Background: People with an intellectual disability prefer more choice with employment options and more community facing roles rather than just traditional supported employment roles. However, data reveal that transition rates from supported to open employment in Australia remain very low and these findings are also found internationally. Method:…

Background: Developments in digital technologies have transformed how people interact with the world, offering employment, education, communication, health benefits and entertainment. Research has shown that not everyone can easily access digital content, particularly people with intellectual disabilities. Despite internet access being recognised…

Introduction: The preferences of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) often remain unfulfilled since it stays challenging to decode their idiosyncratic behavior resulting in a negative impact on their quality of life (QoL). Physiological data (i.e. heart rate (variability) and motion data) might be the missing piece…

Background: In disability studies belonging is emerging as a promising area of study. Inclusive research, based as it is on lived experience perspectives, is likely to provide salient insights into belonging in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. Method: A systematic review utilising four databases and five leading journals in the…

Background: People with intellectual disabilities are rarely involved in research on quality of life. The study sought to answer the question: what do people with intellectual disabilities believe improves or hinders their quality of life? Method: Using an inclusive, accessible research design, 18 participants met in small groups to answer the…

Background: Given the significant gap in tailored assessment tools, this research seeks to adapt the Self-concept (Form 5-AF5) questionnaire for young students with intellectual disabilities, employing an inclusive approach. Method: Twenty-three disability experts initially assessed questionnaire suitability, leading to revisions for clarity.…

Background: The Needs Assessment Framework (NAF) stimulates awareness of care staff to consider perspectives of clients with intellectual disabilities in decisions on involuntary care. We explored the effect of implementers' participation in a Virtual Community-of-Practice (VCoP) for designing implementation plans, on NAF implementation and staff…

Background: In Australia, several formats of written information are made for people with intellectual disability and/or low literacy, such as Easy Read, Easy English and Plain Language. More understanding is however required about the decision-making behind their features, as it is not always clear which formats use which features or for what…

Autistic individuals are twice as likely to meet criteria for anxiety than neurotypical children; yet we lack understanding of early presentations of anxiety in young autistic children, especially those with cognitive impairment. This study is the first to utilize an autism-specific anxiety diagnostic interview with 28 preschool cognitively…

Background: Persons with intellectual disabilities who are physically active have faster reaction time compared to the physically inactive persons with intellectual disabilities (Yildirim et al. 2010). Aim: To recognize how participation in a series of hip-hop dance workshops can improve reaction time in persons with intellectual disabilities.…

Background: People with intellectual disability are at higher risk of experiencing social isolation in their everyday lives, because of exclusionary practices, discriminatory social policies and structural exclusion. However, less is known about what people with intellectual disability themselves think about loneliness in their lives and what…

Background: Swedish employment rates are disproportionately low among people with intellectual disability and research on employment sustainability in this group is scarce. This study investigated employment sustainability among people with intellectual disability, with a focus on identifying facilitators. Method: Fifteen persons with intellectual…

"ATRX" mutations are commonly associated with alpha-thalassaemia mental retardation syndrome (ATR-X syndrome) with a notable variable expressivity. This X-linked disorder is characterized by intellectual disability (ID) in a higher or lesser degree, in which the alpha-thalassaemia feature is not always present. Other phenotypic…

This paper aims to foreground the persistent ethical conundrums within the process of engaging children labeled with intellectual disabilities in the research process. I consider what happens when researchers are embedded within and committed to sustaining relationships with disabled children? I explore the possibilities of the enactment of…

Self-determination enhances a person's quality of life and is a fundamental human right. According to self-determination theory, autonomy is one of three basic psychological needs that must be met to experience self-determination. The overarching aim of this exploratory study was to learn about autonomy from the perspective of autistic adults with…