Community living and participation (CLP) involves “a set of complex and ever-evolving dimensions related to both the place of community and the feeling of community” (Nye-Lengerman & Hewitt, 2019, p.3). Primary CLP domains include employment, ongoing education, community living, health and wellness, meaningful relationships, and supported decision-making (ACL, n.d.; Nye-Lengerman & Hewitt, 2019). Research documents many bioecological factors (an individual person’s characteristics and environmental factors/social factors) that directly or indirectly effect an individual’s development including, waitlists for services, limited government funding, and discrimination (Stern, 2020; Technical Assistance Collaborative, 2020; Tyler et al., 2022). Further, research reinforces the powerful effect that expectations have on individual outcomes (O’Donnell et al., 2022; Whitney et al, 2021). Outcomes for individuals with IDD and significant support needs (IWIDD) across CLP domains of: (a) competitive employment, (b) postsecondary education, (c) community living, and (d) relationships and community engagement are not comparable to other populations (USDOL, 2019). For example, the employment rate for working-age individuals with disabilities is considerably lower that of individuals without disabilities (Erickson et al., 2020; U.S. Department of Labor, 2022). Further, despite the increasing availability of degree, certificate, or non-degree higher education postsecondary programs designed for IwIDD, IwIDD continue to experience greater barriers in postsecondary education or training programs than do students without IwIDD (Lee et al., 2022). In addition, the rate of living outside of the family home for IwIDD is substantially lower when compared to IwIDD (Lui et al., 2018). Moreover, IwIDD who do live outside of their family homes often do not live in place of their choice or preference (Anderson, 2022; Schaak et al., 2017). Finally, IwIDD report higher degrees of loneliness and/or isolation than do people without disabilities (Macdonald et al., 2018; Raines, 2023). These negative outcomes are a result of pervasive factors that neither policies nor practices have successfully overcome (Medisked & The Arc, 2018; Tichá et al., 2013). What remains largely unknown, however, is which bioecological factors most profoundly impact CLP expectations. Further, there is limited information about the perceived impact of expectations on CLP outcomes. This study sought to enhance CLP outcomes among IwIDD needs by investigating bioecological factors that have an effect on CLP expectations among IwIDD and family members (FM) of IwIDD to inform and enhance future CLP research, policy, and practice across contexts and disciplines (e.g., education, medicine, workforce, direct support provision).
