Publications

Mothers with intellectual impairment tend to have smaller social networks and report lower levels of social support than other mothers. This social isolation is linked to higher levels of maternal stress, anxiety and depression, and in turn, poor child outcomes. The Supported Learning Program (SLP) is a flexible, group-based program designed to strengthen the social relationships and improve the psychological wellbeing of mothers with intellectual impairment. The aim of this study was to trial the SLP in Alberta.

The focus of this study was on the everyday challenge and accomplishment of sustaining a routine of family life that accommodates the needs and interests of a child with disabilities and all other family members. One objective was to examine the relationship between sustainability of the daily routine and family propensity to seek out-of-home placement for their child with disabilities. A second objective was to investigate child-specific, within-family and social-ecological factors influencing sustainability of the daily routine.

A gulf exists between the rights and the realities of parents with intellectual disabilities. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities affirms the right of persons with disabilities to marry and found a family. Moreover, in Article 23, states are bound to take effective action and appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination and render appropriate assistance to persons with disabilities in the performance of their child-rearing responsibilities. The brutal reality however is that parents with intellectual disabilities rarely receive appropriate assistance and many have their children taken from them by child protection authorities. This book examines decision-making in child protection and court systems. Applying the discourse ethics of the contemporary German philosopher Jürgen Habermas, the author finds that with respect to parents with intellectual disabilities and their children, the process is anything but just.

Supporting parents is arguably the most effective way of supporting children: Parents can be their children's primary source of support and/or their primary source of vulnerability. To improve support for parents and disseminate effective parenting strategies, Alberta Children and Youth Services implemented a pilot of the Positive Parenting Program, known as "Triple P", in selected Parent Link Centres (PLCs) around the province. This report details the findings from the evaluation of this pilot. The evaluation had three main aims. The first was to examine the process of integrating Triple P into PLCs, including barriers and facilitators to implementation. The second aim was to determine whether Triple P enhances parent, child and family outcomes compared to PLC services-as-usual. The third aim was to investigate factors that potentially moderate the effects of parent training and support.

The first international, cross-disciplinary book to explore and understand the lives of parents with intellectual disabilities, their children, and the systems and services they encounter.

The number of children referred for protective services who have a parent with cognitive impairment is thought to be increasing. There is however a dearth of information about these parents and children and their involvement in the child protection system. In this study we investigate prevalence and outcomes for children of parents (biological and other parents) with perceived cognitive impairments in cases opened for child maltreatment investigation in Canada. One aim is to identify factors that heighten risk and predict outcomes in these challenging cases. This information is sorely needed to inform prevention and early intervention policy and practice and in turn, improve the life chances of this growing population of children.