For many adolescents and young adults (AYA) with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities (ID), lack of transportation impedes meaningful employment, service access, and community participation. Most travel interventions focus narrowly on a single mode of transportation or a finite set of mobility skills that often fails to consider variation in transportation needs, preferences, and challenges. The goal of this project is to develop and test a personalized community mobility intervention for AYA with ID. It is estimated that we will directly serve 160 stakeholders as a result of this grant if awarded. In collaboration with a variety of community agencies, investigators from Temple University and the University of Florida will conduct a two-stage development project. In phase 1, we will establish proof-of-concept by developing and iteratively refining a personalized community mobility intervention for AYA with ID. Through focus groups and semi-structured interviews with AYA with ID (16-25 years), parents/caregivers, and interventionists, we will resolve technical challenges associated with: (1) identifying self-determined community mobility/transportation challenges; (2) assessing individual's unique personal and environmental assets, barriers, and transportation preferences; (3) generating and implementing personalized community mobility plans; (4) implementing fidelity processes; and (5) conducting summative evaluations of goal attainment. In phase 2, we will establish proof-of-product by implementing, testing, and iteratively refining the community mobility intervention embedded within current services with 45 AYA with ID in real-world settings. The expected product is a dissemination-ready intervention prototype, including an implementation manual, interventionist training resources, fidelity assessment measures, and dissemination tools. The intervention will help AYA with ID develop travel skills and overcome transportation barriers,
necessary to increase community mobility.
