Health self‐advocacy training for persons with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

The results of this study suggest that persons with ID can learn complex skills related to health self-advocacy. More research is needed to improve in situ generalisation.

Review of Interventions to Enhance the Health Communication of People With Intellectual Disabilities: A Communicative Health Literacy Perspective

“…Other researchers looked at pre‐ and post‐intervention scores on simulated health encounters with researchers and actors taking the place of GP receptionists (Webb & Stanton ) or health professionals (Feldman et al . ), both finding statistically significant improvements in scores following intervention. Lennox et al .…”

“…They were also seen as being in a key position to ensure participants in interventions used new skills in real‐life settings (Dodd & Brunker ; Webb & Stanton ; Feldman et al . ). To these ends, some researchers recommended the goals and principles of their intervention to support health communication be shared with staff teams (Dodd & Brunker ) or that support people take part in programmes alongside the participants with intellectual disabilities (Lunsky et al .…”

“…; Webb & Stanton ; Feldman et al . ; Swaine et al . ) and interventions using adapted health records or communication aids (Lennox et al .…”

“…Feldman et al . () used a boardgame to structure their teaching sessions. The ‘Women be Healthy’ team employed the widest range of teaching methods, allowing participants to handle models of body parts and instructing them in the use of relaxation techniques and pain‐management strategies, as well as showing videos and organizing visits to healthcare facilities.…”

“…Feldman et al . () included this communicative strategy as part of effective health communication in their study. Their health self‐advocacy training assumes that individuals need to be able to spot when professionals are using incomprehensible technical or jargon terms and to declare their lack of understanding and/or ask for clarification.…”