Responsive interventions for neurodiverse and LD individuals

Interventions both within custody and the community are adapted to meet the needs of our LD service users. Neurodiverse individuals may also benefit from these adapted interventions. However, these interventions are mainly for those with learning disabilities impacting on cognitive functioning. Neurodiverse individuals may be able to benefit from non-adapted interventions with a responsive delivery by practitioners.

Adapted interventions for LD individuals ensure that the best-practice approaches to this population are put into practice. Practitioners delivering these interventions are given further training to help them develop skills, allowing them to adapt their communication, language, pace and style of working. This includes simplistic language, concise questions, use of pictures/diagrams to support language, kinaesthetic approaches (such as skills practices, walks and talks), brain breaks, reposition of learning, concrete examples/scenarios and appropriate expectation of learning responsive to the service user.

Select the following headings to learn more about different LD interventions in different contexts:

Activity

There are two parts to this activity. Select from the following headings to complete each part:

Part 1

Aim: To increase understanding of the best approach to intervention for individuals with LD.

Duration: 60 minutes

Feedback: This activity is not graded, and feedback will not be provided by the course tutor directly. However, there will be an opportunity to share and discuss your reflections in a live session. You can also share these reflections with your clinical supervisor and may wish to include these as part of your practice diary, which will be reviewed by your clinical supervisor (the link to the practice diary is not available in this course taster).

Task: Read both papers, which are available through your online reading list, and in no more than 500 words reflect on the best intervention approaches in working with LD service users. You are encouraged to consider the strengths and limitations of both the CBT and CFT approaches with LD service users (the links to the papers not available in this course taster).

Cooney, P., Tunney, C., & O'Reilly, G. (2007). A systematic review of the evidence regarding cognitive therapy skills that assist cognitive behavioural therapy in adults who have an intellectual disability. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 00, 1–20.

Hardiman, M., Willmoth, C., & Walsh, J.J. (2018). CFT & people with intellectual disabilities. Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, 12(1), pp. 44-56. https://doi.org/10.1108/AMHID-07-2017-0030

Part 2

Aim: To consider best practice when working with individuals with LD.

Duration: 60 minutes

Feedback: This activity is not graded, and feedback will not be provided by the course tutor directly. However, there will be an opportunity to share and discuss your reflections in a live session. You can also share these reflections with your clinical supervisor and may wish to include these as part of your practice diary, which will be reviewed by your clinical supervisor.

Task: Watch the following video. In no more than 500 words, reflect on Paul's story and identify some of the barriers he faced because of his learning disability.

1. What interventions and support may have been beneficial?
2. How could this have been tailored to his needs?

While completing part 1 and 2 of the above activities, link your points to the standards of proficiency, highlighting where your reflections are demonstrating competence for the following SoPs:

Standards of Proficiency (SOPs)

2.5 to respect and uphold the rights, dignity, values and autonomy of service users including their role in the assessment, diagnostic, treatment, and intervention and/or therapeutic approaches process

4.2 to use their skills, knowledge and experience, and the information available to them, to make informed decisions and / or take action where necessary

4.3 make reasoned decisions to initiate, continue, modify or cease treatment or the use of techniques or procedures, and record the decisions and reasoning appropriately

5.1 respond appropriately to the needs of all different groups and individuals in practice, recognising this can be affected by difference of any kind including, but not limited to protected characteristics, intersectional experiences and cultural differences

5.4 understand the duty to make reasonable adjustments in practice and be able to make and support reasonable adjustments in theirs and others' practice

5.9 understand the requirement to adapt practice to meet the needs of different groups and individuals

8.15 understand the dynamics present in relationships between service users and practitioners

12.5 understand the theoretical basis of, and the variety of approaches to, assessment and intervention