Robin C. Parker

Bio: Robin C. Parker is an academic researcher from University of Massachusetts Boston. The author has contributed to research in topics: Social support & Intellectual disability. The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 9 publications receiving 577 citations.

A National Study of Youth Attitudes toward the Inclusion of Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract: The authors surveyed a national random sample of 5,837 middle school students on their attitudes toward the inclusion of peers with intellectual disabilities (ID). The national sample provided results that were accurate, with a margin of error of ± 1.4%. Findings indicated that youth (a) have limited contact with students with ID in their classrooms and school; (b) perceive students with ID as moderately impaired rather than mildly impaired; (c) believe that students with ID can participate in nonacademic classes, but not in academic classes; (d) view inclusion as having both positive and negative effects; and (e) do not want to interact socially with a peer with ID, particularly outside school. Structural equation modeling showed that youths' perceptions of the competence of students with ID significantly influence their willingness to interact with these students and their support of inclusion.

A national survey of consumer attitudes towards companies that hire people with disabilities

Abstract: Employers' negative attitudes and fears have long been a barrier to the employment of individuals with disabilities Accordingly, attitude literature on the employment of people with disabilities has focused almost exclusively on employers However, due to their influence over business practices, the successful employment of people with disabilities is also contingent on the views of the consumer This study extends previous studies that focused on the attitudes of employers, and went directly to the consumer Consumer attitudes toward companies that hire individuals with disabilities were assessed through a national public survey (N = 803) Most of the participants (75%) had direct experience with people with disabilities in a work environment Moreover, these experiences were positive All participants responded positively towards companies that are socially responsible, including 92% of consumers who felt more favorable toward those that hire individuals with disabilities The participants also had strong positive beliefs about the value and benefits of hiring people with disabilities, with 87% specifically agreeing that they would prefer to give their business to companies that hire individuals with disabilities Implications of consumer support on company hiring practices are discussed

National snapshot of adults with intellectual disabilities in the labor force

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Employment has been recognized as an important goal for improving the quality of life of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). Governments at both the federal and state level have invested billions of dollars to encourage better outcomes for adults with ID as they transition out of high school and into the labor force. OBJECTIVE: Given these important efforts, this study documented the employment situation of working-aged adults with intellectual disabilities across the country. METHODS: Respondents included a nationally representative random sample of 1,017 parents/guardians of adult children (21 years of age or older) with an intellectual disability surveyed by Gallup. These parents/guardians were selected from approximately 341,000 households screened by Gallup. This methodology allowed for the inclusion of a sample of adults with ID who had never been in the labor force or even sought employment. RESULTS: The results indicate a troublingly low employment rate for adults with ID and a puzzlingly low number who are even in the labor force. CONCLUSIONS: The employment outlook for adults with ID will continue to be bleak until new ways are found to meaningfully incorporate this population into the labor force.

Social inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities in a recreational setting.

Abstract: The social acceptance of children with and without intellectual disabilities was examined in an inclusive, summer recreational program. Participants were 67 children entering Grades 3 through 6, of which 29 were identified as having a mild intellectual disability. Children were recruited from economically and racially diverse urban school districts. Results showed that children with and without intellectual disabilities were equally accepted by their peers. Specifically, 95% of children without intellectual disabilities indicated that they liked to ‘‘hang out with’’ at least 1 child with an intellectual disability. Results also indicated that the majority of children without intellectual disabilities made at least 1 new friend with another child with an intellectual disability. The features of recreational programming that promote social inclusion are discussed.

Promoting social inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities through sport: Special Olympics International, global sport initiatives and strategies

Abstract: Little is known of sport in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, but emerging evidence suggests that it provides the same benefits as for people without disabilities. Historically, people with intellectual disabilities have been on the periphery of society, including learning in separate classrooms, and sport has served as a portal into the mainstream. Since its inception in 1968, Special Olympics has been at the forefront in providing opportunities for sport participation and has grown to serve nearly three million people with intellectual disabilities in over 180 countries. Special Olympics has been an engine of change to provide opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities to be visible in society and has actively promoted their inclusion through Unified Sports and Camp Shriver programming. The value of these inclusive programmes is explored in terms of the connection they provide among and between individuals with intellectual disabilities, their families and the surroun...

Why Don’t Employers Hire and Retain Workers with Disabilities?

Abstract: Introduction Despite persistently low employment rates among working-age adults with disabilities, prior research on employer practices and attitudes toward workers with disabilities paints a generally rosy picture of successfully accommodated workers in a welcoming environment. Findings from previous studies might have been biased because of either employer self-selection or social desirability, yielding non-representative or artificially positive conclusions. Methods In this study, a novel approach was used to survey human resource professionals and supervisors working for employers known or reputed to be resistant to complying with the ADA’s employment provisions. Attendees of employer-requested ADA training sessions were asked to assess various possible reasons that employers in general might not hire, retain, or accommodate workers with disabilities and to rate strategies and policy changes that might make it more likely for employers to do so. Results As cited by respondents, the principal barriers to employing workers with disabilities are lack of awareness of disability and accommodation issues, concern over costs, and fear of legal liability. With regard to strategies employers might use to increase hiring and retention, respondents identified increased training and centralized disability and accommodation expertise and mechanisms. Public policy approaches preferred by respondents include no-cost external problem-solving, subsidized accommodations, tax breaks, and mediation in lieu of formal complaints or lawsuits. Conclusions Findings suggest straightforward approaches that employers might use to facilitate hiring and retention of workers with disabilities, as well as new public programs or policy changes that could increase labor force participation among working-age adults who have disabilities.

On the Relationship between Motor Performance and Executive Functioning in Children with Intellectual Disabilities.

Abstract: Background It has been suggested that children with intellectual disabilities (ID) have motor prob- lems and higher-order cognitive deficits.The aim of this study was to examine the motor skills and executive functions in school-age children with bor- derline and mild ID.The second aim was to investi- gate the relationship between the two performance domains. Methods Sixty-one children aged between 7 and 12 years diagnosed with borderline ID (33 boys and 28 girls; 71 < IQ < 79) and 36 age peers with mild ID (24 boys and 12 girls; 54 < IQ < 70) were assessed. Their abilities were compared with those of 97 age- and gender-matched typically developing children. Qualitative motor skills, i.e. locomotor ability and object control, were evaluated with the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2). Executive functioning (EF), in terms of planning ability, stra- tegic decision-making and problem solving, was gauged with the Tower of London (TOL) task. Results Compared with the reference group, the full ID cohort scored significantly lower on all assessments. For the locomotor skills, the children with mild ID scored significantly lower than the children with borderline ID, but for the object control skills and the TOL score, no significant dif- ferences between the two groups were found. Motor performance and EF correlated positively. At the most complex level, the TOL showed decision time to be a mediator between motor performance and EF: the children with the lower motor scores had significantly shorter decision times and lower EF scores. Analogously, the children with the lower object control scores had longer execution times and lower EF scores. Conclusions The current results support the notion that besides being impaired in qualitative motor skills intellectually challenged children are also impaired in higher-order executive functions.The deficits in the two domains are interrelated, so early interventions boosting their motor and cognitive development are recommended.