All Outputs (38)

Promoting Neurodiversity-Affirming Care for Autistic Children: A Scoping Review (2025)
Journal Article
Wagland, Z., Sterman, J., Scott-Cole, L., Spassiani, N., & Njelesani, J. (2025). Promoting Neurodiversity-Affirming Care for Autistic Children: A Scoping Review. Neurodiversity, 3, https://doi.org/10.1177/27546330251357479

Historically, educational and clinical practice with autistic children centred on developing their ability to ‘fit in’ and achieve neurotypical milestones. The neurodiversity movement aims to shift the focus from normalising behaviours to acceptance... Read More about Promoting Neurodiversity-Affirming Care for Autistic Children: A Scoping Review.

COVID-19 Public Inquiry: Research Report for Portfolio 3: The Provision of Health and Social Care: Social Care for Children (2025)
Report
McKay, C., Stavert, J., Breen, C., McKay, E., Spassiani, N., Rose, S., Petropoulou, E., Davey, J., Sterman, J., Thompson, K., Higgins, A., Woodrow, A., & King, M. COVID-19 Public Inquiry: Research Report for Portfolio 3: The Provision of Health and Social Care: Social Care for Children. Scottish COVID-19 Public Inquiry

This report reviews available evidence regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social care for children in Scotland, focusing on the strategic response of the Scottish Government. It was commissioned by the Scottish COVID-19 Public Inquiry,... Read More about COVID-19 Public Inquiry: Research Report for Portfolio 3: The Provision of Health and Social Care: Social Care for Children.

Did I Take My Medication Today? Understanding Medication Self-Management for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Through Participatory Research (2025)
Journal Article
Spassiani, N., Higgins, A., Tait, S., Hume, A., Abdulla, S., & Paterson, R. (2025). Did I Take My Medication Today? Understanding Medication Self-Management for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Through Participatory Research. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 38(3), Article e70059. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.70059

Background: There is little research that has examined what support strategies are effective to help adults with intellectual disabilities take their prescribed medication correctly. The aim of the study was to gain an understanding of the barriers a... Read More about Did I Take My Medication Today? Understanding Medication Self-Management for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Through Participatory Research.

Neurodiversity: Navigating the criminal justice system at the intersect of policing and health (2025)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Heyman, I., & Spassiani, N. (2025, January). Neurodiversity: Navigating the criminal justice system at the intersect of policing and health. Presented at Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research PhD Series, Online

People with neurodiversity or a neurodisability are overly represented in policing interactions. Yet, knowledge to support meaningful and positive impacts on criminal justice systems to support people with neurodiversity/neurodisability are sparse.... Read More about Neurodiversity: Navigating the criminal justice system at the intersect of policing and health.

You Can't Exclude Us Anymore! A Critical Reflection of Inclusive Research and Teaching Opportunities for People With Intellectual Disabilities in University Settings (2024)
Journal Article
Spassiani, N., Armstrong, T., Becaj, M., Hiddleston, A., Higgins, A., Hume, A., Robertson, J., & Young, T. (2025). You Can't Exclude Us Anymore! A Critical Reflection of Inclusive Research and Teaching Opportunities for People With Intellectual Disabilities in University Settings. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 53(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/bld.12640

Making Survey Research Accessible for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2024)
Book Chapter
Friedman, C., & Spassiani, N. A. (2024). Making Survey Research Accessible for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. In G. Bennett, & E. Goodall (Eds.), The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Disability (1-10). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40858-8_77-1

Historically, research about people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has been conducted through proxies because of ableist assumptions about people with IDD’s abilities to contribute to research and methodological challenges to... Read More about Making Survey Research Accessible for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Understanding the barriers experienced by adults with learning disabilities when accessing fitness centres (2023)
Journal Article
Spassiani, N. A., Abdulla, S., Hiddleston, A., Lynch, K., & Baigrie, L. (2023). Understanding the barriers experienced by adults with learning disabilities when accessing fitness centres. Learning Disability Practice, 26(6), 23-32. https://doi.org/10.7748/ldp.2023.e2216

Background
Many people with learning disabilities are unable to access fitness centres due to these facilities often being inaccessible and non-inclusive.

Aim
To examine the barriers and support experienced by adults with learning disabilities... Read More about Understanding the barriers experienced by adults with learning disabilities when accessing fitness centres.

‘Now that I am connected this isn't social isolation, this is engaging with people’: Staying connected during the COVID‐19 pandemic (2022)
Journal Article
Spassiani, N. A., Becaj, M., Miller, C., Hiddleston, A., Hume, A., & Tait, S. (2023). ‘Now that I am connected this isn't social isolation, this is engaging with people’: Staying connected during the COVID‐19 pandemic. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 51(1), 99-110. https://doi.org/10.1111/bld.12478

Background
The COVID-19 global pandemic has put adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities at greater risk of being socially excluded due to physical distancing. Technology has been looked at as a tool for adults with intellectual/developme... Read More about ‘Now that I am connected this isn't social isolation, this is engaging with people’: Staying connected during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

‘It will make more people feel included if they can talk to them in their first language’: The experience of university students with an intellectual disability engaging in a formal Irish Sign Language Course (2021)
Journal Article
Spassiani, N. A., Clince, M., & Ó Murchadha, N. (2021). ‘It will make more people feel included if they can talk to them in their first language’: The experience of university students with an intellectual disability engaging in a formal Irish Sign Language Course. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 49(4), 467-474. https://doi.org/10.1111/bld.12417

Accessible Summary

Learning a second language can provide people with more opportunities to be included in society. For example, they could have more opportunities for employment, social activities and travel.
However, people with intelle... Read More about ‘It will make more people feel included if they can talk to them in their first language’: The experience of university students with an intellectual disability engaging in a formal Irish Sign Language Course.

Experiences of healthcare professionals in cancer assessment and treatment for people with learning disabilities: a literature review (2021)
Journal Article
Abdulla, S., & Spassiani, N. (2021). Experiences of healthcare professionals in cancer assessment and treatment for people with learning disabilities: a literature review. Cancer Nursing Practice, https://doi.org/10.7748/cnp.2021.e1654

Cancer is a leading underlying cause of death among people with learning disabilities, who are less likely to receive screening tests for the disease than those without learning disabilities. This article details a literature review that was undertak... Read More about Experiences of healthcare professionals in cancer assessment and treatment for people with learning disabilities: a literature review.

Experiences of health and aging for younger adults in long-term care: a social-ecological multi-method approach (2020)
Journal Article
Barber, B. V., Weeks, L. E., Spassiani, N. A., & Meisner, B. A. (2021). Experiences of health and aging for younger adults in long-term care: a social-ecological multi-method approach. Disability and Society, 36(3), 468-487. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2020.1751074

There is an increasing number of younger adults with disabilities becoming residents of long-term care (LTC) homes across Atlantic Canada. Moving younger adults into LTC is less-than-ideal and presents an immediate challenge for LTC homes to meet the... Read More about Experiences of health and aging for younger adults in long-term care: a social-ecological multi-method approach.

Emergency department nurses’ knowledge, skills, and comfort related to caring for patients with intellectual disabilities (2020)
Journal Article
Spassiani, N. A., Abou Chacra, M. S., Selick, A., Durbin, J., & Lunsky, Y. (2020). Emergency department nurses’ knowledge, skills, and comfort related to caring for patients with intellectual disabilities. International Emergency Nursing, 50, Article 100851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ienj.2020.100851

Introduction
Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) are more likely to visit the emergency department (ED) more frequently than their counterparts without ID. Nurses play an integral role in caring for all patients in the ED, including thos... Read More about Emergency department nurses’ knowledge, skills, and comfort related to caring for patients with intellectual disabilities.

The Impact of Organizational Supports on the Person‐Centered Health of People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2019)
Journal Article
Friedman, C., Rizzolo, M. C., & Spassiani, N. A. (2020). The Impact of Organizational Supports on the Person‐Centered Health of People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 17(1), 70-78. https://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12320

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have significantly poorer health than the general population. A key threat to health programs for people with IDD is commitment from stakeholders, especially service organizations. The aim... Read More about The Impact of Organizational Supports on the Person‐Centered Health of People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

What is and isn’t working: Factors involved in sustaining community-based health and participation initiatives for people aging with intellectual and developmental disabilities (2019)
Journal Article
Spassiani, N., Meisner, B., Abou Chacra, M. S., Heller, T., & Hammel, J. (2019). What is and isn’t working: Factors involved in sustaining community-based health and participation initiatives for people aging with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 32(6), 1465-1477. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12640

As people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) age it is important that I/DD agencies are prepared to support healthy aging in homes and in communities. This study explored supports and barriers to sustaining community-based health... Read More about What is and isn’t working: Factors involved in sustaining community-based health and participation initiatives for people aging with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

An Ageing Intellectual Disability Population: Exploring How Intellectual Disability Agencies Are Supporting Healthy Ageing (2019)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Spassiani, N., Meisner, B., Heller, T., & Hammel, J. An Ageing Intellectual Disability Population: Exploring How Intellectual Disability Agencies Are Supporting Healthy Ageing. Presented at The World Congress of the International Association for the Scientif ic Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD) 2019, Glasgow, UK

Introduction: Providing support for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) to remain in the community as they age is a relatively new concept for ID agencies. The purpose of this study was to explore how ID agencies are engaging people with ID li... Read More about An Ageing Intellectual Disability Population: Exploring How Intellectual Disability Agencies Are Supporting Healthy Ageing.

It's Okay to Teach People with an Intellectual Disability about Their Disability (2018)
Journal Article
Spassiani, N. A. (2018). It's Okay to Teach People with an Intellectual Disability about Their Disability. The Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 31(3), 287-294

This paper introduces a newly accredited university programme for students with an intellectual disability (ID). The curriculum is largely based on disability studies pedagogy that creates awareness of the social, political, and economic factors that... Read More about It's Okay to Teach People with an Intellectual Disability about Their Disability.

Self-management of health by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (2018)
Journal Article
Friedman, C., Rizzolo, M. C., & Spassiani, N. A. (2019). Self-management of health by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 32(3), 600-609. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12554

Background
Self‐management of health includes people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) playing a key role in health management in collaborating with healthcare professionals.
Methods
This study analysed data from Personal Outc... Read More about Self-management of health by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Community Based Dietician Services for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2018)
Journal Article
Friedman, C., & Spassiani, N. (2018). Community Based Dietician Services for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 15(4), 343-349. https://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12253

Background. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience significantly poorer health outcomes and a shorter life expectancy when compared to the general population. People with IDD are also more likely to become over weigh... Read More about Community Based Dietician Services for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Developing Post-Secondary Education Programmes for People with Intellectual Disablities at Trinity College, the University of Dublin, Ireland (2018)
Book Chapter
Kubiak, J., Spassiani, N., Shevlin, M., & O’Keeffe, M. (2018). Developing Post-Secondary Education Programmes for People with Intellectual Disablities at Trinity College, the University of Dublin, Ireland. In P. O’Brien, M. L. Bonati, F. Gadow, & R. Slee (Eds.), People with Intellectual Disability Experiencing University Life: Theoretical Underpinnings, Evidence and Lived Experience (141-153). Brill Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004394551_009

Health Determinants (2018)
Book Chapter
Spassiani, N. (in press). Health Determinants. In Disability In American Life: An Encyclopedia Of Concepts, Policies, and Controversies: Health Determinants (333-335). Bloomsbury Publishing