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Social relationships can shape the well-being of parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). Although much attention has focused on relationships with other family members or professionals, less is known about the place and contributions of informal relationships (i.e., non-family, unpaid others) in the lives of parents. In this review, we synthesize findings from 52 studies addressing the informal relationships of parents and explore their association with a range of parent and family outcomes. We present findings addressing three related relationship dimensions: the affiliations parents report having, their perceptions of these informal relationships, and the supports exchanged within these relationships. This collection of studies incorporated a wide range of measures to characterize these relationships, highlighting the complexities of capturing this aspect of parents' lives. We discuss implications for future research and translating these efforts to improve the lives of parents of children with IDD.

The involvement ofparaprofessionals in the education of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has been both complex and controversial. Many scholars and advocates have raised concerns about the roles these staff members play in schools and the degree to which there is empirical support for their direct work with students. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to address two primary questions: To what extent have paraprofessional-implemented educational practices been shown to improve outcomes for elementary and secondary students with IDD, and what professional development strategies enable paraprofessionals to implement these strategies with fidelity? These studies indicate paraprofessionals, when given adequate training, are capable of effectively implementing a number of educational practices that result in improved academic and social outcomes, specifically, teaching communication skills, reducing problem behaviors, and increasing independence for students with IDD. Follow-up training and support, modeling, and performance feedback were prominent training components across most studies in this review and are validated in the broader research literature. However, limitations leave many questions unanswered about how to best train and support paraprofessionals. We discuss recommendations for preparing paraprofessionals who work with students with IDD, as well as future directions for research.

Even when enrolled in general education classes, students with complex communication challenges may remain socially isolated from their classmates when receiving one-to-one paraprofessional support. We evaluated the efficacy and social validity of an intervention package incorporating paraprofessional facilitation, peer initiation, and increased availability of speech-generating devices (SGDs) for early adolescents with disabilities attending inclusive classrooms. Two students with an intellectual disability, their parents, peers without disabilities, paraprofessionals, and classroom teachers participated in this study. We used a multiple baseline design across participants and classrooms to evaluate the intervention package's impact on social interaction among students with and without disabilities. In addition, we conducted individual interviews to explore the acceptability of the multicomponent package. Following the intervention, students' interactions with peers increased in three classrooms and SGD use increased in all four classrooms. Participants perceived the intervention to be important, appropriate, and beneficial. We discuss implications and recommendations for improving the social participation of students with complex communication challenges.

Promoting access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities has emerged as a central theme of recent legislative and policy initiatives. Ensuring that students with severe disabilities benefit fully from the myriad learning and social opportunities available through the general curriculum remains an important challenge, particularly at the secondary level. We discuss peer support interventions, a form of peer-mediated intervention, as an effective approach for engaging youth with severe disabilities more meaningfully in the general curriculum, as well as promoting academic success for classmates serving as peer supports. We describe the core elements of these interventions, review research pertaining to the academic and social benefits available to participating students, and discuss factors that may account for the effectiveness and social acceptability of this intervention approach.

Although calls to expand integrated employment opportunities have permeated recent legislative and policy initiatives in the United States, substantial numbers of adults with severe disabilities still work in segregated settings. We examined findings from events held in eight communities to solicit the views of parents and other family members ( n = 93) on the state's shift from sheltered to integrated employment. Our interest was in understanding what maintained their attraction to segregated work settings and which factors would lead them to consider community employment as an appealing alternative. The considerations raised by participants were wide-ranging and highly individualized. However, factors related to ensuring safety, the availability of personal supports, and opportunities for relationship development were pronounced across these geographically and economically diverse communities. We offer implications for research and policy aimed at changing the employment landscape for individuals with severe disabilities.

AbstractBackgroundUnderstanding the positive qualities of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities can provide a much‐needed counterpoint to deficit‐based depictions of disability.MethodThis study examined how 163 young adults (ages 18–30) viewed the strengths of their brothers and sisters with intellectual disability or autism using the Assessment Scale for Positive Character Traits‐Developmental Disabilities (Woodard, 2009). In addition, the authors examined factors that may shape their perspectives.ResultsOverall, siblings' ratings of strengths were moderate to high, indicating an overall portrait of strengths. The majority of brothers and sisters with disabilities was described as having multiple strengths and their profiles on this measure were highly individualized. Lower overall ratings were associated with several variables, including not using speech as a primary mode of communication, exhibiting challenging behaviours, having autism and not currently living together.ConclusionsThe authors offer recommendations for future research and practice related to supporting siblings with and without disabilities.

Effective vocational instruction is an essential aspect of preparing students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) for the world of work. We systematically reviewed research on instructional methods used to teach employment skills to secondary students with IDD. We identified 56 studies involving 766 participants with IDD. Four intervention approaches emphasized technology or some other instructional stimulus (i.e., self-management devices, video-based, audio-based, picture and tactile-based) and four focused on live instructors (i.e., direct instruction, augmentative and alternative communication, simulation, peer-delivered). Among the 21 instructional methods used within these approaches, performance feedback, device-assisted instruction, response prompting, and community-based instruction were the most common. We address the extent to which these intervention approaches were effective across students, instructional methods, settings, and outcomes, as well as offer recommendations for future research and practice.

Fostering and maintaining strong collaborative relationships are critically important for paraprofessionals and special education teachers working together to provide a high-quality education for students with severe disabilities. Through in-depth interviews with 22 teachers and paraprofessionals comprising nine educational teams, we examined educator perspectives on what influences the quality of their professional relationships, as well as how their perspectives on these influences converged or diverged. Teachers and paraprofessionals identified five themes of influences to the quality of their relationships: teacher influences, paraprofessional influences, shared influences (i.e., related to the collective efforts of teachers and paraprofessionals), administrative influences (i.e., related to school and district leaders), and underlying influences (i.e., related to contextual or other factors). The findings highlight the complex nature of these relationships and emphasize the importance of supporting teachers and paraprofessionals as they work together to meet the needs of students with severe disabilities. We offer recommendations for future research and practice aimed at strengthening the quality and impact of special educator–paraprofessional collaborations.

Although positive peer relationships can facilitate the academic learning, skill development, and emotional well-being of students with complex communication challenges, few peer interactions are likely to take place in school settings apart from intentional intervention and support efforts. We conducted a systematic review to identify and examine intervention approaches aimed at improving peer interaction outcomes for school-aged children with complex communication challenges who regularly used or might benefit from augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). We categorized 31 studies based on their primary focus and the manner in which AAC was incorporated into the intervention package. Although the configurations of these intervention packages varied, most were found to be effective at increasing measures of peer interaction. We also identified several methodological features of this literature that would benefit from additional attention (e.g., participant descriptions, treatment fidelity, social validity). We offer recommendations to practitioners and researchers for impacting this dimension of students' lives.

Although paraprofessionals play a prominent role in the education of students with severe disabilities, little is known about the roles these school staff play in fostering self-determination. In this descriptive study, researchers examined the extent to which 347 paraprofessionals employed at 135 randomly selected schools (a) considered each of seven self-determination skills to be important instructional areas for the students with whom they work and (b) reported providing instruction to students in each of these skill areas. Although paraprofessionals generally attached high importance to these elements of self-determination, the extent to which they provided instruction was somewhat variable. Moreover, ratings of some self-determination elements differed based on the school level (i.e., elementary vs. secondary school) and educational setting (e.g., special vs. general education classroom) in which paraprofessionals provided support. Although paraprofessionals reported some familiarity with the overarching construct of self-determination, they infrequently received training on this domain. Recommendations for research and practice aimed at equipping paraprofessionals to support self-determination are provided.

Promoting access to the general curriculum has emerged as a central theme of the standards-based reform movement, challenging educators to identify effective strategies for supporting students with disabilities to access the numerous social and learning opportunities within general education. We examined peer support interventions as an alternative to one-to-one, adult-delivered support in high school science and art classrooms. All four participants with severe disabilities engaged in substantially more peer interactions when working with a peer support relative to when receiving direct support from a paraprofessional or special educator. Students' levels of academic engagement were not diminished because of participation in peer support arrangements. We discuss the contributions of these strategies to promoting peer interaction within inclusive classrooms, as well as offer recommendations for further refinement of this intervention approach.

We examined the differences between two groups of general education high school students: Those who volunteered to participate in a peer buddy program designed to increase their social interactions with their peers with severe disabilities ( n = 30), and those who chose not to volunteer ( n = 30). Differences were examined using the Social Distance Questionnaire for Attitudes of High School Students Toward Handicapped Persons. Analyses indicated that, at pre-test, peer buddies reported significantly greater willingness to interact with people with severe disabilities and more previous contact with these individuals than did nonvolunteers. There were no differences between the scores of the groups on knowledge of disability or affect toward persons with disabilities. After one semester of enrollment in the program, social willingness, knowledge, and contact scores of peer buddies increased significantly, whereas the scores of nonvolunteers remained the same as at the pre-test. In addition, students' self-reported previous contact with individuals with disabilities positively correlated with their scores indicating their social willingness to interact with their peers with disabilities. Implications of the study are discussed with respect to benefits of and recommendations for peer interaction programs.

One powerful way to prepare students with significant support needs for employment in adulthood is to ensure they experience employment during high school. To assist students with significant support needs in developing their employment goals and connecting to and sustaining a job, we developed a person-centered planning meeting focused centrally on employment—the Employment Planning Meeting. During the meeting, an Employment Planning Meeting Tool (The Tool) is used to guide and provide structure and organization for a team supporting a student. It serves as a living document of the student's interests, needs, and goals as they relate to employment during and after high school. This article describes each step of the meeting and how to use the Tool with students and their support team members. In addition, we share the experiences of professionals who organized and facilitated Employment Planning Meetings with a student with significant support needs and their families.

Parents have long played a pivotal and powerful role in advocating for improved services, supports, and increased opportunities for their children with significant disabilities. Yet inclusive opportunities remain strikingly limited in many schools and communities. We examined the viability and impact of parent-led community conversation events as an avenue for launching or strengthening efforts to involve children and youth with disabilities more fully in school, work, and community life. Events were held in 10 locales, used the World Café process by Brown and Isaacs, and addressed specific issues identified by parents (e.g., expanding employment opportunities, recreation options, extracurricular activities, and inclusive education). Interviews with parents and their collaborating partners, observations of the events, and anonymous surveys of more than 300 community members who attended the conversations suggested that the events were successful at accomplishing the goals of promoting greater awareness, generating new strategies and ideas for programmatic changes, encouraging school–community–family linkages, and drawing in new partners. Recommendations for supporting the contributions of parents as leaders in this type of local change effort are provided, along with directions for future research on conducting asset-focused change efforts.