Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare, but serious, metabolic disease that can cause a variety of neurological, psychological, and academic complications. Fortunately, many individuals with PKU who are identified and treated early can go on to live a relatively normal life. However, PKU does continue to present with a variety of complex underlying…

Individual with intellectual disabilities can have special health care concerns and will often need support in managing their health care needs. These health care needs can include diabetes, obesity management or fitness. Activity trackers have become widely available as a tool for managing health needs by monitoring number of steps, activities,…

Time delay is one of the most established practices for teaching both functional and academic skills to students with extensive support needs (ESN). Students with ESN have intellectual or developmental disabilities and, in some cases, other support needs (e.g., physical disabilities, sensory impairments) and require comprehensive instructional and…

Background: People with severe to profound intellectual disabilities experience similar or higher levels of depression than those with more mild intellectual disabilities. Yet, there is an absence of evidence about how to adapt existing psychological therapies for this population. Method: A behavioural activation intervention (BeatIt) for people…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected, and will continue to affect, every aspect of the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) community. We provide recommendations to (a) support people with IDD and the broader of field of IDD during the course of the pandemic, and (b) place the IDD community in a strong position when the…

Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are organizations mandated to be led by people with disabilities to serve people with disabilities and make systems change. CILs provide support to people of all ages, with all types of disabilities, to equip them with the skills to live independently in their communities, advocate for their needs, and develop…

This article addresses the need to clearly understand professional responsibility and the critical role it plays in the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), in shaping professions for the better, and in enhancing the functioning of society for the benefit of all. Understanding professional responsibility is…

Educators will be tasked with planning for children with many different needs. The aim of this article is to provide specific information about Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome (RTS) to those who may be interested. This syndrome is rare and has not been well researched. This article contains information about the physical, cognitive, and developmental…

Although faith has particular prominence in the contemporary American landscape, its intersection with disability and families has received little attention. We examined the spiritual and religious lives of 530 parents and caregivers of family members who have intellectual disability. For most participants, faith had clear relevance and was…

This paper introduces a newly accredited university programme for students with an intellectual disability (ID). The curriculum is largely based on disability studies pedagogy that creates awareness of the social, political, and economic factors that influence how individuals with a disability navigate society. The aim of the innovative curriculum…

Purpose: Reading and writing are foundational skills that provide access to educational, vocational, and social experiences. However, while the gap widens between the literacy skills of individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and those with typical development as they grow into adolescence, little is known about meeting the comprehensive…

Interventions that promote parent and child well-being in families with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are important, given the caregiving burden often associated with supporting children with developmental and behavioral challenges. This article summarizes a presentation made at the 2019 AAIDD annual conference…

There is very limited research on inclusive mathematics instruction for students with extensive support needs (i.e., moderate to severe intellectual disability, autism, multiple disabilities) and this is a critical area of need. The purpose of this article is to propose a framework for mathematics instruction for students with extensive support…

This chapter provides "viewpoints" on the education of learners with extensive and pervasive support needs. That is, students who require the most support to learn, often categorized as having intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, or related disabilities. The lenses through which we provide these…

The issue concerned with enhancing support to the intellectually disabled students for enabling them to access the general education has gained significant importance in the recent years all over the world. The intellectually disabled students suffer from neurodevelopmental disorders that acts as a barrier to the normal functioning of the brain…