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…

Aggressive and violent behaviour is a challenging psychiatric emergency to manage, especially among vulnerable categories such as patients with Intellectual Developmental Disorder. Although there is some evidence that clozapine may be useful as an anti-violence compound, its use is limited by common metabolic complications. An adult patient…

Meaningful progress in improving employment outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities continues to be elusive, despite 40 years of investment in research, policy, and supports. This article reviews the current state of employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and describes policy,…

A growing body of evidence has attested to the higher impact of COVID-19 on individuals with intellectual disabilities (IDs) than on members of the general population during the pandemic, mainly showing their higher vulnerability. However, we believe it is important to better understand how their situation interacts with the specific circumstances…

Lack of diversity in IDD research is typically conceptualized only in terms of (1) recruitment of samples that do not appropriately represent the sociodemographics of the population, or (2) the limited number of researchers from historically marginalized backgrounds. Critically, the field also suffers from over-reliance on perspectives and social…

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in changes in all areas of clinical practice, including clinical research and within the intellectual disability population. While there have been some benefits from this rapid adoption of change, those involved in research have had to overcome a number of additional challenges. These adaptive changes, which have…

Post-World War II, the vocational parent system was established in Japan in 1951--based on the Child Welfare Law--to provide aftercare for older dependent children. The vocational parents lived with the children and provided the guidance necessary for them to live independently. The evolution of the vocational parent system is divided into three…

This conceptual methods article parallels remarks given at the 2022 American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities conference highlighting the importance of including the voices of people with intellectual disability in research processes. The purpose of this article was to put forth a call to action to disability researchers…

Adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities are often prescribed psychotropic medication on an "as needed" basis (PRN) in response to behavioural challenges. In the present study we conducted a retrospective analysis of medication administration records in the 6-months preceding and following discharge of 11 adults…

Medical students receive very little instruction related to caring for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities. As a result, medical students and physicians alike report low levels of confidence in their ability to provide care to this population. In this piece, I provide a medical student's perspective on how to implement changes in…

Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformative potential to support the education of students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities (M/SID) and their teachers. Although research and evidence-based practices (EBPs) are integral to fostering positive student learning outcomes, educators face challenges in effectively implementing these…

Background: Tailored sexuality education for adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities is a crucial, yet unmet, need as this population is particularly at risk for sexual abuse and victimisation. However, there are no evidence-based interventions to specifically address this need. This paper presents the development of an…

The Kamishibai theatre is a traditional Japanese method of storytelling using illustrated boards successively taken out of a small wooden chest used as a screen. Although the method has a significant educational and therapeutic potential, researchers devote little attention to it, focusing mainly on its connection with developing language…

Individuals living with intellectual disability can have multiple co-occurring medical conditions including associated genetic diagnoses. The number of genetic etiologies associated with ID is growing, with some quite new and rare, and others more common and associated with what is often considered a syndrome. In the context of genetic etiologies…

People with intellectual disabilities show significantly lower levels of physical activity than the general population in respect to all consequences for health. A positive effect of physical activity on health preservation has been proven, but interventions for physical activity in everyday life seem to be rare for people with intellectual…