Supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate in their communities through support staff pilot intervention

Background: Increasingly, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are supported to participate in least-restricted settings in the community. However, little is known about desired community participation choice and control of people with I/DD, nor effective strategies to support full participation. Furthermore, service providers of this population in community and residential settings have unique roles in influencing choice and control in community participation.

Research aim: The purpose of this project is to empower adults with I/DD in community participation by collaborating with agency staff and administrators to strategize change in service provision and programming.

Methods: This article describes the development, imple-mentation and mixed-methods evaluation of a pilot staff intervention.

Results: Findings indicate staff who participated in pilot intervention report increased confidence in supporting adults with I/DD to participate in their communities.

Conclusions: Intervention development has implications for staff, administrators and agencies in planning and executing opportunities to support choice and control for community participation for adults with I/DD.