Introduction and Acknowledgments

The Developmental Disabilities Network Journal (DDNJ) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published two times per year by the Institute for Research, Policy & Practice (IDRPP), Utah State University, Logan UT 84322-6800, USA. The journal is available online at http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/ddnj.

©2022 USU Institute for Research, Policy & Practice. Material appearing in the DDNJ, unless otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY 4.0). Under this license, others may distribute, copy, remix, adapt, build upon the material, and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially, as long as they credit the author for the original creation. The views expressed in the DDNJ are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Editor-in-Chief: Matthew T. Wappett, Ph.D.
Managing Editor: M. Bryce Fifield, Ph.D.
Assistant Editor: Mary Ellen Heiner
Editorial Board (Associate Editors):

• Tawara Goode, Ph.D., Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development
• Mark Innocenti, Ph.D., Utah State University Institute for Research, Policy & Practice
• Wendy Parent-Johnson, Ph.D., University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities
• Marcia Moriarta, Psy.D., University of New Mexico Center for Development and Disability
• Derek Nord, Ph.D., Indiana University Institute on Disability and Community
• Randall Owen, Ph.D., University of Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities
• Christine Pisani, M.S., Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities
• Jesse Suter, Ph.D., University of Vermont Center on Disability and Community Inclusion
• Kiriko Takahashi, Ph.D., University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Disability Studies
• Matthew Wangeman, M.C.P., Institute for Human Development at Northern Arizona University

Journal Subject Area: The DDNJ publishes high-quality research and evaluation about the multiple systems that serve individuals with disabilities and their families. Central to these systems is the “Developmental Disabilities Network,” a group of federally designated programs in each U.S. state and territory, that provide advocacy, training, research, and service focused on the unique needs of people with disabilities and their families. This journal specifically highlights programs, practices, and policies that encourage the full inclusion of people with disabilities in communities and all aspects of public life.

Advertisements: The DDNJ accepts digital advertisements. For advertising rates and specifications, contact editor.ddnj@usu.edu. Articles appearing in the DDNJ are not currently included in
any research indices because there is not enough content for indexing purposes. The DDNJ will be indexed after the publication of Volume 1, Issue 2.

Cover Design: The DDNJ cover and logo were designed by Kelly Smith and Mary Ellen Heiner from the Institute for Research, Policy & Practice at Utah State University.

Acknowledgments

We are excited to finally publish this Spring edition of the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal. This particular issue is a catch-up issue with a wide variety of different articles that we have been wanting to publish for a long-time.

Although this was not a specific thematic issue, there is a clear theme of participatory methods and collaboration in the articles in this edition. It has been inspiring to see the range and scope of participatory methodologies that different programs are using to ensure that the voices and perspectives of people with disabilities and their families are front and center. Perhaps the most important work that we do as a DD Network is amplifying the voices of individuals and family members. It is too easy within large bureaucracies to allow “the system” to dictate the direction of our programs, and it takes intentional focused effort to listen and learn from the communities that we serve. The articles in this issue provide many approaches to listening and learning, and we are excited to share them with you.

Our next issue of DDNJ is already in progress! It is a partnership between DDNJ and the AUCD Multicultural Council and will be focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the DD Network. We have already screened the abstracts that were submitted and have invited papers for this special issue. We are looking forward to sharing those with you this fall. Although the fall issue is already coming together, we are still seeking submissions for an open issue in Spring 2023. We would like to invite you and your colleagues to consider submitting work for that issue!

As with past issues of DDNJ, we are deeply indebted to the hard work of many people who have served as peer reviewers for this issue of the journal. We have had faculty, researchers, teachers, graduate students, family members, and self-advocates who have contributed to the reviews this time and we would like to thank each of you who have taken the time to provide your feedback to the journal staff and the authors. The strength of this journal is within the network of people who help provide these reviews and feedback, which strengthens the quality of the articles that we publish. Thank you!

If you would like to be a reviewer for DDNJ, we would love to add you to our reviewer board. We are seeking individuals with broad expertise in disability research, policy analysis, participatory action research, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are especially interested in recruiting individuals with developmental disabilities, siblings of individuals with disabilities, and/or parents of children with disabilities as reviewers. If you are interested in joining our review board, please send us a short email describing your areas of expertise and any past review experience. If you have a resume or CV, please attach that to the email. Please send emails to editor.ddnj@usu.edu. You can also call us at 801-797-0836 if you need assistance submitting this information.

Thank you so much for reading and supporting the work of DDNJ! We hope that you find value in this issue, and we are interested in your thoughts and feedback. If there are ways that we can make this publication more accessible or inclusive, we want to hear from you. Please send your comments and feedback to editor.ddnj@usu.edu.

Thank you so much.

Matthew T. Wappett, Ph.D.
DDNJ Editor-in-Chief