The experiences of psychologists working with people with intellectual disabilities during the COVID-19 crisis.
Petri J C M Embregts, Tess Tournier, Noud Frielink
PMID 34197019WHAT IT FOUND
Psychologists working with people with intellectual disabilities reported that remote sessions made it difficult to notice non-verbal cues.
They focused on coaching support staff to manage anxiety and challenging behaviours, while improvising creative ways to maintain contact.
Key findings
01Psychologists found video and phone calls problematic for sensitive topics because they could not pick up on significant non-verbal signals.
02A major part of the psychologists' work shifted to advising and coaching support staff on how to apply COVID-19 measures and manage service users' changed behaviour.
03Support staff requested more restrictive measures to address challenging behaviours, requiring psychologists to help discuss less invasive alternatives.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included only five women, all working in residential services, so it does not represent the experiences of male psychologists or those working in community settings. Participants chose when to record, meaning the data may reflect only days they felt were significant, potentially missing routine challenges or successes. The researchers could not ask follow-up questions because the data were self-recorded audio messages.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest were reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these findings as evidence that remote therapy is ineffective or that specific coaching strategies work. This is a descriptive report of five people's experiences during a unique crisis, not a test of any intervention.