Purpose: This article proposes a theoretical framework to help professionals include family as active members in brain injury rehabilitation. A trend towards greater family involvement has lead to the development of family-collaboration models. However, current models appear to focus on information sharing rather than increasing the capability of family members. This article introduces a family-directed approach to brain injury model, which provides a theoretical framework for supporting family as facilitators of change. Methods: Family-collaboration models and literature regarding family experiences following brain injury and support needs are reviewed to identify the driving forces behind family engagement in rehabilitation, including effective professional–family relationships, and important factors in the delivery of education underpinned by evidence-based practices. Results: The family-directed approach to brain injury model is based on principles of hope, family expertise, education/skill building, and family-directed intervention. Conclusions: The family-directed approach to brain injury model provides a theoretical framework for educating and training family members as facilitators in the management process: promoting competence rather than dependency on service systems. Guiding recommendations encourage professionals to reflect on the importance of their therapeutic relationships and their capacity to positively impact rehabilitation outcomes beyond the technical aspects of health care and treatment.

People with intellectual disability often experience repression and control of their sexuality as they have historically been perceived as being childlike and asexual by members of society. Such acts can be seen to contravene their Human Rights under The Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities (CRPD), which endorses the rights of people with intellectual disability to fully express their sexuality.The purpose of this study was to explore if people with intellectual disability access internet based social media, and if so, if they use it to form relationships that express their sexuality. Using an interpretative phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 adults with an intellectual disability (22 males, 8 females), aged between 20 to 66 years. Participants were purposely sampled though disability #organisations.Three themes emerged from the data: creating new friendships, maintaining existing friendships, exploring and expressing sexuality. People with intellectual disability used a variety of personal electronic devices to access internet based social media to be socially and sexually active. Facebook was accessed to make contact with existing platonic friends, peers and interest groups to meet socially. Sexually explicit material was viewed using the internet, either as an individual activity or by couples in monogamous relationships. This study adds to the paucity of research examining the use of internet based social media by people with intellectual disability for sexual expression. This research revealed the people with intellectual disability exercised cyber safe practices without any explicit formal education and conducted themselves in a respectful manner. Few participants acted in a manner that appeared to put them at risk of exploitation.

Objective: To examine parents’ experiences during their child’s return to school following ABI. Research design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Six electronic databases relevant to the fields of brain injury and education were searched between 1980–2015. In addition, two qualitative journals and references from articles were hand-searched for further literature. Search results were screened independently by two reviewers for relevance. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were analysed using the McMasters Critical Review Form for Qualitative Studies. Results: Two hundred and sixteen articles were screened after duplicates had been removed and 11 were assessed for relevance, resulting in six full text articles for review. The quality of studies was mixed, with only two presenting a high number of quality indicators for qualitative research. Ten themes were identified and grouped into three clusters: influencing factors (environment, school, parent and child factors); features of interaction (information, communication and collaboration); and quality levels of outcome (conflict, coping and construction of new roles and identities). Conclusions: Parents’ experiences are influenced by the quality of information, communication and collaboration between the school, health professionals and the family. Further well designed qualitative studies examining parents’ experiences and support needs are required.

Purpose: (1) to provide insight into the family’s experience and support needs following acquired brain injury (ABI) specific to behavioural changes; (2) to provide an overview of empirically-based behaviour support approaches for individuals with ABI; and (3), to examine family involvement in implementing behavioural interventions. Methods: Review of the literature. Results: Family members experience significant distress resulting from neurobehavioural changes in relatives with ABI, and report unmet informational and practical support needs regarding this issue. The importance of utilising family expertise within the rehabilitation process is widely acknowledged, with the increasing involvement of family members being promoted. There is growing evidence supporting the use of positive behaviour support approaches for individuals with ABI in community settings, and evidence supporting the involvement of family within behavioural interventions. Conclusions: This review suggests the need to develop alternative support models that shift the focus towards building competence in everyday support people rather than dependency on the service system. A bottom-up approach is recommended, with the aim of addressing unmet support needs and increasing the competence of family members in supporting behaviour change in individuals with ABI. Recommendations are provided in informing an optimal community-based neurobehavioural support model.