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Objective:In the United States, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) vote at significantly lower rates than people without disabilities and are underrepresented in the democratic process. This paper examines predictors of voting opportunity among people with IDD receiving state-funded disability services in Virginia. Method:We used secondary data from Virginia’s 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 National Core Indicators In-Person Survey to conduct bivariate and regression analyses on possible predictors of voting opportunity identified from the literature. Results:Factors related to level of intellectual disability were significantly associated with having voting opportunity, as were several factors related to exercising other rights, including participating in the community and in self-advocacy training. Importantly, respondents who had participated in self-advocacy events were more likely to have voting opportunity and people with guardians were less likely to vote or to have had the opportunity. Conclusion:People with legal guardians may be the most likely to be excluded from the democratic process. Social workers and advocates seeking to increase voter turnout should strive to include people with more severe disabilities in self-advocacy events and other efforts to increase voting opportunity among people with IDD.

AbstractThis study tests an empirically derived model for measuring personal opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) using National Core Indicators In-Person Survey (NCI-IPS) state and national datasets. The four personal opportunities measured, (a) privacy rights, (b) everyday choice, (c) community participation, and (d) expanded friendships, were informed by existing conceptualizations of service as well as NCI-IPS measures. Analyses confirmed the fit of a four-factor model and demonstrated that factors were significantly and positively correlated. To demonstrate the relationships between personal opportunities and personal and environmental characteristics, we estimated a structural equation model that regressed personal opportunities on age, gender, place of residence, and level of intellectual disability. Implications for using personal opportunities for evaluating service quality of IDD systems are discussed.

AbstractA nuanced understanding of disparities impacting racialized people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) requires scholars employ research methods that make visible the structural factors that influence outcomes. Following the work of Tukufu Zuberi and Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, we explore race-based methodological considerations for disparities research with Black people with IDD. Specifically, we discuss (a) structural racism in research methods, employing disability critical race theory as a framework, (b) the absence of Black voices and Black scholarship, (c) the abstraction and misuse of race as a variable, and (d) mapping race as a point of discussion in the IDD discourse. Implications for research are discussed and recommendations for contextualizing race, ensuring equity in representation and dissemination, and amplifying the voices of Black scholars are provided.

AbstractNational policy and litigation have been a catalyst in many states for expanding personal outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and have served as an impetus for change in state IDD systems. Although several metrics are used to examine personal outcomes, the National Core Indicators (NCI) In-Person Survey (IPS) is one tool that provides an annual depiction of the lives of people who receive Medicaid Home and Community Based IDD waiver services (HCBS). This article examines whether a validated, three-factor (Privacy Rights, Everyday Choice, and Community Participation) measure of Personal Opportunity, derived from NCI items, functions as predicted across non-equivalent, NCI cohorts (N= 2400) from Virginia in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Multiple-groups confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to examine the invariance and generalizability of the Personal Opportunity constructs. Results indicated that Privacy Rights, Everyday Choice, and Community Participation measured the same concepts even when time and group varied. Significant improvements in Privacy Rights and Community Participation were observed when comparing latent factor means across years. Findings provide stakeholders with a tool for interpreting personal outcomes in the contexts of policy and practice intended to improve inclusion and quality of life for adults with IDD.

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Predicting COVID-19 infection has been difficult.

ABSTRACTThe number of interventions available for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has expanded greatly in recent years, although relatively little is known about the factors that influence family caregivers as they make treatment decisions for their children. This study involved a statewide survey of parents of young children with ASD to examine the relative weights of the factors that influenced their treatment decisions. Results suggested that caregivers rely on their own intuition for much decision making, although selected professionals are also influential. Implications for professionals working with children with ASD and their families are discussed.

AbstractSocial inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is an issue of emerging importance in research, policy, and practice. Though strides have been made to improve community living, inclusive education, and improved employment opportunities for many individuals with IDD, social inclusion has been slower to evolve. A diverse group of stakeholders met at the National Goals 2015 Conference to develop the following set of goals designed to promote better social inclusion in the next 10 years: (a) develop measures for social inclusion, (b) examine how personal and community contexts shape inclusion, (c) embed measures of inclusion in research about other life domains, (d) build capacity for social inclusion, (e) identify best practices for promoting inclusion from the community perspective, and (f) understand life course trajectories that impact inclusion. The goals are discussed in more detail in this article.

Immigrant and refugee populations and people with disabilities are known to have inequitable access to a range of health services. Very little study has been undertaken, however, about immigrants who have disabilities and their experience of the American health care system.

Self-directed supports are a program or service option in which individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), their families, and their allies directly manage their supports. This study explores the perspectives of county-level administrators in the implementation of one state’s self-directed support option for people with IDD. Perspectives of local-level administrators are important as they have key leadership roles concerning policy, program implementation, and program accountability. As the prevalence of self-directed supports increases, it is important to understand both the successes and challenges faced by local administrators as they implement this service option. A qualitative research methodology was used for this study, following a grounded theory analytic approach. In-depth semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with county directors of Developmental Disability Services as the primary source of data for this study. Analysis of the semi-structured interviews with the county-level administrators and staff revealed both successes and challenges with the self-directed waiver option. Many county administrators cited changes in professional philosophy, improved quality of life, higher staff quality, and lower costs as major sucof the self-directed waiver option. Challenges of the self-directed waiver option consisted of need for clear policy guidelines, program changes, and monitoring of outcomes. The results of this study illuminate both the successes and chalof self-directed service implementation for individuals with IDD from the perspectives of the local adminwho are responsible for the direct management of programs for individuals with IDD. This research presents important implications for the design, implementation, and modification of future self-directed initiatives.