Triangle pattern

Frameworks & Practices to Build Collaborative Partnerships

Identity-Affirming Scholarship

Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often encounter stigma and exclusion from service providers, researchers, and our broader culture. These projects propose and explore ways that school psychologists can use approaches from disability studies and the neurodiversity movement to better include the voices and strengths of individuals with IDD in our research and professional approaches.

  1. Talapatra, D., Snider, L. A., McCreadie, K., Cullen, E. (2023). Elevating Disabled voices: De-centering power in school psychology scholarship. School Psychology International. https://doi.org/10.1177/01430343231201859
  2. Talapatra, D., & Snider, L. A. (2023). Positive identity development for individuals with intellectual disability: Current status and next steps for identity-affirming practices. International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities, 65, p. 1 – 41. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/abs/pii/S2211609523000106
  3. McCreadie, K., Snider, L. A., & Talapatra, D. (2023, February). Absent voices: Including families and self-advocates in disability research [Practitioner conversation]. National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention, Denver, CO.

Leveraging Psychoeducational Assessment

Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) frequently participate in assessment for special education eligibility, diagnostic clarification, and intervention planning. These projects examine ways that school psychologists can more accurately evaluate students with IDD, utilize assessment to foster self-insight and self-advocacy, and foster shared expertise and partnership with families and self-advocates.

  • Snider, L. A., & Talapatra, D. (2024, February). “Tests feel shallow”: Practitioner-identified challenges in assessment of intellectual disability [Paper]. National Association of School Psychology Annual Convention. New Orleans, LA.
  • Snider, L. A., Corcoran, S., & Dorceus, S. (2024, February). Branching out: Infusing collaborative and therapeutic assessment in our practice [Practitioner Conversation]. National Association of School Psychology Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA.
  • Talapatra, D., & Snider, L. A., Coleman, J., Thompson, T., Reinhardt, J., Hessl, D., & Riley, K. (2023). Deviation scores: An innovative approach to interpreting cognitive test results for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 36(5), p. 1218 – 1228. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.13137
  • Talapatra, D., Snider, L. A., & Miller, G. (2023). Using assessment to build partnership between students with intellectual disabilities, families, and educators. In S. Handler, S. Dada, & R. Banderjee (Eds.), Handbook of Inclusive Education for Teacher Educators (pp. 308-323). Routledge India. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003266068-23
  • Snider, L. A., Talley, J., & Talapatra, D. (2023, February). “Being gentle yet direct'”: Supportive assessment feedback about intellectual disabilities [Practitioner conversation]. National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention, Denver, CO.  
  • Snider, L.A., & Talapatra, D. (2022, February). Meaningfully interpreting adaptive behavior assessments using the CASC framework [Practitioner conversation]. National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention, Boston, MA.
  • Snider, L.A., Talapatra, D., Miller, G., & Zhang, D. (2020).  Expanding best practices in the assessment of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Contemporary School Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-020-00294-w
  • Thompson, T., Coleman, J., Riley, K., Hessl, D., Snider, L.A., Howard, L., & Sansone, S (2018).  Standardized assessment accommodations for individuals with intellectual disability.  Contemporary School Psychology.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6226246/

Pedagogy for Collaborative Partnerships

Targeted graduate and undergraduate training is vital for preparing future educators to partner authentically with families, approach students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) with a strength-based lens, and advocate for educational parity for students with IDD. These projects explore the training that school psychology graduate students receive related to IDD and illustrate instructional frameworks to better prepare future practitioners to serve this population.

  • Segall, M., & Snider, L.A. (2022, October). Reflections on Neurodiversity: An undergraduate seminar [Paper]. College Autism Summit 2022, Nashville, TN.
  • Talapatra, D., Snider, L. A., & Starr, E. (2022, February). Preparing graduate students for developmentally-appropriate practice: Coursework in intellectual disabilities [Practitioner conversation]. National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention, Boston, MA.
  • White, L. C., Snider, L. A., Talley, J. M., & Talapatra, D. (2021, March). Building school psychologists’ awareness and prioritization of sexual health curriculum for students with intellectual disability [Poster]. Trainers of School Psychologists Annual Conference, Virtual.