News by Subject Social & Behavior

A research team has described five new cases of a rare disease -- known as KAT6A syndrome -- of which there are only eighty dominant cases worldwide. This neurological and developmental disorder, caused by alterations in the lysine acetyltransferase 6A gene (KAT6A), involves intellectual disability, language impairment, low muscle tone, cardiovascular malformation and eye defects, among other affectations.

Researchers at Boston Medical Center have found that only a fraction of patients at risk of having their utilities shut off were identified through social determinants of health (SDOH) screening. Published in The Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, the research showed that among the patients who received a utility protection letter in 2018, 70% were screened for SDOH and only 16% screened positive for difficulty paying their utility bills.

Older adults often face new disabilities after a hospital stay for a serious illness. Among the problems they may need to adjust to are difficulties with bathing and dressing, shopping and preparing meals, and getting around inside and outside the home. These new disabilities can lead to being hospitalized again, being placed in a nursing home, and more permanent declines in well-being. The longer a serious disability lasts, the worse it can be for an older adult.

Researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute have updated and validated a series of tests in the NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery. These tests, delivered on an iPad, can now be used to accurately assess cognitive processing in people with intellectual disability.

New brain scans and blood tests move researchers towards more sensitive diagnosis of battlefield brain trauma and evaluation of new drugs.

Following the recent withdrawal of standardized assessments, children with intellectual disabilities at special schools in the UK are again being treated differently to children at mainstream schools, says a new study from researchers at The Open University.

Researchers adapted the English language Kessler Foundation modified Story Memory Technique into Spanish. 'This is an example of how cultural adaptation can extend evidence-based interventions to non-English speaking populations,' said Dr. Krch. 'The positive outcomes of this pilot study of urban-based Mexicans have important implications. While further testing is needed, we anticipate that this adaptation of the modified Story Memory Technique will be applicable to the diverse Spanish-speaking population in the US, in addition to those with Mexican heritage.'

Researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) have developed do-it-yourself (DIY) assistive technology prototypes that are revolutionizing how people with disabilities can access tools that will help them interact with the world. The tools are effective in different cultural contexts and were developed in close consultation with people with disabilities. A future step is to scale up use of the tools in education, healthcare, and other settings.

Among the 201 7 survey's findings were processes that were effective, but underutilized by organizations, according to Dr. Phillips. "For example, partnering with a disability organization was identified as a highly effective way to identify qualified candidates. However, only 28.5% of organizations had implemented this. Interestingly, 75% of supervisors said this would be feasible to implement." Other effective, but underutilized practices were auditing of hiring practices, supervisor training in accessible application and interview methods, job shadowing, onsite training, and job sharing.

Brands should consider the language they use when marketing products to this group of consumers, according to a new study from the University of Missouri. Researchers say that "adaptive" makes the apparel seem separate from the market.