Positive Identity Development through Community Engagement among Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Background: Identity development in individuals with disabilities is often negatively impacted by exclusion, marginalisation, and stigma. However, meaningful opportunities for community engagement can serve as one pathway towards establishing positive identity. This pathway is further examined in the present study. Methods: Researchers used a tiered, multi-method, qualitative methodology consisting of audio diaries, group interviews, and individual interviews with seven youth (ages 16-20) with intellectual and developmental disabilities, recruited through the Special Olympics U.S. Youth Ambassador Program. Results: Participants' identities incorporated disability while simultaneously transcending the social limits of disability. Participants viewed disability as one aspect of their broader identity, shaped by leadership and engagement experiences such as those offered by the Youth Ambassador Program. Conclusions: Findings have implications for understanding identity development in youth with disabilities, the importance of community engagement and structured leadership opportunities, and the value of tailoring qualitative methodologies to the subject of the research.