Outcome evaluation of active support training in Taiwan.

Area of Science:

• Intellectual Disabilities Research
• Behavioral Interventions
• Residential Care Services

Background:

• Active Support (AST) is a person-centered approach to improve the quality of life for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID).
• The implementation of AST in Taiwan aimed to assess its impact on residents receiving training through their supervisors and front-line managers.
• This study evaluates the effectiveness of AST in a Taiwanese residential care context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of Active Support Training (AST) on individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Taiwanese residential services.
• To compare outcomes between residents whose staff received AST and those whose staff did not.
• To assess the long-term effectiveness of AST over 4 and 14 months post-intervention.

Main Methods:

• A nonequivalent groups design was employed with an experimental group (n=49) and a comparative group (n=19).
• Assessments included questionnaires on domestic engagement, community inclusion, choice, social network, mood, challenging behaviors, and adaptive behavior.
• Data were collected at pre-test, post-test (4 months), and follow-up (14 months) after AST.

Main Results:

• Residents in the AST group showed significant increases in choice and adaptive behavior, and decreased depression.
• Domestic engagement improved in the follow-up assessment for the AST group.
• No significant changes were observed in family contact, community inclusion, or challenging behaviors for the AST group. The comparative group showed only a decrease in depression between post-test and follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Active Support Training (AST) is a feasible intervention in Taiwan, demonstrating partial effectiveness.
• Improvements were noted in choice, adaptive behavior, and mood for individuals with ID whose staff received AST.
• Further development of a Taiwan-specific AST package is recommended to enhance its efficacy.