Service Delivery Systems for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and their Families Across the Lifespan

Meghan Burke, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is an associate professor of special education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research interests include parent advocacy, families (i.e., parents and siblings) of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and disability policy. Dr. Burke’s research examines how parents advocate for services for their offspring with IDD. Specifically, Dr. Burke has developed advocacy interventions to enable parents of individuals with IDD to advocate not only for their own offspring but also for other families. Dr. Burke’s advocacy training interventions have been replicated in six states. Additionally, Dr. Burke conducts research examining how siblings of individuals with disabilities transition to caregiving roles. Specifically, Dr. Burke is interested in developing interventions to facilitate these transitions.

• 1. Strengthening service access for children of color with autism spectrum disorders: A proposed conceptual framework2. Assessing the service impact of early intervention on young children with IDD and their families: From child-oriented outcomes to holistic family outcomes3. Family-professional partnership with refugee families whose children have disabilities4. Post high school transition for individuals with Down syndrome5. Supporting families and school professionals to be engaged partners in the transition to adulthood for young adults with disabilities6. A systemic look at supports and services for adults with IDD and their families: Moving ahead while remembering the past7. Integrated supports for persons with IDD and their families8. Healthcare service disparities in reproductive healthcare9. Information and Referral Systems in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities