David McConnell

• PhD
• Professor at University of Alberta

The majority of parents want to continue caring for their sons and daughters with disabilities at home, and they are expected and actively encouraged to do so. Notwithstanding, and for reasons that are not well understood, a substantial number of parents seek to place their disabled son or daughter out-of-home. The aim of this study was to investig...

In this chapter, we report findings from a three-year, survey- and interview-based study involving 538 families bringing up children with disabilities in Alberta, Canada. The focus of the study was on the everyday challenge and accomplishment of sustaining a routine of daily life. The families who participated in this study were diverse, yet they s...

Parents with ascribed cognitive impairment (CI) are more likely than parents without CI to have their children removed by child protective services (CPS). Inequitable access to parenting and family supports and services is thought to be a contributing factor. Utilizing data on a 3-month sample of 15,980 child maltreatment investigations across Cana...

Early 20th century eugenicists propagated a system of ideas, values and dispositions that constituted adults with intellectual disability as the antithesis of the paradigmatic citizen, and a biological threat to society. The eugenic schema was encoded in sex-segregated institutionalization and, in many places, forced sterilization. These eugenic pr...

Women with intellectual disability experience intimate partner violence at higher rates and tend to remain in abusive relationships longer than non‐disabled women. The purpose of this inquiry was to generate a preliminary set of principles and delineate domains of support as a general guide for social service workers supporting women with intellect...

Background Social inclusion focussed on belonging is increasingly emphasised by disability advocates and policymakers, yet belonging often remains absent for adults labelled with intellectual disabilities. People labelled with intellectual disabilities often rely on service providers to support their belonging. Methods In this critically informed...

There is a gap between the desired outcomes of social inclusion policy and the everyday experiences of people labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Despite belonging rhetorically named in social inclusion policy and practice, belonging is often absent in the lives of people labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilit...

How adults with intellectual disability fare in the parenting role depend, to varying degrees, on the adequacy of supports and services provided. The available research suggests that service providers are often ill‐equipped to accommodate their support needs. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the perspectives of Canad...

The international literature continues to show that parents with intellectual disabilities (ID) do not receive proper support and face disproportionate rates of custody deprivation. Despite the efforts of activists, critical scholars and some progressive support workers, it seems that the situation of parents with ID have not improved much. Iceland...

Parents with intellectual disability, like all parents, need support with childrearing. Early identification of parental intellectual disability may be key to the planning and delivery of appropriately adapted, inclusive family supports and services. The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance of a brief screener for parental intel...

Background Parents with intellectual disability, like all other parents, are embedded in networks of capability-enhancing and/or capability-inhibiting relationships. This study investigated links between how parents with intellectual disability experienced their upbringing, continuity and discontinuity in familial relationships, and their assessmen...

In line with growing interest in subjective well-being (SWB) as a goal of public policy, a substantial research base examining the correlates, effects and determinants of adolescent SWB is beginning to develop. However, there is a dearth of data on the SWB of adolescents with disabilities. The limited available data suggest that adolescents with di...

Women with cognitive disabilities experience male partner violence at a higher rate than non-disabled women. They also tend to remain in abusive relationships for longer, due in part to their social isolation and a lack of appropriately adapted services. Many survivors suffer post-traumatic stress and or stress-related health conditions long after...

Negative attitudes toward parents and parenting with disabilities are widespread. In the public mind, parental disability has long been associated with child misfortune. Research in this area, however, reveals tremendous variability in the experiences of children brought up by parents with disabilities, with many faring well by comparison with age...

Children of parents with cognitive impairment are overrepresented in the child protection system (CPS). The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between primary caregiver cognitive impairment (CCI) and CPS investigation outcomes using the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2008). The CIS-2008 includes pro...

Background: Mothers with intellectual disability are thought to be passive, dependent and in need of protection. This study contributes to a nascent body of research that challenges this schema, revealing how women with intellectual disability who are mothers resist oppression. Methods: Narrative research methods underpinned by intersectionality...

Background: Little is known about the experience of growing up with a mother with intellectual disability. The aim of this study was to explore this experience from the perspective of adult children. Method: In-depth interviews with 23 adult children brought up by mothers with moderate-to-severe intellectual disability. The interview data were a...

Park, E., McConnell, D., Caine, V., & Minaker, J. (2016). Narrative threads in the accounts of women with learning difficulties who have been criminalized. In H. Montgomery, D. Badry, D. Fuchs, & D. Kikulwe (Eds.), Transforming Child Welfare: Interdisciplinary Practices, Field Education, and Research (pp. 241–268). Regina, sk: University of Regina...

The purpose of this study was to pilot a flexible, group-based program designed to strengthen the social connections and enhance the psychological well-being of mothers with intellectual impairment. A multi-site, mixed-method, pretest-posttest design was employed. To obtain rich process and outcome data, the evaluation incorporated measures of psyc...

In "The Human Condition," Hannah ARENDT (1958) calls us to think deeply about our role in relationships, to be mindful of our actions and intentions. In this article, we take up the ethical tensions one of us faced while working alongside women with learning difficulties, who have been involved in the criminal justice system. The narrative inquiry...

ABSTRACT Surprisingly little population-based data exist on the marriage and relationship patterns of disabled women. This study investigated the formation and dissolution of marriage and common-law relationships involving disabled women in Canada. A secondary data analysis of the 2009 Canadian Community Health Survey was undertaken. The effective...

This study investigated prevalence and risk factors for suicidal ideation among adults with self-reported disability in Western Canada. The method was secondary data analysis utilising the Canadian Community Health Survey. The odds of 12-month suicidal ideation are 3.5 times greater for adults with self-reported disability compared with non-disable...

Parents of children with intellectual disability (ID) tend to report higher-than-average rates of stress, anxiety and depression. Chronic psychological distress may place parents at increased risk of marital disruption, family dysfunction, and for a number of physical and mental health conditions. The prevailing approach in the literature starts fr...

This study investigated the positive impact of having a disabled child. The question addressed is whether the positive impacts reported by parents are better characterised as artefacts of stress-processing or transformational outcomes. A total of 538 parent-carers in Alberta, Canada completed a survey. Most parents reported benefits. Their reports...

Background: This study examined the efficacy of a home-based Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CI Therapy) protocol with eight poststroke survivors. Method: Eight ABA, single case experiments were conducted in the homes of poststroke survivors. The intervention comprised restraint of the intact upper limb in a mitt for 21 days combined with a ho...

This paper explores resilience in families of children with disabilities in the Province of Alberta, Canada. Utilizing Ungar's social ecology of resilience, we present an analysis of 78 responsive interviews drawn from a three-year multimethod study. We show that families who reported doing well were able to conduct their lives with a ‘business as...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate parent implementation of home-based therapy regimens, and the relationship between implementation and family-level outcomes. Method: A stratified (by child age group) random sample of 538 families raising children with disabilities in Alberta, Canada took part. Participants completed the Fami...

This selective, critical literature review synthesizes recent research exploring disability-based disparities in the subjective well-being and living conditions of youth in high-income countries. Compared with their non-disabled peers, disabled youth report lower levels of happiness, lower global life satisfaction and higher rates of suicidal ideat...

Family-centered care (FCC) has been linked with improved parent and child outcomes, yet its implementation can be challenging due to family, professional, organizational and systemic factors and policies. This study aims to increase knowledge and understanding of how families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience FCC in Alber...

Accessible Summary Many people with learning disabilities are caught up in the criminal justice system. Yet few studies have explored what this is like for them. The available research suggests that people with learning disabilities often feel alone and afraid when they are caught up in the criminal justice system. They do not understand what is ha...

• Summary Parent support needs and family support service (FSS) outcomes were investigated. A total of 923 parent participants were recruited through 20 community-based FSS providers in Alberta, Canada. Participants completed a survey, incorporating well validated child, parent and family outcome measures, a minimum of 8–12 weeks after utilizing th...

This study investigated the experience and perceived outcomes of a behavioural family intervention, standard stepping stones triple P (SSTP), for parents of children with autism. An indepth, prospective, mixed-methods, multiple case-study design was employed. Parent participants and SSTP practitioners took part. Participation in SSTP was consistent...

This mixed-methods study examined the impact of professional services on employment and leisure participation of mothers of children with autism. In Phase 1, 139 mothers with a child with autism completed a comprehensive survey addressing their experiences with services and occupational participation. In Phase 2, in-depth interviews, informed by gr...

Background: Families provide the majority of care for young persons with autism, yet there is little research investigating the shifting needs of, hence potentially changing services required for, young persons with autism as they transition from childhood to adolescence and young adulthood. Current literature focuses on child-directed treatment of...

This paper explores the views of legal practitioners about the working of Children Act 1989 proceedings and the family court process in cases involving parents with learning difficulties,1 drawing on the findings of a 2-year investigation funded by The Nuffield Foundation. 2 The driving purpose of this study was to investigate how social services a...

Parents with cognitive impairments (CI) are overrepresented in child custody cases and their children are at risk for adverse outcomes. Ecological-transactional researchers propose that child outcomes are a function of the interaction of multiple distal, intermediate, and proximal risk and resilience factors. This study tested the fit of, and hypot...

To date, 153 nations have signed and 115 have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Article 23 of the convention affirms the right of persons with disabilities, including persons with intellectual disability, to marry and found a family... ... States parties are bound to "take effective action and appropriate measur...

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of parental cognitive impairment in cases opened for child maltreatment investigation in Canada, and to examine the relationship between parental cognitive impairment and maltreatment investigation outcomes including substantiation, case disposition and court application. The method was secondar...

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of "evidence-based" program uptake and implementation. The process of integrating Triple P (levels 2 and 3) into existing family support centers in Alberta, Canada, was examined. We conducted ten individual interviews with directors, and ten group interviews, involving a total of 62 practitioners...

The Triple P Positive Parenting Program is a multilevel system of behaviour-based parenting training and support. The aim of this study was to determine whether implementation of levels 2 and 3 of the Triple P system, designed for primary care settings, enhances parent, child and family outcomes compared with services-as-usual in Alberta, Canada. T...

Within scholarly discussion about the mother identity and how it is assumed, women with intellectual disabilities are silent. While debate has explored the experiences of many considered to mother outside the margins of the motherhood institution, the experiences of this group of women lies beyond that reach. This paper presents findings from a phe...

The authors examined decision making and service referral in child maltreatment investigations involving children of parents with cognitive impairments using the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2003) core-data. The CIS-2003 includes process and outcome data on a total of 1,243 child investigations (n = 1,170 weight...

Many mothers with mental health issues are caught up in the child protection system and face the prospect of having their children removed from their care. The aim of this study was to determine prevalence and outcomes for mothers with mental health issues and their children in child maltreatment cases opened for investigation in Canada. The method...

There is an unequivocal relationship between socio-economic status and child well-being. The Family Stress Model of economic hardship proposes that this relationship is mediated by financial hardship, parenting stress and parenting behaviours. In this study, the Family Stress Model is tested and analysis is extended to examine main and moderating e...

Older parent-carers in Australia are the subject of increasing policy and practice attention due to concerns about their ongoing ability to care in the light of their own ageing and the ageing of their adult son or daughter. This paper examines health status and the coping strategies of a group of older Australian parents caring for an adult son or...

To investigate family caregiver perceptions of allied health professional processes of care and support in hospital following stroke, and to test an adapted version of the Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC) for its suitability of use in the stroke care setting. The first stage involved the adaptation and refinement of the MPOC, designed to measure...

IntroductionDeveloping the Australian Supported Learning ProgramTheory and Thinking Behind the ASLPHow We Have Used the ASLPWhat We FoundConclusion References

IntroductionDocumented ChildhoodsA Study of Motherhood and Childhood ExperiencesConclusion Principles for PracticeReferences

The first international, cross-disciplinary book to explore and understand the lives of parents with intellectual disabilities, their children, and the systems and services they encounter. •Presents a unique, pan-disciplinary overview of this growing field of study. •Offers a human rights approach to disability and family life. •Informed by the new...

The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the process of transition to independent accommodation for people with schizophrenia. The study employed a grounded theory approach. Multiple semi-structured and responsive e-mails and interviews were conducted with a total of seven participants currently living in independent accommodation. Thro...

Background This study describes the development and trialling of the Family Life Interview (FLI), a clinical tool designed to examine sustainability of family routines. Materials and Methods The FLI, a self‐report instrument completed by a parent within a semi‐structured practitioner – parent interview, was administered to 118 parents, with re‐test...

In this article, four distinct perspectives on the causes of clumsiness are reviewed. These are the neuropathological, visual perceptual, kinaesthetic processing, and motor programming perspectives. Diverse and contradictory findings are reported. Three factors contributing to the inconsistency of the findings are discussed. These are the complexit...

Accessible summary In this study we asked six young people with intellectual disabilities what they thought about becoming independent in their families. One person wanted more independence within her family and sometimes this caused fights. Three people were happy with the independence they had in their families and did not want things to change....

Accessible summary Many mothers with learning difficulties want help with meeting people and making friends, and ‘getting out and about’ in their community. We worked with mothers with learning difficulties and family support workers to create a programme, the ASLP, to help mothers achieve their goals to get out and about in the community. This pro...

Abstract  Parents with intellectual disabilities, like all other parents, need support with child rearing. Often this support comes from family and friends, but in the case of parents with intellectual disabilities, they are more likely to have to rely on the service system. Research from a number of countries demonstrates that there is limited sys...

Background The support networks of mothers with intellectual disabilities play an important role in caring for children. Understanding the support provided by the network is therefore vital in understanding the capacity of a mother to care for her child. Nevertheless, how these important networks came into existence is yet to be explored. Furthermo...

Background On August 5th, 2006, the third meeting of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities (IASSID) Special Interest Research Group (SIRG) on Parents and Parenting with Intellectual Disabilities was convened in Maastricht, The Netherlands, coinciding with the 2nd International Congress of IASSID‐Europe....

This study investigates depression, anxiety and stress in pregnant women with intellectual disabilities and/or self-reported learning difficulties, and examines the association between these negative emotional states and perceived support and conflict in the women's interpersonal relationships. Eight-hundred-and-seventy-eight women attending their...

An increasing number of women with intellectual disability (ID) have children. Cross-sectional, clinical population data suggest that these women face an increased risk of delivering preterm and/or low birthweight babies. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of poor pregnancy and birth outcomes in women with ID and/or self-reported l...

Using narrative interviews underpinned by an ecocultural framework, this Australian study investigated the experiences of 39 mothers of children with disabilities and 27 staff members from the early childhood services which these children attended. The data highlight serious limitations of current government policy and provisions in Australia to fa...

To investigate the self-reported health status of mothers of school-age children with disabilities. Seventy-four mothers in the Northern Metropolitan and Eastern Sydney regions completed the MOS 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The survey was readministered 11 to 15 months later and completed by sixty-two mothers. On average, the mothers r...

Informed by Ecocultural theory, this study explores the challenges that families caring for an adolescent with disability face and strategies they apply to sustain a meaningful family routine during the adolescent years. In-depth Ecocultural interviews were conducted with 20 families caring for an adolescent (aged 10-21 years) with severe disabilit...

Research on child protection practice has been concerned mainly with the problem of the maltreating parent. System philosophies and processes and the influences on these, while addressed by some authors, have not received the attention they deserve. Understanding the ways in which child protection practices are constructed offers insights into the...

ABSTRACT The experience of pregnancy and motherhood, from a woman’s point of view, has only been considered worthy of research in recent decades. In this time, a small number of studies have examined the experiences of mothers with intellectual disabilities. No study to date has focussed on the lived experiences of pregnancy for women with intellec...

This article shows how time works against parents with learning difficulties in the child protection system and Children Act proceedings. The prevailing wisdom, embedded in policy and the literature, is that delay in care cases is bad for the child and may jeopardize his or her future. This paper shows how the pressure to avoid delay might itself b...

This paper presents and contrasts the findings from two independent but comparable court studies in England and Australia of care proceedings involving parents with learning difficulties. Significant differences between the two jurisdictions were found in both prevalence and outcomes, with a much higher proportion of cases showing in the England sa...

Response shift is a process argued to facilitate adjustment to illness. This study investigated the relationship between response shift and adjustment. Fifty-six patients with metastatic cancer were interviewed using SEIQoL-DW and asked to nominate the five areas of most importance to them. Surviving patients were re-interviewed 3 (n=38) and 6 mont...

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Background Parents with learning difficulties are known to face a high risk of losing their children. This paper reports findings from a study designed to throw light on the numbers of parents with learning difficulties and their children coming before the Family Courts in Children Act proceedings and what happened to them as a result. Method The p...

Background This study explored the relationship between family life variables and out-of-home placement tendency for families of school-age children with disabilities and high support needs. Method This study was a prospective cohort study of 81 families with children with disabilities and high support needs aged between 6 and 13 years. There were...

Caregiver burden is an increasing problem with patients surviving longer and more care tasks falling to informal caregivers. While research has identified patient and caregiver variables associated with caregiver burden, less research has focused on aspects of the care environment. The present study investigated the available support and unmet need...

This article reports that the population bulge of the post-war baby boom, increased life expectancy and declining birth rates are forcing governments to address the changing demographic of an "older" society. Successful ageing revolves around optimum health and well-being, active support networks and engagement in the community, and personal autono...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a home-based intervention targeted to parents with intellectual disability to promote child health and home safety in the preschool years. A total of 63 parents were recruited for the study with 45 parents (40 mothers and 5 fathers) from 40 families completing the project. The research des...

The developmental status of 37 pre-school aged children born to mothers with intellectual disability was assessed and the relationship between developmental status and selected child, maternal and home/environment characteristics was examined. The developmental status of the children varied markedly. Controlling for possible organic pathology, the...

The purpose of this study was to obtain sound prevalence and outcomes data on parents with disabilities and their children in statutory child protection proceedings. The court files of all care and protection matters initiated by the statutory child protection authority and finalized in a 9-month period (n=285) at two Children's Courts in NSW, Aust...

To investigate the health status of mothers with intellectual limitations. The health status of 50 mothers with intellectual limitations in metropolitan Sydney was assessed during the baseline assessment phase of a randomised controlled trial of a parent education program. Self-reported maternal health was significantly worse than women's health in...

Background Increasing emphasis is being given to carrying out parent education programmes at home with widely reported benefits. The purpose of this paper is to draw lessons for practitioners from implementing a randomized trial of a home-based parent education programme for parents with intellectual disabilities that addressed child health and saf...

As more people with intellectual disability have children, serious concerns are being raised about the unusually high rate at which their children are removed. This review describes how parents with intellectual disability fare in child protection and court processes and offers both an empirical and a legal critique of frequently encountered presum...

A BST RAC T Parents with intellectual disability are considered to be at increased risk of state intervention in the care of their children with high child removal rates reported. To explore this phenomenon, the authors conducted an interview and observational study of court process and decision-making accompanied by a record review in the New Sout...

In this paper, I present a seven-point plan for workers supporting parents with intellectual disability. I draw on my experience as a father with intellectual disability to illustrate each point. The purpose of this paper is to encourage workers to listen, and to work together with parents with intellectual disability. I believe that workers can te...