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Broad Perspectives of the Experience of Romantic Relationships and Sexual Education in Neurodivergent Adolescents and Young Adults
Get PDFNeurodivergent young people tend to struggle with building and maintaining their romantic relationships. Despite this, there appears to be a lack of appropriate sexuality education delivered to them. This review aims to present and discuss the most current literature (conducted between 2015 and current) on romantic relationships and sexuality education in young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and ASD co-occurring with ADHD. Six internet-based bibliographic databases were used for the present review that followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Thirty-one studies were identified in this review. Twenty-six studies investigated the topic in the autistic young population. Four studies explored qualitatively and 11 quantitatively young people’s perspectives of their romantic relationship experiences. One study investigated qualitatively and three quantitatively young people’s perspectives on sexuality education. One study explored qualitatively and five quantitatively young people’s romantic relationship experiences and two explored qualitatively and three quantitatively sexuality education from caregivers’ perspectives. Five studies (all quantitative, self-reports) investigated romantic relationship experiences in the young population with ADHD. The studies conducted on the topic from the educational professionals’ perspectives were absent in the literature. The literature was also non-existent on the topic in the population with ASD co-occurring with ADHD. To the researchers’ knowledge, this is the first review exploring romantic relationships and sexuality education in three groups of neurodivergent young people (with ASD, ADHD, and ASD co-occurring with ADHD)
Towards a critical pedagogy of trans-inclusive education in UK secondary schools
Get PDFSchool systems within the UK are embedded within cultures of normative gender narratives. Such cultures can create difficult environments for gender diverse young people which in turn contribute to poorer academic attainment and long-term health and wellbeing outcomes. In an attempt to understand how to foster better understanding within schools, we drew upon the lived experience of gender diverse young people. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this research explored the experience of six transgender and non-binary young people who reflected on their experience of secondary education in the UK. Drawing on critical pedagogy as a theoretical framework, we found that: unsupportive school environments and relationships led to decreased mental health and feelings of Otherness; gender diversity was a contentious topic not found within curriculums; and teachers had the potential to create and foster positive experiences within a pedagogy of gender diverse affirmative partnership. To facilitate this, there is a need for institutional support allowing teachers to critically interrogate the structural embeddedness of cisgenderism in educational spaces, and within cultures of pathologised self-identified gender identities
Moral Suffering in Frontline Social Care Workers: A Study of Moral Injury and Moral Distress
Get PDFIntroduction: Moral suffering (MS) is psycho-emotional harm derived from
a conflict between one’s circumstances and one’s deeply held moral values.
It includes the constructs of moral distress (MD) and moral injury (MI)
and is characterized by constraints or mandates preventing the perceived
morally correct event. Evidence has demonstrated the application of MS in
helping professions, and research has linked MS to a deterioration of mental health, self-identity, worldview, and job-performance.
Aims: In this study, we examined the relationship between MD, MI, burnout, and external/internal constraints in Frontline Social Care Workers
(FSCWs) in the UK.
Methods: We employed a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational design,
recruiting 119 FSCWs (female = 91.6%, tenure 1–2 years = 27.4%) using
convenience sampling. Participants completed an online survey including
the Moral Injury Events Scale and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory.
Measures for MD, external constraints (stress, time, and resources), and
internal constraints (psychological safety and preparedness) were informed
by previous research.
Results: Participants reported a significant prevalence of moderate-to-high
MD (25.4%), MI (33.3%), and burnout (64.9%), and we found significant relationships between the constructs and dimensions. Constraints
were significant predictors of MS (explaining 35.3% of MD variance and
30.1% of MI variance), with stress, time, and psychological safety making
the strongest contributions.
Conclusions: FSCWs can be examined as a unitary population experiencing morally challenging circumstances that may result in MS and burnout.
Improved MS measures, increased awareness, and policy shifts are necessary to redefine the paradigm of work-related distress, taking systemic constraints and the potential for moral harm into account
Are school settings restricting access to daily physical activity for children with cystic fibrosis? Parents’ perspectives and recommendations for practice
Get PDFBackground: Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic life limiting disease that impacts upon quality of
life. An aim of CF care is to preserve lung function, with physical activity (PA) being an
important part of daily airway clearance. Ensuring children have opportunities to engage in
PA at school should be an important part of their daily routine. It is important to gain parental
perspectives on this, as they manage the daily care for their children. This study aims to
explore parents’ perceptions of school-based PA for their children with CF.
Methods: Parents of children with CF (n = 10), from three regions of the UK (England, Wales
and Northern Ireland) took part in online semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed
using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
Results: Although parents recognized the benefits of school-based PA for their children,
systemic barriers in the school setting often inhibit daily PA for children with CF, including
teachers’ misconceptions, emotional and physical barriers, and PA not being a priority.
Conclusion: Recommendations for practice have been developed to help engage children
with CF in daily school-based PA in an inclusive way, with the hope of maintaining health
outcomes for children with CF
“A Debt on your Heart”: Exploring the impact of student precarity on Education Studies students at a UK university
Get PDFDrawing on Guy Standing’s theory of ‘precarity’ (2021), this article addresses a gap in the research around the experience of student precarity on UK Education Studies courses and how this precarity impacts their perceptions of the education system they aim to enter as professionals. Using an interpretivist methodology, 19 students from the lowest quintile on the Index of Multiple Deprivation (Gov, 2019) took part in four focus groups in which they were asked open-ended questions about their experience of university in the cost-of-living crisis and life post-covid, and how they balance home, life, studies and work commitments. These were around areas such as their understanding of precarity and its impact on their studies and their perception of their place in the wider education system. Using thematic analysis, the main findings were: a feeling of foreboding towards the future; struggling to manage work and studies under the pressure caused by future debt and a resigned acceptance of precarity once entering the education workforce. Students felt a sense of vulnerability about the future resulting in heightened anxiety; furthermore, the ability to study without financial worries is denied to these non-traditional students leading to them having to take on more work which compromised time available for study. Finally, students felt disempowered to change the wider education system they aim to enter as professionals
Identifying the key body size and maturity characteristics associated with superior physical fitness performance tests: does one size fit all?
Get PDFPurpose: To examine which key body-size characteristics are common to success when performing a variety of physical-fitness tests and, at the same time, to identify further characteristics that benefit only specific fitness tests. Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out with data from 94484 6-18-year-olds. The physical-fitness tests were; 1) 20-m sprint test, 2) four-square agility test, 3) abdominal strength test (sit-ups/min), 4) horizontal-jump test, 5) seated 2kg medicine-ball throw test, and 6) a cardio-respiratory test (6min run). The body-size and maturation characteristics were body mass, height, arm span and maturity offset (MO). The ideal body-size and MO characteristics associated with the six physical performance variables were identified using allometric modelling. Results: Two key characteristics associated with superior performances in all 6 physical-performance tests were identified, to have a greater arm span together with a positive maturity offset. The arm span was the predictor with the largest effect size (Partial Eta Squared between 0.005 - 0.013) in 5 of the 6 physical fitness tests evaluated. The contribution of body mass varied depending on whether the physical-performance test required the children to carry their body mass or not. In the case of endurance events, the mass term was negative. In the case when the test did not require the child to carry their body mass (e.g., throwing the medicine ball test), the mass term was always positive. However, for sprinting, the optimal performances peaked at 62kg for 20m sprinting and 73kg for agility tests. Conclusions: The prominence of arm-span's influence underscores its role in sports evaluations and the talent identification processes, reaffirming its practical significance. Additionally, the study hints at the nuanced relationship between body mass and specific test requirements, potentially guiding targeted training strategies for different physical tasks
“I’m not a saint”: divine motherhood at the intersection of single adoption and disability
Get PDFThis article examines some of the social norms, expectations and prejudices that surround the single adoption of disabled children in the UK.
Drawing on interviews with a UK-based single adoptive parent, Lynne, it
undertakes an intersectional exploration of the quasi-religious ‘saintly
adopter’ position that is frequently ascribed to her. This analysis is realized
through a sociocultural linguistic approach (Bucholtz & Hall, 2005), which
offers tools for examining how individuals position themselves in relation
to local and global identities, experiences and expectations. The article
shows that the apparent praise of adopters as saintly figures can have an
illegitimating force, since it is rooted in presumptions around certain
children being ‘helpless’, ‘damaged’, and in need of rescue by ‘perfect’
parents. The pressures surrounding this position are likely to be felt even
more strongly by parents and children who are marginalized in multiple
ways, such as Lynne, who is both a single and adoptive parent, and her
children, who are both adopted and disabled. Together, intersecting
forms of prejudice around adoption, single parenthood and disability
can make it difficult for single adopters, and adopters of disabled children,
to be seen as valued and legitimate parents in a wider social context
The Relationship Between Training Load and Injury in Competitive Swimming: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study
Get PDFTraining load monitoring is employed to quantify training demands, to determine individual physiological adaptions and to examine the dose–response relationship, ultimately reducing the likelihood of injury and making a meaningful impact on performance. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between training load and injury in competitive swimmers, using the session rate of perceived exertion (sRPE) method. Data were collected using a prospective, longitudinal study design across 104 weeks. Data were collected from 34 athletes centralised in two of Swim Ireland’s National Centres. Bayesian mixed effects logistic regression models were used to analyse the relationship between sRPE-TL and medical attention injuries. The average weekly swim volume was 33.5 ± 12.9 km. The weekly total training load (AU) averaged 3838 ± 1616.1. A total of 58 medical attention injury events were recorded. The probability of an association between training load and injury ranged from 70% to 98%; however, evidence for these relationships was deemed weak or highly uncertain. The findings suggest that using a single training load metric in isolation cannot decisively inform when an injury will occur. Instead, coaches should utilise monitoring tools to ensure that the athletes are exposed to an appropriate training load to optimise physiological adaptation. Future research should strive to investigate the relationship between additional risk factors (e.g., wellbeing, lifestyle factors or previous injury history), in combination with training load and injury, in competitive swimmers
A Narrative Review of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Strength and Conditioning Course Recognitions and Accreditations in the United Kingdom
Get PDFAs the popularity of strength and conditioning
(S&C) continues to grow, there are now an
increased number of S&C degrees offered in
the United Kingdom (UK). These degrees can
be recognised and accredited by the National
Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA),
the Chartered Institute for the Management of
Sport and Physical Activity in collaboration with
the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning
Association (CIMSPA-UKSCA), and the International
Universities Strength and Conditioning Association
(IUSCA). As each association requires different
and specific criteria to be met this paper aimed to
summarise this information and present the number
of S&C degrees recognised and accredited in
the UK. Criteria for each awarding association
were obtained and consolidated into a check�list format. The number of courses recognised
and accredited by each awarding association
was obtained by reviewing the websites of each
S&C degree, which were sourced from the
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
(UCAS), NSCA, UKSCA, and IUSCA directories.
In total, 20 undergraduate and 29 postgraduate
courses were identified. The NSCA recognised
10 undergraduate and 12 postgraduate courses,
CIMSPA-UKSCA accredited 11 undergraduate and
7 postgraduate courses, and IUSCA accredited 5
undergraduate and 2 postgraduate courses. Our
findings show that recognitions are inexpensive
compared to accreditations due to fewer criteria.
Most undergraduate degrees held 1-2 recognitions
or accreditations, which was 0-1 for postgraduate
degrees. All recognitions require specific module,
practical, and assessment content to be covered,
which in part should be delivered by staff holding a
discipline-specific undergraduate or postgraduate
degree accompanied with a professional S&C
certification. All accreditations require courses
to include supervised practical experience and
evidence suitable learning environments. The
NSCA and IUSCA accreditations require degree
titles to indicate the course specialisation (e.g.,
BSc in S&C) and include a site visit to validate and
accredit each course. The CIMSPA-UKSCA and
IUSCA accreditations require courses to evidence
that transferable graduate knowledge and skills
are being developed. This paper may inform (a)
course representatives of the criteria to obtain
each recognition or accreditation; (b) prospective
students to understand and distinguish between
each recognition and accreditation, and observe
which degrees have received each award; (c)
potential employers to tailor job profiles to align with
graduate capabilities; and (d) awarding associations
to compare and review their recognitions and
accreditations with others, to support their continued
enhancement or diversification
Exploring the Experience of Romantic Relationships and Sexuality Education in Neurodivergent and Neurotypical Young Individuals
Get PDFPurpose The literature indicates that sexuality education provided in schools/colleges in
the United Kingdom (UK) may not be appropriate for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There appears to be a lack of understanding of the subject regarding young
people with Attention-Defcit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and a dual diagnosis (ASD
co-occurring with ADHD). Research also suggests that compared to neurotypical peers,
young people with ASD tend to receive less support on sexuality from their parents, who
often feel that they lack the appropriate skills to help their children with some sex-related
issues. Some young people with ASD and ADHD also report lacking an understanding of
the social nuances of dating and intimacy, which is crucial for navigating romantic relationships. Design/methodology/approach This study explored sexuality education and
romantic relationships in young people based on a semi-structured interview approach to
the topic. Thematic Analysis (TA) was employed to analyze the data. Findings Six themes
were developed from the participants’ narratives: Societal ideology about sexuality; Substandard school-based sexuality education; The role of adults in sexuality education; Pornography, as a very powerful alternative means of sexuality education; Young people and
romance—a complicated world to navigate; Experience of abuse in the young neurodivergent population is a serious matter. Findings revealed that many neurodivergent and neurotypical young people received basic sex education in their schools/colleges and homes
and encountered challenges navigating romantic relationships. Neurodivergent young people reported experiencing greater challenges related to their understanding of and building
romantic relationships than their neurotypical peers. Originality/value To the researchers’ knowledge, this is the frst exploration of romantic relationships and sexuality education in neurotypical young people as well as three groups of neurodivergent young people
(with ASD, ADHD, and ASD co-occurring with ADHD)