Speakers: Brittany Hayes; Kecia Weller
Our research team has identified gaps and brainstormed ‘fixes’ to support victims with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in reporting sexual violence. We connected with professionals (i.e., law enforcement, advocates), individuals with IDD, and the community (i.e., caregivers, support persons). We will discuss barriers to communication, current policy and available accommodations to support individuals with IDD, and areas for training.
Individuals with IDD are often missing from the creation of data due to, among other things, communication differences. We developed inclusive interview guides. We created visual schedules and social stories to clarify expectations for the research process. A visual schedule provides steps for the types of questions that will be posed during the data collection with images. Social stories support comprehension of a new task for individuals with communication differences. We seek to listen through our work and together develop supports to ensure all voices are heard, especially survivors with IDD.
This session was made possible by Grant Number 90EV0562 from the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
