Psychology Commons^™

Assessing And Mitigating Risk For Applied Behavior Analysis Providers During A Pandemic, Joshua B. Plavnick Phd, Krista Clancy, Sharon Milberger

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the extent to which human service providers can safely deliver close-contact therapies in which social distancing cannot occur. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one such example, with the pandemic creating several barriers to safely delivering this essential service. The present paper describes the development and administration of a risk assessment and mitigation toolkit that was designed for ABA providers to make decisions about how to identify and mitigate risk in delivering therapeutic services to children with ASD. The toolkit includes considerations for clients, other household members, …

Coming Together During Covid-19: A Mixed Methods Exploratory Study On Collective Efficacy In A State Developmental Disabilities Network, Arden D. Day, Michele Sky Lee, Ronda Jenson, Erica Mcfadden, Maureen Russell, Kelly Roberts, John Mcdermott, Nicholas Blum

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background: Collective efficacy (CE) is a group’s shared belief that through their united efforts they can overcome challenges to achieve common goals (Bandura, 1993; 1997). CE has been shown to be related to professional growth, stress reduction, and overall collaborative impact in studies of groups responding to ongoing challenges as well as unforeseen circumstances (i.e. teachers, first-responders, and community responses to natural disasters) (Benight, 2004; Donohoo, 2016; Prati et al., 2011). COVID-19 has forced organizations serving individuals with disabilities to come together to adapt and change the ways in which they serve the disability community.

Objective: This study examines …

“It’S An Opportunity To Get Opportunities”: A Brief Report On The Working Lives Of Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, James Sinclair, Carly B. Gilson, Mary Whirley, Yi-Fan Li

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted countless individuals, including those who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Even amid a pandemic, for many individuals, working continues to be a critically important aspect of their life, providing opportunities to accomplish their desired quality of life. Currently, limitations exist to understanding both the working lives of individuals with IDD, but also how individuals with IDD make meaning from their work during a pandemic. Using a psychology of working theory (PWT; Blustein, 2006), this research brief summarizes a qualitative study on the working experiences of individuals with IDD. This study included interviews with six …

Mental Health Supportive Services During Covid-19: Proposing An Online, Self-Guided Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Program For Parents In The Disability Community, Ty B. Aller, Elizabeth B. Fauth, Sarah Hodgskiss, Jeff Sheen, Michael E. Levin

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Parents of Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) often experience stress, and the COVID-19 pandemic has likely increased their stress. In the current paper, we describe four things. First, we describe how mental telehealth treatments can effectively decrease parent stress, including programs that target behavior training and those that provide therapy. Teleheath programs are delivered by phone, computer, or fully online. Second, we describe challenges of these programs and explain how online, self-guided programs may help address these challenges. Third, we explain our online, self-guided program based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a specific type of …