Special Interest Research Groups
Special Interest Research Groups provide opportunities for international and multidisciplinary networking among members of IASSIDD within the same area of interest, creating opportunities to share information, develop initiatives, find new colleagues and increase visibility to newcomers in the field. Through SIRGs, members may easily cooperate on common themes of interests.
IASSIDD encourages members to develop further SIRGs. If you are interested in developing a new SIRG, please see the IASSIDD bylaws, Article III: Special Interest Research Groups and contact the VP of SIRG Coordination.
Current SIRGs Officers
IASSIDD currently has 13 SIRGs.
| SIRG | Chair(s) | Secretary | Treasurer | Council Rep |
| Aging | Philip McCallion | |||
| Autism Spectrum Disorder | Ewelina Rydzewska, Yasamin Bolourian | Caroline Richards | Yurgos Politis | Jan Blacher |
| Challenging Behavior / Mental Health | Markus Kosel, Mindy Scheithauer |
Mireille Tabin | Linda Hume | Heather Church, Siobhan Brennan |
| Comparative Policy and Practice | Christine Linehan | Valerie Bradley | Valerie Bradley | Christine Linehan |
| Down Syndrome | Masauso Chirwa | Karen Watchman | Karen Watchman | Rhonda Faragher |
| Inclusive Research | Fionn Crombie Angus | |||
| Ethics | Petra Bjorne, Ruth Northway |
Heather Church | Heather Church | Petra Bjorne |
| Families | Sandy Magana, Sarah Dababnah | Robert Hock | Robert Hock | Sandy Magana, Sarah Dababnah |
| Health Issues | Esther Bakker-vanGijssel, Jenneken Naaldenburg | Genevieve Breau | Genevieve Breau | Laurence Taggart |
| Inclusive Education | Tobias Buchner | Deirdre Corby | Deirdre Corby | Tobias Buchner |
| Parenting with Intellectual Disabilities | Marjorie Aunos | Susan Collings | Marjorie Aunos | |
| Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities | Bea Maes | Juliet Goldbart | Bea Maes | Juliet Goldbart |
| Quality of Life | Meaghan Edwards, Keith McVilly |
Fiona Rillotta |
Nina Zuna
|
Alice Schippers |
Inclusive Education
We are excited to offer a second round of funding opportunities for attendance at the IASSIDD congress in Chicago in August. The Inclusive Education SIRG is offering grants of up to $1000 each to individuals from low to middle income countries who will be presenting a paper in the Inclusive Education stream at the Chicago IASSIDD conference in August 2024.
Aging and Intellectual Disability
The Special Interest Research Group on Aging and Intellectual Disability (SIRGAID) of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disability was organized in 1990 and formally affiliated with the IASSIDD in 1995. In 2009 it combined with the IASSIDD affinity group on Death and dying.
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Autism Spectrum Disorders
The ASD SIRG is focused exclusively on those individuals with ASD who have co-morbid intellectual disabilities (ID) and their families. Many of these individuals have unique and challenging needs that require targeted research and interventions. This SIRG aims to fill that need by bringing together researchers from across the globe to identify and develop a research-to-practice agenda for the most pressing social, educational and policy challenges faced by this population.
Challenging Behaviour & Mental Health
The Special Interest Group on Challenging Behavior and Mental Health (SIRG/CBMH) was established at the 13th World Congress of IASSID at Cape Town, South Africa. It replaced the existing SIRG on mental health with the objective of expanding the scope of the original group and creating a forum for developing integrated research and practice.
Comparative Policy & Practice
The Special Interest Research Group on Comparative Policy and Practice exists to further the planning, coordinating and conducting of activities relevant to all aspects of comparative policy and practice in the field of intellectual disabilities.
Down Syndrome
Our SIRG welcomes and accommodates members from IASSIDD who are interested and involved in research and its application.
Inclusive Research
Ethics & Intellectual Disabilities
The special interest research group on ethics and intellectual disability is part of the IASSIDD, and aims at an open exchange of views on ethical issues regarding health and social practices in order to support persons with disabilities and their families by stimulating research on ethics within the field of intellectual disability, and by disseminating its results in the wider circle of the IASSID and the research community of which it is part.
Families
The aim of the group is to promote the production and dissemination of high quality research that is relevant to the situation of families who support a person with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Health Issues
The mission of the Special interest Research Group on Health is to promote physical health of people with an intellectual disability. This is done by formulating priorities for health care, research and training and by sharing ideas and results. The SIRG organizes annual round-tables in varying countries around specific themes, consisting of update lectures
Inclusive Education
The purpose of the Inclusive Education SIRG is to provide opportunities for international networking between researchers and members of IASSIDD. In this way, we hope to create opportunities for sharing information, developing initiatives, identifying new colleagues and being visible to newcomers in the field.
Parenting with Intellectual Disabilities
The Special Interest Research Group on Parents and Parenting with Intellectual Disabilities (SIRG/PID) was founded in 1996 at an international conference in Denmark which was organized by the Danish Ministry of Social Affairs and The EU Commission.
Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities
The aim of the group is to provide a forum for the worldwide exchange and dissemination of research and practice, as well as networking in the field of persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.
Quality of Life
The mission of the SIRG-QOL is to further work that enhances the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and their families through research and its application. The SIRG-QoL includes two sub-groups: person-centered quality of life, and family-centered quality of life.