Designing a Wearable Technology Intervention to Support Young Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Inclusive Postsecondary Academic Environments

Abstract

In response to the increasing number of young adults with intellectual and development disability (IDD) in inclusive postsecondary settings, a wearable technology application was designed to support students’ learning, participation, and independence. This article describes the design research process leading to the development of the technology prototype. An app for a smart watch has been conceptualized, designed, and refined following the two initial phases of the Integrative Learning Design Framework (ILDF; Bannan-Ritland, 2003). The design principles that emerged from the study include multiple prompting and reward systems to encourage students’ self-regulation and positive behaviors. The findings identify ways wearable technology can support young adults with IDDs in inclusive college courses without overreliance on the support staff. Having major stakeholders involved in the design research process from the very beginning resulted in high levels of acceptance of the developed technology-based intervention prototype by the target population and by the support staff members. Plans for the next two phases of the ILDF, which are beyond the scope of this publication, are discussed.