Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. We will share methods and lessons learned from engaging stakeholders in five U.S. regions and connecting them nationally to build research capacity and partnerships. Research capacity building is aimed at identifying stakeholder-driven priorities and outcomes in relation to organization-level OT interventions and how these interventions facilitate community participation and ultimately affect health and well-being of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Primary Author and Speaker: Tracy Jirikowic Additional Authors and Speakers: Roxanna Bendixen,Teal Benevides, and Roger Ideishi Contributing Authors: Robert Smythe, Anna Perng

Date Presented 03/28/20 This qualitative study explored the converging and diverging needs of biological and adoptive parents raising young children with or at risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Findings from this study advocate for early interventions that prioritize and promote social-emotional development of young children, are family-centered, and provide concrete assistance for family circumstances and parent well-being. Primary Author and Speaker: Misty Pruner Contributing Authors: Tracy Jirikowic, Kathryn Yorkston, Heather Carmichael Olson

Date Presented 03/26/20 We will share methods and lessons learned from engaging stakeholders in three US regions and connecting them nationally to build research capacity and partnerships. Research-capacity building is aimed at identifying stakeholder-driven priorities and outcomes in relation to organization-level OT interventions, how these interventions facilitate community participation, and ultimately impact health and well-being of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Primary Author and Speaker: Tracy Jirikowic Additional Authors and Speakers: Roger Ideishi, Roxanna Bendixen, Teal Benevides

Date Presented 04/05/19 This qualitative study investigated parent and organization experiences of a sensory-friendly theatre program. I will report key findings, including meaningful and capacity-building experiences of parents of children with disabilities and theatre staff. This study illustrated the potential of sensory-friendly theatre and organization-level OT consultation to promote community participation at population levels and build organizational capacity in the access realm. Primary Author and Speaker: Caroline Umeda Contributing Authors: Tracy Jirikowic

Date Presented 4/19/2018 We describe the Keep on Movin’ partnership and research capacity–building activities that collectively aim to develop a stakeholder-driven comparative effectiveness research question around physical activity participation and healthy lifestyles for children with disabilities. Primary Author and Speaker: Tracy Jirikowic Additional Authors and Speakers: Cheryl Kerfeld

Date Presented 3/30/2017 Students with intellectual or developmental disabilities are entering postsecondary programs. Persisting adaptive behavior needs affect performance and participation. This research served to better understand student needs and potential roles of occupational therapy in postsecondary settings. Primary Author and Speaker: Lucretia Berg Contributing Authors: Tracy Jirikowic, Ginger MacDonald, Katie Haerling

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) provides standards and guidance for accessibility and accommodations that remove barriers to facilitate community social participation for individuals with disabilities. However, ADA implementation does not yet fully address the diverse access needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), who continue to face barriers to community social participation. This article explores the potential for occupational therapy practitioners to provide organization-level consultation as a means of maximizing community social participation among people with IDD. Case examples of occupational therapy practitioners working with community organizations are presented to illustrate organization-level consultation that addresses access needs across diverse community contexts. The relevance of supporting community social participation within the context of health equity is discussed, and key next steps, including developing population-based outcome measures, addressing reimbursement considerations, and developing best practices for organization-level consultation, are outlined.

Students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) increasingly pursue postsecondary education (PSE). Navigating the hidden curriculum—including meeting prerequisites for PSE and employment, using support systems and community transportation, and carrying out adulthood expectations—is an area of challenge. This exploratory case study examined experiences of students with IDD attending a PSE program and stakeholder perspectives. Thirty-two participants (10 students with IDD, 5 parents or guardians, 4 college administrators, 8 college instructors, 4 occupational therapists, and a transition specialist) were interviewed. Conventional content analysis revealed navigating the hidden curriculum as a key theme and three subthemes: (1) adult-based system navigation, (2) persisting challenges with adaptive behaviors, and (3) disability awareness and disclosure. Limited awareness of disability and supports and services needed for a successful PSE outcome were contributing factors. Occupational therapists have the skills to support students with IDD in skill acquisition to successfully transition to and navigate PSE and the hidden curriculum.

Handwriting is a critical skill for school success. Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) often present with fine motor and visual–motor impairments that can affect handwriting performance, yet handwriting skills have not been systematically investigated in this clinical group. This study aimed to comprehensively describe handwriting skills in 20 school-age children with FASD. Children were tested with the Process Assessment of the Learner, 2nd Edition (PAL–II), and the Visuomotor Precision subtest of NEPSY, a developmental neuropsychological assessment. Participants performed below average on PAL–II measures of handwriting legibility and speed and on NEPSY visual–motor precision tasks. In contrast, PAL–II measures of sensorimotor skills were broadly within the average range. Results provide evidence of functional handwriting challenges for children with FASD and suggest diminished visual–motor skills and increased difficulty as task complexity increases. Future research is needed to further describe the prevalence and nature of handwriting challenges in this population.

OBJECTIVE. This study describes the sensory-processing and behavior profiles of a clinic-referred sample of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and examines the relationship between sensory processing and behavior. METHODS. Outcomes on the Short Sensory Profile (SSP) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for 44 children, ages 5 to 10 years, were assessed and compared using retrospective data analysis. RESULTS. A high proportion of the children demonstrated deficits in sensory processing and problem behaviors as measured by the SSP and the CBCL. Moreover, the correlation between the SSP and CBCL total scores (r = −.72) was significant. CONCLUSION. Results provide evidence that children with FASD demonstrate problem behaviors and sensory-processing impairments as reported by parents and that sensory-processing deficits co-occur with problem behaviors at a high rate in this population. This finding suggests that deficits in sensory processing may affect the ability of children with FASD to respond adaptively to their environments.