Mindfulness in intellectual and developmental disabilities

This chapter presents a review of research on the effectiveness of established and customized mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. The research can be broadly divided into three groups: (a) research on MBPs that are taught directly to individuals with IDD by an experienced meditation teacher, or by parents, caregivers, or teachers who have been taught by a meditation teacher to teach the individuals using a train-the-trainer model; (b) the meditation teacher has taught only the parents, caregivers, or teachers an MBP, with the expectation that the effects of their meditation practice will cascade and spillover when engaged in mindful caregiving to people with IDD; and (c) when the MBPs are taught to parents and their children in parallel, such that effects of the teaching on people with IDD is enhanced not only by the cascading and spillover effects from parental mindfulness but also from their own meditation practice. In addition, the chapter presents research on teaching mindfulness to parents so that they can then teach mindfulness activities to their children. Overall, mindfulness research in IDD is in its early stages, with mainly positive outcomes, but much remains to be accomplished.

© 2021 selection and editorial matter, Nirbhay N. Singh and Subhashni D. Singh Joy individual chapters, the contributors