Physical health habits including physical activity and nutrition are essential for numerous health benefits. However, beginning in childhood, individuals with intellectual disability engage in lower levels of physical activity and healthy nutrition habits compared to individuals without intellectual disability, a trend that carries on into…

Teaching science education has remained limited for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), which, in turn, has resulted in an ongoing discrepancy between these students and their typically developing peers for decades. Although there is a growing body of research in effective teaching approaches aimed at overcoming this…

Many individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are uncooperative during routine dental exams, leading to poor oral health in this population. Few studies have evaluated methodologies for preparing dental students and professionals to work effectively with patients diagnosed with IDD. In this study, experimenters…

One of the main objectives for people with intellectual disability (with or without other disabilities) is the ability to perform multistep activities (e.g. preparing a sandwich) without external help from a caregiver. This paper provides a review of studies that evaluated technology systems to teach or support people with intellectual and other…

We designed and distributed a survey that assessed safety concerns experienced by direct service providers (DSPs) (N = 59) of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in community-based group homes at a single human services organization. Results indicated relatively few safety concerns among the respondents from a list of 25…

Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) are aging with chronic health issues. However, little is known about the racial disparities in chronic health conditions among adults with IDD. Do racial and ethnic minority adults with IDD experience elevated risk of chronic health conditions like in the general population? How do…

This article describes a comprehensive framework for incorporating moderator and mediator variables in program logic models and theory development as a useful way to better implement and evaluate policies and practices in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities related (IDD). Firstly, an overview of [program] logic models in the…

While abduction remains a rare occurrence in the United States, many parents and caregivers have concerns about children's reactions to strangers and other safety-related behaviors. Abduction is a risk for all children, but may be of specific concern for people with disabilities due to social skill and communication deficits. Behavior analytic…

Families of young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience challenges that may be exacerbated by challenging behavior (CB) and a lack of specialized support services. While waiting for services, families must implement strategies on their own, while taking arduous steps to access supports to eventually meet their…

Challenging behaviors are prevalent among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In this review, we used the What Works Clearinghouse Standards (WWC) to evaluate the quality of 84 studies that aimed to treat the challenging behaviors of adults with IDD, ages 22 years and older, using a function-based intervention. Then, we…

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) may engage in challenging behavior. These behaviors present challenges to support staff who often lack training in effective behavior management procedures. Behavioral skills training (BST) is an empirically supported method of staff training and has been used to teach support staff a…

Many persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at risk for injury and physical harm due to unsafe environmental conditions. The present study addressed safety practices among care providers responsible for preventing access to hazardous materials among residential students living in two group homes. In a multiple baseline across…

The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency and quality of primary care physician (PCP) recommendations to investigate the management of young children with delays and self-injury (SIB; e.g., head banging) from the time of initial SIB concern to specialty referral as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Via a…

Frontline staff are a valuable asset within an intellectual and developmental disability service. Their work dictates the overall standard of care delivered by the organization. However, there is evidence that the research relating to effective practice is having little impact on the competencies displayed by staff in the real-world setting.…

Decision-making is the central element of self-determination, requiring targeted, systematic instruction to learn. In this study, researchers developed a multicomponent intervention, "What ELSE about this job?", to teach job decision-making skills to college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The intervention…