Courtney J. Wright

Objective: Housing for people with acquired brain injury (ABI) or spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a significant issue in Australia and internationally. This review examined the current research evidence regarding the efficacy of housing alternatives for adults with ABI or SCI in relation to four principal outcomes of interest: the person’s (1) community integration/participation, (2) independence, (3) psychosocial well-being and (4) quality of life. The review also sought to identify how the reported efficacy of the housing alternatives might be impacted by individual factors.Method: For this systematic review, quantitative empirical, peer-reviewed research published after 1 January 2003 was sought. Ten journal articles met the eligibility criteria. None of the included studies comprised an adult SCI sample.Results: The research identified lower levels of community integration/participation, independence, psychosocial well-being and quality of life for adults (particularly younger adults) with ABI living in ‘structured settings’ (i.e., residential care) compared to those living in ‘home-like’ environments (i.e., private homes) and ‘disability-specific’ settings (i.e., shared supported accommodation, group homes, foster care homes, cluster units).Conclusion: More research is needed to compare ‘home-like’ and ‘disability-specific’ settings, and individual housing models more generally (i.e., living at home with friends vs with family vs living in shared supported accommodation vs living in residential care). This review identified a number of limitations in the current evidence base and several important directions for future research. Policymakers, architects, designers, builders, developers, funding agencies, international researchers as well as people with ABI or SCI and their families may benefit from the findings of this review.

This research aimed to synthesize housing supports funded by 20 major insurance-based schemes for Australians with an acquired brain injury (ABI) or spinal cord injury (SCI). Publicly available grey literature (i.e., primary information from respective scheme websites) was systematically reviewed and compared. There were notable differences between the different scheme types (disability vs. workers compensation schemes) and across different States. Collectively, scheme funding was more likely to be focused on housing infrastructure and service delivery, than on tenancy support. Australians who are least likely to benefit from the current funding context are those whose home cannot be reasonably modified, are wanting to build or purchase a new home, do not have suitable, alternative short- or long-term housing options if their current home is not feasible, require support to maintain occupancy of their home or financial assistance to move into a new home, may benefit from case management services, family supports, and assistance animals, and/or cannot afford their rent or home loan repayments. Several interactions, inconsistencies, contradictions, and gaps that warrant further attention were also revealed. This review has highlighted the need for policy makers to provide transparent information about housing entitlements for individuals with ABI or SCI, and their families. A unified, evidence-based framework to guide the funding of housing and housing support services may increase the consistency of interventions available to people with ABI or SCI and, therefore, improve outcomes.

At its core, sexuality education for adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) is an international human rights issue. Adolescents with ID have the same sexual desires and needs as others, yet their sexuality is generally portrayed as problematic. Despite an ideological shift towards normalisation and inclusion of people with disabilities, sexuality education for adolescents with ID remains an under-explored field. The current article presents an informed literature review of the factors that influence the effectiveness of sexuality education on sexual knowledge among adolescents with ID, and an accompanying commentary on how these factors sit within wider disability studies and practice. As will be shown, the available evidence on sexual knowledge in adolescents with ID reports on sexuality education sources and delivery, sexual knowledge, conservative curricula, and social exclusion. This review of contemporary research from developed, westernised countries identifies important implications for policy, practice, and future research. This article is significant and timely given the disjunct between the current expression of sexuality in young people with ID and recent international human rights actions to promote both the rights of people with disabilities and sexuality education rights for all adolescents.

Sexuality is a fundamental part of being human. Adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) 1 have the same sexual desires and needs as everyone else, yet their

Background: The creative process potentially complements the ABI condition. Given the potential of art to empower people with impaired cognitive capacity and communication skills, it was hypothesized that art therapy techniques could be used to ascertain the perspective of adults with ABI surrounding their housing and support preferences. Method: Visual research methods informed the research protocol reported in this paper. Participants’ pictures were created mainly using pastels on paper. Eight people (3 adults with ABI; 4 non-family paid carers; 1 researcher as participant observer) participated in this pilot study. Qualitative rigour was achieved by addressing the four principles of trustworthiness. Results: By analysing participants’ creative works in their entirety (i.e. image, text, and visual storytelling), key attributes of the ideal home or environment for adults with ABI were identified. The piloted arts-based process was also reflected upon. Conclusions: Art processes may give voice to people with limited capacity to verbalize.

Rationale: Considering the perspectives of individuals with cognitive disability is important for their participation in their self-directed health care. The nominal group technique (NGT) has been identified as a method to gather opinions of people with cognitive disability; however, a synthesis of methodological considerations to undertake when employing the approach among people with cognitive disability is non-existent. Method: A systematic review guided by the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols was undertaken. Five databases (CINAHL, ISI Web of Science, ProQuest Social Science Journals, Scopus, and MEDLINE) were searched for peer-reviewed literature published before September 2016. Methodological considerations pertaining to the four stages of the NGT– generating ideas, recording ideas, clarification, and ranking – were extracted from each study. Results: Nine publications contributing to eight studies were included. Methodological considerations focused on (i) the number of participants within discussion groups, (ii) research question introduction, (iii) support individuals and accessible methods, (iv) ranking, and (v) researcher training and counselling services. Conclusions: The use of the NGT to gain the health care perspectives of adults with cognitive disability is promising. Conducting nominal group techniques informed by the methodological considerations identified within this review can work towards ensuring that the health care perspectives of people with cognitive disability are considered.

This article highlights the dearth of accurate evidence available to inform the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) regarding the extent and nature of neurocognitive disability amongst homeless Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Without accurate prevalence rates of neurocognitive disability, homeless Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are in danger of not being counted by the NDIS and not receiving supports to which they are entitled. Addressing this knowledge gap is challenged by a range of factors, including: (1) the long-term effect of profound intergenerational disenfranchisement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; (2) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural perspectives around disability; (3) the generally unrecognised and poorly understood nature of neurocognitive disability; (4) the use of research methods that are not culturally safe; (5) research logistics; and (6) the absence of culturally appropriate assessment tools to identify prevalence. It is argued that an accurate evidence base that is informed by culturally safe research methods and assessment tools is needed to accurately guide the Commonwealth government and the National Disability Insurance Agency about the expected level of need for the NDIS. Research within this framework will contribute to the realisation of a truly inclusive NDIS.

The School of Human Services and Social Work at Griffith University (Brisbane, Australia) developed the Common Time program in 2002 for its first year undergraduate students to increase student success in academic learning and to facilitate student engagement with staff and fellow students.  Common Time consists of a series of facilitated forums during the initial weeks of each semester, where the first year cohort meet  weekly to discuss general first year issues and receive information relevant to the first year university experience. As the program underwent changes in 2013, this paper discusses the findings of an evaluative research initiative. The results indicate that the revised 2013 Common Time program was, for the most part, effective in orientating and engaging these first year students during their transition into university study.  However, further revisions to the program are needed to improve students’ opportunities to build meaningful social networks in particular.

Given that the literature suggests there are various (and often contradictory) interpretations of holistic practice in brain injury rehabilitation and multiple complexities in its implementation (including complex setting, discipline, and client-base factors), this study aimed to examine the experiences of practitioners in their conceptualization and delivery of holistic practice in their respective settings. Nineteen health practitioners purposively sampled from an extensive Brain Injury Network in Queensland, Australia participated in individual interviews. A systematic text analysis process using Leximancer qualitative analysis program was undertaken, followed by manual thematic analysis to develop overarching themes. The findings from this study have identified several items for future inter-professional development that will not only benefit the practitioners working in brain injury rehabilitation settings, but the patients and their families as well.