The Perceived Role of Direct Support Professionals in the Health Promotion Efforts of Adults With Developmental Disabilities Receiving Support Services.
DSPs avoid health coaching because they fear breaking rights—give them a short, respectful script and clear approval to speak up.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Burrows et al. (2018) ran focus groups with direct support professionals (DSPs).
They asked how DSPs try to keep adults with developmental disabilities healthy.
All talks were recorded and coded for themes.
What they found
DSPs often stay quiet about health topics.
They fear any advice might violate the adult's rights.
Without clear rules, they do little or nothing.
How this fits with other research
Laws et al. (2024) later showed the rights fear is now part of a wider DSP crisis.
Adams et al. (2021) found DSPs also feel underpaid, overworked, and short-staffed.
Together these papers extend the 2018 worry into a full system stress picture.
Matson et al. (1999) first showed DSPs feel unprepared with meds; the 2018 study echoes that training gap in health promotion.
Why it matters
If DSPs freeze over rights worries, adults miss workouts, dental visits, and cancer screens. Write a one-page script that starts with respect: 'Would you like tips to stay healthy?' Give DSPs exact words and a supervisor okay to use them. Rights stay safe and health actions rise.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Direct support professionals (DSPs) play a large social role in the lives of people with developmental disabilities (DD) and have the potential to influence their health behaviors. Six qualitative focus groups ( n = 48) were conducted with DD community agency administrators, DSPs, family members and adults with DD to better understand the perceived role of DSPs in the health promotion efforts of those with DD. Findings from this study suggest that DSPs experience several barriers when trying to promote the health of those with DD, one of which is fear of violating the rights of people with DD. Future work should identify ways to overcome the barriers experienced by DSPs, so that they can better assist people with DD with health promotion efforts.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2018 · doi:10.1352/1934-9556-56.1.40