The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic changed the way we live, work, interact and do research. Many activities moved online, and digital inclusion became an urgent issue for researchers working with people with learning disabilities and other groups at risk of exclusion. This has generated new questions about how we conduct research and what it means to go into ‘the field’.

Narrative exposure therapy (NET) is a trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy, recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in 2018, to treat posttraumatic stress disorder in adults. There is a lack of research exploring the effectiveness of NET with adults with intellectual disabilities. The aim of this study is to develop an adapted version of the NET protocol (IDNET)

Many parents with learning disabilities find themselves locked in a struggle with child protection authorities to retain custody of their children. This struggle is one against deeply entrenched prejudices as well as social arrangements that often deprive parents of needed resources. This in-depth case study explores the contours of such a struggle, and the ‘tools' deployed by one couple to keep child

The number of people with intellectual disabilities and associated mental illness has increased considerably in recent years. This population presents greater obstacles than their peers without mental health problems in accessing education, leisure, and health services. This, conditions their quality of life (QoL) and makes them one of the most vulnerable groups in society.

Professional support for people with intellectual disabilities is increasingly delivered remotely. Understanding what support workers do to support people with intellectual disabilities remotely, and how they do this, is therefore important. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the remote support practice of the support staff of the Dutch service DigiContact.

This study is inclusive research. Inclusive research is when people with disability are involved as researchers. The aim of this project was to focus on relationships that people with intellectual disability have and to find what makes these relationships work. Another aim of this project was to share stories about these relationships at a big event.

Despite a growing body of literature about parents with learning disabilities; there is a paucity of research about experiences of parenting after the removal of a child/children. This study aimed to fill this gap, examining the experiences of that parenting in this context.

Previous research indicated a high prevalence of disordered sleep among adults with learning disabilities, however issues with design impacted findings. The current systematic review aims to: (a) present how disordered sleep and sleep disorders amongst adults with learning disabilities are described in the literature, and (b) report on the prevalence of disordered sleep and sleep disorders among adults

UK social care policy has “traditionally” sought to minimise organisational and sector boundaries through cooperation and partnership. This discussion paper argues that there is a case for a social care system based openly on separation of powers to address the conflicts of interest that inevitably exist between the actors—notably local authorities and service providers. Such systems, with “guardrails” to

The advantages of including people with learning disabilities in research teams have been well described, but it is rare for researchers with learning disabilities to be employed at a university. This paper explores the extent to which university recruitment procedures are accessible to job applicants with learning disabilities.

This article examines the 50 year history of the British Journal of Learning Disabilities, which was launched as Apex, the Journal of the Institute of Mental Subnormality, in 1973. Changes in language and terminology are tracked and the journal is placed in the context of wider policy and social developments. Three general phases are identified in the trajectory of the journal: the hospital period

The COVID-19 global pandemic has put adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities at greater risk of being socially excluded due to physical distancing. Technology has been looked at as a tool for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities to stay connected, however, little is known about this topic. The purpose of this study was to explore how a grassroots disability organisation used

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This paper reviews the challenges faced by a team at the Grace Eyre Foundation in running a coproduced oral history project during the pandemic. It examines the benefits and challenges of working online, comparing this to face-to-face approaches.

The terms idiot, imbecile, and moron are generally associated with notions of intelligence, having served both scientific and mundane roles across cultural-historical contexts and in many different countries. This study seeks to explore the degree to which the use of these terms is an everyday part of our lives and to map out the meanings being attached to them.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) recommend all disabled people receive support to develop their autonomy. Subsequently, evolving models for supported decision-making and informed consent present guidance to enable autonomy support, which have relevance to people with intellectual disabilities. To date, reviews have explored how adults with intellectual

Here, I examine the status of ‘learning disability’ as a basic concept. This kind of questioning may be thought a task for philosophy, or at least for ‘theory’ or ‘disability studies’.

Globally there are few countries facilitating undergraduate programmes to train nurses specifically to support people with intellectual disabilities. In Ireland, eight Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in partnership with associated health care providers (AHCPs) facilitate undergraduate Nursing (Intellectual Disability) degree programmes. Practice placements are a core element of these programmes

Owing to the different models of disablement in different religions and cultures around the world, social and aesthetic representations of intellectually disabled people are diverse in various societies. Disability is perceived in a different way in India than in the West. There are very few studies on the complex role of Indian mainstream Hindi cinema in the representation of intellectual and developmental

The demand for educational and social inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities continues to grow throughout the world. Factors contributing to the increasing demand include family advocacy efforts, shifting views about the nature of disability, and increased international recognition of the rights of children with disabilities. In the 1970s, Saudi Arabia began investing in educational services

My name is Paul Christian. I am a Black British man with learning disabilities. The lives and experiences of Black people with learning disabilities are under - represented in the UK history of learning disability. This article explains my involvement in activism to change this and shares the learning from these projects. It discusses the process of co-writing and why research is needed to record and

History starts from where we are now - it is not just things that happened a long time ago. The global pandemic began in 2019. It has changed the lives of people with learning disabilities. We began our project during the first lockdown in April 2020. We came together to set up a website to collect stories and support and learn from each other about how to survive and keep strong. Storytelling is very

The Circle of Security Parenting programme is a manualised parenting intervention that aims to enhance secure attachment and improve relationships between children and their caregivers. It is gaining global popularity and acquiring emerging support. Researchers are increasingly interested in its effectiveness in enhancing parent–child attachment, improving parent psychological flexibility and reducing

The history of self-advocacy in England has not been recorded, other than the stories of individuals and of some individual groups. We, therefore, decided to interview some leaders of the self-advocacy movement and some people who were allies and supporters. Three researchers, two self-advocates and one academic, interviewed 11 self-advocate leaders on Zoom as the COVID lockdowns made it impossible

This article traces and summarises historiographical trends in the history of learning disability. It identifies three major waves of historical approaches beginning with a medicalised analysis which emerged in the early 20th century. This presented a story of medical progress which began with the asylum movement of the 19th century and represented ‘idiots’ as creatures of the asylum and objects of

• British Journal of Learning Disabilities is celebrating its 50th year. There will be a special issue next time to look at 50 years of the journal and the wider history of learning disability. • The issue has a mix of papers about the lives of people with learning disabilities sharing new knowledge and ideas. • The editor met with the authors of the In Response articles to hear their ideas for making

It is perhaps inevitable that the academic study of learning disabilities is often undertaken by established scholars with little lived experience of the condition. So, what has it been like for someone from outside the academy, with a long career in the arts, who is also the father of a severely learning-disabled young man, to write a book-length history of learning disabilities in culture and society

This paper reports on a participatory project on the history of learning disability. The paper makes contributions to discourses on using participatory research methods with people labelled with learning disabilities, on the nature of research impact in participatory research, and on the lived experience of learning disability today.

There are few identified risk factors that may contribute to the increased risk of hospital admission for children and young people with intellectual disabilities. This qualitative study aimed to identify the key risk factors that precipitate admissions to Tier 4 child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) inpatient services for young people with an intellectual disability living in the North

Related to the target group of young children with a significant cognitive and motor developmental delay, the aims of this study were to obtain more insight into (the interrelations between) several characteristics of these children's expressive communicative behaviour and to explore associations between child behaviour, partner behaviour and contextual factors.

Individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities are vulnerable to potentially traumatic events and trauma sequelae. Despite ongoing advances surrounding trauma and intellectual/developmental disabilities, trauma-specific treatments are needed for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities. This study explores the first implementation of Progressive Counting (PC), a novel trauma treatment

The Child Development Advisor (CDA) (Portage) service provides developmental support to children with significant developmental delays and emotional support for their families through fortnightly home visits. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions imposed to control its spread prevented services from providing face-to-face sessions with families and caregivers, thus

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed enormous strain on health systems around the world, undermining the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare workers. Supporting people with intellectual disabilities may be particularly challenging for workers, as some people with intellectual disabilities may have a limited understanding of the pandemic, and find it challenging to adhere to the restrictions imposed

The objective of this study is to explore experiences of Czech mothers caring for children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

This feeding clinic engaged parents as active participants in a group intervention. Parents' participated behind a two-way mirror. This novel approach to practice in this domain largely evolved from an integration of theory, service user feedback, service development and the local context. This review sought to understand how parents experienced being part of a reflecting team in this way.

Health research is increasingly conducted with the active involvement of the people who are the focus of the research. People with intellectual disabilities also participate actively in research; this is called inclusive research. Collaboration in inclusive research teams requires shared decision-making (SDM). Although inclusive studies frequently refer to decision-making as something the research

Diagnosing and managing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults with intellectual disabilities is currently largely based on findings from assessment and treatment in children or adults without intellectual disabilities. Current evidence suggests that individuals with intellectual disabilities are more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder compared to those without intellectual

In 2006, the United Nations agreed the Convention On the Rights Of Persons With Disabilities. Article 19, ‘Living independently and being included in the community’ sets out the ‘equal rights of all persons with disabilities to live in the community, with choices equal to others…’ A generation earlier, a small group of activists had come together at the invitation of the King's Fund—a major United

The immediate post-world war II era was a critical turning point in the history of learning disability in the United Kingdom and much of the global north. Most notably the gradual move away from institutional provision to a community-oriented approach. While many diverse threads contributed to this change, a key influence was the slow, and incomplete, recognition that institutional provision was not

The Camphill Movement is one of the largest independent providers of social care for people with a learning disability: there are 119 communities located throughout the world. From the start, the principal aim of the Movement—co-founded by Dr. Karl König and his wife Tilla (née Maasberg) in Aberdeen—was to build communities in which children and adults with a learning disability could live, learn,

This article presents an overview and discussion of the main developments in the lives of persons with intellectual disability in Malta over the last 70 years in residential services, education, employment, friendships and relationships, culture, sport and leisure activities, having a say in one's own life and how people look at persons with intellectual disability. It also discusses who were the people

The social inclusion of people with learning disabilities is an important topic because we all have a right to participate in society. Articles in this special issue talk about how education can help to make social inclusion better so that people with learning disabilities can join in and belong, just like everyone else. The articles talk about how changes in the way people think about learning disabilities

The principal destinations for school leavers with intellectual disabilities from special schools in Ireland are further education (FE) through providers such as the National Learning Network or training and employment (TE) within adult day services and rehabilitation centres. In 2015, a number of inherent barriers to participation in FE/TE for young people with intellectual disabilities were identified

The frequency and intensity of physical activity are directly related to health in the general population. However, to our knowledge, no study has looked at that relationship in people with intellectual disability.

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.

Research has previously been undertaken around the subject of alumni networks, yet it remains to touch upon the inclusivity of these networks, particularly relating to people with learning disabilities. Referring to Law's “Community Interaction Theory”, this study sets out to explore how education providers understand and implement alumni networks and how these networks can be adapted to enhance career

People with epilepsy and intellectual disability should be considered at high risk of developing metabolic bone disease. Risk is increased with number of comorbidities and polypharmacy, particularly anti-seizure medications. One way of improving bone health is to ensure that every one has adequate levels of vitamin D through supplementation.

In John Paul Donnelly's (2021) In Response article, he draws attention to the Scottish Government (2020) report on the additional challenges people with disabilities and their carers have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Donnelly (2021) also writes about the Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA) and the ways this organisation responded quickly to the pandemic to support its members. For example:

Reducing hospital admissions for people with a learning disability is a key objective of national guidelines. However, there are currently little available data which indicate factors which might reduce the risk of hospital admission. Using a cohort of people at risk of hospital admission, this research sought to explore the association between access to emergency respite and hospital admission.

There is a strong ethical case and an urgent need for more participatory research practices in disability research but a lack of resources to support this. It is important to involve people with learning disabilities and carers at all stages, including when designing training for co-research.

1 Who am I? My name is John Paul Donnelly, l have been a Member of Glasgow Disability Alliance (https://gda.scot/) for 6 years, doing various courses and being a disabled activist. In 2019, with the support of GDA, I myself and a few members had worked together—we were called the Fantastic 6—had put on a Big Event in our local community to let people know what is happening in their local area and what