Using the Independent Monitoring for Quality Program to Examine Longitudinal Outcomes for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Tichá et al. (2023) tracked Pennsylvania adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities for six years. They used the state's Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q) surveys from 2013 to 2019.

Each year, staff asked adults or their proxies about choice-making, jobs, and supports. The team looked for trends, not quick fixes.

Everyday choice-making slowly got better. People picked meals, clothes, or roommates more often in 2019 than in 2013.

Jobs stayed flat. Support-related choice shrank. Adults had less say over staff, budgets, or service plans at the end.

Cameranesi et al. (2022) saw big quality-of-life jumps right after adults moved from institutions to small community homes. Renáta shows the next chapter: once settled, gains can stall or slide.

Matson et al. (2009) warned that community-dwelling adults still have tiny social circles and little paid work. The flat job numbers in Renáta match that bleak picture.

Harrington et al. (2016) found service gaps for California adults with IDD from 2005-2013. Renáta echoes the concern: support choice fell in Pennsylvania even as everyday choice crept up.

Choice is not one-and-done. You can celebrate daily progress while still fighting for bigger control over budgets, staff, and goals. Use IM4Q-style questions each quarter to spot slippage early. If choice drops, schedule a person-centered plan refresh before the next annual survey.