March is recognized as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities has established this year’s theme as Beyond the Conversation, which focuses on how individuals and communities can move past discussions and take action to increase access to education, employment, and community participation among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Research and development from the NIDILRR grantee community is helping to move beyond the conversation with interventions, programs, and technology to support positive employment, health and function, and independent living outcomes. Here are just a few examples of what the NIDILRR grantees are working on right now:
- Development of a Model System for Person Centered Oral Health Care Support for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is building a model that facilitates both enhanced self-managed oral health care while also providing a platform for training, coaching, and coordinated care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their support teams. This project is in Phase II, leading to a marketable prototype to add to the Cognitopia line of support technologies (many of which were developed under previous NIDILRR Field Initiated and Small Business Innovation Research grants).
- Using Remote Support Services Technologies to Enhance Independent Living looks at whether remote support services technologies in the home, such as door safety sensors and two-way communication devices, may offer people with IDD the autonomy, safety, and satisfaction of living independently in their own homes.
- HEELS 2 Participation: Improving Community Participation for Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities is developing innovative eLearning Modules and a virtual tool kit to improve community participation for young adults with IDD. This project building on the existing Higher Education, Employment, and Learning Success (HEELS) curriculum and materials to create a digital platform that incorporates instructional design industry best practices of interactivity, gamification, and narration/storytelling, while a virtual toolkit houses customizable resources for participants, instructors, and coaches to use in working on individualized community goals.
- Virtual Future Planning (V-FIN) for Adults with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities and Aging Families is moving the successful The Future is Now planning intervention into the virtual realm. The curriculum supports people with IDD and their families to make effective, person-centered plans for the future as family caregivers age.
- We Walk 4 Health: A mHealth Intervention to Promote Physical Activity in Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities develops a walking program protocol that includes social and technology support to encourage physical activity and wellness for people with IDD.
You can explore more of these and other research and development projects funded by NIDILRR in the Program Database at naric.com.
In our Research In Focus series, we explored several studies that reported on interventions, programs, and technology supporting people with IDD:
- Individually Tailored, Remotely-Delivered Interventions May Offer Promise for Weight Reduction in People with Intellectual Disabilities
- Support Services Teams May Help People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health Conditions Receive Support in Their Communities and Reduce Medicaid Costs
- Study Offers Insights to Barriers to Paid Employment Facing Youth with Severe Disabilities
Contact our information specialists if we can help your community move beyond the conversation and take action to support full community living and participation of people with IDD!
Collection Spotlight from the National Rehabilitation Information Center 