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Adapting Evidence-Based Interventions for Students With Developmental Disabilities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2016

Linda Gilmore ,
Marilyn Campbell  and
Ian Shochet
Linda Gilmore*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Marilyn Campbell
Affiliation:
Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Ian Shochet
Affiliation:
Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
*
address for correspondence: Linda Gilmore, School of Cultural and Professional Learning, Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove QLD 4059, Australia. Email: l.gilmore@qut.edu.au
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Abstract

Students with developmental disabilities have many challenges with learning and adaptive behaviour, as well as a higher prevalence rate of mental health problems. Although there is a substantial body of evidence for efficacious interventions for enhancing resilience and promoting mental health in typically developing children, very few programs have been modified for use with students with developmental disabilities. In this article we present two interventions (Aussie Optimism and the Resourceful Adolescent Program) that have been rigorously tested with typically developing students and subsequently adapted and evaluated for their effectiveness for students with developmental disabilities. The article highlights the critical importance of using interventions with a robust evidence base, and the important role for school psychologists and counsellors in program selection, implementation, and evaluation.

Keywords

interventionevidence-baseddevelopmental disabilitiesresilienceAussie OptimismResourceful Adolescent Program
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 26 , Special Issue 2: Developmental Disabilities , December 2016 , pp. 193 - 204
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2016 

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