Eamonn Slevin

Book review: All About Me: A Step-by-Step Guide to Telling Children and Young People on...

Acting national director of the Autism Initiatives Eamonn Slevin reviews All About Me: A Step-by-Step Guide to Telling Children and Young People on the Autism Spectrum about Their Diagnosis

Improving services through co-operative learning

This article describes a project in which people with intellectual disabilities, their families and care staff were taught how to collaborate in the improvement of services. After forming teams, and with the support of academic supervisors and service-based mentors, they undertook a university module based on co-operative learning about services. The process was found to be effective in translating legislation and policy into practice, and was appreciated by those who took part.

Being heard: aiding public participation in decision making

It is increasingly important that people have input into the services they receive. However, research suggests that service users and their carers need support to work effectively with professionals and achieve change.

Nineteen carers who represent the interests of service users with autism spectrum disorders were interviewed about services. Parents and carers were satisfied that their voices were being heard but highlighted training needs and changes that could help their contribution to service design. These included training in communication skills, written and verbal; background knowledge on the health and social care system; and information about how decisions, particularly financial ones, are made.

Experiences of family life with an autism assistance dog

This article examines the day-to-day experiences of parents living with an assistance dog for their autistic child, and that of the whole family. Seven such parents were interviewed after an assistance dog had been placed with their families to support their child. From the responses, seven main themes were identified: safety, freedom, skills acquirement, family cohesion, social acknowledgement, companionship and concerns. The children benefited with regard to safety, companionship, positive social acknowledgement and development of motor skills. Benefits for parents and family included decreased anxiety about the child’s safety, reduced the number of child tantrums, increased family outings and positive social acknowledgement. Concerns included the maintenance of dog training, feeding, grooming, exercise and toileting, the dog’s eventual ageing and death, and the danger that the child might not understand that not all dogs are as helpful and friendly as assistance dogs. There was agreement that overall the presence of the assistance dog had considerably improved the whole family’s quality of life.

Side rails as physical restraints: the need for appropriate assessment

Side rails are commonly used in the care of the older person. They can be classified as a physical restraint if they restrict the movement of an individual and also if the individual has an inability to have them removed/lowered at will. Advanced age should not be an indicator for side rail use and an individualised approach in patient assessment is advised.

Nurses’ attitudes to the extension and expansion of their clinical roles

Nurses are increasingly being asked to extend or expand their traditional roles, often for reasons other than their own professional development. This study, across three specialties in one hospital, examines whether or not nurses view such change in a positive light.