons with ID. Given the lack of education in the field of ID, as well as the prevailing stigmatic attitudes toward this population, university departments should develop programs aimed at increasing knowledge, promoting positive contact, and reducing the fear attached to working with persons with intellectual disability. (Contains 3 figures and 2 tables.)

This study aims to investigate the effect of observer's gender and target's gender on attitudes toward people who use wheelchairs due to a physical disability. Four hundred four Jewish Israeli students without disabilities completed the "Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Toward Persons With Disabilities" (MAS). Initially, confirmatory factor analysis was used to revalidate the MAS. Five factors of attitudes were confirmed: distancing behaviors, positive cognitions, negative emotions, interpersonal stress, and calm. Findings showed that an encounter with a person using a wheelchair raised more positive cognitions and less distancing behaviors, but also evoked more negative emotions, than an encounter with a person without a disability. In the case of an encounter with a person without a disability, men contributed to greater interpersonal stress among women, whereas women contributed to greater interpersonal stress among men. The multidimensional approach revealed that the effect of gender was mostly salient with regard to interpersonal stress. (Contains 2 tables.)

The effect of out-of-home residential placement on families has been previously studied. However, no study has examined this issue through the lens of "family quality of life" (FQoL). The aim of this study was to produce a picture of FQoL among families with a member with an intellectual disability (ID) who has multiple diagnoses (i.e., an additional condition such as a behavioral or emotional disturbance). FQoL before and after residential placement was examined. Sixteen family carers with family members with an ID participated in an in-depth interview focusing on five areas of FQoL: stress, coping, emotional impact, family relationships, and overall FQoL. The authors found that most families reported positive emotional changes after the placement occurred, except for lingering guilt and worry. In addition, after placement, families experienced more freedom, enhanced FQoL, and an improvement in familial relationships. Coping mechanisms, including problem-focused and emotion-focused coping, as well as external support resources, were utilized before and after placement. These findings suggest that an out-of-home residential placement of a family member with an ID both positively and negatively impacts the entire family. The authors propose a number of support recommendations that might serve to enhance the QoL of the individual with a disability, specific family members, and the family as a whole. (Contains 1 table.)

This study presents the development of a new instrument, the "Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Toward Persons With Disabilities" (MAS). Based on the multidimensional approach, it posits that attitudes are composed of three dimensions: affect, cognition, and behavior. The scale was distributed to a sample of 132 people along with a self-esteem measure and a frequently employed attitude scale, the "Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale" (ATDP). The construct and concurrent validity of the questionnaire was demonstrated by reliability and factor analyses, as well as by comparison with the ATDP scale. Principal component factor analysis revealed three correlated but distinct factors. Results show that women hold more positive behavioral attitudes than men. Interestingly, men with high self-esteem were found to hold more positive cognitions than men with low self-esteem. Results indicate the importance of a multidimensional approach both for the construction of sound instruments and for professional interventions aimed at modifying attitudes toward persons with disabilities.

Background: While military settings may increase psychological distress, soldiers frequently avoid seeking professional help. This study aimed to examine barriers and facilitators associated with intentions to seek help and actually seeking help from a mental health officer (MHO) and how these differ among soldiers who had sought help in the past and those who had not. Method: This cross‐sectional study included 263 combat and noncombat soldiers. The Health Belief Model and the Help‐Seeking Model were the theoretical framework used to map the potential variables associated with soldiers' decision to seek help. Results: Stigma and administrative barriers were found to be significant barriers to both the intention to seek help and actually consulting an MHO. These findings were more definitive among combat soldiers. The belief in the effectiveness of mental health treatment was positively associated with the intention to seek help. Positive associations were found between well‐being, perceived seriousness of one's condition, and belief in the effectiveness of mental health care and intention to seek MHO help. Distress and self‐concealment were positively associated with actual consultation with an MHO. Public stigma about seeking help was associated with both the intention to seek mental health assistance and actually consulting an MHO. Conclusion: Military commanders should make an effort to make soldiers feel safe to seek mental health assistance by creating a supportive organizational atmosphere to reduce the stigma associated with mental health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]