A growing number of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) attend day programming. These programs are designed to give consumers the opportunity to explore the community, socialize with community members, and to engage in community activities. Unfortunately, activities offered may be selected by program staff without much…

We examine the mechanisms explaining the dropout intentions of students with disabilities by integrating Tinto's model of student integration, the student attrition model, the composite persistence model, and insights from social stratification research. The resulting theoretical model posits that not only students' academic and social…

The phenomenon of microaggressions is well established within the counseling literature, particularly as it relates to race, ethnicity, gender, and affectual orientation. However, research related to disability or ableist microaggressions is still in its infancy, so counseling professionals have limited information about experiences of disability…

Background: Building 'key skills' may help prevent the development of challenging behaviour in children with an intellectual disability. The aim of this paper was to extend the current limited evidence in this area. Method: We undertook two studies with children with an intellectual disability in school settings: (1) a cross-sectional replication…

This research study explored the concept of inclusion at the postsecondary education program (PSE) setting through the perspectives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through a qualitative inquiry. Specifically, this study focused on defining inclusive experiences and making recommendations for increased…

People with profound and multiple learning disabilities are often excluded from the processes of knowledge production and face barriers to inclusion in research due to cognitive and communicative challenges. Inclusive research--even when intending to be inclusive--tends to operate within criteria that exclude people with profound and multiple…

Provoked by decades of grassroots activism, anti-ableist work is underway to advance disability rights. Intellectual disability (ID) researchers can integrate these social changes into their work by interrogating and transforming the beliefs and practices that underpin ID research. We share actionable ideas to foster anti-ableism and allyship in…

With this quantitative study we aimed to develop a scale that could be used to assess the attitudes of special education needs (SEN) teachers towards students with multiple disabilities. The scale was tested in 2 stages using 2 different samples. Firstly, the scale was administered to a convenience sample of 215 teachers. For the first study, the…

Background: A peer-led self-advocacy group, Our Voice SA, is used as a case study to explore how the social engagement of people with intellectual disability contributed to their self-advocacy about things that are important to them. Method: Secondary analyses of data (interviews, observations and program data) were thematically analysed using…

Introduction: Our study aimed to compare the sociodemographic, diagnostic, clinical, and self-report scale data of adults diagnosed with ADHD in childhood/adolescence versus adulthood and to identify risk factors associated with delayed/missed diagnosis for ADHD. Method: Sociodemographic, clinical, and diagnostic data of 214 adults with ADHD,…

Information processing in children with intellectual disabilities is crucial for understanding their cognitive development, recognizing their deficits in learning information and individualizing educational programs. The aim of this study was to explore the implementation experiences of special education teachers and elementary school teachers…

Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at an elevated risk for exposure to bereavement, persistent negative mental health effects after loss, and layered and traumatic forms of grief. Despite this increased risk, students with IDD are too-frequently overlooked by school-based mental health professionals, leaving…

This study aimed to explore the prevalence of challenging behaviors (CBs) associated with students with severe developmental disabilities (SDDs) as rated by their teachers. The study also attempted to examine whether the occurrence and intensity of CBs might depend on certain socio-demographic variables. Data was collected using a questionnaire to…

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to describe the faculty's knowledge, beliefs, and willingness to provide ADA accommodations to students with disabilities at a Southern HBCU. The sample used in this study was 70 full-time and part-time instructors who taught during the Spring of 2023 at a Southern HBCU. The study utilized a…

Individuals with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) rely on direct support professionals (DSPs) to communicate with them and plan meaningful activities of daily living (ADL) for them. This qualitative descriptive study explored how DSPs providing ongoing care who work directly with individuals with PIMD describe the use of…