Co-authored by Asia Eaton, Ph.D. and Kate L. Long, ABD, OTR/L

“We don’t have any people like that in the United States, do we?”

This comment from someone I (Kate) truly respected really stunned me. As someone who has worked in the disability field for close to 15 years, I was visiting a nonprofit that supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in another country. A colleague of mine decided to visit the nonprofit with me, where we encountered a child with spastic cerebral palsy using a wheelchair. Granted, this colleague had limited experience in the disability world. But it served as a stark reminder of the invisibility of developmental disability even in the United States, where services are more abundant than in many other areas of the world.

Developmental disabilities are actually quite common. In the United States, about 1 in 6 children has a developmental disability (CDC, 2024). Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are a group of neurodevelopmental conditions usually present at birth that affect the trajectory of a person’s physical, intellectual, and/or emotional development (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2021). Conditions such as Down Syndrome, Autism, Fragile X, Cerebral Palsy, and others are examples of intellectual or developmental disabilities.

While shows starring characters with IDD have brought some awareness of IDD (e.g., Netflix’s “Crip Camp”), people with IDD are often not represented in media and not fully included in society. Progress in IDD rights has grown in the last 30 years, driven by activists’ efforts and resulting laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, challenges persist in access to quality services (e.g., healthcare, housing, transportation), employment gaps, and debates over autonomy vs. guardianship. For example, while many adults with IDD desire to live independently, they often face waitlists spanning years for home and community-based care, frequently forcing them into institutional settings or to remain with aging parents. In addition, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) continue to face exclusion from many aspects of community life, like interpersonal relationships. In today’s column, we reflect on how psychological science can help create more inclusive environments and greater belonging and justice for those with IDD.

1. Systems Were Not Designed for Neurodiversity

Many schools, workplaces, and social services operate within structures that were created for able bodies, treating disabled bodies as “exceptions” to an invisible “rule”. For instance, while public transit has made allowances for accessible seating for people with physical disabilities, adaptations for people with wayfinding difficulties or cognitive........

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