RESEARCH UNDERWAY
Assessing parents' support needs: theory and practice
Project team
University of Sydney & the Family Support Services Association (FSSA)
Margaret Spencer
Prof Gwynnyth Llewellyn
Dr Robert Heard (Behavioural and Community Health Sciences)
Overview
The 3-year project is being undertaken by the University of Sydney in partnership with the Family Support Services Association of NSW, and is funded by the ARC SPIRT (Strategic Partnership with Industry) scheme. The purpose of this study is to design an assessment method that can be used by family support workers to more effectively identify and implement supports needed by parents with intellectual disability.
Approach
A central tenet of this research and development project is that the task of assessing support needs necessitates reflexivity and parent participation in a process of reaching a shared understanding. The project has development and trial phases. The development phase involved critical self-reflection (drawing on the researcher's own experience as a practitioner in the field) and extensive consultation with experienced family support workers. The trial phase, which is currently underway, involves the researcher and a sample of family support workers implementing the assessment method, and obtaining parent and worker feedback on process and outcome.
Anticipated outcome
This research and development project will result in an innovative method/process of assessing (and planning for) the support needed by parents with intellectual disability.
Dissemination (publications only)
Related publications
Llewellyn G, McConnell D, Honey A, Mayes R & Russo D. (2003). Promoting health and home safety for children of parents with intellectual disability: A randomised controlled trial. Research in Developmental Disabilities.
Llewellyn, G., McConnell, D., Russo, D., Mayes, R., & Honey, A. (2002)
Home-based Programs for Parents with Intellectual Disabilities: Lessons from Practice Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 15, 341-353.
Tymchuk, A.J., Llewellyn, G., & Feldman, M., (1999) Parenting by persons with intellectual disabilities: A timely international perspective. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 24(1), 3-6.
Llewellyn, G., McConnell, D. & Bye, R (1998) Perception of Service Needs by Parents with Intellectual Disability, Their Significant Others and their Service Workers Research in Developmental Disabilities, 19 (3), 245 - 260.
McConnell, D., Llewellyn, G., & Bye, R. (1997). Providing services to parents with intellectual disability: Parent needs and service constraints. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 22(1), 5-17.
Llewellyn, G., Bye, R., & McConnell, D. (1997). Parents with intellectual disability and mainstream agencies. International Journal of Practical Approaches to Disability, 21(3), 9-13.
Llewellyn, G. (1997) Parents with Intellectual Disability: Learning to Parent: The Role of Experience and Informal Learning International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 44 (3), 243 - 261.
Llewellyn, G. (1995). "First hand experience". Parents with learning difficulties. Disability, Pregnancy & Parenthood International, 11 (July), 10-12.
Llewellyn, G., & Brigden, D. (1995). Factors affecting service provision to parents with intellectual disability: An exploratory study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 20, 97-112.
Llewellyn, G. (1994) Generic Family Support Services: Are Parents with Learning Disability Catered For? Mental Handicap Research 7(1), 64 - 77.
Llewellyn, G. (1990) People with Intellectual Disability as Parents: Perspectives from the Professional Literature Australia and New Zealand Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 16 (4), 369 - 380.