Children and youth diagnosed with developmental disabilities (DD) are at a higher risk for mental health concerns (e.g., anxiety) and physical health issues (e.g., obesity) when compared to their typically developing counterparts. An intervention that may be able to mitigate and even prevent these issues is physical activity (PA); however, despite…

Friendships are important not only to youth development but also to the growth and expansion of social networks. Although there has long been acknowledgment of this importance for youth, such relationships can be especially elusive for transition-age students with autism, intellectual disability, and other developmental disabilities. This article…

This booklet attempts to answer commonly asked questions of parents of children with developmental disabilities about how to get children active in community recreational activities. The questions focus on accessing recreational activities and settings that include children both with and without disabilities. The booklet notes requirements of…

This "feature issue" focuses on integrated leisure and recreation for developmentally disabled persons and includes descriptions of innovative leisure/recreation programs which allow the realization of the concepts of normalization and least restrictive environment. Brief articles include the following titles and authors: "Challenging the…

This information package compiles several resources for supporting children and teens with severe disabilities in integrated recreation/leisure activities. The package contains: (1) an overview article by Pam Walker titled "Supports for Children and Teens with Developmental Disabilities in Integrated Recreation/Leisure Activities," with…

This set of policy statements of the Illinois Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities, adopted from 1989 through 1990, documents Council philosophies and beliefs about issues impacting persons with developmental disabilities and their families. The value standard guiding all Council policies, plans, practices, grants, and advocacy is…

This organizational vignette is one in a multi-part series highlighting community providers. This particular issue spotlights Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Inc., of Boston, Massachusetts, an organization that works with youth at risk, many of whom have developmental disabilities. The collaboration between Bridge and the Institute for Community…