Research related to the developmental disability (DD) community should include collaboration "with" individuals with DD. Unfortunately, people with DD are infrequently involved in research projects in meaningful ways, and there is little guidance about how to collaborate equitably with researchers with DD. The purpose of this article is…

Direct support professionals (DSPs) play a large social role in the lives of people with developmental disabilities (DD) and have the potential to influence their health behaviors. Six qualitative focus groups (n = 48) were conducted with DD community agency administrators, DSPs, family members and adults with DD to better understand the perceived…

People who have intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often rely on caregivers to assist in the medication management process. The aim of this study was to learn from caregivers, who are either family or support staff, what major issues arise throughout the process of managing medication and how these might be addressed. Problems…

This article reports results of a 7-month qualitative study on intellectual and related developmental disabilities in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly as they relate to the causes and meaning of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This study raises important questions related to the understanding of…

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has been shown to have benefits for students with disabilities. However, little is known about its potential to support literacy for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This qualitative study explored (a) to what extent students with IDD are able to use Udio, an online UDL literacy…

Sibling relationships are some of the longest-lasting relationships people experience, providing ample opportunities to build connections across the life span. For siblings and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), these connections take on an increased significance as their families age and parents can no longer provide…

This paper presents findings from a qualitative research project on an English self-advocacy organization. In light of recent political and economic developments that have threatened the sustainability of a number of self-advocacy groups for people with intellectual disability, I seek to explore how one particular organization managed to survive…

This study explored the preliminary experiences of parents upon learning of their child's diagnosis of Down syndrome. Qualitative data from a web-based, national survey were analyzed based on two groups: prenatal ("n" = 46) or postnatal ("n" = 115) diagnosis. Three primary categories emerged from the data analysis:…

There are many barriers to social participation in Iceland for people with intellectual disabilities. This article builds on qualitative research with young adults with intellectual disabilities. The purpose of this article is to develop an approach where the struggles over the meaning of social participation of people with intellectual…

Assumptions of difficulties with social interaction, or lack of interest in social interaction, are central to many definitions and conventional understandings of autism. However, many individuals with autism describe a strong craving social interaction. This article uses autobiographical accounts written by individuals who identified as autistic…

This qualitative study investigated parents' perceptions of the various roles they played in their adult children's lives during the post-high school years. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with 9 families of young adults with developmental disabilities. Findings indicated that families perceived the complexity of their roles as…

This article is based on an interpretevist, qualitative research project conducted with individuals labeled with "autism" who type to communicate. Researchers engaged in participant observation and conducted open-ended interviews with 9 participants who were working to develop independent typing skills. Three findings emerged from this research.…

This qualitative research was designed to understand how the social integration process in the workplace unfolds with adults who have intellectual disabilities. Participant observation and interviews permitted an in-depth examination of 10 integration situations within a company, with regard for the actions and perceptions of the stakeholders.…