bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Reporting Lags of Multinational and Domestic Firms
Authors: Lee Ho‐Young , Mande Vivek , Son Myungsoo
Published: August 2010

This study examines whether multinational firms report earnings sooner than domestic firms. When compared with domestic firms, the reporting environment and business operations of multinational firms are significantly more complex. There is a greater amount of information asymmetry between managers and shareholders of multinational firms. Therefore, multinational firms potentially face higher monitoring and external financing costs. To reduce these costs, we conjecture that managers of multinational firms take steps to reduce the information asymmetry between shareholders and management by increasing the timeliness (a proxy for relevance) of their earnings reports. Specifically, we expect multinational firms to announce earnings earlier than domestic firms. We separate earnings reporting delay into auditor‐related delay and management's discretionary delay. While test results weakly support the hypothesis that auditors take longer to audit multinational firms, there is strong evidence that managers of multinational firms release their earnings reports sooner than domestic firms.
A Dual‐track Strategy for Managing Mauritania's Projected Oil Rent
Authors: Auty Richard , Pontara Nicola
Published: August 2010

High rent creates contests for its capture that, unless skilfully managed, degrade political institutions and distort the economy, leading to a collapse of growth if unreformed. Mauritania's projected oil stream risks such an outcome because past rent‐driven growth has left a legacy of Dutch disease effects, rent‐seeking and dependent social capital. This article proposes a dual‐track strategy for deploying the oil rent as a politically practical means of managing social tensions and improving the economic outcome. Track one promotes a dynamic market economy in the hitherto neglected rural areas, while track two gradually reforms the rent‐driven urban sector, thus postponing confrontation with established rent‐seekers while the dynamic sector drives competitive diversification of the economy and builds a pro‐reform political constituency.
Debt Relief and Credit to the Private Sector in African Countries
Authors: Harrabi Sana , Bousrih Lobna , Salisu Mohammed
Published: August 2010

Abstract:  The purpose of the paper is to empirically investigate the link between debt relief and credit to the private sector in African countries using a panel method over the period 1988–2004. The motivation for investigating the relationship between debt relief and credit to the private sector follows Christensen's (2004) hypothesis that domestic debt has a negative impact on the credit to private sector; therefore debt relief is expected to alleviate domestic debt and thereby create space for domestic credit, which if it is mostly constituted of public sector credit, crowds out credit to the private sector. The main results of the paper are as follows: (1) debt relief has a significant and positive effect on credit to the private sector in the short term; (2) in the long term, debt relief has positive effects on domestic credit to the private sector only when associated with good initial institutional quality.
PROFITS, CRISES AND INDUSTRIAL CHANGE 2: THE EXPERIENCE OF CANADA 1950—1981
Authors: WEBBER MICHAEL
Published: August 2010

The paper measures the rate of profit and its components in Canadian manufacturing for 1950 ‐ 1981. The rate of profit has been reduced by rises in the real wage and the technical composition of capital, partially offset by a devaluation in the means of production and a reduction in turnover times. The value of labour power and therefore the rate of exploitation have not changed. The rate of profit has consistently fallen throughout the period. These results are consistent with a theory that the falling rate of profit is endogenous to capitalism.
Bringing Back the (B)order: Post‐9/11 Politics of Immigration, Borders, and Belonging in the Contemporary US South
Authors: Winders Jamie
Published: August 2010

Abstract:  Post 9/11, debates about borders, immigration, and belonging have reached a new intensity in the US South. The temporal overlap of growing immigration to the South since the late 1990s and growing nativist sentiment across the US since 9/11 has led southern communities to fuse new regional racial demographics to new national border anxieties. This convergence enables southern political elites to address the changing contours of local communities through recourse to national imperatives of border security, all the while avoiding an explicit language of race in a thoroughly racialized debate. In an analysis of recent political maneuvers in the South, this article examines what happens when debates about nation, community, and borders are relocated to southern spaces heretofore absent in discussions of immigration. It argues that legislative actions against immigrant populations in southern states are virulent and multi‐scalar border policings in which concerns about the social and cultural boundaries of southern communities, new racial projects across the South, and post‐9/11 immigrant anxieties across the US become inseparable. To conclude, it discusses the theoretical insight that this critical assessment of the South's new border projects offers vis‐à‐vis understandings of, and struggles against, exclusion, racism, and social injustice.
Equivalence of serufuesutei‐mu (self‐esteem) and jisonshin in Japan
Authors: Brown Robert A.
Published: August 2010

Most studies of Japanese self‐esteem have implicitly assumed that the concept of self‐esteem (SE) is indigenously meaningful. However, this has not been shown to be true. The present research investigated whether the indigenous Japanese word jisonshin is semantically equivalent to the English expression SE and, by implication, whether it denotes the same concept as originally delineated by Rosenberg, that of having a positive attitude toward oneself. Japanese participants (N = 234) responded to 11 pairs of statements about SE and several other items. Half of the statements contained the expression serufuesutei‐mu (self‐esteem), the other half the expression jisonshin. Participants independently judged the two expressions to be ‘basically’ synonymous, but endorsed some otherwise identical statements significantly more often when they contained the expression serufuesutei‐mu, suggesting that the differences were due to the foreign connotations of the expression serufuesutei‐mu.
CO‐MOVEMENT OF AUSTRALIAN STATE BUSINESS CYCLES*
Authors: NORMAN DAVID , WALKER THOMAS
Published: August 2010

We use a variety of techniques to examine the nature and degree of co‐movement among Australian state business cycles. Consistent with the results of Dixon and Shepherd (2001), we find that these cycles move quite closely together, with particularly strong links between the cycles of the larger states. We then seek to understand the causes of this co‐movement by using an unobserved components model to distinguish between various shocks and their transmission. Our model implies that the major source of this co‐movement in state activity is the commonality of shocks affecting state cycles. In contrast, spillovers of region‐specific shocks appear to play only a minor role in creating co‐movement, though region‐specific shocks themselves have a moderate influence on cyclical fluctuations. These findings are consistent with the results of recent studies for the United States, Canada and Europe, where common shocks have also been found to dominate regional cyclical activity.
Agricultural dynamics in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines
Authors: Mundlak Yair , Larson Donald , Butzer Rita
Published: August 2010

The introduction of new high‐yielding varieties of cereals in the 1960s, known as the green revolution, dramatically changed the food supply in Asia, as well as in other countries. In the present paper we examine, over an extended period, the growth consequences for agriculture in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. Despite geographical proximity, similar climate and other shared characteristics, gains in productivity and income differed significantly among the countries. We quantify these differences and examine their determinants. We find that the new technology changed the returns to fertilisers, irrigated land and capital, all of which proved scarce to varying degrees. Complementing technology‐related changes in factor use were investments, public and private, driven in part by policy. We find that factor accumulation played an important role in output growth and that accumulations from policy driven investments in human capital and public infrastructure were important sources of productivity gains. We conclude that policies that ease constraints on factor markets and promote public investment in people and infrastructure provide the best opportunities for agricultural growth.
Young Children's Psychological Selves: Convergence with Maternal Reports of Child Personality
Authors: Brown Geoffrey L. , Mangelsdorf Sarah C. , Agathen Jean M. , Ho Moon‐Ho
Published: August 2010

The present research examined five‐year‐old children's psychological self‐concepts. Non‐linear factor analysis was used to model the latent structure of the children's self‐view questionnaire (CSVQ; Eder, 1990), a measure of children's self‐concepts. The coherence and reliability of the emerging factor structure indicated that young children are capable of meaningfully reporting about their own emotions and personalities. Moreover, these self‐reports from five‐year‐olds converged with maternal perceptions of child personality. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the study of emergent personality, continuity/discontinuity in personality assessment across the lifespan, and self‐concept formation in early childhood.
The rise of a functional category in small clauses*
Authors: Tanaka Tomoyuki , Yokogoshi Azusa
Published: August 2010

Abstract. This paper argues for the rise of a functional category Pred(ication) in the sense ofBowers (1993)in the history of English by investigating the distribution ofas, floating quantifiers, expletiveit, and inversion of subjects and predicates in small clauses. The results of this investigation reveal that evidence for the presence of Pred in small clauses began to be attested in the fourteenth century. This indicates that they have undergone a change from the structure headed by a lexical category to the structure headed by Pred, which is shown to have been completed during the eighteenth century.
Monetarist and Keynesian Policies for the Italian Labour Market: An Application of Interactive Control Methods
Authors: Carraro Carlo
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT: This paper aims at analysing the effects of monetarist and keynesian policies on Italian unemployment rate. Furthermore, it examines whether an optimal policy exists such that unemployment can be lowered without negatively affecting other policy targets (inflation or balance of trade). To answer these questions, interactive control methods are applied to a simple, intermediate‐run, disequilibrium model of the Italian economy. A comparison between actual and optimal policies is also provided.
Belief from the Past
Authors: Naylor Andrew
Published: August 2010

Abstract:A person who remembers having done something has a belief that she did it from having done it. To have a belief that one did something from having done it is to believe that one did the action on the (causal) basis of having done it, where this belief (in order for one to have it) need not be (causally) based even in part on any contributor to the belief other than doing the action. The notion of a contributor to a belief (as opposed to a mere facilitating cause of the belief) is explicated through a series of examples. The account of having a belief that one did something from having done it is then deployed in criticising Ginet's account of ‘memory connection’, in assessing Martin and Deutscher's causal theory of remembering, in indicating how diachronic justification functions in a nontraditional theory of memory, and in setting forth one type of psychological connectedness which, according to advocates of a psychological continuity theory of personal identity, may be employed (noncircularly) in formulating the theory, and which, according to opponents of the theory, provides a target for criticising the theory.
RECENT AND FUTURE MANAGEMENT CHANGES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT: CONTINUING FOCUS ON RATIONALITY AND EFFICIENCY?
Authors: Ter Bogt Henk J.
Published: August 2010

Dutch municipalities and provinces have recently introduced many changes relating to management control. This paper explores the role of economic and social rationality in the introduction of reforms, and the nature of possible future reforms. Based on interviews with politicians and professional managers and on documents, the paper examines experiences with recent management changes. In addition, it discusses ‘change initiating factors’. Budget cuts and trends seem to be such change initiating factors. However, particularly more demanding citizens, increases in voters' volatility and politicians' uncertainty seemed to initiate changes. The paper speculates that in the near future, too, it could be a rational survival strategy for politicians and managers to focus on initiatives that are intended to enhance performance and efficiency.
THE NPM AGENDA: BACK TO THE FUTURE
Authors: Lapsley Irvine
Published: August 2010

The New Public Management agenda for change has been extremely influential. This paper considers future developments in NPM. In this evaluation of the future of NPM it is argued that the complexity of NPM – in concept and in practice – requires a multi‐dimensional consideration of what NPM is and what it will become. In this paper, NPM is explained around three key dimensions: (1) management processes; (2) mechanisms of change, and (3) constraints. Within these three dimensions, nine key elements of NPM implementation are discussed. This paper concludes that the pressures for NPM will not abate. However, its evolution will continue to be severely contested.
Technological Creativity and Cheap Labour? Explaining the Growing International Competitiveness of German Mechanical Engineering before World War I
Authors: Labuske Kirsten , Streb Jochen
Published: August 2010

Which factors caused the growing international competitiveness of German mechanical engineering industry in the pre-World War I period? In this paper, we want to address this question and elucidate whether or not the international market success of machine builders in the German Empire was determined by technological creativity and the availability of a comparatively cheap labour force. Based on an unbalanced panel, we therefore investigate the influence of demand, labour costs and technological creativity on export performance of 32 different machinery types. We find robust evidence that the development of export- import ratios in mechanical engineering was positively influenced by the growth of patent stocks that represent the new knowledge being available for German machine builders. In addition, we present some evidence for the assumption that the growing international competitiveness of German mechanical engineering was also caused by decreasing relative unit labour cost.
INVESTIGATION OF APPARENT HEARING LOSS BY OPERANT AUDIOLOGICAL TECHNIQUE
Authors: Stevens Andrew , Williams Chris
Published: August 2010

Traditional audiological techniques have relied upon the subject making a distinct response if he/she can hear a certain sound, usually a pure tone. However, such approaches require that the instructions to make this response at a specific time be imparted to the subject before his/her hearing can be assessed. This is clearly not possible if there is a basic communication problem as with many young deaf children or with severely retarded persons.

To overcome this, techniques using the principles of operant conditioning have been used with notable success. Fulton and Lloyd (1969) reported having assessed successfully the hearing of over a dozen severely retarded children, although a few cases required a more complex procedure than the simple positive reinforcement discrimination method described here.
A joint approach to domiciliary support — community nurses and social workers join forces to aid families with mentally handicapped children or relatives
Authors: TEBBET JOHN
Published: August 2010

This paper reflects the views and practice of the social workers and community nurse who operate from the newly opened Gloucester Centre for the mentally handicapped in Peterborough. The Centre is the responsibility of the Cambridgeshire Area Health Authority, though links with Cambridgeshire Social Services Department are formally established, not only in joint planning and funding but in the close cooperation and professional understanding that exists between different professions in face to face work with parents.
PARENT WORKSHOPS: are we giving parents what they need?
Authors: COCKS ROGER P , GARDNER JILL M.
Published: August 2010

This article describes briefly the planning, content and evaluation of a workshop series for a group of parents whose children attend a local authority day ESN(S) school.
BBC TELEVISION SERIES “Let's Go…”—‐ programmes for teaching the mentally handicapped
Authors: VICKERMAN B.A.
Published: August 2010

A series of 20 programmes designed specifically for the mentally handicapped is being screened by the BBC. The last issue of Apex contained two contributions giving an idea of the kind of background work that took place in regard to the series. The following item portrays another aspect of the preparatory work…
RUNNING A LANGUAGE UNIT
Authors: PERKINS E. A. , DRINKWATER J. , PATEMAN P.J.
Published: August 2010

The Language Unit at Lea Castle Hospital, initially sponsored in part by the British Institute of Mental Handicap, was opened in October, 1975 and was briefly described in Apex (December 1976). The present article describes the running of the Unit and gives some of the results so far. The children
The elderly mentally handicapped in the community and a psychiatric service
Authors: BALLINGER BRIAN R.
Published: August 2010

The contacts of a Mental Handicap and a General Psychiatric Service with elderly mentally handicapped patients were surveyed over a six year period for a district with a population of approximately 200,000. Only 10 individuals were referred, seven to the mental illness service. Behaviour disturbance or psychiatric symptomatology was usually present, but self‐care was relatively good. Another eight elderly patients were discharged from the mental handicap hospital to residential homes for the elderly; this was usually successful. The reasons for the low referral rate are discussed.
TRENDS IN A MENTAL HANDICAP HOSPITAL
Authors: SPENCER D. A.
Published: August 2010

This paper looks at trends in the figures for bed numbers, deaths, new long‐stay patients, discharges to the care of social services departments and other discharges at Meanwood Park Hospital. It is considered that such a review is useful for comparison with other centres and with respect to the changing pattern of care for the mentally handicapped.
Shoplifting—its prevention through drama
Authors: CRAWFORD NICK , FLYNN HELEN
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY: In this article the effect of a visiting theatre group on a class of mentally handicapped students is considered and it is pointed out that drama can be effectively used to aid teaching of everyday situations. This short description demonstrates how unacceptable social behaviour can be brought home to the mentally handicapped. It is intended only to provide one example of the use of drama in special schools.
Curriculum Planning Workshop: an evaluation
Authors: CRAWFORD N. B. , GARDNER J.
Published: August 2010

This article describes the evaluation of a BIMH education workshop by its organisers. The study outlines a paradigm which may be useful in similar contexts as well as providing valuable data on current curriculum work in schools and the results of this evaluation will effect changes in the organisers' approach to future curriculum workshops.
INFORMATION PROCESSING AND THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED: an approach for considering work skills
Authors: MYOTT ANNE
Published: August 2010

The usefulness of information concepts in an assessment situation was commented on as early as 1957 by Annett and, more recently, by Olsen (1971) who suggested that channel capacity could act as a sensitive index of mental retardation. Renewed interest has been shown by Whelan (1974).

The present study raises three major considerations. Firstly, it suggests that the ability of the mentally handicapped to process information is influenced by the nature of the cues used. Colour cues appear to be processed significantly faster than shape cues. Secondly, there are significant differences in the speed of information processing depending on the amount of information conveyed by the stimulus card. Thirdly, it suggests that measures of central processing over information levels where the subject has to utilise one or two bits of information are comparable with non‐handicapped populations, and that handicapped individuals suffer in comparison in terms of their movement time.
The use of microcomputers in the teaching of the mentally handicapped
Authors: SAUNDERS PETER
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY: This article is written by a layman with the intention of persuading other laymen to consider using microcomputers for teaching mentally handicapped children and adults.

It surveys some of the work being done to help disabled people and proposes that similar effort should be coordinated in the interests of the mentally handicapped and of those who care for them.
“Special” puppet shows
Authors: GRIFFITHS KEVIN
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY: Much has been written about the motivational value of using puppets as an effective teaching aid with the mentally handicapped, whether it be for story‐telling, language work, social skills or music. This, however, is an account of puppetry used as a performing art by a group of long‐stay children attending Courtenay School at Stoke Lyne Hospital, Exmouth.
Youth hostelling and the ESN(S): a productive means of utilising leisure time
Authors: NEWMAN DAVID
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY: This brief study examined the feasibility of regular weekend youth hostelling as a major leisure pursuit for the mentally handicapped. 13 pupils from an ESN(S) school in Stafford took part in the fifty‐mile Golden Jubilee Trek accomplishing both certificates and free membership of the Youth Hostels Association (YHA). This strenuous venture provided a useful introduction to hostelling and offered sufficient insight to justify further investigation. There is little doubt that thorough planning, to mastery level, is required for total independence but the signs are that, if all the available agencies are utilised, hostelling could possibly fill an important gap in a weekend of many empty hours.
DAY WETTING: a bar to leaving hospital?
Authors: TORPY DAVID M.
Published: August 2010

Information on assessment of day wetting was examined for mental handicap patients from four settings. The evidence points to the size of the incidence of day wetting; also to it being a bar to a place in a hostel setting.
A SUGGESTED CURRICULUM FOR THE PROFOUNDLY HANDICAPPED CHILD
Authors: MYLAND EILEEN , THURLOW OWEN
Published: August 2010

In our previous article we gave the outline of a basic teaching programme which we felt could be used with the profoundly handicapped child. This article proposes to deal with the classroom organisation and routine, as it is so important in the special care class.
HOSPITAL DAY CARE CENTRES for mentally handicapped adults
Authors: DALGLEISH MARY
Published: August 2010

This study examines some effects of environmental design in two new day care centres for mentally handicapped adults. Problems in organising activities were greatest in large, open areas; highest levels of staff‐resident interaction and resident engagement being found in smaller, enclosed rooms. Resident engagement and staff‐resident interaction were generally unrelated to staffing levels. Facilities for residents and staff to work together on a one‐to‐one basis were inadequate.
A SUGGESTED CURRICULUM FOR THE PROFOUNDLY HANDICAPPED CHILD. 3: Integrating the special care class
Authors: MYLAND EILEEN , THURLOW OWEN
Published: August 2010

The first two parts of this series outlined a basic teaching programme suitable for use with profoundly handicapped children, and appropriate classroom organisation and routine. This part concentrates on the integration of the children within the main school.
Constructing language comprehension programmes: an approach for use with mentally handicapped children
Authors: ROSE RICHARD
Published: August 2010

The article discusses the need for language programmes in special schools and the current interest in implementing such schemes for major areas of the curriculum. The rationale and format of a programme for improving language comprehension skills in mentally handicapped children is described and is viewed alongside some of the commercial materials available. The strengths and weaknesses of the commercial programmes are discussed and the programme described is seen as a means of overcoming some of the problems presented by these, and adopting a more individual approach. The components of the programme are described showing the means of implementation from its inclusive assessment through to the choice of method and materials to be used by the class teacher. An approach to record keeping specifically aimed at the language comprehension programme is described and illustrated.
“First do no harm”– part‐time care for mentally handicapped children
Authors: LINDSAY MARY P.
Published: August 2010

Part‐time forms of care are an important resource for mentally handicapped children and their families. Separation experiences for a child, however, can be most distressing, and careful consideration needs to be given to the ways in which distress can be prevented. There should be good positive reasons for an individual child to receive part‐time care, and sufficient preparation and planning should ensure that this is a satisfactory experience for the child and his family. Practical guidelines are given.
Assessing assessments – notes for the non‐psychologist
Authors: LEYIN ALAN
Published: August 2010

The importance of assessing the level and range of skills of mentally handicapped people is now widely accepted, and consequently “assessment” in some form is a procedure which is widely adopted. However, unless the findings of the assessment are constructively used the procedure is of little value. The National Development Group for the Mentally Handicapped (1977) makes reference to this point: “Assessment must always lead to a programme of action designed to help the individual to make progress – assessment for assessment's sake is of little value”.
Improving the interpersonal skills of mentally handicapped people
Authors: FIRTH MELINDA , FIRTH HUGH
Published: August 2010

A training group to teach interpersonal skills to residents of a health authority hostel was run by two psychologists and the hostel staff. The group included mildly and severely mentally handicapped people.

The organisation and content of the training is discussed and examples given. Recommendations are made on the basis of problems encountered and lessons learned which will be of help when planning interpersonal skills training groups for other mentally handicapped people.
The closure of Cromwell Crescent
Authors: Eastwood Larraine
Published: August 2010

It is some time since I wrote about the trials and tribulations encountered at the group home on Cromwell Crescent (Apex, 1980; 8:3, 84–86) and this, alas, will be my last contribution as the home has now closed and the residents have returned to the adult hostel. This final report outlines only a few of the problems that led to the closure of the home, but due to lack of space and a fear of becoming too confusing it is not possible to go into too much depth.
SELF‐CONCEPT ASSESSMENT
Authors: Gowans Frederick , Hulbert Chris
Published: August 2010

The authors review the bulk of studies concerned with assessment of self‐concept of mentally handicapped adults. Special reference is given to Schurr's (1970) paper which offered pointers for research which have been largely ignored. This review suggests a direction and focus for future research.
Health care models. for people who have mental handicaps
Authors: Baldwin Stephen C.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. This article attempts to bring into focus the variety and implications of health care models relating to service delivery for people with mental handicaps. Five separate models are identified, each of which is found to share some common elements and features, although ultimately based upon very different sets of ideas. A comparison between these models is suggested, together with a brief analysis of their effects, strengths, and possible weaknesses. Assumptions which underlie each model are presented as a means of examining the quantity and quality of health care afforded within the treatment approaches.
Two models of care in the mental handicap services
Authors: Punukollu N. Rao
Published: August 2010

In this article two models of care are discussed in detail. Model 1 is the traditional model, where the consultant has clinical responsibility. In Model 2 GP's would take mentally handicapped hospital residents onto their registers and the consultants would function in an advisory capacity. The advantages and disadvantages of both models are discussed. Health authorities must decide which model to follow, depending on local circumstances.
Asian families with a pre‐school handicapped child – a study
Authors: Powell Martin , Perkins Elizabeth
Published: August 2010

This study examines the feasibility of introducing a scheme such as Portage to Asian families with a pre‐school mentally handicapped child. It also looks at what the families said they wanted in the way of resources to help them bring up their child. 11 families in an inner city area were interviewed in their own language using a structured interview schedule. The findings support the applicability of an early intervention approach and highlight significant areas of need. It is suggested that the use of a mother‐tongue named person would make a substantial contribution to how limited English speaking families understand and make use of services for their mentally handicapped children.
Curriculum development using the SAM: a practitioner's viewpoint
Authors: Carpenter Barry
Published: August 2010

This article is written from my experience, in two schools for children with severe learning difficulties, of coordinating the staff Curriculum Development Group using the SAM. The aim is to illustrate the practicalities of implementing the SAM, how the SAM can form an intrinsic part of a staff development and in‐service training programme, and its eventual operation in the classroom situation.
HANDLING AND POSITIONING CHILDREN WHO HAVE CEREBRAL PALSY
Authors: Finlayson Anne , Hong Chia Swee
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. The authors were involved in organising a series of seminars for non‐therapy staff on the handling and positioning of children with cerebral palsy. The article describes the course content, responses from course participants, and a list of course reading.
A hospital based incentive payment scheme: for people with mental handicaps
Authors: Brooksbank Wally , Robertson Jean
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. An incentive payment scheme was developed for use in a hospital based training centre, regularly attended by more than 250 people. It has now been in operation for five years. It is of special interest that the scheme has proved to be viable in a large unit, but it could also be valuable with small groups.
“Breakthrough to Literacy”: its use with adults who are mentally handicapped
Authors: Manley Ruth , Povey Robert
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. Several spxsecial methods for teaching reading to people who are severely disabled have been developed (see Kirk, Kliebhan, and Lerner, 1978). Some of these have been designed specifically for use with people who are mentally handicapped; others are modified versions of schemes designed for mainstream pupils. The Breakthrough to Literacy scheme is of the latter type. This article reports on its use at the Canterbury Social Education Centre for adults with mental handicaps. It is concluded that a modified version of the scheme has considerable potential in such settings.
COMMUNITY‐BASED RESPITE CARE: meeting the needs of families with disabled children
Authors: Gregory Susan P. , Powell T. Hennessy
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. This paper discusses the importance of respite care services as a community‐based resource for families of children with disabilities. Families with children living at home need a variety of support services. Respite care is an integral part of the resources which should be available to them. The development of respite care in the United States, the models of service provided, and the impact on families is discussed. The need for preservice and inservice training of respite care providers is emphasised, and recommendations are made for the content of training programmes in order that quality services can be offered.
Parents' views on mental handicap services: results of a consumer questionnaire
Authors: Humphreys Simone , Lowe Kathryn , Blunden Roger
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. This study describes patterns of usage of mental handicap services and degree of satisfaction amongst 74 families in Cardiff. 25 of the families were receiving NIMROD services in addition to existing mental handicap services when the questionnaire was administered. Degree of satisfaction was higher in NIMROD families than in the others. The results demonstrate the impact NIMROD is having on families and the need to involve parents in future planning of services.
Supporting staff in community services
Authors: Firth Hugh , Myers Mary
Published: August 2010

A high level of morale in staff of community based services is of critical importance. To maintain high morale services must supply a variety of organisational and personal supports.

Good organisational supports include: (1) adequate materials, a good and responsive communication system, and cooperation with other elements of the service; (2) sufficient staff with the right skills, which are maintained by relevant training; (3) a clear service philosophy within which to operate and in which individuals' priorities are carefully linked; (4) sufficient variety in the job to avoid staff becoming drained. Good personal supports include: (1) involvement in decisions about client plans; (2) staff awareness of their own part in obtaining service goals and an opportunity to share in evaluation and development of new policies; (3) knowledge of personal objectives; (4) clear and positive, as well as negative, feedback on individual performance; (5) respect, empathy, and a lack of defensiveness from colleagues and superiors.
Using music in mental handicap
Authors: Oldfield Amelia , Peirson Janet
Published: August 2010

Some of the obvious links between music and movement are noted and the work of the music and physio‐therapists at the Ida Darwin Hospital is briefly outlined. The article then looks at ways in which music can be used to facilitate the movement of people with mental and physical handicaps through: motivation and encouragement; relaxation and concentration; passive movement; and creative movement. Examples of practical work are given.
Exclusion diets in mental handicap practice
Authors: Oliver Brian E.
Published: August 2010

Clinical experience of using diets in managing behavioural and physical problems associated with mental handicap is recorded. Whilst reservations about the significance of the observations are acknowledged, it is concluded that appropriate diets may be a useful addition to the range of treatments which can be tried for alleviating severe and intractable problems. Appropriate monitoring must be maintained and care must be taken in the selection of people to be placed on diets.
Integrating pupils with profound and multiple handicaps: in a school for children with severe learning difficulties
Authors: Ouvry Carol
Published: August 2010

A system of integration employed at Paddock school is described which shows that pupils with profound and multiple handicaps can be integrated successfully in regular classes within the school in preparation for their adult life.
BREAKING THE NEWS: a way of telling parents their newborn child is handicapped
Authors: Jupp Sheila
Published: August 2010

The study presented a specially designed teaching programme to 12 medical and nursing staff who were all directly involved in breaking the news to parents at the birth of a child with a handicap.

It was hypothesised that: (1) the general principles of breaking the news as presented in the teaching programme could be utilised when breaking the news to parents of children with any handicap; and (2) after receiving the information and guidelines as contained in the teaching programme the staff's performance when breaking the news would improve, as would their satisfaction with the way they handled the situation.

It was not possible to evaluate hypothesis 1 due to the lack of variation of handicaps in the post intervention sample. As expected results showed a significant improvement in staff performance and satisfaction levels.

Further research is being carried out.
PAIRED READING: its value with children with severe learning difficulties
Authors: Dickinson Doreen
Published: August 2010

The enquiries presented here explore the orientation of both parents and teachers in considering the intrinsic value of paired reading with children with severe and complex learning difficulties.

Parents enjoyed paired reading. They were pleased that their children were able to join in a “normal” activity which they felt would be invaluable in the future, providing a source of lasting pleasure.

Teachers saw stories and reading as enjoyable and worthwhile activities not for anything, but in themselves. They were concerned about the needs of their pupils for attention, happiness, satisfactions, achievements, and success.

It is concluded that giving extra consideration to what is intrinsically valuable can provide children with severe and complex learning difficulties with more of “the good life” – as they may define it.
CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR AND COMMUNITY SERVICES 2. Who are the people who challenge services?
Authors: Emerson Eric , Cummings Richard , Barrett Sheila , Hughes Heather , McCool Christine , Toogood Alexander
Published: August 2010

This is the second in a series of articles in Mental Handicap that explore the provision of community based services for people with severe mental handicaps and challenging behaviours. It presents information arising from the work of the South East Thames Regional Health Authority's Special Development Team that begins to answer the basic question: who are the people with severe mental handicaps whose behaviour poses a major challenge to current services?
Making individual plans for change
Authors: Fleming Ian
Published: August 2010

Individual Programme Plans were introduced to a local authority hostel and an adult training centre as a result of discussions between the officers of those establishments and the local Community Mental Handicap Team.

Training in assessment and how to organise IPP's took place to maximise their effectiveness, and the clarity, goal orientation, and accountability of the IPP's enabled evaluation. Attendance of people with mental handicaps was high and relatives were always invited. A wide range of goals was set relevant to individual needs. Evaluation showed that, while just under half the goals were successfully achieved or required a little more practice in the time allotted, a significant proportion were not achieved. Staff are confident that this situation will improve as they gain more confidence and the adults play a more active role.
Life in a mental handicap hospital: THE VIEW FROM THE INSIDE
Authors: Cattermole Martin , Jahoda Andrew , Markova Ivana
Published: August 2010

In the controversy surrounding community care the opinions of people with mental handicaps themselves have rarely been heard. In this study people living in a mental handicap hospital were interviewed in order to discover their views on living there. They reported a large number of deficiencies with hospital life. Every person interviewed wanted to leave the hospital and live in the community.
Carers' relationships with people with mental handicaps: THE NEED FOR GUIDANCE
Authors: Middleton Simon R.
Published: August 2010

The centrality of good relationships in the care of people with mental handicaps is considered, together with the lack of guidance in the literature for carers, especially learner nurses. Support for the importance of relationships is found in current literature. A need for a new book on relationships with people with mental handicaps is proposed, and an outline of some of the topics which such a book might cover is given and discussed. Authors and publishers in the field of nurse training, and specifically in mental handicap, are asked to take up the challenge of researching a key introductory text.
REDUCING STRESS IN COMMUNITY MENTAL HANDICAP TEAMS
Authors: Holt Geraldine , Oliver Barley
Published: August 2010

This article describes some of the areas which have been noted to cause stress in community mental handicap teams. Each area is discussed in turn and suggestions are made as to how the stress might be resolved.
Down's syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, and reality orientation: A REVIEW
Authors: Prosser Glyn
Published: August 2010

Book reviewed in this article:

Characteristics associated with ageing in people with mental handicaps are similar to those for the general population, but dementia of the Alzheimer type frequently occurs in those with Down's syndrome. Evidence favouring a genetic basis for this association has been documented, yet it has been found that despite the probable presence of Alzheimer‐type lesions in the brain of every person with Down's syndrome over the age of 30 years, only about one‐third ultimately present the clinical symptoms of dementia. It is also true that many other people who are at risk for Alzheimer's disease do not present the symptoms, so that environmental factors are probably implicated. Reality orientation programmes designed to help in the prevention or postponement of dementia generally may also be appropriate for people with Down's syndrome from the fourth decade of their lives.
Use of community facilities by adolescents with severe mental handicaps
Authors: Halliday Sabrina , Woolnough Lyn
Published: August 2010

This study examined the use of community facilities by three groups of adolescents with severe mental handicaps before and after they moved into staffed houses in the community. Results were positive, showing an increased use of everyday facilities and a decreased use of facilities for people with handicaps in all houses, irrespective of how long the young people had been in residence. The use of leisure facilities and public transport was also increased for those who had lived in the community the longest. The number and variety of “other” experiences, events organised or attended, increased for all the young people, attesting to their enriched life style once in the community.

A follow‐up study, carried out when all the adolescents had been living in the community for at least two years, gave positive results. Facilities for people with handicaps were no longer used. The increased use of community facilities was maintained or improved.
An evaluation of the effects of relocation within institutions: Part 1. A review of research — for whom is the risk greatest?
Authors: Holtom Rebecca , Firth Hugh , Wood Andy
Published: August 2010

Relocation has become a familiar prospect for many people living in long‐stay institutions. This article summarises research evidence on the effects of involuntary relocation, from which it draws conclusions and offers guidelines for managers and clinicians.

Three issues appear to have a major impact on the likelihood of adverse effects of relocation on people with mental handicaps. These are: the vulnerability of individuals; the quality of their preparation for a move; and the quality of life in the new environment. People who are likely to be vulnerable to the effects of relocation include those who have severe mental handicaps and are withdrawn, those who are frail, those with an additional sensory impairment, and those with depressive or psychotic illnesses.

A second article will describe the relocation of people within an institution, taking account of the conclusions presented here.
Things to do — people to see…: leisure, young people with mental handicaps, and the community
Authors: McLean Elspeth
Published: August 2010

Developing a range of integrated leisure opportunities for young people with mental handicaps who live in “ordinary houses in ordinary streets” is important, and fun. My own experience suggests that what is needed is good planning and organisation, enough resources, and a shared commitment to integration. Transport, access, risks, and advance warning need to be considered. Issues include addressing staring and teasing, what sort of support to arrange, and learning from mistakes. Helping people enjoy their leisure time is an opportunity for staff to develop and use their special skills.
Speech therapy provision in a social education centre: IS IT POSSIBLE TO TARGET INTERVENTION?
Authors: Law James , Lester Rochelle
Published: August 2010

There is limited provision of speech therapy resources to social education centres throughout the UK. Thus the need to provide the best possible service is particularly pressing. This article describes a short initial measure for determining SEC students' needs which will allow grouping for more thorough, ongoing assessment. Five different treatment groups are proposed.

The assessment measure comprises a simple questionnaire, for use with student and key worker together, which can be reliably used to group students. It is suggested that it can be used in the first instance without the speech therapist having prior knowledge of the student. The implications of the measure are discussed.
Assessing challenging behaviour using a semi‐structured behavioural interview: A CASE TRANSCRIPT
Authors: Sturmey Peter
Published: August 2010

There is much research literature on pencil and paper and observational methods of assessing behaviour shown by people with mental handicaps, but little has been done to investigate the most common method of assessment – the interview. This paper presents an annotated, semi‐structured behavioural interview used to develop a functional analysis of challenging behaviour in an eight‐year‐old girl. The tentative functional analysis and potential treatment strategies derived are described.
Working Together: A Participative Approach to Learning
Authors: Walmsley Janette
Published: August 2010

A new Open University course, “Patterns for Living: Working Together”, was launched in 1989. It is the first University course for people with learning difficulties. A series of “Familiarisation Days” were held throughout the UK in order to promote use of the course. This article describes how the Familiarisation Days contributed to a “participative approach to learning”.