Employment, social relationships, and autonomy are priorities to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). However, few validated measures exist to systematically assess these key adult outcomes in this population. This research includes first steps to develop self- and proxy report measures of life outcomes for adults with…

Background: Deinstitutionalization research shows better services and outcomes relative to institutional life but has not compared formerly institutionalised and never-institutionalised service users. Methods: We used propensity score matching (PSM) to match formerly institutionalised and never-institutionalised participants on six personal…

Background: Adults with disabilities in low-income communities of colour are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: We interviewed 14 self-advocates with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to learn more about their experiences during the peak of infections, hospitalisations, and deaths in Los Angeles, between…

Background: This study investigated perceived quality of life (QoL) of community-dwelling middle-aged adults (30-50 years) with an intellectual disability and/or developmental disability living in rural or urban areas in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. The specific aim of the current paper was to provide a descriptive evidence base of…

The National Council on Disability (NCD) undertook this report to increase the understanding of guardianship and its impact on the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) and their families. Guardianship is the process through which an adult can be found legally incapable of making decisions for him or herself and…

In this article, the authors challenge professionals to re-examine assumptions about basic concepts and their implications in supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The authors focus on decisions with significant implications, such as planning transition from school to adult life, changing living environments, and…

Although much has been written about the normalization and social inclusion of persons with developmental disabilities over the past 50 years, a small subset of this population has remained largely overlooked--individuals who are quadriplegic, non-verbal and who also have additional disabilities, including cognitive impairment. The present project…

Paired and group presentation methods of preference testing were compared with eight adults with severe-profound developmental disabilities. Each presentation method was also compared with staff rankings of learners' preferences. Similar preferences were identified with both methods. Staff preference rankings were not highly correlated with those…

Meeting the challenge of providing supported living for people with developmental disabilities calls for new relationships among people receiving support, those providing support, and families. The focus should be on assisting people with developmental disabilities to establish a sense of place, security of place, and effective personalized…

This theme issue explores the relevance of self-determination for persons with developmental disabilities across the life span, ways in which it is or can be expressed, and obstacles to its exercise. The articles show the futility of enhancing self-determination by teaching choice-making skills if environments offer no opportunities to exercise…

This article explains and supports the policy statement on consent recently approved by the Board of Directors of the Council for Exceptional Children's Division on Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. Provides ethical and practical suggestions for dealing with issues of consent among adults with mental and developmental…

This study compared selection of a preferred reinforcing stimulus just prior to a training session by either the trainer or subject with profound developmental disabilities. Results obtained with four adult subjects indicated little or no difference in reinforcement effects when reinforcing stimuli were selected by subjects rather than trainers.…

Comparison of what people with developmental disabilities in Wyoming and South Dakota wanted and received in programs in 1988 (N=2,927) and in 1996 (N=3,934) found that the percentage of people placed in their preferred setting rose substantially, from 51% to 84% in Wyoming and from 62% to 72% in South Dakota. (Author/DB)

Discussion of the dynamics of individualized funding for providing services to people with developmental disabilities focuses on how individual funding may drive the changes necessary to develop services that offer highly customized assistance. This discussion considers why the concept of paying customers is powerful but misleading in light of…

This article discusses four necessary elements of the self-advocacy movement: gaining awareness of one's social and political situation; gaining awareness of individual strengths and potential; taking action through participation in community organizations; and having advisors collaborate with people with disabilities rather than treating them as…