In Qatar, as well as in other parts of the Arabic-speaking world, assessment of patients who have suffered CVAs or other injuries leading to language deficits typically includes the use of surveys and questionnaires that have been translated into Arabic, generally from English. Such materials are used to assess the impact of the CVA on language,…

This article centres on the specific elaboration of the concept of 'narrative' in the philosophy and therapeutic techniques of Michael White, and on their application in narrative career therapy. The narrative career therapy model, developed by the author, aims to assist clients in their career deliberations through the life cycle. Various…

Conventionally, transition outcomes for youth with disability have focused rather narrowly on employment and employment-related outcomes. In this paper we propose a more holistic and comprehensive evaluation of transition outcomes through the lens of quality of life. First, 3 quality of life frameworks that have been applied empirically in…

As the concept of quality of life (QOL) has evolved from a theoretical concept to both a measurable construct and an action-oriented change agent in the field of intellectual disabilities, there has emerged a corresponding need to develop, implement, and use a systematic approach to the assessment of domain-referenced quality of life outcomes. The…

The policy of deinstitutionalization was based on the proposition that quality of life (QoL) of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) will improve as a result of being moved from institutions to community-based care settings. The aim of this literature review was to evaluate whether this assumption has become a reality now that the…

The authors provide an overview of quality of life (QoL) conceptualization in the field of intellectual disabilities (ID), provide background information, and set an organizing framework for presenting concepts and concrete ideas for applying QoL. This framework is useful for three broad categories of application in the field of ID that form the…

The effect of out-of-home residential placement on families has been previously studied. However, no study has examined this issue through the lens of "family quality of life" (FQoL). The aim of this study was to produce a picture of FQoL among families with a member with an intellectual disability (ID) who has multiple diagnoses (i.e., an…

This article draws on existing theory and research findings in the field of quality of life (QoL) and those with learning/intellectual disability and extrapolates current thinking in terms of measurable domains of QoL. The condition of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is becoming increasingly prevalent in the sector of supported living and adult…

Over the past two decades the concept of quality of life (QOL) has increasingly become a focus for research and application in the fields of education, special education, health care (physical and behavioural), social services (disabilities and ageing), and families. This article summarizes our current understanding of the construct of individual…

South Africa has a Gini co-efficient of 62, one of the world's highest (Finmark: Project FinScope 2004 and 2005, FinMark Trust, Johannesburg). Hence, measures of wealth are ubiquitous social indicators in South Africa. However, a growing emphasis in government towards measurable service delivery targets and remedial action to redress the…

In four Morrison Institute reports between 1997 and 2004, Phoenix area residents said their quality of life (QOL) was generally good. Some of the same questions were asked of the statewide Arizona Indicators Panel and are reported in this newsletter. In general, results mirror the positive levels of quality of life reported in the "Greater…

This paper aims at advancing the conceptualization of leisure as a contributor to quality of life (QOL) in an international and multicultural context, based on an extensive and critical review of literature on leisure and QOL from a global, international perspective. Given the central role of culture in conceptualizing this notion, this paper…

This paper reports a multi-stage study carried out between 1999 and 2001 which aimed to develop an instrument to address the need for a culturally relevant measure of quality of life for Chinese older persons in Hong Kong and similar communities. The first stage of the research involved a focus group study conducted in August 1999 which it was…

This paper reports on a historico-sociological study describing the current situation of Vietnamese refugees who settled in the New Orleans, Louisiana, area between 1975 and 1980. The paper begins with a historical background section which presents information about the fall of the South Vietnamese government in 1975, the resulting influx of…

Over the last decade, there has been an explosion of interest in issues related to quality of life (QoL). While QoL for persons with mental retardation has long been an interest, and there is a foundation for the assessment of QoL for this population, there is still much to be done. This article describes QoL assessment for persons with mental…