H. Lipscombe et Ea. Hall, DO OUTPATIENT PHYSIOTHERAPISTS IN WALES HAVE ADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY, Mental handicap research, 8(1), 1995, pp. 60-65
As people with an intellectual disability are resettled from instituti
ons, the likelihood increases that physiotherapists working in outpati
ent departments will have patients who have an intellectual disability
. This study, therefore, sought to establish from a sample of 88 outpa
tient physiotherapists the degree of their knowledge of the All Wales
Strategy for the Development of Services for the Mentally Handicapped,
the adequacy of their experience and knowledge to treat this particul
ar client group effectively and their attitudes towards people with in
tellectual disabilities. Although physiotherapists were generally awar
e of the principles of the AWS, 88% did not know its specific objectiv
es. They had very little experience and knowledge of intellectual disa
bility, 77% believing themselves inexperienced. Nevertheless, a large
majority held positive attitudes towards this client group and agreed
in principle with integration into the community. Training with respec
t to people who exhibit challenging behaviour was identified as necess
ary.