Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...

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• To describe the challenges and oppressions encountered
by women with intellectual disabilities experiencing crisis
pregnancy, as well as revealing the ways in which women and
their families/carers have responded to these challenges.
• To identify national and international good practice models
relating to crisis pregnancy counselling and supports for women
with intellectual disabilities. This will include identification of:
- existing policy and practice guidelines on this topic in other
jurisdictions and their relevance/applicability to the Irish
context
- legislation, structures and support mechanisms for women
with intellectual disabilities in relation to pregnancy
- guidelines for counselling for women with intellectual
disabilities
- existing supports for people with intellectual disabilities
as parents, and involvement of family members
where programmes/services target them.
<strong>Literature</strong> <strong>Review</strong> on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible
Support to People with an Intellectual Disability who are
Experiencing Crisis Pregnancy
• To draw out recommendations from the literature review that
will contribute to the development of guidelines for general
practitioners and crisis pregnancy counsellors supporting
women with an intellectual disability who are experiencing crisis
pregnancy.
1.3 Guiding principles underpinning review
Crisis pregnancy is defined as ‘a pregnancy which is neither planned nor
desired by the woman concerned and which represents a personal crisis
for her’ (Crisis Pregnancy Agency, 2007).
The Crisis Pregnancy Agency understands this definition to include the
experience of those women for whom a planned or desired pregnancy
develops into a crisis over time due to a change in circumstances. It is
essential to stress that not every pregnancy experienced by a woman
with an intellectual disability will be experienced as a crisis by her, while
it may be perceived as a crisis by family members and/or carers.