Peer Review

Supporting Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities; Mental Illness

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Nov 26, 2022 by Health Sciences

Bookmark

Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

This multidisciplinary resource develops topics of interest to all those who care about and for individuals with co-occurring intellectual disabilities and mental illness. Each chapter presents current evidence-informed practice knowledge. Each topic is also presented with audio-enabled text boxes emphasizing 'Key Points for Caregivers.' For those who are interested in background knowledge, we provided a comprehensive literature base. And, for those interested mainly in 'what to do,' we provided text box summaries for reading and listening.

Type of Material:

Open (Access) Textbook

Recommended Uses:

In class
Homework
Individual or group setting

Technical Requirements:

Internet access, a computer, and a web browser
Worked well in Chrome and Firefox web browsers
Speakers for audio component
QR scan functioned well on iPhone

Identify Major Learning Goals:

The purpose of this open access textbook is to provide supportive material to caregivers of those individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental illness. The goal is to provide evidence-based information and key points to care givers. Another goal is to provide the most current factual information in a variety of methods including audio.

After completing this open book, users will:

Describe knowledge of intellectual disabilities and mental illness in the context of persons with a dual diagnosis.
Explain methods and approaches to working with persons with dual diagnosis.
Describe ways to approach persons with dual diagnosis without labeling or assigning stigma.

Target Student Population:

College level or graduate level students
Resource for caregivers in behavioral health settings
Resource in work setting for social workers or other professionals (e.g., teachers, pharmacists)

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

Base knowledge of psychology and mental health
Computer skills to navigate the textbook

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

The chapters are appropriately labeled to identify the content.
The content is easy to read, flows nicely and is appropriate.
There are short clip audios available for each chapter as well.
Extremely comprehensive, written in language and context that is understandable by target audience, can be utilized in multiple settings.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

The information is based on best evidence and displays current references.
Students will increase knowledge of caring for individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental illness.
The authors state that for those wishing background information, a comprehensive reference base is included.

Concerns:

The introduction provides a good idea of what the material is about, but did not include distinct objectives. However, competencies of support workers are included.
It is not clear from the authors any type of prerequisite knowledge that is required.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:

Strengths:

Chapters are labeled and layed out clearly.
Most chapters have key point summarizations for caregivers which is very helpful for learners.
No issues with layout and functionality of open access textbook.
The QR codes are appreciated for easy access on a smartphone. The audio portions provided are excellent and augment learning. The section on the side gave easy navigation to the written portion and also to the audio portion, so the reader did not need to scroll through each section to get to the audio recordings.

Concerns:

The introduction is a good place to give some directions on how best to use the textbook.

Other Issues and Comments:: This is an exceptional resource for use in multiple applications. The book appeals to learners of varying levels and also through multiple methods (e.g., computer, iphone, ipad).
Creative Commons: