A scoping review of measures examining the environments of persons with neurodevelopmental disorders in a supported housing setting

Abstract

Introduction: Having a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) can impact the abilities of an individual in many areas of life, including the ability to live independently. The environment of an individual impacts their day-to-day life throughout their lifespan. To improve supported housing experiences, it is important to map the evidence, especially relating to quality and satisfaction with the environment (as defined by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework). This has been exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, therefore more insight is needed in measuring this.

Objective and methods: This scoping review searched 5 health and social science databases with the objective to identify and examine the outcome measures that integrate aspects of the environment that examine supported housing in individuals with NDD.

Results and discussion: Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. We found that most measures targeted the satisfaction of individuals about their environment, with the ICF Support and Relationships factor of the environment assessed most. Measures were most often completed by a proxy through an interview. This work enhances our understanding of aspects of the environments of supported housing that are currently measured, laying an essential base for future research to improve the lives of individuals with NDDs.

Keywords:

• supported housing
• neurodevelopmental disorders
• ICF
• environment
• congregate living

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Sonya Batth for her contributions to the search, screening, and extraction process and Health Sciences librarian Laura Banfield for her assistance in developing the search strategy.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no declarations of interest.