Although approximately a third of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) also experience a mental health concern, caregivers often miss early identification of these issues. In this perspective piece, we present an outline for a mental health literacy program that can enhance existing training approaches for caregivers…

Telepractice has become increasingly utilized in disability services, particularly with recent and ongoing measures to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). In this study, 361 speech-language pathologists (SLPs) responded to a national, web-based survey about their views on utilizing telepractice with children aged 3 to 21 who used…

The right to science has been identified in multiple human rights treaties; however, there has not been a clear framework for how governments or research organizations can advance this right particularly ensuring equitable engagement of people with intellectual disability (ID) in the "process" of scientific research. Although the…

Although social groups have "insiders," this construct has not been measured within the disability advocacy community. Examining 405 individuals who applied for an advocacy training program, this study examined the nature of insiderness within the disability advocacy community and ties to individual roles. Participants showed differences…

Special education advocacy programs support families to secure services for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Although research demonstrates the efficacy of one such program (the Volunteer Advocacy Project), its effectiveness when replicated by others is unknown. Replication research is critical to ensure that…

The rapid growth of inclusive higher education opportunities for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has contributed to improvements in students' academics, employment, social, and independent living outcomes. However, many college programs lack a focus on functional literacy, a critical skill for success in…

The direct support professional (DSP) workforce shortage crisis has reached untenable levels during the COVID-19 pandemic as DSPs rapidly exit the workforce. To gain a better understanding of factors that contribute to DSP resilience during stressful and challenging times, we interviewed 10 DSPs identified by colleagues as resilient to elicit…

Direct support professionals (DSPs) and frontline supervisors (FLSs) have critical roles in home and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Low wages and high levels of responsibility created a long-term crisis in recruitment and retention and are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A national…

The purpose of this study is to lay a foundation for illustrating the importance of longitudinal data collection by sharing the results of the Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q) program in Pennsylvania designed to collect data over time on the quality of services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In this article,…

This study explores the psychometric properties of "Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report" (SDI:SR) in students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and without disabilities in China. The paper-and-pencil version of SDI:SR Chinese Translation (SDI:SR Chinese) was used to explore self-determination across students…

Aging family caregivers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have unique circumstances setting them apart from the general caregiving population. Such differences include the extensive duration of the caregiving, and health concerns that manifest in the caregiver and individuals with IDD over time. Because of increasing…

Social positioning involves positioning individuals with extensive support needs (ESN) in proximity to and facing a communication partner, with access to a speech-generating device (SGD). We used a multiple probe design to evaluate if social positioning would increase the symbolic and nonsymbolic communication of 10 adults with ESN when they were…

Adaptive care plans (ACPs) are an innovative method to providing care for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities who have challenging behaviors during healthcare encounters. ACPs take a family-centered approach to ensure that children with developmental disabilities are able to receive safe and appropriate healthcare by…

The purpose of this study was to investigate short-term changes of frailty in adults and identify predictors of frailty and disability changes between baseline and the follow-up. A cohort study was conducted in 85 adults with intellectual disability (ID) in southern Taiwan. Variables of frailty phenotype, Barthel Index, fall, comorbidity, and…

There is a need for meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities in faith communities beyond physical presence. Although it has been recommended that evidence-based practices be used to increase the meaningful participation of people with intellectual disability in faith communities, there is a lack of empirical studies. The purpose of this…