Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families face many important decisions as the individuals with IDD enter adulthood, including where to live. Although there are numerous housing options for individuals with IDD outside of institutions, there is a paucity of information available to inform them about how…

Voting represents, arguably, the most important right and responsibility of a citizen in a democracy. Nevertheless, few adults are with an intellectual or developmental disability vote, and few are provided systematic instruction on voting or how to participate in the political process. Regrettably, 44 states have disenfranchisement provisions…

This article provides a response to Romer and Walker from two distinct perspectives: the field of developmental disabilities and a parent of children with developmental disabilities. Jeffrey Strully describes his current role managing a moderate-sized agency in Los Angeles that provides individualized and personalized supports as well as his work…

Over the past decade, inclusive postsecondary opportunities have become more available to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities than ever before. With greater demand for such opportunities as well as greater awareness of the possibilities for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, developing new programs on…

The involvement of paraprofessionals in the education of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has been both complex and controversial. Many scholars and advocates have raised concerns about the roles these staff members play in schools and the degree to which there is empirical support for their direct work with…

This paper documents the experiences of a group of parents who came together to form a human service cooperative in their local community to address the needs of their adult children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Each parent felt that their child's needs were not (or could not be) met by existing providers. Parent leaders…

This article reviews 43 U.S. studies assessing adaptive and challenging behavior outcomes associated with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who moved from institutions to community residential settings. These studies were published between 1977 and 2010. Longitudinal and comparison group studies were selected based on a…

There has been a gradual shift from a deficit to a support model for understanding disability over the last two decades. Although more attention is focused on supports at the individual level, policy has provided for the provision of family support. Despite this policy, families' needs for support are on the rise; and research suggests that…

The academic field of disability studies has expanded rapidly over the last two decades or so. With that expansion has also come some growing ambiguity about exactly what is meant by the term "disability studies." This article reviews the history and evolution of disability studies as an interdisciplinary approach to research and scholarship.…

The impact of TASH over the next decade will be affected by decisions about the precision and consistency of the organization's messages to the field. TASH has long been the premier organization extending the voice of individuals with significant developmental disabilities. As TASH examines the themes that will be prominent in the coming years, we…

This study investigated the frequency of community participation and level of assistance needed to perform domestic and safety skills for individuals with severe disabilities who live successfully in the community, based on type of residence and hours of in-home support provided. Participants included residential specialists from small community…

There is a direct link connecting President Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., to the causes of liberty, consent, choice, the least restrictive environment, and genuine community presence for people with intellectual and related developmental disabilities. This article connects the meaning of liberty in those civil rights movements to the…

Although the author has written, conducted research, and lectured about parents of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and he is a parent himself, he is not the parent of an individual with a disability. Viewing from the experience of life "without" a child with IDD in it, it is reasonable to assume that there are…

Over the years, much has been accomplished in the area of severe disabilities--by professionals, academic scholars, parents of persons with disabilities, and self-advocates. It was not that long ago that children with severe disabilities were most likely to be excluded from school altogether or, if they received an education at all, it was far…

Competence in early numeracy skills highly correlate with success in mathematics in later years; however, many students, including students with moderate and severe disabilities, lack a sound foundation in early numeracy skills. For this population, the gaps in skills widen as students progress through academic years, making it more difficult for…