Children may be born with disabilities, such as physical and developmental disabilities. Some children may experience disabilities at or shortly after birth, such as cerebral palsy. Other children may not be diagnosed with disabilities until they are in school, such as learning or behavioral disabilities. Finally, children may experience disabilities through trauma, such as burn injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), or spinal cord injuries (SCI). Children with disabilities have the right to full participation in their communities. However, they and their families may face barriers to living and participating in their communities, such as barriers to education, recreation, and accessible communities. NARIC’s information specialists are often asked for information and resources to help children with disabilities participate in their communities and that may help their families and service providers in supporting them. This month, we are highlighting evidence-based consumer products from the NIDILRR community for children with disabilities, their families, and service providers, which may include guides, calendars, factsheets, and more.
Below, you will find just a few examples of evidence-based consumer products produced by the NIDILRR community:
- The Learning and Working During the Transition to Adulthood Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (L&W RRTC) develops and shares new knowledge about core concepts, interventions, and policies to greatly improve the transition to employment for youth and young adults between the ages of 14 and 30 with serious mental health conditions. The L&W RRTC uses research and knowledge translation to help ensure that policies, programs, and supports for these youths help them build the strong cornerstones that support successful long-term adult work lives. This center provides Youth & Family Voice, a group of resources that include blogs for and by youth with serious mental health conditions and their families, ComeBack TV, and Voice 4 Hope. The L&W RRTC also provides tip sheets and issue briefs on life skills, education, employment, and other supports, and provides publications in Vietnamese and Spanish.
- Children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are more likely to be obese than their peers without disabilities. Additionally, there are racial and ethnic disparities within the Latinx community with children and adolescents experiencing higher rates of obesity than their White peers, which may be heightened among children and teens with IDD. The project Promoting Obesity Prevention Among Latinx Children with Developmental Disabilities and Families Through Engaged Research (PODER) addresses the research gap on children and adolescents with IDD and obesity. This project provides resources in English and Spanish for Latinx children with IDD and their families in Texas. They include resources on physical activities, eating well, and mental health.
- The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (The RERC on AAC) conducts rigorous evidence-based research for designing effective augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies and interventions, develops and evaluates innovative AAC engineering solutions driven by consumer needs, and provides comprehensive training and dissemination to ensure that all individuals, including children and adults with developmental, acquired, and severe disabilities have access to effective AAC to enhance the communication of individuals with complex communication needs (CCN). The RERC offers many educations resources for educators, speech and language professionals, technologists, and parents on using AAC to support children with disabilities. Start with this instructional module on AAC for Children and explore their webcasts highlighting the consumer perspective on AAC.
- The Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) offers a range of evidence-based consumer and professional information products to support people who have experienced TBI, SCI, and burn injuries. These include
In addition to the above consumer products, the Temple University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Community Living and Participation of People with Serious Mental Illness (TU Collaborative)[CJ1] offers many resources focused on family engagement and creating welcoming environments, including education, welcoming communities, physical activity, and recreation and leisure.
To learn more about these and other products from the NIDILRR community, contact NARIC’s information specialists.
Collection Spotlight from the National Rehabilitation Information Center 