Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are more likely to experience abuse, but research on prevention programs that work for them is scarce. This project asks what prevention education needs to work for them.
At a glance
Question
How can school- and community-based abuse prevention education work for children and youth with IDD?
Partners
Funder
This project was not externally funded.
Timeline
2022-2024
Why it matters
About 6.5 million U.S. children have a developmental disability diagnosis. Children with IDD are 3.4 times more likely to experience abuse and neglect than children without IDD. Communication challenges, dependence on others for care, caregiver stress, and limited training among youth-serving professionals all add to that risk. Research on prevention strategies that work for these children is still scarce.
“As Children’s Advocacy Centers and multidisciplinary teams, it is our goal to make our services as accessible and responsive as possible, to all children—so let’s make sure we’re not overlooking children and youth with IDD.”
What we’re doing
We reviewed the research on school-based and community-based victimization prevention programs for children and youth with IDD. We also talked with 21 parents, school staff, and community prevention specialists about what prevention education for children with IDD should look like.
What we learned
Why children with IDD face higher risk
Child factors: communication problems, sensory impairments, mobility problems, difficulty navigating social situations, behavioral challenges, and dependence on others for care.
Family factors: parenting stress (emotional, physical, and financial), expectations that don’t match a child’s abilities, and parental mental illness or substance use.
Professional factors: little or no training in preventing abuse of children with disabilities, and an emphasis on teaching children to comply with adults.
Despite these well-documented risks, research on effective prevention strategies for children with IDD is severely lacking.
What prevention education should include
Visuals, interactive activities, consistent vocabulary, and concrete examples.
Instructors prepared to use different forms of communication, including assistive devices.
Lessons led by highly trained educators, with special education teachers or aides supporting.
Teaching about risks specific to children with IDD, such as appropriate and inappropriate touch during medical or assistive care.
Detailed information for parents about the program, access to the curriculum if possible, and plenty of chances to ask questions.
What parents can do
Address medical and assistive care as a risk unique to children with IDD.
Make sure children with IDD have an equal voice.
Encourage children to be assertive and communicate their wishes.
Normalize conversations about sexual behavior.
What schools can do
Combine best practices from prevention education and special education.
Offer accommodations for different communication needs, including assistive devices.
Use imagery and messaging that signal inclusion of all students.
Train prevention instructors in special education, or train special education teachers to deliver prevention programs.
What youth-serving organizations can do
Train staff on experiences that increase risk for children with IDD.
Include children with IDD in prevention strategies, tailored to their needs.
Offer accommodations for different communication needs.
Make sure children with IDD have an equal voice, and encourage them to communicate their wishes.
Papers from this project
Child Maltreatment, 2025
Community-Based Prevention Education for Children and Youth with IDD: A Scoping Review
A review of community-based victimization prevention programs for children and youth with IDD.
Child Maltreatment, 2024
School-Based Prevention Education for Children and Youth with IDD: A Scoping Review
A review of school-based victimization prevention programs for children and youth with IDD.
Child Abuse & Neglect, 2023
What Parents and Professionals Want from Prevention Education for Children with IDD
Parents and professionals recommended visuals, interactive lessons, assistive communication, and teaching about safety during medical and assistive care.
Child Abuse & Neglect, 2023
Making School-Based Prevention Education Work for Children and Youth with IDD
Recommendations for adapting school-based prevention education for students with IDD.
This project was not externally funded.
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