Premium
Social Ecology of a Residential Special School for Young People with Challenging Behaviours: A Preliminary Report
Author(s) -
Smith Kate,
Powlitch Stephanie,
Little David,
Furniss Frederick
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1468-3148
pISSN - 1360-2322
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-3148.2005.00299.x
Subject(s) - staffing , unit (ring theory) , residential school , psychology , residential care , challenging behaviour , medical education , teaching staff , intellectual disability , social ecology , ecology , gerontology , pedagogy , nursing , medicine , sociology , mathematics education , socioeconomics , psychiatry , political science , biology , law
Background Little is known about the social ecology of residential schools. This study examined staff/student interaction and student activity in a traditional residential unit and an ‘independent living unit’ (ILU) in a school for students with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour. Method Staff and student behaviours were observed for 23 students aged 8–16 years, five from the ILU and 18 from the traditional unit. Results Students received staff assistance to complete activity for under 6% and 1% of time, and were constructively engaged for under 50% and 20% of time, in the traditional unit and ILU respectively. Few differences were found between the units. Conclusions Despite higher staffing ratios, levels of staff assistance and attention and resident activity in the school resemble mean levels in comparable adult community services. Further research into outcomes in residential schools seems warranted.