Although best known for work with children and adults with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders, training in speech pathology and a doctorate in clinical psychology and neuropsychology was the foundation for Sara Sparrow's long-term interest in reading disabilities. Her first papers were on dyslexia and laterality, and the…

Researchers and clinicians have hypothesised that cognitive assessments have the power to influence the self-identity of people with learning disabilities. This research aimed to explore the experience of a sample of people who had been given a cognitive assessment by a psychologist based in a team for people with learning disabilities. Five…

Autism spectrum disorder is generally regarded as complex, neurologically based, developmental disability that typically has its onset early in life (Myles & Simpson, 2001). Autism spectrum disorder is considered a universal disorder that affects children across all socioeconomic and educational levels (Wilkinson, 2010). Autism spectrum…

This study describes antipsychotic use and metabolic monitoring rates among individuals with developmental disabilities enrolled in a subspecialty medical home (N = 826). Four hundred ninety-nine participants (60.4%) were taking antipsychotics, which was associated with male gender (p = 0.01), intellectual disability with and without autism…

Community-based health initiatives (CBHI) play an important role in maintaining the health, function and participation of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) living in the community. However, implementation and long-term sustainability of CBHI is challenging. The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services…

Adult siblings of individuals with developmental disabilities often experience higher levels of anxiety than individuals in the general population. The present study tested whether perceived parenting could mediate the relationship between attachment styles and anxiety in the sibling group compared to a control group. Little association was found…

As a part of their strategic long term planning process, the Commonwealth Council for Developmental Disabilities (CCDD), Kentucky Protection & Advocacy (KPA), and the Human Development Institute (HDI) at the University of Kentucky developed a survey to identify areas of high need for people with disabilities in the state. This research brief…

Technology is a possible solution to increase the accessibility of disability training and support for service providers in rural and remote areas. We conducted a systematic review across five databases using terms related to technology, training and support, and autism and developmental disability. The search identified 1626 articles and ten…

Precision teaching (PT) is an instructional method that aims to build fluent responding, characterized by accuracy and speed. Fluent behavior is associated with enhanced skill retention and maintenance, endurance, stability, and easy application to novel settings and stimuli. The current paper presents a systematic review of the extant literature…

Background: Developmental language disorder (DLD) is common in children, but little is known about its association with quality of life (QoL) in middle childhood. QoL is a complex construct, aligning with an individual's sense of well-being and is related to functional limitations associated with DLD. Biopsychosocial models of disability account…

Learning to use grapheme to phoneme correspondences (GPCs) provides a powerful mechanism for the foundation of reading skills in children. However, for some children, such as those with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), the GPC learning process takes time, is laborious, and impacts the entire reading and spelling processes. The present study…

This theoretical paper comprised the development of a conceptual framework for blending academic and transition content to help members of the special education field meet both the academic and transition needs of students with disabilities, including students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The current conceptual framework…

The ability to engage in positive social interactions is an important goal for young children with developmental disabilities (DDs). Peer-mediated intervention (PMI), one category of interventions often employed with those who show social skill deficits, involves use of typical peers who live model appropriate behaviors. A second frequent category…

Early interventionists interact and partner with a multitude of families, all with unique strengths, backgrounds, and circumstances. During partnerships with family members, professionals may encounter interactions and relationships that they perceive as challenging or imbalanced. Skilled Dialogue is a framework which emphasizes the use of…

Direct support professionals (DSPs) provide integral support to many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Yet, individuals' access to qualified DSPs is often compromised as organizations struggle to hire and retain DSPs. Despite a vast body of research exploring factors associated with turnover, adverse childhood…