People with learning disabilities and self-determination (version 1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
People with learning disabilities and the interpersonal construction of self-determination
IRAS ID
123900
Contact name
Philippa Brown
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust
Research summary
Within services today, there remains a difficulty in helping people with learning disabilities develop self-determination and therefore gain more control over their own lives. Current research suggests that it is often very difficult for staff to get things right with regard to empowerment and self-determination for people with learning disabilities (Finlay,Walton and Antaki; 2008). Self-determination and choice are linked to the development of increased quality of life and therefore it is an important area to research (Nota et al, 2007).
This research aims to build on our knowledge within this area with the hope of developing future practice and service provision. Adult service users with a learning disability and staff working in learning disability services will be recruited. Recruitment will take place through the Service User Involvement team based at St Marys hospital. Staff and service user dyads will be approached to participate. After the consenting process both staff and service users will choose a setting where they will be video recorded. The video material will then be transcribed for qualitative analysis. A second data collection phase will then occur. This involves participants meeting the researcher to watch back sections of the video recorded data. Separately, participants will be asked to reflect and comment on what they thought, felt at the time of the initial video recording. This session will be audio recorded and transcribed. Discourse analysis will be used to analyse all data. The focus of the analysis in the second stage will be looking at whether the words people use when reflecting, corroborate or contradict the perspectives depicted in the first phase. Thus the second phase will provide an opportunity to gain further insight, through a new perspective, into the data.
Nota, L., Ferrari, L., Soresi, S., and Wehmeyer, M. L. (2007). Self-determination, social abilities and the quality of life of people with intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 51, 850–865.
Finlay, W, M, T., Walton, C., and Antaki, C. (2008) Promoting choice and control in residential services for people with learning disabilities. Disability and Society. 23(4), 349-360.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/YH/0214
Date of REC Opinion
18 Jul 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion