Technological Innovations in the Education and Treatment of Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Objectives As technological innovations continue to emerge, the range of potential applications for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is widening. In this article, we introduce a special issue on technological innovations in the education and treatment of persons with IDD. Method For this special issue, we sought empirical studies, literature reviews, and program descriptions that focused on the use of technology (e.g., artificial intelligence, virtual reality, telehealth, portable smart devices, advanced language models) to improve the quality of life of people with IDD. Results Articles accepted for this special issue included (a) intervention studies and systematic reviews focused on applications of technology to improve daily living skills, social interactions, and communication, as well as mobility and occupational skills; (b) program descriptions involving telehealth service delivery to support families and train clinicians; (c) an empirical study utilizing technology to measure biophysical variables (heart rate variability) to inform behavioral assessment; and (d) a commentary on the potential of advanced language models. Conclusion Technological advances continue to inspire research aimed at improving the quality of life of people with IDD.