PIMDA: Profound Intellectual & Multiple Disability Australia

Welcome to PIMDA. PIMDA stands for profound intellectual and multiple disabilities Australia. PIMDA is Sheridan Forster's weblog about issues to do with people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) in Australia. The purpose of PIMDA is to increase awareness of people with PIMD and the issues pertaining to this population. The other purpose of PIMDA is to build a network of interested people who can then work together to improve the lives of people with PIMD.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Culture or absolute?

One of the things that struck me while visiting Biwako Gakuen was the amazing bathroom that I went into. There was submersible bath, a plinth that got pushed into a cavern to which a spray shower could be used, and a plinth for washing all in a large room. I heard the statements in my head that may be made by people in Australia "oh terrible, what about privacy". But in Japan concepts of privacy are very different. Communal bathing is not uncommon in the steaming hot Japanese bath.
It took me back to my visit to an institution in the Netherlands where shared bedrooms were used. I was challenged with the perspective of in whose best interest was it to be in a "private" bedroom particularly when you had a physical disability, vision impairment, and intellectual disability. I've been struck by this thought - what is the difference between a seclusion room and a private bedroom.
Traveling to different cultures is enormously challenging. What are the absolutes in life quality? What are our culturally imposed norms? What is in the best interest of the person with PIMD - what matters to them?

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Advocacy articles

Longley, S., & Collins, G. J. (1994). The development of a non-verbal satisfaction measure for use with people who have severe or profound learning disabilities. British Journal of Developmental Disabilities, XL(79), 143-149.
Porter, J., Ouvry, C., Morgan, M., & Downs, C. (2001). Interpreting the communication of people with profound and multiple learning difficulties. British Journal of Learning Disability, 29(1), 12-16.
Ware, J. (2004). Ascertaining the views of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities. British Journal Learning Disability, 32(4), 175-179.

Arts and multi-sensory articles

Ashby, M., Lindsay, W. R., Pitcaithly, D., Broxholme, S., & Geelen, N. (1995). Snoezelen: Its effects on concentration and responsiveness in people with profound multiple handicaps. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(7), 303-307.
Brodin, J. (2005). Diversity of aspects on play in children with profound multiple disabilities. Early Child Development and Care, 175, 635-646.
Bunning, K. (1998). To engage or not to engage? Affecting the interactions of learning disabled adults. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 33(Supplement), 386-391.
Cuvo, A. J., May, M. M., & Post, T. M. (2001). Effects of living room, Snoezelen room, and outdoor activities on stereotypic behavior and engagement by adults with profound mental retardation. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 22, 183-204.
Graham, J. (2004). Communicating with the uncommunicative: music therapy with pre-verbal adults. British Journal Learning Disability, 32(1), 24-29.
Hogg, J., Cavet, J., Lambe, L., & Smeddle, M. (2001). The use of 'Snoezelen' as multisensory stimulation with people with intellectual disabilities: a review of the research. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 22, 353-372.
Lindsay, W. R., Pitcaithly, D., Geelen, N., Buntin, L., Broxholme, S., & Ashby, M. (1997). A comparison of the effects of four therapy procedures on concentration and responsiveness in people with profound learning disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 41(3), 201-207.
Logan, K. R., Jacobs, H. A., Gast, D. L., Smith, P. D., Daniel, J., & Rawls, J. (2001). Preferences and reinforcers for students with profound multiple disabilities: can we identify them? Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 13(2), 97-122.
Matson, J. L., Bamburg, J. W., & Smalls, Y. (2004). An analysis of Snoezelen equipment to reinforce persons with severe or profound mental retardation. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 25(1), 89-95.
Rainey Perry, M. M. (2003). Relating improvisational music therapy with severely and multiply disabled children to communication development. Journal of Music Therapy, XL(3), 227-246.
Shapiro, M., Parush, S., Green, M., & Roth, D. (1997). The efficacy of the "Snoezelen" in the mangagement of children with mental retardation who exhibit maladaptive behaviours. British Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 43(2), 140-155.
Singh, N. N., Lancioni, G. E., Winton, A. S. W., Molina, E. J., Sage, M., Brown, S., et al. (2004). Effects of Snoezelen room, activities of daily living skills training, and vocational skills training on aggression and self-injury by adults with mental retardation and mental illness. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 25(3), 285-293.
Vlaskamp, C., & Nakken, H. (1999). Missing in execution therapies and activities for individuals with profound multiple disabilities. British Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 45(2), 99-109.
Vlaskamp, C., de Geeter, K. I., Huijsmans, L. M., & Smit, I. H. (2003). Passive activities: the effectiveness of multisensory environments on the level of activity of individuals with profound multiple disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 16, 135-143.