The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine perceptions of adult sibling relationships with a brother or sister with severe disabilities and the contexts affecting the relationships. Adult siblings without disabilities (N = 79) from 19 to 72 years of age completed an online survey with four open-ended questions about their relationship…

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…

This article describes the potential impact that state guardianship laws may have on the transition planning process for students identified with intellectual and developmental disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act. The authors utilize a disability studies framework to describe how the goals of…

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 who…

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…

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 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…

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.…

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…

As of 2004, more than 114,000 individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities in the United States were identified as receiving supports for community-based nonwork (CBNW), that is, activities that do not involve paid employment but do take place in the community rather than that in a facility (Institute for Community Inclusion, 2007).…

Postschool outcomes for students with disabilities have been dismal for quite some time now. Although recent data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 indicate some improvement, students with severe intellectual disabilities continue to transition into segregated employment at unacceptable rates in spite of a multitude of studies,…

We conducted an observational study of parent-child interaction in home activity settings (routines) of families raising young children with developmental disabilities and problem behavior. Our aim was to empirically investigate the construct validity of coercion in typical but unsuccessful family routines. The long-term goal was to develop an…