Examining a leadership development initiative for college students with intellectual and developmental disability: A brief report

BACKGROUND: The number of inclusive college programs for students with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) in the United States has steadily increased in recent years. As access to college becomes a more realistic prospect for people with IDD, there is a pressing need to examine the offerings and impacts of these programs critically. OBJECTIVE: One potential offering of inclusive college programs that has not been given much attention is opportunities for student leadership development (LD). The purpose of this brief report was to evaluate the perspectives of staff members in a program geared towards providing a paid LD opportunity to students with IDD in an inclusive college program in the southeastern United States. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten student-employees staffing this LD opportunity and constant comparative analysis was employed to organize interview content by themes. RESULTS: Four primary themes arose as a result of the analytic process: character development, communication, opportunities for leading and mentoring others, strategic reflection, and individual empowerment. Each is explored in summation and through exemplary quotes from participants. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study provide important implications for professionals and future research to support maximizing the positive impact of these programs on the lives of students with IDD.