Process of assimilation in clients with an intellectual disability
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessing the process of assimilation of problematic experiences in clients with an intellectual disability: Adaptation of a measure for therapists
IRAS ID
128285
Contact name
Caroline Shepherd
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Sheffield
Research summary
Assimilation is taking in new information or experiences and incorporating them into our existing ideas. The assimilation model says that during therapy clients’ go through different stages of how they understand, think, and feel about their problems. The stages clients’ go through have been summarised in the Assimilation of Problematic Experiences Scale (APES). Halstead (1996) developed a questionnaire, based on the APES, which can be completed by the client and therapist to determine which stage of assimilation the client is at.
The aim of this study to adapt the measure developed by Halstead so that it can be used by therapists with clients with an intellectual disability. If therapists know the level the client is at, they can track the progress of therapy and see if there is any change. The measure being adapted was developed for the general adult population. Currently no such measure is available for individuals with an intellectual disability.
The study will involve a task group with up to 12 therapists to generate new items and adapt old items on the existing measure. Therapists will then be asked to rate how well they think the items relate to the different levels of the assimilation model. The items which therapists’ agree on will be kept. In the next stage, six clients will be tape recorded during one or two of their therapy sessions. These will be transcribed and therapists will use the new measure to rate the transcriptions for the level of assimilation they think the client is at. Agreement between therapists will be determined. The final stage will involve four therapists using the measure after every session of brief therapy with one client. Therapists will be asked for feedback on how useful and clinically relevant they found the measure and how it fitted into routine clinical practice.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/YH/0272
Date of REC Opinion
29 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion