Internationally, parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities have historically engaged in advocacy leading to compulsory education for their children. However, few parents have reported civic engagement. Although empowerment is related to parent advocacy, it is unclear whether empowerment relates to civic engagement. Thus,…

Background: This review examined the impact of participation in an intentional physical activity or sport program on community participation and inclusion for people with intellectual disability. Method: Five electronic databases (PsychINFO, PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, AMED) were systematically searched for papers relating to intellectual disability,…

Background: Early diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is known to improve outcomes in children. It is less clear if diagnosis in adulthood also conveys benefits. This study investigated long-term outcomes for individuals diagnosed with FASD after 18 years of age. Method: Twenty adults aged 18-45 years at FASD diagnosis were…

Background: Within the context of the Special Interest Research Group (SIRG) on Persons with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities (PIMD), researchers often discuss the methodological problems and challenges they are confronted with. The aim of the current article was to give an overview of these challenges. Methods: The challenges are…

Background: Increasing the societal participation of people with intellectual disabilities via competitive employment requires a full understanding of what this means to them. This paper aims to provide an in-depth examination of the lived experiences of people with intellectual disabilities in competitive employment. Method: Interviews were…

Background: The Work Support Profile (WSP) is a brief assessment instrument that enables staff supporting adults with disabilities to provide calibrated and individualized support for specific work tasks. This paper sought to examine the psychometric properties of WSP for people with disabilities. Method: A pilot study was conducted with 239…

Background: Based on self-reported social capital, different typologies of family networks of people with intellectual disabilities were examined. Associations between behavioural and emotional problems or well-being and typologies were investigated. Method: 137 participants with mild intellectual disability were interviewed using the Family…

Background: Social vulnerability refers to the ways in which an individual is at risk of being victimised. The Test of Interpersonal Competences and Personal Vulnerability [TICPV] is an Australian assessment tool designed for adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) [Wilson et al. (1996). Vulnerability to criminal exploitation: Influence of…

The education of students with intellectual disability, like all students, is influenced by assessments. For students with intellectual disability, assessment is used to evaluate individuals as having an intellectual disability (e.g., intellectual functioning assessments and adaptive behavior assessments), as well as to guide instruction and…

This dissertation explored the possible influences that teachers of students with significant intellectual disabilities (SID) have that impact their attitude toward assessment. Students with SID are most likely to be dependent on direct teacher assistance to complete assessment tasks. Historically, students with SID have not participated in most…

In this dissertation I report findings from two studies of the literacy abilities of children with Williams syndrome (WS), a genetic disorder associated with intellectual disability. I had two overarching goals: 1) evaluate the applicability of theories of reading and spelling acquisition developed based on typically developing children to…

Direct support professionals (DSPs) provide people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) with individualized, personal assistance in a wide variety of settings. There is currently a very high turnover for DSPs, due in part to a lack of training for DSPs. The aim of this study is to explore how ongoing staff development impacts the…

Background: Social and communication impairments are a core diagnostic feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and can act as a barrier to developing relationships. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2016) guidelines recommend group social skills interventions as the first-line treatment to help adults with ASD improve their…

The purpose of this review was to examine the body of research on teaching mathematics to students with moderate and severe developmental disability that has been published since 2005, reflecting changes in both the academic expectations for this population and research and design standards in the evidence-based practice (EBP) era. We examined…

Background: This paper examines the appropriateness of using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) in research with people who have intellectual disabilities, focussing on quality. Methods: We conducted a systematic search to identify published studies. We assessed the quality of the studies using a bespoke framework, adapted from…